Chapter 54 – Kingdom of Hart (2)
The current ruler of the Kingdom of Hart, King lio II, had four children.
The eldest was the first princess, Mary Kun Hart.
The ‘forr’ crown prince and eldest son, Fury Kun Hart.
And the newly appointed successor, the second son, Terry Kun Hart.
Lastly.
“Haaah.”
The youngest princess, Winley Kun Hart, who wore a tired expression.
“What in the world is happening to this country?”
Winley sighed deeply as she watched the situation unfold before her.
Despite not being at war, heavily ard knights were wandering around inside and outside the palace.
At first glance, you might not think too much of it but no change in the world happens without reason.
“Anyone would think a coup has taken place.”
In fact, her still-healthy father had suddenly abdicated the throne.
Normally, Winley had no particular desire for power and she had little interest in politics. The succession of the throne didn’t matter to her.
However, it was difficult to completely ignore the situation when her family was falling apart in real-ti.
“Just why is this happening?”
Winley began to carefully retrace the current state of affairs. The Kingdom of Hart was fundantally a nation where the nobility held great power.
Yet, suddenly, as if they had planned it out beforehand, the three dukes declared their support for the second prince.
“Sothing is definitely happening.”
What Winley found most incomprehensible was this part.
Originally, the three dukes had kept a check on each other’s power. They had even ford the royal and noble faction in order to achieve this.
These individuals, who had always been wary of each other, had suddenly joined hands in support of a specific successor.
‘……The key is Duke Kairos.’
The representative of the royal faction, without a doubt, was the kingdom’s greatest swordsman. However, Duke Kairos and her father were not on bad terms as far as she knew.
‘What in the world happened?’
Winley’s suspicions grew with each passing day. Then, she heard a rumor that even she found shocking.
That the ‘Empire’ was behind this incident.
“……Whatever the truth is, it’s true that you’re vulnerable without power.”
A shadow of concern crossed Winley’s face. In the end, it all ca back to the logic of power.
Even her strong-willed sister and her headstrong elder brother were dragged around in the face of greater power in just the past few weeks.
In that short period, her siblings’ fates had changed drastically from before.
Her eldest brother was soon to be sent to the Empire for ‘study’.
And when he returned a few years later, his room in the palace would likely be neatly vacated.
Her sister Mary was also destined to marry into a neighboring country, sothing she had postponed for so long. It was a political marriage, no doubt.
‘Then what about ?’
Now, only her fate remained undecided among her siblings.
“I’d rather die than agree to a political marriage!”
Winley felt utterly wronged. She had kept a low profile and lived quietly until now. She had not even shown her face in social circles.
She had made all sorts of excuses, saying she was unwell or was suffering from a chronic illness.
It was because she had seen other princesses being sent off to other families after showing off here and there.
As a result, so nobles were barely aware of her existence. But now, all that effort seed to be going to waste.
“This is driving crazy, really.”
Winley tousled her shoulder-length hair roughly. The fate of royals was as fragile as a fly’s life. Survival here was solely about political battles.
One must read the flow faster than anyone, and then ride it. Just going with the flow while sipping honey……
‘No, no. Stay focused.’
Going with the flow naturally was Winley’s life motto.
‘But if that water is dirty, it’s a different story.’
Winley repeatedly steeled her resolve.
She would never beco a political scapegoat, even if it ant dying.
‘At the very least, so that my efforts so far won’t go to waste.’
She had even kept her hair short to kill her charm. Afraid that soone might fall for her shining appearance, she had quietly holed up in the royal library reading books on swordsmanship.
Believing that a healthy mind ca from a healthy body, she swung her sword endlessly like a tomboy.
Now, she could even laugh and mingle with the palace knights.
‘……Wait. Co to think of it, I haven’t exactly been living unnoticed, have I?’
Anyway.
Thanks to her father upholding the principle of primogeniture succession, Winley could live relatively comfortably without having to be overly cautious.
Aside from the crown prince, the fate of royals was, after all, to be sent off to other families once they ca of age.
Just that level of recognition.
However.
‘That life is over now.’
The principle of primogeniture succession was gone now. Principles existed to be upheld. Once broken, that would be the end.
It would provide people food for thought. Whether due to the Empire’s intervention or for so other reason.
The successor of the throne could be replaced at any ti by a new thod. Even her second brother, at the center of it all, didn’t look at her kindly.
Just like now.
“Winley, where have you been wandering off to again?”
“Oh, brother!”
Regardless of what she felt inside, Winley put on a bright smile.
“Have you been mingling with the knights again?”
“Yes. It’s my hobby, after all……”
“Tsk, stop that nonsense already. You’re a girl. Soon, you’ll be of marriageable age, but who would find a girl like you attractive?”
She barely held back from retorting, ‘That’s exactly what I want.’
“Hohoho.”
As always, she just laughed.
Her insides were burning, but she understood his reaction. The most uneasy person now was none other than her brother Terry.
Though he stumbled onto the throne, he could be replaced at any mont like a disposable item. Prince Terry only left after giving Winley a long scolding.
“Even the heavens are indifferent. Am I asking for too much!?”
Left alone, Winley pouted. As ti passed, her stress reached its peak. Then, one day, a huge uproar erupted throughout the palace.
“Th-There’s a huge problem! Princess Winley has disappeared!”
The youngest princess, with her nerves frayed to the limit, finally ran away from ho.
It was an escape long overdue.
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – San]
[Proofreader – Abstract]
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* * *
At the grand training grounds of the Arsene County estate.
Thud!
A massive log was thrown to the ground.
“Arrggghhh! I can’t do this anymore!”
“Oh, really?”
“Master! This is too much!”
