Chapter 12
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 12 - The Prince is Proud
The messenger who flew from Southern Livia arrived at the imperial capital, Athena.
That news surprised many people.
First, the First Prince Leopold Minerva stood by his office window, looking toward Livia, soaked in deep emotion.
In truth, he too had doubted Edric just a little bit.
Humans are animals of change.
Just as he had changed positively, someone else could change negatively.
Edric could also be like that.
Edric could also change and become corrupted by the massive bribes and entertainment of the Southern nobles.
Because there was such a possibility, that was also partly why he accepted the princess's proposal.
However, as if mocking that doubt, Edric resolved the situation perfectly.
When the Southern nobles exploited the loopholes of the Imperial Law, he investigated their other weaknesses, and even though he could have used them with the weapon of treason, he revealed it in front of everyone so that it could absolutely never be resolved secretly.
The aftermath that followed was the same.
The prince was willing to overlook him having some fun when confiscating the nobles' wealth.
"Sir Edric's integrity is like ice, and his loyalty toward His Highness the Prince is like the sun. I too felt a thrill at the sight of him commanding the carriages full of gold to be returned to the national treasury without touching a single coin."
However, Edric did not take a single penny.
A smile spread across Leopold's lips as he listened to the Shadow Warrior's report.
In the prince's experience, Edric was the first Chancellor to be praised to this extent by a Shadow Warrior who never reveals their emotions.
"Edric... you truly were the last gift my late mother sent me."
Leopold carefully stroked Edric's report placed on his desk.
He firmly swore in his heart.
That never again, no matter what situation arises, would he doubt his only close friend and loyal subject, Edric.
And that he would support such an Edric so he could exert his abilities to his heart's content.
At the same time, Princess Camilla also received the news from Livia and bit her lip.
"Edric... resolved the Southern peasant rebellion!?"
"Yes, Lady Camilla. They say he arrested Wilhelm who instigated treason, stabilized the excessively raised taxes, and ended the peasant rebellion."
At the report of her servant Lumiel, Camilla felt like she was going to lose her mind.
Her plan was this.
She had investigated using her servants and connections, and had secured a certain amount of evidence regarding the hidden wealth of Edric's father, Count Palatine Albert.
In this situation, if Edric were to accommodate the convenience of the Western nobles, the charge that Count Palatine Albert interfered in politics using his son Edric would be created, and tied with the evidence of bribery, she could bring down the entire Noel family.
Such a scenario of hers had become a blank sheet due to Edric's wise actions.
'There is no way he would do such a thing without a reason. Surely... surely there must be a reason he acted like this!'
Unable to believe Edric, who had acted justly contrary to her thoughts, Camilla began to look at the report meticulously.
While doing so, there was something that caught her eye.
It was the final madness-filled cry that Count Wilhelm spat out as he was being escorted away.
[It will be fun to watch how you devour this empire! I will watch carefully to see how far your endless thirst drives the empire!]
Seeing that, Camilla felt all the puzzles in her head coming together.
'Right, that was it... The reason he didn't accept the Southern nobles' bribes... that was to aim for something bigger... it was to swallow the empire itself.'
Edric would gain her brother's absolute trust through this incident.
If time continued to flow like that, Edric would eventually be able to rise to a position where no one could touch him in the future.
When she thought he had given up the small things for an absolute power that even she couldn't touch, she thought everything made sense and became furious at her own complacency.
'Alright... I lost this time, Edric Noel...'
She honestly admitted it.
She had judged him too lightly.
Right, looking at it another way, it was natural.
He was the son of Albert Noel, who had survived the fierce secret feuds of the royal court and even became a Count Palatine.
There was no way such an existence would easily show their tail.
However, the game was not over yet. Because he had made a mistake.
That was having his inner thoughts discovered by her too early.
'I will absolutely never let my brother be sacrificed to your ambitions!'
There are people who rather rejoice and burn with competitiveness when a crisis strikes.
Camilla was exactly that kind of person.
At the fact that Edric was not a simple sycophant but a snake that would swallow the empire, Camilla's heart pounded even more.
