Chapter 427: To the Ducal Castle
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 427: To the Ducal Castle
Ullian Lumiere Bipolun.
A knight who had reached the realm of an Aura Master and the commander of the Gray Shield Knights, the Grand Duke's personal guard.
The Grand Duke's loyal sword, who, upon receiving an order, would be the first to charge, slaughtering magical beasts and taking the heads of enemy commanders.
That was the man Amelia had always known as ‘Baron Bipolun’.
“Princess…!! You are safe!! Thank goodness!! Oh, Ragnon, thank you!! Thank you so much!!”
But the man before me was nothing more than a doting fool you could find anywhere.
An outstanding and valiant knight?
I certainly didn't see one.
“Ah, sir…! Other people are watching…!! Please, get up!!”
Amelia, flustered, tried to help Baron Bipolun to his feet.
But her efforts were in vain; the baron remained prostrated.
“Now… now I can finally face His Highness the Grand Duke…”
As the baron wiped his face, his voice choked with sobs, Amelia froze.
Three months had passed since the fall of the Marvil territory, where Amelia had been recuperating, and her escape to the Veilhaven Republic using the power of an artifact.
In other words, there was no telling how much the Grand Duke's condition had worsened in that time.
“…Sir.”
Amelia’s voice trembled faintly.
Despite this, she wore a determined expression as she continued.
“How is my father?”
“That is…”
Baron Bipolun’s voice trailed off as he glanced at me.
The health of a powerful ruler is a top-secret matter. In the midst of a rebellion like this, it was even more critical.
It was only natural that he would be hesitant to discuss such a topic in front of an outsider.
“You don’t have to worry. Sir Hyun-woo is the one who helped me. Please treat him as a benefactor of the Grand Ducal family.”
“What? A benefactor, what do you mean by that…?”
“Allow me to make a formal introduction.”
Amelia came to my side.
“This is Sir Kang Hyun-woo. He is both an exceptional mage and a powerful knight. He guided me from the Veilhaven Republic all the way here when I was in trouble. Sir Hyun-woo, this is Baron Ullian Lumiere Bipolun.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Kang Hyun-woo.”
I offered my hand with a friendly smile.
As much as I disliked shaking hands with men, I had a basic understanding of social etiquette.
“…A pleasure. I am Baron Ullian Lumiere Bipolun. Though I do not know the full details, I am deeply grateful to you, Sir Hyun-woo. Thanks to you, the princess was able to return safely.”
“Think nothing of it. I only did what needed to be done.”
“Hoh… You are truly a model knight.”
“You’re too kind.”
“However, the princess mentioned you are also a mage…”
The baron’s voice trailed off, his eyes filled with disbelief.
It was a natural reaction.
The sword and magic were two fields that were incredibly difficult to master together.
Rather than offer a tedious explanation, I decided to show him. I opened my inventory and took out the spare staff I carried.
An inventory isn't exactly magic, but it should be enough of a performance.
As if to prove my point, the baron’s eyes began to tremble violently, as if an earthquake had struck.
“…You look younger than my own son, yet you are truly incredible.”
“Thank you.”
“Sir.”
Amelia stepped forward.
“Please, trust Sir Hyun-woo as much as you trust me.”
“…I understand.”
The baron finally raised the white flag.
But he didn’t speak right away. After a long moment of hesitation, he slowly opened his mouth.
I soon understood the reason for his reluctance.
“…His Highness the Grand Duke has not yet regained consciousness. According to the royal physician, he has three months at most.”
“Ah…”
Thud.
I reached out and caught Amelia as she stumbled.
Her face was noticeably pale.
I whispered into her ear, so softly that the baron couldn't hear.
“It’s going to be okay.”
“…Yes.”
Amelia managed a faint smile, but the hand I held was trembling.
The conversation continued after I helped Amelia to a sofa.
“After you left for the Marvil territory, Princess, we secretly contacted the Sun Cult and succeeded in inviting a cardinal to the castle. When even renowned physicians could not identify the illness, a curse was the only thing we could surmise. However… even the cardinal’s blessing could not awaken His Highness.”
