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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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“Stand by nearby.”
“Yes, understood.”
After giving the standby order to his elite guards, Raymond entered the meeting hall with the two tower masters.
The eyes of those who had arrived earlier focused on the three of them. Among them was the Third Prince.
He didn’t approach with the fierce threats he used to, but he did give Raymond and the Red Tower Master a look filled with faint hostility.
Of course, Raymond paid no mind to the hostile gaze and found his seat with the two tower masters.
“Looks like my brother was quite fond of you.”
Raymond asked, lightly wetting his lips with the drink brought by an attendant. Berenus tried to suppress a twisted smile as he replied.
“He cared enough to assign a few assassins to me.”
“So it wasn’t for protection, then.”
“You know the nature of His Highness the Second Prince.”
‘I know it very well.’
Raymond nodded in agreement with Berenus’s words.
Even without recalling the setting book, one could guess just by observing the past few months’ events.
Though Berenus didn’t elaborate, Raymond could guess what he had been through.
The influence of the setting book was there, but more than anything, one could glimpse his feelings just by looking at his expression now.
Berenus Kyle was a high-ranking mage, one of the few in the Philios Empire, and had risen to the position of tower master.
Could he really have failed to notice the surveillance of assassins?
He was merely turning a blind eye because of the Second Prince, who had allied with the Third Prince.
“What did you do about the assassins assigned to watch you?”
Raymond asked in a calm voice. It would be troublesome if the surveillance continued.
“You needn’t worry about that.”
Berenus replied.
He wasn’t unaware of the assassins assigned to watch him, nor was he incapable of dealing with them.
He had simply endured it to avoid conflict with the second and Third Prince’s factions.
But now that he had decided to align with the Fifth Prince, Raymond, there was no need to heed their eyes.
His decision was swift.
He immediately selected elite mages and tower knights from the Red Tower to eliminate the assassins. In some cases, he personally dealt with them.
“His Majesty the Emperor is entering!”
The door opened, and the chamberlain who entered first announced in a loud voice.
Everyone stood up. Soon, the aged Emperor appeared, escorted by the Royal Guards.
The Royal Guards were thoroughly vigilant, as it wouldn’t be surprising if the incident at the banquet repeated itself here. Watching them, Raymond sighed inwardly.
It was lamentable that a once-powerful nation that dominated the ancient era had declined to the point of fearing assassination within its own capital, much like the current state of the Philios Empire mirrored the aged Emperor.
“Everyone, be seated.”
The Emperor said as he took his seat. His voice was dignified, but he was clearly weary.
He tried not to show it, but some nobles might have noticed.
“Commander of the Northern Central Army, rise and report the situation.”
At the Emperor’s command, a middle-aged man in military uniform stood up and bowed.
It was a face Raymond hadn’t seen before, but he knew the setting.
‘Count Willian Akon.’
He was a promising talent in the military, having achieved great feats as a senior knight of the northern border army.
Though not a hereditary noble with a fief, he held the title of count.
“We have deployed one legion near the northern border. If the border army is attacked, we can support them within four days.”
One legion meant a force of 6,000. Considering the current national power of the Philios Empire, it was a significant deployment.
‘But they won’t advance further.’
The Haifel Empire was not to be underestimated. They were always looking for opportunities to escape their harsh northern lands. If they had a legitimate cause, they had the army and funds to break through the dangerous obstacle of the Monster Forest and advance south.
‘But the Philios Empire doesn’t have the national power to pass through the Monster Forest.’
Not yet.
‘Unless I become Emperor and activate the empire’s reconstruction plan, it will be difficult to confront the Haifel Empire or the Tri-Nation Alliance.’
If there was one hope for this declining empire, it was the ‘Empire Reconstruction Plan’ legacy lying dormant across the continent.
If all the arrangements left by the first Emperor were gathered, the Philios Empire could rise again as a strong power on the continent.
“Is the situation so serious that you’ve pulled one legion from the Northern Central Army for forward deployment?”
A cautious noble asked.
“You can tell just by the absence of the Mountain Duke here.”
The Emperor replied.
The Mountain Duke, a great lord of the north, had recently been staying in the capital longer than in his own fief to solidify his base. His return to the north indicated the seriousness of the situation.
“What is the morale of the army?”
