Chapter 4 “The Holy King’s Thoughts”
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Part 1
The capital of the Holy Kingdom of Raschel —— the White City.
On a floating island existing on a huge lake, a castle town was spread out around a white castle.
The castle town, which seems to be crammed with buildings, is a mess, unlike the shining castle.
Only the castle shines in white.
Still, the people of Raschel call their city the White City.
The Holy King, the ruler of the castle in such a capital, was an old man with an obese figure, gray hair, and a gray beard.
Called His Majesty the Great, he meets with a messenger who has returned from the Kingdom of Horfalt in an audience room.
“The Kingdom of Horfalt has kicked against the mercy of the great Majesty in fear, and prepared for battle.”
To the dramatic act of the messenger who kneels and hangs his head, the nobles who lined up in the audience chamber raise their voices in indignation.
“Those fools.”
“This is why people of low status.”
“They’re just incorrigible people.”
Amidst the many disparaging remarks about the Kingdom of Horfalt, the Holy King raised his right hand to end the commotion.
And while stroking his proud beard.
“We have no choice. Then let us begin to prepare for battle.”
The nobles all kneel at once and bow to the Holy King.
“Hah! As Your Majesty, the Great, commands.”
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Part 2
After leaving the audience chamber, the Holy King rested himself in the antechamber.
Sitting in a comfortable recliner, beautiful women are waiting around it.
The heavy crown was placed on the table and the ornate clothes were removed.
He also takes off his shoes and is in his underwear.
The beautiful women who attend him hold the fruits and drinks that the Holy King consumes.
When the Holy King opened his mouth, one of the beautiful women peeled the fruit and put it in his mouth.
The Holy King, chewing on it, looks at the Prime Minister who has come into the room.
“So how are those guys doing?”
Those guys are the Kingdom of Horfalt.
The Prime Minister, who was highly ostentatious in the audience chamber, was quite formal in this room.
“Reparto’s black-hearted princess. No, Queen Milene entered the Fraser territory with the princess. She is accompanied by the Fiend Knight and his two airships.”
Hearing that, the Holy King did not seem to panic.
Instead, he is smiling.
“Does she intend to let the Fiend Knight invade and destroy our country?”
When he asked a testing question, the Prime Minister laughed as if he were troubled.
“Queen Milene will not allow it. If she were short-sighted, we would not have gone through all that trouble.”
The Holy King, snorting, speaks of Milene.
“That crook Roland is also giving me a headache, but I’m having a hard time with the black-hearted princess.”
The Prime Minister also makes an angry look.
“I don’t see Roland making a move this time. It’s disturbing that he hasn’t made any moves yet.”
Surprisingly, Roland’s reputation is not low in Raschel.
He was active to the extent that his enemies called him a crook and hated him.
However, the Holy King and the Prime Minister are currently keeping a close eye on Leon, who is known as a Fiend Knight.
The Holy King asks about Leon.
“What’s the Fiend Knight doing in Fraser territory?”
“According to the spies’ reports, he is on standby at the behest of Queen Milene. It seems that the rumor is true that the Fiend Knight is enamored with Queen Milene.”
The relationship between Leon and Milene was known to foreign countries.
But the Holy King looks as if he doesn’t understand.
“I’m surprised that there is a man who is interested in that black-hearted princess.”
“I agree.”
Neither of them saw Milene as a woman.
The two of them are aware that she is an enemy who has given them a hard time for a long time.
The Prime Minister confirms to the Holy King.
“Your Majesty, we are assembling our forces in the White City as planned.”
“Umu.”
“We have received messengers from the allied nations, requesting our presence and reinforcements, though?”
“Give them a reason and refuse. Fortunately, we are in a situation where we are facing the Fiend Knight. Tell them that we are holding off the Fiend Knight.”
The Holy Kingdom of Raschel had no intention of attacking by themselves while having their messengers make a vigorous declaration of war.
The plan is to continue to defend the city and continue to confront Leon as he enters Fraser territory.
The Prime Minister breathes a sigh of relief.
“I am relieved to hear that. There is nothing we can do to stop that Fiend Knight at present.”
When the Holy King opens his mouth wide and laughs, he raises his upper body and leans forward.
“The black-hearted princess wouldn’t have attacked this country in such a foolish and straightforward way. After all, that would move the superpower Empire.”
