CH 7

Vol. 1 Chapter 6

Reunion and Farewell

Translated by SoundDestiny

Edited by SoundDestiny

(TL: Now, Raidorl called Granard 『Aniue』instead of 『Niisan』which is more closer in ranking,But I use older brother or just brother to make easier)

The next day, Raidorl was taken to the royal palace by Darren, who came to pick him up. He was to have an audience with his brother, Granard, who had become king.

As it was an audience with the king, he could not take his maid Neimilia with him and had to leave her at the mansion.

However, in case of emergency, a servant demon created by Neimilia lurks in the shadows and is supposed to help him escape from the castle in the event of a catastrophe.

After returning to the royal palace for the first time in five years, Raidorl was made to wait in the parlour with Darren until Granard was ready for an audience.

Although he used to live in the royal palace, he feels more distant than nostalgic. Some of the servants he passed were familiar to him, but they all had awkward expressions on their faces and quickly turned their heads away from him.

Raidorl knew he wasn’t the right person to be here. But he felt like he was being told that he wasn’t allowed to be here.

“I am sorry to have kept you waiting. Please come through to the audience chamber.”

After waiting for about ten minutes, a man who appeared to be a civil servant came to guide them. Apparently everything was ready, and Raidorl was escorted to the audience chamber.

The audience chamber had a long carpeted floor from the door to the back, with rows of nobles, knights lined up on either side across the carpet, and a throne for the king to sit on further back.

“I have brought His Royal Highness Raidorl Zain”

Darren gives a dusty greeting as he enters the room, and then urges Raidorl to come forward. Having done his duty, Darren steps aside and joins the line of knights.

“Thank you for your hard work. “

“……….”

The man sitting on the throne opens his mouth in a stern and reverential manner.

Upon hearing his voice, Raidorl frowned slightly. The voice sounded familiar, of course. The voice belonged to his own blood brother, Granard.

“Hmm…..”

Raidorl sniffed lightly. He stomped his way across the carpet to the far end of the room and, just before nearing his brother, dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

“Raise your face. Raidorl.”

“Ha!”

Granard says in a grave tone, and Raidorl follows his brother’s words and raises his head.

The man looking at him and sitting higher than Raidorl, is Granard Zain.

He is Raidorl’s older brother and was responsible for banishing him, who became the holder of the Dáinsleif, from Royal Capital.

‘…… have you lost some weight?’

As he looked at Granard, who was sitting on his throne and looking down at him, Raidorl thought vaguely.

His brother, ten years older than him, looked a little more gaunt than Raidorl remembered, and his head was beginning to show some white.

‘Being a king is a very hard job, isn’t it? How could my brother be so skinny and grey?’

Holding back a smile from forming on his lips, Raidorl waits for the King to speak.

Granard looked at Raidorl in silence for a moment, and then opened his mouth solemnly.

“Welcome, Raidorl. My younger brother.”

“Ha, it’s been a long time. Your Majesty the King.”

“Hm …… don’t talk to me like a stranger. Even if I’m king, we are brothers. You can call me as you used to.”

“Well, then, I’ll take your word for it……brother.”

Granard dare Raidorl to call him 『Niisan』 instead of 『Aniue』 as in the past, but at a distance. Since they don’t use nicknames any more either, Raidorl guesses they’re even.

Raidorl takes a breath and restrains his heart from rising.

‘Stranger?　Brothers?　You banished me for no reason, and now you’re talking nonsense!?’

“I am very sorry that I could not attend our father’s funeral. I also ask you to forgive me for my inability to support my own brother the king to this day.”

“It’s all right. You have fulfilled your role of keeping the demons at bay in the southern frontier cities. Your success has reached the royal capital. You are indeed my brother.”

“What a waste of words, brother.”

Raidorl and Granard. The two brothers continue their conversation in a cheerful manner with a smile on their lips.

“………”

But the vassals watching around them watched the brothers’ conversation with an indescribably anxious expression. They had expected the reunion between the exiled prince and the king to be a rather bleak affair, but the two conversing in a surprisingly friendly manner stirred their anxiety instead.

The conversation, which seemed to be only superficially mended, was like that of a volcano on the verge of erupting, radiating an atmosphere of urgency that could explode at any moment.

The brothers exchange words of reunion in a friendly manner. At the sight of the two, Prime Minister Lockwood Marcell, who was waiting right next to the throne, also had a bitter expression on his face, as if he were biting the earth.

‘This is a surprise. I never thought their relationship would be so strained……’

How many of the vassals observing the audience would have noticed? From a moment ago, neither Granard, who is sitting on his throne, nor Raidorl, who is kneeling in front of him, has been smiling but neither of their eyes is smiling at all.

No matter how softly they talk to each other, the eyes of both of them are hostile and they are glaring at each other as if they are slashing at the other with their gazes.

‘It is to be expected that His Highness Raidorl holds a grudge against His Majesty the King. However, I never thought that even His Majesty would have such refractory feelings towards His Highness…….’

Although Granard was born as the first prince of the previous king, Bernard, he had a deep respect for the first king, who was a Excalibur holder, from an early age.

He had been educated as a crown prince with the ambition of eventually being chosen as the holder of the Holy Sword and leading the Kingdom of Zain to even greater prosperity.

