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Chapter 118
Chapter 118
Chapter 118 – Force Majeure (2)
A tense situation where a battle could erupt at any moment.
“I’ll be back.”
“……!”
Everyone turned to look at me.
“What did you just say?”
Marquis Foltaine asked, clearly caught off guard.
“Aren’t you curious? With all this preparation, don’t you want to know what’s in store?”
“……”
“You two don’t need to worry. Just go home and rest. With such impressive patrons watching over me, they wouldn’t really kill me, would they?”
Only then did the two of them let out faint chuckles.
“True enough. I’ll keep an eye on this investigation, just as Your Highness requested.”
Duke Herman bowed politely, which was unusual for him.
Even though his response was directed at me, both gazes remained fixed on Duke Kairos.
However, the other person took it a step further.
Boom!
Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure was emitted from Marquis Foltaine, causing the royal guards to tense up instinctively.
“What in the world……!”
“Did Marquis Foltaine learn swordsmanship?”
“W-With pressure like that…… He must be a Master.”
In an instant, all eyes were drawn to Marquis Foltaine. Soon after, one could even hear the sound of people nervously gulping. Even Duke Kairos had a stony expression.
“……Marquis. I knew you were training secretly, but I never imagined it was to this extent.”
“Heheheh. So, you should see to it that my child is safely returned. I just happened to be out of training dummies at home, anyway.”
Marquis Foltaine glanced slyly at the royal guards, as if to say they might just serve as the perfect substitutes.
But Duke Kairos was focused elsewhere.
“Your child? You mean the prince here?”
“Didn’t you know? Abandoned even by his own parents, this poor child is now my adopted son.”
“……”
Duke Kairos fell silent.
“……I just don’t get it. I always thought of you as a highly rational person.”
“You mean a calculating miser. I don’t mind, please speak your mind freely.”
“And yet, such a calculating person is acting so irrationally?”
“Perhaps it’s more rational than you think.”
“What?”
“Is it that irrational for a parent to protect their child?”
“……”
There was another long silence. Even the royal guards glanced my way in surprise.
‘This is a bit embarrassing……’
As I was thinking this.
“……I see. I understand what you’re saying. Although I can’t say if this is worth risking your life over……”
Marquis Foltaine grinned.
“My life isn’t worth much anyway. So please, lend me your assistance, Your Grace.”
“What is it you’re asking me to help with?”
“Mine is a life already laden with sins. Adding more would only increase my punishment in hell, wouldn’t it?”
Duke Kairos chuckled softly.
“I’ll send you a message in private, then.”
“As you should.”
After briefly glaring at Marquis Foltaine, Duke Kairos raised his voice.
“Escort the prince!”
“Then, I’m off.”
I headed into the palace with the royal guards.
They called it an investigation room.
An image popped into my head.
A damp basement. A confined, enclosed space with a lone table in the middle. An intimidating investigator, and various metallic tools laid out to one side.
But instead—
“The investigation will take place here.”
“……?”
Duke Kairos had brought me to the training grounds.
The royal guard’s exclusive training grounds, a place I was familiar with.
“The investigation is going to be done here?”
“Why? Is that strange to you?”
“Honestly, yes.”
“I’ll ask you. Did you set fire to the Twilight Palace, Prince?”
“No, I didn’t.”
Duke Kairos nodded.
“Then that’s all. You’re cleared of suspicion.”
“Huh?”
This was just getting stranger.
‘Surely, he’s not the type to back down from a mere threat?’
What was this old, cunning fox planning?
“What? Did you expect me to press you without evidence?”
“Well, I did think you’d fabricate something if necessary.”
Duke Kairos gestured toward the palace gates.
“Hardly. With your esteemed foster father watching, how could I?”
A small smirk crept across my lips at his sarcasm.
“So, does that mean I’m free to go?”
“Not yet.”
Duke Kairos shook his head.
“Our business here may be finished, but there’s another matter to discuss.”
