Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: The Chaos King's Will
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“So… you’re telling me you’re a real dragon?”
“Have you been deceived your whole life?”
“Hm.”
“I told you. The reason I was in that mage’s laboratory was because I couldn’t hatch.”
“Why couldn’t you hatch?”
“That’s a personal matter, so I can’t tell you.”
The Hatchling stated flatly.
“I need you to tell me if I’m going to believe you or not.”
“And you, butler? Can you tell me all your secrets? Even the ones you’ve never told anyone?”
“Well… no.”
“Then that settles it. Don’t ask any more about the secret of my birth. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“So, are you certain the royal family never had the power of foresight to begin with?”
“Yes.”
The Hatchling said, a hint of irritation in its voice.
“Foresight is actually just highly advanced wisdom and insight. It’s processing the information you see, hear, and feel subconsciously to derive a result. It’s impossible for the human intellect to control that. The ones they call prophets are that sort of people.”
“So it’s not that it doesn’t exist at all?”
“Like I said, it happens subconsciously. The best they can do is see fragments through dreams or visions. Even then, they’re often wrong, and most of them are either con artists or lunatics. A prophet who can see, hear, and feel everything doesn’t exist in this world. And to think they pass down foresight through generations? There’s nothing more ridiculous.”
“Hm.”
“For that to be possible, true prophets would have to marry, have children, and develop the ability through their bloodline. Do you think that’s feasible? A true prophet might appear once every hundred years, if that. And if they resorted to repeated inbreeding… you know what would happen, right?”
At the Hatchling’s words, Carlyle turned to look at Maranello.
“Has the royal family ever maintained its bloodline through inbreeding?”
“As far as this old man knows… they have not.”
“Then his argument is quite persuasive, isn’t it?”
“But it is far too dangerous, Young Master.”
Maranello’s expression turned frightfully serious.
“This is a problem that could shake not only you, Young Master, but the family, the North, and indeed the entire United Kingdom. One misstep could plunge the whole kingdom into chaos, and the system that has been maintained for the past several hundred years will crumble.”
He was right.
The reason the United Kingdom had been maintained until now was thanks to the royal family’s power of foresight, and because everyone feared it.
The twelve families pledged their loyalty to the crown, and the crown, in turn, skillfully used that loyalty to maintain the United Kingdom. Had that not been the way of things until now?
“That’s what a revolution is.”
“Pardon…?”
“To shatter the existing system and open up a new world. Isn’t that the definition of a revolution?”
“That is correct, but is it not too risky? To act on something so uncertain…”
“That’s why I’m saying we should test it. Whether the royal family has foresight or not.”
“Why can you not see that even that could be part of the royal family’s calculations?”
“…This is getting nowhere.”
Carlyle shut his eyes tightly as if exhausted.
This was the reality of it.
*Is this why they say indoctrination is so frightening?*
From a young age, the people of the continent are taught that the royal family possesses the power of foresight and that they see through everything.
Even if an event occurred that might arouse suspicion, they would consider it part of the royal family’s grand design and fear them all the more.
It was so deeply ingrained that even the legendary knight Maranello, known as the Grim Reaper of the North, couldn’t escape that line of thinking.
How could he change Maranello’s mind, even a little…?
*There’s only one way to do it.*
An idea on how to persuade Maranello suddenly came to Carlyle, and he opened his mouth.
“Maranello.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Want to see something interesting?”
“What might that be…?”
“Here, look.”
Carlyle drew Grimungandr from his belt.
A rusted longsword.
It was so chipped in places that one had to wonder if it could even cut a person.
The Succession Sword known to the world as the *Wanderer*, crafted by the lout, Carlyle van Sigmund.
But its true identity was…
“O, sleeper in the heart of chaos. By the blood pact, reveal thy true form.”
*Sssshhhk…*
The blade of Grimungandr gradually stained black, and soon, it revealed its true appearance.
A jet-black blade.
The demonic sword, imbued with the will of the Chaos King, gleamed with a chilling sharpness in Carlyle’s grip.
“That, that’s…”
A gasp of astonishment escaped Maranello’s lips.
“Grimungandr… the sword of the Chaos King, Kain…!”
“That’s right.”
Carlyle nodded.
“I was chosen by Grimungandr in the Cradle of Swords and inherited the will of the Chaos King. You wouldn’t think it strange for someone like me to speak of revolution, would you, Sir Maranello?”
“I, your servant, Maranello… greet the true successor of the Chaos King.”
Maranello knelt on one knee before Carlyle, his voice trembling.
***
Maranello finally understood everything about Carlyle’s transformation.
*He matured mentally after cheating death, and he was completely changed by inheriting the will of the Chaos King.*
Though this conclusion was far from the truth, from Maranello’s perspective, it was the most rational judgment he could make.
“I received a revelation.”
“What sort of revelation…”
“When I first held this sword, I had the chance to speak with the Chaos King through Grimungandr.”
“What did the Chaos King say?”
“He said the royal family had lost its foresight, and that I should complete his life’s work.”
“…!”
Of course, it was a bold-faced lie.
He had indeed met the Chaos King, but even the King hadn’t predicted that the royal family’s foresight would disappear.
“I already knew. That the royal family has no power of foresight.”
“H-How can that be!”
“Still don’t believe me? Should we go find another dragon and ask?”
“No, sir.”
Maranello shook his head.
