Chapter 274: Side Story – ‘Fathers-in-Law’ Please Give Me Your Daughters! (10)
4AslWhile Corin went to obtain approval to marry, Estelle and Miruam decided to convince their parents in advance.WyWj
tPi“That’s why, the best thing is for all of us to get married together.”3Jux
fiN“…”SsI
AAUqPAn impactful proposal from their daughters. Corin Loch’s harem plan.2bW
i6r8Upon hearing it, King David wasn’t exactly not indignant.uSxK5D
OsmkHowever, he was quite rational.ml0EA
e7xl217Accepting as a son-in-law Corin Loch, a prodigy of the era, and also binding the royal family to wives who had already become powerful figures in different regions.RrAkq7
3mVHMThe political benefit was obvious.4B2aCc
ujXlMarie Dunaleff.qg0
HxyQNmThere was no need to explain the value of House Dunaleff, one of the great noble families.5c6
7JHKings had always avoided entering into conflict with them, a solid ally for generations.0y5N8Il
rRCTLunia Arden, Alisha Aden.2LXrXIO
OAjBoth were candidates to become the next leader of the Arden family.yicBp
QxLAPmAt this point, it no longer mattered which of the two took the position.iW3g
grhAfter all, they had become wives of the same man, and their military strength would forever be used in Corin’s favor.v6KybM
jDneLqHwaran.m6BSE
x5p0Four years ago, the young genius the headmaster of Merkaba had brought with great effort from the East was a hot topic even within the royal family.ofhj7e9
fp8pXbPAlthough there were doubts about her mental stability, her power was truly “capable of facing a thousand by herself.”duH
gKMTurning her into an asset of the kingdom would be politically convenient.xY4
cp7CFgrBut now she only obeyed son-in-law Corin. That was the difficulty.c4O4
xtCpkErin Danua, the headmaster.33HBJ
9qDrMerkabah Academy was practically the most important institution in the kingdom.v9N3aM9
FBLIt trained knights and mages, the pillars of military strength.HEqRAyH
LqgThat the headmaster had fallen in love with a student was unexpected, but her influence within Guardian was comparable to the power of any of the others.y0jTO7Y
UxSW“There are… quite a few.”jVz5
Oxqn4“Even so! Corin is a human who isn’t normal! I think it’ll be fine!”WuYjV
HSq“Estelle, you seem suspiciously excited.”1iT0
ZIe2KkDavid looked at Estelle, who seemed strangely enthusiastic.vVAT
OelgPjNMiruam, on the other hand, was not as happy with the harem plan.cB4
92fHer attitude was more like someone resigned, trying to salvage at least a small gain from a big disaster.U1E8XqA
YNGOdnOBut Estelle was eagerly applying a plan that any woman would have rejected.nSYJdX
39u“Fufu~ There’s a reason, Dad.”RpR
n3KxAt first, Estelle had also been against it.RCGhY
HekShe wanted to fully occupy the place beside the God of the Sun, claiming that position belonged to the Goddess of the Earth — herself.9OjMQ
J9IJGqShe wanted to monopolize him.Usgqu
riicwiBut when she understood that was impossible, she acted.evkTl2O
mgdIn front of Corin, she whimpered like a wounded girl.qjrCK
EeSJL“Sniff… Corin… I’m sad…”i2i
DUKjpe“A-Are you crying? Sorry… sorry, I didn’t mean…”2kW
q0dq5tLHer little brother was incredibly weak against crying women.uuEKAI
vH9TT4VDespite having conquered many, he was a purist who had always wanted monogamy.hcsIQ
dyqThat’s why he carried a strong sense of guilt.4Sf
HswWTaking advantage of Corin being confused, Estelle gently slipped her proposal in.py45syS
zj3O5wz“I don’t want to, but… for the harem to work, we have to convince the people.”oVNeXB
HJdnGG2Then she began persuading him with a carefully calculated speech.WGC
hg0The religious reform of the world. And later, a massive movement that would strengthen the monarchy.cnUwwj0
FWZWhat was the point of worshipping a false god when a real god existed?KEhAei
QvqsThus, she managed to make Corin — who until now thought the idea of “reforming faith” was childish — fully support the plan.jFv2
JOTWm“Human life is short, right? If you’re going to act as a god for a long time, you’ll be able to love everyone for decades!”tUimW
