171 Everything Oscar has is originally mine
***[Richard Wang]***
Sometimes life is cruel
Maybe you can push people to such a dead end.
“ha.”
King Richard hung his heavy head between his legs.
My head feels like it’s about to slip between my legs and fall off.
‘I think it would be more comfortable then.’
I want to hand over the kingship to Robert right now and go somewhere.
Of course you can’t do that.
King Richard took another long breath and looked up.
The chamberlain was standing next to her, looking at her with a worried face.
“Your Majesty, are you okay?”
“No, it’s not okay at all. Right now, in front of me, the steppes are shooting arrows and running, and in the back, Oscar, that little peacock seems to be wielding a huge fire and chasing after me.”
“…”
“Besides, the floor I’m standing on is being broken by two of my sons. I’m standing on a piece of ice floating on the river, and my two sons take turns breaking it.”
The chamberlain silently lowered his head without saying anything.
Well, I won’t have anything to say.
Because none of what he said was wrong.
If you include the story of the first queen, well, it looks like the wife rolls a rock over her head and drops it.
no, there are more
There were even aristocrats who insisted that they should retaliate by shouting at the steppe tribes for their wrongdoing.
It seems that everyone on all sides is running towards him with axes and knives to kill him.
King Richard lifted his drooping shoulders and looked at the chamberlain’s face.
At this point, doubts arise that were not there.
“Look, is God really angry with us royalty?”
“Your Majesty, it can’t be.”
“But the situation is like this. I heard that the witches have been quiet elsewhere, but only here… Isn’t it only in the vicinity of the royal capital? Everyone is talking about it. The current king is under the wrath of the goddess.”
“You shouldn’t say that. There have been many difficult situations in the past. It’s just the same now. It’s just that the difficult situation is right around the corner.”
“…”
“Your Majesty, I assure you. It’s not like God’s wrath. Take heart. It’s difficult and difficult now, but this situation will one day become a past that you can laugh at and talk about.”
I’m worried because it doesn’t seem like it.
The atmosphere of the nobility is unusual.
Emile, who had been quiet while observing the surrounding situation, suddenly raised his voice, and the duke, who had been trying not to go against the will of the royal family, openly rebelled. The movements of Count Becker’s family were also unusual.
I’m not joking, it really feels like I’m floating on the open sea lying on a burning raft.
If I look away even for a moment, I think I will fall into the sea of fire.
“Your Majesty, you must be strong.”
The chamberlain came closer and knelt down.
The person who is as tough as dying is himself, but just looking at his face, it seems that the chief chamberlain will die right now.
King Richard couldn’t help but laugh.
It feels like everyone is rushing to kill him, but only the chief chamberlain is on the other side.
It was believed that this person would never betray himself.
It’s strange that thinking like that gives you strength that you didn’t have before.
“… It’s okay. Don’t worry.”
It feels heavy, as if the floor is pulling you down.
It was so heavy that if I relaxed even a little, my body would be dragged to the ground.
But there is a lot to do.
Even if you die when you die, you must first deal with what is in front of you.
King Richard forced himself up and straightened his back.
“How about the mercenaries?”
“I hear they’re good at it, but they’re much rougher than I thought. Their words are noble, but their behavior is no different from that of a savage.”
“is it.”
“It’s only been a few days, but complaints from people who entertain are already coming up.”
“… Well, it can’t be helped. We need their strength. If it doesn’t go too far, we’ll do everything we can.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. But… is it really all right? Can I trust those mercenaries?”
“…”
It’s a secret to the end, but the mercenaries were not sent without any consultation from the motherland of the first queen.
A little story went under the water.
Regarding this matter, the first queen and her opinion were exactly the same, so all consultations were carried out through the queen.
The story of the mercenaries was brought up first, but half of the cost was paid in the motherland of the first queen and the rest was paid in Korea.
Rather than handing over the money directly, it was decided to give the mercenary group the tax right of one territory owned by the royal family for a certain period of time.
In addition to simply subjugating the grassland tribes, during that time, the mercenary corps will serve as the royal family’s troops.
The chief of staff is concerned that they may become a new force threatening the royal family.
“ha.”
Still can’t help it.
It’s difficult to get through the current situation without borrowing the power of mercenaries.
“…”
Thinking about the cost to join the mercenary corps in the future made my already heavy body and head feel heavier.
The cost of hiring mercenaries is quite high, and they are especially expensive.
‘The royal palace’s finances aren’t good, but hiring such a mercenary.’
A sigh came out spontaneously.
If I had more time, I wouldn’t make such an unreasonable contract, but in the current situation, I can’t help it.
We need an army that can stand against the great nobility, such as dukes and marquesses.
“…”
I’m sorry Emile, but the next king is Robert.
I don’t give it to Emily.
It doesn’t matter which son you like or dislike, or what your lineage is.
The problem was that the Duke was behind Emil now.
Even so, the power of the Duke’s family is so great that it has to be cut down somehow, but can’t we pour oil on it?
The thought of Emile becoming king and the duke standing behind him made his body freeze with fear.
It was a fear that the previous duke had never felt.
“…”
When did the current duke’s pretty face start to feel like fear?
It seemed like he was always thinking of the royal family, but when he came to his senses, the royal family was surrounded by the duke’s allies.
There is only the duke’s side.
He cursed Robert for being stupid, but the real fool might have been himself.
‘Anyway, let’s make Robert the commander of the punitive force and make a contribution…’
Thinking so, I frowned again.
