182. Childhood Friend – Fish

Absurdity. Confusion.

A short, nobleman in his early forties, ‘Marquis Evni Dragin,’ suddenly pulled out a friend who had barged in.

Having the Prince and Princess inside, Duke Drazin reprimanded Marquis Harvey Gaidan for his recklessness from outside the reception room.

“Are you out of your mind? I truly regret what happened to your daughter. But to make this choice just because your engagement with the Duke Tertan has fallen through—what on earth are you thinking?”

His tone was gruff. However, noticing his friend’s deep concern, Marquis Gaidan replied.

“I was simply following your advice.”

“Advice? What do you mean by that? How on earth did you conclude that bringing a foreign prince and princess here was appropriate…”

“Did you not suggest waiting for the future benevolent ruler?”

“What…?”

Marquis Evni Dragin choked on his words. He had indeed said that. We should endure and form a faction to counter the princes while waiting for the benevolent ruler to appear.

But that didn’t mean dragging in other royals. No matter how much Conrad and the Orun Kingdom stemmed from the same root, the Yeriel royal family, which shared not a drop of blood with us, could not be a substitute.

“Are you planning to start a rebellion or something? Is that why you brought them here?”

“Precisely.”

“Ha-!”

Duke Drazin couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh. He shot a cold glare at his friend.

“Now, please tell me. You didn’t actually think I’d just join you without question, did you? If so, I’d be quite disappointed.”

“Then let’s talk inside. The prince and princess are waiting.”

“Good grief. You’ve become quite the loyal subject, haven’t you? Fine. Let’s see just how magnificent this benevolent ruler truly is.”

And moments later,

[ Quest: Traitor 10/10 – {Royal Blood} ability increases by one level. ]

[ Achievement: Meeting Aton de Lognum – Gained minor favor from all nobles serving the Lognum royal family. Gained minor favor from Aton de Lognum. ]

[ Achievement: Meeting Alzeor de Lognum – Gained minor favor from all nobles serving the Lognum royal family. Gained minor favor from Alzeor de Lognum. ]

Starting with light greetings and casual chatter, Marquis Dragin couldn’t help but acknowledge that he quite liked this prince. He exuded an unmistakable grace befitting royalty and somehow seemed like someone they couldn’t afford to overlook, making it easier to understand why his friend had made such a choice.

“Please help me. If the dukes of the borderlands assist, we’ll have plenty of chances to win.”

“…I don’t know about that.”

Feeling his mind wavering, Marquis Dragin pretended to play it cool. Being a cautious nobleman, he masked his true feelings while probing.

“However, how could I possibly betray the kingdom? It’s true that the princes have acted disgracefully, throwing the nation into chaos, but I don’t think that warrants demanding the abdication of the Lognum royal family.”

Leo nodded. He sensed that the issue was something Dragin was getting at.

“The Lognum royal family has defied the commandments of the Cross Church. Even with the recommendation to not oppress the converted ‘natives,’ they took no action. In fact, they encouraged pillaging.”

Marquis Evni Dragin remained silent. He neither affirmed nor denied, and Leo continued speaking.

“Dragin, nobles from the north and east, like Marquis Gaidan here, have shown benevolence toward them, but the kingdom’s tyranny has reached its limits. Soon, the natives will rise up, holding the Lognum royal family and southwestern nobles accountable.”

Leo redefined friends and foes. He divided nobles into those treating barbarians inhumanly and those who did not, thereby legitimizing the cause.

In truth, not all nobility from the north or east treated the natives as slaves. They purchased slaves when needed, and their lives were equally miserable.

However, compared to those in the southwestern kingdom, managing mines amidst the mountains, their situation was indeed less dire.

“A rebellion?”

“Indeed. A large-scale uprising will occur, just like when the northern kingdom gained independence from the Empire. I’ve come to the Orun Kingdom to assist the hero leading this charge, and I hope you, Duke Dragin, will also join in cleansing the kingdom.”

“Hmmm…”

Marquis Dragin stroked his chin.

Honestly, even if all the barbarians fought back, they wouldn’t be able to change the modern kingdom much.

A lot of time had passed since then; in the days of the Acaian Empire that the prince cited, there wasn’t a system for training knights.

Back then, only exceptionally rare geniuses could become knights. Unlike the modern era, where one could hone their skills as a squire for guided training, it used to require innate talent in swordsmanship to even qualify.