“……Another?”
Step, step, step.
It was at that moment—
A group appeared from the opposite side of the training grounds.
“……Is that……?”
“It’s only right to return a troublesome visitor to their family.”
Duke Kairos lifted one corner of his mouth in a smirk, as if this had been his plan all along.
“……Aha. So this is your way of handling things without getting your hands dirty?”
“Hahaha.”
The new arrivals were a group from the Meeke Principality, led by Prince Enzi and Duke Veder, with ten knights in tow.
“Well, I’ll take my leave.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Duke Veder gave a respectful nod on behalf of the group. Duke Kairos responded with a nod of his own.
‘What a spectacle they’re making.’
I sighed, shaking my head.
“You! How dare you hold your head so high, criminal! Kneel at once!”
The 1st Prince Enzi suddenly shouted, practically throwing a tantrum.
‘What’s with him?’
I was sure he’d been taught a lesson last time.
“……Huh?”
My brow soon furrowed. I’d caught sight of where Prince Enzi’s gaze was drifting.
“……So that’s what you’re really after.”
His eyes were fixed on the direction from which his group had come. As a reminder, the royal training grounds were close to the guest hall, where distinguished visitors were staying.
Apparently alerted by the commotion, the foreign guests were now peeking out of their windows.
‘I suppose they’re probably grateful for the unexpected entertainment amid their confinement.’
After all, what’s more entertaining than a fight, second only to a fire?
‘And that fool over there is just eager to flaunt his might.’
For the sake of a diplomatic meeting, all the key figures from every nation except the Empire were gathered at the palace.
Opportunities like this were rare.
‘This isn’t just a show to teach me a lesson.’
They were proclaiming to the other countries: Look at the newly reborn power of the Meeke Principality!
Even in this situation, only Meeke can command such privilege!
‘……Conversely, however……’
If I ruin their display here, it’ll become the long-awaited comeback of the 7th Prince.
I stood, motionless, in the middle of the training ground as I entertained that amusing thought.
“You dare ignore me?! Kneel now and take on the stance of a criminal!”
Shiiing.
A faint metallic sound echoed around me.
“Kneel, Your Highness.”
It was Duke Veder’s voice.
When he, a Master, unsheathed his blade, even more heads appeared at the windows above us.
“What’s going on?”
“Looks like there’s some trouble within Meeke’s ranks?”
“That’s Duke Veder, right? One of the three Masters in the Principality.”
“Well, well, this is getting interesting!”
“That pretty child…… Isn’t he the 7th Prince of the rumors?”
Just then, lights flared up around the rooms.
Not only that.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The lights installed near the training area for nighttime drills also came on, illuminating us.
How considerate of the bald old man.
I looked at the scene.
“Feels like we’re on a stage.”
I unintentionally voiced my honest impression.
Spectators murmured on all sides. Actors filled the stage. All of it topped off by blazing lights.
“Force him to kneel!”
Clang, clang!
As I failed to comply with the command, a dozen royal knights approached me, swords drawn.
“Wait!”
“……?”
“Shouldn’t you tell me my crimes first?”
Before anyone could respond, Prince Enzi stepped forward.
“You think I came unprepared? Take a look at this!”
“……?”
I tilted my head, noticing a parchment in his hand.
“See this? It’s an official document, stamped with the Meeke Royal Seal!”
Was it because there were so many onlookers?
Prince Enzi raised his voice, as if asserting that he was in the right.
“Andrew von Meeke! This is your official lordship appointment order!”
“Hm.”
“There’s even a deadline clearly stated on it! According to this, you were supposed to be officially inaugurated in your territory as of yesterday!”
Prince Enzi wore a smug expression as he finished.
“In other words, you disobeyed a royal order. The fact that you’re here is proof enough! Are you going to deny it?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“An inauguration on barren land? You’re kidding. I might as well hold my own hands in a one-man wedding while I’m at it, shouldn’t I?”
