Chapter 39: The Delegation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 39: The Delegation
Let’s rewind the clock a few hours.
The Imperial Military Headquarters was always a busy place, but anyone could see that the current level of activity was unusual. Every employee was rushing around frantically, making Aiden anxious and filling him with the nagging doubt that he shouldn’t be just sitting still.
Hmm…
Aiden’s gaze swept the room as he suppressed a groan.
He knew from the start that he was the reason for the delegation’s visit, but the real problem was who was in it.
Resting his chin on his hands, Aiden maintained an expressionless face, projecting the aura of someone who had everything under control.
Princess Laila, huh…
He muttered the name to himself.
While he might not be extraordinary, he possessed the overwhelming advantage of knowing the original story. He could handle anyone, no matter who they were, because he had prior knowledge of their identities.
Who the hell is that…?
…Or at least, that’s how it was supposed to be.
No matter how much he scoured his memories, he had no recollection of ever hearing that name.
Seriously, who on earth was this person?
“…”
Even as he sat there with a blank expression, inwardly sweating bullets, his mind raced. This was strange. Incredibly strange.
It was a natural reaction, given his extensive knowledge of the key figures within the Holy Kingdom. The Craven Holy Kingdom’s royal lineage was the most convoluted on the continent, but he knew every single major player inside and out. The idea that someone he’d never even heard of was arriving as part of an important delegation made no sense at all.
It really is strange.
Something felt off, as if there was a hidden motive he couldn’t see.
But strange or not, the delegation’s arrival was a cold, hard fact. The only way to get even a scrap of information right now was—
“Katya?”
“Yes?”
“Do you know anything about Princess Laila?”
“Nothing at all.”
“…”
“Besides my brother, no one ever bothered to have a simple conversation with me.”
…Ah, right.
Asking her about something like that was completely thoughtless of him.
“…Though I think I can tell you one thing for sure.”
“What’s that?”
“Promise me one thing.”
Aiden tilted his head at Katya’s calm remark. Had she ever spoken so seriously before?
“Promise you won’t get too angry.”
“…Excuse me?”
“No matter what happens, don’t lose your temper.”
“…”
Aiden blinked.
“Where is this coming from all of a sudden?”
“…Just because,” Katya muttered, her face unreadable. “The people from the Holy Kingdom are… like that.”
“…”
“I’m uncomfortable around them, and they’re probably uncomfortable around me.”
“…”
Well, that much he already knew. But it didn’t feel like Katya was just stating a fact.
It felt like a warning.
“So why are you telling me this now?”
“Because when you get mad, you charge in recklessly without considering the consequences,” Katya replied calmly, her eyes narrowing. “I’ll be fine, so don’t do something foolish on my account. This time, there really won’t be any way to clean up the mess.”
“…”
“The person coming isn’t some reckless, cast-aside prince like the one you dealt with before. They aren’t from the Empire. This is royalty from another nation—and a powerful one at that.”
Her implicit warning was clear: If you cause trouble this time, it won’t be manageable. Got it?
As if admonished by her tone, Aiden’s expression hardened, and he met her steadfast gaze.
…What’s gotten into her?
Why was someone who usually acted so brazen and carefree suddenly saying things like this?
Before he could ponder it further, a loud voice boomed through the headquarters.
“Her Royal Highness, Princess Laila, is entering!”
With that announcement, the main doors on the first floor swung wide open. A group of people marched in with disciplined precision: Paladins in full-plate armor bearing the emblem of the Holy Kingdom, maids, servants, and civil officials. At the very front of the procession stood a woman with a sharp, severe presence.
A monocle, gray hair, and an elegantly retro dress.
—Huh?
The moment he saw her, Aiden’s brow furrowed. It was a profoundly strange feeling. He’d never heard the name Princess Laila before, yet he was certain he had seen this woman somewhere. He couldn’t recall her face, but an indescribable sense of déjà vu washed over him.
“Aiden. Are you prepared?”
