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344. Childhood Ep – Electorate

“It was a war started because of me, so I will go. I won’t return until I receive an apology from the Belita Kingdom.”

Ugh! The knights erupted in a sweaty cheer. With nobles clapping enthusiastically and others scowling, this place was the heart of the Aisel Kingdom, the Imperial Council (Comitium imperiale).

The Commander-in-Chief who would lead the war had just been decided. Prince Vivian de Isadora, standing on the podium, raised his fist amidst the knights’ fervent applause.

On the other hand, the faction of the Second Prince, Oscar de Isadora, wore expressions that seemed to say “do as you please.” Despite crossing their arms and taking a cynical stance, the subtle aura of defeat was unmistakable.

The prince who had gone to a foreign land only to return humiliated failed to label Vivian as the “ugly prince” and couldn’t even stop him from becoming Commander-in-Chief.

The voting results were even more shocking.

62 to 59.

Though the margin was slight, it indicated that some electors had sided with the Isadora royal family.

Prince Vivian walked around the assembly hall, shaking hands and celebrating his victory, while Oscar de Isadora anxiously chewed his lips. At that moment, a soft sharp voice pierced his ear.

“Your Highness.”

“…Yes.”

A woman was closely attached behind Oscar. She smiled with her fan covering her mouth.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to hide the twisting of her lips.

“Prince Vivian has become Commander-in-Chief. It would make for a delightful and brotherly scene if you went to congratulate him.”

She added a quiet whisper.

– “Go with your shoulders back and a smile. Don’t stand there looking like a fool.”

Creeeak—a sound of grinding teeth echoed, but who would believe it? Oscar answered with a pale face, “Yes…” and walked out, soon arriving in front of Prince Vivian.

“Hahaha! Thank you. No, it’s nothing. You saw how Baron Trudy helped. I’d like to give him the credit. I’ll arrange something soon… Wait a moment. Let’s talk again shortly.”

Vivian spotted Oscar. As he approached, a shadow was cast over Oscar.

Prince Vivian’s physique was comparable to that of an ordinary knight. Oscar raised his chin and spoke up.

“…Congratulations on becoming Commander-in-Chief.”

Vivian beamed in response. He extended his hand for a handshake with my half-brother and political rival, Oscar…

“Thank you. I’m even happier to receive your congratulations, dear brother.”

Despite the cordial display, the clasped hands felt cold. In the eyes looking down with a smile, there was no warmth to be found.

They each bore too many burdens to forge a brotherly bond. Prince Vivian didn’t let go of Oscar’s hand.

“…”

It was somewhat provocative. In front of everyone, Oscar realized that his approach was ultimately turning into a contest of nerves. Prince Vivian flaunted his superiority with his large stature, leaving Oscar to show something in return.

Perhaps magic… But Oscar quietly withdrew his hand and turned away. He left that place.

As the parting waters flowed back together, the path he returned became packed with people again. Amid the flowing silks of various colors, nothing had happened, yet Oscar felt nauseous.

The gazes of the crowd had changed once more. Though he did nothing, disappointment naturally followed.

Oscar tried not to look back. However, defeat had a strange addictiveness, compelling him to glance back. Prince Vivian was still watching him with the hand he had just shaken raised. With a slightly incredulous expression.

What a showman.

For a moment, a sneer flitted across the mouths of the lords, and Vivian turned his head as if bored. The gap between Vivian, who performed such a feat of turning the crowd against Oscar with a mere gesture, and Oscar, who naïvely turned back, was vast.

How did such a person lose face in the Belita Kingdom? If not, things would have been easier for both sides. Oscar secretly reproached Princess Chloe de Tatalia as he turned back. And there he faced another woman glaring at him menacingly.

“Very well done, Your Highness.”

“…”

Oscar was certainly not short, yet the woman was so tall that she made him feel he should lower his head. Soon, her pale hand clutched his wrist, and he felt an overwhelming grip that made it seem his wrist would break.

Like a mother taking a misbehaving child away, the woman led the prince out of the council. No one intervened; after all, she was none other than…

Lady Angelica Lydia Kyrgis.

The continent’s only grand sorceress, the representative of the Gaidan House, and the master of Oscar de Isadora.

As soon as they left the council, Angelica tore through the air to create a passage, and although no one knew it, sounds of slapping echoed fiercely from within.

How much time had passed? The dim corridor that emerged was the royal castle. Specifically, it was Princess Elika de Isadora’s room, where Princess Elika did not scold the intruding sorceress and her “brother.” Instead, she greeted her with a bow.

“Welcome.”

Angelica, still visibly agitated, stepped out of the corridor.

“Water.”

“Here you go, Mother.”

The princess’s hand trembled slightly as she handed over the water. Fortunately, their mother gulped down the cold water and took a deep breath.

“You may leave, dear son. However, I hope something like today won’t happen again.”

What had Oscar done wrong to be reprimanded? With a face filled with terror, he exited, and Elika realized she had become her greedy mother’s next target.

The sound was muffled. The maid outside wouldn’t know if her master screamed.

So Elika took the lead. With a bright smile.

“Mother, did you know? The prince of Conrad Kingdom is arriving soon.”

“…I see. I can see him over there.”

