Chapter – 91
Grand Duke Guntram was furious.
‘How dare they humiliate Sigurd and the North to this extent?!’
The Crown Prince’s statement was no different from a blatant, insulting farce. It was no exaggeration to say that everyone knew the Loren family was behind the Carlisle false flag incident. Moreover, with even the criminals’ confessions obtained, to claim it was the work of savages? This was openly mocking Sigurd and siding with the Loren family.
However, the Patriarch of the Loren family dared not show any hint of pleasure. Instead, he trembled with fear.
*Shiver, shiver, shiver!*
The Loren Patriarch’s hands shook. He trembled uncontrollably because he felt a truly terrifying pressure from Grand Duke Guntram sitting across from him. He knew all too well that if Grand Duke Guntram were to lose his reason, not only he himself but even the Crown Prince would lose their heads.
“I hope Your Grace will clear up this misunderstanding,” the Crown Prince said, pretending to be calm on the outside while trembling with fear inside.
‘After all, Sigurd is nothing but a lion bound in chains. There’s no need to be afraid. They dare not oppose the Royal Family.’
As the Crown Prince expected, Grand Duke Guntram did not show his anger.
“Decaron accepts the will of the Royal Family.”
Grand Duke Guntram rose from his seat and knelt on one knee towards the Crown Prince.
*Heh.* A smile formed on the Crown Prince’s lips.
“Patriarch Loren.”
“Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Congratulations on clearing your name of that false charge.”
“I am deeply grateful for your boundless grace.”
The Loren Patriarch also knelt on one knee towards the Crown Prince.
“Now that this misunderstanding has been resolved, I hope the two Patriarchs will cast aside any lingering resentment.”
“We obey the Royal Family’s command.”
Grand Duke Guntram and the Loren Patriarch answered in unison.
“Patriarch Loren.”
“Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“I have a request of you.”
“Please command me.”
“Recently, Decaron is facing no small hardship due to the mana stone mining operations. Could the Loren family assist?”
“How could I refuse?”
Although he said that, the Loren Patriarch’s expression was half-foul. The Royal Family siding with the Loren family was merely a pretext. It was nothing more than a scheme to ostensibly side with the Rogen family, save face for the Sigurd family, and, furthermore, for the Royal Family to profit.
“Could you dispatch a force of at least 30,000 troops to the Blood-Soaked Land, Kuvelin, by this winter?”
“Th-that is…”
“It’s only until this winter, so I hope you won’t feel too burdened.”
“I… obey the Royal Family’s command.”
“In addition, a tax increase seems unavoidable for the time being, so I hope the Loren family will also participate. This too is for the prosperity of our United Kingdom, so I ask for your cooperation.”
“……”
In the end, the price for having the charges dropped was the extortion of over 30,000 troops and increased taxes. From the Sigurd family’s perspective, their feelings might be somewhat sour, but the only one suffering actual losses was the Loren family. Of course, all the resulting profits would be taken by the Royal Family, so it was no exaggeration to say the true winner was the Crown Prince.
‘Yeah, I knew it.’
A cold smile formed on Carlisle’s lips.
The Crown Prince’s statement was exactly as he had expected. The Royal Family’s true goal was ultimately to line their own pockets, no matter what happened to the other families.
‘Enjoy it while you can. Those days are numbered.’
Thinking that, Carlisle left the banquet hall.
He felt countless gazes directed at his back, but Carlisle did not stop walking.
* * *
On the way back to his room, Carlisle ran right into Alicia walking towards him from the opposite direction.
“Why are you leaving already?”
“It’s boring.”
“I heard you were obsessed with debauchery?”
“I told you. I quit.”
“Do you think it’s that easy to quit just by saying so?”
Alicia spoke as if it was absurd. If debauchery were so easy to quit, why would there be drunks, gambling addicts, and philanderers?
“It’s none of your business.”
Carlisle said curtly and brushed past Alicia.
“And why are you loitering outside?”
“…That’s…”
“You volunteered to be part of the delegation, but you haven’t achieved any notable results, so your pride is hurt, isn’t it?”
“Sh-Shut up.”
Alicia growled.
“What do you know, running your mouth? You good-for-nothing.”
“If a mere good-for-nothing can read your inner thoughts, I guess the succession race is already doomed.”
“What?!”
“You don’t have the face to see the Loren Patriarch, and even though you want to get information about mana stone prices from the Crown Prince, Caldor has already secured his position, so even that isn’t easy. Am I wrong?”
“……”
“Want some advice?”
Carlisle offered as if doing her a favor.
“Cut it out. Who are you, a good-for-nothing, to give advice to anyone?”
“Suit yourself.”
“W-wait.”
As Carlisle started walking away as if he had no more to see, Alicia suddenly felt impatient and hastily blocked his path.
“Go on. Let me hear it and I’ll decide.”
“I don’t want to.”
“You just said you’d give advice.”
“You said ‘who gives advice to whom?'”
“……”
Alicia became tight-lipped, like someone who’d eaten honey and couldn’t speak.
“I-I’m sorry. It’s just that your reputation is so bad… and my pride was a bit hurt too.”
“Hmm.”
“Go on, the advice. I’ll decide whether to follow it or not after hearing it.”
“The Crown Prince just requested your family to dispatch troops. At least 30,000 troops to the Blood-Soaked Land to help with mana stone mining.”
