Chapter 258

Chapter 259. Royal Council (4)

“Why do you think I called you all here?”

From the high seat overlooking hundreds, Crown Prince Rukan began his speech.

Silence filled the grand hall. At least, no fool here would naively think, “Let’s try to answer the Crown Prince’s quiz.”

“Baron Timothy Ken Terpen of the East. Speak.”

The lord, pointed out by the Crown Prince, was startled but managed to give a composed answer, drawing on his experience.

“You must have summoned us to discuss important matters of the state… I dare to guess.”

“And what are the important matters of the state?”

“Economy, military, politics, and society.”

“If you know so well, why have you done nothing?”

In the cold of December, Baron Timothy sweated.

The Crown Prince’s voice remained calm, but it tightened Baron Timothy’s throat even more.

“What has the Terpen family done for this country in the past 50 years?”

“We, we have strived to train knights to produce master-level knights.”

“I see. I must have missed it. A knight trained by the Terpen family for 50 years must be a Grandmaster by now. I apologize for not remembering. Tell me his name.”

Baron Timothy, who had been maintaining his composure, knelt down.

Thud!

The sound was so loud it seemed his knees might have shattered. But his voice was not as loud.

“We have strived to train knights, but we have not yet produced a master-level knight. But! If you give me ten more years, I will definitely produce a master-level knight!”

“Forgive my ignorance, Baron Timothy. Wasn’t the Terpen family an administrative family? Since when did it become a military family striving to train knights?”

“Th-that administration… administration…”

“The Terpen family was responsible for the soil of this country. Investigating and managing the soil of each region to maintain and create fertile land was the duty given to the Terpen family. Baron Manix Ken Darlington.”

Suddenly called, Baron Manix answered in surprise.

“Yes, Crown Prince.”

“The Darlington family is responsible for the crop harvest of this country. So you must know. About the changes in harvest over the past ten years.”

“It, it has significantly decreased.”

“Forgive me, but I’m a fool. Tell me in numbers. To make it easier to understand. Is ten years too sudden? Then just tell me the difference between last year’s and this year’s harvest.”

“Well…”

“It has decreased by 4 percent. Compared to ten years ago, this year’s harvest has decreased by 35 percent, almost half.”

“…”

Baron Timothy and Baron Manix bowed their heads deeply. The other lords had no time to enjoy seeing this.

‘Did the Crown Prince know all this?’

‘They say he knows a thousand things by seeing one. It’s like he’s watching us from the sky.’

The fact that the noble royal family knew everything about them choked the lords.

They had never seriously thought about their ‘duties’ before. They had only indulged in the pleasures of being nobles, so they couldn’t even think of an excuse to refute the Crown Prince’s precise words.

And the lords didn’t know. They thought they didn’t show it, but their anxiousness, fearing they might be the next target, was clearly visible to the Crown Prince.

Of course, not all were like that. Some lords stood tall, looking straight ahead, and among them were those who seemed to wish to be called.

The Crown Prince broke the short silence and spoke in the same calm voice as before.

“Therefore, I will strip you two of all your assets and positions.”

“…?!”

The two lords, who had bowed their heads, looked up at the Crown Prince for the first time.

“Parasites who only suck the blood of the country without helping will no longer be tolerated.”

“W-wait, Crown Prince! Please, just one more chance! I will fulfill my family’s duty!”

Baron Manix even pressed his forehead to the ground, pleading.

“I may be a parasite of the country, but my sons are all outstanding talents! Please give them a chance!”

The lords thought the Crown Prince was trying to assert his dominance over them. And they thought this much was enough.

The stiff Baron Timothy and Baron Manix lay flat on the ground, even shedding tears. They repeatedly promised to fulfill their duties and begged, thinking this would be a ‘first and last warning.’

But-

“Why are commoners in the royal palace?”

“Crown Prince! Crown Prince Rukan!”

At that one word, the guards at the entrance of the grand hall dragged out the two lords, or rather, the former lords.

The lords’ faces turned pale. They realized with their skin and eyes that the Crown Prince had not summoned them just to instill caution or to reprimand them.

“Are you all at ease? It seems those two were made examples of.”

It wasn’t the Crown Prince’s tone. A sharper, more irritable voice. It was Second Prince Rakan.

Rakan stood up and swept his gaze over the lords.

“The same goes for the rest of you. If I were to speak to each of you, one mouth wouldn’t be enough. But at least you’re a bit better than those two. Because those two are traitors who sold out the country.”

The two lords dragged out earlier were not just punished for incompetence. They had sold the country’s secrets, caught by the eyes and ears of the royal palace.

“Queen Lilian was merciful. You clung to that mercy. Frankly, this country will fall if it continues like this. Not to an empire, but to a barbaric country like Adeus, or the sinister Baen Kingdom. At least my brother and I cannot tolerate that.”

Rakan didn’t bother to add the premise ‘if the Queen doesn’t return.’ No one knew if she would return or not.

But the lords understood well enough. The possibility that the Queen might not return was very high. The princes were so sure of it that they had convened this royal council.

“In the past, our Lilian Kingdom was a powerful nation that even the empire couldn’t covet. The neighboring Baen Kingdom paid tribute to us, and we took territory from the Adeus Kingdom every year. But look at the state of the country now. How can it regress more than 100 years ago? Especially, Sephira!”

Like the Crown Prince, Second Prince Rakan suddenly pointed at someone while speaking.