“You were chosen by Grimungandr, Young Master, and you have inherited the Chaos King’s will. How could this old man dare to doubt you?”
“Of course, you’ve believed it your whole life, so it’ll be hard to change your mind in a short time. You’ll continue to feel anxious and doubtful.”
“Yes, I suppose I will.”
“Don’t worry. It’s the truth that the royal family has no foresight.”
“If that is the truth… what happens now? Do you truly intend to uphold the Chaos King’s will and complete his legacy?”
“I’m not the one who will complete his legacy. I’ll just be quietly helping from the shadows. I hate being in the spotlight. The independence of the North. Complete liberation from the royal family’s subjugation. The one to achieve that will be Father, or perhaps my sister or Frey.”
Maranello felt his blood boil at Carlyle’s words.
The independence of the North.
And complete liberation from the royal family’s subjugation.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that no dream could make the heart of a Northerner race more than that.
“Then, what can this old man do to help? If it means completing the Chaos King’s will, would I spare this single body?”
“First, we need to shatter that belief. The belief that everyone has held firmly for hundreds of years.”
“Hmm.”
“Like he said, let’s try to catch them off guard by staging some kind of incident. Then we’ll find out. Whether the royal family has foresight or not.”
“The very thought is terrifying… but having seen that you are the master of Grimungandr, Young Master, I will gladly participate.”
Though still deeply uneasy, Maranello decided to cooperate fully with Carlyle.
The royal family’s foresight was truly fearsome, but this could be the most important turning point in the history of Decaron…
“I don’t have a brilliant plan right this second, so let’s think it over.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Just then, the Hatchling spoke up.
“How about we try this?”
“What?”
“So…”
The Hatchling explained its idea.
“Huh. That’s not bad.”
“A method like that would be well worth a try.”
Carlyle and Maranello both thought the Hatchling’s suggestion was quite excellent.
“Ho ho. It seems the saying that dragons are wise beings is not for nothing.”
“I agree.”
Carlyle nodded in agreement, looking at the Hatchling, who was striking a deliberately proud pose.
“I thought you were just a picky glutton, but you’re quite useful. And smart.”
“Are you done talking, butler? Hsssk!”
The Hatchling growled at Carlyle.
“Ah, sorry. Want something tasty? Cake? Cookies?”
“Cake. The kind made with yogurt whipped cream. It would be nice if it had fruit, too. And for the cookies?”
“Chocolate, of course.”
“You heard him.”
Carlyle turned to Maranello.
“Yes, Young Master. I will prepare them and bring them myself.”
Maranello hurried off to fetch the Hatchling’s snacks.
***
Thanks to Carlyle riling up the Crown Prince, Grand Duke Guntram’s worries only deepened.
“Your Highness, I implore you to forgive my foolish son for his rudeness.”
“It is fine, so please do not worry yourself. I brought this upon myself, so how could I blame the Grand Duke or his second son?”
Although the Crown Prince said as much, his displeasure was palpable.
And the expression on the Crown Prince’s face was a source of great discomfort for Grand Duke Guntram.
Why?
Because the royal family was never magnanimous.
“Of course, separate from the matter with your son, we will be raising the tax rate by an additional five percent for this autumn only.”
“Your Highness, that is…”
“I hope for your understanding, Grand Duke. We plan to lower the tax rate again starting next year.”
“I will obey your command.”
In the end, the Crown Prince’s displeasure came back in the form of a tax hike.
*Why couldn’t he just hold it in?*
Grand Duke Guntram was annoyed with Carlyle, but he couldn’t bring himself to blame him.
It was the Crown Prince who had requested the meeting with Carlyle, and hadn’t Carlyle treated him with a certain degree of courtesy?
*Must I send that child to the royal family by force? No, that’s not right. We will be loyal to the crown, but we cannot give them everything. There will be a price to pay, but we have no choice but to endure it.*
With that thought, Grand Duke Guntram looked over the documents containing Carlyle’s proposal.
Carlyle’s suggestion was to replace the mana stones used for fuel with mana fuel pellets to reduce the tax burden, and to instead sell off their existing mana stones to profit from the market price difference.
*There’s no other choice. I’ll have to trust his words.*
Grand Duke Guntram reluctantly decided to accept Carlyle’s proposal.
With the Crown Prince having raised the tax rate by five percent on the spot, the Grand Duke had few options.
If he insisted on continuing the mana stone mining operations, he couldn’t even imagine how much their casualties would increase. For now, replacing the fuel-grade mana stones with mana fuel was the only way.
*Is even this within the palm of your hand, Crown Prince?*
Grand Duke Guntram ground his teeth as he pictured the Crown Prince’s face.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being played by the royal family. Historically, that had always been the case.
Whatever they did, whatever happened, it was always revealed that the royal family was behind it.
*When will the North ever be free from the royal family’s grasp? Is the complete independence and liberation of the North nothing more than a dream?*
Frustrated, Grand Duke Guntram caressed his Succession Sword.
If he had his way, he would rise up this very instant and crush the royal family.
But if he did, not only the Sigmund family but the entire North would be trampled by the crown and the other families, and the lives of the Northern people would become even more miserable.
*When that day comes… if such a day comes while I still draw breath… I will never forgive them. I will make them pay the price for the hundreds of years of oppression and persecution they have inflicted upon the North and upon the Sigmunds.*
*Squeeze.* Grand Duke Guntram’s hand tightened fiercely around the hilt of his Succession Sword.