Chapter 26 – The Difference between Might and Authority
“……”
Schild was stunned and speechless at what he had read.
After all, the things written in the letter are only those that could benefit Marquis Sambani and his party.
How thick-skinned is he to boast of being a superior person while also being transparent about his selfish desires?
“I ask of your approval, Prince Schild! If you’re a prince that thinks of the good of his country and his people, it is only right that you should wipe out the three great noble houses that had been hogging the peak of the aristocracy for generations! Their corruption has accumulated through the long stagnation. As a new king, it is your duty to wash away all of it before you start a new regime!”
“……”
“For that, I, Sambani, am willing to be of full help! The Prince can rest assured that I will take good care of it for you in my trustworthy hands!”
“And what if I say no?”
Schild asks with indignance.
But the stout Marquis was not threatened. Instead, he smiled ferociously.
“It is my advice not to say no, Prince. We have such a large force here. And you have only yourself.”
Several evil-looking ruffians in the crowded group rushed forward as if that was the Marquis’ signal.
They all carried swords, clubs, and other weapons in their hands.
“You must realize that even though you are a prince, you are simply a commoner that has no authority, no real power. A toothless lion. But as long as you follow us, we can give you whatever you want. Because it is we who have the real power to do so. That can’t be a bad thing for you, can it?” If y ou a re a b le to re ad th is m es sag e, y ou are re a ding f rom an un aut hor ized agg r eg ate si te. Rea d at my Wo rd Pre ss at st ab bi ng wit h a sy ri nge. h ome. blo g to sup p ort me and m y tr ansl a tions.
“You call that authority of yours, real power?”
Schild spoke, this time in a mocking tone.
“That’s no real power. Power is always divided into two kinds: might and authority. Yours is authority – meaning it has no substance and can only exist by being supported by another kind of power – which is might.”
“Might? What are you trying to say here?”
“It’s the power through force.”
The moment Schild ended that speech, a spray of blood flew up in front of the castle’s main gate.
It was immediately followed by loud thuds making an impact on the ground.
In an instant, Schild drew his sword and slashed the arms and heads of the thugs hired by Marquis Sambani.
And each part fell separately.
“What a waste. They didn’t even serve as a warm-up.”
As for how Schild dealt with the ruffians brought by Marquis Sambani easily, even though they were numerous and threatening on the outside, it is because they were all nothing more than thugs imitating fights in the slums.
They had no experience fighting a real subjugator who had devoted themselves to fighting against monsters bigger than them, nor a knight who had dedicated themselves to fighting wars all their lives.
Even if they were, the name of Schild, not Prince Schild, but Schild the peerless [Slayer of 48] would stop them easily enough in their tracks. Schild’s title was so well known in the community related to fighting that they would have already given up crossing blades with him by just hearing his name.
“Gieeeeeeeehhh!!”
“Hieaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!”
The thugs led by Marquis Sambani were instantly dismembered, and the area in front of the main gate of the royal castle had turned into a horrific scene of carnage.
The surviving nobles were horrified by the violent bloodshed that many of them cowed or became incontinent on the spot.
Luckily or unluckily, Schild has not yet killed any nobles. Thanks to their gaudy appearances, he was easily able to distinguish them from the other.
“Authority cannot triumph without might. Sure, authority can have more numbers, but they would be powerless if they can’t win through force. As such, authority not backed by might is usually meaningless. They are but noisy pigs waiting to be slaughtered.”
A nation is similar. It can exert its authority only because its armed forces are backing them and stabilizing its existence.
This was why Schild said that authority is not real power, but might is.
“You who have been with authority since birth and have mistakenly thought that it is a part of your natural abilities will never understand that.”
“Ooaaah, aahhh!”
Marquis Sambani, crushed by the power of might for the first time, could do nothing but tremble.
“What did you guys say to me earlier? That I have no authority? A toothless lion?”
“Uuuhh uuhh, aaahhh……”
“I was indeed born a commoner, and because of that, I possessed no authority when I was born. But instead of that, I developed might – the power to fight, and I have just demonstrated that prowess.”
Schild is a strong monster subjugator who has achieved enough to be nicknamed the [Slayer of 48].
There is no one among his peers who does not know his name, and everyone looks up to him with respect.
You can even call it worship to some.
“Also, it is not the only power that I have. Once I start fighting, many subjugators are always there, ready to follow me and assist me in battle. Which means I have numbers. Might, in numbers. In other words, real power.”
Hear me out more, he continued pranting to the power-mongering official.
“The real power in the royal capital is already in my hands. You, on the other hand, don’t. And because I do, I cannot be influenced by you in any way. As much to say, you have no power over me.”
On the contrary, I can kill you anytime I want, he also added.
“So, how is it? After all that, do you still think you can have your way with me? What is your answer, Marquis?”
“B-but even so…!!’
In a trembling voice that one cannot say if he’s being brave or being afraid, Marquis Sambani still managed to rebuke.
“Subjugators are professionals whose job is to fight monsters! Even if they have the power, they are never the type to move at the will of a prince!” Thi s cha p ter tran slatio n i s ma de pos sib le by stab bin g wit h a sy r inge tran slation s. c he ck on ly up-to- dat e tran slatio ns on my Wo rdpr ess si te.
“……”
Hearing this, Schild was surprised at first. But then, he burst out in laughter.
“To think you can still come up with a valid counterargument even though you’re trembling. Should I say as expected of a Marquis?”
Subjugators are not soldiers.
They are professional warriors who hunt monsters for rewards, and many take pride in this work.
No matter how powerful subjugator Schild was, and no matter how charismatic he was, to the other subjugators, he was nothing but a rival and not someone with whom he could exert authority over them.
“However, my point still stands. Do you know why? Because subjugators are not the only power I have.”
“You… no, it can’t be!”
“Why can’t I not? I’m a prince, you know? It is only natural that I have private soldiers willing to work for me.”
After he said those lines, someone in the rear began approaching Schild.
The person was dressed in a knight’s uniform, folded and fastened meticulously up to their collar. It indicated that this person who approached was a knight whose existence was anchored to discipline and chivalry.
The closer the person came, the clearer their proportions were, and when they reached Prince Schild, their feminine curves became recognizable, which could not be hidden over the standard knight’s uniform that they wore.
The person was a woman.
Moreover, she was a female knight.
When she came up to Schild, she folded her knees and knelt down.
“We are sorry to keep you waiting, Your Highness Schild. This Lesnussa, your new royal knight commander, is proud to announce her arrival and return to fight under your banner.”
A Syringe's tip is not scary. 