Chapter 98
Chapter: 98
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 098
>Chapter Title: Logan (5)
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Saint Bastian Knight Order's Detached Unit [Lilium]
By the time they finally arrived, the Delcross imperial capital was brimming with a full-blown festive atmosphere.
The roadside windows were adorned with dainty flowers, and blue lily emblems representing the detached unit hung from buildings everywhere.
The crowds lining the main avenue waved handkerchiefs, cheering the young holy knights who had subdued the sea monsters for the empire.
“Long live the Saint Bastian Knight Order!”
“Delcross's noble blue lilies!”
“Long live the sea monster subjugation unit!”
White petals fluttered here and there.
At the front of the long line of the subjugation unit rode young knights in pristine white knight uniforms, guiding their horses with proud bearing.
Aside from the blue lily crossed with a blue sword emblazoned on them, the outfits were similar to those of the Saint Aurelion Knight Order.
It was a wonder how they kept their uniforms so spotless, given that subjugating sea monsters was hardly a casual outing.
There were only about a dozen holy knights at the very front.
It was a meager number, almost embarrassing to call a detached unit, but adding the regular knights and squires following behind, along with the other ordinary soldiers, made for a sizable force worthy of the name.
“Blessings upon the millennium-old holy kingdom of Delcross!”
“Glory to the noble knights of Lilium!”
Seongjin watched the scene from atop the palace wall at the imperial palace entrance, hiding with Amelia.
She had come running, skipping class to invite him to see the triumphal procession, and he had been half-dragged along.
Still, for Seongjin, who spent his days in endless training, this brief chance to get some fresh air wasn't so bad.
“The people really love them.”
Sea monster subjugation sounded impressive enough, but it wasn't an achievement the capital's residents would have felt directly.
Wasn't the welcome a bit excessive?
As he tilted his head in thought, Amelia smiled.
“There was a magical beast attack on the capital not long ago. They needed something to brighten the grim mood a little.”
Indeed.
Most of the victims had been vagrants from the slums with no connections, so despite the commotion, the perceived loss of life hadn't been that great.
But the sight of bizarre creatures never seen before flying about and tearing into people right before their eyes was enough to shake anyone.
It was no wonder the subjects were gripped by anxiety.
Thanks to those [magical beasts] rampaging so unmistakably, the endless debates in the Holy Assembly were finally nearing some conclusion.
They were gradually settling on classifying magical beasts as lifeforms from other realms, distinct from demonkin.
A proper operational policy for the magical beast task force seemed imminent.
“Ah, look over there, Mores! It's Logan!”
At Amelia's shout, Seongjin turned to where she pointed.
The Lilium procession had drawn close enough to make out faces even from the wall.
And at their lead rode a boy with a somehow familiar air, guiding his horse with steadfast poise.
A black-haired young holy knight with a slender build befitting a boy in the midst of growth.
His youthful face seemed to shine even brighter in the silver light armor and white knight uniform.
His slightly drooping blue eyes and fine facial contours resembled his mother, Empress Tatiana, more closely, if one had to compare.
“…He somehow looks like Father.”
That was it.
The calm, settled aura enveloping the boy was unmistakably that of the Holy Emperor.
“Logan truly feels like His Majesty's son through and through.”
Amelia's eyes held deep affection as she gazed at him.
“And he's such a good boy. When I first entered the palace and didn't know what to do, he helped me so much.”
Without thinking, Seongjin recalled the dream from a few days ago.
Come to think of it, Logan had seemed to be looking after Mores back then too.
Setting aside the possession suspicions, he certainly seemed like a good-natured fellow.
[Whoa, ahahaha. Light! There's light here too! The soul is completely covered in light!]
And in his mind, the Demon King let out a dazed laugh, as if overwhelmed.
[If not for your father's barrier, just looking at it would have damaged my soul.]
Ah, right, that guy had exceptional holy power too.
Anyway, swordsmanship genius, strong holy power, outstanding character—what did the kid lack?
As he watched the Lilium procession approaching the gates with a sullen expression, Amelia sneaked a glance at Seongjin and spoke up.
“Um… Mores. Logan's a good boy, so how about trying to get along with him from now on?”
Huh? What was that out of the blue?
Seongjin blinked.
[Hmm, for reference, from the information I gathered before…]
The Demon King, seizing a chance to speak after so long, puffed up proudly.
[Mores got along poorly with his siblings in general, but he especially hated Logan. He picked fights, insulted him, and pestered him every time they met. There's even a rumor that Logan goes on sea monster subjugations to stay out of the palace because of Mores. People went so far as to wonder if the Second Prince who endured it all could really be sane?]
‘Uh….’
Had he completely alienated the continent's top mama's boy and leading candidate for next Holy Emperor?
As Seongjin clutched his head over the misdeeds of the utterly hopeless Mores, who had lived without a care, a sharp killing intent directed at him snapped him alert.
‘……?’
Glancing around, he suddenly noticed the Lilium group nearing the gates.
And their eyes met.
Logan.
Despite the considerable distance, the young holy knight at the front glared piercingly right at Seongjin's position with fierce eyes.