“Due to the Haifel Empire’s ranger units attacking our patrols several times a day, the accumulated damage has significantly lowered morale.”
“What about the Black Mountains?”
“It’s the same. It seems the Free Isiria Kingdom has hired high-level mercenaries and sent them to the border.”
The Emperor pondered over Count Akon’s report.
Sending the princes to the border would greatly boost the border army’s morale, but sending his sons to a place that could become a battlefield was not an easy decision.
“Your Majesty! It’s not too late! You must send the royals to the borders with the Haifel Empire and the Free Isiria Kingdom!”
Someone spoke. Raymond turned his head toward the direction of the voice.
He couldn’t recall the name, but he clearly remembered that it was a noble who had been by the Third Prince’s side at the banquet.
“I agree! If the princes go to the border, neither the Haifel Empire nor the Free Isiria Kingdom will dare to provoke us!”
Oh, really? This time, a noble from the Second Prince’s faction raised his voice.
“Then who do you think should go?”
The Emperor asked the nobles. With the noble factions of the second and Third Princes speaking in unison, it was difficult to ignore them entirely.
“Your Majesty, I recommend sending my brother Serak to the Haifel Empire side, and Raymond to the border with the Free Isiria Kingdom.”
The Third Prince, Aloken, who had been silent, stepped forward and spoke.
The warlike first prince nodded without displeasure, and Raymond looked at the Third Prince with a complex expression.
‘The nobles will support me. Go ahead, struggle.’
Aloken was inwardly prepared to mock Raymond, expecting him to resist, but Raymond’s thoughts were different.
‘What a stroke of luck.’
He had found a legitimate reason to leave the capital for a while.
Moreover, it was toward the Black Mountains, where the Soul Sword lay dormant… This was truly a blessing.
‘No one will help you.’
Seeing the silent Raymond, the Third Prince, Aloken, smirked maliciously.
He hoped inwardly that Raymond would beg for mercy. He wanted Raymond to show an ugly side so that the nobles would turn their backs on him.
“I will follow Brother Aloken’s suggestion. I will go to the border with the Free Isiria Kingdom.”
But it was different from what he expected. Raymond stood up without a moment’s hesitation and expressed his willingness to go to the border, and his courageous demeanor earned him favorable glances from the military nobles.
The past as a fool didn’t matter.
Now, the Fifth Prince was willing to go to a border that might become a battlefield for the empire.
It was enough to win the favor of the military officials.
“Oh?”
The first prince, Serak, who had been silent, also showed interest in Raymond’s declaration.
“Raymond, are you saying you will go?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will make the Free Isiria Kingdom realize that the Philios Empire still stands strong.”
“I will assign you the imperial army, but their numbers will not be large.”
The situation in the central Philios Empire was not good.
While the local lords managed to maintain their forces, the numbers of the imperial army and the Central Army had significantly dwindled compared to the past.
Even if Raymond went to the dangerous border, the number of imperial army that could accompany him would be only about 100.
“Your Majesty, the Red Tower’s skilled mages and tower knights will also accompany His Highness the Fifth Prince on this border expedition.”
“Aren’t you the Red Tower Master?”
The Emperor looked surprised.
It was not surprising, given that the Red Tower Master, who had been with the Third Prince until yesterday, was now standing by Raymond’s side.
“The Red Tower Master is with His Highness the Fifth Prince?”
“What on earth is going on?”
The nobles reacted similarly to the Emperor. Only a few who had seen the Red Tower Master standing by the Fifth Prince when he entered maintained their composure.
“Your Majesty, the Blue Tower will also accompany His Highness the Fifth Prince. Please do not worry too much.”
Not only the Red Tower Master, who had received a hint from Raymond, but also Lysfield stepped forward, promising support.
“This… this isn’t right…”
The one who was truly flustered was the Third Prince, Aloken.
Raymond and his faction’s response was different from what he had anticipated. Although the Blue Tower and the Red Tower promised support, and a hundred imperial army would accompany him, the border and the Black Mountains were by no means easy places.
“Has he finally lost all sense of reason…?”
The Emperor showed a positive reaction to the promise of support from the Red and Blue Towers.
Raymond’s journey to the border was almost decided. It should have been a cause for celebration, but Aloken’s expression was cold.