Yes, he had to be at least that much to be worth being her adversary.
Camilla hid her smile behind her fan and burned her fighting spirit even more.
"Have I finally arrived."
Seeing the massive city walls of the capital, Athena, in the distance, I let out a low exclamation.
Having spent a few days in the carriage, my whole body felt like it was aching.
Still, the relief of escaping that bloody atmosphere of Southern Livia was greater.
"Lord Edric, you have truly worked hard!"
Liesel, riding her horse side by side next to me, smiled brightly and offered a greeting.
Her green hair shone freshly as it caught the sunlight.
"It is Liesel who truly worked hard. Thanks to Liesel, I was able to safely complete my mission."
"Haha, what are you saying! Lord Edric is the most respectable Chancellor I have ever worked with so far. Your decisiveness and sense of justice... I will never forget it for the rest of my life. I will wait for the day we can roam the field together again!"
No, I will decline please. I want to stop going to the field now.
Earnestly praying inwardly that such a day would please not come, I smiled awkwardly.
As soon as I arrived at the capital, I headed to the Imperial Palace.
Upon arriving at the prince's palace, the prince was waiting for me right from the entrance.
I got off the carriage, knelt down before the prince, and spoke.
"I have returned, Lord Leopold."
"You have worked hard. My Chancellor, Edric."
As soon as the prince saw me like that, he stood up from his seat, ran over, firmly gripped my shoulders, and pulled me up.
And he looked at me with an incredibly burdensome gaze of trust.
Oh... this guy... his gaze has become even more greasy while I haven't seen him?
Butter is going to flow from his eyes.
I had to break out in a cold sweat at the prince's gaze.
"Edric, I have already received a detailed report of the righteous actions you showed in the South on my behalf. Establishing the authority of the Imperial Family, saving the people from misery, and realizing justice in this land; it was a truly splendid sight."
"It was all thanks to the authority of His Highness the Prince. I now return the authority of His Highness the Prince."
I spoke while offering up the prince's treasured sword, Erpis.
At my safe words, the prince looked at me with moist eyes as if he were moved.
I'm saying this again, but it looked like butter was going to come out of the prince's eyes right now.
"No matter how much authority I had, if it weren't for you, there would not have been this result. This is your merit, Sir Edric Noel."
"It is an undeserved honor for me, Your Highness the Prince."
The prince kept praising me saying I did well, but I felt like I was going to die from the burden.
And it's something I've felt since my previous life, but a boss's excessive praise never had a good end.
If you do your job well, what increases?
Money? No, work increases.
"I have kept you standing for too long. Let us go, I have prepared a special reward and a banquet for you all."
"Thank you, Your Highness the Prince."
[ "Thank you, Your Highness the Prince." ]
At the prince's words, the knights and the Shadow Warriors who went to the South with me also all bowed their heads.
And a small banquet was held for us in the banquet hall within the prince's palace.
Everyone who worked hard was having a good time celebrating with drinks and luxurious food.
I also quietly enjoyed the high-quality alcohol in the corner, modestly enjoying the banquet.
I can say it only now, but I really like alcohol.
And the advantage of this place was that the alcohol was truly delicious.
Did they cast some magic on the alcohol or something? Or is it because it's expensive?
Whatever the reason, the fact that the alcohol was delicious did not change, and I enjoyed the banquet by drinking a variety of liquors such as the highest quality wine, the highest quality champagne, and whiskey.
Princess Camilla approached me like that, along with the prince.
At her appearance, I held back almost spitting out my drink and barely fixed my posture.
"Edric Noel greets the noble ones."
"Yes, Edric, are you enjoying the banquet well?"
"Yes, thanks to the grace of His Highness the Prince, I was enjoying it well."
"That is a relief. It's nothing else, but Camilla says she has something she wants to say to you."
"Her Highness the Princess?"
She has something to say to me?
What is she trying to say at this point?
I became tense recalling the sharp words she said before I went to the South.
Seeing my stiffened expression, the princess flinched in surprise for a moment, but soon put on a calm smile and spoke.