Lockwood, who was supporting Granard, was aware that Granard was jealous of Raidorl, who had become the holder of the holy sword Dáinsleif.

The reason Raidorl was banished to the frontier was not only to prevent the country from being divided between the first prince, who was conducting political affairs in place of the sick king, and the second prince, who had become the holder of the Holy Sword Excalibur. One of the reasons for this was the fire of backward and delusional obsession that burned in Granard’s heart.

‘Even so, …… with the death of His Majesty the First and the accession of His Majesty Granard to the throne, his position was already so secure that there was no way for a succession struggle to take place. I had thought that the feeling of vindictiveness towards His Highness Raidorl had somewhat cleared up. ….’

Apparently, the disgust and jealousy that Granard harbours is far deeper than Lockwood had imagined.

And no doubt, Raidorl is also aware of these black feelings.

The older brother who banished him still abhors him. He must have sensed this clearly and returned a hostile glare.

‘Will he really be able to …… win over His Highness Raidorl and make him fight against the Empire? And after winning the war against the Empire and saving the country from a national crisis, can the brothers be brought together amicably?’

[There is no way it can happen]. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Lockwood gulped down a nervous spit.

“Well, …… come to think of it, it seems that the daughter of Marcell who I sent as an emissary has been disrespectful?”

After the reunion, Granard cut to the chase as he recalled. The topic of discussion was the Prime Minister’s daughter, Mertina Marcell.

She had been sent to the frontier city as an envoy to bring Raidorl to the capital, but was now being held on the charge of trying to bind Raidorl with a curse. She is still in the city and has been put into the prison cells of the Adventurers’ Guild under the control of Zafis.

“Yes, I didn’t want to detain the Prime Minister’s daughter, but I had to take her into custody because of the circumstances. If Your Excellency wishes, I will release her and return her to you.”

“…… No, that won’t be necessary.”

Lockwood replied to Raidorl, who made the suggestion with a nonchalant expression on his face/

“My daughter has committed an unforgivable act in the service of the Zain royal family. Even if it was out of a desire to save the country, I am not in a position to beg for her help. Please, Your Highness, judge her as you wish.”

“Well, if Your Excellency the Prime Minister says so, then I will do so.　She’s your precious, precious daughter, isn’t she?”

Raidorl confirmed this with a nasty, hung-up lip. Lockwood, on the other hand, replies flatly without losing his hard expression.

“Of course, Your Highness. That daughter is no longer a member of House Marcell. Please boil her or roast her or do with her as you please.”

“……….Aaa, agreed. I’ll do as I please.”

Raidorl sniffed in a bored manner.

If Lockwood were to stand up for Mertina here, it would be the perfect opportunity to pursue the Prime Minister for disrespect to the royal family and oust him.

If Lockwood had been disposed of, it would have reduced the power of his brother slightly, but it appears that this is not going to happen.

‘well, I knew the man was capable of cutting his heart out for the good of the country. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.’

Raidorl sighs with resignation in his heart and quickly changes his mind.

“Well, brother. What business did you call me back to Royal Capital for?”

Although he had already been briefed by Mertina and Darren, Raidorl dared to put it into words and ask the question. Granard’s eyebrows raised up when he got to the point.

“About that, …… I’m sure you’ve already heard, but the Arslanian Empire to the east has invaded our borders and invaded the Kingdom of Zain.”

“………..”

“’The Empire has more troops than our country, and on top of that, even the Holy Excalibur Holder is following this invasion. The key border fortress of Balmes has already been defeated, and a third of the kingdom has been overrun. General Garst is holding the enemy forces, but at this rate the kingdom’s destruction will only be a matter of time.”

“So….. what do you want me to do?”

As he asked, Raidorl clenched his fist fist tightly. The tip of the nail claw pierced his palm, causing a sharp pain. Even so, he does not relax his hand.

‘Now, how do we get out of this?　This is the last turning point for us, remember?’

If Raidorl and Granard were to reconcile and join hands, this would be the last opportunity to do so. If Granard would bow his head and apologise, the deep rift that has been carved between them could be bridged a little.

However, if Granard says what Raidorl expects him to say, then the bond between the brothers will be completely severed. It can no longer be repaired.

That is why Raidorl quietly waits for his brother to speak.

Soon, what was released from Granard’s mouth were heartless words that extinguished the last hope.

“Holy Excalibur Holder Raidorl Zain. To save the Kingdom of Zain, take the Dáinsleif in your hand and fight the Empire!”

“…….!”

Raidorl bit his back teeth and closed both eyes tightly.

At that moment, the few remaining feelings for his brother in Raidorl’s heart were destroyed to pieces.

Granard drove Raidorl to the frontier in order to reign as king and out of jealousy at being deprived of the Holy Sword.

And instead of apologising for this and repairing their relationship, he has used his authority as king as a shield to force him to fight unilaterally for his country.

Their relationship is no longer that of brothers. One who uses and one who is used. It has become a relationship of ruler and slave.

‘I see……brother, you don’t really think of me as brother anymore, do you?　You think of me as nothing more than a pawn, a valuable pawn, don’t you?’

Raidorl’s heart chills as if a block of ice has been thrown into it.

The days of being a close friend with his brother flashed through his mind. They soon fade away, relegated to the corners of his memory.

