40: The First and Last Act of Filial Piety
That day, for the first time in my life, I thought my father, His Majesty the King, had gone mad when he spoke to me.
*
My grandfather arrived at the mansion, and after a brief greeting, I was shaken in a carriage for several days. As soon as I arrived at the royal palace, I was immediately taken to my room and had [Return of Mana] cast all over my body, then I was changed and taken to the throne room.
My grandfather’s face in the carriage on the way to the royal palace came to mind.
My grandfather, who always greeted me with a cheerful smile and demeanor, had a stern face the entire time. Of course, our conversation was minimal, and for the first time, I felt suffocated in my grandfather’s presence.
After all that, this sudden audience. Normally, it would be impossible. Even for a son, a formal audience with the king would take several days to arrange, but this was it.
Beyond a bad feeling, I began to seriously feel that my life was in danger.
But there was no point in hesitating. I nodded to the soldier standing in front of the door.
The door opened slowly, and beyond it, I saw a familiar sight.
A red carpet stretched out straight ahead. The king’s guards stood on either side of it.
At the far end, I could see the throne chair and the queen’s chair, which were reached by climbing seven steps.
Sitting there were my father and mother.
I slowly straightened my posture and walked forward. From here on, any rudeness would not be tolerated.
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I kept my eyes down as I reached the bottom of the steps and knelt.
“Your Majesty the King, Your Majesty the Queen, I am honored to have this audience.”
“Hmm, you have come well. Raise your head.”
“Yes, sir.”
As I looked up from my kneeling position, I saw the faces of my parents for the first time in five years.
My father, who still possessed both strength and majesty, yet had a youthful air about him.
My mother, who had the beauty and voluptuous body of a young girl.
The two of them looked exactly as they did in my memory.
It’s amazing that they haven’t aged, I thought to myself.
“You must be tired standing like that. You may stand.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
I said, stood up, and stared at them. What could they want? I wanted them to tell me quickly, because it was bad for my heart.
My father narrowed his eyes slightly and finally opened his mouth.
“I command Car-Mine Colorless Ji Garland Le Carlo-Jiggle Arlay to go to war with the Kingdom of Nadz and help Croitz.”
“Huh?”
I thought, oh no, this is really bad. My father’s eyes sharpened.
But there was absolutely no way. I mean, he wanted me to go to war?
I desperately suppressed my feelings and declared, placing my hand on my chest.
“Yes! I have received your royal command. I, Car-Mine, will stake my life on annihilating the enemy forces!”
“Hmm. I will inform you of the details later. You may leave.”
“Yes, sir.”
I bowed, tried to walk calmly, turned around at the door, bowed again, and left the throne room.
I followed the soldier outside to the room where I was shown, and sat down on the sofa. I took a sip of the tea that the maid had prepared for me and covered my eyes with my hand.
Aren’t you an idiot?
Have you forgotten why I was confined to the mansion until now, Father?
You want me to go to the battlefield, me, who was deemed unfit for royalty and could have been not only disinherited but also killed?
Have you forgotten the meaning of the title “incompetent”?
My ability level when I was incompetent was all 1s, and my magical attribute level was 0.
These ability values are the same as those of a commoner child under the age of ten who has not received any training. My father ordered me, with such ability values, to go to the battlefield.
Could it be that Jasper really found out about me? Is that why I’m supposed to go to the battlefield and kill all the enemy soldiers? That would make sense, but he shouldn’t have found out.
No, I don’t understand. Why did Father give me such an unreasonable order?
Then I remember my grandfather’s grave expression. I see, my grandfather knew. That this royal order would be given to me.
“Haah…”
I drink my tea and ring the bell. My throat was so dry.
How long had I been in a daze?
“His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen, and Duke Zarud are here.”
I straightened my back at the sound of the soldier’s voice from outside.
Why would the King and Queen come here? I would have thought they would normally summon me.
I moved to a position a little further away and waited for my father, mother, and grandfather. The King and Queen enter the room without knocking or announcing themselves. That’s why the soldier said “they are here” in advance. It would be unthinkable to make the highest-ranking royals wait outside.
“Hmm.”
My father, mother, and grandfather enter the room, and I bow. I make sure that my father sits in the seat of honor and my mother sits next to him, and only after my father gives me permission do I finally sit opposite my mother My grandfather is in the lower seat.
“Well, it’s been a long time, Cain. Are you well?”
“Thanks to His Majesty’s deep concern, I live in good health every day.”
“Oh, come on. It’s just family here. Can’t you relax a little?”