"Sir Edric, I was swayed by rumors and doubted you. I wish to apologize for that."
"Y-Your Highness the Princess!"
No, did this princess eat something wrong? Suddenly apologizing at this point!?
There was nothing good about receiving an apology from the Imperial Family.
Because if I made a mistake and it entered the Emperor's ears, I could be arrested with the words, "Hahaha, this guy seems to think the Imperial Family is an easy target," and have various liquids poured up my nose.
I spoke as tactfully as possible.
"That was a matter where I deserved to be misunderstood due to my behavioral issues. It is absolutely not Her Highness the Princess's fault."
"Hahaha, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. I think what is important is to live trusting each other from now on."
"Lord Leopold's words are correct."
I spoke catering to the prince's mood.
At those words, the prince smiled as if satisfied, and the princess... made an expression that I couldn't tell if it was a smile or anger.
What is that expression?
It was too sharp to call it affection, and too calm to call it anger.
That was... right, competitiveness!
It was a smile where competitiveness could be felt.
Wait, why is she making that kind of expression at me?
Is she saying she wants to fight?
"Then it seems the misunderstanding about each other has been resolved, so let us work hard together for the future of the empire from now on."
"Understood, Brother."
"Of course! Lord Leopold."
Like that, the outwardly heartwarming reconciliation ended for now, and I just drank alcohol in the corner, avoiding the princess's hot, no, stinging gaze.
Ah... I just want to go home quickly.
- Meanwhile, another conversation was taking place in the Imperial Palace.
The most glamorous, secretive, and central place in the Imperial Palace. It was exactly the Emperor's Palace.
There, the Emperor of the Empire, Theodore Minerva, and Count Palatine Albert Noel were having a private meeting.
Stroking his glamorous golden beard that looked like a lion's mane, Emperor Theodore Minerva spoke.
"Albert, your son is quite a character. Not only did he make Leopold come to his senses like that, but to also clean up the Southern nobles who were a headache... I am very pleased."
"I am deeply humbled, Your Majesty. It is the glory of my family that my lowly son was of even a little help to Your Majesty and His Highness."
At Emperor Theodore's praise, Albert politely bowed his waist.
With neat red hair and a mustache, Albert's appearance was exactly like a seasoned butler.
If you considered the work he did in the royal court, it wouldn't be vastly different.
"Please dedicate yourself for the empire from now on just as you have until now, Albert. I will not forget the loyalty of the Noel family."
At the Emperor's words, Albert bowed his body.
His movements, ingrained in his body while serving as a Count Palatine for over 20 years, exuded dignity and loyalty even in a simple greeting.
"The glory of the Noel family exists solely upon the well-being of the Minerva Imperial Family. I am always wary lest the immaturity of my son cause any trouble to Your Majesty's state affairs, so please continue to watch over us strictly as you do now. I shall dedicate my loyalty until the day I die."
At Albert's words, the Emperor smiled in satisfaction.
People can cause discomfort and suspicion in others through trivial actions.
To say it conversely, one could give trust and faith to people through such actions.
The person who knew that better than anyone else in the empire was none other than Albert.
Having bought the Emperor's trust today as well with perfect actions, he boarded the carriage returning home.
And the moment everyone disappeared, the expression of Albert Noel, who had been wearing the mask of a benevolent loyal subject, instantly turned freezing cold.
"Edric... how dare this bastard..."
He roughly crumpled and gripped the report from the South placed on his lap.
With this Southern peasant rebellion incident, the massive slush fund pipeline he had been receiving payoffs from every month was completely severed.
The damage wasn't just that.
The Southern nobles who were under his influence were annihilated in an instant.
Having boastfully declared that he could use the prince, Albert couldn't possibly guess what the inner scheme of his son was, who had chipped away at his own foundation for the sake of the prince.
"As soon as we arrive home, summon Edric to my room."
Inside the carriage where darkness had fallen, Albert's eyes flashed.
As the father, who is the mastermind of the empire, summons his son who has just returned as a hero, a tension like the eve of a storm began to linger in the Noel family's mansion.