Harun collapsed on the ground, limbs sprawled out, panting heavily. Next to him, Kirian didn’t say anything, but his eyes were full of resentnt.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to be as strong as ? How do you plan to get stronger like this?”
“Getting stronger only ans sothing if you’re alive in the first place……”
“Seems like you still have enough energy to talk. Get up and do a thousand more.”
“……!”
Kirian covered his mouth in shock.
Ancelot’s training instructions were simple.
Sling a massive log over your shoulder.
Sit down.
Stand up.
Repeat steps 1 through 3.
“Why are you whining about such a simple task? Who told you to use your brain?”
“……Why is this necessary for getting stronger?”
Thud!
The last log was thrown by Jan, who had joined the training yesterday.
“All human growth energy cos from the lower body. Speed, stamina, strength, and virility. If you can prove otherwise, go ahead.”
“……I think there was sothing weird included in there.”
“Especially you, Jan. Due to your swordsmanship style, you need to lift even more weight than the others.”
Flinch.
Jan shuddered involuntarily.
“Isn’t this already more than enough……?”
In reality, Jan was already carrying twice the weight of the others.
Afraid the reprimand would shift to them, Harun and Kirian silently picked up their logs without complaint.
“And…… One! Huff……Two!”
“If the teacher orders it, of course we must comply. Who are we to argue?”
Kirian and Harun responded in turn.
“I’m not just saying this. It’s related to the characteristics of your swordsmanship.”
“Characteristics……?”
“Have you ever considered which type of swordsmanship suits you best?”
“……!”
Jan’s eyes widened in realization.
“Are you going to teach a new swordsmanship style?”
He had seen it.
The bizarre swordsmanship styles Harun and Kirian were using. They were growing stronger by the day. It was partly out of envy that Jan volunteered for the training.
“What nonsense is that?”
“Huh?”
“Look at you, the eldest and official heir, sitting here spouting jokes.”
“Huh……?”
“There has to be soone to carry on the will of the Arsene County.”
Jan’s face fell in disappointnt.
“Unlike Kirian, the swordsmanship of the Arsene County fits you.”
“Fits…… ?”
“Yes. So, you need to continually develop and refine that swordsmanship. That’s your path. In other words……”
Suddenly, Ancelot grinned.
“It’s all about the Way of Domination.”
“The Way…… of Domination!”
A glint appeared in Jan’s single eye. The Way of Domination. Sothing about it stirred a man’s soul.
“Got it?”
“I understand completely.”
“Then add another log over there and do another thousand. Begin.”
“……!”
Jan involuntarily looked down. His two legs trembled as if begging to be put out of their misery.
Gulp.
‘……For the life of , I can’t do any more.’
Jan’s face turned pale. Suddenly, he recalled yesterday’s conversation.
“Ancelot, I want to beco stronger too.”
“Really? Then can you follow my orders without complaint?”
“Of course. I never want to experience sothing like that again.”
“Good.”
Smack!
Jan got rid of his distracting thoughts by slapping his own cheek.
“Idiot.”
“What are you doing?”
“……It’s punishnt for my foolish past.”
“Stop ssing around and get started already.”
Tremble.
With a shaking body, Jan gritted his teeth, biting his lip as he squatted and stood up repeatedly.
“I must’ve been…… out of my mindddddd!”
***
When I returned to the main hall, Count Arsene smiled at quietly.
“You have a lot to do because of this useless father.”
“Not at all.”
I tilted my head in curiosity. For so reason, Count Arsene’s face was filled with worry.
“Is sothing troubling you?”
“……It seems there’s nothing I can hide from you.”
Soon, he handed an opened envelope.
“I received an invitation from the royal palace.”
I quickly took it and began reading the contents.
“……Oh. So, there’s going to be a coronation for the new king soon?”
“That’s not all. There’s also a schedule for a diplomatic eting involving several countries, which occurs every four years.”
“Indeed, that’s ntioned at the bottom here.”
“Usually, a mber of the royal family is accompanied by three high-ranking nobles as delegates, and one of them must be at least of marquis rank……”
Count Arsene’s voice trailed off as he gave a bitter smile.
“……The representative noble accompanying the Hart Kingdom’s delegation, Marquis Foltaine, has specifically requested our Arsene household to join.”
“Are you worried?”
“……To be honest……”
Undoubtedly, the person most shocked by the recent massacre was Count Arsene himself.
Who would have thought that Marquis Foltaine, known as an ordinary old man, was actually a Master-level expert?
‘Especially since he had a major fight with such a man not long ago.’
Well, it’s unlikely that he would harm a fellow noble at such an event, but……
“If you’re uneasy, shall I co along?”
“……Actually, you’re specifically requested to be part of the delegation.”
“Oh.”
Just then, I noticed the exact wording in the invitation. It was in the final section.
[I wish to personally et Ancelot, the young hero who resolved the conflict between the two houses.]
The new crown prince himself had written this request.
“Let’s go together. It seems that a certain stubborn old man arranged this, probably holding a grudge against .”
“Are you sure about this? If you encounter people from the Duchy of eke there……”
Count Arsene already knew all my secrets.
After gaining his trust, I had shared quite a bit, including the fact that I was a prince from the duchy and was essentially exiled before being kidnapped into slavery.
“It’s fine.”
It’s the sa as with Marquis Foltaine. Even if I et people from the Duchy of eke, it’s not like they would kill there, right?
“They think five years is a long ti, but I need to deal with that narrow-minded old man first.”
Yes.
This is the grace a lord shows to soone who will eventually beco his vassal.
‘After all, it would be troubleso if that old man loses his temper and causes another incident.’
It was just his luck that the vassal had to be a bit of a madman.
____
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