Just as on Earth, a cardinal of a religion holds an extremely high social status.
Especially a cardinal from the Sun Cult, the largest religion on the continent. It was no exaggeration to say his prestige surpassed even that of Queen Elisabeth of the Nivia Kingdom.
“Not even a cardinal of the Sun Cult could cure him…”
Amelia was so shocked by the baron’s words that she couldn't close her mouth.
In this world where medical science was slow to develop, the words of a high-ranking cleric like a cardinal were as good as absolute truth to a patient.
If someone of a cardinal’s caliber failed to provide a cure, it was common sense in this world to classify the ailment as incurable.
Of course, there might be a chance if they called the Pope or a Saint, but that would be impossible. The Sun Cult is, after all, the state religion of the Eustaff Empire.
The Eustaff Empire had always been behind the fall of the Goddess Cult and the rise of the Sun Cult.
As if to prove this, the doctrine of the Sun Cult blatantly espoused human supremacism.
—Among all races, only humans are the children of Lord Solarion, and thus are qualified to hold the most brilliant radiance.
Inviting a cardinal from the Sun Cult meant that the Grand Duke’s condition had effectively been revealed to the Empire.
It also meant that the Duchy was pushed so far to the brink that they had to take such a risk.
I could understand.
The priests of the Sun Cult were famous for having stronger divine power than clerics of other religions, so the Duchy likely had no other choice.
Three months left, huh…
A smile touched my lips as I placed a hand on Amelia’s shoulder.
Thankfully, we had arrived in time.
“Amelia.”
“…Sir Hyun-woo?”
Our eyes met. Amelia’s lips parted for a moment, then she nodded and wiped the tears welling in her eyes.
Fortunately, her complexion looked much better than before.
I gave a satisfied smile at the sight.
“Baron Bipolun.”
The fact that even a cardinal of the Sun Cult was helpless meant that even the highest-grade holy water I received from the Saintess wouldn't be able to cure the Grand Duke.
Even so, I wasn't worried.
“May I have an audience with His Highness the Grand Duke?”
Because I knew why the Grand Duke had collapsed.
*
Baron Bipolun couldn't fathom Kang Hyun-woo’s request.
To suddenly ask for an audience with the Grand Duke… given the current state of affairs, his intentions were highly suspect.
Of course, his achievements were remarkable.
He had safely escorted the princess all the way from the Veilhaven Republic to the Orsia Duchy, a journey that must have been fraught with countless dangers.
Moreover, not only did he possess skills comparable to his own, but he was also a mage.
An unbelievable genius. No, a monster was standing before him.
But with His Highness collapsed, he could not grant an audience to a man whose identity was unclear.
Above all, it wasn't a decision he could make alone, so at first, he tried to delay, making one excuse after another.
—Sir, please, trust Sir Hyun-woo. He will definitely heal my father.
—…
Faced with a side of Amelia he had never seen before, Baron Bipolun had no choice but to grant Kang Hyun-woo’s request.
Afterward, the three of them boarded a carriage.
Iris, not yet fully recovered, remained at the mansion. Sylvia stayed behind to guard her.
Seeing Iris sleeping in a cold sweat, Kang Hyun-woo resolved to get some medicinal herbs or an elixir for her while he was at the ducal castle.
Of course, he had no intention of stealing.
He planned to take them as payment for saving the Grand Duke.
“We will arrive at the ducal castle shortly.”
While Kang Hyun-woo was lost in thought, gazing out the window, Baron Bipolun spoke up.
“But before that, there is something you both must be aware of.”
The baron hesitated, his lips twitching for a moment.
It was as if even speaking the words was a disgrace.
“Huu… It is a shameful story, but there is currently a traitor who has joined the rebel army hiding within the ducal castle.”
“A traitor… You don’t mean a member of the rebel army?”
“That is correct.”
At his words, Amelia’s eyes widened in surprise.
Kang Hyun-woo, on the other hand, leaned back leisurely in his seat. He already knew there was a traitor in the castle from Lavinia’s memories.
