Chapter 274: Side Story – ‘Fathers-in-Law’ Please Give Me Your Daughters! (10)

While Corin went to obtain approval to marry, Estelle and Miruam decided to convince their parents in advance.

“That’s why, the best thing is for all of us to get married together.”

“…”

An impactful proposal from their daughters. Corin Loch’s harem plan.

Upon hearing it, King David wasn’t exactly not indignant.

However, he was quite rational.

Accepting 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.

The political benefit was obvious.

Marie Dunaleff.

There was no need to explain the value of House Dunaleff, one of the great noble families.

Kings had always avoided entering into conflict with them, a solid ally for generations.

Lunia Arden, Alisha Aden.

Both were candidates to become the next leader of the Arden family.

At this point, it no longer mattered which of the two took the position.

After all, they had become wives of the same man, and their military strength would forever be used in Corin’s favor.

Hwaran.

Four 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.

Although there were doubts about her mental stability, her power was truly “capable of facing a thousand by herself.”

Turning her into an asset of the kingdom would be politically convenient.

But now she only obeyed son-in-law Corin. That was the difficulty.

Erin Danua, the headmaster.

Merkabah Academy was practically the most important institution in the kingdom.

It trained knights and mages, the pillars of military strength.

That 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.

“There are… quite a few.”

“Even so! Corin is a human who isn’t normal! I think it’ll be fine!”

“Estelle, you seem suspiciously excited.”

David looked at Estelle, who seemed strangely enthusiastic.

Miruam, on the other hand, was not as happy with the harem plan.

Her attitude was more like someone resigned, trying to salvage at least a small gain from a big disaster.

But Estelle was eagerly applying a plan that any woman would have rejected.

“Fufu~ There’s a reason, Dad.”

At first, Estelle had also been against it.

She wanted to fully occupy the place beside the God of the Sun, claiming that position belonged to the Goddess of the Earth — herself.

She wanted to monopolize him.

But when she understood that was impossible, she acted.

In front of Corin, she whimpered like a wounded girl.

“Sniff… Corin… I’m sad…”

“A-Are you crying? Sorry… sorry, I didn’t mean…”

Her little brother was incredibly weak against crying women.

Despite having conquered many, he was a purist who had always wanted monogamy.

That’s why he carried a strong sense of guilt.

Taking advantage of Corin being confused, Estelle gently slipped her proposal in.

“I don’t want to, but… for the harem to work, we have to convince the people.”

Then she began persuading him with a carefully calculated speech.

The religious reform of the world. And later, a massive movement that would strengthen the monarchy.

What was the point of worshipping a false god when a real god existed?

Thus, she managed to make Corin — who until now thought the idea of “reforming faith” was childish — fully support the plan.

“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!”

Convincing a husband weighed down by guilt wasn’t difficult.

‘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.’

She already understood her own divinity.

The power of the Infinite Cauldron Undry and of the Earth Goddess Dannan.

She possessed a divinity just as important as the sun and the light.

“Ufufufu… Soon the believers of the whole continent will praise the Goddess of the Earth!”

Hearing her plans, Miruam clicked her tongue in mockery.

“Hard to believe that just a few years ago you were a devout believer.”

Being a saint, well.

Estelle had always had a huge ego, but her faith had been sincere.

It was logical — when your prayers are always answered, how could you not believe?

But 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.

And decided to become a god.

“No fallen believer goes as far as you.”

“Fufu, don’t be like that. Our Mir should also take a divine position, don’t you think?”

“…Is that really possible?”

Miruam hesitated.

Although 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.

Make the light disappear from the world.

Bring down the sun.

She knew Dannan had existed, but could a human reach that?

“I’ve already reserved a position for you. I have priority. What kind of goddess do you want to be?”

“What options are there…?”

Were these the same divine titles Tates had offered his subordinates?

It made sense that one could betray humanity if given the chance to become a god.

Before, her priority had been vengeance.

But now everything had changed.

She had abandoned revenge. She had sworn to become the wife of a man.

And she wanted her love to last forever.

Corin Loch had become her reason to live.

“…I’ll think about it.”

While Estelle and Mir advanced the harem plan within the royal family…

Opposition erupted from a completely unexpected place.

***

Under the scorching sun, in front of the main gate of the royal palace of El Ras, dozens of people were kneeling on the ground.

Among those pressing their knees into the palace’s stone pavement were both young people and elders.

What they had in common was that they were all bureaucrats of the kingdom.

In 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.

“Your Majesty! Please have mercy on us!”

“Have mercy on us!!”

The reason they were protesting in front of the palace was simple.

Rumors had spread about the future husband of the princesses in the national marriage.

Corin Loch.

War hero of the Solar War and the protagonist of the prophecy the Church was spreading.

That he would become the husband of the two princesses.

They could understand that much. It wasn’t a huge issue.

But what if they weren’t the only princesses?

It had already been confirmed that Marie Dunaleff and the Arden sisters were included — and there were even rumors of more.

Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

A national marriage with one princess was already an overwhelming honor. A matter of State.

And taking both princesses?

Even 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.

But marrying others as well?

That was unacceptable.

