novelraw Chapter 182: Childhood Friends - Fish
Chapter 182: Childhood Friends - Fish
182. Childhood Friends - Fish
Confusion. Disbelief.
The short-statured noble in his early forties, Marquis Evni Drazhin, abruptly pulled his friend out of the room, leaving the prince and princess inside. Outside the reception room, he scolded Margrave Harvey Guidan for his recklessness.
“Have you lost your mind? What happened to your daughter is truly regrettable. But to make such a choice because the engagement with the Duke of Tertan fell through... What are you thinking?”
His tone was gruff, but it was clear he was deeply concerned for his friend. Margrave Guidan replied,
“I only followed your advice.”
“Advice? What are you talking about? What part of my words did you interpret as bringing in a foreign prince and princess...”
“You suggested we wait for a future wise king.”
“What...?”
Marquis Evni Drazhin was taken aback. He had indeed said that. He had suggested forming a faction to resist the princes and waiting for the emergence of a wise king.But he hadn’t meant to involve foreign royalty. No matter how closely related the Kingdoms of Conrad and Right were, the Yeriel royal family, with no blood ties to the Lognum family, couldn’t be a replacement.
“Are you planning a rebellion? Is that why you brought them here?”
“Yes.”
“Ha!”
Marquis Evni Drazhin couldn’t help but laugh sarcastically. He glared at his friend with cold eyes.
“So tell me, did you really think I would join you willingly? If so, I’m very disappointed.”
“Then let’s go inside and discuss it. The prince and princess are waiting.”
“Huh, unbelievable. You’ve become quite the loyalist. Fine. Let’s see how ‘great’ this wise king is.”
Shortly after,
[ Quest: Traitor 10/10 - The {King’s Blood} ability has increased by one level. ]
[ Achievement: Met Athon de Lognum - Gained slight favor with all nobles serving the Lognum royal family. Gained slight favor with Athon de Lognum. ]
[ Achievement: Met Elzeor de Lognum - Gained slight favor with all nobles serving the Lognum royal family. Gained slight favor with Elzeor de Lognum. ]
After a brief greeting and some small talk, Margrave Drazhin had to admit he was impressed by this prince. He had the dignity fitting for royalty and seemed like someone not to be missed. He began to understand why his friend had made this choice in his desperation.
“Please help me. With the support of the margraves, we have a good chance.”
“...I’m not sure.”
Even as his mind leaned toward agreement, Margrave Drazhin feigned indifference, hiding his true feelings as any cautious noble would.
“But how can I betray the kingdom? It’s true the princes have committed unspeakable acts, causing political turmoil, but I don’t believe it warrants the dethronement of the Lognum royal family.”
Leo nodded, recognizing the need for justification.
“The Lognum royal family has defied the orders of the Crusader ChurChapter Despite being advised not to oppress the converted ‘indigenous people,’ they took no action. Instead, they encouraged plundering.”
Marquis Evni Drazhin remained silent, neither affirming nor denying Leo’s statement, as Leo continued.
“Margrave Drazhin, Margrave Guidan, and other nobles of the north and east have shown great generosity in protecting these people, but the kingdom’s tyranny has reached its limit. Soon, the indigenous people will rise up and hold the Lognum royal family and the southwestern nobles accountable.”
Leo redefined the lines between allies and enemies. It was not just the conflict between the prince’s faction and the opposing nobles but a moral division between those who treated the indigenous people inhumanely and those who did not.
In truth, northern and eastern nobles did use slaves, and their lives were miserable, but it paled in comparison to the southwestern nobles, who mainly operated mines and treated their slaves even more harshly.
“An uprising?”
“Yes. A large-scale uprising, much like when the northern kingdom declared independence from the empire. I came to the Right Kingdom to support the hero leading this cause, and I hope Margrave Drazhin will join in purifying the kingdom.”
“Hmmm...”
Margrave Drazhin stroked his chin.
Honestly, even if all the indigenous people rose up, it would be challenging to overcome the modern kingdom.