As Tam’s growth rate increased, the scope of memories he could read had broadened considerably.
“I do not know how you managed to enter the capital incognito, Princess, but it was truly an excellent decision. The traitors are after none other than you. However…”
The baron’s voice trailed off as he looked at Amelia.
“…My apologies, but upon entering the castle, we have no choice but to announce that you have returned safely.”
“Is it for the morale of the army?”
“…”
At Kang Hyun-woo’s question, Baron Bipolun nodded grimly.
Three months ago, when Amelia went missing, the Duke Faction lost its focal point and began to waver, leading to a surge of traitors from all corners.
In this situation, if word spread that Amelia had returned safely, it would not only boost the army’s morale but also prevent further desertions from the nobles of the Duke Faction.
“…I have no excuse. This is all my fault for being inadequate.”
The thought of putting Amelia in danger filled Baron Bipolun with deep guilt.
But looking at it rationally, he had no other choice.
Of the three fortress cities protecting the capital, only Bipolun had preserved its forces intact.
In Bellastir, the second son had killed his own parents and joined the rebels, and Norvalt was in the midst of a fierce war with the rebel army.
Even if they sent reinforcements to other territories, it would be difficult to make it in time.
Therefore, revealing Amelia’s presence to raise the morale of their allies was an excellent decision that no one could deny.
“It’s alright.”
Seeing Baron Bipolun’s darkened expression, Amelia offered a gentle smile.
“I know how much you must have struggled while I was away. And what you fear will not happen.”
Amelia carefully took Kang Hyun-woo’s hand.
“No matter what happens, Sir Hyun-woo will protect me. Right?”
“Of course.”
Their gazes met, and ripples formed in the eyes of the baron who was watching them.
Though he was now approaching fifty, in his youth, he had met his beloved wife and had two children.
He wasn't so dense as to not understand the meaning of the subtle current flowing between Kang Hyun-woo and Amelia.
Grit—
Baron Bipolun clenched his jaw.
Having always thought of Amelia as his own daughter, it was difficult to suppress the rage boiling up from deep within his chest.
However, he managed to suppress his emotions with superhuman patience and was able to exit the carriage without incident.
Kang Hyun-woo escorted Amelia, staring blankly at the ducal castle spread out before him.
…‘Magnificent’ is the only word for it.
It was so large that it was difficult to take in the entire castle at a single glance.
The Orsia Ducal Castle was impressive enough to rival the royal castle of England, and—sorry, Elisabeth—it made the royal castle of the Nivia Kingdom look shabby in comparison.
Soon, an old man dressed in a butler’s uniform approached.
He bowed respectfully to Amelia, showing his courtesy.
“This humble servant greets Her Highness, Princess Amelia Claris Orsia, the rightful heir of the great Orsia Duchy.”
Behind him, dozens of maids stood in two neat rows.
The perfectly aligned formation, as if measured with a ruler, was eye-catching, a testament to their discipline.
“It’s been a while, Morad.”
“I am so relieved you have returned safely. Lady Arsia must have heard my prayers. By the way, the gentleman behind you is…?”
“He is my benefactor.”
“Is that so.”
The old man approached Kang Hyun-woo and bowed deeply.
“I am Morad, the head butler of the Grand Ducal House of Orsia.”
“I am Kang Hyun-woo.”
“I offer my sincerest gratitude for your grace, Sir Kang Hyun-woo. If there is anything you desire, I will risk my life to make it happen.”
Kang Hyun-woo chuckled lightly at the burdensome pledge from the man, who appeared to be in his seventies. The three of them then followed Morad’s guidance and walked toward the castle.
However, a group blocked their path.
“Your Highness the Princess!!”
It was none other than the nobles belonging to the Duke Faction.
Thump—
A man with an impressive mustache prostrated himself before Amelia. In Kang Hyun-woo’s honest opinion, he had the classic face of a sycophant.
Following his lead, the other nobles all dropped to their knees.
“…Baron Dorasilb.”
Amelia and Baron Bipolun frowned slightly as they looked at the man prostrated at the very front.