The Empire —— The Holy Magic Empire of Voldenowa was powerful from the perspective of Kingdoms Horfalt and the Holy Kingdom of Raschel, which were called the superpower.
The Holy King and the Prime Minister trusted that Milene would not create a reason for such a country to enter the war.
That Milene would not do anything foolish, they thought.
The Prime Minister is smiling with the corners of his mouth turned up.
“No matter how strong the Fiend Knight may be, he will not be able to fight if the world is against him.”
When the empire moves, various countries, including dependent countries, begin to move.
There will be many nations joining this battle as they cannot leave the Kingdom of Horfalt in the hands of powerful lost items.
However, the Prime Minister had concerns.
“However, it would be troublesome if they had the power to fight the world. The power of the Fiend Knight, as I have heard, is beyond our expectations.”
The Holy King also had a sense of crisis, but he was not as impatient as the Prime Minister.
“If someone has the power to take the world, it’s human to use it. The reason they don’t do it is because they have reasons why they can’t. Especially when a kid gets a little too much power, they want to show it off, don’t they?”
“It’s often found in fairy tales. There are many stories about people who get Lost Item, they go overboard, and end up in misfortune.”
“We don’t need to win or lose this war. If the strength of the Fiend Knight exceeds our expectations, then we should cooperate with other countries and make him suffer by any means possible this time.”
“——It is certainly effective. The Kingdom of Horfalt imports magic stones from other countries, you know. I hear that there are problems within the country because they cannot purchase them from the Republic of Arzel.”
The Holy King leans back against the backrest again.
“So we do nothing. It’s wise not to fight the Fiend Knight either way. In the meantime, it would be best if we could get the Empire to move.”
The Prime Minister smiles. The reason is, he’s already working with the empire.
“I heard that the Empire is also wary of the Fiend Knight, and according to the messengers, they are interested in this battle.”
The Holy King closes his eyes.
“The Fiend Knight stood out too much. Thanks to him, everything is going our way.”
The Prime Minister agrees.
“Thanks to him, we can win without doing anything.”
Because of his great power, Leon was becoming recognized as a dangerous presence in the world.
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Part 3
“This is a tourist attraction that Fraser is proud of!”
Eriya took us to a lake that looked like a tourist attraction.
The lake is surrounded by a protective barrier fence and handrails are provided.
Marie grabbed onto the railing and leaned over to watch the lake.
She was so impressed that she forgot about the harsh look and attitude she had toward Eriya.
“This is the lake!?”
The reason for Marie’s surprise is the presence of a small floating island just a few hundred meters directly above the lake.
Its small floating islands suck up water from the lake.
A pillar of water several meters in diameter was ascending to the sky, but water was spilling from a small floating island.
A huge natural fountain —— that’s a good description.
When I saw the scene, I couldn’t help but let out a voice.
“It’s certainly impressive.”
While I was admiring it, Livia, who was standing next to me, shared her knowledge that she must have gotten from a book. I thought she got it from a book because it seemed that this was the first time she had seen it in person.
Her eyes sparkle as she looks at the natural fountain.
“It’s a very rare sight. It’s rare to see a 100-meter-long floating island absorbing water. I don’t know if it was brought to this location or if it just washed up.”
Ange put her hand on her chin in thought.
“It is regrettable that this is not a suitable tourist destination because of the border. If it were further inland, it would have developed further as a tourist destination.”
Noel was troubled by Ange’s view of the sightseeing spots from her standpoint as a territory lord.
At the sight before her, it seems unbelievable that Ange is thinking about income as a tourist attraction.
Noel asks Ange in amazement.
“Don’t you feel impressed?”
“I do, though?”
“No, like it’s amazing or something, there are various, right? Hora, look at the lake. Lovers are on the boat.”
When I looked in the direction Noel pointed, I saw the lovers and the families on the boats.
Boat floating on the lake.
In this world where ships fly in the sky, it must seem unreliable.
Ange frowned.
“I’m not really interested in boats that don’t fly.”
――Is this a cultural difference? From my point of view, a boat is more like a ship on the water.
Then Noel comes up with something and hugs my arm.
“So it’s okay if I ride with Leon, right? Leon would be okay with that, right?”
“I don’t mind.”
When I answered immediately, Ange and Livia looked aghast.