‘If that is your intention, I will show no mercy. I will take back what was taken from me and crush those who oppose me! I will not let them take my place again!’

With a determined will to break up burning like fire, Raidorl looked up.

‘You order me…..? You’ve got to be kidding! You’re a king who was not even chosen by the Holy Sword. How can a king with such insecurity, who chose to banish his own brother out of jealousy, rule over me!’

In Raidorl’s eyes, the throne in front of his gaze was no longer just a prey to be snatched away.

Hence, Raidorl declares clearly and mercilessly.

“I am sorry, but I must decline.”

“What did you say…..?”

Granard’s eyebrows raised in a cold rejection. He probably did not expect his words to be rejected. A suspicious look flashed in his eyes.

“What……!”

“It is impolite to disobey a royal decree!”

“No matter how much you may be the king’s brother, this is unforgivable!”

The audience chamber was enveloped in a tumultuous atmosphere, with angry shouts of censure for rudeness coming from the vassals who were watching the situation around them.

However, even when he was being accused from all sides, Raidorl’s expression remained unchanged. He opens his mouth without a single change of colour.

“I am sorry, but I cannot fight the Empire. Brother.”

“….. do you understand what you are saying?　This is a royal decree, remember?”

No matter how much Raidorl is the king’s brother, he is not allowed to reject the king’s orders. The royal family is only related to the king by blood, but they are still his subjects.

Granard’s eyes grow stern as he is told that his orders have been rejected. His fingertips are trembling in anger.

Unable to see the king, who was about to shout, Lockwood spoke up instead.

“Your Highness Raidorl!　You are disrespectful to His Majesty the King!”

“That said, Prime Minister, as the lord of the frontier city of Raid, I have the duty of preventing the invasion of the monsters of the jungle. It would be somewhat outrageous to ask me to abandon that duty and go to the border, far away from my territory, to fight without having been given much time to prepare. However royal the order may be, isn’t there a reason for things?”

“You can’t be reasonable when your country is about to be destroyed! Don’t you know what your priorities are!”

Lockwood exclaims, shrugging off his usual calm, to which Raidorl replies with a chilling sneer.

“I suppose the importance of the mission to protect the border remains the same, regardless of whether we’re dealing with the Empire or demons. Or are there other lords besides me who are rushing to the border from the frontier to reinforce the troops?　My recollection is that only the Army and the Knights are standing up to the Empire.”

“That’s…….”

Lockwood is slightly at a loss for words. Seeing the opportunity, Raidorl slashes at him with more verbal blades and yields.

“There seem to be many landed nobles here, but how many troops did they have sent out?　I don’t think you’re suggesting that I go to war with no forces other than a few adventurers, and they’re not manning up!?”

“….!”

The nobles around him began to murmur at his words.

A large number of nobles serving in the Granard are gathered here, but most of them have not sent out troops under the guise of 『maintaining public order』.

It was certainly reasonable for a Raidorl to refuse to fight when the nobles were also refusing to follow him.

A murmur of agitation and bewilderment covers the audience chamber. Some of the nobles present nodded in agreement with Raidorl’s words, while others made a fuss about his disrespect for the king.

In the first place, the king’s order to suddenly recall a prince who had been banished to the frontier and treated coldly and unilaterally order him to go to war is itself unreasonable.

Raidorl’s argument was undoubtedly correct, except that it ignored the national crisis of enemy invasion.

Lockwood’s expression became austere at the sight of the nobles with divergent opinions, but he still managed to open his mouth again in an attempt to persuade Raidorl.

However, before the Prime Minister could utter a word, Granard spoke up.

“So? How do you propose to fight the Empire?”

The noisy nobles quiet down at the sound of Granard’s voice, which is resentful and questioning, his shoulders shaking with anger.

Granard continues to speak, cutting through the air of the silent audience chamber.

“If you really don’t want to go to war, then all you have to do is not come to the Royal Capital in the first place. There must be some conditions. What is it? Money?　Status? Tell me what you want.”

The mended smile that was on Granard’s face earlier is no longer on his face as he says evasively. Instead, his expression was dominated by the contemptuous disdain with which he lambasted his petulant brother.

When Raidorl was stared at with a face that was not, very likely, intended for his immediate family, his lips lifted sarcastically.

“That’s why you’re the King, after all. You’re very quick to speak, thank you very much. The king must be a master at reading people’s minds, is that right?”

“…..State your demands. I will not listen to your flattery.”

“Understood, then shall I ask what I want.”

Raidorl reached into his pocket and pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment from the inside pocket of his jacket.

“I am willing to fight the Empire if you accept the terms of my oath. If my brother, who is now king, is willing to do what his poor younger brother, who was driven from his birthplace, asks……”

“…..”

When Raidorl says with a clownishly amused tone, Granard gives him a silent, reproachful look and verbally urges him to read it quickly.

Glaring at his brother king, Raidorl unfolded a rolled up piece of parchment.

“I, Raidorl Zain, shall fight to defend the Kingdom of Zain from the Arslanian Empire if you agree to the following conditions.”

“………”

Raidorl stands tall and reads the text on the oath in a stern tone.

Granard, Lockwood and all the nobles present listen silently to the words being spun as they flow.

