Chapter 73: Izell Lyurik (2)
Since there were swordsmanship lessons with the Princess every day he was on duty, Carlyn also visited the training grounds in the afternoon.
Because he had poured his energy into the morning, his eyelids felt heavy. The fatigue was at an unbearable level.
Though he was trying her best not to show it, there was a limit to how much he could hide it.
And besides, he was already having the Worst Condition. The relaxed Princess seemed to show a slightly displeased expression.
You look quite tired. Didnt I tell you to rest on your day off?
Its alright.
Because it didnt go as planned, the Princess furrowed her brow and showed a faintly annoyed expression.
A shallow sigh followed.
I see. Did you learn a lot from Lord Rudehrn?
Since he couldnt hide his exhaustion during the shift change, Carlyn mentioned that he had practiced with Rudehrn.
Emmet was by their side, so he couldnt elaborate much on Duchess Lyurik, but he managed to give a general explanation.
Yes. It was a valuable experience.
Good for you. The more you know, the more you can learn.
That was the correct answer. The more you know, the more you can showcase. Carlyn focused on reviewing his practice even after changing shifts.
Emmet, who understood the situation, didnt initiate a conversation. He was considerate as a fellow swordsman.
But isnt it better to think about your own learning during this time?
My duty as a bodyguard prioritizes Her Highness over me.
Wouldnt it be a good thing for me if you improve?
Even though he said it was alright, it was a repetitive remark. While Carlyn appreciated the sentiment, he couldnt practically act on it.
The other party was the Princess. Regardless of the circumstances, changing the Princesss schedule for the sake of a bodyguard was out of the question.
You were the one who told me to treat those beneath me well. You are beneath me as well.
Carlyn, who had lost words for a moment, responded.
I appreciate the consideration, but Im truly fine. Im quite confident in my memory, and in fact, I also have something to discuss about Duchess Lyurik.
So, its not just a coincidental encounter.
Yes. I borrowed the power of Haisen to have a conversation. It was a bit awkward to bring it up in front of Emmet when he was around.
At the mention of Haisen, the Princess grasped that there had been a significant conversation between Carlyn and Duchess Lyurik.
But now, cant you tell Emmet? While other knights might not know, Emmet is someone you can trust, isnt he?
No, I cant. We need to keep the number of people who know as minimal as possible. Besides, there are people who find it burdensome to know such things.
In Carlyns eyes, Emmet was indeed trustworthy. However, being willing to hold knowledge was a different matter.
And even if it were a matter of fact, it wasnt necessarily a good thing for his and Emmets relationship to become strained.
I see.
First, Ill begin the instruction.
Talking for too long while standing still wasnt a good idea. Carlyn drew his sword.
A practice session of lower intensity than usual. To an outside observer, it appeared that they were moving slowly, as Carlyn demonstrated the techniques.
There wasnt much to discuss, so Carlyns report didnt take too long.
Mystic? Is there a healing mystic?
The princess showed interest in Mystics. It was instinctive curiosity. After all, she also possessed a mystic.
Moreover, it could be used fittingly in the case of Duchess Lyuriks younger brother being ill.
Surprising. How did you find out? Were they originally from Haisen?
Can I talk about it?
Carlyn hesitated for a moment. While it was confidential, it wasnt highly significant. They were already on the same boat, after all.
Ill tell you if you promise to keep it a secret.
Ill give you my word, so go ahead and tell me.
The princess nodded immediately.
He was a slave. A certain archaeologist adopted him.
Carlyn explained the events that took place at the ruins. Of course, many details were omitted since he couldnt lie.
For example, the original purpose.
The princess listened with interest. The stories she heard in the palace were usually dull.
They were filtered due to their social status. Besides, incidents like these tended to pique curiosity.
Quite surprising.
Luck was on our side. However, hes not our sides agent. Hes still an archaeologist, and he assists us when needed.
As the conversation concluded, the princess briefly looked at a distant tree and then spoke.
Duchess Lyurik is keeping an eye on me Do you think I look okay to her? In reality, Im not participating in this war for the sake of the empire, no?
Just as Ive said, youre free to do what you want. Even if Your Highness joined this war for your own benefit, your actions will ultimately contribute to the empire.
Carlyn spoke with conviction. He hoped the princess could see through the truth, even though she couldnt see through him.