Also, this was before the strategic weapon known as ‘Sorcerers’ emerged, allowing heroes like Maunin and Retia to rise through military strategies.

Thus, it was hard to see how the prince’s words could hold any weight. Still, there was a reason for Marquis Dragin to pretend to agree.

It would serve as a justification.

He liked how the factions divided by the princes could be covered with a mantle of justification, creating a new distinction between parties.

“That could be a huge issue. What’s going to happen to our nation? I can’t claim to have closely followed domestic affairs.”

Marquis Evni Dragin sighed.

Naturally, this was merely superficial, but Leo offered him forgiveness.

“There’s no need for you to blame yourself, my lord. As a duke on the border, it’s understandable that you couldn’t pay attention to the kingdom’s internal matters. However, since you’ve now realized this, you should show a change in action.”

“Indeed. I wish to help, even if my strength is limited. However… I fear that a kingdom without a master will fall into chaos. Do you have any plans?”

Based on the aroma, the spices seemed convincing. Now it was merely a question of how much meat there was in the dish.

Leo shook his head.

“I am quite worried too. Although I am lacking, I want to navigate through this with the assistance of the dukes of the border. To soothe the troubled hearts of the people, we need… to convene the Council.”

I would grant you the power to summon the council. A proposal to share the royal authority with the participating nobles, which pleased Marquis Dragin.

He had wanted to help his friend anyway. Regardless, he understood that he could find himself in a similar predicament, so a solution was urgent, and even better when it came with compensation—it was time to stop lying flat.

“That’s a wise statement. But there’s something else I’m concerned about.”

“…What is it?”

Leo asked a little displeased. He suspected that after providing so much seasoning, the noble wanted something more. Luckily, the following words relieved his worries.

“I need the assistance of Count Ogerton. Without his support, it will never succeed.”

Leo nodded.

Even if the two dukes with military power from the north and east joined forces, defeating the king would still be a distant dream.

Thanks to the kingdom’s Knights Order.

A third of the kingdom’s knights belonged to this order, and no matter how hard they tried, the order wouldn’t back rebels.

Additionally, the nobles siding with the princes also possessed knights, so to make up for the severely lacking military strength, they needed sorcerers. It was crucial to gain an advantage over the magical powers.

Count Soarel Demetri Ogerton.

A noble who was a sorcerer. A sorcerer who was a noble. It didn’t matter in which order you stated that. What mattered was that he hailed from the ‘Bolinu Magic Tower’ in the Orun Kingdom, wielding a strong influence over other sorcerers.

At that moment, the previously silent princess, Lena de Yeriel, smiled.

“Don’t worry. Count Ogerton will help us.”

“…Have you received a confirmation?”

“Not yet.”

What kind of confidence is that? ─ he thought, but the expression on the princess’s face as she slurped her tea was genuine. No, perhaps it was something he simply couldn’t decipher.

“If you’re truly worried, would you like to come with me? I have an appointment with Count Ogerton. If we leave now… it might be a bit early, but it should be fine.”

The princess rose. Following her, the marquis stood up, bewildered, and asked.

“Did you know Count Ogerton had returned?”

With a smile.

Lena answered not with words but with laughter. Drawn in by her actions, Marquis Dragin boarded the carriage, while Leo gazed at his sister with a complicated expression.

A fish that found water.

He was repeatedly astonished by Lena’s recent behavior.

As soon as she stepped into noble society, his sister had transformed. It was as if she had effortlessly adapted, appearing as though she had learned something beyond etiquette from Lady Gaidan, making her seem like her true self.

It was the same when they had met Count Safia earlier. Since he operated a gem mine, Count Safia had shown a displeased expression regarding the barbarian uprising.

Then his sister had said,

“The value of skilled workers will rise. That means the quality of the gems will improve, and their price will go up, so we should buy them beforehand! Right? Brother. So I—”

She had urged him.

Needless to say, Count Safia’s previously displeased expression vanished like the tide, and from that point on, Lena had skillfully taken the lead in the conversation.

It was a frightening talent.

He believed his sister Lena excelled at everything. However, that assumption only partially held true.

Lena possessed a talent suited for negotiations, moments where all abilities needed to be brought to bear, fitting the life of a noble or a ruler.

Leo thought he needed to tell Reb about this. His sister, who used to love sleeping in and appeared adorably aimless, wasn’t just a useless burden… It was his duty to reveal that.

