Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: An Unfortunate Accident
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Grand Duke Guntram was enraged.
‘How dare they insult the Sigmunds and the North like this!’
The Crown Prince's statement was nothing more than a blatant attempt to pull the wool over their eyes.
It was no exaggeration to say that everyone knew the Lauren family was behind the plot to frame Carlyle.
And now, even after securing confessions from the culprits, they were calling it the work of barbarians?
This was tantamount to openly screwing over the Sigmunds and siding with the Lauren family.
However, the head of the Lauren family dared not show any sign of pleasure.
Instead, he trembled in fear.
*Tremble, tremble, tremble!*
The Lauren patriarch's hands shook.
He felt such a terrifying pressure from Grand Duke Guntram, who sat opposite him, that he trembled in fear without even realizing it.
He knew all too well that if Grand Duke Guntram were to lose his composure, not only he but even the Crown Prince would lose their heads.
"I hope the Grand Duke will clear up this misunderstanding."
The Crown Prince, though trembling inwardly with fear, spoke with a calm facade.
‘The Sigmunds are nothing but a lion in chains. There's no need to be afraid. They would never dare to oppose the royal family.’
As the Crown Prince expected, Grand Duke Guntram did not show his anger.
"Decaron accepts the royal family's will."
Grand Duke Guntram rose from his seat and knelt on one knee before the Crown Prince.
A smirk appeared on the Crown Prince's lips.
"Lord Lauren."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Congratulations on clearing your name of these false accusations."
"Your grace is immeasurable."
The Lauren patriarch also knelt on one knee before the Crown Prince.
"Now that this misunderstanding has been resolved, I hope you two lords will put aside any lingering resentment."
"We obey the royal command."
Grand Duke Guntram and the head of the Lauren family answered in unison.
"Lord Lauren."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I have a favor to ask of you."
"Please, give your command."
"Decaron has been facing considerable difficulties with its mana stone mining operations recently. Would the Lauren family be able to assist?"
"Of course."
Though he said that, the Lauren patriarch's expression had soured.
The royal family's siding with the Laurens was merely a pretext.
It was nothing more than a ploy to save face for the Sigmunds while pretending to support the Lauren family, all so the royal family could profit.
"Could you dispatch at least thirty thousand troops to the Blood-Soaked Land, Kuberin, by this winter?"
"Th-That is..."
"You only need to help until this winter, so please don't feel burdened."
"I... obey the royal command."
"Furthermore, a tax increase seems unavoidable for the time being, so I hope the Lauren family will also participate. This is for the prosperity of our United Kingdom, so I ask for your cooperation."
"..."
In the end, it meant they were extorting over thirty thousand troops and additional taxes in exchange for clearing the charges.
From the Sigmund family's perspective, this might be unpleasant, but only the Lauren family would suffer any actual losses.
Of course, since all the profits would go to the royal family, it was no exaggeration to say the Crown Prince was the true winner.
‘Yes, I knew it.’
A cold smile appeared on Carlyle's lips.
The Crown Prince's words were exactly as he had expected.
After all, the royal family's true goal was to secure their own interests, regardless of what happened to the other families.
‘Enjoy it while you can. Your time is running out.’
With that thought, Carlyle left the banquet hall.
Though he felt countless eyes on his back, Carlyle did not stop walking.
* * *
On the way back to his room.
Carlyle was walking when he came face-to-face with Alicia, who was approaching from the opposite direction.
"Why are you leaving already?"
"I was bored."
"I heard you were crazy about wine and women."
"I told you. I've stopped."
"Is that something you can just stop?"
Alicia said, sounding incredulous.
If debauchery were so easy to quit, why would there be drunkards, gambling addicts, and philanderers?
"None of your business."
Carlyle said curtly as he brushed past Alicia.
"And why are you loitering out here?"
"...That's..."
"You volunteered to lead the delegation, but now you can't show your face because you haven't achieved anything?"
"Sh-Shut up."
Alicia growled.
"What do you know? You're just a good-for-nothing degenerate."
"If a degenerate like me can read your mind so easily, I'd say your succession bid is already doomed."
"What?!"
"You're too ashamed to face the Lauren patriarch, and even if you wanted to get close to the Crown Prince for information on mana stone prices, Kaldor has already secured that position, so it's not easy for you. Am I wrong?"
"..."
"Want a piece of advice?"
Carlyle said, as if doing her a great favor.
"Forget it. Who are you to give advice, you degenerate?"
"Suit yourself."
"W-Wait."
As Carlyle turned to leave as if there was nothing more to see, Alicia suddenly felt a sense of urgency and quickly blocked his path.
"Go on, then. I'll listen and decide for myself."
"I don't want to."
"You just offered to give me advice."
"You asked who I was to give advice."
"..."
Alicia fell silent, as if she'd swallowed her tongue.
"F-Fine, I'm sorry about that. It's just... your reputation is so bad. And my pride was a little hurt."
"Hmm."
"Go on, give me your advice. I'll decide whether to follow it after I hear it."