This time, the target was the archery noble family Sephira, and for some reason, Second Prince Rakan’s gaze at Hisop was filled with anger.

* * *

Despite Rakan’s sudden accusation, Hisop answered calmly.

“Branch House Lord Hisop El Sephira. I am here.”

“Four Lords and Seven Noble Families. The pride of our country. Sephira holds the position of one of the Seven Noble Families as an archery noble family… Why is there not a single Grandmaster?”

“It is due to the nature of Aura.”

“Oh, are you going to make excuses? Fine, go ahead.”

“As you know, Crown Prince Rakan, Aura is a power specialized for close range. The moment the connection with the caster is severed, it begins to dissipate, and the speed is very fast. Even the most skilled swordsman rarely sends sword aura beyond 10 meters.”

“If Aura has such a disadvantage, why not use Mana? Doesn’t Sephira know such basics?”

“I apologize, but Aura can be created by anyone with effort. However, Mana requires affinity, and without it, one cannot even begin. Training knights to use Mana is extremely difficult.”

“Is that so? Even if Aura is difficult to use at long range, Sephira is a family with over 300 years of history. Records show that 300 years ago, there were not only 6-star but also 7-star Primes. How do you explain that?”

Rakan persistently pressed Hisop, but Hisop answered as if he had prepared for such questions.

“I have also heard of such records. But for some reason, the records of the secrets have been lost and can no longer be found.”

“If you can’t find them, you should make new efforts!”

“At that time, it was not possible. Sephira was called to every battlefield, so there was no time or energy to restore the lost techniques. Even after the war, there were many places that needed archers, so there was no time to spare.”

“All you do is blame others. Why can’t you just admit that you lacked effort? Did other noble families just play around? They all performed their duties while protecting the country. In the meantime, they steadily developed techniques and produced Grandmasters and Primes. I didn’t like Sephira’s arrogance and complacency. Now, I think I’ll start disliking your shamelessness too.”

Rakan pushed relentlessly.

Hisop knew. What Rakan wanted to hear.

‘I’m sorry.’

Rakan clearly wanted to hear those words from his mouth.

Hisop knew, but knowing made him even more reluctant. It wasn’t because of pride.

“The moment you admit to a mistake you didn’t make, it becomes a real mistake.”

Those were the words of Basil, the head of the Sephira family and his father. Hisop opened his mouth, recalling those words.

“Prince Rakan, may I ask if you know about the family’s deployment rate?”

At Hisop’s question, Rakan’s brow furrowed. It wasn’t because he was asked a question, but because he didn’t know what ‘family deployment rate’ meant.

Recognizing that expression, Hisop continued.

“Family deployment rate is the percentage of all soldiers in a family who are active outside the family’s territory. For example, if a family has 1,000 soldiers and a deployment rate of 70 percent, it means 300 soldiers remain in the family.”

“So what does that mean, Branch House Lord Hisop?”

“The deployment rate of the other six noble families is between 20 and 40 percent. Not just noble families, but most military families maintain a 30 percent rate.”

Hisop’s head turned. Not up or down. He spoke directly to the person next to him, exuding an overwhelming presence.

“Grand Duke Winchester, may I ask why military families maintain a 30 percent deployment rate?”

Grand Duke Winchester of the North.

The head of the Browning family, the strongest family in the Lilian Kingdom, and the only person said to rival a lord, is Winchester.

Winchester’s presence was overwhelming. Even without looking, his presence was felt, and even among hundreds of people, including royalty, he seemed to be in a different world.

At Hisop’s question, Winchester’s brow twitched. To anyone watching, it might have seemed like Hisop and Winchester were acquainted, but the two had just met today.

Winchester remained silent, and Hisop waited steadfastly.

Finally, Winchester spoke.

“For training techniques, passing on techniques, and protecting the family and country in emergencies. Soldiers sent out on missions maintain a 30 percent rate unless in special circumstances.”

Winchester’s words, each heavy, were clearly heard by all. His words resonated with the other military lords.

Hisop slightly bowed his head in gratitude to Winchester for answering his question and continued.

“Our Sephira has had an average deployment rate of 74 percent over the past 100 years, and in the last 10 years, it was a staggering 87 percent.”

“…!”

The lords were startled by Hisop’s words. Compared to other families, the difference was at least double, and up to triple.

Some lords didn’t believe it at all. For a small family, perhaps, but for a noble family with vast territory, operating with only 20-30 percent of soldiers was absolutely impossible.

Even if all personnel were on guard, it would be tight. So naturally, training or teaching techniques, advancing progress, would be even more difficult.

Rakan didn’t fully grasp the deeper implications.

But he didn’t need to.

Just by seeing the reactions of the other lords, it was clear that Sephira’s technical advancement was impossible.

“Prince Rakan. Sephira was in a state where effort alone could not overcome. Please consider that.”

Hisop refuted Rakan’s opinion while trying not to appear aggressive. After all, Rakan was royalty, and he was his subject.

Rakan glared at Hisop for a moment. Hisop didn’t avoid the gaze and met it directly. Finally, Rakan spoke.

“Now I understand why Sephira’s troublemaker is running wild.”

He didn’t name anyone directly, but just by the title ‘troublemaker,’ Hisop knew who it was. Not just Hisop, but everyone present knew.

In their minds, a name and face flashed by.

‘Keter.’

That face, doing crazy things with clear eyes, was hard to forget, even if you tried.