episode_0030

Episode 30

In the distance, a loaded carriage passes through the city gate and heads out of Luli.

The carriage will soon stop in the middle of the forest, and while the driver is distracted for a moment, Rika will escape from the box.

I glanced at Carmel and said.

“I kept my promise, mother.”

“No, we don’t know yet. Until I saw Rika’s freedom with my own eyes.”

“Your mother saw it with her own eyes before getting on the carriage, right? Since the carriage has just left Luli, the promise to ‘take Luli out’ has already been kept.”

Carmel answered with displeased eyes.

“That’s not the only promise. There must have been a condition of being ‘free’? Who knows if they will be imprisoned somewhere else in that condition?”

I have a lot of doubts.

Well, in a way, you could say that the suspicion was correct. Of course, Carmel has no intention of physically imprisoning Rika like she thinks.

However, even releasing Rika must have been a promise to Carmel. Her next actions were entirely of her own will.

It’s possible that Rika will break the shackles of Hypnosis of her own will and return to Carmel. Of course, it is unlikely that such a development like a shonen’s cartoon will occur.

“I have no intention of breaking my promise so blatantly. Isn’t mutual trust more important than anything else? We will do business with each other several times in the future.”

Even after seeing my smile as clear as the blue sky, dark clouds appeared on Carmel’s face. Maybe it was because the word ‘deal’ reminded me of the humiliation I had experienced earlier.

“Do you think I can convince you with that?”

Carmel left those cold words and went inside. Perhaps it was because of what I heard from Sina yesterday, but it felt like Carmel’s reaction was because she was preparing for something.

‘Wilter Grave…’

In the novel, he was a noble knight. Not only did he not participate in Carmel’s evil deeds, but he was quickly purged along with Philgret.

Why is he like that?

It has already been proven through many experiences that the characters here and those in the novel are identical.

But there are also blind spots there. The parts that are not described in the novel remain unknown territory. Like Pilgret’s strange loyalty and sense of smell that makes you question whether he is human.

Walter Grave is eliminated early in the novel. That said, I barely know what kind of character he is. There was a more difficult aspect than the 6 nobles, who had clear information about how to plot.

His position is Captain of the royal unit. While Pilgret’s bodyguard closely guarded the royal palace, Walter’s bodyguard was responsible for entering and exiting the royal palace and general security in Lurie.

‘Grave… Come to think of it, the commander-in-chief of the royal capital defense force was also Grave, right?’

Allen Grave. If I remember correctly, he and Walter are father and son.

Even though Walter was the only one who had contact with Carmel, wouldn’t it be reasonable to assume that he was also involved?

If the direct command and the royal capital defense force turn into enemies, it would be a great threat. You won’t be able to stop them with just a small number of guards.

But that’s not possible.

There is no way that a coup d’état that involves pointing the sword at the king without any justification will succeed. Even if they had taken control of the palace like that, they would not have been able to withstand even a few days due to the forces pouring in from all over the kingdom.

Above all, Carmel has no reason to do that. Carmel’s status is queen. If Fehat is not the king, he is nothing. A coup is not a means worth considering for Carmel.

Additionally, the Grave family is known to be highly loyal to the royal family. Otherwise, there would be no way he would have been entrusted with such an important responsibility directly related to the safety of the royal family.

Hmm, I’m still not sure. It feels like the materials for judgment are somewhat lacking. As far as Carmel is concerned, it’s clear that this is a bad thing.

I looked at the flag of the Royal Capital Defense Force fluttering in the distance for a moment, then returned to the castle.

* * *

“If it’s Walter Grave… Are you talking about Walter, the commander of your direct division?”

“Yes. What kind of person is he? Tell me how you feel, Pilgret.”

Philgret tilted his head for a moment. He seemed puzzled as to why he was suddenly curious about him. But he answered me without asking any more questions.

“Wilter, this is a great article. His swordsmanship and leadership skills are beyond reproach. He is handling his duties well as a commander and has a lot of trust from his subordinates.”

Pilgret’s evaluation was not much different from that briefly described in the novel. But what I wanted to know was his dark side.

“Wilter must have had some complaints. Philgret, have you ever heard anything? Or maybe you didn’t get along well with someone, or maybe you had hidden ambitions.”

Pilgret seemed quite curious as to why I was focusing on Walter. I had no intention of telling Philgret about his secret affair with Carmel just yet. You probably have some idea.