“『Condition One: King Granard shall guarantee the safety of the Raidorl within the Kingdom of Zain.』”

“Hm…..”

On hearing the first condition, Granard raised one eyebrow and snorted.

The contempt in Granard’s eyes deepened. Perhaps he thought that Raidorl was afraid that his brother would betray him.

“『Condition Two, the Crown shall pay 100,000 gold coins in aid to the frontier city of Raid, which is governed by Raidorl.』”

“Jyu, 100,000……!”

A trembling voice was uttered by a man of noble birth with a fat belly and a sweating forehead.

The man, who holds the position of Minister of Finance in the royal court, calculates the amount of the reward demanded by Raidorl on the abacus in his head.

One hundred thousand gold coins is one tenth of the Zain kingdom’s national budget.

For a country with a huge financial resource in the form of tax revenue from its people, it was not an amount that could not be paid, but even so, it was not a cheap sum.

‘And now, moreover, it is wartime. It’s a headache when you think about the post-war reconstruction costs……’

Lockwood gave the sweating Finance Minister a sideways glance and a sigh of sympathy.

He feels sincere pity for his colleague, who is gaining weight from stress, but he still can’t help him out.

One hundred thousand gold coins is a lot of money, but it is not an undeserved amount for the aid to the frontier city that continues to protect its southern border from demons. It is rather strange that the royal court has so far provided no assistance to the adventurer towns guarding the borders.

“『Condition three, all property acquired by Raidorl in the war shall be the property of Raidorl, and the Crown shall not be able to demand its delivery.』”

“Hmmm ……?”

Lockwood tilted his head.

It’s a condition he doesn’t understand. Treasure and prisoners of war taken from the imperial army and taken for themselves. That is, well, a natural right, but he doesn’t understand why Raidorl would bother to remind them of it as a condition.

‘Does His Highness, by any chance, have any goods he’s after? What on earth is he thinking……’

Lockwood twisted his head, unable to read Raidorl’s thoughts. However, the untranslatable demands continued.

“『Condition Four, the Raidorl shall have the right to determine the treatment of prisoners of war captured by the Raidorl in the war.』”

‘Again……Another odd condition. What is His Highness thinking?’

It is becoming dimly apparent that Raidorl has a straightforward plot, but Lockwood doesn’t know what its purpose is.

Aside from aid money, what is the purpose of demanding goods and prisoners of war? If he wants a reward, he should clearly state that as a condition.

Lockwood crosses his arms and ponders. And the elder brother King Granard, who listens to his brother’s words in silence.

Raidorl looks at both of them in turn and takes a huffing breath.

“And …… this is the last condition. 『Condition five, King Granard nominates his brother Raidorl as Crown Prince, to be the next King of the Kingdom.』”

“……!”

At these words, the air in the audience chamber froze.

“Are you an idiot!? Do you know what you are saying!?

It was Lockwood who first shouted.

The sight of the normally calm Prime Minister distraught made the nobles around him realise once again the seriousness of the situation.

The child, born some time after Raidorl was exiled to the frontier, was nominated as the Dauphin despite his young age, and was recognised by those around him as the next king.

The conditions demanded by Raidorl were like a clear statement that he would depose the prince and become the next king.

“No matter how much he may be your royal brother, it’s disrespectful! To address the king and demand to be  a king……!”

“………..”

Lockwood chokes up and Raidorl rolls up the parchment with the oath on it and rolls it around in his hands, as if he has said everything he needs to say.

The Prime Minister’s brow is furrowed at the sight of this tensionless figure, like a child playing with his hands.

“His Highness Raidorl……!”

“Raidorl.”

“……!”

Lockwood still tries to argue, but is frozen by Granard’s quiet voice.

The Prime Minister turned around and gulped and turned to his lord’s face.

“Raidorl, are you serious about this?”

There is no anger in Granard’s voice as he asks his brother. But no one here would expect him to remain calm.

Granard’s face was stained with hatred and murderous intent that he no longer intended to hide. His face, which has turned red like a demon’s from rage, is contorted as if he is about to curse his brother to death, who stands before him.

That would also be the case.

The condition that Raidorl demanded, that he be the next king, was not simply that he would take away the position of the current crown prince.

He is to become king in the event of the king’s death in a roundabout way, this could be taken as a declaration of war,[I will kill you and become the king myself.]

“The crown prince, the next king is my son Strauss!　I will not have you as my crown prince!”

The nobles present trembled at the argument which was uttered with murderous intent.

Granard had been known as a fair man since he had once served as the king’s deputy. His attitude towards his brother was absurd, but he was never narrow-minded as a king.

Many of those present had never seen such a Granard possessed by anger.

Depending on his reply, he might order the soldiers to kill Raidorl on the spot. Even the air of such a bleakness was made to smell, and angry voices were hurled at him.

“Aaa, Okay then. Ignore the last condition.”

“Ha…..?”

In response to his brother’s angry shouts, Raidorl simply dropped the condition. The palpable ease which he withdrew makes Granard look dumbfounded.

“ I don’t have to be crown prince. I’ll remove it.”

Raidorl said in a calm tone but his lips lifted nastily in a grin.

“hee……?”

Whose dazed voice was it?

When Raidorl simply dropped the condition, without showing any regret, those present all had disbelief in their eyes.

