Chapter 197
qtyOJThey captured the third prince, killed all the corrupt ones, and finally obtained the book.5OTVTv7
7RFbHakon Kaelin and his grandson, Rob Kaelin, having fulfilled their purpose, returned immediately to Alprosen.49P
PG8Z“Then, I’ll take my leave.”w2w1XS
T2Ve21“Thank you. Your help was invaluable.”WnEDiw
H3IWx“And I thank you again for saving the crown prince.”k0a
wKl1n“I only did what I had to.”7aiprr
YhN“Including accepting the reward you deserved?”GLvHbbZ
MOlLSL1“I don’t deny it.”mXqHoP
EJUBNo matter how much he used the excuse of accompanying a friend of his grandson, for a Royal Knight to travel to another kingdom could become quite a serious diplomatic issue.ZwdwMy
NH9r“Luina, Aint. Come to Alprosen sometime. I’ll show you what knights are really like over there. Ah, and you too, Fernan.”Nu0
HzuF“Yes, if the opportunity arises, I’d be glad to go.”Zzx
rPh“Me too.”voBx38
TP2“Alright.”3Ra
mZBwDThus, Hakon Kaelin and Rob Kaelin departed.qR2
E8U“Then, all that’s left is to bring the third prince before His Highness the first prince, right?”jlmxc
t3S“No, wait, Aint.”xAB
91FIf one saw it simply, yes. But the world didn’t work with such simplicity.Fq51c
oOCf“They say the Esrin mountains are beautiful. How about we take the time to calmly admire the scenery?”phuDYA
XUxHaN“…Huh?”87B
ui8The unexpected suggestion made everyone frown. The mission was over and, being school season, the logical thing was to return quickly.LmbHK
td1ep“After all, it was a rare trip. Everything’s done, we’re at peace, and honestly, even if we return a bit late, nothing serious will happen.”qFLC
0tVqB6xThe rector would cover for them anyway.gT3Gx
F601x7“Fighting corrupt ones and demons is exhausting, and it always feels like we’re being chased. Precisely for that reason, it’s good to take a breather. Let’s rest a few days before heading back.”fdA5W
JOFK“Sounds perfect to me! Listening to boring lectures at the Academy doesn’t compare; this is a hundred times better. And we already worked hard enough, didn’t we?”ULyY2Di
BDdUAria smiled broadly as she agreed.Cfv
guLJfG“I don’t see anything wrong with it either.”3jPv6KS
lcs5jZr“I don’t mind…”nUBC
CP6usN“Do I even have a choice?”4jd
GKqbRLuina simply nodded without thinking much, and neither Gismond nor Verian could oppose Fernan’s words.UHRh
TCJPH— Not a bad idea. Besides, it’ll help organize what we learned from the recent revelations.J57j
kXCqf7d“If everyone agrees…”7zN
lg1When even Gardner said that, Aint ended up agreeing. Thus, they went deeper into the mountains.p14
74fr0Outwardly, it was still said that they were searching for corrupt ones and fighting alongside the third prince.AJeEDOS
o6tmDzjIn an uninhabited and hard-to-find place, they set up the first tent and locked the prince inside.kbD
Q1AcxW“It’s made like a portable cell. Without the key, he can’t get out.”AKH
9dtfb“…You guys have everything.”dHB
LQ3Iy“Everyone choose the tent you like and set it up.”tG7
7ayWVhmFernan, meanwhile, tossed his tent to the side and sat on a rock to admire the scenery. Hyde was setting it up for him.hQLmg
JQrKWyMThen, Luina approached.hwXFPQ
das“What are you plotting?”lypJBAZ
FhD“Plotting? Nothing.”9we3Ow
YJlm“You don’t waste time in a forest without a reason.”fqJl
2aC“Maybe.”i00
1OoP“No, impossible.”MfN7nu
uFoSWith that confident expression, Fernan let out a slight laugh. Luina already knew him too well.PUp
