Chapter 243
yI8“It’s already been six years since His Majesty fell ill! In those six years, the kingdom has weakened! But even so! Does it make any sense for a mere mercenary to trample on the honor and authority of Linelt?”H70
Q1R94mUGerlan Linelt shouted with a torn heart.Fbpkq
Xu5q“He tried to intimidate and kidnap me, the regent! And he used that as an excuse to conspire against the kingdom…!”Dr3BzA
VuIK“This is a crisis for the kingdom, and all of Linelt must overcome it together!”dz2bR
BLG“I, Gerlan Linelt, second prince of the Kingdom of Linelt and its regent, swear that the Mercenary King will without a doubt…!”nyg
Ws2aW“Waaaaaaah!”P6j
ZN4o1ny“Long live the regent, His Highness!”rnOL
bt9i“Execute the Mercenary King!”LExn
BvjWith the burning cries of the crowd, Gerlan finished his speech and collapsed into a plush sofa.DWmu
The“You’ve worked hard, Your Highness.”WeZpHTy
ZPiA servant brought him a glass of iced water.E3A8Lni
DC8ng“It was an excellent speech. The reaction is fervent.”EJp2Ao
hUH9His assistant applauded.SlxEEOP
QUr“I’m glad to hear that.”lPnnN
DfaxGeiEven if he was exalted as the Mercenary King, in the end, he was nothing more than a mercenary.6lV
7iVThat a prince and regent had been attacked by a mere mercenary was more than enough reason for the whole kingdom to erupt in anger.23l
fVn5LncIt was a natural reaction, and Gerlan had taken full advantage of it.CHY
yBcys“They don’t suspect that this speech implies a special tax.”4QPlj
PSov54h“Some may suspect it.”hacJYM9
2GQR0NQWhen they calmly analyzed the speech, they’d end up understanding. But most would only realize it after being forced to pay.B6b
4oTnuC8“By the way… why was I going to impose a new tax…?”cvzksxV
mwzf1CxGerlan tilted his head, strangely unable to remember, as if a fog covered his thoughts.ffrI
gSj“Wasn’t it to track the Mercenary King and bring him to Linelt’s tribunal?”Zr4lW9H
q1Sm“…Yes, that’s right.”0YVfyo
xN76UThe Mercenary King was a Royal Knight, and to capture him they needed someone at least of his same level.EmB
G15krzyThat’s why they needed money to hire another Royal Knight or an Archmage.tQWnW
13QVP1“Count Pirandello also said he knew someone.”XIU
k7PJ“That’s right. And we decided that, when the special tax was collected, we’d entrust it to him.”ygKDQ
9MsA dull headache made Gerlan frown.bwEAv
QRy6DMThen, a piece of paper sticking out from under the table caught his attention.DenEg
l7JwCy“This?”LDQ4oQs
QPD6BwHe picked it up instinctively. It wasn’t a document as he thought, but a letter.KxV
WemNV[Have you been well, little brother?]O5ijCBq
uSsZvoIt began like a normal greeting between brothers.ROYgOLJ
rJCc6iq[Thanks to your gifts these past years, I’ve been doing very well.]ObTGvw
O8pBut between those serene lines, there was poison. Gerlan’s hand gradually tensed.7DPjMcO
GJ6And the ending was clear.tGCgys
h9ijUe[Tomorrow at noon, in the fourth secret pavilion. If you don’t come, it doesn’t matter. But then all your misdeeds will be revealed to the world.wZlE
4ezJWith that, I end.1h1
5CdFondly, your brother.]OV259V
bf1SIt was an invitation. No, a threat disguised as an invitation.GFGYnvf
VxNjP5r“My brother escaped…?”ebV
HAJThe problem was that he had never received such a report.Y5Ka
t3zzM“What… what is going on here?”ASm
ZSPHe froze. Wasn’t his brother securely confined in the special mansion he himself had arranged?xii9AQN
LcUgnNo report of trouble had arrived.C2ZPTL
BrM“It’s an impostor, Your Highness. How could the first prince leave the residence where he’s being held?”S0ksGC
ke2oOHis assistant firmly denied it.Zey
FXz“But this is clearly his handwriting!”vj17
tBwG“Handwriting can be forged, Your Highness.”UW50ORp
uIBo“Yes, but the content! These are things only my brother and I know!”gv8I
SzOF“But isn’t it strange that a letter from the first prince just happens to appear right here, don’t you think?”zR44qH
n1JFXte“That’s true, but…”pSOBm
m7n9WThis wouldn’t do.LfkA86p
mLqmp5Gerlan stood up abruptly.nNR9j
UdWBR“I must verify this myself! I must see with my own eyes that my brother is fine!”muoS
bB7NVL“Your Highness, you should send someone first to check…”hlp
y5HOJ“Prepare everything at once!”hNwOzDP
ONp“No, Your Highness.”kY23k
tGSeHci“What did you say?”VIGE6ps
2vI2x5The assistant grabbed his shoulder and forced him to sit again with an irresistible strength.B7KC0C
