Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: The Disguised Prince
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Delmondo's explanation regarding the disposition of the territory was lengthy.
Pellid, in fact, couldn't understand even half of what was being said.
However, Prechella nodded seriously, then widened her eyes in surprise, and even clapped her hands in admiration as she listened intently to his words.
"After hearing it all, it seems Lord Delmondo's judgment was correct. Plus, if His Grace the Duke desires, he can always buy it back anytime, so there's not much loss."
"Marquis Archibald is quite fond of the great one. Of course, he has his own intentions, but from the great one's perspective, it's far better for the marquis to fully control the Karsbay Peninsula, so there's no downside."
"That makes sense. King Brantia is His Grace the Duke's vassal, after all. As long as our Maren and Mopern ports continue trading with Brantia, Marquis Archibald would never want to sour relations with His Grace the Duke."
'Indeed.'
Delmondo inwardly admired Prechella. She was a woman with spirit, loyalty, and brains.
"Now I understand why the great one continues to deal with you."
"Oh, come on, you're too kind."
Prechella waved her hand dismissively, holding back a grin, before her expression turned cautious.
"So, you came here in person to warn us?"
"Half of it, yes."
"Then what's the other reason?"
"Help me secure a ship departing for Mungard."
"You're going there yourself as the territory's proxy? You could have gone straight from Maren... Ah!"
Delmondo nodded as Prechella realized something mid-sentence.
"That's right. With a Holy Knight having infiltrated, we need someone we can trust."
"So that's why you came on our merchant ship's ocean vessel. Understood. I'll arrange the fastest departing ship for you."
"Much obliged. I'll make sure to inform the great one of the deputy manager's loyalty."
"Thank you."
Prechella felt all her preconceptions about vampires crumbling away.
From what she'd heard from the clergy, they were gloomy, ruthless monsters who valued human lives like flies.
Yet meeting the vampire territory proxy, he was someone she could talk to, with considerable refinement.
'Well, Lord Eugene is a bit scary, but he's never harmed his own people. And being someone Lord Eugene appointed himself, he's naturally impeccable. As expected of Lord Eugene.'
As Prechella fell into such misconceptions, Delmondo stared at her, thinking something similar.
'As expected of the great one. I wondered why he kept ties with the Feilin Merchant Group, but it's because they have talent like you, who can best represent and realize your interests.'
The person in question had simply stumbled into it by chance.
Anyway, two days later, Delmondo's coffin was reloaded into the cargo hold of a merchant ship that Prechella had personally arranged.
The ship sailed for five days, passing through the Roderick Archipelago ruled by the orc lord Ortoss, before arriving at Mungard. The box containing the coffin was then delivered to Lord Marcus's mansion.
* * *
After crossing the snowy mountains, Eugene headed to a nearby farmstead in search of Silion.
He paid the farmer a suitable amount of silver coins for looking after Silion in his absence, then immediately set off for Brighton, the new capital.
The long journey alone through Brantia, where the great chaos had largely subsided, wasn't too uncomfortable.
Of course, it wasn't entirely problem-free.
Riding alone in a hooded long robe, Eugene appeared to be nothing more than a naive, ignorant noble traveler.
With no reason to unleash his presence during travel, he was seen as prime prey by amateur bandits and Roamer monsters.
Eugene dispatched such foes nearly once a day as he continued southward.
After five days, when Brighton was not far off, Eugene encountered a group of travelers.
"Kieee? Milord, milord. Those guys look like nobles. Fancy armor, and that huge, ornate carriage."
True to form, Mirian valued everything in terms of money and goods, peeking out from Silion's mane with sparkling eyes.
"Just in case, stay hidden for now. No causing trouble."
"Got it!"
Mirian saluted smartly with his hand and ducked into the leather pouch. Eugene slowly guided Silion toward the group of unknown travelers.
'Mostly knights. But their armor... and they're not Brantian?'
Unlike Brantian knights, the dozen or so knights were clad in plate mail.
Yet the style differed subtly from even those of the Keiler Kingdom.
Tougher and more rugged, perhaps?
'Not Keiler either. Where are they from?'
As Eugene approached with such thoughts, the riders, who had been watching him intently since spotting him, began to move.
'Hoo? Protecting someone?'
Their horse-handling was remarkably concise and bold—clearly highly trained individuals.
The knights swiftly formed a formation that shielded those inside while ready to charge out at any moment, all while keeping Eugene under surveillance.
To signal no hostility, Eugene halted Silion at a suitable distance and placed one hand over his chest.
"I don't know where you're from, but I have no intention of being hostile."
"...!?"
The knights flinched.
'They don't speak Keiler Kingdom tongue?'
Judging them not Brantian no matter how he looked, Eugene repeated himself in the more widely known Keiler Kingdom language.
Then a voice came from within the tight formation.
"Are you a knight of the Keiler Kingdom? The king's knight? Or a church knight?"
It was Keiler Kingdom speech with a unique accent. Notably, despite efforts to sound gruff, the voice was thin and reedy.
Likely a woman or young boy.
"Neither. And if you want to know my identity, isn't it courtesy to reveal yours first?"
The knights looked slightly indignant at Eugene's words.
'As I thought...'
From their reaction, Eugene realized the ones inside held considerable status.