“Noel, there’s order of things. Don’t you dare stealing a march.”
“Noel-san is cunning.”
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Part 4
Marie looked at the pier where the boats were rented out.
She can hear Leon and Noel making some noise as they get into the boat.
“Aniki is really carefree, isn’t he?”
She leaned forward against the railing and let out a sigh as she watched Leon’s figure.
It was Erika who approached Marie.
“Uncle, he’s more aggressive than before.”
“Erika? What about Eriya kid?”
When Marie cautioned about the surroundings, she did not see Eriya.
Erika brushes her hair back and brings it behind her ear.
“I wanted to talk to Mom, so I asked him to do an errand for me.”
“Asked him, you said —— He’s the heir to the Marquis family, isn’t he? Is it really okay to let him do that?”
Marie is strict with Eriya, but she also understands the other party’s position.
The heir to the Marquis’s family is, let’s say, the same as the five idiots before the disinheritance.
It is easy to forget that Eriya is also a nobleman, although his appearance is gentle.
Erika giggles.
“Because I’m the princess of this country.”
“Y-Yeah, that’s true.”
Erika is also a princess of the kingdom of Horfalt, so it’s a joke if she pushes Eriya around. But that is because they have a good relationship with each other.
If they didn’t get along, it was a problem.
Erika tells Marie about her feelings in her heart.
“I know Mom and Uncle are trying to do a lot of things for me.”
“Erika?”
“But, as I said before, I accept my engagement and marriage to Eriya, so please don’t interfere.”
“I am! I still want Erika to be happy! Go out with someone you like and enjoy your youth—— a-and then, and then——”
Because of regrets from her previous life, Marie wanted Erika to be happy.
She wanted her to have a more normal experience of happiness.
But, Erika says.
“——If it were a much further time, that might have been fine. But I’m the princess of this country, so I’m not free to do that.”
“That’s something aniki will take care of it for you!”
“Mom?”
“Erika may not know this, but aniki could solve anything. For your sake, aniki will do his best. So, please be happy.”
Erika looked away from Marie, who was lying on her face and shedding tears, and saw Leon and the others in a boat on the lake.
“I was happy.”
Then Eriya, who was asked by Erika to buy something for her, appears with a drink in his hand.
“Erika, I bought it!”
Marie wiped away tears when she saw Eriya running from a distance.
Then she looks at Erika.
“Are you sure you are okay with him? There are so many better looking guys out there.”
When Marie recommended a good-looking boy, Erika laughed, as if she were troubled. Apparently, she and Marie have different ideas about the opposite gender.
“I think he’s cute? Besides —— You have to raise a good man yourself.”
“Eh?”
Erika walks away and talks to Marie, then she approaches Eriya.
“Isn’t that right? It is definitely better to raise a man to your liking than to find a good one.”
Knowing her daughter’s values in her previous life, Marie was convinced.
(Aa. I see. This girl has raised Eriya so decently. What can I say, horrible? No, strong-willed?)
Marie decided to acknowledge and congratulate them on their relationship.
And Marie says to Eriya who is approaching.
“You.”
“Yes?”
“——Good luck with everything.”
“Eh? Ah, yes.”
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Part 5
On the boat.
After Noel and Livia were on board, it was finally Ange’s turn.
Originally, I thought she would ride first, but she chose last, saying she needed to talk to me.
Ange reaches out and touches the surface of the water.
“I spoke with Milene-sama, but I couldn’t convince her.”
“I see.”
As I row the oars, Ange tells me about Milene-san.
“That person is quite impatient. For her homeland, for the Kingdom —— No, it’s for the royal family. She plans to use you to put the current royal family on a firm footing.”
It’s me and Luxion listening to Ange. Luxion moves to the bow of the boat to check the direction of our course.
Apparently, he has no intention of joining the conversation.
“War and political strife, that’s a heavy stuff for me. —— So, what happened to the talk about getting Licorne out?”
“I think she’s furious. The fact that she cannot angry with you must make her upset, I bet.”
I am told that Milene-san is angry with me because I sailed Licorne without her permission.
But when she sees me, she just smiles and makes small talk.
That made me very sad.
She doesn’t talk about her true thoughts, but I can tell she’s concerned about me.
No, rather than being considerate, she treated me with great caution.