“I’m saying that if you don’t like it that much, I’ll drop the last condition. It’s not like I really wanted to be crown prince.”

With a calm tone, Raidorl took a brush and inkwell from his pocket. He unfolded the rolled parchment again and, without hesitation, crossed out the last condition.

“Okay, so the only conditions are the four above. That’s alright with you, brother?”

“Umm, mmm…yes……”

Granard, who had been furious and angry earlier, is now being snuffed out like a willow. He was so stunned that he unintentionally nodded his head in agreement with Raidorl’s words.

“Well, I’m glad you’re convinced. I’ll get you to sign the oath right away.”

‘So that was your aim……!’

When Raidorl smiles with his arms crossed in satisfaction, Lockwood realised what he was aiming for.

From the start, Raidorl had never expected Granard to offer him the title of crown prince.

Raidorl gambled to state the conditions that would be denied, and then simply withdrew them when he received Granard’s furious outrage, as he aimed to do. By doing so, he made it easier for other demands to be met.

‘His Highness Raidorl readily conceded to the conditions. If he takes advantage of this and presses for further concessions, it will make His Majesty look small.’

Not all of the nobles present were loyal to Granard.

Although they ostensibly follow Granard, the king, some are willing to turn on the enemy if they see an opening, partly because of the imperial invasion.

Granard could not afford to show that he was a small king in front of those who might betray him at any moment.

Granard seems to have come to the same conclusion as Lockwood, and accepts Raidorl’s claim with a bitter face.

“…. fine. I’m fine with those conditions. I’ll have the mark brought to you at once, just wait a little.”

“There’s no need for that, Brother.”

Granard tried to order his men to bring him a seal to be used for official contracts, but Raidorl stops him away.

“We are blood brothers. Then let us conclude the contract in a manner befitting that.”

“A manner befitting a brother?　You’re not going to give me a verbal promise?”

“If that makes you feel more secure, that’s fine, but…… well, let’s say we make a contract here with a blood seal.”

“Blood seal…..”

Granard wrinkled his brow.

As the name suggests, a blood seal is a contract signed in one’s own blood. Although it is not a legal means and has no official binding force, the contract is heavy because it uses one’s own blood instead of ink. Disobeying a contract signed with a blood seal is nothing less than an act of dishonouring the dignity of the soul.

“Your Highness,…… may I say this, but to ask His Majesty Granard, the King, to shed blood is an act of disrespect.”

There will be no disrespect now, but Lockwood will complain bitterly.

The Prime Minister, who has been looking a bit worn out since this audience began, smiles wryly and spreads his hands out.

“Is that so?　Indeed, my brother is the king at the top of this country. I may be royalty, but I am only a lord on the frontier. There is probably as much difference in our positions as there is between the heavens and the abyss. But now we have to face the national crisis of the imperial invasion together. Isn’t it natural for us to reconnect our brotherly bonds?”

“That’s true, but is there such a thing…?”

“Blood brothers enter into a covenant of faith with a covenant of blood. I can think of no more fitting means.”

Raidorl stuck his right thumb in his mouth and bit off the tip of his finger with his canine teeth without hesitation. He then used the oozing blood to inscribe his name on the oath in a silky, smooth manner.

“Done, I have written my name. What about you, brother?”

“Mu……”

When confronted with an oath inscribed with a red blood mark, Granard becomes even more grim-faced.

[I am willing to shed blood. What about you?]　He felt as if he had been provoked in that way.

“Well, if you really don’t want to be in pain, then regular ink is fine. I won’t force you.”

“…. don’t make fun of me. Who is afraid of this level of fear? I never said I wouldn’t sign anything.”

Granard ordered his knight to bring the oath from Raidorl’s hand, and he did the same, biting off the tip of his finger and writing his name.

King Granard Zain and his royal brother Raydor Zain. The names of the two royals are written in blood.

The oath with their names on it passed through the hands of the knight and was returned to Raidorl’s hand again.

“Now you have nothing to complain about, Raidorl. Your terms are accepted. You will fight the Empire as you promised.”

“Yes, of course. Our deal is done………『Activation』.”

“Nah…!”

Raidorl briefly mumbled the words of a spellbook. The next moment, the oath is engulfed in black flames in his hand. The black flame that burnt the oath split in two and became a fist-sized fireball, which pierced the chests of Raidorl and Granard respectively.

“…………”

“Gah……!”

Raidorl accepts the black flame without blinking. Granard, by contrast, clutched his chest and rolled off his throne.

“Your Majesty!”

Lockwood cries out in horror, and the other nobles scream and shout in bewilderment. The audience chamber was instantly filled with angry shouts and clamour.

“……Now the deal is done. Now, brace yourself. My fangs are deep, brother.”

Raidorl murmured so loudly that no one could hear him, and a cold smile appeared on his mouth.

“Guards! Seize that wolf!”

Prime Minister Lockwood Marcell rushed to the fallen king and gave the knights a sharp order.

The knights of the Kingsguard, who had been frozen by the unusual situation suddenly arose in the audience chamber, reflexively obeyed the order.

Three Kingsguard knights leap at Raidorl from the left, right and rear in unison.

“Ha! Too slow, too slow!”

“Ugh ……!?”

Raidorl grabs the arm of a knight who jumps on him from the right and uses his opponent’s momentum to throw him away and the one of the knights is blown away as they fold in on top of each other.