“I’ve heard he’s incredibly handsome. How does he seem to you, Mother?”

“He has blonde hair. No, it’s a bit mixed… Sigh. Should’ve somehow brought Lean de Yeriel in.”

“Mother~ It’s already in the past. If you feel upset about the past, I will too. I could kick it like Chloe de Tatalia, but wouldn’t that be unwise?”

Turning away to gaze far beyond the wall, Angelica turned her head. The shine in her eyes was fierce, but Elika maintained her smile until the end.

“Of course. With a war now between the Belita Kingdom, we cannot leave the Conrad Kingdom on the side of the Isadora royal family forever. We must extend our hands.”

“Exactly, right? Then I…”

“But it feels uncomfortable to so easily let go of our daughter. Come here. Let me hug you.”

‘Crazy woman.’

Elika obediently moved into her arms. The hand, pale to the point of gray, stroked her head, but the movement was hardly tender.

Though she fawned over her daughter, it was more akin to a petting of a pet rather than comforting a daughter who might soon marry. Elika was aware of this.

Her mother had birthed her and her ‘brother’ solely for experimental purposes.

That experiment, unfortunately, succeeded, and she and her brother Oscar had been used for this terrifying sorceress’s selfish desires. Elika endured the awful sensation of Angelica burying her nose in her golden hair, inhaling deeply.

If given the chance, she would want to clutch at a straw. It was the day Prince Eric de Yeriel entered Ofrontis.

*

“It’s best not to expect a warm welcome.”

“Why not?”

“Prince Eric has no choice but to ally with the Gaidan House. There’s no way the Isadora royal family will welcome him.”

“Huh? What does that mean? Prince Eric came to marry Princess Elika de Isadora. Why is the Gaidan House involved?”

Then Neil interrupted.

“Joen, stop talking nonsense when you don’t understand. Just let it go.”

“…Neil. You guys might leave, but I have to stay near the prince, so I learned a bit about the Aisel Kingdom. Though Elika de Isadora and Oscar de Isadora carry the Isadora name, they can be seen as people of the Gaidan House.”

“Why?”

“The Aisel Kingdom traditionally follows a matrilineal system. Although the practice of following the father’s surname has surfaced, ultimately, it’s the maternal line that determines the royal surname.”

“What nonsense is this? I don’t understand any of it.”

Neil half-lay on the table with his feet up. Today, they entered the Ofrontis royal castle, and without an event welcoming the foreign prince, they felt bewildered by such poor treatment, causing the knights to gather.

Joen patiently continued.

“For example, the moment Oscar de Isadora ascends the throne, the Isadora royal family becomes the Isadora ducal family, and the Gaidan House becomes the Gaidan royal family. This is because Oscar de Isadora’s mother is a daughter of the Gaidan House. Wasn’t her name ‘Aria Kyrgis’? That was before she married the king. Now she’s Aria de Isadora.”

“Whoa! The royal family changes? That’s fascinating. Then the Isadora royal family and the Gaidan House wouldn’t get along very well since they are competitors.”

“Certainly.”

“Hmm? But… wait a minute. There’s something I don’t understand.”

Leah asked.

“Then wouldn’t the family that takes the throne not need to take in the daughters of another family as concubines or queens? They could just keep the royal house going through inbreeding…”

“Of course, there are restrictions. Marriage isn’t entirely for the king or the royal family to decide. The Manzamun Empire has a unique political system in the Aisel Kingdom. To understand that, one must know a bit of history…”

“I know quite a bit about history.”

Leah was worried she might not know it since she was a commoner. Joen was also a commoner, but he had become a knight and completed basic studies.

“That’s a relief. Then you know how the Acaian Empire fell, right? Ultimately, it was torn apart in all directions and collapsed. Among them, there were royal family members who fled eastward, and that group intertwined with the eastern nobility, forming the Manzamun Empire. They…”

“Joen’s history class~”

“Dear, please be quiet.”

“…Though they all share blood relations at their core, as time passed, certain families intertwined, and new ties were formed with women from the royal family, resulting in a family tree that became excessively complex to the point where they no longer defined themselves by blood.”

“Is that so?”

“They created a privileged class called ‘Electors’ to represent their authority. Only the families listed in the ‘Golden Document of Cornus’ are recognized as Electors.”

“What’s an elector, and what’s this so-called Golden Document of Cornus?”

“Elector refers to a prince who can vote. You know what a prince is, right? Exactly. Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, and Baron—you get categorized by ranks. An elector, using the character for emperor (帝), displays that they are of the Acaian Empire’s bloodline. The Golden Document of Cornus… hmm. You don’t know who Cornus is, do you? You heard of the Cornell Tower?”

“Yes. It’s the tower in the Aisel Kingdom. Famous for being the first tower. Wait, the names are a bit similar. Could it be…?”

Leah speculated while Joen shook his head.

“Someone who built the Cornell Tower?”

“No. Cornus is the first sorcerer of humanity. Regarded as a unique sorcerer for having opened the horizons of sorcery. He had a significant influence on the founding of the Aisel Kingdom.”

“That person partly contributed to the state of affairs in the Aisel Kingdom.”

Following Reb’s mumble, the topic shifted to the Golden Document of Cornus.