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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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The hunt, which had mobilized numerous personnel, was originally planned to continue until evening.
However, it was cut short when an unfortunate incident occurred during the hunt.
The Emperor and great nobles had experienced an ambush.
The imperial city was thrown into turmoil when news of the incident at the hunting grounds spread.
The hand of killing intent threatening the empire had finally attempted to assassinate even the Emperor.
Who on earth had tried to assassinate the ruler of the empire?
The imperial city buzzed like a beehive full of angry hornets.
“Your Majesty, if it’s clearly the work of subversives who hate the imperial family, we must begin an investigation immediately. Please allow us to quickly investigate any suspicious individuals.”
“I grant permission.”
Ludmilla, who had received the bad news, urged for countermeasures.
At that, Barbarossa, who had hurriedly returned from the hunting grounds, nodded.
“What are you pondering so deeply?”
“Ah, well…”
Sitting on the throne, the Emperor stared into space as if recalling something.
Ludmilla asked, worried her father might have been greatly shocked by the sudden incident.
It was natural to be in a state of confusion.
The wild beasts had suddenly transformed into vicious monsters and attacked.
There had been numerous assassination attempts targeting the ruler of the empire until now.
But this case was the most meticulous plot Barbarossa had ever experienced.
Even the boldest and bravest person would inevitably feel fear.
Ludmilla gazed at her father with worried eyes.
“That fellow. The second son of the Hohenberc family.”
“…Pardon?”
It was an unexpected statement.
She asked back, blinking her eyes in bewilderment.
“His marksmanship was truly exceptional! In all my half-century of life, I’ve never seen such a perfect marksman! Every time he pulled the trigger, those brutish-looking monsters fell, spewing blood!”
“Ah, yes… Is that so.”
The monsters, boasting tenacious regenerative abilities and ruthless madness, fell in an instant.
He must have undoubtedly aimed precisely for their vital points.
It was indeed a remarkable skill.
Barbarossa, a veteran who had enjoyed hunting even before ascending to the throne, had accurately perceived Edanant’s marksmanship as rivaling an expert’s.
That’s why he was more enthusiastic about his shooting skills than anyone else.
“Did you know about this?”
“Young Master Edanant killed all the assassins who attacked the Hohenberc family with a pistol, didn’t he?”
“Wi-With a pistol, you say…! To think his skill with a pistol is also exceptional.”
“……”
What on earth is this?
He’s full of praise for Edanant as if he’s been possessed…
What happened to the time when he denounced him as a thief who stole his precious daughters?
Is it all right for him to show such an extreme change in attitude?
Ludmilla felt awkward at her father’s praise, which even showed signs of respect.
She recalled how he used to fly into a rage every time Edanant was mentioned.
“Tomorrow, I shall go hunting with Edanant at once!”
“That cannot be! Father, please take care of your health!”
Ludmilla shouted with wide eyes at her father’s unreasonable insistence.
Did he hit his head?
He must have been so shocked that he couldn’t think straight.
It was a joyous thing that he had begun to think favorably of Edanant.
But now was the time to prioritize her father’s safety, so she set aside her personal feelings for the moment.
Although, she couldn’t help but smile inwardly at this development.
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I had tried to act like an ordinary person throughout the hunt, trying not to stand out as much as possible.
But I failed.
Of all things, an ambush using wild beasts occurred at the hunting grounds.
The attention of the Emperor and great nobles was wholly focused on me.
Surely, by tomorrow, the newspapers would publish feature articles about the achievements of the young master of the Hohenberc family at the hunting grounds.
It was nothing short of a disaster.
If things keep getting revealed one by one like this, eventually, even my true identity might be exposed.
I arrived at the imperial villa with a heavy sigh.
It was the luxurious mansion located in a wealthy neighborhood that Ludmilla had previously provided as lodging.
“Are you there?”
Knock, knock-
I heard the sound of someone knocking on the door.
Could it be Elizaveta who had arrived late?
No,
It probably wasn’t Elizaveta.
All the trains must have stopped running due to the monorail explosion.
“I apologize for visiting at such a late hour, Young Master Hohenberc.”
A beautiful lady with luscious auburn hair greeted me with a radiant smile.
I felt momentarily embarrassed as I faced the woman exuding refined dignity.
Who on earth is she?
Judging by her appearance, she seems to be a woman of noble lineage.
Could she be a noblewoman who has fallen for me?
I cautiously observed the lady’s movements while making various conjectures.
“I apologize for the late introduction. I am Isabel von Valtaria, the First Imperial Princess of the Valtarian Empire.”
“Ah! I apologize for not recognizing Your Highness!”
To think I would meet Ludmilla and Elizaveta’s older sister like this.
Isabel von Valtaria.
The First Imperial Princess of the Valtarian Empire was a character who didn’t appear in the original work.
While Ludmilla’s activities were at least mentioned, Isabel’s name wasn’t even revealed.
So naturally, I couldn’t have known about Isabel.
‘I heard she had a love marriage with some count from the frontier, breaking conventions and laws… What was the name of the husband who married the princess? I can’t remember clearly.’
One would naturally think that the husband chosen by the eldest daughter of the Valtarian Imperial Family would be an outstanding genius.
But strangely, the husband who married the First Imperial Princess had an astonishingly faint presence.
What on earth did he do?
He certainly wasn’t from a prestigious family…
Even the nobles who loved to spread rumors scratched their heads in confusion.
