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Chapter 505
Chapter 505
Chapter 505
Chapter 505: Sharp
After declaring that I would test the two, I was walking around the castle with Julio to prepare.
That's when we ran into our opponents.
"Well, if it isn't Prince Arnold and Prince Julio. Where might you be heading?"
"Ambassador Marcel. We were just thinking of getting a little tour of the capital from Prince Julio. What about you, Ambassador Marcel? Are you heading to Duke Pastore?"
The one we bumped into was Marcel.
Next to Marcel was a female knight and another person I didn't recognize.
He was a young man, but slightly chubby and didn't look like a guard.
"No, I have a different matter today."
"I was having a meeting with him."
The chubby young man stepped forward and announced himself, then gave a smug bow.
I wish he would do it a bit more gracefully if he's going to have such a triumphant expression.
"Who might you be?"
"My name is Barnaba di Pastore. I am the son of Duke Pastore."
"His son, huh? I see, are you representing your father?"
"No, no, these days, I move around more than my father does. In reality, I am the head."
Perhaps he didn't like the word representative, so Barnaba emphasized that he was effectively the head.
Seems like he has some strange pride. What an odd fellow.
He probably thinks being treated as the de facto head of the ducal family is more respectful than just being treated as the duke's son.
How naive.
To a prince of the empire, it doesn't matter either way.
"I see, keep up the good work. Ambassador Marcel, is this lady your bodyguard?"
Barnaba looked a bit startled. He probably expected more conversation.
Certainly, if Duke Pastore becomes king, Barnaba would be a prince.
However, he's not king yet.
He is not someone I need to pay respect to.
More importantly, Marcel, as an envoy from the kingdom, has higher priority.
"Yes, this is Lisette, my most trusted bodyguard. Lisette, greet the prince."
"My name is Lisette."
Short, trimmed red hair.
Her light armor is all coordinated in red.
Her looks lean more towards beautiful than cute, but she has absolutely no charm.
Even now, she has an annoyed expression on her face.
"I've heard that Prince Arnold is close to the genius of the Brave House. Isn't she the one who came as your bodyguard? I heard she was last time."
"There are many enemies to be prepared for in the empire. She might be dispatched to some country right now."
Even when I say 'some country', there's really only one.
As I smirked, Lisette stepped forward.
She's probably irritated by my disrespect.
But,
"Stop, Lisette."
"But!"
"Our kingdom fears the Sacred Sword. Well, I guess every country feels the same. There's no shame in that. But we don't fear the Brave House. Without the Sacred Sword, they're just warriors. We can deal with them with our army."
"So you're safe unless the Sacred Sword is used?"
"If you have information that can be used, I'd like to hear it."
"There was a demon stronghold in the kingdom."
"After that, the Adventurer's Guild thoroughly investigated, and the kingdom fully cooperated. If they're still using the kingdom as a base, we should commend the demons' hide-and-seek skills. The kingdom is not at fault. The Sacred Sword should be used when the demons appear."
"So, the kingdom isn't collaborating with the demons?"
"I understand why you might think so, but we're also making efforts to prove our innocence. You can't ignore that and treat us as an enemy of humanity."
Everything Marcel said was correct.
There's no evidence that the kingdom is connected with the demons. It's all speculation from the guild and the empire.
If the Sacred Sword is used just on that basis, it could be said that the weapon to protect humanity is being abused.
"Are you convinced?"
"For now."
"That's enough. If we can eliminate the issue of the Sacred Sword, there are plenty of ways to proceed."
With that, Marcel led Lisette and Barnaba past us.
"It seems fitting that he is the confidant of the Third Prince. He has a clear understanding of the situation."
"He is terrifyingly competent. He provides precise information at the perfect times. Because of this, many of our country's ministers have shifted to a pro-kingdom stance..."
First off, it's impressive that he came to the Duchy so quickly.
The Third Prince who sent him should be praised.
He understands very well that it's a place that could reduce the Empire's military strength and bring maximum benefits to themselves.
The person they sent over was Marcel, who has a good overview of the whole picture.
Having such a subordinate who sees the whole picture must be relaxing.
"There really are hidden gems, huh."
I wonder if the reason I sensed the same scent from him is because I'm pretending to be someone else.
I've never heard the name Marcel before.
A man of that caliber could've achieved many feats.
Is it because he's sworn absolute loyalty to the Third Prince, or is there another reason he's not been in the spotlight?
"Prince Julio, I don't really want to say this but..."
"What is it?"
"...If that man is a sharper operator than we imagined, this might not end with just a power struggle."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm talking about bloodshed. A lot of it."
In any situation where there's an opponent, you predict what the opponent will do and act accordingly.
But what if the opponent is unpredictable?
In most cases, the situation turns out to be unfavorable for us.
Right now, we want to avoid a military clash.
They're probably thinking the same way.
However, if they think they'll lose unless they act, they will.
"I'll fight till the end. I won't let them have their way."
"It's good to be motivated, but only a fool challenges a fight he has no chance of winning. First, let's find a way to win."
For that, we have guardians.
People who are respected by those around us.
"Let's test Oscar and Raul for now."
"Prince Arnold, what if we can't trust those two?"
"It's decided then. We'll use them without trusting them."
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