I Became King by Following My Little Sister's Advice. Now the Princess I Forced to Marry Is Giving Me Death Stares, What Should I Do? - Chapter 04: Let's Crush Them

Chapter 04: Let’s Crush Them

The Cordelick family has been a powerful noble family since the founding of the kingdom.

They carried royal blood and held the highest noble status in the Kingdom of Aidron.

“Kukuku… those foolish revolutionaries. Thanks to them, I can easily seize the throne!”

Leading an army of five thousand soldiers, Duke Gramos Cordelick was heading to the royal capital in a carriage. 

Duke Cordelick, not being much of a warrior, wasn’t good at riding horses, so he preferred using a carriage for travel.

Normally, Duke Cordelick wasn’t the type to go to the battlefield himself. During wars, he usually sent his son or other relatives as generals. 

However, this time was special. He didn’t want to share the glory of crushing the rebel army that had taken over the royal capital and killed the king. He wanted it all for himself.

“If I capture the capital, I’ll be the next king… I can’t wait!”

Duke Cordelick chuckled to himself as the carriage rocked. 

He was an ambitious man. 

Even though he had the great title of ‘Duke,’ he wasn’t satisfied with his position and always looked for opportunities to rise even higher.

Finally, the chance had come. 

The rebel army had killed the king and taken over the capital. 

If Duke Cordelick attacked the capital, he risked being labeled a traitor.

As a traitor, his name would be disgraced throughout the country.

But… this time was different. He had a just cause. 

Even if Duke Cordelick took over the capital, he would be praised as a hero who defeated the rebels, not blamed as a traitor.

No one would complain about him becoming the next king.

The oppressed commoners might grumble, but to Duke Cordelick, their opinions were like insect noises—not worth listening to. 

Even if his reputation among the commoners fell, it wouldn’t bother him at all.

In the end, Duke Cordelick was no different from the executed king.

Even if he became the next king, he would oppress the people and live a lavish life. 

However, such a future was impossible. 

Duke Cordelick would not conquer the capital. 

He was like an insect flying into a spider’s web.

“Hm? What’s that noise? It’s so loud.”

Loud shouts could be heard from outside. 

Duke Cordelick, his heart burning with ambition, frowned and looked out the carriage window.

“It’s noisy! What’s going on!?”

“My Lord, we’re under attack! Someone is attacking our army!”

“W-What!?”

Impossible.

Duke Cordelick was stunned. 

He had been so confident in his plan to attack the capital for a reason. 

There was an informant within the rebel army occupying the royal castle, feeding him information. 

According to the intel Duke Cordelick had received, the capital was still in chaos from the coup and not in a position to fight. 

The rebels were supposed to be barely able to hold the capital, let alone defend against an incoming attack.

“This is not what I was told! What is happening!!!?”

Was the information he received wrong? 

He had planned to surround and destroy the rebels holed up in the capital, but a surprise attack was completely unexpected.

As the duke shouted, the enemy’s attack continued.

A group of knights appeared and started shooting arrows at the duke’s army.

“Ahhh! It’s the enemy! Runnn!”

“They’ll kill us! Run! It’s the ‘Ogre of the Roicardan Plains’!”

Duke Cordelick’s troops, who were moving along the road, fell into chaos. 

The army of five thousand consisted mostly of conscripted militia with little combat experience. They were vulnerable to unexpected events.

The surprise attack scattered them, and they fled in terror.

“Wait! Stop, all of you! Stand and fight!”

Duke Cordelick shouted, but the chaos did not subside. 

Only the regular soldiers, about three hundred in number, managed to hold their ground and face the enemy. 

The number of attackers was unknown, but it was clear they were far more skilled.

A strong sense of danger filled Duke Cordelick’s mind.

“R-Run! Hurry! Get me to a safe place…”

“Too late.”

“Hiii!?”

Amidst the chaos, a chilling voice cut through with uncanny clarity. 

A squad of knights on horseback charged into the disoriented duke’s army, which was being pelted with arrows. 

Though few in number, the knights were terrifyingly powerful, cutting down Duke Cordelick’s regular soldiers one after another.

Leading the charge was a knight in black armor. 

Duke Cordelick muttered the man’s name in fear.

“Van Arlengs…”

“Duke Gramos Cordelick. I’m here for your head.”

Van declared in a surprisingly calm voice as he charged forward.

“H-Hiiiiiiieeeeeee!”

Duke Cordelick screamed. 

If he had been on horseback instead of in a carriage, there might have been a slim chance of escape.

However, with the cumbersome carriage, escape was impossible.

As Duke Cordelick frantically tried to get out of the carriage, it was already too late. 

Van broke through the wall of soldiers like paper and closed in on him.

“The enemy general is defeated.”

“Gah…”

The spear Van threw pierced Duke Cordelick’s back and went through him as if it were being sucked in. 

Lying on the ground, Duke Cordelick couldn’t understand what had happened to him until the end.

It was supposed to be a guaranteed victory. 

An unwinnable battle. A rite of passage to become king. 

How had things turned out this way?

(What did I do wrong? Why did this happen?)

Regret filled his fading consciousness. 

Duke Cordelick didn’t know that the informant in the capital had deliberately given him false information.

He had been lured out as a sacrifice to highlight the rebels’ strength.

With the defeat of the prominent Cordelick family, the noble houses that intended to resist the rebels without submitting began to surrender one after another. 

Until the end, Duke Cordelick never knew that this nightmarish scheme was devised by Van Arlengs’ sister.