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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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The Red Dragon of the Empire, Ludmilla Dreg Valtaria.
The White Dragon of the Holy Kingdom, Zebeline Albion Russell.
As the doors of the train opened, the two dragons descended.
Immediately, countless people knelt and paid their respects.
A solemn atmosphere flowed as if welcoming gods who had descended to earth.
“Y-Your Holiness and Your Imperial Princess… We are truly honored by your esteemed presence!”
A middle-aged man stammered awkwardly.
His face was pale blue.
His expression was full of tension and haggardness.
It was a reaction as if he had been suddenly struck by lightning.
Even though a letter had been sent in advance to inform them, his bewilderment was palpable, evoking a sense of pity.
I’m sorry.
Please forgive this unfilial son, Father.
The second son was too weak to stop the Red and White Dragon.
“Raise your head, Marquis Hohenberc. We are merely guests. How can the host bow his head?”
“Y-Yes… Yes.”
Ludmilla spoke to my father with a faint smile.
Father raised his body at that while glancing sideways at his son, who had returned after a long time.
Bewilderment was evident in his eyes.
As if pleading, ‘Edan, please explain the current situation quickly!’
Father’s appearance, looking as if he might collapse at any moment, was truly pitiful.
He looked like a scarecrow, afraid of being blown away by strong winds.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Zebeline Albion Russell, the First Saintess of the Holy Kingdom. May the blessings of the Earth Mother be with you, Marquis.”
“Ah, Your Holiness… It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Count… no, Marquis Hohenberc.”
Following that, Zebeline extended both hands and smiled benevolently.
Father’s complexion, which had been full of bewilderment, brightened a little.
Compared to Ludmilla, who boasted overwhelming charisma that could captivate crowds at once, Zebeline might be a bit easier to deal with.
Of course, just by a teeny tiny amount.
“E-Edan…!”
“Father.”
Father approached with staggering steps.
I grasped his hand with a bitter smile.
Squeeze-
As soon as I grasped his hand, I felt a strong force.
Damn, your grip is quite firm.
It seems Father has been exercising in secret.
Exercise is indeed the best way to beat his old age.
“What on earth is going on here…! What’s happening?!”
“Well, that’s how things turned out.”
He whispered in an urgent voice.
At the same time, he mercilessly poked my side with his elbow.
“The Second Imperial Princess and even the Saintess! Moreover…”
“Princess Elizaveta has also come.”
I raised my head with Father and looked at the train.
Then I made eye contact with Elizaveta, who was holding the sleeping Rue.
The atmosphere reached its peak.
Father’s expression, which had turned as pale as a drowned corpse, seemed to speak to that.
The relationship between a father-in-law and a daughter-in-law that could have been.
A relationship that had ended in disaster had unexpectedly reunited.
It was a scene that could only appear in a K-drama.
“I hope you have been well, Marquis Hohenberc.”
Elizaveta handed the sleeping Rue to Ludmilla and politely greeted Father.
She lifted her skirt slightly.
A modesty that didn’t suit the notorious villainous princess was felt.
Although it had ended, unfortunately, hadn’t they faced each other as father-in-law and daughter-in-law when conducting the formal introduction?
Now, they have become nothing to each other.
Nevertheless, Elizaveta treated him with extreme courtesy.
“Princess Elizaveta, I, as the father, would like to apologize on behalf of my disloyal and disrespectful son who committed rudeness…”
“It’s… It’s alright. Please raise your head, Marquis.”
As Father bowed his waist and apologized, Elizaveta embarrassedly waved her hands.
There wasn’t even an ounce of a harmonious atmosphere.
It was a scene full of apologies and regrets, making everyone uncomfortable.
The people gathered to welcome the esteemed guests, who were also busy reading the atmosphere.
They were anxious, worrying they might offend the guests visiting the territory.
“Father, let’s go to the lord’s castle for now.”
“Y-Yes… Of course we should.”
Numerous carriages were waiting outside the platform.
The Saintess and the Princesses.
And even the troops in charge of their escort.
They had to transport a large group of over 200 people at once.
That’s why the Hohenberc family had mobilized all their carriages and prepared them at the platform.
One could imagine how much the soldiers mobilized for the reception must have struggled.
“Edan, I have so much to say…!”
Father offered the lavish carriage to the Saintess and Princesses, which was usually only used for official occasions attended by numerous nobles.
Then he grabbed me and headed towards the second carriage.
Hmm, this is the carriage the Countess used to ride.
It was also Father’s frequently used personal vehicle.
“How on earth did such noble people, whom we dare not even look up to, come here, Edan?!”
Thud-
As soon as the door closed, Father urgently cried out.
I sighed and answered.
“The Princesses came for travel, and the Saintess came for missionary work.”
“Travel? There’s nothing worth seeing in our territory, and missionary work out of the blue! Aren’t all the people in the Hohenberc family’s territory already baptized believers in the church?”
See, that’s what I told them, and yet, here we are.
Father, you truly understand my feelings.
Father glared at me with fierce eyes as I shrugged my shoulders and joked.
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The news that the beautiful Saintess and Princesses of noble status had visited the Hohenberc Marquis Territory spread quickly like waves.
The second young master, who had gone to the imperial capital, had brought back not one but three potential daughters-in-law.
With the appearance of women boasting beauty that could topple a country, the lord’s castle, which had been nothing but dull, became more bustling than ever.
“We thought he had no interest in love at all, so we assumed he was that way…”
“Actually, he must have been maintaining an ascetic life all this time to gain momentum.”
The maids cleaning the living room of the lord’s castle began whispering among themselves.
It couldn’t be helped.
Such a good topic of conversation had arisen.
People tend to prefer thrilling excitement over dull peace.