gIyXz“And your tent?”ymD
dA3VCa“Already done.”2n9tQv
KSdF“That fast?”BycNCJ
9YwTe“In Bercheff we’ve set up many. These are luxury ones, much easier.”0uN3L
8vfA“Of course, they’re made so even a novice can set them up.”VJij4iy
GKV3“You’re not going to tell me what you’re after?”wlA
5XSFernan gently tapped his thigh with his fingers.4YARtB
9psz“To sell provisions.”nRGN4
NDZB“…What?”P73y
EaD“The first, second, and third princes are gathering nobles and troops. That means they’re consuming enormous amounts of food and war supplies.”e8KaPH
4QYreAnd several of them had already placed orders with the Golden Turtle Company.qHwPeQl
RCUVIt was natural; no other could handle such volume immediately.JMFQ
PxcuoC“But if it’s revealed that the third prince allied with the corrupt and was captured by the first, the civil war will vanish instantly.”P8fwHM
DJdoucWith that, the struggle for the throne would stop being a legitimate dispute and become an act of treason. The fire of war would be snuffed out in an instant.OrGjoO
fouXThe second prince existed, yes, but had less support than the third, so he couldn’t do anything alone.Th6vRy4
Fb8X“…So you want to prolong the tension to keep selling supplies.”pyAvl
ysLig“In summary, yes.”TSHBY
wAy716m“I see. Got it.”Dqkegc
WPoHer calm acceptance surprised even Fernan.AADhtp
KNPu“You’re not going to scold me?”o4ra
sdwoG48“Should I?”iBCYqvt
zj8“If you were the Luina I met at the beginning, yes.”vCW5ec
7HnHe thought that, as a knight who respected honor, she wouldn’t tolerate profiting by provoking instability in a kingdom.7uZnxg8
QQ294“Maybe I would’ve before.”oMfB
MAmzShe said it nonchalantly.Zyx1H
OlW“But you saved Esrin.”mnXikd
LAUDkfAnd it was true.Dq5fP4E
7y5GIf not for Fernan, Aint, Aria, and Verian would’ve died.juVci1
dEztHJThe corrupt would have achieved their goal and devoured the kingdom.5XjxtP
A4t38BAlthough most in Esrin didn’t know it, in truth, they owed their salvation to Fernan.3Lpp8a8
ysQQh2“Everyone has different priorities. And you’re a merchant.”qXPHjs
DKvjIGA merchant sells what he has and charges what’s fair.pyY
nKcMLFernan had sold “the salvation of a kingdom,” and now it was time to collect.4YBJ
P6ZJ“If not for you, all of Esrin would’ve been ravaged. Now the only thing that’ll happen is they’ll buy a lot of supplies. And at a fair price. That’s not bad.”AfPl
RC8thrP“I raised the prices a bit.”9os54
w9oo7It was natural; there’s always “war profit.”SBs
oj8“Even so, it’s better to lose money than lose blood and money at the same time. In fact, it’s not even a loss, it’s just an exchange.”B64
XVn“Hooh, interesting.”Zdxw8C
lqegMFernan tapped his knee faster and faster, his piercing gaze fixed on her.rkw
I1AQH“And your true opinion?”JL4vr
J6eF1“What I said is what I think.”E3rbUz
88KzA“Luina, they say when someone changes too fast, they die. And it’s not your time yet.”XGC0
5zzDJust as she now understood him better, he also understood Luina well.eK8Lrkz
6ItvNHe drew three circles in the sand.GZd5ke
EpsR17a“This is the Golden Turtle Company, this is Bercheff, and this is Esrin.”W5Fqr
D94He drew a line from Esrin to the Turtle.nAh9g
HkMt“Esrin ordered war supplies from the Company.”2LttVB
j4HD0Then, the line went from the Turtle to Bercheff.cNR
Xz5ZP2d“And the Company outsourced the work to Bercheff.”lSEUE