Too much time had passed. In the era of the Arcaea Empire, cited by the prince, there were no systems for training knights. Only extraordinary geniuses could become knights, unlike the present day, where those with talent in swordsmanship could become squires and hone their skills.
Moreover, this was before the advent of ‘mages’ as strategic assets, which allowed the likes of the heroes Maunin and Reti to achieve great feats through military strategy.
Thus, it was hard to see the practical value in the prince’s words. Nevertheless, Margrave Drazhin pretended to find it reasonable, knowing it gave him a convenient justification.
It provided legitimacy.
Rebranding the factions divided by the princes as those supporting or opposing inhumane treatment was appealing.
“That’s a grave concern. What is to become of our nation... It’s my fault for not paying enough attention to domestic affairs.”
Marquis Evni Drazhin sighed.
It was a facade, but Leo accepted it graciously.
“It’s not your fault, Margrave. As a border margrave, it’s hard to keep track of internal affairs. But now that you are aware, you must change your actions.”
“Indeed. I want to contribute, though my power is limited. But I worry the kingdom will fall into chaos without a ruler. Do you have a plan?”
He was testing to see how substantial the offer was.
Leo bowed his head.
“I am also worried. I am far from perfect, but with the help of the margraves, I hope to manage. To soothe the post-war turmoil... we must convene a council.”
He was offering the margrave the power to convene a council, effectively proposing to share royal authority with the participating nobles. Margrave Drazhin was satisfied.
He had wanted to help his friend anyway. Even if not, he needed an alternative solution in a situation where he could be the next target. If this alternative came with rewards, there was no reason to remain passive.
“That makes sense. But I have one more concern.”
“...What is it?”
Leo asked, slightly annoyed, wondering what more the margrave wanted. Fortunately, the next words eased his worries.
“We need Count Ogleton’s help. Without his support, we cannot succeed.”
Leo nodded.
Even with the combined forces of the northern and eastern margraves, defeating the king was a daunting task.
This was due to the kingdom’s order of knights.
A third of the country’s knights belonged to the royal order, and no matter how hard they tried, the order would not support rebels.
Moreover, nobles siding with the princes also had knights. To offset their lack of knights, they needed an advantage in magical power.
Count Soarel Demetri Ogleton.
A noble mage. A mage noble. Regardless of how one viewed it, the crucial point was that he was from the ‘Bollineu Magic Tower’ in the Right Kingdom and held significant influence over the mages.
At that moment, Princess Lena de Yeriel, who had been silent, smiled.
“Don’t worry. Count Ogleton will help us.”
“...Have you received his confirmation?”
“Not yet.”
What confidence does she have? — thought Leo, but the princess’s expression, as she sipped her tea, showed no hint of deceit. Or perhaps, he just couldn’t see it.
“If you’re worried, why don’t you come with us? We’ve made an appointment with Count Ogleton. If we leave now, we might be a bit early, but it will be fine.”
The princess stood up. Margrave Drazhin, following her lead, asked in confusion,
“Did you know that Count Ogleton had returned?”
A smile.
Lena answered with a smile instead of words. Drawn by her actions, Margrave Drazhin boarded the carriage, and Leo watched his sister with complex emotions.
A fish in water.
Leo had been repeatedly surprised by Lena’s recent behavior.
As soon as she stepped into noble society, his sister had transformed. Whatever she had learned from Margrave Guidan’s wife beyond etiquette seemed to come naturally to her.
This was evident when they met Count Safia earlier. Running a gemstone mine, Count Safia was visibly displeased at the prospect of an uprising by the barbarians.
But then his sister had said,
“The value of skilled workers will increase. This means the quality of the gemstones will improve, and their prices will rise. We should buy some in advance, right? Brother, I really...”
She had pleaded.
Count Safia’s displeasure disappeared like the ebbing tide, and from then on, Lena subtly guided the conversation.
A frightening talent.
Leo had always thought his sister Lena had a talent for everything. But this assumption was only half correct.
Lena possessed a talent suitable for negotiation, one that required deploying all her diverse skills, fitting for a noble or ruler’s life.