As Emil and the Marquis Hoven became popular by hunting monsters around the capital, Robert belatedly led his soldiers to hunt monsters.
However, for Robert, who had almost no real combat experience, hunting monsters was a challenge from the beginning.
If it was simply a decoration, it might have worked somehow.
But Robert didn’t even do that right, and he created a problem.
The more Robert tried to order something, the more things went wrong and the soldier died, and in the end, it only produced worse results than not doing it.
Really, what a child.
“But… it won’t work against mercenaries.”
As he muttered involuntarily, the chief chamberlain quietly lowered his head.
Because of Robert, the chief chamberlain also suffers a lot.
Since the head of the house was doing all the cleaning up of that guy’s work, I really couldn’t lift my head at this person.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s what I have to do. Don’t say that.”
“Well, that’s enough of a gloomy story. Are Robert’s preparations coming to an end now?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The day you leave will look splendid in anyone’s eyes.”
“okay.”
King Richard took a small breath and nodded.
As if roasting grains of wheat in lightning, they prepared to subdue the savages in a hurry.
Ignoring the intentions of dukes and marquesses, he gathers only a few noble soldiers who are in favor of the subjugation and departs in a few days.
On that day, Robert is dressed in armor passed down from generation to generation in the royal family.
In words, it was a massive subjugation, but in reality, you only need to defeat one or two tribes.
Anyway, it was impossible to defeat all the savages living scattered in the grasslands, and it didn’t matter whatsoever, so it depended on the skill of this side to exterminate one small tribe and make a big noise about it.
‘Because no one will want to verify the authenticity.’
Yes, yes, the fact that the barbarians were exterminated, you only need to bring that one thing.
“Tell the mercenary commander well. It’s difficult to come back too soon.”
“I know.”
In the eyes of others, the fact that you defeated the barbarians should not be seen as a lie.
That said, it doesn’t have to take too much time, and a moderate period of time that will surprise people would be just right.
“I think it’s okay if it’s the time when spring comes. In the middle of winter, there will be few people to watch the march to the capital, so I’d like it when the cold has subsided. In a season when people’s hearts tend to get a little excited… Yes, winter will recede. Right before spring arrives, that would be good.”
“Yes, I will tell the mercenary commander.”
*
A few days after that, Robert and the mercenary set off on the royal road as if they were roasting wheat grains with lightning.
Robert wearing nice armor and holding a big sword, and the mercenaries who didn’t hide their rough appearance were pretty cool, but contrary to expectations, there weren’t many people to see them off.
At least, I heard the report from the chief chamberlain later that even the eyes of Robert and his party marching through the capital weren’t nice.
It is said that when the peacock came and went, the people who cheered so much did not make a sound of laughter.
‘Haa, really that young duke.’
Wouldn’t it be possible to get Bernd to hold the duchy again?
I hate you so much.
***[Crown Prince Robert]***
I don’t remember much now, but when I was very young, there was a time when I tried to hope for the praise of my mother and father.
But no matter how hard I try, it’s no use.
My father and mother all tell me to see the Duke of Weiss.
Isn’t it great even when you’re so young?
You are older than him, but he criticizes you for not being able to do that.
In the case of direct words, it was about a year or two when I was young, but I was always criticized with a look.
Not just father and mother.
Obviously, the people who were watching him at first turned their attention only to Oscar when he appeared.
He only comes out to the royal road once a year, but stays in the manor, but Oscar’s small shadow always hangs over his head.
Oscar and Duke Weiss take everything he wants.
The interest of the people, the admiration of the people, the respect of the people, the outstanding appearance and the beautiful fiancée, everything Robert wanted was left behind.
Even God’s attention seems to be all toward him.
‘But it’s different from now on.’
It’s time to strike back.
Being a noble of the kingdom and defending the steppes, even the Duke of Weiss crossed the line.
Everyone is criticizing.
There were a few families that sided with him, but now this side had the upper hand.
You must not miss this opportunity.
Must succeed.
My father said any tribe could do it, but Robert was determined to do it right.
This time, by doing it right, I regained my father’s approval and trust.
Suddenly Igor’s face came to mind.
Those who once held up Igor as a famous sorcerer now spoke of him as some filthy worm.
A famous sorcerer, he whispers that he actually made money by cursing.
‘That might be true.’
The time I was with Igor felt vague and out of the ordinary.
But one word he said is stuck in my head and won’t come off.
[Originally, everything the Duke of Weiss possessed belonged to Her Highness the Crown Prince. He stole your life. I need to get it back.]
Whether it was Igor’s lie or a curse is unknown.
He couldn’t tell anyone that the words stuck in his head.
To believe that Igor’s words were true.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been vaguely thinking that way since I was young.
“…”
being stolen by Oscar.
You deserve it, but everything is taken away.
I felt that I was being deprived of not simply the present reality, but a very distant past, or an unknown moment unknown to the present.
Whether it’s real or not doesn’t matter anymore.
‘…now it doesn’t matter if it’s not true. Even if it’s simply my delusion.’
I just can’t stand what he has.
Everything Oscar saw, everything he could hold, everything he valued, he desperately wanted.
The moment I noticed that Oscar was trying to change the crown prince, my heart jumped out.
can’t hide now
I no longer watch him try to take mine.
Father, mother, and other nobles don’t matter.
Robert’s mind was now full of Oscar.
everything Oscar has.
‘That’s mine.’
Entering the wide meadow land, Robert murmured softly.