veM0gThat way, the factories and workshops funded by the Pellenbergs could activate and produce more.xhyLt
xIh3Ko“Due to the size of the order, it’s a vital matter for Bercheff. If it fails, it’d be serious.”REB
lQUsCJFernan recalled the moment he offered Luina the partnership.FfvuZjG
adpVzvUBack then, she was full of distrust toward him.VV1b
mZVhUnderstandable — Pellenberg had pressured Bercheff to near-collapse to force her to accept.YYSnjx
H8fBhBut she had seen that the contract was the only way out and took it.fi0
3qmRzlLuina was a just knight, yes, but above all, she was Bercheff’s daughter.BaE3vVB
HTGmpTa“…Are you reading my mind?”MvYmNu
hwomyAfter a long silence, Luina finally let her guard down.up7
eiq2iG“My father said this is very important for Bercheff.”8Mnq
2idPBZ1“And he’s right. The princes have placed huge orders.”ccpW
W4pG“That’s why.”RkhjHQu
amaS“So, to feel at ease, you kept repeating justifications to yourself.”spW8IO5
gkBhm“…I wouldn’t go that far.”kdD
s2Uq“But it was fine.”iWyu
eq9L9mFernan smiled.uVqARK
jhlFAfter all, everyone carries contradictions; no one lives flawlessly all the time.K9PS
qDgKThere were knights who only spoke of justice, without understanding how expensive it was to be one.ZY548g
QvoxewBut Luina wasn’t one of them, and that was clear now.2kfXggX
hIjFsO“Alright. And what do you think if we hire disguised mercenaries or use the press to exaggerate the tension? We need to sell while we still can…”jet3DK
6HRmeq“I never said I’d go that far!”OyeJj3
FbpHmm, she still had a ways to go.kVi2KA
zZ7r***9JljdG
DnFLate at night.4NWNR
nohGl1MFernan woke the sleeping Gismond.FGGHGjh
KS0Q“Get up, senior.”U6eq
KDdQ0“Uh… Fernan? What’s going on so suddenly…?”mr99m
2mSE“Do you remember the prophecy?”dIQ
Tojxm8“The prophecy?”PdrS
PLvOFL7“Yes. The one about Esrin.”Mb3
zDqEPzLEven half-asleep, Gismond forced himself to recall.VjDUL
3ALY8O“Ah… don’t tell me it’s that one…”tMH1RGt
cPS7JThe civil war in Esrin and the death of the crown prince of Alprosen.wO1
AT04S08Those weren’t the only visions they had seen in the prophecy. Those were the broad strokes, but in between were minor details—elixirs, minerals, fragments of information.Bkr0I4
BWWG0“In Esrin, there was something about a mineral…”96wGyQx
vzK“…Adamant?”DT8
oeZ“Correct.”wCCn
LgwPIt wasn’t a large quantity, but adamant had been discovered in Esrin.hqjM
fV5xIt wasn’t Aint who found it—it had actually been widely published in the newspaper.bWlrna
ym7aTulwin himself, now the third prince, had boasted about discovering it and forging weapons with it.kESzMiW
vENIn truth, he had done it to polish his poor reputation a bit, but the discovery and the forging of the sword were real.imY
JZF0And Fernan was going to take it for himself.8gX
dIcvGYNo matter how small the amount, adamant was adamant.I9r
zNdzwIl“But… why me?”fDPnD
og0“There may still be corrupt ones in the area, and I can’t go alone. And you’re the only one here who knows about the prophecy, senior.”KmF8V
QMkE“And Hyde…?”AhU7
imK“Hyde went on an errand.”lFdSHnm
3kbgix“And Wooden…?”bbzl
8YX“I’ll go with Wooden. All I need is for you to stand guard for me for a while. If someone asks, just respond properly.”Q9RK
m4FYhyz“Ah…”PUT
xHaEv9dGismond had hoped to be invited to accompany him, but he ended up nodding.HgWB1
TgbUpon going outside, the moon was just a thin arc and covered by clouds: the night was dark.Twk