Dame Stella’s question cut through his thoughts, snapping him back to reality.
“Yes, I’m ready.”
“She is coming up now. Please remain seated.”
She had barely finished speaking when the door to the office burst open. They barged in without knocking or asking permission, as if they owned the place. The surrounding imperial personnel were clearly taken aback, but Princess Laila, standing at the head of the group, didn’t seem to care in the slightest.
Striding into the room, her cold gaze swept her surroundings before locking onto one spot.
“Aiden Kellermain?”
At her overbearing tone, Aiden simply bowed his head politely.
“A pleasure to meet you, Princess Laila.”
“Sit. We have much to discuss.”
…Well.
She seemed like she was going to be a massive headache.
* * *
His primary objective, of course, was to gain her favor.
The Holy Kingdom’s royal family is basically a goldmine.
In a kingdom where royal status was determined by one’s command of Divine Power, this made sense. Every member of the royal family possessed unique traits related to it. Even if they weren’t on Katya’s level—whose ability effectively rendered her immortal—they each held powerful traits that enhanced their use of Divine Power.
At the very least, this princess undoubtedly possessed abilities that would be immensely helpful in the upcoming Lord Protector Subjugation Battle.
But as he weighed his objectives, Aiden realized one thing: when it came to this woman, gaining favor was a useless luxury.
“Thank you for traveling such a long way. Would you care for something to drink—”
“Do you know why I came here?”
“…”
No matter how powerful her abilities are, I have to build affinity to copy them, he thought.
Her complete lack of any intention to hold a normal conversation sent a throbbing ache to his temples.
“…I heard you came because I can wield Divine Power.”
“Divine Power is the exclusive purview of the Craven Holy Kingdom. Anyone capable of using it is a top-priority individual who must be managed by the state. They are key assets supporting the very foundation of our nation. If you can use Divine Power, you are one such person.”
“Aha.”
“Therefore, I was dispatched to bring you to our homeland,” Laila stated, before nonchalantly dropping a bomb. “The day after tomorrow. Be ready.”
…A bomb that instantly shattered his sense of reality.
“…”
After blinking blankly for a long moment, Aiden spoke with a dazed expression.
“Pardon?”
“You’ll need time to wrap things up before leaving. Considering the gravity of the matter, I should take you immediately, but protocol dictates I give you two days—”
“No, no, wait a second,” Aiden hastily interrupted. “Shouldn’t we at least discuss this first? Isn’t this a bit sudden?”
“I think you’re mistaken about something,” Princess Laila shot back without batting an eye. “This is not a negotiation.”
“…”
“You will be extradited to the Holy Kingdom. I have no intention of considering your personal circumstances. Get ready. We will proceed as I have stated.”
Her voice was so breathtakingly arrogant that it was hard to react. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dame Stella’s jaw drop.
This level of rudeness transcended a diplomatic incident and bordered on outright tyranny. It was practically an invitation to war.
The atmosphere in the room plummeted below freezing. The Holy Kingdom’s entourage and the armed imperial personnel led by Dame Stella were the first to sense the shift. Just as several guards began to uneasily rest their hands on their scabbards, a soft voice cut through the explosive tension.
“Hey.”
It was Katya, who had been sitting quietly beside Aiden.
“Isn’t that going a bit too far?” she asked with a faint smile.
Laila’s eyes slowly turned toward her, as if only now noticing her presence—as if she hadn’t bothered to care until that moment.
And the instant Laila’s gaze fell upon Katya, the look beneath her monocle was one of unmistakable, sneering contempt. The kind of look reserved for something pathetic.
“Even in a diplomatic setting, you should maintain basic courtesy. This just makes you look like thugs—”
“—Princess Katya.”
Laila’s interruption was just as brutally cold.
“Who permitted you to speak?”
Aiden’s expression instantly turned rigid.
Yet even after hearing such words, Katya maintained her smile.
“You are nothing more than a guard dog meant to do Her Holiness the Pope’s bidding. If you couldn’t even fulfill your sole purpose, shouldn’t you stay quiet?”
