Chapter 283
“Failure!? Failure, you say!? What are you talking about!?”
A shout came bursting out from the mouth of the composed second prince. It was an intense outburst that made anyone under his command involuntarily shrink back in trepidation. But standing before him, Leos brought up even more serious news with a somber expression.
“The McClain royal family has mentioned our empire. As a result, the attention of the eastern continents has been drawn instantly, and His Imperial Majesty has commanded us to halt the ‘operations’ for the succession war for the time being.”
“Damn it all. We have no choice……”
“And as a consequence of causing this situation, your highness’s succession points have been deducted by a further 10 points.”
“What!?”
The second prince’s eyes flipped with dismay once again.
“If it was supposed to be the promised 10%, it should only be about 5 points at best!?”
“One of the Ghost Tribe leaders was reported dead in McClain.”
“What?”“His Imperial Majesty is furious with this unforeseeable worst-case scenario. It would be ill-advised to protest now, your highness.”
“Ha…!”
The second prince’s face became a mottled red as he slumped down in his seat with a sigh. And then, as if struck by a thought, his head shot back up.
“10 points ‘more’!? So in addition to the original promised score… What does that make the score difference with my brother now?!”
“Well…”
As he saw Leos’s expression cloud over, Baros’s face twisted like that of a demon, sensing the worst outcome.
“It’s been overturned by a 1-point difference.”
“Damn it all!!!!”
Crash!
Although the prince always preached that a ruler should not show anxiety, he could hardly contain his fury now. He flipped the breakfast table set before him and got up, pacing anxiously back and forth in the room.
“We need to recover. Recover from this. What to do about that damned Logan McClain…”
Attempting to do something amidst his unhidden anxiety?
Leos watched his master, who controlled his fate, his own expression carefully masked.
* * *
Although the entire world was astonished by the announcement from the McClain royalty, the empire maintained a nonresponsive stance and did not react publicly. The rumors about the empire orchestrating a conspiracy soon died down, and shortly after, ambiguous tales began to spread. 𝘙ἈＮоβËṣ
“To think the empire would, why?”
“Exactly. Why would the empire bother with a minor kingdom’s king.”
“That king was once notorious as a tyrant. His dynasty was overthrown. How many there must be who hold grudges against him?”
Even within McClain’s kingdom, rumors began to circulate that the attack on the king was the work of the vengeful spirits from the once-proud Grandia Kingdom.
“…The rumors aren’t looking good.”
“As expected, things aren’t resolving smoothly.”
Reportedly bedridden, Logan sat comfortably in his office, smirking at Damien’s report.
Such a scenario was anticipated. Nevertheless, the purpose of spreading such rumors following the ambush was to conceal Eileen’s awakening and Logan’s own abilities.
But there was a bigger goal beyond that.
“As long as it instills vigilance among the monarchs of the minor kingdom alliance, that’s all that matters.”
“Are you truly considering an alliance with them?”
“That’s right. If we fall, the alliance is as good as a candle in the wind. If they become vigilant, they will have no choice but to respond.”
Five legions and hundreds of thousands of militia were still not enough to ease his mind.
That’s why Logan was endeavoring to pull in the minor kingdom alliance to the east of his kingdom. Though each of the seven kingdoms that comprised the alliance was individually weak, collectively, their power rivalled that of the old Grandia Kingdom.
However, Damien and the other confidants were skeptical.
“That’s only possible if they accept the evidence of the empire’s preparation for war. As much as we trust your Majesty, from their perspective, nevertheless…”
Damien’s concern was not incomprehensible to Logan.
“There’s still time. I hope this incident has laid the foundation. We will continue with our preparations for the kingdom and take the time to persuade them.”
“If that’s your will…”
As Damien began to withdraw, a voice filled with distress resounded from outside the office.
“Your Majesty. A communication from the Triah Kingdom has arrived. The king himself…!”
[I’ve heard the rumors, but are you unharmed?]
A person with a pleasant visage and a long, brown beard.
That was Logan’s first impression of King Ramon I of the Triah Kingdom.
Facing that seemingly kind face, Logan felt a tinge of regret at having to perform an act from their very first meeting.
“Cough. I’m a bit better. Wounds caused by aura seem to take longer to heal.”
Although the royal communication setup was intentionally made to appear a bit fuzzy, Logan even applied makeup to his face to make himself look paler, just in case.
Fortunately, King Ramon seemed to have little interest in Logan’s health, practically ignoring Logan’s clumsy acting as he quickly threw out a statement that shocked him.
[I was quite startled by the news. Our kingdom, too, is withering under the empire’s conspiracy, so I thought maybe we could help each other.]
The very words Logan did not expect were now coming directly from the man himself.
“It’s quite the coincidence.”
[You may have heard from envoy Ragon when he went for the national marriage negotiations…]
“Ah… Ha ha, yes. Of course, I’ve heard that…”
But I’ve no recollection of such a person…
It felt like a slight sweat was starting to form.
He couldn’t possibly remember every diplomat he met at the national marriage alliances; the situation back then wasn’t leisurely enough to allow for that.
“But this is the first I’ve heard of a conspiracy by the empire. What do you mean?”
However, Logan couldn’t have failed to remember if the phrase “empire’s plotting” was ever mentioned, so his inquiry held genuine curiosity.
