Chapter 244
oxTYqmThe great city of Karol, in the south of the Kingdom of Linelt.0YNnff
Vr0jFNIIt had grown as a trade city, being a gateway to the Empire. Not far from there was a small village called Perem.Bq1nyV
fsseHaA place of beautiful natural landscapes where the royal family owned a villa.
That was the meeting place.gVKJ2wp
IerFz“……”uMBgtGa
UTv2“……”g63
LYxc“Hehehe….”uSYb
sKs8drBut three hours had already passed since the agreed time, and the first prince still hadn’t appeared. Gerlan Linelt burst out laughing like a madman.EtOpt
AI3Ij“Whoever it is, if the goal was to infuriate me, they’ve succeeded brilliantly!”YOapbDD
Sj4TOWhether it was truly the first prince or someone impersonating him, Gerlan felt the urge to tear them to pieces the moment he had them in front of him.Ciaoee
PTc2“Calm yourself, Your Highness. You must remain composed.”YnZsm
c2v“Yes, yes… of course.”orkU1
pHHDespite his words, Gerlan Linelt was nervous.5FpD5
3zTjkThough he tried to appear calm, the escape of the first prince wasn’t something that could be taken lightly.alkRuD
Wo32cNWhat if he revealed what had been done?YXpufFd
38vhJSNine out of ten might say it was the rambling of a madman—but what if there was evidence?1VuyJ8
ENorJP8The problem wasn’t just the first prince, but the mysterious people who had taken him.7LBD
dTOYHThose who had discovered the location of a mansion guarded in utmost secrecy.O6rmPq
Hj34GThose who had managed to break through the defenses so carefully prepared to imprison him.pZnF
CgKelbJJust thinking about what their next move might be made his head spin.KGZzlvv
wtjk7WI“Count Pirandello, why in the hell am I only now learning that my brother has escaped?”08T
PPgv“I’m sorry, Your Highness. The guards assigned to the mansion and to the first prince were annihilated, which is why we found out too late.”WSsEG
hhso“If we had just known a little sooner…!”wclfBL
yUyqEven though it wouldn’t have changed anything—since he had already been kidnapped—the human heart couldn’t help but think that way.yc0C8nG
KkiC“Wouldn’t it be better to return for now?”GZJs
RW0“…Find the Mercenary King. And also the worm who left that letter on my desk. I swear I’ll tear them apart with my own hands.”ayZO
opE“Yes, Your Highness.”JIVP6if
VwqIn the end, having gained nothing, they had no choice but to return to the royal palace.2J79dc
AvJSmUAnd what awaited the second prince Gerlan, frustrated after the fruitless search, was:lRck
gT0[How have you been, little brother?]7o7gih
sFZ2i[I didn’t think you’d come after ignoring my letters for so long. I couldn’t go, I’m sorry. But this time it’s for real. I’ll give you the exact time and place….]vBD
mKl32AW“Damn son of a bitch!”i7OISjI
XLXDNIt was another letter, blatantly placed on his desk.6yhiM
LHI2UN***F2Ky
9PsJzA few days earlier.6qatysL
bwYoMfk“So he really fell for it.”cBOHNq4
ENRBAt night, Fernan and Hyde watched from the mountainside overlooking the kingdom as the second prince secretly left the capital.ukpD
HKZQEO“I told you. The suggestion and hypnosis from those types are never perfect.”ToeyI
l4c733Otherwise, the entire continent would’ve fallen to the demons a thousand years ago. Fernan knew that well—he’d experienced it more than once.PT24C
jb7XThough it wasn’t just a guess.OztK
2uP“Even after having his storerooms looted, Patrick Pirandello didn’t flee.”IWkst0M
9L4Z0m1He was trying to find the culprit by all means, but nothing more.L2dpg
DIu6HTNot a single extra move.CzFZ3
ulJzFgy“If it were me, I’d have run right away.”033gvwR
f4Ka3The six storerooms he had secretly designed had been emptied.Nx3Tnr
RsO5wAnd he didn’t even know how.oCoex61
zEVHe didn’t know how they had found out that his treasures were stored there.Cj61m
ltjTIf someone could watch you like they held you in the palm of their hand, and you still stayed still, there were only two options.vVZ
P0XFaKuYou were a fool—or you had nothing left to lose.8caU
u8lAnd Fernan didn’t believe that Patrick Pirandello, who had spent years planning Linelt’s downfall, was a fool.0JqBP9
u2CSo it had to be the second option.kcgo
UPq83zJBy the light of the moon, Fernan opened the newspaper from the previous day.rjs5
9NX【The regent’s speech for the good of the realm!】0Az
CIR【Some oppose the special tax. Is personal benefit really more important than the kingdom’s crisis?】9y8
