I am the Monarch – Chapter 294: The Past (4)

“You still haven’t found it?”

Swift Clock made a frown as perplexity was evident in his gaze. An official under the administration and aide of Swift, Hainz bit his lower lips and lowered his head.

“Sorry. The whereabouts are still unknown. Not to mention the palace knights, knights and the Defense Army, even the believers of the Tallian Church are doing their hardest looking for it. The citizens are supportive as well.”

He gave a quick report.

“Mhmm.”

With a low mutter, Swift stared at the surroundings. The square-shaped space appeared very elegant. Along the walls were tables of various sizes and in the middle of that place was a glass case made by adding magic stones.

On top of the tables and shelves were ancient tools, several books and jewels. Those were all items related to Roan, or to the founding of the Amaranth Kingdom. However, the glass case which seemed to have been holding the most important object was completely empty.

Swift’s gaze went over towards the case.

“Hmm.”

A long murmur escaped once again and clenching his teeth, he ordered with a thorny tone.

“Find it. You must find…”

When his words reached that point,

Paaaaaat!

A pillar of white light suddenly reached up to the skies from next to the glass case.

“W, what in the world…?”

Swift made a startled expression as his eyes widened. The knights and Taemusas standing nearby all surrounded the pillar of light instinctively. Although they were dumbfounded for a bit, their gaze and expression were solid without any signs of trembling – as expected of the elite knights and elite soldiers of the Amaranth.

Paat!

The pillar of light suddenly disappeared and at the same time, a masculine youth and a beautiful young man appeared.

“Uh, huh?!”

Swift who had been observing it with caution in his eyes was surprised and kneeled on one knee.

“Your Majesty!”

Loud voices filled the place.

“We greet Your Majesty!”

A bit later, the knights and soldiers saluted as they sheathed their weapons. The youths that had appeared from the pillar of light were Roan Lancephil and Kalian. After a light nod, Roan turned his head and at the end of his gaze was the glass case.

“I knew it…”

Roan made a frown.

‘My prediction was correct.’

Ominous premonitions were never wrong.

“The Grand Commander’s Baton?”

When Roan asked with a low voice, Swift lowered his head.

“Sorry. Due to my carelessness, it had been stolen.”

His voice trembled towards the end. The now-empty glass case used to contain the baton of the total commander inside. Swift couldn’t continue his words and wore a miserable expression but Roan had a calm and a somewhat nonchalant attitude.

“Tell me exactly what had happened.”

Hearing that, Swift breathed in deep before struggling to open his mouth.

“While we were giving maintenance to Your Majesty’s belongings and the objects related to the founding of the Kingdom…”

He carefully raised his head.

“We had received a request from the Archbishop Latio of the Tallian Church.”
“Mhmm.”

Roan let out a low sigh as that was exactly what he thought had happened. Swift continued his words.

“The Archbishop Latio had made a little shack on the corner of the castle as their temple and had done good deeds to not only the citizens of Castle Mediasis but also the people living around the castle. He treated the sick, saved the poor, taught the uneducated ones, respected the elders and showed an example to the children.”

It was an enormous compliment. Because it was coming from Swift who always saw every situation rationally and cold-headedly, it was all the more meaningful.

‘That’s how well his mask was made.’

Roan made a bitter smile as Kalian too shook his head with a bitter smile.

‘He had hidden the disgusting true colours and quickly controlled the hearts of the populace.’

In the midst of their thoughts, Swift’s words continued.

“I was baffled once again at Your Majesty’s eyes.”

Hearing that, Roan let out a short sigh.

‘Swift, my eyes were totally wrong.’

Bitterness filled him up to his tongue.

“With the Tallian Church at the centre, a strange sense of livelihood unlike before was created.”

Just like what Kalian had thought, Latio and the Tallian Church had grasped the hearts of the citizens in one grab. If Swift hadn’t quickly intervened by supplying the treatment fees and other ways to care for the citizens, the entire foundation of the kingdom might’ve been largely shaken.

“During all that, the Archbishop Latio requested about showing to the children of the kingdom the great chronicles of Your Majesty and the grandeur foundation of the country. The stories about Your Majesty were quite popular with the children so…”

He slurred the words towards the end but Roan gave a nod with a faint smile.

“So you had picked out the symbolic objects from within the kingdom’s safe to show to the citizens.”
“Yes.”

Swift heaved out a short sigh.

“To make sure there was no problem with the security, the palace knights and the kingdom’s knights were made to thoroughly inspect the area around and we had greatly increased the number and frequency of patrols after talking to the Defense Army.”

Raising his head, he stared at the room that had opened to the public.

“The making and presenting of this room were very successful. Let alone the children, the adults that had followed by were all greatly moved and joyous after seeing the objects related to the foundation. There weren’t any problems with security as well.”

Swift’s gaze headed towards the glass case.

“The most popular one was definitely the Grand Commander’s Baton. After all, it was a treasure that allowed military control over every army from the days of the Rinse Kingdom and Your Majesty had founded the country with this baton in hand. It looks quite cool as well.”

Resting his hand on the case, he continued.

“That’s why we asked the Technical Department, the Alchemy Department and the Magic Tower of leno to add magic stones and create a magic glass case to preserve it in but…”
“It had been stolen, huh.”

With his eyes on the empty glass case, Roan gave a short reply to which Swift nodded along with a sigh.

“Yes. It just vanished. After finding out that it had been stolen, we had immediately closed the room and asked for a search and body-check by relying on the Defenders and the knights. The temple of the Tallian Church had shouldered the responsibility as well and went out looking for it and the Archbishop Latio gave a holy order asking for the thief to turn themselves in as well as asking the citizens to help find it. Due to that…”