He had wanted to undermine the Fifth Prince’s momentum before sending assassins to kill him, but things hadn’t gone as planned.
Even if the assassination succeeded and the Fifth Prince, Raymond, lost his life, the royal family and nobles would first remember the positive aspects of him.
What the Third Prince, Aloken, wanted was not merely Raymond’s death. He wanted his ruin. He saw it as revenge for taking the Red Tower, which had once supported him.
‘Now that it’s come to this, I’ll have to make his death as painful as possible. Brother Deneb will send a torture expert, heh heh.’
The thought of a suffering Raymond filled him with ecstasy.
Watching Aloken tremble with a sinister smile, the Second Prince, Deneb, sighed briefly and shook his head.
Unlike his once-bright past, he was rapidly losing his luster recently, and his jealousy and envy were reaching an extreme, making it unsightly to watch.
“Your Majesty! If the excellent mages and tower knights of the Red and Blue Towers accompany him, His Highness the Fifth Prince will return safely from the border! Please rest assured and send the two princes to the border to boost the army’s morale!”
Breaking the brief silence, a noble aligned with the Second Prince raised his voice. While the Third Prince was trembling alone, he quickly gathered his thoughts and stepped forward. He drove the wedge to send the Fifth Prince to the border, according to the Second Prince’s plan and the Third Prince’s greed.
“Your Majesty! There is no need to hesitate! In this empire, it has been a tradition to send the royals to the front lines in times of national crisis!”
Another noble spoke. He was a noble aligned with the Third Prince. He even mentioned the empire’s tradition.
Indeed, the Philios Empire was famous for having the Emperor and royals stand at the front lines with the army in times of national crisis since the ancient era.
Thanks to these points, the military’s loyalty to the royal family of the Philios Empire was deep, even without the deification caused by the Colossal Soldiers.
For the same reason, the Philios Empire did not follow the primogeniture succession method.
Even the youngest son could be appointed crown prince if he had exceptional abilities.
‘They really are eager to send me to the border.’
Raymond let out a short sigh, trying not to show it, and shook his head.
Mentioning the tradition of the Philios Empire showed how much they wanted to send him to the border.
‘If they’re going to play dirty like this, I have my own plans.’
Withdrawing his cold gaze, he stood up from his chair.
The nobles’ attention focused on him. With everyone watching, Raymond spoke with a calm expression.
“Your Majesty, if you permit, I will bring back the vanguard banner of the Free Isiria Kingdom.”
With that short statement, the meeting hall erupted into chaos.
“Bring back the vanguard banner?”
“I thought he had changed a bit, but he hasn’t lost his reckless nature.”
“Indeed! It seems he speaks first and doesn’t think about the consequences…”
There were those who murmured,
“Your Highness! Do you know what it means to bring back the vanguard banner of the Free Isiria Kingdom?”
and nobles who openly questioned him.
“Of course, I do.”
There was no way he didn’t know. He had said he would bring back the vanguard banner, fully aware of its meaning.
If the royals were considered sacred in the Philios Empire, the Free Isiria Kingdom had the vanguard banner.
“Do you really know?”
“The vanguard banner is the symbol of the Free Isiria Kingdom’s heavy cavalry, passed down since the first king’s reign.”
“Do you know its other significance?”
The old noble continued to ask. Raymond nodded calmly and spoke.
“I know that the first king of the Free Isiria Kingdom bestowed one each to the 21 heavy cavalry captains.”
“Then you must also know that not a single one of those banners has ever been taken by an enemy in history.”
“Of course, I know.”
“You must know that taking it could lead to war?”
The old noble finished speaking with a smirk.
Now that he looked, he was a noble aligned with the Third Prince. It was a sharp question, but Raymond remained composed.
“The enemy has already acted as if they’ve broken our empire’s ‘vanguard banner,’ so why should we only care about other nations’ opinions?”
As he raised his voice with a sharp glint in his eyes, the military nobles, who had been silent, all stood up.
“His Highness the Fifth Prince is right!”
“We can’t just sit back and take it!”
“It’s time to repay them!”
“Long live the Philios Empire! Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Long live His Highness the Fifth Prince!”
They called for bloody revenge, chanting for the Emperor and the Fifth Prince.
It was typical of the warlike military officials.
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