The maids and servants showed a more vibrant appearance than ever before.
Since Edanant had brought all the noble beauties as potential daughters-in-law, smiles never left their faces.
“But Ludmilla and her escort knights have been busy moving since dawn… What’s going on?”
“I heard she personally proposed to train the soldiers of the family.”
Although the Hohenberc family was a prestigious family representing the East, unfortunately, their military power lagged far behind that of other families.
This was because past heads of the family had been of gentle disposition, drastically reducing military expenditure.
Moreover, when the Racial War broke out, they were exempted from the Empire’s total mobilization order as the eldest son, Maximilian, who had been selected as the hero, was deployed, further weakening their military power.
This cannot continue.
There is a definite need to increase military power.
Hadn’t there been a precedent of being attacked by bandits who held grudges against the Saintess Party?
Ludmilla set out to conduct military training to ensure the safety of her father-in-law while simultaneously resolving his difficulties.
“Just as they attacked the imperial capital, Meiros and the cult followers will target the Hohenberc Marquis Territory! I intend to turn you all into elites worth a hundred men in preparation for that time! I hope you will all willingly follow!”
She gathered the knights of the Hohenberc family as if holding a grand review ceremony.
After that-
Emphasizing the responsibility of strong soldiers, she began military training.
The imperial knights escorting Ludmilla and Elizaveta were deployed as training instructors.
They were elites with rich experience in the Racial War, so they were more than adequate as instructors.
“Huff, huff…!”
“Get up right now, you incompetent fools!”
A thunderbolt struck the knights of the marquis’ territory, who had been steeped in peace all this time.
The ecstasy they had experienced from Ludmilla’s beautiful appearance was short-lived.
The knights had to roll around the training ground while repeating basic physical training, including running.
It’s a demon.
Truly relentless.
The knights, covered in dust and dirt, had seizures at the sight of Ludmilla ordering high-intensity training.
‘It would be nice if Edanant became the imperial family’s son-in-law… but it wouldn’t be bad to enter as the mistress of the Hohenberc Marquis Territory either.’
With the disappearance of the eldest son, Maximilian, the right of succession to the marquis’ territory was given to the second son, Edanant.
Even if Maximilian returned later, nothing would change.
The Valtarian Imperial Family would naturally fully support Edanant.
Ludmilla imagined a happy newlywed life with Edanant in the Hohenberc Marquis Territory while listening to the screams of the knights.
‘She’s c-crazy…! She’s smiling!’
‘She’s enjoying tormenting us. I can see why she’s been an unmarried old hag until now!’
Ludmilla grinned while indulging in her own sweet delusions.
The knights, continuing their running on the verge of collapse, screamed in dismay.
“It seems the training is over! Knights of the marquis territory, gather at the church from now on!”
“It’s the Saintess’s summons. There are no exceptions!”
When the high-intensity military training that had started at 9 AM finally ended,
The holy knights escorting the Saintess invaded the training ground and led the exhausted knights.
The day’s work was not over.
The knights of the marquis’ territory had to gather at the church near the lord’s castle.
The knights who filled the church listened to a lecture hosted by the First Saintess, who stood on the podium.
The girl dressed in pure white vestments expounded on the holiness of the Earth Mother in a clear voice.
“We will pray for the Earth Mother who has given us abundant food today as well. Let’s wash away the sins we have committed while hoping that the Earth Mother’s love reaches the Hohenberc Marquis Territory.”
Zebeline’s noble figure was like a light illuminating darkness.
The knights experienced a surge of faith as they watched the Saintess praying with her hands clasped.
But it was not easy to overcome drowsiness.
Listening to a lecture in an exhausted state was close to torture.
Even if they tried hard to stay awake, their eyelids, which had become as heavy as a thousand pounds, broke even with strong will.
The number of knights nodding off like sick children gradually increased.
At that, Zebeline smiled brightly and said,
“The beautiful Saintess of the Holy Kingdom is speaking, yet you’re nodding off… It seems the knights of the marquis territory need some stinging grace? The Earth Mother also said that foolish ones need a stick.”
The First Saintess gave a signal with her eyes.
Then, the holy knights waiting on both sides took out sticks labeled ‘Rods of Love.’
It wouldn’t end with just a threat.
Zebeline was a notorious Saintess even in the Holy Kingdom.
Soon, miserable screams began to resound in the church where they worshiped God.
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While the knights of the marquis territory, who had been secretly called ‘salary-eating rice worms,’ were shedding tears of repentance under the harsh military training and mental education hosted by the beautiful Princess and Saintess,
Edanant watched the scene accompanied by Rue and Elizaveta.
It was as expected.
Chaos broke out as soon as the Red Dragon and White Dragon descended.
Although the miserable screams of the knights could be heard, he ignored them.
The knights of the marquis territory, who had become steeped in peace like drunkards, needed to be reborn through intense training.
“My sister is working really hard. The Saintess too… It must be the power of love, right?”
“It’s too extreme to call it the power of love.”
“They don’t know how to express it because they have no experience in love. That’s why it becomes extreme.”
“…Would you like to join them, Princess?”
Elizaveta asked Edanant while giggling.
Edanant frowned in response.
“Eek! D-Don’t send me there!”
“If you keep being a good child like you’ve been, I won’t send you.”
Thinking about sending the fairy, who had recently started to become lazy, to the training ground, he threatened the tiny fairy.
Rue dropped the jelly candy she had been sucking on in shock.
But she didn’t regret it. After all, there were 499 beautifully packaged jelly candies left.
“Hmm… We need new personnel to assist with the vastly expanded marquis territory.”
Muttering that, Edanant stared intently at Rue, who had popped her backup jelly candy back into her mouth.
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Spartan training all around…