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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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The Marquess Crayer deliberately delayed sending out the escort.
Blinded by his displeasure at a royal, rumored to be a rogue, coming to the border, he dared to commit the arrogance of testing him.
‘He’s definitely testing me.’
It was a thought that crossed Raymond’s mind as he saw the escort appear only when they were close to the lord’s castle.
The commander of the escort was a scapegoat put forth by the Marquess Crayer. He looked tense, gauging Raymond’s reaction.
Before Raymond’s possession, how would the foolish Raymond have reacted? Would he have erupted in anger? Perhaps he might have drawn his sword, as he did when he killed a maid.
The opponent was the commander of the local army’s escort, so immediate execution would be impossible, but he would have made a show of being angry, actively expressing his displeasure.
‘But things are different now.’
The rogue is dead. He no longer exists.
“Commander, you stand before a royal and yet do not dismount to show respect. Is this a challenge to the Philios Empire’s royal family, or is it an insult to me?”
He spoke in a voice that conveyed restrained anger. He asserted the authority of the royal family without resorting to the excessive, disgraceful rage of the past.
“You are being disrespectful before His Highness the Fifth Prince! Commander, dismount and show your respect to the royal!”
The commander of the imperial army shouted until his voice was hoarse.
On the journey here, Raymond had shown a different side from the rumors. He had increased the marching speed to save even one more soldier dying at the border. He had reduced his own rest and abandoned the carriage to ride a horse.
“Your actions are a challenge to the great Emperor and the royal family?”
With a sharp metallic sound, a sword was drawn. It was a natural action for the commander of the imperial army, who protected the royal family.
“N-no… This is…”
The commander of the escort was greatly flustered by the sight of the imperial army commander, more agitated and furious than the Fifth Prince, who was famous as a rogue.
However, the reaction of the imperial army commander was only natural, separate from the flustered escort.
Unlike the border region, the capital was well aware of the Fifth Prince’s exploits.
Moreover, the imperial army commander was moved by Raymond’s humanity during their journey together.
‘You’ve messed with the wrong person, you fool.’
“It’s absurd. The north I remember wasn’t like this…”
Gestain spoke with a sharp aura. Though his voice was low, the soldiers of the escort heard it clearly.
“One-armed?”
“You are…!”
“Sir Gestain?”
Some of the knights in the escort recognized Gestain’s face. He was a knight more famous in the northern border region than in the capital.
‘Of course, they wouldn’t have forgotten the high-ranking knight who was closest to becoming a swordmaster before losing his left arm.’
Raymond chuckled. Things seemed to be unfolding more easily than expected.
“H-how is it that you…”
“Why do you still not dismount? Are you truly insulting the royal family?”
The commander of the imperial army raised his voice again at the knights who were murmuring at the sight of Gestain.
Only then did the commander and knights of the escort come to their senses, dismounting to show their respect to the royal.
In the Philios Empire, the dignity of the royal family was important.
Raymond wasn’t being unreasonable; he was acting to maintain that dignity, and everyone present was aware of it.
“Your respect is sufficient. Even now, the empire’s forces are falling at the border, so hurry and guide me to the lord’s castle.”
The escort had tried to test the pride of the royal, but Raymond didn’t use it as an excuse to crush them. Instead, he showed a generous attitude.
Raymond knew that excessive intimidation and forceful suppression would only provoke backlash.
Moreover, unlike the imperial army or the Central Army, the loyalty of the local armies following the border lords to the Emperor and the royal family wasn’t blind.
If he acted excessively, trusting in the name of the royal, it could backfire.
“Yes, Your Highness. We will escort you to the lord’s castle!”
The commander of the escort replied in a strong voice. At the same time, he signaled his subordinate to send a messenger to the lord’s castle.
The messenger departed first, riding as fast as possible toward the lord’s castle, while Raymond, escorted by the local army, headed there as well.