“Fu!”

Only one knight remains. As the Kingsguard knight attempted to pin the Raidorl down from behind, Raidorl turned around and unleashed a fist.A sharp blow with enough hip rotation struck the knight’s chin and shook his brain violently.

“Gi, ah …… kisa, ma …..”

“Go back to sleep.”

“Gah!”

The knight, who fell forward, still manages to raise himself up to catch the wolf who has harmed the king. Raidorl stomped mercilessly on the head of the loyal Kingsguard knight, causing him to fall into a coma this time.

All three knights, who were defeated in less than a few seconds, were chosen for the Kingsguard and are the most elite warriors in the Kingdom of Zain.

Looking down at their fallen state, Raidorl lamentably covers his face with his hands.

“How can the knights of the Kingsguard be this bad!　No wonder this kingdom is dying!”

“Have you lost your mind?, Your Highness……!　I urge you not to put up any more resistance!”

Lockwood releases a warning voice as he helps Granard up.

Hearing the commotion in the audience chamber, soldiers rush through the door and surround Raidorl at a distance.

“What have you done to His Majesty the King!　This is an act of high treason.”

“Treason ……? I just signed a contract, you know?”

“If you do not intend to respond seriously, I will detain you!　After all that you have done, you cannot expect to be treated as royalty!”

No matter how strong Raidorl was, he was outnumbered on this occasion. If all the soldiers were to get involved at once, he would eventually be captured. And what awaits him after that is treatment as prisoners of war.

Despite being confronted with such a future, Raidorl does not break his smile.

He looks mockingly at Lockwood, who is standing by Granard’s side, and sticks up his middle finger provocatively.

“If you can do it, do it!　Only if you are prepared to lose your king!”

“What……!”

“『Condition One: King Granard shall guarantee the safety of the Raidorl within the Kingdom of Zain.』”

“Is that the wording of the oath you just swore…..?”

“Aa, yes.”

Lockwood’s eyes narrowed dubiously, and Raidorl nodded.

“The deal is already made. Disobey and he will be punished.”

“That means…..”

Raidorl says in a taunting manner. Lockwood’s face paled as he realised what the traitor in front of him was trying to say.

“Does that mean……you’ve put a covenant curse on me?”

“Your Majesty Granard…..”

Granard raises himself up and glares at Raidorl.

Granard is dressed in luxurious clothes as a king, but his chest is bare since it had been burned off.

His bare skin was marked with red emblems, as if he had been hit with a burning iron. It was an eerie pattern of a serpent snake coiled around a sword.

“That’s how it is. On each other.”

Raidorl’s chest was also burned by the flames and stripped bare, with the exact same crest as Granard’s on his well-proportioned, muscled chest.

“Do you not realise the meaning of what you have done? to curse me, the….. king, how could you be this foolish?”

The tone in Granard’s voice contained not only anger, but also questions about his foolish brother.

The 『Curse of the Covenant』, which compels certain behaviours, is a widely known magic technique, used to punish criminals and to subjugate slaves. The coercive force is so strong that some punishments can even lead to death if the offender disobeys.

However, the curses are never permanent. They can be lifted if the appropriate steps are taken.

“I don’t know what curse you have cast, but it will be lifted as soon as the court magicians gather. All that will be left is the crime you committed, Raidorl!”

“Maybe. But I wouldn’t trust you otherwise. Brother.”

“That’s…..”

“You have an idea of how to lose credibility, don’t you? It wasn’t me who betrayed you, it was you, you know?”

He no longer intends to mend. Raidorl turns the blade of his words against his own brother.

Publicly accused of banishing him from Royal Capital to the frontier, Granard narrows his eyes and sincerely laments Raidorl’s folly.

“’If you had done as I told you…..as you were, I would have let you live, no matter how much of an eyesore you were. Are you getting carried away now that you’re the Holy Sword Excalibur Holder? Did you think you had surpassed me as king?”

“Well, I don’t know, do you?　I don’t feel I have the right to explain that to you.”

Granard was beyond angry and disgusted by Raidorl’s playful attitude, moreover Raidorl did not want to listen to him. He even feels pity for him.

To Granard, Raidorl is an abominable being chosen by the holy sword Dáinsleif. He was a threat to his throne, and an infuriating opponent.

That said, Granard did not actively want to kill his brother.

If he had really disliked Raydor, he could have assassinated him instead of sending him to the frontier.

“……fine. I’ll honour the contract. You do what you want with what you have taken from the Empire. I will also provide aid to the frontier cities. But I will never forgive you for putting a curse on me. If you defeat the empire, you will have to prepare yourself for a suitable punishment!”

“Really? Then I’ll fight the Empire seriously too. I’ll show you how I’m going to save this country, and you’ll think you’re on a big ship.”

Raidorl flutters and waves one hand in the air as he tries to leave the audience chamber. The soldiers surrounding him naturally make way.

‘Prepare yourself? That’s my line, brother.’

They have already declared war. There is no need to hide their hostility, it’s time to rebel.

What has been taken from him, he will take back. He will crush those who have taken from him.

‘I will never let anyone take from me again.’

That is Raidorl’s belief, who was sent to the frontier after his place was taken away from him, and it is a pride that no one can compromise.