“Is that so…”
“Volunteer to be the commander.”
“Are you telling me to go to the battlefield and struggle now?”
“Why, you don’t want to?”
“My head is about to explode dealing with the immediate issues of Caldor and the succession race, and you’re telling me to leave my post? You call that advice?”
“Tch.”
Carlisle clicked his tongue.
“You’re really hopeless.”
“What is it?”
“With a mind that slow, how do you expect to beat Caldor?”
“Are you saying I’m stupid?”
“You’re being handed a large force of 30,000 troops outright, and you’re saying no? Heh.”
“……!”
“You could even use the savages to create chaos at the border, and if you seize the opportunity well, you could lead your troops to advance into the heart of the territory, couldn’t you?”
“Are you telling me to commit treason now?”
“When your life is on the line, what does that matter? Do you think Caldor will leave you and your mother alone if he wins the succession race?”
“Th-that’s…”
“I heard those with Loren blood don’t care about means or methods to achieve their goals. Seems you’re not one of them.”
“……”
“That’s all I have to say to you, so think it over carefully. Whether you follow the advice or not is up to you.”
After Carlisle left.
“The blood flowing in me is dirty… I didn’t want to live like that…”
Alicia couldn’t shake her troubled thoughts for a while and couldn’t return to the banquet hall.
“But what about you? Carlisle van Sigurd? Just who are you really? Were you pretending to be a good-for-nothing all this time?”
Alicia thought that she, and the world, might have been thoroughly fooled by the person named Carlisle van Sigurd. Otherwise, there was no way the so-called ‘good-for-nothing of the North’ could be this clever.
* * *
The next morning.
The Crown Prince left Decaron early and headed for the capital.
As soon as Grand Duke Guntram saw off the Crown Prince, he went to his office to handle the piled-up administrative work. As he had barely attended to administrative duties during the Crown Prince’s stay, the backlog of documents was mountainous.
“Your Grace the Grand Duke.”
“Ah, Knight Maranello.”
“Could you spare a moment?”
“What is it?”
“Your second son says he has an urgent matter to discuss with you.”
“That rascal?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Then he should come himself, why is he sending word through you?”
“It seems to be a very important matter. Please grant him just a moment of your time, Your Grace.”
“Hmm.”
Grand Duke Guntram found it strange but readily agreed to make time. It was a very rare occurrence for Carlisle to want a conversation…
“This isn’t the spire.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“He said to meet me here?”
Grand Duke Guntram couldn’t quite understand why the meeting place was the tallest spire in the inner castle. For what reason did they have to meet at the spire? Moreover, the spire also served as a watchtower, making it a very important location militarily.
“You’re here.”
“What’s the reason for calling me out to the spire?”
“I want to show you something interesting.”
“Something interesting…?”
“Look over there.”
Carlisle pointed southeast. Far in the distance, the Crown Prince’s carriage and the knight squadron escorting him could be seen moving at high speed. Although they were dozens of kilometers away, the spire was located so high that the view was wide open, allowing them to clearly see the Crown Prince’s procession.
“Isn’t that the Crown Prince’s procession?”
“That’s right.”
“But why?”
“Because an accident is about to happen.”
“An accident…?”
“Yes. A very unfortunate accident.”
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but…”
Just then.
*BOOM!*
A faint explosive sound was heard, and simultaneously, a huge explosion engulfed the Crown Prince’s procession.
“……!”
Grand Duke Guntram couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Wh-what is this!”
It was an utterly unbelievable event. The carriage carrying the Crown Prince, the Royal Family’s carriage, was caught in a sudden explosion and sent soaring high into the sky. It happened at such a great distance—dozens of kilometers away—that he regretted not being able to see it more clearly.
“Is… what I just saw correct? Knight Maranello?”
Grand Duke Guntram asked Maranello in a trembling voice.
“This old man saw it clearly as well, Your Grace.”
“What is the meaning of this? How can the Royal Family’s carriage explode?”
It was something unimaginable. The Royal Family were beings who could foresee everything through their precognition; for them, ‘accidents’ fundamentally shouldn’t exist.
“An unfortunate accident, isn’t it?”
Carlisle said with a devilish smile.
“How tragic. The carriage His Highness the Crown Prince was riding in exploded. At that scale, at least a hundred knights from the Royal Guard must have died.”
“Don’t tell me… Was this your doing?”
“How could it be?”
Carlisle shrugged as if he knew nothing about it.
“How could a good-for-nothing like me possibly blow up the carriage His Highness the Crown Prince was in? Say something that makes sense.”
“Don’t play word games with me.”
Grand Duke Guntram glared at Carlisle with a truly terrifying gaze.
“I have no intention of joking with you, you rascal. Speak the truth. This is not a request from your father, but an order from the ruler of Decaron.”
“I told you. I know nothing about it.”
Carlisle continued to play dumb.
“Well… I guess the savages must have planted mana stone traps along the Crown Prince’s route or something. Just like how those hired by the savages, disguised as Loren family spies, tried to kill me.”
“Are you saying…?”
“I can guarantee that the Royal Family will thoroughly cover up this incident. And internally, they will believe it was the work of the savages.”
“Why do you think they would do that?”
“Well…”
Carlisle grinned, a twisted smile on his face.
“It’s because… the Royal Family has no precognition ability.”