It was a spot cleverly obscured by the wall's structure, hardly visible from outside.
Stunned by the unmistakably deliberate hostility, Seongjin faltered just as Logan averted his gaze.
The sharp killing intent vanished with it.
‘…What was that?’
Amelia seemed oblivious to it all.
She gave Seongjin's suddenly rigid form a puzzled look before turning back to the cheering crowds.
At the front of the knights and welcoming party from the palace stood a dignified middle-aged priest.
Cardinal Capran, father of the Empress and maternal grandfather to Logan.
As the Lilium detached unit halted before the gates, the cardinal stepped forward with a proud face.
“Your Highness! They say you felled many sea monsters with single strokes again on this expedition! Your fame resounds across the continent, from Delcross and neighboring nations alike. Truly impressive!”
Prince Logan dismounted and gave the cardinal a brief bow.
The small buckler on his raised left arm gleamed cold silver in the sunlight.
He showed no particular fondness for his grandfather.
It was a stark contrast to the cardinal, who beamed with pride over his grandson.
The ceremonial welcome address and the knights' splendid salute continued for a while, and at last, the detached unit entered the palace.
“Long live Prince Logan!”
“Long live the sea monster subjugation unit!”
“May the Lord's blessings be upon Saint Bastian's blue lilies!”
Even after the group fully passed through the gates, the capital's subjects kept cheering and waving handkerchiefs.
It was a vivid display of the popular Second Prince's favor.
“We should head back too, Mores.”
Amelia dusted off her skirt and stood.
“There will probably be a royal family banquet tonight, after so long. Excluding Brother Owen and Cisselle, the whole family will be together.”
She spoke with evident delight, but Seongjin felt inwardly troubled, recalling Logan's earlier killing intent.
Such overt hostility was so at odds with the kind boy from his dream.
Well, even a boy with an excellent character who cared for his siblings couldn't help but harbor resentment toward Mores after years of torment.
What should Seongjin do about Logan?
Should he start by apologizing for all the past misbehavior?
But Seongjin hadn't anticipated it.
The source of Logan's hostility toward him ran deeper than that.
* * *
Gathering the entire Holy Imperial Family in the palace was exceedingly rare.
The Holy Emperor made daily rounds to meet his children one by one.
For someone who doted on his kids like that, it was odd he never had them all dine together even once, Seongjin thought.
It was good for him, though.
It wasn't some forced company dinner, and who would enjoy a meal surrounded by uncomfortable people laughing hollowly?
Even so, when a prince returned to the capital after establishing merits months after his last visit, that changed things.
The Holy Emperor summoned the family for the first time in nearly half a year.
With so many attendees, the entire palace was in an uproar, needless to say.
Above all, the empress and consorts' palaces buzzed with desperate makeovers staked on their prides.
Elizabeth Consort, who always fussed over his attire whenever he visited the main palace, hadn't even shown her face at Pearl Palace this time.
No doubt her own preparations took priority.
It was the prelude to a flower war rarely seen in the Delcross imperial palace.
The children, by contrast, had a different vibe.
It was a relatively free time to reunite and exchange greetings after so long.
That was why Amelia was so thrilled.
Herena and Gades, who lived outside the palace, were also attending, and even a seat was prepared for Masin.
Masin, neatly dressed in his knight order uniform, boarded the carriage to the main palace with Seongjin.
At this point, unable to hide his status as family any longer, he gave an awkward smile.
“I apologize for not telling you until now, Your Highness.”
“It's fine, Sir Masin. Should I start calling you brother from now on?”
Seongjin, who had inwardly chafed at pretending not to know, asked with relief.
Considering the age at which Seongjin had died, calling the Holy Emperor—practically his son—Father had come easily; what was calling a brother difficult?
But Masin jumped back, waving his hands frantically.
“No! It was just a childish nickname from my immature youth. You have no memory of those days anyway, Your Highness?”
“But…”
“Besides, I am merely a knight in the imperial family's service. This is comfortable for me now, so please understand.”
“…….”
Well, if that's how he felt.
Seongjin had always thought he was overly rigid, passing up perfectly fine treatment.
The carriage arrived at the main palace earlier than scheduled, as the two needed no elaborate preparations.
But upon entering the lobby with Masin, someone had arrived even before them.
A boy with a calm, settled aura—Prince Logan—stood leaning against the corridor wall alone, without attendants, staring blankly as Seongjin's group entered.
“…….”
Seongjin halted mid-step, and Logan straightened, slowly approaching them.
He was still cloaked head to toe in veiled hostility.
That sharp killing intent from the triumphal procession had not been his imagination.
Seongjin hesitated briefly.
He had no idea how to handle him.
If years of bad blood lay between them, best to start thawing it.
Maybe greet him first.
But contrary to Seongjin's expectations, Logan's hostility stemmed from something more fundamental.
In other words, he wasn't hostile toward [Mores].
“…Who the hell are you?”
The boy's eyes blazed with blue fury as he glared at Seongjin.
“Who are you to wear Mores's face, stand in his place, and impersonate him?”
“……!”
“What did you do to Mores? Answer me!”
Caught in an unimaginable situation, Seongjin swallowed dryly without thinking.