rPXBzhConvincing a husband weighed down by guilt wasn’t difficult.LtzDD
TdU‘Fufu If this harem plan succeeds, I’ll reform the faith of the entire continent — no, of the entire world. When they experience the true God and her miracles, everyone will follow our faith.’YI2Kr
Ba4RShe already understood her own divinity.7lxo
Q8K3uIdThe power of the Infinite Cauldron Undry and of the Earth Goddess Dannan.amu
hSMShe possessed a divinity just as important as the sun and the light.v59o
W2OWQ“Ufufufu… Soon the believers of the whole continent will praise the Goddess of the Earth!”fRiTKV
Vd2QFHearing her plans, Miruam clicked her tongue in mockery.B7D
iu4“Hard to believe that just a few years ago you were a devout believer.”nmdAAL
XCDzPBeing a saint, well.pKS4DN
JYepZvxEstelle had always had a huge ego, but her faith had been sincere.bsWvSza
U1Ro6It was logical — when your prayers are always answered, how could you not believe?Qry
BjzRNBut when she discovered that it wasn’t the grace of a god, but her own talent — the inheritance of ancient gods and giants — Estelle abandoned her old faith.dYe8Dce
Zzlhf8And decided to become a god.JpD
QNHfeGZ“No fallen believer goes as far as you.”Fk97
NQBD“Fufu, don’t be like that. Our Mir should also take a divine position, don’t you think?”uMA
Vn2CNC“…Is that really possible?”1lXoRJ
mu3RMiruam hesitated.JBL
a4gAlthough the strength Tates Valtazar and Corin Loch had shown in the Solar War was literally divine, it was still hard to believe that ordinary humans could become gods.7S26U
COqMake the light disappear from the world.fZCA
7S5HMZZBring down the sun.j5z3QrE
jIJE0She knew Dannan had existed, but could a human reach that?tzxaToC
PG5Zu“I’ve already reserved a position for you. I have priority. What kind of goddess do you want to be?”CHnsR
U79h4ac“What options are there…?”iOdgUtu
r3vWere these the same divine titles Tates had offered his subordinates?qPszyB
eGDFIt made sense that one could betray humanity if given the chance to become a god.lvN
1fmBefore, her priority had been vengeance.HzqqsX
dNW1But now everything had changed.LOlB
b2XShe had abandoned revenge. She had sworn to become the wife of a man.o6p
ExMuhaAnd she wanted her love to last forever.6STi
MXrmdCorin Loch had become her reason to live.Di7btr
PqF5o“…I’ll think about it.”qT64z
IM485LWhile Estelle and Mir advanced the harem plan within the royal family…mdJ
Re5Opposition erupted from a completely unexpected place.TxC
jyG6***F5t
a2dF1Under the scorching sun, in front of the main gate of the royal palace of El Ras, dozens of people were kneeling on the ground.4GKx6A
nCLkaAmong those pressing their knees into the palace’s stone pavement were both young people and elders.Z76rR
haviWhat they had in common was that they were all bureaucrats of the kingdom.nfi
Rv3E1In this country where, thanks to the centralization of power, the bureaucratic nobility had grown, they were the ministers who actually decided the important affairs of the State.woZskl
67tj7e9“Your Majesty! Please have mercy on us!”X26
GSZ“Have mercy on us!!”Cpp
3jOW3The reason they were protesting in front of the palace was simple.JJZbjP
sMaRumors had spread about the future husband of the princesses in the national marriage.sRSm
GgEBCorin Loch.8aFc
xm8zaWar hero of the Solar War and the protagonist of the prophecy the Church was spreading.8oVM13
zINQWThat he would become the husband of the two princesses.OZUmMfK
zy6They could understand that much. It wasn’t a huge issue.BXF0OAE
p5GaBut what if they weren’t the only princesses?im2
ykqIt had already been confirmed that Marie Dunaleff and the Arden sisters were included — and there were even rumors of more.bgzu
YqO4Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.10LbGQ
ERPA national marriage with one princess was already an overwhelming honor. A matter of State.HlKq8
YMkhd5And taking both princesses?3pz8
