Chapter 106

Chapter 106 – Conversations (I)

AN: This scene takes place at Duke Mavis’ residence in the Imperial City at the same time Wynn and the others were at Count Elstead’s Residence.

“Stacia! What on earth is going on here?” with a stern tone of voice that still maintained his dignity despite being flanked on both sides by armed knights, Lektor, the head of House Mavis, questioned Stacia, his eldest daughter.

With the attack on the goodwill delegation headed for the Kingdom of Lyon, it was unknown whether Prince Alfred was still alive. It was while sleeping at Duke Mavis’ residence in the imperial capital that Lektor received the news. As soon as he received the report, he immediately prepared himself and was about to head the imperial palace when Stacia appeared at the door of the mansion, accompanied by knights of the Central Knights Order, mostly young noblemen. Stacia ordered her knights to restrain the bewildered Lektor and led him back to the mansion. Duke Mavis’ mansion was guarded by the knights of the duke’s family, but he could not imagine that the knights at his side, brought by Stacia, his first daughter, would do anything against him.

After their master, Lektor, was stopped, he was overpowered in less than half a minute, unable to do anything as far as he was concerned. He had been disarmed and was now under the surveillance of the Central Knights. After being sent back to his room, Lektor looked sternly at Stacia, who had a knight behind her.

“Stacia! What you’re doing is more than just a bad joke! At this moment it is unknown if the prince is still alive, so I don’t have time to deal with your games! You too! I’m a duke, and you guys have been rude to me. I’m sure Stacia made you play along, so I won’t accuse you of any crime. Stacia, you should refrain from behaving like this at this important time, when you are about to marry His Highness Neumann. If he finds out, the engagement affair could end up being annulled.”

However, Stacia opened her mouth without changing her expression, even in the face of the Lektor’s strong accusation.

“No, Father. His Highness Neumann is aware of this matter. In fact, it has been his idea, and I am merely following his instructions, meeting you here.”

“…What do you mean?”

“With the news of the death of His Royal Highness Prince Alfred… My heart is filled with grief, and I feel as if it is being torn apart. Also, for his dear brother, His Royal Highness Prince Neumann, I can only imagine how he must feel. This is beyond my ability to comprehend.” Stacia made an exaggerated gesture and covered her mouth with the hand fan in her hand. However, despite what she was saying, her eyes had a cold light in them.

Even though she was his own daughter, Lektor felt a chill run down his spine.

“His Highness Neumann has sworn to the Goddess Anastasia that he will try to fulfill the Crown Prince’s last will. News of the Crown Prince’s survival will soon reach the Imperial Capital. But those are nothing but fallacies…”

“…”

“The bandits who murdered the Crown Prince and the double faker will invade the Imperial City and hope to usurp the throne. His Highness Neumann has risen to thwart that vile plot.”

“…So, they’re planning such a thing.”

“Yes, father.” Stacia gave her father a bright smile.

In other words, the second prince, Neumann —and by extension, his benefactor, Marquis Cliffdorf— were the ringleaders of this affair. Prince Neumann’s maternal family, the family of Countess Gaunaherz, was a related family to the Cliffdorfs. If Alfred was buried, Neumann’s claim to the throne would place him in second position. This would bring him closer to the position of emperor. Therefore, he would attribute the blame for the attack to his political rival, Count Elstead.

Originally, Count Elstead’s faction was small, but recently, he had developed a close relationship with Alfred and was becoming a central figure in the Crown Prince’s faction.

Marquis Cliffdorf, who had unseated his rival, Marquis Reinhardt, had built up a large force within the Order. It was also rumored within social circles that his faction was growing greatly while gaining strength within the court as well.

Looking back, was it not Marquis Cliffdorf who insisted that the goodwill delegation headed to the Kingdom of Lyon include the southern territories as a detour, where Count Elstead was located? It was thought to be a proposal to inspire the lords and armies of the frontier in view of the tensions on the border with the Kingdom of Petersia, but with the current situation, it was a story that left many questions unanswered.

Count Elstead, a political rival, would receive a visit from the crown prince, who would be the next emperor. Marquis Cliffdorf would not normally allow such a thing, much less advise it. Marquis Cliffdorf’s real purpose was to harm Prince Alfred in Count Elstead’s territory and to blame him for the crime.

“His Highness Neumann has already ordered His Excellency General Welt, Commander of the Central Knights, to strengthen the security of the various parts of the Imperial Capital. And he is preparing to launch an army at any moment to defeat the foolish one who rose up against the imperial family.”

It was an understatement to say that they guarded the various parts of the Imperial Capital, as, in other words, they probably suppressed the high nobles, officials and court magicians who did not belong to the Cliffdorf faction. Like the residence of Duke Mavis. Perhaps even the Imperial Palace. Emperor Alexei and First Princess Cornelia, of course. Were the other members of the imperial family also under house arrest?

