46 – The Hidden Crown Prince
The massive ship of the Burning Tower soared high in the blue sky.
Despite the uncomfortable expressions of the mages constantly flickering, I stood at the front of the ship, enjoying the cool breeze.
A flock of geese flying in a wedge formation passed by me, glancing at me as if they found me fascinating, then they increased their altitude and flew away as if they were fleeing.
In fact, I had no intention of boarding a flying ship on the way back.
However, Ardur’s words about Serbis and his army hiding on the way there were too significant to ignore.
“……”
For someone like me, infamous for countless misdeeds, to even consider removing the credit I earned for preventing a war.
Indeed, I was truly the strongest villain in a novel.
The movements of the army clearly took into account the war with the Liven Guard.
It must have been designed by the Empress and supported by Duke Schlein.
And as a result, Serbis, the strongest inspector who could still be an unknown factor in whether our country could win or not, willingly executed the plan.
But no matter how you look at it, if we don’t meet face-to-face, it’s over.
Even after riding Aquila and returning to the Lordship, I waited a little longer by touring the city until the ship arrived for that reason.
“You bat-like brat!”
When I turned around at the loud voice, Duke Felios was slapping Ardur occasionally while urging him to get up.
“No, but still, I have pledged allegiance to His Highness the Crown Prince….”
Ardur was expressing his grievances with a considerably unfair face, but it didn’t bother the stubborn Duke who had an unyielding expression.
“If it weren’t for His Highness the Crown Prince, someone like you would already be dead in my hands!”
In fact, in that situation.
When the Duke asked me to determine the hierarchy between Ardur and Lerchio, it was already a predetermined event.
Since he had pledged allegiance first, Ardur had smiled innocently and asked me to follow his words.
I couldn’t help but know that it was a scheme to manipulate Ardur, who had sworn an oath with his mana, in my place, but I willingly obeyed his words.
After all, I had planned to treat Ardur even worse than a slave and make him suffer.
To the sinner who had committed an unforgivable sin, it didn’t seem too bad.
Of course, Lergerio, who was currently standing on the deck and chatting with Astia, was excluded from the hierarchy.
Soon, the capital of Mersen came into view.
Soon, it would start to boil with talk about me.
The empress’s wariness would increase significantly, and Serbis, who had seemed indifferent until now, would openly torment me.
***
Prince Serbis of the Mersen Empire had been lurking in the forest for a week already.
It was strange indeed.
“How can he not show up for so long?”
Tenafer’s lordship had such tight security that it was impossible to plant spies.
News had come that the prince’s entourage had been seen bustling around the city as if they were tourists, even until the day after the meeting.
But since then, there had been no news at all.
“For so long, what in the world is he doing, confined to the castle… Could it be that he’s already headed to the capital…”
But that possibility was highly unlikely.
To travel safely from there to the capital, they had to pass through the wide forest path where the army was lying in ambush.
Perhaps something had been overlooked.
No, that couldn’t be.
Although it was strange that only the knights with vacant expressions and the prince’s entourage had passed through first, Eos was definitely not among them.
So he must still be in Tenafer.
Moreover, just in case, soldiers had been sent to the main roads and the detour routes of the territory.
“……”
Of course, even so.
It was an undeniable fact that there had been no news for such a long time. I couldn’t help but feel anxious about it.
It felt as if I had become the head of a pack of wolves, restlessly waiting in an empty rabbit hole with no rabbits left.
Considering the war with the elves, it was a rush to bring the entire army and handle an unreasonable schedule.
And commanding the army was by no means an easy task.
Not only was the morale of the soldiers plummeting in this situation of waiting endlessly, but the food supplies were also rapidly depleting.
The tasteless meals and the uncertain waiting situation were continuing to worsen.
It must have been three days ago.
Soldiers who began to complain were raising their voices and even fighting with each other.
We couldn’t just keep waiting any longer.
Whether it be battle, plunder, or retreat. We had to do something now.
Of course, there was a way to demand food from the Tenafel territory, but it would expose the fact that we were hiding here.
“……”
It might have been better to attack and seize the Tenafel territory, killing Eos in the process.
But there was no justification for that, and if the Viscount were to lock the gates and begin a siege, it would be difficult to guarantee victory in our current state of food shortage.
I never expected such a situation to occur, it was too hasty.
“If only the ambassador wasn’t here, this wouldn’t have happened….”
That was truly the case.
If I had swiftly dealt with Eos and the elven commander in the meeting, it would have been a problem that could have been easily resolved.
But in that place, there was a shrine of the Eos religion.
It was not fitting for him to engage in foolish acts that would expose his weaknesses in a temple that would recognize his legitimacy in the name of the gods.
But if he continued like this, he might end up leading his disillusioned soldiers and accomplishing nothing, perhaps even having to retreat.
Thump!
He punched the nearby tree with his fist.
The shock was so powerful that the startled tree shook off its leaves.