By the time they were crossing the gates of the central city, the messenger had already arrived at the lord’s castle, delivering the escort commander’s words.
“Is this certain?”
“Yes, my lord!”
“Oh, I see.”
The Marquess Crayer’s face showed curiosity rather than dissatisfaction at the disruption of his plan after receiving the report from the messenger.
Initially, he had intended to test the Fifth Prince, but he bore no great malice.
If the prince was different from the rumors, it was something to be pleased about.
“Where is His Highness the Fifth Prince now?”
“He should be just crossing the gates of the central city.”
“Very well, I will go out to meet him myself.”
It was something he should have done from the start, but he had decided too late. However, since he hadn’t intended to slight the Fifth Prince from the beginning, the preparations for the reception were already complete.
“I didn’t expect to be holding a reception…”
The Marquess Crayer muttered his thoughts as he donned a cloak over his uniform.
Though he had prepared for the reception, if the Fifth Prince had still been a fool, he had intended to treat him coldly, even if he was a royal.
Harboring such thoughts was disloyal, but the Marquess Crayer’s feelings toward the Fifth Prince, who had pained the Emperor’s heart, were not favorable.
The fact that the Marquess Crayer, who had been thinking so recklessly, was now leading the reception party was evidence that he had come to acknowledge the Fifth Prince to some extent and had begun to trust the rumors from the capital that the rogue had changed.
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The border with the Free Isiria Kingdom and the northern territory encompassing the Black Mountains. As expected, there was no grand welcome.
Despite the royal flag fluttering, only a few people came out to show light respect, unlike the grand reactions in the capital.
“The city is bustling, but overall, the atmosphere is gloomy.”
Desia, with her round eyes darting around, approached and whispered.
Gestain was as taciturn as ever, and the Red and Blue Tower Masters were too exhausted to respond to her words.
Only Alex, who was from the north, scratched his cheek with an awkward smile.
“Lady Desia.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“You’d better brace yourself. Compared to what’s coming, this lack of hospitality is nothing.”
Desia nodded with a tense face at Raymond’s words.
He felt a bit sorry for scaring her too much, but what could he do? Once they advanced a little further and reached the border, they would see hell, so a little inoculation was necessary, wasn’t it?
“Gestain.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“Thanks to you, things seem to be going smoothly.”
“If that’s the case, then I’m glad.”
Though Raymond tried to break the silence with conversation, it didn’t last long.
After another ten minutes of riding, they reached the front of the lord’s castle.
“The Marquess Crayer, I presume…”
Knights on horseback were gathered in front of the castle gate. The flag they carried was unmistakably that of the Marquess Crayer.
Raymond composed himself and urged his horse forward. As the distance to the flag narrowed to within three meters, the man who appeared to be the Marquess Crayer dismounted first. The other knights followed suit.
“Greetings to Your Highness the Fifth Prince. I am Sand Crayer, the lord of the Marquessate of Crayer.”
“Nice to meet you, Marquess Crayer.”
Though he spoke informally, he aimed to avoid giving the impression of excessive arrogance by accepting the greeting from horseback with a friendly gaze.
Did it work? The Marquess Crayer grinned and nodded. Something unspoken passed between the two men.
“You’ve arrived earlier than expected.”
“I heard the situation at the border is urgent. As a royal of the Philios Empire, I thought there was no time to waste, so I urged the commander of the imperial army.”
“Is that so?”
The Marquess Crayer realized that Raymond wasn’t just uttering empty words. If he hadn’t acted on them, the imperial army couldn’t have arrived at this time.
The Fifth Prince, Raymond’s concern for the border situation, was enough to endear him to the people of the north, and the Marquess Crayer was no exception.
‘Is the rumor that he’s changed true? No… It’s too early to judge.’
It was a matter that required careful consideration.
As the Marquess’s favor towards the Fifth Prince increased slightly, his plans changed.
He had intended to act somewhat rudely to test Raymond, but he decided to hold off on judgment and avoid any disrespect.