“Yes, Cain. Please call me Mother again after all this time.”
“…Then. Mother and. And Father, I have been well.”
“hahahaha, you’re still stiff, but that’s okay.”
My parents were completely different from before. I glanced at my grandfather, who still had a stern expression on his face.
“Hey, Geed, don’t make such a sour face. Come over here.”
“Hmph.”
My father laughed and called out to him, but my grandfather snorted in displeasure. These two have been friends for a long time, so they’re very casual in this kind of setting.
“Either way, it’s a done deal. Accept it.”
“I will not accept it. But I will obey the order.”
“Well, that’s good enough. So, Cain. The reason I called you here is, as I said before, to be a reinforcement in the war.”
“Yes.”
“I understand what you want to say. But with that in mind, I have to say it: go.”
My father’s way of saying this means that he didn’t give the order because he wanted to either.
Looking at my mother next to me, her face tinged with sadness, I think she’s just sad that her son is being put in danger. So is my grandfather’s bad mood for the same reason?
“I have no complaints. I will only obey the royal order.”
“Your attitude has not changed since you were a child.”
My father smiled wryly and suddenly changed his expression.
“I said it from the throne. This time, there was a war with the Kingdom of Nadz. A battle near the border. And we lost. Overwhelmingly, too.”
“…”
I didn’t feel that the eyes that were directed at me were filled with irritation at my brother’s defeat. Rather, I would say that they were directed at the enemy country, or rather, at the current situation itself.
“Those who hold the right to succeed the throne can never be allowed to suffer two consecutive defeats. But if I go out now, it will be a disgrace to Kreutz. That’s why you must never let Kreutz be defeated. Do you understand?”
It suddenly made sense. So that’s what it was. I could feel my heart drying up.
My younger brother cannot be allowed to suffer two defeats. But if Father goes out now, it will trample on my brother’s pride.
That’s why I’m going. I’ll go, I’ll be defeated, and Father will go to war.
That way, my brother will not suffer two defeats, and Father will be able to go to war while preserving my brother’s honor.
In other words, I’m a sacrifice. Because there’s no way an incompetent crown prince could ever win a war.
Is Mother looking so sad because she has accepted my fate?
Is Grandfather looking so stern because he is lamenting my fate?
“I understand.”
I nodded forcefully, trying not to let my inner thoughts show in my eyes.
*
After hearing a brief overview of what would happen next, the conversation ended. The details were left to Grandfather, who would be going to war with me.
After the conversation, I lay down in the room that had been prepared for me.
I had come to understand a lot. When Grandfather came to pick me up, he had brought an excessive number of soldiers, and when I left the mansion, I had taken all of them with me, including the Imperial Guard and Eldred Marreed’s direct subordinates. , who had been entrusted to me by Grandfather.
If I thought about it from the beginning, it made sense that I was going to war.
The premise that there was no way an incompetent crown prince would go to war had clouded my thinking.
I had wondered if Grandfather was going to war, but I never thought it would be me.
“Jarnal. Are you okay now?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“When will the Alliance base (guild house) be ready?”
“It’s taking a little longer than expected. I’d like another week.”
“Oh, that’s fine. And by the way, I’m going to war.”
“…What?”
“The incompetent crown prince will die. What will you do?”
Yes, even if I survived the battle, there would be no place for the incompetent crown prince who had gone as reinforcements and been defeated. Either way, Car-Mine would die.
With this, there was no longer any point in serving me, who was incompetent but had royal blood.
“hahahahaha, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Have you forgotten?”
Jarnal gave me a cheerful laugh.
His tone had changed to that of a subject addressing the crown prince.
“What is it?”
“I told you. I will follow you wherever you go. When Your Highness the Crown Prince dies, I will die too.”
“You’re an idiot.”
I let out a hollow laugh. He had said something like that before.
I sat up.
“Jarnal. You may have a talent for business, but you don’t seem to be very good at judging people.”
“What? I serve the substance, not the name. Even if Your Highness the Crown Prince dies, you will never die. Then I will simply follow you.”
I chuckled. I actually laughed. Even at a time like this, I could still laugh.
“I see. Then I’ll leave the matter of the Alliance base to you.”
“I understand.”
“Oh, and as a reward, I’ll bring you back a souvenir. Is there anything you want?”
“If you show me your healthy figure, that would be the greatest reward.”
“Are you an idiot? Wait, I’ll bring you a reward.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
I looked down. I looked down, covered my eyes with my hands, shook my head, and looked up.
“Well, shall we go to our deaths?”
Surely, this will be the first and last time I show filial piety and serve you.