"The Crown Prince just requested that your family dispatch troops. At least thirty thousand to the Blood-Soaked Land to help with mana stone mining."
"I see..."
"Volunteer to be the commander."
"Are you telling me to go roll around on a battlefield?"
"Why, you don't want to?"
"I'm already having a huge headache dealing with Kaldor and the succession. You want me to leave my post? You call that advice?"
"Tsk."
Carlyle clicked his tongue.
"As I thought, you're hopeless."
"What is?"
"How do you expect to beat Kaldor if your mind works so slowly?"
"Are you saying I'm stupid?"
"A massive force of thirty thousand soldiers is about to fall right into your hands, and you're going to turn it down? Heh."
"...!"
"If need be, you could use the barbarians to cause chaos at the border, and if you seize the right opportunity, you could even lead those troops to march on the heart of your domain."
"Are you telling me to commit treason?"
"Your life is on the line, what does that matter? Do you think Kaldor will leave you and your mother alone once he wins the succession?"
"Th-That's..."
"I heard those who carry the blood of the Lauren family will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. I guess you're different."
"..."
"That's all I have to say. Think it over. Whether you follow my advice is up to you."
After Carlyle left.
"The blood that flows in me is tainted... I never wanted to live like that..."
For a while, Alicia was too troubled to return to the banquet hall.
"But what are you thinking? Carlyle van Sigmund? What is your true identity? Have you been acting like a degenerate all this time?"
Alicia thought that she, and the world, might have been completely deceived by the man named Carlyle van Sigmund.
Otherwise, there was no way the so-called degenerate of the North could be so clever.
* * *
The next morning.
The Crown Prince left Decaron early and headed for the capital.
As soon as he saw the Crown Prince off, Grand Duke Guntram went to his office to handle his backlogged work.
He had barely managed any administrative tasks during the few days the Crown Prince had stayed, so the pile of documents was mountainous.
"Your Grace."
"Ah, Sir Maranello."
"Could you spare a moment?"
"What is it?"
"Your second son has something urgent to discuss with you."
"He does?"
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Then why didn't he come himself? Why send you with a message?"
"It seems to be a matter of great importance. If you would please spare him a moment."
"Hmm."
Grand Duke Guntram, though puzzled, readily agreed to make time.
A request for a conversation from Carlyle was a very rare occurrence...
"This is the spire."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"He asked to see me here?"
The Grand Duke couldn't quite understand why the meeting place was the tallest spire in the inner castle.
For what reason would they meet in a spire?
Moreover, the spire also served as a watchtower, making it a place of great military importance.
"You're here."
"Why did you summon me all the way to the spire?"
"To show you something interesting."
"Something interesting...?"
"Look over there."
Carlyle pointed to the southeast.
In the far distance, the Crown Prince's carriage and his escort of knights could be seen moving at high speed.
They were dozens of kilometers away, but because the spire was so high, the view was unobstructed, making it possible to see the Crown Prince's procession.
"Isn't that the Crown Prince's procession?"
"It is."
"But why are you showing me this?"
"Because there's about to be an accident."
"An accident...?"
"Yes. A very unfortunate accident."
"I don't know what you're planning, but..."
Just then.
*BOOM!*
A faint roar was heard as a massive explosion engulfed the Crown Prince's procession.
"..."
Grand Duke Guntram couldn't believe his eyes.
"Wh-What is this!"
It was an utterly unbelievable sight.
The carriage carrying the Crown Prince—the royal carriage—was caught in a sudden explosion and launched high into the sky.
It was a shame that he couldn't see it more clearly, as it had happened from so far away, dozens of kilometers in the distance.
"D-Did I see that correctly? Sir Maranello?"
Grand Duke Guntram asked Maranello, his voice trembling.
"This old man saw it clearly as well."
"How did this happen? How could the royal carriage possibly explode?"
It was something he could never have imagined.
The royal family could foresee everything through their precognitive abilities, so for them, an 'accident' should not have been possible in the first place.
"An unfortunate accident."
Carlyle said with a devilish smile.
"What a pity. For His Highness the Crown Prince's carriage to explode like that. At this rate, at least a hundred of the Royal Guard knights must have died."
"Don't tell me... was this your doing?"
"Of course not."
Carlyle shrugged as if he knew nothing about it.
"How could a degenerate like me possibly blow up the Crown Prince's carriage? Be reasonable."
"Stop playing games with me."
Grand Duke Guntram glared at Carlyle with a truly terrifying gaze.
"I am in no mood to play games with you. Tell me the truth. This is an order not from your father, but from the Lord of Decaron."
"I already told you. I don't know anything about it."
Carlyle continued to play innocent.
"Well... perhaps the barbarians planted a mana stone trap along the Crown Prince's route. Just like how those bought by the barbarians disguised themselves as Lauren spies to try and kill me."
"You mean..."
"I can guarantee you, the royal family will cover this incident up completely. And internally, they'll conclude it was the work of the barbarians."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because..."
Carlyle said with a twisted smirk.
"The royal family has no power of foresight."