“I heard you saved His Majesty at the hunting grounds. And last time, you saved Liza from the clutches of Meiros. As the eldest daughter of the Valtarian Imperial Family, it is only right that I express gratitude to the benefactor of the empire.”
“I… only did what I had to do.”
My face flushed momentarily at the charm of the elegant and graceful lady.
Was it because she was the eldest daughter?
She exuded a noble maturity that her younger sisters lacked.
Even though she wore a modest dress, her chest’s superiority was noticeable.
I dared to guess it might be larger than even Ludmilla, who boasted a slender figure.
…I must be going crazy.
To be appraising the figure of a married woman.
“I heard the news from Divner County. They say you’ll soon become a member of the imperial family?”
“Uh, umm.”
“By any chance, between Mila and Liza… who do you have feelings for, Young Master?”
“……”
As expected of Ludmilla and Elizaveta’s older sister, who loved romance novels, Isabel was naturally the type to be interested in romance.
The noble lady’s brown eyes sparkled with interest.
Who do you have feelings for?
To think she would ask such a terrifying question in a beautiful, clear voice.
If I said the name of the princess I had feelings for, she would help actively.
Isabel waited for an answer as if she were in charge of matchmaking.
“I, I… probably…”
“Probably?”
“I have feelings for… Princess Ludmilla.”
“So you have feelings for Mila!”
I couldn’t say I had feelings for Elizaveta, who had been my brother’s fiancée, in front of the eldest sister.
But,
It wasn’t simply for that reason.
If I had no feelings at all, I would have answered that I didn’t have feelings for anyone.
I conveyed my true feelings while trembling like a stutterer.
Isabel rejoiced as if celebrating victory and stretched out both hands.
Her beautiful smile, without a trace of self-interest, felt terrifyingly sincere.
“Although she’s past the prime marriageable age, Mila is a lady who possesses both an upright character and a gallant demeanor. It’s only natural that you have feelings for Mila. In fact, I was secretly hoping you would choose Mila.”
“Ah, I see-”
“Our conversation might get a bit long. Would you like some black tea?”
“…Yes.”
Isabel clapped her hands and ordered.
At that, the maids waiting behind bowed their heads and responded.
She must have come simply to express gratitude.
How did it become a tea time hosted by the First Imperial Princess?
I glanced at the maids skillfully brewing black tea.
Then I turned my gaze to Isabel, who was smiling vivaciously as if she would chat all night long.
It was clear.
She hadn’t come just to express gratitude.
She undoubtedly supported her younger sisters’ sluggish romance as the eldest sister.
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The Meiros who worshiped the Disaster God were beings that destroyed common sense and reason.
Apostle.
The groups that worshiped forgotten gods called him the ‘Apostle.’
Unlike the Meiros, who had only received a portion of the divine status called a blessing, the Apostle of the Disaster God accepted the blessing and the divine will of the god they worshiped.
It meant that, albeit briefly, they could manifest the miracle of incarnating the god in their own body.
“We missed the Emperor… Well, I didn’t expect much anyway.”
A shadow with flowing black hair rose from the throne.
Judging by the petite build and slender form, it was clearly a woman in the prime of her youth.
A sharp voice rang out.
At that, the personnel lined up on both sides bowed their heads and awaited orders.
“Still, it should be enough as a declaration of war to draw out the Red Dragon.”
The threats to the empire using puppet-like vengeful spirits had been merely provocations to draw out Ludmilla.
The Red Dragon will indeed move.
The righteous guardian of the imperial family would never stand idly by while the empire and its citizens were threatened.
Therefore, even knowing it was a trap to lure her out, she would willingly fall for it.
“How is the new magical equipment you’ve obtained?”
A knight of the cult wearing a black hood asked.
The woman answered.
“As expected, it suits the divine status well. God will be pleased too.”
A platinum bracelet engraved with various intricate patterns shone brilliantly on the woman’s slender wrist.
A strange energy was overflowing from it as if it had just been used.
If Edanant had seen it, he would have been shocked.
Because it was the magical equipment of the Sage, a member of the Saintess Party.
How did the sacred artifact of the magic tower bestowed upon the Sage end up in the hands of cult followers?
Only the Apostles and believers who worshiped the Disaster God would know that.
“Then how shall we deal with the Earth Mother’s watchdogs?”
“Leave them be. It’s not pleasant to take the lives of the weak.”
Around the woman were Holy Knights dispatched from the Holy Kingdom, sprawled like corpses.
Black smoke was rising as if to show that an intense battle had just occurred.
A Meiros had appeared.
As soon as they heard the news, the Holy Kingdom had deployed an elite subjugation force.
However, the result was genuinely miserable.
They were barely clinging to life, but all were incapacitated.
The subjugation force, which had boasted brilliant military achievements, had all been swept away by the Apostle, who worshiped a heretical god.
If news of this humiliating defeat were to reach the Holy Kingdom, the Holy King and cardinals would surely lose sleep in fear.
They must have been confident of victory.
“You are truly amazing, Lady Ariel. To even bring down the guardian knights who serve the Holy King…”
“Enough with the flattery.”
The woman named Ariel made a gesture with her hand.
At that, the priests who served the heretical god opened the doors leading to the stage.
“We’re heading to the empire now.”
We will show those hypocrites who praise the Earth Mother.
That your death has come.
The Apostles who hadn’t been able to participate in the Racial War have returned from the chaotic realm after three years.
We will avenge our brethren who were horribly executed just for worshiping forgotten gods.
The wails of those hypocrites who carried out massacres to protect the holiness of the one true god will echo all the way to hell.
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