An uncontrollable anger surged in his chest.
“Eos…”
If things continued like this, that incompetent fool would eventually take credit for preventing a war with the elves.
“Your Highness!”
It was at that moment that a subordinate, who appeared flustered, came running.
Cervis, as usual, simply gestured with his chin to indicate that he should speak.
“Prince Eos has already arrived at the palace…”
Cervis’s pupils trembled.
It was a face he had never shown before, even when fighting against the barbarians who raided the western border of Mersen a year ago.
No, how on earth…?
More importantly, what the hell…?
“When…?”
The subordinate swallowed dryly, his face showing a hint of distraction.
“That… They say it was five days ago.”
5 days ago.
“Ha! hahahahaha!”
Thump! Thump! Thump!
In the end, the thick bark of the giant tree, which could have lived for hundreds of years, couldn’t withstand the repeated pounding of fists and broke with a crisp sound.
“Tell me. What exactly happened?”
The purple eyes, filled with a fierce glint, were fixed on the subordinate once again.
In front of a face that displayed anger like never before seen, the subordinate couldn’t overcome the dizzying fear and finally spoke, tightly shutting their eyes.
“A-According to the soldiers sent from the palace to deliver the news….”
“All of them?”
“They say that they were held captive for a while by a woman with black hair, and only now have they managed to come back….”
“A woman with black hair?”
It was Astia, disguised as she had been when she received the mission from Eos and went to save Duke Pelios, but she looked completely unrecognizable as Cerberus.
“And who is that?”
“Her face was covered, so her identity was un-“
Slash-
Suddenly, a drawn blade sliced through the air.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-
Even after the body fell to the ground, the head that had been flying through the air landed on the grassy field, rolling a bit belatedly.
“Useless bastard.”
With a nonchalant expression, Cerberus wiped off the blood that splattered on their face and sheathed their sword, gesturing to another subordinate.
“I’m going to the palace.”
***
“Well, go ahead and tell me now.”
I was sitting in the reception room of the Prince’s Palace, sipping tea and engaging in a disguised confrontation with Count Bart.
“What on earth were you thinking, taking my daughter somewhere? And don’t tell me you didn’t go to Tenafel, where the war was about to break out.”
A few days ago, when I had taken Elaine to the Count’s estate, Bart had come running out, calling his daughter’s name like a madman.
His menacing gaze had been so intense that I knew I needed time to calm my anger. So I had told him to come to the palace and explain.
I had postponed various things to find my daughter, so it took the Count five days to finally show up.
In truth, I had thought that Elaine would have explained everything to him by now and that his anger would have subsided. But because he hadn’t heard any explanation at all, his suspicions had only intensified, making him even angrier.
As always, I had to carefully consider how much to reveal when speaking the truth.
“The Goddess appeared in my dream. I saw you in danger, so I came here. After having that dream, I gained the ability to freely use divine power.”
In truth, I knew from novels that the Goddess could bestow blessings.
But to have gained power through a dream, and to have even created a shield of light strong enough to block a meteor, was something I had never read about in any novel. It was hard for even me to believe.
If I found it hard to believe, how could the Count, who had never even read about such things in this world, possibly believe those words?
If Elaine hadn’t called me a saint, I would have considered myself lucky if he didn’t see me as a lunatic.
But still, in order to prevent the impending disaster, I felt that I needed the Count’s help to some extent, so it seemed necessary for me to tell him the truth.
So I told him the truth to the extent that it wouldn’t cause any problems.
I even showed him all four spirits to increase credibility.
“What… How can this…?”
The Count couldn’t believe it at all. Even after the tea had gone cold, he was still unable to recover from the shock.
And at this very moment, when the Count seemed flustered, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to ask for his help.
Indeed, it was the best moment to make a request when rational judgment was impossible.
“Ahem. Actually, I have a favor to ask of you, Count.”
“W-What is it….?”
Seeing his expression, which seemed like he would be okay with hearing anything now because of the absurdity of what he had just heard, I continued.
“I need some magic stones. A lot of them.”
“Why…?”
“On the day of my engagement ceremony, there will be a great calamity in the Empire. I need to prevent it.”
The Count looked bewildered.
Of course, I was just as bewildered as I spoke.
The day after I returned to the palace, the Emperor hastily set the date for my engagement ceremony. And it was only a week away, on the day of the founding of the Empire.
I didn’t know how it happened, but the fact that I had prevented a war with the elves was already being talked about by many people in the palace.
Without a doubt, it was easy to deduce the Emperor’s intentions behind such an event.
He seemed to be planning to hold my engagement ceremony during the founding festival of the Empire to somewhat clear my notoriety.
In other words, it was like a kind of image laundering.
But I, who had read the novel, already knew.
On that day.
At the western border of the Empire.
Dozens of tribes united, and a horde of tens of thousands of barbarians would rush in like a flood.