However, since Carlyns inner thoughts were hidden from the princess, she was always left wondering.
But this time, she didnt seem to doubt it. It didnt sound like a false statement either. After all, her siblings werent fit to become emperors.
The external perceptions were somewhat similar as well. All three imperial princes had notorious reputations.
The first prince was a hypocrite compared to his outward appearance.
He committed heinous acts like plundering women and enjoyed cruelly torturing and killing people.
There were even rumors that he had once engaged in cannibalism.
Although he restrained himself after being scolded by the emperor, rumors still circulated.
The second prince was a pedophile. He had caused a major scandal involving a counts wife.
The princess vividly remembered the way the second prince had looked at her when she was younger.
He had changed since then, but it still gave her a creepy feeling as if insects were crawling all over her body.
The third prince was simple-minded. He only knew how to swing a sword a little and enjoyed tormenting others without reason.
His fickleness, thin ears, and ignorance had already earned him a bad reputation among the empires nobles.
Not that it was a hidden fact.
Stepping onto the crimson path he had avoided, he could now feel the details more keenly.
Yes, the princess admitted to herself that Carlyns words werent wrong.
Lets stop here for today.
Although it was a shorter session than usual, Carlyn nodded without any objection. It wasnt because he was tired.
It was simply because the princesss face, after hearing what he said, appeared complicated.
Seated on a chair in the training area, the princess looked at Carlyn standing beside her and let out a faint sigh.
You look tired. Come and sit next to me. It must be uncomfortable to stand.
How could I Im fine.
Though Carlyns words were meant to express his relief, they seemed different to the princess. However, she didnt press the matter further.
Somewhere, a pleasant breeze blew, gently brushing against the princesss forehead.
She enjoyed the tranquility, while Carlyn thought about the mornings training.
* * *
It had been quite some time since the duchess left. Thinking about it, I was quite lucky.
After having a conversation with the emperor, she left the next day. It meant she stayed in the capital for only one day.
Perhaps it was because she found the princes approaches troublesome.
Even after that, a few powerful nobles were summoned by the emperor, but as they were already part of the princes faction, there wasnt much I could do.
Anyway, things seem to have worked out well.
It had been five days since I received the news that Cedric had visited the Duchess territory.
I heard that the treatment had been completed.
As Fathers person watched over him, he was not caught by the imperial dogs.
I wasnt sure if they had dealt with it personally or if they had managed to hide really well, but I was relieved.
How will things unfold now?
Although Duchess Lyurik said she would assess the princess and make a judgment, it didnt mean she intended to side with our faction in the Western war.
A bird flew up into the sky. I closed my eyes for a brief moment. In the end, I would have to wait for the right time to know.
There was nothing else to do but stop thinking. Guard duty was quite boring.
At least the recent swordsmanship training made it somewhat bearable, but there wasnt much left to talk about with Emmet either.
I practiced the Moonlight Technique and refined my swordsmanship within my imagination.
While in the middle of this, a bit past 4 oclock, I sensed someone approaching from the emperors residence.
Its related to the West.
I instinctively realized it. Neither the Western nor the imperial atmosphere had been normal. The time had come.
As expected, the one who had arrived soon conveyed the emperors summons.
Erendil had mentioned she would take a nap because she was tired. It was an occasional occurrence, not a frequent one.
I headed towards the adjacent room to wake the maid. After knocking on the door, I turned the handle.
I will enter.
The maid didnt have to be treated with excessive respect since she was a noble and not a princess.
As I opened the door, an unexpected sound of surprise reached me.
Wa-Wait a moment!
But the door was already half-open. Through the gap, an unexpected scene unfolded.
Erendil and the maid were seated at a small table, stacking chocolates and pastries. Their cheeks were slightly puffed, as if they had just put something in their mouths.
For about two seconds, time seemed to freeze as we all halted. I too couldnt hide my astonishment.
Was it embarrassment or something else? Seeing the princesss cheeks reddening, I quickly turned my head.
Please pardon my intrusion. Her Majesty has summoned you.
I pretended not to have seen and closed the door. I couldnt understand this situation.
No, why was she secretly eating that in the maids room? Especially when she claimed she was taking a nap.
Suddenly, I recalled what the princess of Haisen had said. She had said she had a huge sweet tooth.
I had thought it was a lie. Since coming here, I hadnt witnessed the princess specifically eating sweets.
