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Madan no Ou to Vanadis - Volume 16 - Chapter 3.2




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Around one koku had passed since the hunt started. Looking down on the plains from atop the hill, one could see people giving their horses free reign. Eugene and Ruslan chatted about various matters while watching them going about their business. The two spoke about Zhcted’s future, exchanged views on ruling, and laughed together as they recalled all kinds of past events, never running out of topics to talk about.

However, once their conversation shifted to their families, it was Ruslan who inserted a break to bow his head in apology.

“Eugene, I’m sorry, but please give me a bit more time. It’s a delight to hear that your daughter, Alyssa, has apparently grown into a fine girl, but… My child, well you know…”

Ruslan’s son Valeri was ten years old. He was two years old when his father fell ill. Thus the 30-years-old prince didn’t know much about his son’s childhood.

“I have met with Valeri twice, but…it looks like it’ll take some time for us to find a common ground. Thus I’d like to leave the engagement between our two children at the level of it being His Majesty’s arrangement for the time being.”

King Viktor had decided that Eugene’s daughter would become the wife of Ruslan’s son while he was still alive. With the prince bowing to him, Eugene had not much of a choice but to consent. Besides, as he spoke with Ruslan, his thinking also kept changing. Compared to the shock when King Viktor decided the engagement arbitrarily, he could come to terms with it now, as just the prospect of talking it over with Ruslan made it much better.

After another quarter of a koku, their conversation came to a halt as malice suddenly filled the wind blowing across the hilltop.

Two riders rode uphill. They were clad in thick coats, and had leather hats on their heads, seemingly to fend off the coldness. Both riders stopped their mounts just before scaling the hill. The reaction of the noble lords, who spotted them, was sluggish as they believed them to be returners from the hunt.

However, it immediately became apparent that this wasn’t the case. Those two readied crossbows, which they had apparently affixed to their saddles, and targeted Ruslan. Both bows were already loaded with thick bolts.

“Your Highness…!” Eugene stood up in front of Ruslan, both arms spread.

He made it clear that he’d try to block the bolts with his own body. But the crossbow users pulled the triggers without a care. The two bolts rushed off with a force that seemed to crush rather than pierce the air. But, neither of the bolts hit Eugene or Ruslan. A gust that suddenly arose around the two men caused the bolts to veer off into a different direction.

“──How bold of you to openly attack straight from the front in broad daylight.”

Without even hiding her rage as her silver hair fluttered in the wind, Elen advanced her own horse. In her hand gleamed Arifar, clad in wind. What had blown away the bolts was, obviously, a wind barrier released by this draconic tool. Lim also moved her horse in front of Eugene in silence. A rage not losing out to Elen’s in any way burned in her blue eyes.

The assailants’ judgment was quick. They threw away their crossbows, pulled their horses around, and galloped downhill.

One of the lords shouted, “After them!”, causing those present to toss away their chess pieces and instruments, and straddle their horses in a hurry.

Even if they had no plans to join the hunt, they still had at least short swords for self-defense with them. Above all, it was unthinkable that they’d silently watch an assassination attempt on their own country’s prince. The ranger blew his horn in order to call back those currently enjoying the hunt.

Elen and Lim didn’t move from their spot as it was possible that other assailants lurked somewhere. It was necessary for someone to protect Ruslan and Eugene.

“Still, even though it’s great that His Highness and Eugene are alright…” Elen’s face was colored with anxiety as she deployed a wind barrier with her draconic tool.

She thought about her lover who wasn’t present right now. Lim let her eyes vigilantly wander, but she still nodded at Elen’s comment.

“This spells the end of the hunting festival, I suppose. Lord Tigrevurmud would say so as well.”

Although the assassination ended at an attempt, it didn’t change the fact that the prince’s life had been targeted. At this point, they couldn’t keep going with the hunt. And even if Ruslan were to vouch for a continuation, Tigre would likely refuse.

Soon afterwards, Tigre and Olga showed up. The youth sensed that the hilltop’s atmosphere was strained with tension, and brought his horse close to Elen’s with a serious expression.

“What happened?”

Elen roughly explained the circumstances. In the meantime, the others who had left hunting such as Rurick and Gaspal trickled in as well. At the end, the pursuers of the assailants returned with mortified looks. They knelt in front of Ruslan, apologizing for letting the two riders get away.

Not only were the two assassins masters at horse-riding, but they were also familiar with the hunting ground’s terrain, allowing them to disappear as soon as they plunged inside the forest. Their true identities remaining shrouded in mystery.

Tigre finished listening to Elen, and then made his horse trot to Ruslan. He informed the prince, who looked apologetic as soon as he noticed Tigre, with a smile, “Your Highness, let’s head back soon.”

“We’ve been here for only around one koku, right? The sun is still out as well. Isn’t that way too early?”

It was Ruslan’s strong sense of responsibility that spoke out of him. But Tigre shook his head, “My Dad used to say: A hunt is something you stop as long as you can still smile. Before it comes to nothing because something happens.”

And then the youth pointed at the saddle of his horse. Three wild birds hung there. One was the first kill, and the other two were kills he had brought down within this short period of time.

“I see,” Ruslan smiled lightly. “I shall abide by your father’s words this time.”

“Thank you. If we can find another opportunity, we will roast the game and enjoy its taste on the spot.”


