Chapter 43: In Bellot

Thus, the evening arrived at the 1st Prince’s Palace.

“You’ve worked hard to come here. Have a drink.”

Prince Kael was having dinner with his younger brother, Kade, who had just returned from Istian after a long time, catching up and sharing stories.

“I was shocked to hear that Father had suddenly collapsed, so I hurried back.”

“You did well. I was also taken aback. I never expected him to become so critically ill so suddenly.”

Had their father not collapsed, Kade might not have returned to the empire.

Under normal circumstances, it would be hard to say, but given the understandable reason, Kael simply nodded and sipped his drink.

“Have you seen Mother yet?”

“…I haven’t had the chance. I’ll go see her right away.”

After that, Kade briefly shared updates about his recent life and then began to talk about various topics he had heard and learned while living abroad, such as the popular drinks in neighboring countries and the latest trends in social circles.

Drawn to these unfamiliar yet intriguing topics, Kael was fully engrossed in his brother’s stories.

Realizing that Kael was listening intently, Kade gradually shifted the conversation to domestic issues.

All these stories were groundwork for discussing Duke Bellot’s stance, which quickly soured Kael’s enjoyment of the drink.

“What? Bellot is likely to side with Kaela?”

“Yes, brother. It’s from a reliable source, so you can trust it.”

“That old fool must be senile. If he values legitimacy, shouldn’t he support me?”

Currently, the balance of power within the empire is quite even, making it crucial for him to monitor the allegiances of neutral factions.

The best scenario would be to win them over, but the worst would be if they sided with Kaela.

Especially since the largest neutral faction is the Northern Territory, ruled by Duke Bellot.

If the nobles find out that he is siding with Kaela, the balance of power could collapse, leading to significant chaos.

The reputation of the War Hero Duke holds considerable influence among the neutral factions.

As Kael agonized over what to do, Kade approached him and said,

“Brother, you don’t need to worry too much.”

Having delivered bad news, it was now time to share some good news.

To motivate his brother, Kade continued.

“If Duke Bellot shows any movement, the barbarians in the north and the kingdom won’t just sit idly by.”

“What do you mean? Do you know something?”

Kael looked at Kade with a puzzled expression.

The information that Bellot might side with Kaela, and the fact that his younger brother, who had been wandering abroad, seemed to have superior intelligence, felt suspicious to him.

Kade immediately denied this.

“I just heard various news on my way back. Brother, you know that information is money, right?”

“You used to look down on those who dealt with money, but you’ve changed a lot, Kade.”

“Living abroad made me inevitably sensitive to information. I realized that no one is as sensitive to information as merchants.”

Kade explained that he had obtained this information while passing through Latvia.

Latvia, a place he knew well.

It was said to be a gathering place for merchants from all over the continent.

Indeed, those who can smell money better than dogs seem to gather there, and the quality and circulation of information are fast.

“Prince Kael! Urgent news. Count Dave from Kaela’s faction has secretly headed to the Northern Territory. The exact reason is unclear, but it seems he is trying to win over the neutral factions in the north.”

A messenger arrived late with the information that Kade had just shared.

It seems the information was accurate.

I might need to reassess the intelligence capabilities of merchants.

If Kade had known the inside story, he would have scoffed at the idea that mere merchants could have faster information than the national intelligence agencies.

But Kael, unaware of this, firmly believed the story.

“Is the information about the barbarians and the kingdom not leaving Bellot alone also reliable?”

“Yes, you could say it’s a grudge. It’s certain.”

Where did you get such certain information?

If Bellot sides with Kaela, their invasion will be inevitable.

So hurry up. If you don’t act quickly, the fight will turn against you.

Kade mocks his brother.

“Should we settle this quickly before Kaela’s forces grow any larger?”

A quick resolution? 

Good. I hope the two of them clash as soon as possible.

But he doesn’t stoke the fire any further. 

They’ll start fighting on their own as time passes.

The more evenly matched their forces are, the greater the damage, which is even better.

Praying for their mutual destruction, Kade savored the aroma of the wine in his glass and began to sip it.

*

Honestly, since I can’t pull out the memories from my head and show them, I can only rely on circumstantial evidence. 

That’s why persuading Duke Bellot was harder than I thought.

From the civil war among the ethnic groups to the recent incidents, all were the work of dark mages. 

And it seemed they were trying to frame Princess Kaela for it.

Originally, dark mages were unfamiliar to anyone on the continent.

Since childhood, we heard about their existence through fairy tales and knew of their dangers, but as adults, dark mages were thoroughly banned by continental law, and few had actually seen them.

If it weren’t for the document bearing her seal, even Duke Bellot would have found it hard to believe.

“Let me ask you one thing. Why do you think the Princess is not the culprit?”

A valid question. 

If the emblem wasn’t forged, it would be natural to suspect her first without other evidence.

Duke Bellot is someone who thinks of the empire’s future rather than chasing power.

Therefore, depending on my answer, Bellot’s stance on siding with Kaela might change, so I needed to answer carefully.

“Because I’m on the Princess’s side.”

“On the Princess’s side? Were you part of her faction?”

“Yes, it’s a secret. If I weren’t, I would have presented this document and accused the Princess, right?”

It’s not a lie.

It’s just a bit ahead of time since it will happen eventually.

“They probably didn’t expect it. They tried hard to frame ‘my sister,’ but it just happened to be me who entered the ethnic lands.”

Naturally emphasizing the term ‘sister,’ I shrugged.

“…Then who are ‘they’ referring to?”

“There are suspicions, but I can’t say for sure. But I’ve requested the Church through the Saintess, so we’ll know soon.”

Come to think of it, the Saintess has visited Bellot’s territory a couple of times.

Along with these minor details and my natural demeanor and smooth answers, Duke Bellot soon let go of his suspicions.

Of course, since the Princess’s envoy is coming soon, I need to prepare a few things.

“So, who is the envoy from the Princess’s side coming to Bellot’s territory this time?”

“Count Dave.”

Count Dave, an unforgettable figure.

Every time, he would check me, who had just joined her faction.

One day, while I was gathering supplies to oppose the 1st Prince’s forces, he suddenly came and accused me of being the 1st Prince’s spy.

Later, I lightly suppressed him after achieving some merits, but in the first round, all of that was a significant threat to me.

Still, I acknowledge his loyalty.

If I handle him well now, he might be of some help later.

“I see. Then I’ll wait until he arrives and go to the capital with him.”

With that, I stood up. It’s about time.

“Duke, may I borrow the training ground here?”

“Of course, feel free to use it as you wish.”

With his permission, I headed straight into the inner castle. Erka, who had been waiting beside me, tapping the ground, immediately clung to me as soon as it was time.

「Prince, it’s time. Let’s go train!」

Being led by Erka to train every day, my body has started to remember the routine.

It’s not a bad habit, and I guess I can be proud of it?

Tomorrow, I have to meet Count Dave, so sweating and going straight to bed will help me wake up in good condition.

Borrowing wooden swords and shields, the two of us began training, facing each other with our weapons.