[Ah. Ha ha, my mind seems to have run away with me. When Envoy Ragon went for discussions, nothing conclusive had been decided yet.]
I’m telling you, I don’t remember such a line.
[But now, I’m certain. The Duchy of Tahiti and the three kingdoms around it are under the empire’s influence, and those touched by their hand are inducing the self-destruction of our kingdom alliance.]
What?
“Could you please elaborate?”
Logan asked, his expression turning solemn as he forgot to keep up his act.
Fortunately, King Ramon was too busy pouring out what he had resisted sharing so far.
Last winter, the seven minor kingdom alliance to the east of McClain Kingdom underwent a significant political upheaval.
Triah. Liberty. Teroan. Romain, Calon. Lomen. Tahiti.
These seven kingdoms, founded by the descendants of the ancient heroes, have always adhered to an established pecking order, much like their forebears’ ranking as well as the current size and population of their lands.
Triah, the largest kingdom, was more than one-third the size of the current McClain Kingdom; even the smallest, the Tahiti Duchy, was smaller than McClain’s grand estates.
But as befitting their name, the alliance has always ensured equal voting rights for all members. However, a chairman was chosen to represent the seven kingdoms to outsiders.
Traditionally, the role belonged to the King of Triah, and though it could change depending on the era, kings from below Liberty or Teroan had never chaired.
At least until last winter.
Last winter, amidst upheaval in the Tahiti Duchy, Duke Leon of Tahiti suddenly demanded a renegotiation for the selection of the chairman. Romain, Calon, and Lomen kingdoms, as if they had prearranged it, quickly offered their support, and the leadership of the alliance switched hands in an instant.
Since then, these four kingdoms have been continually devising alliance policies that contradict the national interests of the other three mighty kingdoms.
[While we remain bigger in nation power, it’s quite tricky to suppress them with force. It’s a bit complicated within our alliance, you see…]
King Ramon trailed off, but Logan nodded in understanding.
After all, there’s nothing east of the minor kingdoms but the ocean – what other reason would they have for an alliance if not to check the western Grandia Kingdom?
Moreover, the ancestors of these countries were originally discontent with Grandia Kingdom’s domination and had fought for independence in ancient times. If a kingdom tried breaking the alliance with force, the backlash would undoubtedly hit that very kingdom first.
Hence, King Ramon’s communication was riddled with a peculiar paradox.
“You’re saying you don’t want to break the tradition of the alliance yet you’re seeking aid from McClain of all places?”
[Ha ha. McClain Kingdom isn’t Grandia Kingdom, is it? The dynasty has changed, so what’s the issue?]
Diplomatic words that obfuscate the essence of inter-state relations.
Nonetheless, Ramon I’s visage seemed truly unashamed while he spoke.
‘This man is a slippery one.’
Though wary internally, Logan smiled outwardly.
“Indeed, that’s true. But what evidence do you have to claim this change in the four kingdoms is due to the empire’s scheming?”
[Ah. Well…]
As the other side hesitated and trailed off, Logan tossed him a bait too tempting to resist.
“Knowing that would surely aid our decision-making on this matter.”
[This is embarrassing. I promised myself I’d share it all with you before calling, yet now I find myself retreating in shame. Please don’t misunderstand and just listen.]
“What could possibly be the cause for misunderstanding? Please, speak freely.”
[Well, within our kingdom, we have been promoting marital alliances within each royal household to strengthen friendly relations in the alliance. Naturally, this is also true for other kingdoms, leading to quite a complex web of royal blood relations.]
As King Ramon’s narrative threatened to elongate, Logan involuntarily grimaced – a reaction that the other side picked up on, prompting him to quickly steer toward the heart of the matter.
[Of course, thanks to my numerous daughters, each family has received two of them in marriage. As such, they often bring news from the other royal households when they send their greetings.]
At that, Logan had to suppress a scoff.
Having at least twelve daughters was not the issue.
The fact that he sent his daughters to all the kingdoms of the alliance, and even two to each, suggested that King Ramon himself had once tried to wield the reins of power in the alliance.
‘And now that it’s gone sour, he’s seeking help.’
The pleasantness of King Ramon’s aura was increasingly distasteful.
Just as Logan’s trust was about to dip further, Ramon I’s follow-up was both surprising and somewhat impressive.
[During that, I received some news that the Tahiti Duchy—the instigator of it all—had a noble of the empire in their midst. And they were seen close to the king.]
How could the princesses, nurtured in palaces and then wed to neighboring lands, recognize an empire’s noble?
‘Not only did he send his daughters but also sprinkled plenty of spies around.’
While acknowledging the implications, Logan feigned confusion.
‘But why would they?’
If the empire had truly intervened in the minor kingdom alliance, they would have used unrecognizable agents—like the case with the previous Royal Cleo.
“Does the empire operate so carelessly? I find that hard to believe.”
When Logan tore into the memory unpleasantly, King Ramon’s face turned redder as he cautiously began.
And the subsequent words left Logan struggling to hide his bewildered expression.
[Well, actually… the truth is among the places I sent my daughters to marry includes an imperial noble house. One of them is a high-ranking noble…]
Wow.
This stupendous man.