“…”
“If you had succeeded in the first place, I wouldn’t have had to come all this way.”
Seeing Katya fall silent at those words, Aiden’s eyes narrowed.
She showed no anger, quietly complying instead. There was even a familiarity to her compliance, as if she had endured this countless times before.
…What is this?
He already knew Katya wasn’t treated well in the Holy Kingdom. But still. This was clearly crossing the line. Considering they were both royalty, this was an insult severe enough to warrant a duel to the death.
What followed was even worse.
A colorless flame erupted near Princess Laila’s body. Divine Power. Frighteningly hot. Laden with blatant hostility.
“!”
The Imperial guards drew their swords in shock, prompting the Holy Kingdom’s Paladins to draw their own weapons in response.
“Katya,” Princess Laila’s voice dropped chillingly. “Answer me.”
Her tone made it crystal clear who stood on top, as if she were disciplining an animal that dared to disobey.
“You know what you have to do, don’t you?”
“…”
“You ought to apologize.”
Her Divine Power moved instantly.
“—On your knees.”
In a flash, it reached Katya and pierced straight through her knee joints. It was a merciless strike, crippling her in a single blow, as if it didn’t matter if she was hurt since she would just regenerate anyway.
Losing her balance, Katya’s legs buckled, forcing her to the floor.
“What on earth do you think—!”
The furious words died in Aiden’s throat. He froze.
Katya was holding a hand out toward him, telling him not to step in.
…And she was still smiling.
The meaning in her eyes as she glanced at him was unmistakable.
I hope you won’t get too angry.
I’ll be fine, so don’t do something foolish on my account. This time, there really won’t be any way to clean up the mess.
This is royalty from another nation—and a powerful one at that.
“…”
Only now did he understand why she had warned him.
Because she knew that if he saw how she was treated, he would undoubtedly lose his temper and charge in.
“Aren’t you going to apologize?”
And as she did this, her expression unchanging, Princess Laila prepared her next attack. Aiden’s fierce gaze snapped back to her.
Honestly, he couldn’t believe it.
Why didn’t he know who this person was? How could he fail to remember the identity of someone so utterly vile?
And amid his boiling fury, Aiden’s gaze fixed sharply on the Divine Power Princess Laila was wielding.
“…?”
Something was wrong.
It was then that he realized it. His brows knitted together as he tracked the trajectory of the Divine Power she manipulated.
—Ah.
And at that moment, he understood.
He realized the true nature of the incongruity he had felt, the source of that strange déjà vu. He knew why he felt like he had seen her before.
Click.
A switch flipped inside Aiden’s head—the inner mechanism that always kicked in when he needed to act.
His calculation was swift.
His decision was swifter.
In an instant, what he needed to do became crystal clear.
“It’s not as if you’ve gone mute, Katya. Shall I break your other leg, too?”
“I’m sor—”
“Your Highness.”
Aiden’s voice rang out, cutting Katya off just as she tried to force out the words with that same smile.
Katya turned to him, her eyes wide with anxiety. Her look was a clear plea: Don’t do this. I’ll be fine, but you won’t. Please…
But Aiden was already certain. Certain of what he was allowed to do.
In other words, what he had to do.
“Apologize.”
“…What?” Princess Laila questioned in disbelief.
As she did, Divine Power surged from Aiden’s body.
“You heard me loud and clear, Your Highness. Don’t pretend you didn’t.”
Then, the Divine Power he manifested cleanly severed Laila’s own, which was still piercing Katya’s knees, as if to demonstrate whose was far superior.
“!”
While Laila’s eyes widened in shock, Aiden stepped over to the kneeling Katya.
“This isn’t a negotiation,” he said calmly, grabbing her by the shoulders to pull her up. He threw her own words right back at her. “It’s a notice.”
“…”
“Apologize to my friend before I beat you to a pulp.”
“…”
“I’ll give you five seconds.”
Laila’s face hardened to stone.