hfUkT1Even then, thanks to King David’s strong will, it could barely be accepted as an unprecedented national marriage, an immense honor and a stroke of luck for the family.mvHzxB
5QiRsOBut marrying others as well?DKnzBG
WuWYkaThat was unacceptable.FUXo8
31oThe young bureaucrats of the kingdom rose up against Corin Loch’s behavior — as horrible as it was enviable.1l8CiGM
yjJI“Marrying Their Highnesses is already an honor far beyond what he deserves, and he even wants other women!”PNNl
7FekLlJ“This guy is insane!”xhRLv5j
oKZ5u“Too much of a womanizer. The people will feel robbed.”JYBk
B7VYoung bureaucrats were one thing, but what about the high officials with real power?n3xEs
u5pxThey feared a tectonic shift in the kingdom’s power balance.3U2L
KYp3kPzMiruam was the leader of the noble faction. Although the fall of the old faith had reduced its influence, the noble base was still intact.wvZ4E
cIUrdoZEstelle was the sole saint of the unified church, the greatest religious force on the continent after the bloody unification.gRc6
H5ichqNot only the popes of the new and old faith, but more than half of the cardinals and bishops had been executed, and their positions were filled by the saint’s close allies.3RQWt4
d85kThe saint of the living god. Popular support was absolute.AnQdmDp
4ZHWiD2With that alone, more than half the kingdom’s power would fall into Corin Loch’s faction.zwlczut
4MW3HhAnd on top of that, a national marriage?VkA
XOTIf you added the heir of the Dunaleff duchy, the Arden family that ruled the east, and even the living jiangshi of special grade, the strongest living being individually…Y5u1C
myAlA tectonic shift in continental power would be inevitable.4NlUX
H0nPower, wealth, military might, popular support, and faith.TtZYG
iHWmDhgAn absolute power would be born.SZEFj
z2f73It had to be stopped.MSt
iOMCorin Loch’s faction was already concerning enough.4Ia
UGkpqHe himself was the strongest knight of the era after Garand Arden, and each of his connections was a threat.CPYgats
pqZnSAnd now, marriage connections as well?pmA4Pb
QpO9Pp“It’s impossible. Has there ever been, in the history of the kingdom, such an absolute power?”Wg7
Yz0GJ“We have to stop it. If he at least doesn’t marry, they can keep each other in check.”SnV
ud8R7“We have plenty of grounds. There has never been a precedent of a son-in-law marrying into the royal family and others.”ZYAH
XN88K6“Damn it, I’m so jealous it hurts my stomach.”vN0UFN
u0v“Your Majesty! Please withdraw the national marriage with Corin Loch!”aOi76cT
LME“Withdraw it!!”txG921
zcEThe birth of an absolute power — and the jealousy toward the man at the center of it all.BdPXVaF
RqpypThat gathered in one place the royalist faction, the neutral faction, and the noble faction.oMs6J
zHkEPIV“These idiots?”1QPz
b4W5REstelle trembled with pure fury as she saw nobles and bureaucrats causing disturbances in front of the palace and interfering with her wedding.Vtwtnxe
9beq6It wasn’t fear or nerves. It was rage.AIfkoyr
p2p“In the noble faction alone, about 30% are in favor.”BKo
UuWTVXF“Miruam! It’s your faction! Do something!”Fqfm
SGUJaB“There are plenty in your faction too, you know? Even former bishops and cardinals are mixed in.”ky3yUS
1li“Traitors who rejected the true faith and abandoned the Church…!”5lwYp
7bEvDuring the unification of the Church and the doctrinal reforms, not all believers and priests stayed.K85IK
iOJ6wV3There were those who felt rejected by Estelle’s radical unification and the drastic doctrinal changes and left.oCNexw
Gkb0Stupid idiots.j116tnd
RKTD1KlEstelle mocked them for continuing to worship a false god without knowing the true one. She assumed they could never be her equals.Hf7XM
m6eThose miserable fools dared oppose the marriage between the Sun God and the Mother Earth Goddess?sgo7
PO8“Heretics! Pagans!”CSj
I6F3b2“Wake up, Estelle. From their point of view, you are the heretic.”nAB
HsSH2g“I am the will of God! No, I am God! For them to not recognize a goddess as intelligent, beautiful, devoted and magnificent as me… they are the real pagans!”xl0H