“……!”
I interlocked my own fingers together defiantly.
Snickers came from around us.
“And why did you leave out the part where that territory’s known as the ‘Black Swan’ or ‘Death Valley’? Guess that detail was embarrassing for you, huh?”
“Ack……!”
Prince Enzi’s face turned bright red.
“Silence! Are you still refusing to comply with the royal order?!”
Rumble!
At Duke Veder’s shout, killing intent poured in from all sides, coming from the knights aiming their blades at me.
“So that’s the issue then? That I didn’t go to my assigned territory?”
“Th-That’s right! Now you understand your crime?”
“I’m sorry to say, but I have a response for that.”
“What?”
“Not only have I gone to my territory, I also gathered the people residing there and came up with a plan to build a city.”
For a second, Prince Enzi looked dumbfounded.
“What kind of bullshit is that? A city on that wasteland?”
“Even you seem to know how ridiculous it sounds. Anyway, I made sure to plant the Meeke Principality’s flag firmly there. So you have no grounds to accuse me.”
“I-Impossible! You expect me to believe that!?”
Duke Veder finally stepped forward, unable to hold back.
“……Your Highness, do you really expect me to believe that? Again, this is a royal order. If you’re trying to get out of this situation by lying……”
“If you don’t believe me, why don’t you check for yourself?”
“……”
Duke Veder closed his mouth.
“Why? You sent a child there to die, but you’re afraid to go there yourself?”
Duke Veder, who was furrowing his brows, was about to say something in rebuttal, when—
“If that’s the case, isn’t the Prince innocent?”
“Even if it’s a power struggle, threatening so blatantly is a bit…… In the end, he’s still a young child.”
“Everyone knows that the Queen of Meeke has a vicious personality. They say she already killed off the 3rd through 6th Princes in similar ways.”
“It would be a waste to kill that child, though! Especially with such a lovely face……”
“……Is appearance really what you’re focusing on in this situation?”
Duke Veder clenched his jaw in silence.
He had finally realized the gravity of the situation. It was already common knowledge that the Queen had eliminated the other heirs to the throne.
However, that should have been regarded as merely a conspiracy theory; having it brought up like this was problematic.
“……Phew.”
Duke Veder took a deep breath.
“Would Your Highness believe me if you were in my shoes? After all, that place is called ‘Death Valley’.”
In the end, he decided to admit what needed to be admitted. It was a remark made to add legitimacy to his words.
The focus of the trial was that ‘the 7th Prince disobeyed a royal order’.
Nothing more, nothing less.
“D-Death Valley?”
“Isn’t that the military borderland where war broke out with the Hart Kingdom? The place where the nonhumans reside……”
“So the Queen planned his death!”
However, it backfired.
Duke Veder shut his eyes. There was no use crying over spilt milk.
“Answer me!”
“And if I say ‘yeah!’ you’ll believe me?”
“Of course……”
“……Not. You wouldn’t. So ask around. There were a lot of people who went there with me. For example, Duke Herman, Marquis Foltaine, or Marquis Milon.”
Without hesitation, Duke Veder shook his head.
“The credibility of those three is low. It’s well known that they’re on your side, Your Highness.”
“This is exhausting. Can we just cut to the chase?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re just looking for an excuse to do as you please. At the end of the day, you just want to brand me as a criminal. Right?”
“……”
Duke Veder’s gaze turned icy.
He could no longer let this insolent tongue do as it pleased.
There were simply too many eyes watching, and the audience was no longer an advantage to him.
“……This is your final warning. Kneel. And follow the appropriate procedures. I will personally judge the matter as the responsible party.”
At his words, the knights approached me again, waiting to strike.
“You should’ve just done this from the start.”
Shiiing.
I calmly drew my sword from its sheath.
“It would’ve been simpler if you started this way. I could’ve just beat you all down without having to waste my breath.”
“……”
***