KalTu“You dare disobey me now?”nDXkO
LoDJdHZ“I’m doing it for your own good, Your Highness.”xE6
9IwYbx6“Nonsense! I must confirm my brother’s status right now!”JaWNONt
EYmDBut the pressure on his shoulder intensified, causing him pain.V6Pf2Aq
pYXHzk“What are you doing?! Let go of me right now! How dare a mere subordinate of mine…!”UZWz
HBaHSuddenly, Gerlan’s mind became clouded.1gr
G3q51“Subordinate?”3cq3mV
MVuP6Since when did he have a subordinate with that face?5Wz3GtG
0Zbl6Do“Well…”eH1t
XkM52uThe assistant sighed.nbQBtym
8gZ2“I knew this would be unstable. After all, suggestion and hypnosis aren’t his specialty.”a55
1Fp“What… what did you say?”wtvsgnv
86MAt that moment, the door opened.9OfW
xC5BfzG“Your Highness, are you all right?”j9o
QoKr“Count Pirandello? How timely! There’s a stranger here who…”GFpjOk
LuAwlM“Your Highness.”zda27DU
apATheir gazes met. A chill ran through Gerlan’s mind, and his eyes dimmed.lxzr
nW7fk“Your Highness saw nothing. That letter never existed.”GzsLX1
jwjih“And the first prince never escaped. He’s still peacefully enjoying his confinement in the residence.”k0JEqV
vJb7“…Do you understand?”GzDoo
Smc“…Nothing…”PTy
jELbUHe saw nothing. Nothing happened.gYV0
Se17Gerlan murmured dazedly.wNTzb
NK31ANz***bx9
VIb4MDCrack.PUuK
sjJ1ZlJThe letter was torn to pieces.kUeJ
4oqo0s[Have you been well, little brother?]uEI
uZ6bj9The content was identical to the previous ones, except for the meeting location.YDV9Mx
uxL2Wu“I told them to handle it properly.”qmR
yuZAn0Count Pirandello muttered. His new assistant, Alphon, bowed his head.awIsVIE
IjF2hF“My apologies. We reviewed all the correspondence addressed to the second prince, but somehow he always ends up reading it.”eIJx
lnDU4RIt was already the fifth time that letter had reached Gerlan.I6oTJf
HcHIvThe first two times they had managed to intercept it. After that, it would magically appear right in the prince’s path.eA7TBTK
cO0They never found any trace of who was leaving it, even after replacing all the servants and installing detection devices.SZR
Dnre4And each time, Gerlan insisted on going to check the mansion where the first prince was confined, forcing them to call Count Pirandello.sq7
OSG“The whereabouts of the first prince?”5qKbU0
OMN0p“We’re sorry.”8xVf3
p5cD8Answered one of the men in charge of the search.trynm
SaNH0SK“It’s been two weeks. You still haven’t found either the prince or my missing treasures?”W4vL2U
SmMCount Pirandello smiled bitterly.9RT8
CGstkehWhen he discovered that all six mansions and their secret storerooms had been looted, his rage was mixed with astonishment.HYNuS4
oDyuDHow did they find out? How did they steal it? How did they go undetected?Qh7
KwvbDoSThere was no answer.PU4G
UgR6b“It’s not the work of an individual, but of an organization.”yvLCTC
6UV8opOne with enormous scale, a vast information network, and spies.1ZUF8
aqiy1dS“There can’t be many like that.”Y9AwUJT
sXWYThree names appeared in his mind Schwaben, Pellenberg, and Alprosen.L5bQB
MVqot“Has the Mercenary King been located?”dMH
2GEH7“Not yet.”Vqv
HxR“Find him. He’s surely connected to them. If we catch him, we’ll find the thread that leads us.”NKDu
ZhH1Vk3“Yes, sir.”JGP4O
6A8F4Although deep down, he had doubts.HPcjuK
bi7gq8Whoever was moving all this like pieces in the palm of their hand wouldn’t leave such an obvious trail.J2l2x
eMs“In any case, we can’t stop those letters. They’ll keep coming.”gtbLca3
R6XThe matter returned to the starting point.SuS
wpJn415“The second prince’s mind is becoming resistant. We won’t be able to keep this up much longer. It’s better to give them what they want.”iHa3
lgFZP“Are you serious?”OEVi
Op8“If they so desire a meeting, it would be rude not to go.”uAlz
Evhdc6bAfter all, they knew they were corrupt.qqo3EPS
mR8Even if they hadn’t known before, they would have discovered it after rescuing the first prince.tphA
66ssrEven so, they remained silent.NLBZcx
KfhEven after manipulating public opinion against the Mercenary King and causing chaos with Gerlan, they only sent letters.qdbC
7Zda“And on top of that, they stole all my treasures…”ehTg64
MGwYWere they playing around? Mocking them? Or looking for something specific?pzh
h00vvX‘Whatever it is, they won’t get away with it.’MB5F4I
ipppVdEven though the power to activate the magic circle had been lost, the construction was already complete.3qMuC