My memories won’t be retained.

As Leo pondered, the carriage arrived at Count Ogerton’s mansion.

Magically enhanced grass thrived in the winter, creating a green yard. There, Count Ogerton and his wife, Lord Bokali, and a five-year-old boy were enjoying a leisurely afternoon.

“Princess, welcome.”

Lord Bokali personally greeted the princess. Count Ogerton wore a rather cold expression, but when introduced by his father-in-law, he had no choice but to rise.

Lena greeted him lightly, offering him minimal courtesy before addressing the boy beside her.

“Hello?”

“…Hello.”

The boy seemed uncomfortable in this setting. He perched awkwardly on the edge of a chair but straightened up as Lena approached.

“You’re five years old, right?”

“…I’m six.”

“Really? Then you’re all grown up now. I think the garden here is beautiful! I wish someone would show me around… Should I call a knight? Or would it be better to ask that gentleman over there?”

The boy looked around. Realizing that ‘that gentleman’ referred to him, he dropped his bored expression.

“Shall I guide you?”

“I would love to be guided.”

The boy grinned at Lena’s exaggerated demeanor. He took the princess’s hand, and they discreetly slipped away to somewhere in the garden, avoiding the awkward father.

Count Ogerton silently snorted. He knew what the princess was plotting with that behavior.

Trying to get close to his son while pretending to be friendly.

His thoughts had twisted ever since his father-in-law had asked him to support that princess and set up an appointment.

Sure enough, the expected discussions moved forward. Nobles subtly spoke in circling words despite having desires. Count Ogerton was a noble, but being a sorcerer, such conversations didn’t sit well with him.

‘If only it wasn’t for my father-in-law.’

Nevertheless, Soarel extended his courtesy. Although he had internally prepared to decline, he occasionally nodded. His deep pink eyes were strangely drawn to the prince.

“Grandfather!”

At that moment, the son came running.

The child, who hadn’t even known he had been born while his father searched for Swordmasters and visited various magic towers for research, grabbed his grandfather’s hand and disappeared somewhere.

With the father-in-law who had been subtly pressuring him now gone, Soarel calmly spoke.

“Excuse me, Your Highness.”

“Yes. Please, speak.”

“I have no intention of helping you…”

“Countess! Could you come here for a moment?”

Soarel shut his mouth. From afar, the princess called out, and his six-year-old wife said, “Excuse me for a moment,” before following the princess away.

In a greatly worsened mood, Count Ogerton poured out his words.

“I have no intention of helping you. I recently returned home after many years of traveling. No matter what happens, I truly don’t want to get involved. I hope you can understand.”

“Of course. I understand.”

The prince nodded.

Having expected him to argue and persuade insistently, seeing Ogerton step back nonchalantly came as a surprise.

He even felt a twinge of guilt at the expression on Duke Dragin’s face wondering what he was doing.

“Thank you for understanding. Then I will take my leave.”

The count stood up. As he was about to leave with the two marquises and the prince, this time, his wife approached.

“Honey. Could you come here for a moment?”

“Sure. Where’s the princess?”

“She’s playing with our son.”

Well, that was to be expected.

It didn’t surprise him.

However, when the count followed his wife into a shadowy area of the garden, he couldn’t help but smile slightly.

A path led between shrubs and thickets. It was difficult to tell at a glance whether it was a path or if there was space beyond. It was his son’s playground.

As it turned out to be a secret base, various trinkets sneaked from the mansion were piled against the walls, and the princess was kneeling down playing with his son.

“Daddy’s here. I have to brag.”

“…”

“Quickly. I already showed it to my sister and grandfather, but were you planning to keep it from Dad?”

“…No.”

His timid son approached. After a moment of glancing back to check if it was safe, he said,

“This is my ‘Magic Tower.’”

Soarel found it hard to contain the smile spreading across his face, despite having expected it.

“I’m going to go back now,” the princess said. After gathering the family in that narrow space, she whispered to the count as she stepped out.

The count thought she was finally going to ask for help. ─ he assumed, but the princess said, “You know, because of me, your son lost his secret base. I’m sorry. You’ll have to build a new one.”

“That’s unnecessary meddling.”

“I know. But you know, right?”

Kick.

The count’s dry eyes widened in surprise. After glancing back at the swaying princess, he turned away thinking about what he should do without intent to help.