8i5“So he plans to cover the lost magic stones and elixirs with those taxes.”ZnMV
X7zrGOHe intended to destroy the Kingdom of Linelt using the money of its own people.WE5
Vl8f“He would’ve made a great merchant.”lSdhg
3Wv3nYAfter all, business isn’t done with your own money, but with others’.XLwOFis
4EbIFs“Are you praising a corrupt?”yqCw7a
b0KCl4L“What’s good is good.”eYr75H
4eoQGGIIf he weren’t a corrupt, he’d be a top recruit for any merchant guild.gVzX
ChWHxTB“Well, Hyde, we have two options.”hkutl
sMaUTlFernan raised two fingers.LSm
qb9VcfL“Take out the corrupt before they summon the demon, or take them out afterward—along with the demon.”RhL
ZkszAnd Fernan’s choice was obvious.kTeiq
ay75“Let’s kill the demon.”9S0Vi4O
iQ4JThe second option.63tR6s4
NP7XWill there be civilian casualties? Of course. Even if they prepared, if the summoning took place in the capital, it would be inevitable.erqE
qLSBut it was still the best option.vdb72SD
M5AuPatrick Pirandello wasn’t just any corrupt.GDm0S
1Eb3iF3He was a strategist who had planned Linelt’s downfall for years, and also a contractor suspected to descend from the Colomo family.ULOb
nh3fu“If it weren’t for the prophecy book, no one would’ve known until it was too late. But our task isn’t just to defeat the corrupt.”gAUORS
MpcSKfThey had to return the first prince to his rightful position.D9bT9
oK32And that wouldn’t be easy.pxN
6LD90“To restore the first prince’s ruined reputation, we need an even bigger impact. Something stronger than just saying ‘he was a victim of the corrupt!’”pJEpk5
9NPpSeeing a summoned demon with their own eyes would be much more convincing.cZrO
4Eaq“If it was a demon that appeared, then the first prince couldn’t have done anything but fall—people will think that.”I6xww0
kYCk1FAnd not just that. Once the demon appeared, Aint would have to act.XGJIfEK
eVD7PuwEven with the Mercenary King and the chancellor, the difference with or without Aint was immense.t2rbJb
cJ57WAnd that would be the moment for Aint to shine again.CUu
yaP8NThey couldn’t waste it.N1p9E
RpLuvX7“The damage to the capital will be massive.”HHSJkGO
jCPjMd“The more destroyed it is, the better.”ZnibOid
Yv173eeBecause when it came time to rebuild—who would the people turn to, if Fernan was among those who saved them?ugSLkc
QYCcRwp“And the citizens of the capital will be cared for by those they already trust and follow.”ZFFXsX
RksFernan wasn’t a saint. To him, a handful of gold was worth more than the lives of strangers in distant lands.knO2
5ZCBut he wasn’t a villain who would send people to die knowing from the start there was no salvation.7Rvc
Cvd3nIWHis gaze turned toward the capital’s center, toward the royal palace.rR74Ivj
EQnWuTr“The rest is up to the princess. If the king awakens and the demons appear, he’ll know how to act.”Ydi
sfQf5HiA king who regained consciousness would be the pillar of his people.5oQ
SRKiUXj“Can he really wake up?”xQx
8VME“In theory, yes. The holy water is very powerful.”90TmLRj
cbhGY“I know, but what if it’s not enough?”rTwfeV
vMIo“That’s why I’m not going to see those guys right now.”uOC
GSM2H“You don’t mean…?”dsPd
TpdavXSExactly.8qaJUW
Q9Q1YXZThe days the second prince and Patrick Pirandello would waste going to those meetings. The days they’d lose trying again.1SdX
zNm0That gave them more than a week’s worth of leeway.UvAWK
kqKUjEnough time for Fernan to have the princess visit the king every day starting today.wZQK
b8YwR“If it doesn’t work, repeat it until it does.”O1I
1PqDWFFAnd if even then there was no effect—WNcw
UMGu“Then the summoning of the demon will be the only way for the first prince to reclaim the Kingdom of Linelt.”OCkIup6
voYWithout a strong king to serve as a pillar, the appearance of a demon would become the necessary trigger.OVCpe
G7ZIn the end, the best thing for the people of Linelt was only one thing.1cUWV
7P8lThat the king awaken.eW1
K8cPAnd that the king know how to lead and react.wMys
pF9“Let’s hope that’s the case.”m6cvE
XdWKRFAfter all, even Fernan didn’t want so many people to die.pSU
Yl82W***FPaFB
sAnu8“Brother…!”amX
mGtWPlf“Yuli!”uFEG
jJGV7O8The siblings were reunited. With tears in their eyes, they hugged tightly.65Gc
OJTCP“I’m sorry, it’s my fault for being so useless…”yHBQK