However, even if Prince Alfred had lost his life, that did not mean that the second Prince Neumann could assume the position of crown prince. There was another person who had a greater claim to the throne than Prince Neumann: the First Princess Cornelia. She was second in line to the throne and, if Prince Alfred’s death was confirmed, she would be enthroned as crown princess.

Princess Cornelia was seventeen years old. Since she was not yet eighteen years of age, which was the official age at which the imperial family could begin to perform official duties, an interim emperor would be needed in the event of Emperor Alexei’s death. However, the interim emperor would only be able to exercise full authority for one year, until Princess Cornelia turned 18. That would be of no use to Marquis Cliffdorf, who planned to seize control of the entire Lemmrousell Empire.

While thinking about it, Lektor began to see the situation from another perspective: Marquis Cliffdorf had a son close in age to Princess Cornelia. If he could get his son to become Princess Cornelia’s fiancé, then he could exercise power as a relative. So, was that exactly what Marquis Cliffdorf wanted?

The Second Prince Neumann was simply being used to eliminate Prince Alfred. Rather, if he succeeded in killing Prince Alfred and Count Elstead, Marquis Cliffdorf could eliminate Prince Neumann by accusing him of being the one who masterminded this plot. Prince Neumann would naturally expect to be granted the emperor’s position, and would be dissatisfied if that did not happen. The fewer people who knew the secret, the better, and the more likely it would be that Prince Neumann would be eliminated quickly. And the same would be true of Stacia, who would be Prince Neumann’s wife.

The reason Marquis Cliffdorf took Stacia in was probably to suppress Duke Mavis, who was the leader of one of the most prestigious families in the Empire. He also thought he would use her to do something against Lektor’s youngest daughter Leticia.

Leticia was strong. However, her father, Lektor, had never seen her true power, despite being his own daughter. But, in addition to her achievements in defeating the Demon King, he learned that during the coup d’état of General Zaunas, who had previously been head of the knight school, Leticia appeared in the middle of the confrontation between the knights and the rebels, and simply stood there and spoke to them, forcing them to retreat. Those present at the scene felt as if they were facing an army of more than ten thousand people, even though it was only Leticia. Even with so many allies, they did not feel they could win. There was no way to win against such a unique existence as Leticia’s if she got serious in combat. The only way to get rid of her was to use tricks. It was likely that Stacia would be forced to play the role of hostage. Since Stacia probably didn’t realize she was being used, Lektor lowered his shoulders and let out a big sigh.

“I see… you’re serious about His Highness Neumann…”

However, Lektor didn’t dare point it out to Stacia. As soon as Stacia realized that Marquis Cliffdorf was using her, he would eliminate her. If she was no longer useful, there would be no reason to keep her alive. While guessing what plans the second prince Neumann and Stacia had, Lektor decided to carefully probe into Marquis Cliffdorf’s thoughts.

“A bandit army… no, enough with the charade. There is a great difference in strength between Count Elstead’s army and Marquis Cliffdorf, who has the Central Knights under his command. If they were to fight, Marquis Cliffdorf would surely be victorious. However, I have heard that the commander of the Knights of the Southern Sector has a close relationship with Count Elstead. If he were to come to their aid, the difference in forces would be covered to some extent and the battle would be prolonged. There is no way Petersia, which shares a border with us, would pass up such an opportunity. As for the location, wouldn’t Cliffdorf territory be the first target?”

“Don’t worry, father. My wise and powerful Highness Neumann has already taken care of that as well.”

“It can’t be possible…”

“A messenger arrived earlier on behalf of the King of Petersia, who was very impressed by His Highness Neumann’s desire to avenge the Crown Prince, and promised his generous help.”

Lektor’s eyes widened at those words.

“Nonsense! That alone will allow Petersia to intervene in our country!”

It was beyond the worst Lektor could have imagined.

To gain power, they instigated Prince Neumann to eliminate Crown Prince Alfred. Marquis Cliffdorf would then name his own son as the betrothed of Princess Cornelia, who would become Crown Princess. Up to that point, he had only been a problem within the Empire. However, if foreign intentions were added to the struggle for succession to the imperial throne in the empire, it would be a different story. There was no example of improvement when a foreign country intervened in a country’s succession issue. In many cases, countries that are intervened are taken over by force sooner or later. This was something that the Lemmrousell Empire had done many times in the past when invading other countries.

Moreover, the Kingdom of Petersia, which was not directly invaded by the demons and was able to maintain its national power, was a country full of ambition that expanded its territory by invading neighboring countries when the war seemed to be over.

There was no way the matter could be settled with their help alone.