xCq3“Be careful. Do you even know where it is exactly?”cksid
8ZzXic“I only know it’s somewhere around here.”Nxtc
uZAuBut that was enough.Wklut04
60rzOKWith Wooden, it wouldn’t be hard to find.VHNnOAa
PCLzj“This place will do.”XO9E33
2aEDeep in the mountain, at a considerable distance from the camp, Fernan placed Wooden on the ground.uZ9U
P2r— Kyuu!3OwJ
94VWooden extended his roots to scan the surroundings. And just then, a shadow dropped from a tree.UMpfsS8
9vui“What are you doing out here at this hour?”ZBqdW
z5vJRkDespite the sudden appearance, Fernan replied calmly.Xvv
ev3P“And you, why are you awake at this hour?”FDed
MlO“I couldn’t sleep, I was restless. And I saw you leave, senior.”MenG
nnSzu“Restless?”O8dsYo
5NMqC“The Esrin case doesn’t feel as distant as it seems.”iqn7
LVwJust as the third prince of Esrin allied with the corrupt, Adolf Fridian had done the same.FFVk
0ln5hAria had seen with her own eyes what the prince had done and how it all ended, which is why she couldn’t feel at ease.mcFaGc
6SUShe could pretend, lay traps, but from afar she couldn’t control everything.drhP
TccZWhat if Adolf, while she was at the Academy, sacrificed the people to the corrupt like the prince did?80sa
iZdbYWhat if he attacked the Empire with hordes of monsters?ZRQ6arU
oTqS“I can’t tell you not to worry, but at least for now there won’t be any problems.”H5ZQ2AG
6JER“Why do you say that?”fvkKnt
kli“Because Count Daniel is dead.”dT9pU
AUf1Count Daniel and Roderick had fallen, and not just in Alprosen: in Esrin too, everything had gone wrong for them.6PlwHF
5q5IPGaTwo major centers of the shadows had collapsed one after another; the rest would remain quiet for a while.FGejaCt
x9hMro6“With Daniel’s death, their link, the corrupt can’t act until they establish another connection. And for that, they’ll have to hide.”Pm7QE
D1RJ“I see. Said like that, I do feel more at ease.”cBf
Zq2Aria’s expression softened.0zNM8
BHg78H“Oh, by the way—how did you know I was following you?”ebKFs3
SX1Bvsh— Kyuu!iPnI6G
a6Q“Ah, I see, Wooden noticed. So, what are you doing here?”tAxJTo
Tp2uXZ“Looking for something.”G2N4
if13zh“Looking for what?”bTGIh
lUYBN“Mineral. Wooden detected something.”TpMjgQL
Uf3— Kyuu?VtCS
rEkkaseFernan couldn’t reveal the prophecy, so he disguised it as if it were Wooden’s doing. The golem looked at him with a face like ‘what are you saying?’, but luckily Aria didn’t notice.fjtPgDP
5xiS“Mineral? What kind?”OYzN
cxR3T2m“Don’t get greedy.”xpihJC8
ODFIr“Come on, I’m not going to take anything. I’m just curious.”Dg8Yr
qCi90h“Adamant.”dkBlAy
gMo“Adamant? Can I see it when you find it?”XaXiO
ZF2Aria showed a slight curiosity, nothing more.kDn
DqVO“Do what you want.”e07e
K0CBThen.GbmrL
2ZZW— Kyu, Kyuuu!ePcJu1
Go1QyWooden opened his glowing eyes: he had found what he was looking for.pZ8qC
qDxlZ“You found the adamant?”xmOsooL
16L— Kyu, Kyuu!2w0
dIsHeKP“What…?”GJ8uAPM
mHuT“There’s an underground space your roots can’t reach?”SmPJF
ttq— Kyuu!RriCk2
Ng78Jt“A magic protection field?”VEOu
7fBXP“And why would there be something like that underground?”rwmb
eh17yFernan and Aria looked at each other.S2q1
p3N4x“Are you going?”D89mR
nQXc0“Of course.”kyrUO
bBdX4LQWooden returned to Fernan’s pendant.wNQ
zFLZMHRumble—qzlr8
B2JNsocIn an instant, the two disappeared into the depths of the underground.2SQ
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