smyfAxW“……”jgV
675yVozMiruam shook her head as she watched the fanatic grow even more extreme — no, beyond fanaticism, a heretic who proclaimed herself a goddess.vmIO2O2
w5QJv“Even so… it seems we really do need to purge the opposition.”jnslXf
PfcRX“Corin can’t do it. He’s too kind. We’ll take care of it beforehand.”E0IBD5X
tcB“Ugh… wives running political maneuvers for their husband’s harem… is this really okay?”9OsLuu
HQHGJsQEstelle and Miruam.mDPf
E3fThe two princesses were heads of power who had maintained and led their respective factions.iWFQ
sdWWith quick, precise, and merciless methods, they began eliminating the opposition to the national marriage.UnK
LgRK“W-what are you doing?! Heretical inquisitors?!”rDtmG86
t8x“Baron Belona, Minister of State. You are under arrest on suspicion of heresy.”BhEAJBQ
WlJ“We’re going to investigate Vice-Minister Max’s corruption allegations. Please come with us.”CrJ1f
ii7ri“What? In my life I’ve never accepted a single bribe!”fJfE6
mdDHRA“We’ll see that in the investigation. Though we don’t know when you’ll come out of the interrogation room.”0N6
6bl“Y-you sons of a──!!”C1aK4
VblJT“Hehe, Your Highness. I heard you’re clearing out the pests opposing young master Corin’s marriage plan. In fact, at the Voice of the South we have all the corruption files of those──”Yv2A
i7dgThe three major political powers dividing the kingdom.RNw
o0uAQThe faction of the First Princess with the power of the unified Church, the faction of the Second Princess with the nobility,
and the Voice of the South representing the southern region regardless of faction.Al1Gv4
I23jkWith the Voice of the South — also a firm supporter of Corin Loch — in motion, the three great factions acted in unison.wIfDc
fPkWith absolute divinity, power, and wealth, they began to crush the opposition to the national marriage.KcDstd
330vFaced with this merciless repression and madness, even King David, who supported the marriage, was horrified and tried to stop them.hcg
9sL7CFG“Daughters! Your father thinks this has gone too far! Stop the heresy trials and the tax audits right now!”dLf
Z9IcOver a simple national marriage, the country was about to fall apart. Even though he had already designated Corin as the future king, he considered these atrocities crossing the line.6XhN
RdAThat was the judgment of a normal person — and the princesses were not normal.4NQAr4
o25As soon as the royal veto and executive order were issued, the princesses reacted instantly.uE9K
uTnaBam!kjb2z
vKkThe palace door burst open.XXgR4ga
g7tQAt the front, the First Princess holding a massive hammer, and the Second Princess riding a giant serpent.7uVL1
PJL23WYBehind them, a mix of holy paladins and private soldiers — it wasn’t strange for someone to have a bad feeling.GTO
736MOtD“Y-Your Highnesses! In the sacred council chamber, what the hell──!”6ADukea
Rru3D“Dad, I’ve been thinking.”9LbKT97
2LUPEstelle forced an old minister into his seat by pressing his shoulder and spoke with a smile.wzqX3FP
20D“The sooner the reforms, the better.”1q2p
APvA“Daughter?”90WdNj
Blzt2HGDespite King David’s trembling voice, Estelle and Miruam slowly approached.Jsw02
c1R0eg“I’ll be the new pope of the unified Church — so this country is mine.”nG4zric
9KgXk“D-Daughters… what are you doing!”6wy
JN2Bbf4“We’re succeeding the throne, Dad.”Wo1f
vPyVThus ended the process leading to the princesses’ coup d’état.k6G
giYJZuAnd Corin, hearing the summary of all this.ixwmx
8nB“Why… why is everyone like this… why is no one normal…?”7X6
9gR2c4MIf they stay like this after marriage, what will become of my married life? Corin began to fear for his future marriage.Mjl9XK
4CpfjOjMeanwhile, the campaign of idolizing Corin and the sacred inviolability law of the harem continued to be enforced under the army and the bloodstained sword.q1Zie4q
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!