CH 190

“Extraordinary insight? You flatter me, Your Majesty,” Princess Lilisain said.

“Not at all. I have never imagined that you would have such a good eye for people, Princess. Please consider what I said earlier a slip of the tongue,” Luke said.

“No, that was my fault. I have failed to recognize the knight among knights. It was entirely the fault and the sin of this incompetent one. I shall wash away my offense with my blade,” Princess Lilisain declared.

“I look forward to it, Princess!” Luke exclaimed in response.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Princess Lilisain returned the gesture in kind.

‘They are on the same wavelength.’

One could easily mistake the two for long-time friends. Eugene was speechless as Luke and Lilisain gazed at each other with eyes burning with fervor and passion.

Eugene wanted to lash out and reject everything they had said. Sadly, it wasn’t that simple. Even though Luke was his aide, he was now the King of Brantia. Rejecting the king’s orders where so many of his nobles were present would be no different from ignoring the king’s authority. Moreover, Eugene himself had placed Luke on Brantia’s throne. He couldn’t possibly do something tantamount to disrespecting the king.

He could only accept it.

Afterward, Eugene spoke up, “Princess Lilisain.”

“Please give me your orders,” Princess Lilisain jumped to her feet and exclaimed. Her controlled, disciplined attitude reminded one of a trained soldier rather than a princess. In addition, the way she looked at Eugene was quite unusual.

‘Dammit. At least she has some skills. She won’t hold us back.’

Eugene continued, “Prepare to depart with Sir Pranbow.”

“Honor. Master, let us go,” Princess Lilisain replied before turning to face Pranbow. “Huh? I don’t even know what’s going on anymore.” Pranbow shook his head and followed Princess Lilisain out of the office.

Eugene stared at the disappearing figure of Princess Lilisain, who was burning with passion and spirit. He finally gave up and came to accept the situation. He turned his head. “Phew. Lanslo, how many troops do we have available to mobilize?”

Lanslo replied without hesitation, proving his qualifications as the supreme commander in Eugene’s absence. “We have about one hundred heavy infantries and about twenty knights, including those currently here. I can call for all beowulf warriors except those who have gone up North. If you think that won’t be enough, we can gather knights and squad captains on our way.”

“What about Edmund and Randolph?” Eugene asked.

Lanslo responded, “I think it would be better for Sir Edmund to serve as the captain of the royal guard and for Sir Randolph to serve as the captain of the capital’s guards. We will have to leave some troops behind anyway.”

“Fine. Then we will depart right away. We will only take five days’ worth of food and drinking water. We will make up for what we lack on our way,” Eugene declared.

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

Now that he had stepped on the pot of shit known as Lilisain, he had to do everything possible to avoid the pit of dung known as the imperial prince of the Roman Empire. As such, Eugene decided to speed up.

“Lanslo, I will leave the heavy infantry to you. Gather the knights and the beowulfs within an hour,” Eugene commanded.

“Master, are you planning to leave first?” Luke asked with a startled expression.

Eugene nodded. “That’s right.”

Luke continued in a worried voice, “But we don’t know how many of the Bayman Orcs we will be facing. It could be dangerous, master.”

The nobles followed suit. “His Majesty is right, Your Excellency.”

“I do not doubt the capabilities of Your Excellency and the other sirs, but the Bayman Orcs are a race of warriors who once conquered this land.”

“Indeed. It would seem right to depart only after full preparation, Your Excellency.”

Eugene was a vampire, the highest-ranking noble of the undead. As long as he continued to feed on blood, he would never tire. Therefore, there wouldn’t be any issues with him departing right after returning from his previous journey.

However, apart from the fact that he would be facing the Bayman Orcs, thorough preparation was required for any type of war. In that respect, the nobles were right.

But Eugene remained adamant in his decision…

“Who among you here has battled against the Bayman Orcs before?” Eugene asked.

“Uh…”

“No one, right?” Eugene asked once more.

“T-That’s right,” The nobles bowed their heads after sharing glances. It wasn’t only them; it was also unlikely that their predecessors once fought against the Bayman Orcs. Eugene continued, “I have fought with the Tolo family, one of the tribes of the Bayman Orcs.”

“What?!”

“I-Is that really true?”