She’s being too cautious in her treatment of me.
As I paddle the oars and think about it, Ange asks me with a giggle.
“If you’re depressed because Milene-sama hates you, do you need me to comfort you?”
“——It’s not like that.”
“Don’t sulk. Part of me was teasing you, but the other part of me really wanted to comfort you. ——Because I’m going to put a burden on you again.”
When war breaks out, it is the knights —— nobles who are sent into battle, even if they don’t want to.
Ange looks at the surface of the water and talks about Milene-san.
“That person and you are aiming at different goals. If you keep going like this, you’re going to bump into each other sooner or later. Are you ready to go against Milene-sama?”
“I don’t want to fight with that person.”
When I gave an indecisive reply, Ange let out a sigh.
Then she looks at me with a slightly sad face.
“Milene-sama is not as kind as you think. Don’t forget that she is a tough opponent.”
——Before I knew it, I had a rather delicate situation with Milene-san as well.
At this rate, apparently, the relationship will become a dispute as political enemies.
“What should I do? Ange, do you have any solutions?”
I ask jokingly, and Ange scoops up the water with her hand and splashes it on my face.
Ange was smiling, but she seemed amazed and a little angry.
“Are you going to make me take care of her?”
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Part 6
When Leon and others were enjoying sightseeing in the Fraser Territory.
After visiting Baron Bartfalt once, Licorne retrieved the jewel and came to the small country with which they had formed a military alliance against the Kingdom of Horfalt.
When they arrived at the port, Licorne was surrounded by armor in which knights were boarding.
Walking behind Jilk through the heavy security, Greg and Chris, who made no attempt to hide their frustration, followed behind him.
Jilk turns his face and warns the two of them.
“Can’t you two be a little more serious? This is an important negotiation for the future of the kingdom.”
Chris turned away from Jilk.
“I understand, but why should we be treated as your subordinates? This is an error of decision on Leon’s part.”
Greg folds his hands behind his head and looks around.
“In the first place, it was a small country that could hardly be called a country. Even if we could convince this country, it wouldn’t make much difference.”
Even if one small country leaves the alliance, it will not affect much.
But Jilk understood that, too.
“The important thing is what’s going to happen now. Still, thanks to you, Brad-kun, the meeting could take place smoothly.”
Brad, who was being asked to speak, walked next to Jilk, looking nervous.
Born into a margrave’s family guarding the border, Brad had connections with other border guarding nobles. He used this to his advantage to request a meeting with the enemy.
“I am sorry, but I am not personally involved with this country. I hope you don’t think the negotiations will go in your favor.”
“I don’t expect that much.”
“You didn’t! That’s kind of pisses me off!”
He said he didn’t want to be relied upon, but he was angry when he knew he wasn’t being counted on.
Jilk teases Brad about it.
“Brad-kun, I’m afraid your performance will have to wait until we negotiate with the Duke Fannos.”
“Fannos? Will you negotiate with Hertrude as well? Over there is——”
When Brad makes a difficult expression, Jilk looks confident.
“They will most likely become our enemies, but they may cooperate with us more than you think.”
“Do you have any basis for that?”
As Brad looks at him doubtfully, Jilk’s expression tightens as he looks forward.
“Well, we’ll find out when the time comes.”
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Part 7
Meeting with a small country.
Jilk had the three of them stand behind him, talking with the minister of the small country.
The reason they don’t meet with the king of a small country in the audience chamber is to finish the paperwork first.
Even the minister, who is usually so modest to the kingdom of Horfalt as a small country, is now leaning back on his couch.
“I didn’t expect four children to be sent from the kingdom of Horfalt. I heard that you are the prodigal sons of a family that had been disinherited.”
Jilk smiles in response to the minister’s sudden sarcasm.
“It hurts my ears”
“So? What kind of negotiations are you going to have this time? When you came to us before, you said you’d provide us with a lot of money if we switched sides.”
Apparently the diplomats who came before tried to use the funds to make the small country switch sides.
However, the other party may be thinking of invading the kingdom of Horfalt and making money by plundering them.
He seemed to be saying that he would not move for a fraction of the money.
Jilk begins to negotiate with a fresh smile on his face, holding back his mockery of the other party.
First of all——.
“When war breaks out, my foster parent —— My boss, Leon Fou Bartfalt, will be destroying this country first.”