“I will arrange for such an occasion as soon as possible. Please look forward to it.”

Instructions were handed out to the retinue, and the noble lords began to load their baggage on their horses. Even if they might feel disappointed, no one openly showed it as the situation was too serious. The ranger felt sorry, regarding today’s incident as his own ineptitude, but after being told by Ruslan, “Even if it’s your responsibility, I shall forgive you,” some color returned to his face.

Of course the prince didn’t believe that it was the ranger’s fault. Still, he deliberately forgave him to ease his worries.

The forty people left the hunting ground. Since Ruslan didn’t yield on leading the procession, Elen and Olga secured his sides. Like this, even if a dragon were to attack, it probably wouldn’t be able to put the prince in danger.

Tigre rode behind them, just for Eugene to ride up to him.

“Earl Vorn, could you spare me some of your time?”

His thin body wrapped in a thick overcoat, a gentle expression peeked out from between his gray hair and beard. During the hunting event their exchange was limited to a simple greeting at the departure, but looking at him from nearby, Tigre felt like he had become even more haggard than the time they last met. However, right now a calm smile clung to his face.

The two fell back to the end of the line, and then Eugene spoke up, “I have heard the story from His Highness. It looks like I owe you a thanks.”

“Please don’t mind it. It’s something I also did for the sake of Brune.”

Tigre said, but Eugene shook his head, “It was also for our sake, right? Thanks to this, we were able to remember many things that were almost forgotten.” Staring at Tigre, the elderly earl continued, “What’s important for a ruler is to inherit the will of his predecessor. No, I guess it’s the other way around. Exactly because it’s someone who has inherited the will of his predecessor, they qualify as ruler of the next era.”

“Inheriting the will, you say…?” Tigre blinked several times.

While it sounded like something very obvious, it reverberated in his ears as it carried a mysterious freshness. Eugene nodded slowly, “Humor me for a bit, will you?” With that preface, Eugene started to say, “I’m no blood relative of the royal family. And this didn’t disturb me in the least when I was a noble ruling over the land of Pardu. But, when I was designated to become the next king, I got scared for the first time, asking myself whether I would really be able to handle this huge responsibility decently as someone not of royal blood.”

Tigre silently listened. This wasn’t someone else’s problem as Tigre would be in the same position as Eugene once he returned to Brune.

It was at that time that a calm determination entered Earl Pardu’s voice.

“Today I talked with His Highness, and remembered. I won’t say that blood relationship doesn’t matter. But, if you ask why inheriting the blood matters, it’s because it also means the inheritance of a spirit. Though, if you manage to inherit the will of your predecessor, it’s unnecessary to obsess over blood relationship.”

“What do you mean by inheriting a will?” Tigre asked.

With a smile, Eugene replied, “I heard a bit about you from Limalisha, but you’re well aware of your father’s love towards Alsace, right? And after studying what your father had done, you continued doing what you judged had to be continued. That’s what inheriting the will is about, I believe. It’s not about doing as you’re told.”

Tigre felt bashful, revealing an embarrassed smile. Eugene’s tone somewhat sounded like that of a teacher, but it had not the slightest sliver of a high-handed feel to it as he had been talking while maintaining a proper level of politeness.

“And the one who inherits a will must add his own will to his predecessor’s will, and pass it on to the next generation. I think you should always keep this in mind if you tread down the path of a statesman.”

Suddenly having thought of something, Tigre hurled a question at Eugene, “What would be the best to do if you must inherit even while not knowing of the predecessor’s will?”

“You either support someone who has already inherited the will, or you study it while standing next to that person. ──Commenting on a foreign country’s king might be disrespectful, but King Faron was a magnificent man. Of course he also had his faults, though. I believe that Her Highness Princess Regin is also someone who has properly inherited the king’s will.”

Tigre blushed after being splendidly found out despite having intended to keep his words as ambiguous as possible.

“You knew?”

“I heard from Eleonora that Her Highness confessed her feelings to you. I’d like you to not be angry with her since she probably told me while trusting that I wouldn’t disclose it to anyone else.”

Tigre nodded. The other lords were more than a dozen strides ahead. Their conversation couldn’t be heard by other people, thus Tigre judged that it might be no problem to talk about it.

“His Highness Ruslan will likely be delighted if you were to become Brune’s king. The same applies for me as well. If there’s one downside to it, it’d be Eleonora and Limalisha stopping to be appropriate partners for you.”

Tigre choked violently. Even if the elderly earl might already be aware of his relationship with Elen, Tigre didn’t have the courage to confirm it. Looking at Eugene, he saw him smiling a way different from before, possibly because he meant it as a joke to some extent. However, Eugene immediately became serious again.

“I won’t tell you that I’m correct in everything I say. However, I’d be happy if you could remember my words as an opinion. And, if it should become useful to you one day, I’d be very delighted.”

“Thank you very much.” Tigre expressed his heartfelt gratitude.

Tigre had inherited the title of Earl Vorn and the land of Alsace thanks to his bloodline. And he was trying to succeed the throne without the proper bloodline. In his position, Eugene’s words were as reassuring as a flame that got lit up within the darkness.

The youth who might become king in the near future, and the man who couldn’t become king quietly rode along the road with their horses lining up next to each other. At this time Tigrevurmud Vorn had partly inherited Eugene Shevarin’s will.

 

—————- End of Part 2 —————-





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