The nobles became wide-eyed with shock. They knew that Eugene had been away from the castle for a while, but they had never imagined that he had done such a thing. Luke and Lanslo nodded in affirmation, and the nobles gawked at Eugene with astonishment.

“Right now, I am the only person here who knows about the power and the true force of the Bayman Orcs. Do you really think that I would act without thinking?” Eugene asked them.

“…”

“Sirs…” Eugene called out while looking around at the nobles with a cold gaze before continuing, “Who do you all think I am?”

“...!”

This was just how people were—no matter how familiar you were with someone, your familiarity would start to dilute with the passage of time during that person’s absence. It wasn’t surprising that these nobles, prestigious enough to handle the nation’s affairs by the king’s side, would become somewhat arrogant and haughty over time.

As such, they had forgotten about it for a moment. They had forgotten how the red-eyed figure standing before them had taken Brantia by storm.

‘T-That’s right. This man is the Duke of Batla!’

“As you wish, Your Excellency!” the nobles surrendered and shouted in unison. A mixture of fear and relief filled their hearts. They feared Eugene, knowing he was a cruel monarch, but they were relieved that he was on their side.

***

Eugene led a group of knights and beowulf warriors through the back of the royal castle.

“Haha! Finally, we’re going to fight again!”

“That’s right! My body has been madly itching after staying put for such a long time!”

The knights were in high spirits and morale. They had been itching to fight after resting in the castle for nearly a month while doing nothing but training. They had been granted their own territories, or manors according to their achievements, but the young, energetic knights couldn’t accept retiring and living out the rest of their lives in peace and comfort. In addition, their commander was an undefeated knight, and he was once again taking control of them.

The knights were already addicted to the smell of victory and the battlefield. There was no reason they wouldn’t choose to comply with Eugene’s summons.

Hiyaah! Ha! Haaa!

The knights were brimming with excitement after leaving the city in a while. Their excitement affected Princess Lilisain as well.

“Spirit! Energy! Amazing! I can tell they’re strong just by looking at them!” Princess Lilisain shouted.

Pranbow nodded in agreement next to her. “They are excellent knights. Princess, It will be impossible to drive a sword through their armor without using Aura.”

“Is it the same for the beowulfs?” Princess Lilisain asked.

“That’s right. Their plate coats are at least twice as thicker and heavier than our armors and the human knights. I can’t guarantee victory if four of five of them attacked me at once,” Pranbow responded.

Even in Eland, the beowulfs were famous for their strength. However, there was a huge difference between hearing stories and actually seeing their prowess in person.

‘How amazing! Truly incredible!’

Princess Lilisain looked at the beowulf warriors with awe. As soon as they left the city, the beowulfs had transformed into lycanthropes and left to scout ahead. Her respect for the man responsible for uniting the strong knights and warriors grew even larger, and her dark emerald eyes were fixated on the person in question as they burned even brighter.

“Princess…”

“…”

“Princess?” Hoho. Princess Lilisain!” Pranbow raised his voice.

“Heup! A big mistake. I beg for your forgiveness, Master.” Princess Lilisain came to her senses and bowed in apology.

Pranbow sighed, noticing the reason for her trance. “Phew! Princess, do you like the duke that much?”

“Yes, Master,” she answered without hesitation.

Of course, as a knight and a warrior!

“Hmm…” Pranbow took on a solemn expression, and his eyes sank coldly. He had known her since she was introduced to this world, and he had guided her in swordsmanship for twenty years. However, this was the first time he saw her express such interest in anyone.

‘The princess is supposed to become the king’s partner, but things are flowing in an unexpected direction. Huhu.’

Lilisain had always been an unusual girl since she was young. Even though she possessed an extraordinary visage that had always been a hot topic even among the beautiful elves, she never showed interest in prettying herself. Instead, she only admired and pursued strength and power.

However, that was just the start of her peculiarity. When other princesses took rabbits, puppies, or small mountain birds as pets, Lilisain headed into the mountain and returned with a kobold cub, saying that it was cute and adorable.

When other princesses learned embroidery, she bolted through the mountains and fields, devoting herself to hunting monsters and predators, saying that physical strength and stamina accurately reflected the nation’s strength.

Her peculiar personality caused everyone else to avoid her, but Pranbow truly cherished the princess. In addition, he discovered that the young princess had an unusual talent with the blade.