EkrWb“No, I know. I know it wasn’t your fault.”nVhS
xLK79b“And His Majesty?”sIb5
4ZSQ093“He remains bedridden in illness.”4LA
j6LidThe reunion was brief. They both knew it wasn’t the time for sentimentality.Y00AR
Xk81“I should have been by your side…”xKcP
Ws9aeYX“How could it be your fault? It was all Gerlan’s doing, allying with the corrupt and starting all this.”7FShcU8
sUpAlthough Gerlan was also her brother, there was not a trace of fraternal affection in Yuli’s eyes.sUS
onLtjOf course, after such treatment, it was understandable.e6I
PLOT‘Half-siblings…’78yHWe
XaRffWSeeing them, Fernan recalled what he had heard about the past of Linelt’s royal family, informed by the Black Turtles.BrC0
7qLVThe current king of Linelt had two legitimate wives—the first prince and first princess were children of the first queen, while the second prince was the child of the second queen.MEn8G
az7G4That’s where the destinies of the three split.tpQ
wCb4jA second son more capable than the firstborn. But a king who favored the eldest son.x9ADl
GYZBmEAnd two queens engaged in political struggles to place their own sons on the throne.69i4tW
WR6l1The relationships among the siblings became worse than between strangers, and the climax came when the first queen died in a horse-riding accident.VWYi2Mi
UVdtgwWith her gone, the second queen took over the palace as if it were hers, until the king, unable to endure her abuse any longer, deposed her.3vruLf3
tYWzYSince then, the second prince harbored a fierce hatred toward the king who had expelled his mother, and toward his older brother, who, despite being less capable, still held the position of heir.MZbFAdU
KxmoThus was born a monster willing to eliminate siblings and father alike to become king.ijUc
7bcThe worst outcome for the Kingdom of Linelt, but the best for the demons.ll4a
zHsML“Let’s leave the reunion here. Every minute, every second, is crucial now.”R9w1t5
xYECM“Understood.”QLrwH5
0V0q7QThe first prince and Princess Yuli nodded.oCGMgIW
P13y6“Your Highness, has His Majesty shown any improvement?”id13u
Mq3tt“…He suffered quite a bit, but he’s regained some color in his face. Though he still hasn’t awakened.”eHrG
Yhne“That’s already something to hope for. From now on, visit him every chance you get.”lm3Oxs
cus“You’re saying I should repeat that torture every day?”aik897M
jNNiLU“It’s a treatment.”pPez
mqdr“Alright.”RSG2
2EXlFPVFernan turned his gaze.mgN6o
V34T“For now, Your Highness, you must gather supporters. Do you think you can regroup those who supported you before?”HITOZv6
QxNw7W“I’m not sure. It’s been years since I lived in disgrace, secluded in that mountain.”Q7BfB
7veSC4“It’s not impossible.”YN9s4B
QYHkhdBefore losing his sanity, the first prince had many supporters.T8V
VQYlHPerhaps with less ability than the second prince, but he was well-liked, kind, and above all, the firstborn.oTs
CrKt“Most who supported him were demoted or displaced. All Gerlan’s doing.”j7YdF
M8f“That was Gerlan’s doing?”fSBIbW
kE7“Yes.”38E7xi
cpZFernan dropped a thick stack of documents.COOv
S6681q“These are the names of those who supported you before. Go through them and choose those you still trust.”Z1iWZQ
rtBUiEP“…When did you do all this?”t9W1kq
EBlG“Allying with Pellenberg means walking the golden path, Your Highness.”9pUMc
51qviOf course, that “golden” had to be paid for with his own money, but in this case Fernan had already received an advance.TehrT
b5QLQ“Once you choose, I’ll prepare secret positions for them without the second prince noticing. The rest is up to your ability.”gfejRj
edhyB“I’ll do my best. I can’t allow the kingdom to fall into the hands of the corrupt. And to be honest, I want the throne as well.”5fI8
Px8Bc5tThat acknowledgment of ambition and desire for power made him even more trustworthy.2Ihdd
A9wIn the merchant world, they say, “Beware of anyone who claims they don’t need money—they’re the greediest of all.”6UbtmQ
gkBf8No one is free from ambition. Those who hide and deny it are often the most dangerous.lMTQ3X
jIN6ZThat’s why Fernan preferred those who openly showed their greed.mP4Dc
ZhP“Then I entrust this to you. The future of the kingdom depends on you both, Your Highnesses.”Eqkt
XeBFrFernan bowed his head respectfully.VeCWFs
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