"Ah, right. My apologies. Unfortunately, however, I have no reason to reveal my identity to you. Just know we come from the Roman Empire."
Though his expression remained calm, Eugene was quite surprised.
He never expected to encounter Roman Empire nobles and knights in Brantia—something he'd never seen even in Keiler Kingdom.
"Then, might you tell us who you are?"
The thin voice, deliberately thickened, spoke again.
"I have no obligation to reveal myself to someone hiding their face. But I'll say I'm a knight from the Keiler Kingdom."
"XXXX! XXXXXX!"
"XX. XXXX, XXXXX."
In response, the knights began chattering in an unfamiliar foreign tongue.
Of course, with the language decryption ability from Drake's red mana stone, Eugene could understand even the most obscure languages.
'Prince? Did he just say prince?'
More important than their petty talk of kneeling the arrogant fool or subduing him in one go was that fact.
A prince—child of the emperor.
The highest nobility, such an important figure in Brantia?
"My apologies. My knights are so loyal, you see. Anyway, you have a point. Shall we each go our separate ways?"
"Agreed."
Though intensely curious about the Roman Empire's prince and his group, Eugene prioritized reaching Brighton quickly to discuss this.
With a light bow, he moved to pass them.
"Ah, but where is your destination?"
The prince's voice rang out again.
"...Brighton."
"Oh! Really?"
His tone carried delight.
"We're headed to Brighton too. Care to travel with us? As you see, it's our first time here, and it's taken quite a while just to get this far."
"Hmm."
Eugene had no desire to pick up troublesome baggage and was about to refuse.
"We'll compensate you generously, Sir Ker Kantar."
One knight approached with a displeased look and tossed Eugene a leather pouch. The hefty weight was immediately felt upon catching it.
"Milord! Gold coins! Gold coins!"
The spirit, who could distinguish silver from gold by sound alone, poked his head out and chattered.
Same road anyway, arrival in half a day or so, and now extra income to boot.
No reason to refuse—Eugene pocketed the pouch and nodded.
"Very well. Follow me."
"Right. Knights."
At the voice's command, the knights quickly disbanded their formation.
Curious about the face of this gold-scattering prince, Eugene glanced over, earning sneers from the knights.
"Hmph! This Keiler bumpkin sure is nosy."
"Lord Ortimas, isn't that because he's a bumpkin? He wouldn't get to see real knights like us easily back home."
"He's probably not even a real knight. What knight travels alone without servants or squires unless he's mad?"
"Must be some mercenary wannabe playing knight."
Hahaha...
Oblivious that Eugene understood every word in Roman Imperial tongue, they laughed uproariously.
'Sshould I just beat these bastards?'
Eugene briefly considered it but shook his head. Pretending ignorance of Imperial would yield more info.
More than the knights' drivel, the two they protected piqued his curiosity.
'Is that guy the prince?'
A youth in flashy clothes screaming "high noble here~" with baubles dangling from his hat.
Beside the prince, who looked around seventeen or eighteen, was another youth of similar age, apparently a servant or attendant.
"Then I'll be in your care, sir. Call me Rocaroph."
"Call me Yan, my lord."
Surely a false name, so Eugene gave only his first.
Yan was common enough that they wouldn't identify him from it alone.
'Even if they do, no matter.'
"Then Sir Yan it is."
Rocaroph nodded solemnly, pretending gravity, and whispered to the youth beside him.
"His manners are a bit rough, but he doesn't seem the type to cause trouble, Your Highness. He doesn't look stronger than our knights either."
"I see the same. Anyway, don't let your guard down—mind your words and actions."
"Yes."
Their low Imperial whispers didn't escape a vampire's hearing. But their actions and words were reversed.
'Hoo, interesting.'
Eugene realized the one in the plain gray hooded robe was the true prince.
For some reason, the Empire's incognito prince was heading to Bratia's new capital, Brighton.
In that case.
'Whatever the goal, he's probably meeting Luke, right?'
What other reason for an imperial scion to visit a foreign capital?
'Trouble brewing.'
Eugene furrowed his brow but soon shrugged.
Bratia's king was now Luke, after all. And the main reason for putting him on the throne was to handle such hassles.
'Time for me to wander demon realms collecting red mana stones.'
He planned to gain abilities carefree and remove his tattoo. Plus, the gold-filled pouch from moments ago lifted his spirits.
But Duke His Grace's good mood began fading within ten minutes.
"Sir, do you happen to know the one calling himself Bratia's king? Can you tell us about him?"
"Even better if you can share about the duke of the shadow clan, his supposed guardian."
"That duke seemed quite strong—how do my knights compare?"
"Is that duke perhaps a lackey of Keiler's king?"
Eugene regretted agreeing to escort them amid the barrage of nonstop questions.
Clink!
"It's not polite to just brush us off. We'd appreciate anything you know."
Another pouch flew his way; Eugene reflexively snatched it.
Treating him like a beggar...
"Milord! More gold coins! This guy's loaded!"
Amid the spirit's excited whisper, Eugene narrowed his eyes at the prince.
"I must've misheard earlier, lost in thought. Repeat that, and I'll answer sincerely."
The side income far exceeded pocket change, igniting Eugene's enthusiasm.
Seemed he'd hooked an innocent, worldly-naive customer.
Time to squeeze him dry, as courtesy demanded.
(To be continued in the next episode)