Chapter 22
“What was that?”
Leonard blinked in surprise.
But since no one around him reacted, he figured he must have seen it wrong. Thinking it was just his imagination, he calmly continued speaking.
“Of course, someone as noble as Your Highness would never need to hire lowly mercenaries, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Ha!”
The Second Prince looked shocked and scoffed.
“You say strange things. Whether someone is lowly or not, if I want to use them, I will. And if I want to throw them away, I will. So what? You say I can’t use them? Who are you to reject my command?”
“Mercenaries have the right to refuse any contract they don’t want. This right was guaranteed by the First Emperor himself. Even the current Emperor cannot violate it.”
“What? How dare you speak like that about the Emperor’s authority with that filthy mouth! Guards, seize him—!”
“I-It’s true, Your Highness.”
Leonard’s words were interrupted by the prince’s servant, who grabbed his arm to stop him.
The servant, hoping to calm things down, whispered quietly into the prince’s ear.
“He may be rude, Your Highness, but Count Elpheus isn’t wrong. And… we’re right in front of the Sun Palace…”
“Not wrong? Are you saying even an Emperor can be disobeyed?”
“That was the condition when the Mercenary King helped the First Emperor. It’s also why the first mercenary guild was allowed in the capital.”
At that time, nobles abused mercenaries, forcing them into unfair contracts. They were treated like slaves. Even if they signed contracts, they were often kicked out without getting paid.
So, near the end of the long Hundred-Year War, during the most chaotic time in history, the respected Mercenary King united all the mercenaries.
Historians say that if the First Emperor hadn’t acted quickly, there might have been another nation founded by mercenaries on this continent.
‘They helped me build this Empire, so now it is my turn to help fulfill their wish. As long as this Empire prospers in the name of Crisetia, my descendants must never forget this debt and must repay it. I carved these Seven Commandments into this stone so they would never be forgotten.’
The great sage carved the Seven Commandments into a pure white stone, which later became the First Emperor’s tombstone.
Only one in hundreds could earn the title of Archmage, but even they could not compare to the great sage’s magical power. Because of that, the title “Great Sage” was given to him out of respect.
He poured all his power into the tombstone, so anyone who broke the Seven Commandments would pay the price.
That’s why a magical seal appeared on the Second Prince’s lips — though it was invisible.
“Because of the Seven Commandments, mercenaries can report their clients if they have proof,” the servant explained.
But he didn’t mention the magic. Over time, magic faded and the number of powerful mages decreased. People forgot about the magic tied to the Commandments.
So the servant only said that the First Emperor had guaranteed mercenaries the right to choose contracts and the right to report unfair treatment.
The Second Prince relaxed a little, thinking, “Oh, is that all?”
“Do you know how many knights pretend to drop dead when I speak? So what if I can’t hire a few mercenaries? But…”
He looked Leonard up and down.
“If someone breaks a contract, they can’t work with mercenaries again, right? But I never made a contract. There’s no proof, is there?”
Leonard suddenly remembered last night’s dream:
‘What are you saying? A contract? Are you saying I made a contract with you? Then bring the contract. Don’t tell me you’re claiming we made a contract without any proof?’
Now he understood why that dream felt so real — it was to prepare him for this moment.
Leonard took a deep breath and asked,
“Do you know why mercenaries risk their lives for contracts and trust?”
“What?”
“Because when something unfair happens and there’s no proof, they must speak for themselves.”
The prince only used the contract to mock mercenaries.
But Leonard’s fellow mercenaries trusted him. And those mercenaries were trusted by others.
Even if they didn’t know each other by face or name, mercenaries supported one another based on trust. If one was treated unfairly, everyone would remember.
“Just because there’s no proof doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. The ground sees it. The sky hears it. I say this from the bottom of my heart, Your Highness — please take it seriously.”
Leonard bowed politely to the prince.
He was respectful and well-spoken — and that was the problem. The truth he spoke was too bitter. The Second Prince’s face turned red with anger.
“How dare a lowly man like you insult me—!”
“Oh my, greetings to the Second Prince. What a surprise to meet you here.”
A woman’s voice interrupted the prince. It was Irenea, who stepped forward and politely bowed just enough not to cause trouble.
Then she walked up to Leonard and gently placed her hand on his arm.
“I was very rude last night, Your Highness. I sincerely apologize again.”
“You apologize well. But do you even know what you did wrong?”
“Of course. His Majesty scolded me quite a bit. As a result, I’ve been told to stay home for a month to reflect, so I’m heading back now.”
“What…?”
It had only been a short while since the council meeting ended. This was one of the Emperor’s rare 30-minute breaks — time he never gave to just anyone.
Meeting the Emperor during this break meant you were favored.
And only being punished with one month of reflection? That wasn’t a real punishment. Usually, when the Emperor ordered someone to reflect, he meant “until I’m no longer angry” — and he rarely calmed down.
“If I reflect well for a month, His Majesty said he would attend our wedding. So Ray, let’s go home.”
“What?! You think His Majesty has time for a silly little event like that?”
“Of course not. That’s why I must reflect deeply and sincerely, so we may be worthy of such great honor. Please excuse us now.”
Irenea placed her hand on her chest and bowed again before gently pulling Leonard to leave.
Leonard gave a final respectful bow to the prince, then left the scene with Irenea.
As they walked away, one of the Emperor’s maidens followed, glaring coldly at the Second Prince’s attendants — a warning.
They immediately realized: This will reach His Majesty’s ears.
But unaware of that, the Second Prince shouted after them.
“Those rude fools! How dare they walk away without my permission? Hans! Go and—”
“Excuse us, Your Highness.”
“Who now?!”
Angrily shouting, the prince turned — only to find two Imperial Guards in front of him. He froze.
“Why… why are you here?”
“His Majesty has summoned you. Let’s go.”
Their tone was cold and firm. The prince instantly realized the Emperor wasn’t calling him for something good.
“Wh-What for?”
“You’ll know when you see His Majesty.”
The Radiant Order of Imperial Knights, who served only the Emperor, showed proper manners but didn’t treat the prince with any special respect.
This annoyed the prince — and also made him nervous.
“Surely… surely His Majesty doesn’t know about that incident… No way.”
But it was about that. And just ten minutes later, the Second Prince would be punished with an indefinite suspension for daring to use the First Emperor’s sacred sword to threaten someone.
“Look closely! I told you I have a pass!”
“How many times do I have to say it? Lloyd Matthias, you are banned from entering the palace starting today.”
Looking tired of explaining, the palace guard ripped the pass in half.
Lloyd stared in shock as his pass turned to dust and flew away.
His face turned pale and he shouted,
“What are you doing?! That pass was given to me by the Second Prince!”
“This is His Majesty’s order. Lloyd Matthias is banned from the palace and his pass must be taken away.”
“Th-The Emperor? That can’t be…!”
His mind went blank.
But he couldn’t go back like this. He had made bold promises to his father — he couldn’t return empty-handed.
Desperately, he grabbed the guard’s hand and pleaded.
“Please! Help me just once. There must be a misunderstanding. If I can just speak to the Second Prince—”
“Step aside! Can’t you see the carriage?”
The guard captain, who had been standing away from the trouble, finally waved him aside.
A carriage rolled up with the sound of hooves.
It stopped at the gate for inspection. On the side of the carriage was the Blair family’s crest.
Lloyd’s body stiffened the moment he recognized it.
Hahahaha! Great timing. Or, I should say, “Hohohoho!” In a properly villainessy fashion.