Could it be that she secretly ate them during her naps?
I had only observed from outside the window and hadnt used Winds to monitor her daily life, so I didnt know about the internal affairs.
But was there really a need to hide and eat it like that?
It wasnt necessarily a bad thing. Well, from the princesss perspective, it might be different.
In the empires etiquette, meals were meant to be abundant but consumed in moderation. The same applied to desserts.
Moreover, in this world, the perception was that sweets were for children or things one enjoyed.
For the princess who needed to display dignity, it was an aspect to avoid. Emmet chuckled.
Is she enjoying some sweets again?
Yes. Is it something that happens frequently?
The Empress dislikes it. She instructed the princess to behave like an adult since she was a child.
Ah, I roughly understood the situation. The maid was doing it secretly because she was trusted.
Hmm. It might be that due to such childhood experiences, she ended up liking it even more.
And well, even if it might have been fine in the past, its not necessarily a good habit now, is it? So eating in secret is the way to go. Tsk. She should probably cut back a bit.
It was a remark revealing the perceptions of those around. I nodded my head as if I understood and agreed.
Yes, youre right. Ill be more cautious.
Im not really worried about that with you.
Emmet, who gave a slight smile, sighed while looking down the corridor.
In the end, war is approaching.
Yes, as you predicted before.
Emmets expression was heavy. The atmosphere of someone who understood the weight of war was unfamiliar to me as well.
In games, Id fought wars, but Id never actually experienced them.
Lets go.
Soon, the princess came out. Her blonde hair was tied up. Perhaps predicting the situation, she was dressed more combat-like.
She glanced at me from the corner of her eye, and when our eyes met, she quickly averted her gaze.
Hmm, I really had no idea why. The princess with slightly flushed cheeks walked quickly ahead.
* * *
A letter has arrived from Prince Rohalak.
In a situation so silent that not even the sound of breathing could be heard, the Emperor, who had been silent, spoke up.
Rohalak was no longer a prince, but a king now. However, with a completely indifferent expression, the Emperor took a piece of paper from his robe and shook it out.
I truly do not wish to engage in war with the Empire, but due to internal turmoil, it seems unavoidable.
The Emperor chuckled for a moment and then his expression darkened in an instant. A solemn anger weighed heavily in the room.
The councilors listened attentively in silence.
As the situation within the Empire is complicated due to the succession dispute, the idea was thrown around that we could use a war to eliminate unnecessary elements.
Prince Rohalak was wise. In fact, if the war ended within reasonable bounds, both sides stood to gain.
The prince could deal with the entities that posed a threat to him in the West, and the Empire could diminish the power of nobles who aimed for influence in the succession dispute.
If the nobles forces were depleted, the authority of the imperial family wouldnt be greatly shaken even after the succession dispute.
In essence, the idea was to wage a war for the stability of both parties.
The concept itself wasnt bad. The only problem with Prince Rohalak was that he didnt know the Emperors character.
No, even if he did know, the prince might have had no choice. There might not have been a way to prevent the internal turmoil.
In the end, the war might not only benefit the Empire.
Isnt it amusing? He became a king all because of someone. Now, he thinks hes the one who established the Empire.
Half of that statement was true, and half was false.
If there was no Empire, to begin with, he probably wouldnt have become a king. However, conquering the West was his own accomplishment.
In fact, the current Western territories could be seen as a new empire. Of course, there were some differences.
Dare he believe that he is in a position similar to mine without even knowing his place?
As the Emperor slammed the desk with his fist, he simultaneously used his magic power to ignite the paper.
Its similar to the last time. I offer the same soldiers again. However, this time, Im willing to acknowledge the participation of the supporting nobles.
Since the nobles had their own levies and personal troops, the composition of the commanding forces would be quite different.
The first prince would probably have the most troops, followed by the second prince.
Considering only the supporting nobles, we wouldnt even come close to the number of troops the third prince could gather.
If Duchess Lyurik were to join us, we might reach a level similar to the third prince, but that was uncertain.
Erase Rohalak from the continents map. After the war is over, not a single drop of Rohalaks bloodline should remain on this continent.
The Emperor rose from his seat and looked around the councilors.
First and foremost, I shall bestow my reward to the one who captures Prince Rohalak, the usurper.
Author's Thoughts
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