The Prince's Procession (3)
Aslan was utterly incompetent, yet stubbornly persistent. “Since when do nuns carry swords and maces? Come on. This is clearly assassination.”
“They are nuns.”
He said such terrifying things so casually. This guy knew far too much about the Church. I glared at Aslan, pouring silent pressure into my gaze.
“Ah. I see.”
Aslan quietly shut his mouth. The guy who couldn’t even land a single hit was acting all high and mighty. Just then, Claire leaned in and whispered carefully into my ear.
“As expected, my lady fits right in with the assassination guild. It suits you so—”
“Claire. Shush.”
No matter what, I wasn’t going to let that slide. Why on earth would I inherit such a shady guild?
Side Story: Ashtar
News of Prince Aslan’s procession reached Ashtar as well. Though it was merely passing through, it was still an imperial route. For this reason, the fire had fallen squarely on Lockton, the next head of the family. At the very least, he had to ensure the security of the territory and surrounding areas was tighter than ever.
“Are there any wanted criminals or suspicious groups within the territory? Anti-imperialists, perhaps?”
“None, my lord. The roads the prince will travel have been thoroughly cleaned.”
Lockton nodded in satisfaction at the knight commander’s report. But his expression soon darkened again. There was another problem.
“Then the issue lies here. Kise. What do you think?”
Lockton had led the knights and Ashtar’s mages to the western border of the territory. The reason was that a watchpost here had been attacked by something and completely destroyed.
“Yes, young master. It appears to have collapsed naturally.”
“This watchpost was built recently. How can you call that natural?”
The empire’s lands were vast, and so were the frontlines that needed defending. Fearing infiltration by remnants of the Demon King’s army, they had recently constructed new watchposts, expanded fortresses, and increased military presence. Yet all that effort looked ready to go to waste.
‘How much money did we pour into this?’
He would soon become the next head of Ashtar. With the Demon King dead at just the right time, he had wanted to strengthen security, lead the territory well, and go down in history as a great lord.
“That is why I said it collapsed naturally, not from old age.”
“No traces of magic?”
“None. It feels more like an Authority.”
No traces of magic, but an Authority. If it was an Authority, didn’t that mean it was related to the demon race?
“An Authority… Then there’s a possibility it was a demon.”
“Yes. The mage division is investigating as we speak.”
“If this truly is an Authority and the work of a demon…”
If that were the case, it would be extremely troublesome. There was only one person capable of turning a newly built watchpost into dust while subduing panicked enemies.
“You must consider the worst-case scenario.”
“It could be Pector.”
“Yes.”
Pector of Despair. A single swing of his sword could turn an entire area into scorched earth. He was the one who had brought down the Kingdom’s impregnable fortress of Berta. Fortunately, there were no fatalities on their side, but several soldiers had been seriously injured when the building collapsed. That was bad enough, but there was an even bigger problem.
If it was Pector, he would have undoubtedly brought the Demon King’s army with him. After all, he was a commander. The question was how many troops he had brought. If it had been a large force, there would have been chaos, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Or was he hiding them with some ability? Or perhaps it was only a small group?
“This has become a nuisance. If he’s coming, he should have gone to Ribelt. Of all times, with the prince here too. At least they’re far apart.”
Since Ashtar’s allegiance to the imperial family was well known, the prince’s procession would likely only skim past the territory. So they could only hope they wouldn’t run into each other.
“Pector would probably prefer rich, warm lands over cold ones.”
“Understood. Keep working on it.”
“We will investigate immediately.”
After the conversation ended and Kise withdrew, Lockton gave orders to the knights.
“Make sure the knights and soldiers within the territory do not slack on their patrols. Also, there is word that the Hero is heading toward the empire. We must find him.”
“Yes, young master.”
The Hero was unreliable, but having him wouldn’t be a bad thing. Of all times for this to happen. It was the worst. He might even have to call his younger brother, who commanded the family’s elite forces.
The members of the procession, including Aslan, boarded a carriage prepared in advance by the imperial family. Of course, it was disguised to look like an ordinary carriage so as not to seem like something from the imperial palace. They couldn’t exactly ride around in one covered in golden decorations. Still, it was quite large, so it was bound to draw suspicion. In any case, they had to make it look as ordinary as the nuns had already spread in rumors.
“His Highness the Prince, for the sake of the common people.”
“He is atoning for us.”
“Prince Aslan!”
Commoners whom the nuns had prepared in advance swarmed toward the carriage, singing praises. At the sight, Aslan’s face, seated at the front, twisted in displeasure. Yuria glared at me. What? What do you want me to do? Is there any other way right now?
“Olivia. This… it feels incredibly burdensome right now.”
I find your inability to read the room even more burdensome.
“This won’t work, that won’t work either. Goodness, Your Highness. The world doesn’t bend to your will in every matter.”
For someone called a prince, he had no sense at all. Or was it because he was a prince? Even after the Lily incident, couldn’t he at least think things through? I had no idea why he was so stupid. It would be better if the princess—who supposedly just played around on the battlefield—became emperor. A cunning one was preferable to a naive fool.
“Still…”
“Isn’t it fine? Just let it go. Do you really think none of the previous emperors ever did something like this? Even His current Majesty has done quite a variety of things, though it’s awkward for me to say it myself.”
I was starting to get angry. A proper vassal should know when to let things slide.
“I feel like everything I knew about you is crumbling.”
“I feel the same.”