“The wind is chilly. Please, come into the lord’s castle.”
“I’ll accept the Marquess’s hospitality.”
Marquess Crayer guided Raymond and his party into the lord’s castle.
The soldiers of the imperial army, except for the elite guards and officers, were led to a temporary barracks within the central city.
Upon entering the lord’s castle, a prepared reception party greeted Raymond. After receiving their courtesies, Raymond headed to the dining hall with the Marquess Crayer.
True to the reputation of a powerful northern family, the table was laden with luxurious dishes that seemed out of place in the harsh north.
“Delicious.”
“I’m glad it suits your taste.”
When Raymond offered a brief compliment after tasting the food, the Marquess Crayer nodded with a satisfied expression.
As the banquet progressed, empty plates piled up in front of Raymond.
“You must have been quite hungry.”
“His Highness the Fifth Prince left behind unnecessary attendants like maids and cooks to increase the marching speed, Marquess.”
It was the Blue Tower Master, Lysfield Dior, who answered the Marquess’s question on behalf of the dining Raymond.
“Oh… Is that true?”
The Marquess Crayer’s gaze felt like it was touching his cheek.
Raymond paused his meal and nodded instead of answering.
“Minimizing attendants…”
The Marquess murmured weakly, as if entranced. It was a decision that a fool would never make.
Even nobles, let alone royals, often brought attendants for convenience, like maids and cooks, to the battlefield.
A foolish royal would never be less than them. The Marquess Crayer adjusted his evaluation of the Fifth Prince slightly.
“I’ve eaten well.”
“I’m glad it suited your taste.”
After the banquet, Raymond moved to the drawing room with the Marquess Crayer.
The accompanying group was small. On the Marquess’s side, there was an old knight and a mage, while Raymond was accompanied only by the captain of the elite guards, Gestain, and the Blue Tower Master.
And so, tea time began. But it was merely another name for a probing session.
“Well then, Marquess… Shall we get to the main point?”
“What do you mean?”
When Raymond posed a sharp question, the Marquess Crayer set down his teacup and looked up. Staring directly at him, Raymond spoke coldly.
“Why did you test me?”
A heavy atmosphere pressed down on their shoulders. The once bright room turned cold.
Raymond’s gaze, silently fixed on the Marquess Crayer, seemed to drip with a chilling blade.
Only after facing the cold wind of restrained anger did the Marquess Crayer realize how bold his actions had been against a royal.
‘I was reckless.’
For a noble to test a royal in the Philios Empire was unthinkable.
If the Fifth Prince, Raymond, had truly been a rogue, it might have been fine, but his display of wisdom had disrupted everything.
The accompanying imperial army was on his side, and the Red and Blue Tower Masters were backing him.
‘Who would have thought the rumors of the Red and Blue Towers supporting him were true…’
Was the rumor that the fool had changed true? But it was still too early; as a border lord, he was unaware of the capital’s affairs. He had to act cautiously, not knowing what was happening there.
“Your Highness…”
“Well, there’s no need to get an answer now.”
Raymond chuckled and leaned back against the sofa.
There was nothing to gain from excessively pressuring the northern marquess. He hadn’t intended to get an answer from the start.
Bringing it up was merely a warning to refrain from reckless actions from now on.
“We’ll discuss this matter privately next time.”
There was no need to humiliate him in front of his subordinates. The Marquess Crayer decided to accept Raymond’s consideration.
He nodded slowly, a faint smile on his lips.
“Thank you for understanding my situation, Your Highness the Fifth Prince.”
Such individuals wouldn’t bow their heads even if pressured by force. They were more likely to break.
Raymond had no intention of opposing him. More precisely, he didn’t want to lose him.
The Marquess Crayer had been the northern shield that protected the Philios Empire from the threats of the Black Mountains and the Free Isiria Kingdom since the ancient era.
‘And Sand Crayer, the Marquess, is a man who will soon die.’
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