As such, he was both worried and regretful that her gaze toward Eugene was burning with such fervor. Still, he couldn’t simply jump to conclusions. As such, he asked in a low voice, “Princess. How much do you like the duke?”

“…!” Princess Lilisain hesitated before responding with an even more intense expression, “I want to be next to him.”

Naturally, to fight by his side for a long time! What could be more honorable than fighting alongside such an accomplished knight?! Moreover, if she remained by the duke’s side, then…

“Kieeeeeeee! Subordinate number one! Hit it! Go, go! Kieeeeeehh!”

Princess Lilisain’s gaze came to rest on the spirit, who was letting out an adorable scream while hanging off of Silion’s mane.

‘That child. I want it! I want to bite those cheeks forever!’

Of all the spirits she had ever seen; rather, as the first spirit she had ever seen, Lilisain had never laid eyes on a creature that could compare with the spirit in terms of cuteness. Princess Lilisain’s eyes filled with desire, and her breathing became ragged. Eventually, she uttered a phrase faithful to her instincts, “A sincere longing for possession.”

“Is it to that degree? Hu… Huhuhu…” Pranbow muttered. It was absurd and horrifying, but Pranbow had confirmed the sincerity of the princess he cherished so much. He could prevent a poignant smile from appearing on his face.

‘It’s said that the flow of mana and emotions are equally unpredictable. What should I do about this?’

The elven princess gawked at the awe-inspiring knight and his spirit with hungry eyes, and the swordmaster looked on with anguish.

***

“Welcome to Brantia, the land overseen by the spirits, Your Highness Localope.”

“Thank you very much for your hospitality, Your Majesty Crawlmarine.”

The imperial family of the Roman Empire, and in particular, the direct descendants of the emperor, held the same status as the kings of other countries. It wasn’t written anywhere or held in law, but it had been customary for a long time.

“Haha! I have heard the stories of your adventures to the glorious throne. They were very exciting to hear,” Localope said.

“It’s nothing. The great spirits of the land were looking after me, and His Excellency Duke Batla had led me in the right direction,” Luke responded.

“Oh, my! You’re modest as well. The king’s bravery and honor as a knight are widespread as well,” Localope continued.

“I’m flattered,” Luke responded. The two men were seated side by side, and they continued their friendly conversation. The other knights and nobles attending the feast also conversed while stealing glances at the two figures.

“Ehem. No matter how much I think about it, this is weird. It’s very suspicious,” Pythamoras muttered while scrutinizing Localope. He disliked the hustle and bustle of a large gathering, but he had no choice but to attend the welcoming feast as the king’s wizard.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Lanslo asked while keeping his eyes glued on the imperial prince. He was also attending the banquet for the same reason, though both he and Pythamoras were seated in a relatively quiet place.

“What else? I’m talking about the imperial prince,” Pythamoras answered.

“What about the imperial prince? Ah, is he a fake?” Lanslo whispered.

Pythamoras shook his head, “No, the prince’s attire and the armor of his entourage are undoubtedly from the Roman Empire. Moreover, I spoke to the knights earlier in the empire’s language. They were very fluent, so they couldn’t be fake.”

“Then what’s so strange about it?” Lanslo asked.

“Tsk, tsk! What kind of a place do you think the Roman Empire is? Would they come unannounced even though a direct descendant of the emperor is visiting personally? The imperial family there is completely obsessed with customs and formalities,” Pythamoras answered.

“Come to think of it; you have a point. If they’re here to offer their congratulations, it would have been natural for them to give us a notice in advance. Hmm…” Lanslo’s gaze turned sharp.

“Well, in this case, there’s only one possible explanation,” Pythamoras suddenly said.

“Hooh. And what is that?” Lanslo asked.

Pythamoras grinned as he stroked his coveted beard. “The imperial prince must be in some kind of trouble. And in all likelihood, he came here without receiving permission from the emperor.”

“What? No way…” Lanslo gasped.

“Tsk, tsk! Less than ten guards and only a single servant accompanying the emperor’s son? Even the lords of this shabby land would be accompanied by more attendants. Why do you think that is?” Pythamoras asked.

“…!” Lanslo became wide-eyed.

Pythamoras continued with a meaningful smile, “Either he ran away from home, or he escaped. It’s one or the other.”