“Don’t worry, father. His Highness Neumann is well aware of Petersia’s stratagems. Of course, there will have to be a certain amount of payment for the help. But that is a trivial matter in the face of Prince Neumann’s noble aspirations. He will not allow them to interfere with anything beyond what they have given him in return.”

The question now was: how and how much would they be willing to give in return? Lektor wanted to shout out loud, but, in desperation, he restrained himself and made up his mind.

“…Stacia, release my bonds.”

“You still don’t understand, father. Therefore…”

“How is Your Majesty? I trust he is safe, right?”

“His Majesty is being guarded by Prince Neumann’s loyal knights in the inner sanctum of the Imperial Palace.”

“Well… let me say it again. Stacia, release my bonds.”

“Father, but then…”

“Don’t worry. I will not resist at this time. I’m going to make your plan a little more solid. Now that you’ve become so foolishly involved in this matter, our family will have to be held accountable, no matter what. If that’s the case, I can at least try to help you. You cannot move the knights out of the house and out of my domain, not while you have me restrained. But if I command it, that’s a different story. Just try it.”

Lektor’s words must have been unexpected. The hand fan placed over Stacia’s mouth twitched for a moment.

“So, you’re going to help me, then? I accept your assistance, father.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like the way His Highness Neumann and Marquis Cliffdorf do things. However, it is also true that the Emperor’s life is in their hands. So, as His Majesty’s vassal, I have no choice but to act with protecting him in mind.”

“…”

“Stacia. His Highness Neumann —or rather, Marquis Cliffdorf— must be consulted first. He will need a force to back him up. If the Emperor’s life is in his hands, it is only natural that Duke Mavis’ household should lead the charge against the bandits.”

“…All right, Father. I’ll take you to him.”

Lektor set off, followed by Stacia. His face grim and his brow furrowed. To put it bluntly, Ducal House Mavis was about to be eliminated. No, if Petersia tried to intervene in this matter, it could be a threat to the existence of the empire itself.

Even if the Second Prince Neumann and Marquis Cliffdorf succeeded in their plan, or even if Prince Alfred were alive and defeated them, Lektor would have to abdicate his position as Duke anyway.

If Prince Neumann was victorious, Lektor would be forced to retire and Stacia would have to take over the duchy. And Stacia’s time as head of the ducal house would not be very long. There was a strong possibility that the Ducal House Mavis itself would disappear.

As his bonds were untied and he rubbed his hands free, Lektor thought of his other children. Rails, whom he had officially designated as his successor, had been assigned to the Central Knights. He was currently a captain, but was probably not aware of any of the circumstances and would probably still be performing his duties. He probably had not even realized that the Central Knights were involved in a plot to usurp the right to the throne, and that he and his sister were at the center. As head of the Central Knights, Marquis Cliffdorf must have known that Rails was under him. If Rails was aware of the Marquis’ intentions, and if he decided to interfere, it would be easy to get rid of him secretly. No, there was no guarantee that he wasn’t going to do it right now. All Lektor could do was pray for Rails’ safety.

The one he was sure was still safe was his second daughter, Felecia. She was studying at a monastery in the territory of the Great Temple of Emerdia, so she should be safe for now.

The only hope for Lektor was the presence of his third daughter, Leticia, who had supposedly gone to Lyon with Alfred.

A being so blessed that she was not to bow to any earthly authority, “the closest person to God”.

There was a high possibility that she would be present at the scene of Prince Alfred’s attack, so he did not think that Leticia, who could single-handedly subdue any Knight, could be overwhelmed by bandits who at most could only set up an ambush. With Leticia’s presence, the Ducal House Mavis could be saved from destruction.

Even if Prince Alfred and Count Elstead were victorious, House Mavis could not be exonerated of its responsibility, for Stacia had been complicit in the plans of Prince Neumann and Marquis Cliffdorf, though this was beyond Lektor’s control. Even if the duke was related to the imperial family, his family would be beheaded and his lands confiscated. Except, of course, for Leticia. Not even the emperor could touch Leticia. Therefore, as long as Leticia was alive, the Mavis blood would never be extinguished.

Lektor thought of Leticia’s face and laughed. Compared to his other children, Leticia was the one daughter he had the least relationship with. She was his daughter, yes, but as a child she was always a disobedient, restless and troublesome child, and her family, including Lektor, kept her away. In fact, Leticia was the one to whom the Brave’s fate fell, and the various troublesome acts of her childhood were simply because she was a genius and didn’t fit into the framework that the people around her tried to make her fit into. Lektor failed to realize this, and as a result, Leticia distanced herself from the Mavis family. It was a pity.

Come to think of it, wasn’t that boy Leticia liked in Princess Cornelia’s personal guard?