Leo thought he should tell Rev about this. That their sister, who seemed only to love sleeping late and had no particular goals other than being cute, was not a mere troublemaker... he needed to convey this.
Because his memories wouldn’t be preserved.
While Leo pondered these thoughts, the carriage arrived at Count Ogleton’s estate.
The courtyard, enchanted, had green grass despite it being winter. Count Ogleton, his wife, Viscount Bocali, and a five-year-old boy were enjoying a leisurely afternoon there.
“Princess, welcome.”
Viscount Bocali personally greeted the princess. Count Ogleton, with a somewhat cold expression, stood reluctantly as his father-in-law introduced her.
Lena greeted lightly. She offered minimal courtesy to the count and then addressed the boy next to him.
“Hello?”
“...Hello.”
The boy seemed uncomfortable, perched awkwardly at the edge of his seat, but straightened up as Lena approached.
“You’re five years old, right?”
“...I’m six.”
“Really? Then you’re quite grown up. I think this garden is wonderful. I wish someone could show me around... should I call a knight? Or maybe ask the gentleman in front?”
The boy looked around. Realizing the ‘gentleman in front’ referred to him, he dropped his bored expression.
“Shall I guide you?”
“I would love that.”
The boy laughed at Lena’s exaggerated manners. Holding her hand, he led her away from his awkward father to somewhere in the garden.
Count Ogleton silently scoffed. He understood what the princess was trying to do.
She’s trying to get close to me through my son.
He had been annoyed since his father-in-law arranged this meeting and asked him to help the princess.
As expected, the conversation revolved around vague requests. Although he was a noble, Count Ogleton, as a mage, disliked such indirect discussions.
‘If it weren’t for my father-in-law...’
Still, Soarel maintained his manners. Despite internally preparing to refuse, he occasionally nodded, keeping an eye on the strangely appealing prince with deep pink eyes.
“Grandfather!”
At that moment, his son ran over.
Soarel had been traveling for years, visiting swordmasters and magic towers for research, unaware of his son’s birth. His father-in-law led the boy away to somewhere.
With the persistent presence of his father-in-law gone, Soarel calmly spoke.
“Excuse me, Prince.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“I do not intend to help you. I’ve recently returned home after years of travel. Whatever happens, I do not wish to be involved. I hope you understand.”
“Of course. I understand.”
The prince nodded.
Expecting a desperate plea, Count Ogleton was surprised by the prince’s straightforward withdrawal, even feeling a bit guilty due to Margrave Drazhin’s disappointed look.
“Thank you for understanding. I will take my leave then.”
The count rose to leave the margraves and the prince behind, but his wife approached.
“Honey, could you come over here for a moment?”
“Sure. Where is the princess?”
“She’s playing with our son.”
Well, of course.
It wasn’t surprising.
But when Soarel followed his wife to a shaded part of the yard, he couldn’t help but smile slightly.
There was a path through the underbrush and thickets. It was hard to tell it was a path or that there was a space beyond, but it was his son’s playground.
A kind of secret base, with odds and ends from the mansion stacked against the wall, and the princess kneeling and playing with their son.
“Dad’s here. Show him.”
“...”
“Come on. Didn’t you show it to your sister and grandfather? Were you not going to show Dad?”
“...No.”
His son hesitantly approached. Glancing back and forth, he said,
“This is my ‘magic tower.’”
Soarel struggled to keep a smile off his face.
Even though he expected it, still.
“I’ll be going back now.”
The princess said. She gathered the family in the narrow space and stepped out, whispering to the count.
Count Ogleton thought she would finally ask for help, but instead, she apologized, “I’m sorry for making your son lose his secret base. I think you’ll need to make him a new one.”
“It’s unnecessary.”
“I know. But you understand, don’t you?”
Click.
The count’s dry eyes widened. He looked back at the princess as she passed by, then turned away.
He pondered what to do, still not intending to help, but feeling conflicted.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Highest Level Supporters (SwordGod's):
1. Diablo75009
2. SilentWhisper
3. Matthew Yip
4. George Liu
5. James Harvey
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------