“….. I was not wrong in banishing you to the frontier!　The first king, the previous holder of the Dáinsleif, also killed his brother and founded this country!”

“…………”

With Granard’s voice at his back, Raidorl leaves the throne room without looking back.

This was the moment when the two brothers of the Zain royal blood were decisively separated.

〇　　　　　　　　　〇　　　　　　　　　〇

“Your Highness! Why did you do that!”

Raidorl leaves the audience chamber and strides through the palace. Following behind him was Darren Garst, commander of the Kingdom’s army.

As he continues on his way, he glances sideways at Darren, who is questioning him.

“Why, I was just reminding him not to break the …..contract.”

“That said, you don’t know what kind of punishment you’ll get …… for putting a curse on the king!”

“Punishment? Hey, I don’t think it’s possible as long as the curse is in place.”

The curse of the oath prevents Granard from taking any action that would harm Raidorl. Until the curse is lifted, Raidorl’s safety is guaranteed.

“The curse of the covenant, for example, will soon be lifted by the court magician!　If that happens, His Majesty’s wrath will be directed mercilessly at His Highness. I beg you, please apologise to His Majesty ……”

“Heh, you care about me. That’s very kind of you.”

Raidorl blinked at him in surprise.

Darren’s father is Bazel Garst, a general in the Kingdom of Zain. Bazel was Granard’s confidant and one of the central figures in favour of Raidorl’s banishment.

“….. Indeed, my father was one of those who were in no small way involved in the banishment of His Highness. But that was only to prevent a succession struggle from breaking out because His Highness had become the Holder Excalibur, not because he had any grudge against His Highness.”

“Really? Whatever the reason is, I have no reason to forgive General Garst.”

“…my father knows that. My father was very saddened that His Highness was driven to the frontier to fight for our convenience.”

“….. I see.”

Raidorl nodded silently.

When the curse was placed on Granard in the audience chamber, the knights present attacked Raidorl. However, Darren, who should have been there, stood there without moving.

Perhaps the reason Darren did not actively act to harm Raidorl was because he had his own thoughts on the matter.

‘Is it sympathy or…..another emotion? Either way, though, I won’t condone you if you ultimately side with my brother.’

“The castle gate isn’t that way, is it?　Where are you going, your highness?”

“…………””

Darren sounded suspicious of Raidorl, who was heading in the wrong direction, making him think he was going straight out of the castle.

Without looking back at Darren, Raidorl walked silently and eventually arrived in front of a room.

“This is….”

It was the room where the national treasure, the Dáinsleif, is enshrined.

In front of the room were two knights,surprised by the sudden appearance of Raidorl and Darren.

“Your Highness, Raidorl……! Sorry, this room…… without His Majesty’s permission.”

“Looks like it’s locked. The key is….. there?”

“Guh!?”

The knight tried to stop Raidorl from putting his hand on the door of the room, but his fist was mercilessly driven into his face. The knight was hit so hard that he spun around and fell to the floor as if in a heap.

Raidorl took the key from the knight’s waist and inserted it into the keyhole.

“’Wh-what…..!?”

The other knight panicked and put his hand on his sword. Darren tapped the knight on the shoulder.

“…..Enough. Stop it.”

“Darren Garst the Thousand Horsemen!　But this is clearly……”

“Don’t worry. I take full responsibility for it. It is nothing for you to worry about.”

“…… Yes, sir. We have seen nothing. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to take my colleague who fell asleep to the infirmary.”

Seeing the resigned look on Darren’s face, the knight seemed to have some idea of what was going on. He let go of the sword at his waist and disappeared across the corridor, dragging the unconscious knight with him.

Raidorl opens the door and slides into the room.

This is the first time he has been in the 『Room of the Holy Sword』since his coming-of-age ceremony. The room, with its white marble walls and floor, is almost unchanged from five years ago. What is different is that the jet-black Holy Sword is still on the pedestal in the centre of the room.

The holy sword that Raidorl pulled out could not be thrust back in, and it would have taken several people to place the sword, which weighed as much as a huge stone, on the pedestal for anyone other than the chosen.

A torrent of black miasma was spewing from the sword at the force of a storm, raging in the room.

“This is……kuuk!”

Darren groans in horror and clutches his chest.

The miasma rising from the Holy Sword is like a whirlpool, churning the air in the room, raging like a miniature tornado.

Struck by the black winds, Darren kneels down unbearably.

‘”Ggh …… force is ……”

“Take it easy. This is a cursed wind that takes away your strength. If you try to force yourself to stand, you will wilt and die.”

“Your Highness Raidorl……!?”

Raidorl walks without hesitation through the black storm of holy swords. The cursed winds beat against his body, but the king’s brother continues to walk without moving an eyebrow.

Eventually, Raidorl reaches the pedestal and grips the holy sword that is spreading the miasma.

“You’re very excited, aren’t you? Are you that happy to see me again?”

A strong wind blew out from the sword as if in protest,which became a blade and sliced through Raidorl’s cheek.

“Your Highness!”

“It’s okay. Just a sweet bite.”

Raidorl chuckles. The wound on his cheek is shallow, and in a few days it will have disappeared without a trace.

The Holy Sword is not really resisting. It is not trying to hurt him.