A young commoner who would never be allowed to betroth a duke’s daughter. Lektor had scolded Leticia, who had been enthusiastic about the young man. He also tried to find a man whose family was on par with a ducal house and was devoted to Leticia. Naturally, she was adamantly opposed to the idea, and at that point the matter was settled. Later, as Lektor sought an opportunity, the atmosphere surrounding the young commoner changed drastically. He was a mere knight cadet, but instead of following the usual course and becoming a knight, he became a squire to the empire’s first princess. He may have had luck on his side, but for a commoner that was an incredible promotion. No, you could say it was an unprecedented achievement. If the royal family was pleased with him, he could rise to the position of a nobleman.

And speaking of luck, as fortune would have it, it was the very person Leticia considered her master. That young man received the title he was undeserving in his status, as “The Master of the Brave”, and all because he met Leticia before she became the Brave. It seemed that way to me at the time, but perhaps it was because she met him that Leticia was able to become the “Brave”.

Surrounded by knights, Lektor left the mansion and boarded the carriage that Stacia had prepared for him, and drove him towards the imperial palace.

Come to think of it, what was that young man’s name?

As Princess Cornelia’s squire, he could also find himself held captive in the imperial palace by Marquis Cliffdorf’s men. For Marquis Cliffdorf, Emperor Alexei and Princess Cornelia, who was second in line to the throne after Crown Prince Alfred, had to be his top priority to secure, no matter what. If he was taken alive, he would undoubtedly be used as a bargaining chip against Leticia, as would Stacia. As he saw it now, against Leticia, the boy could be a stronger asset than Stacia. With his life as a shield, they could get Leticia to do their bidding.

No, she’s not the kind of girl to shut up and do as she’s told…

Leticia would do everything in her power to rescue the young man. And if the young man was harmed, the empire itself could be destroyed. Instead of using the young man’s life as a bargaining chip, the best thing they could do was to ensure his safety so that Leticia would not have to deal with this.

When this stupid battle is over, if I am still alive, should I tell Leticia to bring the young man to our home? As a guest, of course. Lektor smiled that he now had enough time to think about such random things. This is unfortunate on my part, but does Leticia’s presence give me courage at a time like this? I guess that’s why she’s the Brave.

As he let out a suppressed laugh, Stacia, who was riding in the carriage, looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. She might have been feeling a little surprised that her father, who had looked so grim earlier, was now smiling. Lektor looked out of the carriage window onto the street. The main street through the center of the aristocratic district was filled with a somber atmosphere, and armed knights were visible even though it was midnight. He could not help but notice that the imperial city of Simurgh had been quickly overrun and was now under the control of the Second Prince Neumann and Marquis Cliffdorf. The only saving grace was that they had acted so quickly that there was no unnecessary confusion in the Imperial City. For now, however, note had to be taken.

When the current state of the imperial capital was transmitted to the provinces, how would the nobles, who had kept away from the center, and the generals of the Knights Orders, who were not under the control of Marquis Cliffdorf, act? And above all, Stacia’s story confirmed that the Kingdom of Petersia was involved in this case. He still could not determine what the Kingdom of Petersia’s intentions were, but he could not be too sure. Although he was reluctant to do so, he had to cooperate with Marquis Cliffdorf and protect the empire from foreign invaders as much as possible.

Lektor folded his arms and closed his eyes, letting himself be rocked by the carriage. He rested his head and body a bit, considering the difficulties ahead.

Fortunately, Lektor’s fears that Wynn might be captured and used against Leticia were not realized. When Neumann and Marquis Cliffdorf’s men entered the inner courtyard of the Imperial Palace, Cornelia was nowhere to be seen. Naturally, there was no sign of Wynn, the squire attached to the princess. Although he managed to apprehend Emperor Alexei, he failed to apprehend Cornelia, and in haste, Marquis Cliffdorf searched the entire imperial palace. He even sealed the imperial city of Simurgh and followed in his footsteps, but was unable to find the princess.

It was two weeks after the imperial city of Simurgh fell into the hands of Prince Neumann and Marquis Cliffdorf that the whereabouts of the missing Princess Cornelia were discovered. In the Kingdom of Lyon, a country with friendly relations. Princess Cornelia appeared at the royal palace in Lyon, in its royal capital. The princess declared that Alfred, who appeared in the territory of Count Elstead and was declared false by his second brother, Neumann, was her real brother, whom she respected and loved. She accused Prince Neumann of being a traitor and the ringleader of the attack on the crown prince. As a member of the royal family, she could not let this situation go unnoticed. Princess Cornelia declared her support for Count Elstead with Prince Alfred, and vowed to form an alliance with the Kingdom of Lyon on behalf of Prince Alfred and First Princess Cornelia. The Kingdom of Lyon then announced that it would send reinforcements based on its alliance with Prince Alfred.