i2BvWith the additional magic crystals obtained thanks to the taxes, Linelt would be finished.kjS
oXGwsqvThen they’d regret having taken all this so lightly.BI2
zEr‘Fine, then. Let’s see their faces.’YSlxNgI
3RLESJCount Pirandello felt his blood boil for the first time in a long while.n61fUK
YxMclHe knew his enemy was behind all of this.kmEz
Wcjdk“I’ll go with the second prince. I want to see with my own eyes who they are.”ZP9g
hOm5HAnd while they burned with rage over the letters…osJkDF
WDr“Safe journey, Wooden.”tgK9
cIR2— Gwoong.wjpC4
w0aZvWooden placed another letter in a small subspace pouch and left the Golden Turtle’s secret hideout, heading off to deliver the sixth missive.LKpyC5
8JvaNWith the hope that someday, his hand would carry not letters—but the shield.U8Z3As
wOcep1***bkY
MkCrThe second prince, remembering what had happened with the Mercenary King, departed with a much larger escort. Count Patrick and his trusted men accompanied him as well.aSKX5
9OmThe second prince and Count Patrick had cast the king into illness and, after banishing the first prince, had gradually replaced the palace personnel with their own men.WbuZoK
kVZj9Because of this, many inevitable gaps had formed within the palace.DLdhcH
fOoNYleAnd the first princess of the Kingdom of Linelt, Yuli Linelt, held her breath and slipped through those gaps.P34PDK
mnZM“Your Highness, this way.”q4Lof7q
bV0wpIt was one of the royal guards who, even amid the chaos caused by the second prince and Count Patrick, secretly maintained his loyalty to the royal family and guided the princess.wLL
42VSrP2“Thank you.”1bk
PeIYkC“It’s nothing. From the start, the fact that Your Highness the princess couldn’t see His Majesty made no sense.”UGaG1nq
6qIZIWhat harm was there in a daughter visiting her sick father?LzWRouF
ELEq6If the order for isolation had at least come directly from the king, it might have some justification, but as it was a scheme by the second prince and Count Patrick, there were several in the palace who did not approve.M9mwa
9ilrSoon, Yuli stood before the king’s room.QRV
QLXlH“I will take my leave. For twenty minutes, no one will come.”hXvGYE6
EW9Sd“Thank you again. I’ll never forget this favor.”hqyK3G
82TqAiThe guard bowed silently and vanished. Yuli took a deep breath and softly opened the door.htE
IsKRInside, covered with dark curtains, was a dim room where only a faint, ragged breathing could be heard.TkQO0M
j0G“Father…”h7O
oal9Yuli approached the bed and pulled back the canopy. At first, she couldn’t make out anything, but as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw that longed-for face.PKL0B
BJTmQ6He was much more emaciated and skeletal than when she had last seen him years ago.Sd2X7s
w20“…Damn bastards!”ue6
3CYb6The fury burst out on its own. If she could, she would have torn the second prince and Count Patrick to shreds right then and there.FLJygdx
pkD7BUBut she had neither the power nor the authority.uYgxkzN
4SwHFor now, the only thing she could do was cling to the rope that Fernan Pellenberg and Aint Armian represented, and lean on them.4ptn
A7N“Will this really work?”VnRM
6BJCgjMTruthfully, she didn’t know. But there was no other choice.2K8Q
0KxJmOCPop. Yuli uncorked the bottle Fernan had given her. In her subspace pouch she carried several more; he had told her it was holy water.WrTw
FT4RHe assured her it was quite effective against corrupt magic, and that if the king had been affected by it, he might show some improvement.ho2un
zvnsDThere was nothing left but to trust.fBeEQ
HbkOh2“…Father, I’m sorry.”DTS4Ic6
q3KAn9XYuli poured the holy water onto her father’s lips.eo2JkK
yEfrQGi“It’s not enough for him to drink it. He must be fully submerged.”okyWfwf
ZwXF“You want me to torture my sick father with water?”BDx5
uoeZCW“It’s not torture, it’s treatment. And it’s the only way to save him. Though if it bothers you that much, there is another option.”zKFzs2
rWZBc9P“What is it?”VsDb4
PRgwE“The eyes, the mouth, the ears, the nose. Pour holy water into every orifice at the same time. Ah, and also on the head.”yMmSZDa
J2XXG85“……”D6E86Bo
MrOn9Yuli uncorked five vials at once and poured them directly onto her father’s face.iHsZyqE
IMXnIY“Grrrrrr…!”II4
pk6hMuThe king’s weak breathing suddenly turned rough, as if he were about to collapse at any moment.Ehj0FIa
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