“He’s…..sulking. He is just having a tantrum at the fact that the man he has chosen as his Excalibur Holder has left him alone for five years.”

Raidorl slowly strokes the hilt of his Dáinsleif, as if to soothe a crying child.

“Welcome to my hand after five years. Holy Sword Dáinsleif!”

Ignoring the blood running down his cheek, Raidorl lifted the holy sword from its pedestal.

The black holy sword, which no one had been able to pull out since the first king, was once again in Raidorl’s hands.

The storm that had raged through the room blew away. Instead, a jet-black aura, like an elaborate night darkness, swirled around Dáinsleif.

“Oh ……!”

An unintentional voice escapes Darren’s mouth.

The emotion in his voice was a mix of fear and admiration.

“Am I witnessing a passage from the ….. heroic tale?　Does this mean this is the moment a new hero is born?”

Shaking his shoulders, Darren bowed as if praying to God.

He was dealing with a man who had cursed the king he served, a conspiratorial criminal. Knowing this, he couldn’t help but show his respect.

His soul as a knight and his pride as a warrior demanded the utmost respect for the hero born before him.

With the gaze of the commander at his back, Raidorl raised his holy sword high above his head.

〇　　　　　　　　　〇　　　　　　　　　〇

“Welcome home, master.”

Neimilia greeted Raidorl, who had returned to the mansion after retrieving the Holy Sword, with a prodigal, melting smile.

The sweet but beautiful expression on her face, like sugar candy, will captivate the opposite sex and even the same sex to the point of dreaming.

“Aaa.”

Despite such a smile being directed at him, Raidorl’s response is nonchalant.

He replied casually, but his gaze was directed at the [thing] lying on the floor, and he raised his eyebrows suspiciously.

“What’s that? Where did you pick that up from?”

“You can’t believe what I picked up! They came into the mansion without permission, so I got rid of them!”

Five men lie at the feet of Neimilia, who waves her hands in the air.

The men, all dressed in ragged clothes, which would not be seen in this section of the city where the nobility live, are all white eyed, foaming from their mouth and comatose.

“So? Who are these people?”

“According to the torture I have conducted, it seems that they are an assassin hired by the nobility of this country.”

“Assassins…..Oioi, did they come after my life right off the bat?”

Raidorl showed so much violence in the presence of the king. It’s no surprise that he was the target of assassins.

‘Even so, they’re moving too fast. I thought that even if Granard’s men were to move, it would be after they had finished analysing the curse I had placed on him…..’

The curse placed on Granard by Raidorl should have triggered when Granard took action in breach of his covenant with him.

‘Isn’t it too quick to attack me before the curse is lifted?’

“No, no, it seems these people were after me.”

“You……?”

“Yes, they were going to take me alive and take me somewhere.”

Neimilia’s words caused Raidorl to ponder for a moment, and eventually he came to one conclusion and snapped his fingers.

“Right, hostages!”

Raidorl is a hero chosen by the Holy Sword, a joker who can be said to hold the fate of this country in his own hands. There will be plenty of people in this country who want that power.

It is not clear whether their employer, a nobleman, is under the king’s thumb or acting on his own initiative.

Either way, they must have tried to seize Neimilia as a bargaining card against Raidorl.

“I see, that was a blind spot.”

It’s not that Raidorl had forgotten about Neimilia.

Because for Raidorl, Neimilia is not a ‘weak’ existence to be protected, and therefore the idea of being taken hostage had never occurred to him.

In the first place, Neymilia’s true identity is that of the 『Six Witches of Doom』, the demons who nearly destroyed the world. Although she has lost most of her power due to the 200 years of sealing, her power is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Even Raidorl, who has received the blessing of the Holy Sword, is unsure if he can win without the Dáinsleif.

“I see…..Maybe we should put someone on guard duty at the mansion from now on. If possible, I’d like adventurers from the frontier cities to come here……”

The adventurers of the pioneering city of Raid are trusted comrades-in-arms who have eaten from the same pot together. They are far more reliable than the small, clean-cut, beautiful knights who guard the royal city.

However, they are responsible for preventing the influx of demons from the southern jungle and will not be able to leave the frontier city easily.

This is even more the case now that Raidorl, who was the best force in the pioneering city, has left the town.

‘Once the battle with the Empire is over, I will have to face my brother. I’d like to have at least a couple more usable limbs. …..’

Having said that, this is Granard’s territory. Not many will take sides with Raidorl.

Even if some ostensibly take his side, it does not necessarily mean that they are not under the breath of the Granard or the nobility.

‘If there is a chance, it is this fight against the Empire. If I achieve tangible results here, people might even betray Granard and join me.’

For this to happen, the results must be overwhelming.

Victory is an absolute requirement, but it must be more than a crushing defeat.

He must take credit for pulling the heads of his general, Darren Garst, and the other soldiers of the Kingdom’s army.

‘Then there’s only one head to take……the Enemy’s Holy Sword holder!’

“Well, with everything is happening, Master. Which would you like to have, a bath or a meal? Or is it still me? It’s me, isn’t it”

“You never know when my brother’s hand will strike. So be on your guard for a while and stay out of my bed.”

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!?”

The cry came back more astonished than expected.

Raidorl held both ears at the sheer volume of the cry, and his body was thrown back significantly.