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Chapter 501
Chapter 501
Chapter 501
Chapter 501: A Tall Order
"Phew... this is indeed tough."
"That's because it was quite a height."
Seig, Fin and I, landed and threw down a rope to help the others, including Lars, to come ashore.
Normally, they wouldn't be able to climb this place, but they managed with just one rope.
This alone made it clear how intense their regular training must be.
"Your Highness, what should we do next?"
Fin posed the question.
The reason we landed separately from the rest was that we absolutely had to meet with the Duke.
Ideally, we wanted to leave an impression that we could rely on the Empire.
"We need to head to the castle, but the question is how to make contact. The Duke is being pressured by the kingdom's emissaries. If we leave him alone for too long, he might say that he will side with the kingdom. However, if he thinks that the Empire is unreliable, the result will be the same. The tricky part is that the Duke, who is in the most unstable position, is trying to assess the situation the most."
The Duke isn't reluctant to side with the Kingdom simply out of obligation to the Empire.
At present, which side should he choose for the benefit of the Duchy?
He hasn't made a decision yet, because he wants to avoid making the wrong choice.
Looking back, during the Sea Dragon incident, the King immediately bowed his head. That decision was appropriate.
Even for a Prince of a major power, it's unthinkable for a king to lower his head.
The only option was to avoid offending the Empire.
Therefore, it's a tough situation.
He has made up his mind to pay attention to the situation even if his own position is threatened.
I'm sure once he makes a decision, he won't change it even if it costs him his position.
In other words, we need to show the Duke that the Empire is in a more advantageous position than the Kingdom.
"We need to gather information. We know far too little."
"Yes."
"Understood."
With that, we started walking towards the city where the castle is located.
The harbor city where we once landed under a white flag is the capital of the Duchy.
Seig and I, along with Lars and the others, were staying in an inn there.
Fin was left behind outside the city. We couldn't bring Nova along.
It would be too conspicuous.
Well, I suppose I also stand out in my own way.
"How did it go?"
"Yes, it seems that a festival to celebrate the birthday of the Duke, who is the younger brother of the King, is to be held in two days."
"Is this Duke the Duke of Pastore?"
"Yes, it seems so. Did you know about him?"
"He's the man who fought for the throne with the current Duke until the end. Now, he's a leading figure in the parent kingdom."
"Why would they celebrate the birthday of such a man in the capital?"
"It's probably not the Duke's idea. It might be due to the insistence of his ministers, or for some other reason. In any case, it's certain that the Kingdom's emissaries have been working behind the scenes."
Could the purpose be to bring the Duke to the capital?
Or is the festival just a pretext, and the Duke is the real target?
There must be some intention behind it.
"What else did you find out?"
"I couldn't tell much just from the state of the city. However, it seems likely that a Griffin-Lion Knight is in the castle."
"So they brought a valuable Griffin-Lion Knight along. Quite a big shot."
Even the Kingdom doesn't have Griffin-Lion Knights to spare.
It's rare for a Griffin-Lion Knight to come to such a place.
However, this doesn't necessarily mean that they came to negotiate with the Duke.
"I see. Well, we have the date of the festival, so we'll just have to act then."
I say, prompting the others to nod.
We can't afford to delay any longer.
To leave an impression that we can rely on the Empire, we need to act before the festival.
"I understand, Your Highness. We'll prepare right away."
"Understood, Seig."
In a tense atmosphere, our strategy began to take shape.
"In war, it is the armies that clash. The Imperial Guard is, after all, special. Everyone knows that, but for the Duke, who is under pressure from the Kingdom, it doesn't matter much."
What the Duke wants is simple.
Who is likely to win if the Kingdom and the Empire go to war? That's what he wants to know.
In that case, we just need to list the factors that seem to suggest a victory.
I'm sure the Kingdom is doing the same.
"So, assuming everything goes according to your plan... When will you meet the Duke?" Lars asked.
"It's obvious, isn't it? At the same time as Fin."
"Huh?"
"Depending on the role of the Griffin-Lion Knight... they are probably providing air protection or are part of a show. Either way, they should be up in the sky. That's when Fin, carrying me, will show up. They will mistake us for an enemy attack, and when the Griffin-Lion Knight comes to intercept us, we'll treat them like children and land. Then, I'll meet with the Duke."
It's a perfect plan.
When I asked Lars what he thought, he looked a little troubled before he muttered.
"That's... bold."
"Yes, it is. The problem is... most of the strategy hinges on Fin's abilities. Whether or not he can treat the Griffin-Lion Knights like children while carrying me."
"That seems... challenging... in many ways."
"Well, he'll manage somehow. He is the captain of the Imperial Guard, after all."
"Isn't that a bit too reckless?"
"Recklessness is fine. It's the role of the Imperial Guard to manage the reckless demands of the royal family."
"That's the first I've heard of it."
"It's common knowledge among the royals."
With that, I looked out the window.
The atmosphere didn't seem too festive. It didn't look like the mood was particularly high because of the festival.
That's good. The less excited the atmosphere, the higher the chance that the Griffin-Lion Knights will take to the skies. They'll want to liven things up as much as possible.
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