“Ah, me too, a little…”
Aslan, Riler, and Yuria all spouted rude remarks. It would be better if they were as indifferent as Valen or drooling like Shariel. What did it matter if I wasn’t the person they used to know?
“Do I have to pay attention to every little thing? If you want to become crown prince again, keep your mouth shut during this matter. It’s because you all keep indulging him that he’s turned out like this. Understood?”
“Understood.”
Aslan quietly nodded. But Riler and Yuria still looked dissatisfied. When I jerked my chin at them to speak, Riler opened his mouth.
“But we didn’t—”
“Riler. Have you already forgotten what you looked like during the Lily incident? And you, Yuria, who is supposedly the student council secretary and Aslan’s close aide—you only ever criticized me and never said a word about Lily, didn’t you?”
“I’m sorry.”
The two of them lowered their heads without another word. Good. You two should have nothing to say to me. How dare you.
Come to think of it, this was Olivia’s first time traveling far from the capital. It wouldn’t hurt to enjoy the trip a little. There was no point staying tense forever.
The carriage that left the capital entered Ashtar’s territory after some time. Ashtar’s lands were among the most resource-rich and fertile in the empire. It possessed the empire’s greatest magic stone mine, abundant crops, and even touched the sea, making fishing easy. It wasn’t called the empire’s foremost family for nothing. Even its buildings and roads were far superior to those of other families. While Ashtar maintained roads and architecture on par with the capital, other cities had slightly inferior buildings and roads. There were almost no high-rise structures elsewhere.
“Wow. Ashtar really is huge.”
Shariel clung to the carriage window.
“Well, it even borders the sea.”
The fact that their territory wasn’t far from the capital yet still reached the sea was already impressive. And it was only possible because the previous heads of Ashtar had governed the land so well. No matter how vast the land, if the rulers lacked knowledge and were tyrants, would the people remain? It would have fallen to the level of Ribelt by now.
“If you can’t develop land this good, wouldn’t that make you an idiot?”
The ignorant fool from Ribelt glared at me and picked a fight. Yeah. Now I understand why we’re enemies. It’s because of that ignorant bastard who only believes in charging with cavalry.
“What good are land and resources if you have no brains? Without intelligence, you can’t develop. Ashtar’s prosperity exists today because its successive heads were outstanding rulers.”
I glared right back at him. What are you going to do if I glare too? After we stared at each other for a while, Claire stopped me.
“Both of you, that’s enough. If you think about it, Ashtar and Ribelt are quite similar.”
“Really?”
“Ah, yes, my lady. You didn’t know? If you are of the Ashtar bloodline, it’s something you should know.”
Claire suddenly shot me a rather frightening look. It was as if she were saying, How could you not know that?
“What is it?”
“Ashtar was not originally a native noble house. It was one of the closest families to Emperor Elfric, the founder. They accomplished so many feats, and the head of the Ashtar clan at the time was a close friend of His Majesty Emperor Elfric. Even before the empire, their families had a good relationship, so Ashtar was granted the largest territory. In the early days of the empire’s conquest wars, Ashtar still retained strong nomadic traits and raised a formidable cavalry force.”
“But isn’t it different now?”
Now they maintained knights like the other native nobles, private soldiers, and even a mage division that required an enormous budget.
“Yes. As their territory expanded, the Ashtar clan decided to assimilate with the conquered regions and become native nobles.”
“Ah, so there’s such deep history behind it.”
Ashtar had abandoned the old ways, assimilated, and evolved in a new direction.
“However, Ribelt, which had also been a major player in the conquest wars, did not like that Ashtar had done so.”
“Because unlike Ribelt, which clung to tradition, Ashtar gave it up?”
In the end, Ashtar was far more prosperous than Ribelt. They had received good land from the start and accepted civilization related to magic. It was impossible for them to live like Ribelt, who relied on hunting.
“Yes. To preserve their traditions, Ribelt was given harsh northern lands—grasslands ideal for raising cavalry.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. So they’re a family that has maintained its history in its own way.”
That much I could acknowledge.
“In its own way? What right does Ashtar, who flipped its entire foundation just because it received good land, have to judge Ribelt?”
This bastard was really asking for it.
“You’re really unlucky, aren’t you? People live, mix with locals, and assimilate into cultures. What’s the problem?”
It was natural for cultures and customs to spread through conquest and being conquered. The tribes led by Ashtar had assimilated into this land, shared cultures, and developed together. Ribelt had rejected that natural flow. Everyone had their own way of living, so I had no intention of criticizing it, but that rigid way of thinking simply didn’t suit me.
“So, do any of your Ashtar customs remain? Like how the founder Emperor Elfric did. Didn’t your Ashtar tribe and its people mix blood with the magic-using tribes?”
What a picky bastard.
“Hey, living so stubbornly is why you grew up wild in cold, harsh places.”
“For us, enduring that level of cold and being able to lead horses across vast grasslands is enough. You Ashtars have probably forgotten all your ancient glory and become soft as water.”
Ah, I should hold back. No, forget Ashtar—this guy’s values were completely rotten. If I let this slide, he would keep annoying me forever. First, I was Ashtar right now. And this damn fool was Ribelt. In that case, it was better to settle things here and now. Since we were from rival families, I had every justification to hit him. I gathered mana in my hand, intending to use force—
But Seria grabbed me from the side.
“Lady Olivia! Please endure it! Lady Olivia has plenty of fat on her chest, so you won’t ever feel cold anyway!”
With a loud crash, I slammed Seria’s head into the window.