The young bureaucrats of the kingdom rose up against Corin Loch’s behavior — as horrible as it was enviable.

“Marrying Their Highnesses is already an honor far beyond what he deserves, and he even wants other women!”

“This guy is insane!”

“Too much of a womanizer. The people will feel robbed.”

Young bureaucrats were one thing, but what about the high officials with real power?

They feared a tectonic shift in the kingdom’s power balance.

Miruam was the leader of the noble faction. Although the fall of the old faith had reduced its influence, the noble base was still intact.

Estelle was the sole saint of the unified church, the greatest religious force on the continent after the bloody unification.

Not 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.

The saint of the living god. Popular support was absolute.

With that alone, more than half the kingdom’s power would fall into Corin Loch’s faction.

And on top of that, a national marriage?

If 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…

A tectonic shift in continental power would be inevitable.

Power, wealth, military might, popular support, and faith.

An absolute power would be born.

It had to be stopped.

Corin Loch’s faction was already concerning enough.

He himself was the strongest knight of the era after Garand Arden, and each of his connections was a threat.

And now, marriage connections as well?

“It’s impossible. Has there ever been, in the history of the kingdom, such an absolute power?”

“We have to stop it. If he at least doesn’t marry, they can keep each other in check.”

“We have plenty of grounds. There has never been a precedent of a son-in-law marrying into the royal family and others.”

“Damn it, I’m so jealous it hurts my stomach.”

“Your Majesty! Please withdraw the national marriage with Corin Loch!”

“Withdraw it!!”

The birth of an absolute power — and the jealousy toward the man at the center of it all.

That gathered in one place the royalist faction, the neutral faction, and the noble faction.

“These idiots?”

Estelle trembled with pure fury as she saw nobles and bureaucrats causing disturbances in front of the palace and interfering with her wedding.

It wasn’t fear or nerves. It was rage.

“In the noble faction alone, about 30% are in favor.”

“Miruam! It’s your faction! Do something!”

“There are plenty in your faction too, you know? Even former bishops and cardinals are mixed in.”

“Traitors who rejected the true faith and abandoned the Church…!”

During the unification of the Church and the doctrinal reforms, not all believers and priests stayed.

There were those who felt rejected by Estelle’s radical unification and the drastic doctrinal changes and left.

Stupid idiots.

Estelle mocked them for continuing to worship a false god without knowing the true one. She assumed they could never be her equals.

Those miserable fools dared oppose the marriage between the Sun God and the Mother Earth Goddess?

“Heretics! Pagans!”

“Wake up, Estelle. From their point of view, you are the heretic.”

“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!”

“……”

Miruam shook her head as she watched the fanatic grow even more extreme — no, beyond fanaticism, a heretic who proclaimed herself a goddess.

“Even so… it seems we really do need to purge the opposition.”

“Corin can’t do it. He’s too kind. We’ll take care of it beforehand.”

“Ugh… wives running political maneuvers for their husband’s harem… is this really okay?”

Estelle and Miruam.

The two princesses were heads of power who had maintained and led their respective factions.

With quick, precise, and merciless methods, they began eliminating the opposition to the national marriage.

“W-what are you doing?! Heretical inquisitors?!”

“Baron Belona, Minister of State. You are under arrest on suspicion of heresy.”

“We’re going to investigate Vice-Minister Max’s corruption allegations. Please come with us.”

“What? In my life I’ve never accepted a single bribe!”

“We’ll see that in the investigation. Though we don’t know when you’ll come out of the interrogation room.”

“Y-you sons of a──!!”

“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──”

The three major political powers dividing the kingdom.

The 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.

With the Voice of the South — also a firm supporter of Corin Loch — in motion, the three great factions acted in unison.

With absolute divinity, power, and wealth, they began to crush the opposition to the national marriage.

Faced with this merciless repression and madness, even King David, who supported the marriage, was horrified and tried to stop them.

“Daughters! Your father thinks this has gone too far! Stop the heresy trials and the tax audits right now!”

Over 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.

That was the judgment of a normal person — and the princesses were not normal.

As soon as the royal veto and executive order were issued, the princesses reacted instantly.

Bam!

The palace door burst open.

At the front, the First Princess holding a massive hammer, and the Second Princess riding a giant serpent.

Behind them, a mix of holy paladins and private soldiers — it wasn’t strange for someone to have a bad feeling.

“Y-Your Highnesses! In the sacred council chamber, what the hell──!”

“Dad, I’ve been thinking.”

Estelle forced an old minister into his seat by pressing his shoulder and spoke with a smile.

“The sooner the reforms, the better.”

“Daughter?”

Despite King David’s trembling voice, Estelle and Miruam slowly approached.

“I’ll be the new pope of the unified Church — so this country is mine.”

“D-Daughters… what are you doing!”

“We’re succeeding the throne, Dad.”

Thus ended the process leading to the princesses’ coup d’état.

And Corin, hearing the summary of all this.

“Why… why is everyone like this… why is no one normal…?”

If they stay like this after marriage, what will become of my married life? Corin began to fear for his future marriage.

Meanwhile, the campaign of idolizing Corin and the sacred inviolability law of the harem continued to be enforced under the army and the bloodstained sword.