“Dissatisfaction… It’s not a big deal, but there are people who often bump into him.”

His words made me want to snap my fingers.

“Who is that?”

“Closed immediately.”

I sometimes find it difficult to follow Pilgret’s speaking style. It was all positive reviews earlier. Weren’t we on good terms?

“Can you tell me more?”

“To be more precise, I should say that he sometimes makes challenging remarks to me. It’s not to the extent of causing conflict, but there are frequent fights.”

After hearing those words, the persona of Walter was quite different from before. I guess he’s not the model student type.

In terms of the command system, the direct unit and the escort unit are separated. The ranks of Walter and Pilgret were also equal. However, there was an implicit feeling that the guards who guarded the royal family more closely were more honorable.

In a relationship like that, it might be natural for there to be some degree of conflict.

“It’s not something that can be called a grudge, is it?”

“Yes.”

If so, it may not have much to do with this case. In the end, there was no great harvest. That’s the end of it all, with the outline of a person named Walter somewhat established.

I asked Pilgret a few more questions about Walter and the Graves, but I couldn’t find any information that seemed of much significance.

* * *

The next day, regular meeting.

Many agendas regarding national affairs have passed, and now all that remains is the last agenda. Fehat cleared his throat and spoke.

“Then this will be the last discussion of the day. Hmm, there was talk of holding a ‘Festival of the Sword’.”

Festival of swords?

One of the ministers immediately raised his hand and spoke.

“Your Majesty, if it is a sword festival… are you talking about the martial arts tournament that last took place seven years ago?”

“That’s right. A competition in which knights from the direct division and the bodyguard compete with each other’s sword skills and strategies. There is talk of restarting it.”

The Festival of the Sword… there was definitely something like that in Princess Sera’s memories.

I immediately looked at Carmel. Carmel said with an elegant smile.

“I agree. You’re showing off the skills of the bodyguard that protects the royal family in front of everyone in Lurie, right? The authority of His Majesty the King will be firmly engraved in the hearts of everyone who sees it. I think this event is perfect for this time.”

I agree, and I guess it was none other than Carmel herself who brought up the idea of resuming the sword festival.

Seven years ago, the memories of the sword festival remained only vaguely in Princess Sera’s memory. It is only natural that the peace-loving Princess Sera would not have been enthusiastic about such a confrontation.

The sword festival is a ritual that has been handed down since ancient times. Even now that it had become a kind of competition rather than a fight for life, that authority was not something that could be easily denied.

In the Festival of Swords, whether the winning side is a bodyguard or a direct force, the leader of the winning side is given the right to place the defeated side under his command.

That’s probably what Carmel and Walter want.

If Wilter is already in the same company as Carmel, and if Wilter wins the Battle of the Sword, both the direct unit and the guards will fall into Carmel’s hands. The opportunity to effectively use the power of Pilgret will also be greatly reduced.

Was it from the flow of events surrounding this vacation, or from the security of Jeokhwa Palace? Carmel may have noticed that Philgret is cooperative with me. That’s probably why they prepared this method.

Even though it is a medieval-level kingdom, its organizational management is truly backward. I almost want to praise Fehat, who has been abolishing this pathetic system for seven years.

“Please wait, Your Majesty. Is there any reason to restart the Sword Festival? As of now, the convoy and direct corps are performing their respective roles well. I am worried that it may become the seed of unnecessary discord.”

“Hehe, is that really the case? Whoever wins the sword festival proves their strength and acuity in front of the goddess. Wouldn’t it be more efficient for more qualified people to have more responsibility and authority, Princess Sera?”

It’s frustrating, but it sounds quite persuasive. The ministers around him also began to whisper.

“Hmm, definitely…”

“Rather, the suspension over the past seven years could be said to be a disregard for tradition.”

“The sword festival also has the character of a ritual. I think it is right to reopen.”

It seemed like the trend had already been set and could not be reversed. It seemed difficult to find grounds for opposition sufficient to deny tradition here. Fehat raised both arms to induce silence and then solemnly declared.

“Good. Having heard everyone’s opinions, we will resume the Sword Festival. Please convey that to the guards and direct troops as well.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then let’s conclude today’s regular meeting.”

The regular meeting ended with Fehat’s declaration. Carmel left the meeting room with a smile as if she was confident of her victory this time.