——Suddenly, he started threatening him.
The startled minister blinked repeatedly.
When he heard that the Fiend Knight were coming to destroy this country first, he suddenly became restless.
“T-That’s bluffing. Rather than attacking this country, he would be targeting Raschel and the major powers. No, he should strike the enemies who have entered the country first.”
He declares Jilk’s statement to be a lie, but judging from the way he was upset, he must have considered the possibility.
Jilk nodded and listened to the minister’s words many times before he smiled and told him.
“My boss always says. If you’re going to hit them, do it from a weak spot. He originally said he did not want to do anything that would destroy things, but the situation is what it is. Once the fight starts, it’s my boss’s way of dealing with it thoroughly.”
The minister is in a cold sweat.
Jilk snapped her fingers, and in dissatisfaction, Greg placed the box of luggage he had brought on the table.
The ministers and bureaucrats were too flustered to speak out to stop them.
When Jilk opened the box, there was a shiny white round ball in it.
“W-What’s this?”
Neither the ministers nor the bureaucrats understood what they were being offered.
Jilk explains in a kind and polite wa.
“It’s a jewel that my boss got in a battle in the Republic. Don’t you know about it? This jewel contains the same amount of magic power as a large amount of magic stone. If you use it, you won’t have to worry about energy problems for a while.”
Reminiscent of the story of Leon’s rampage in the Republic, he tells them that in front of them is a treasured jewel.
Ministers and bureaucrats gazed at it as if they were devouring it.
“I-Is this the rumored jewel?”
Jilk says.
“If you switch sides right now, I’ll give you the jewel. If you refuse, my boss will just attack you with his airships as soon as the war starts.”
The bureaucrats kept their mouths shut and the minister closed his eyes and rubbed his fingertips over the tops of his eyes.
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Part 8
On board the Licorne.
After successfully completing their meeting with the small country, the four gathered in the dining hall and gathered around the table for a lively discussion.
Chris still can’t believe it.
“Well done on a negotiation that the kingdom’s diplomats failed to negotiate.”
He seems honestly impressed with Jilk’s skills.
A pleased Jilk reveals the secret of a trick.
“I flew in the Einhorn class and mentioned Leon-kun’s name. A diplomat of the kingdom cannot easily give his name. Besides, I have prepared a souvenir, a jewel.”
Success is a given.
Brad’s eyes narrow at Jilk for this attitude.
“It’s like you threatened them with the name of Leon. That being said, are you going to continue to go around handing out jewels?”
Jilk tilted his head. He wondered about Brad’s question.
“Why would you do that? The jewel is a precious thing.”
“Eh? But we will continue to chip away the alliance.”
Jilk lets out a deep sigh, then puts his hand on his forehead and shakes his head.
“I wouldn’t do such a wasteful thing. Even if we give it away, it will be limited to three countries. After that, if you tell them that there are countries that have been switched sides, they will switch sides one after another.”
Greg was scratching his head with a complicated expression when he heard Jilk’s words.
“You’re the best in this kind of field.”
Although it is a compliment, Greg’s expression shows mixed emotions.
It may not have been an honest compliment, but Jilk didn’t care.
“Don’t praise me so much. Rather, let’s head to the Duke Fannos after a few rounds, shall we.”
Brad nods a few times and obediently accepts Jilk’s suggestion.
“Okay. I’ll let my parents know first.”
Creare observed with interest as the four of them were relieved that the initial negotiations were over.
Jilk turns and calls out, perhaps uncomfortable with being watched through blue lenses.
“What can I do for you, Creare-san?”
Jilk acted like a gentleman, but to Creare it was pointless.
[You are a talented piece of trash. I was going to experiment on you for taking advantage of my Master, but I’ll forgive you for successfully negotiating.]
“Hahaha, thank you very much. ——Eh, experiment?”
Jilk, who was laughing over the sarcasm and disgust as usual, was curious about Creare’s use of the word “experiment”.
Creare tells him in a cheerful electronic voice.
[Now that I’ve tried sex change, I’ve been preparing for my next experiment. It’s too bad you won’t be the subject of my next experiment, but I’m glad to see that you seem to be accomplishing the Master’s goal.]
Jilk and three others paled as they looked at the cheerful Creare.
(What was she going to do to us?)
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