Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Not Even a Single Drop (1)
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Ha ha ha!
I really almost died, you bastards!
No joke, I'm dead serious. Cain had been tormented by those sword-crazed lunatics until late into the night.
Even that was only because Morgana and Anna intervened—otherwise, he might have been hounded all night long. The mere thought was terrifying.
And that was exactly why Cain was now glaring at Crown Prince Siegfried with eyes full of resentment.
Anyone else might not have been able to stop them, but Crown Prince Siegfried certainly could have.
No, to begin with, it was that man who had brought along the lunatic named Scardi.
"……."
"Good morning."
"……."
"Ahem."
He was committing the grave sin of glaring fiercely at the Crown Prince of the Empire no less—and doing it right in front of him, continuously...
But perhaps because the prince knew it was his own fault, Siegfried didn't make an issue of it.
Scardi might be blocking the view, but Sir Chris von Leonhardt was no less of a lunatic.
In other words, the Crown Prince knew everything but had dumped it all on Cain anyway.
And unfortunately, Cain's silent protest couldn't last long.
Morning had come, and the nobles were starting to take their seats one by one. Morgana and Anna found their places as well.
"I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"Yes, you've worked hard. I hope the princess rested well last night?"
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
Having apparently recognized Princess Anna as a talent not to be ignored, the Crown Prince even extended proper courtesy to her.
On the other hand, Cain had no such luxury. He'd been hounded by those sword maniacs since the crack of dawn.
Of course, this was a formal setting now, so he was restraining himself somehow... but even that wouldn't hold for long.
"Spar, spar."
"Grrr..."
"……."
What the hell? Why are these beasts here?
Cain quietly turned his head and shot a look at Crown Prince Siegfried. This time, it was his turn to help.
If the prince had even a shred of conscience, he'd step in now. And fortunately, Siegfried met Cain's expectations.
"Let's put personal matters on hold for later. Our top priority now is discussing future plans."
"……."
They couldn't ignore the Crown Prince's words, so the two beasts... no, masters finally backed off.
He'd been saved, at least for the moment. But what about after this was over?
Even to that pleading look, Crown Prince Siegfried just smiled.
Still, thanks to him, there'd be no interruptions for now. That was some small mercy... right?
"The Empire currently stands at a historic crossroads. If we all unite our strength and give our all, we can become pillars of great history. Otherwise, we'll be recorded merely as the defeated."
"We've heard the Union is on the move. Does Your Highness have some plan in mind?"
"First, it would be best to let those two forces wear each other down."
Using barbarians to check barbarians.
This idiom meant dividing enemies and making them keep each other in check.
And it was a stratagem that could be put to excellent use in the current situation.
The Union was currently attacking the Lost Empire. For now, the Lost Empire was holding its own,
but according to intelligence from spies, if two masters were deployed, the fragile balance would collapse in an instant.
That was precisely what concerned Crown Prince Siegfried. At the very least, they needed to hold out a bit longer.
"The key to the plan is controlling both the Demonic Realm and the Union simultaneously. That's the only way to drain their strength effectively."
"But can the Lost Empire truly hold out against the Union's masters?"
It wasn't unreasonable to voice skepticism. They might have master-level forces like the Present King or Water King...
But even so, their numbers wouldn't exceed two. They'd be outnumbered in both masters and troops.
Until now, wyverns or the Seven Kings had intervened whenever the Empire or Union tried to get involved, but now? Who knew.
"That's exactly why we must intervene personally. We can't just sit back and watch the Union succeed."
"In the end, we'll have no choice but to negotiate with the Lost Empire to some extent."
"Whether monsters without even a shred of honor would even understand the concept of negotiation..."
There was considerable skepticism, but no one outright opposed the strategy of pitting them against each other. The Union was formidable.
It had been enough to halt the Empire's unstoppable advance until now.
Thanks to that, the continent had maintained a precarious peace. But that balance was finally at its limit.
"Still, contacting the Lost Empire first seems like the best course."
"No, there's a better way."
"……?"
Just as the nobles were deep in discussion about future plans, an unexpected figure spoke up.
A young man with blond hair and blue eyes. Sir Chris von Leonhardt offered his opinion.
It was surprising, but since it came from a master, the nobles listened attentively.
"The Lost Empire... those monsters who call themselves the former rulers of an ancient empire, right?"
"Yes, that's correct, Sir Leonhardt."
"They say their numbers are few, they drink blood, and they call themselves immortals who don't die easily."
"……."
Cain tilted his head. It sounded eerily similar to the traits of a certain race he knew.
But unlike Cain, Chris paid no heed to the nobles' explanations.
Instead, his blue eyes gleamed as he spoke confidently.
"Then they're the perfect opponents to test my enlightenment on. Let's march out right now and uproot them completely!"
"……."
If only he'd keep his mouth shut, he'd be such a good guy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Fortunately, Chris's absurd suggestion wasn't seriously debated.
To begin with, aside from one person among the nobles, no one even took his opinion seriously.
And even that one was Chris's sister, Scardi, known as the Sword Ghost...
Cain let out a deep sigh. With so much to do right now, they decided to continue discussions later.
But in truth, the nobles seemed largely in favor of the Crown Prince's proposal.
Even Cain himself felt the same. If they had to fight the Union anyway, it was best if their strength was drained as much as possible.
'More importantly... the Lost Empire, was it? I should look into them more closely.'
If Cain's guess was right, their identity was that race no one could possibly be unaware of.
The problem was that depictions of that race's strength varied wildly depending on the story.
In some, they were cosmic horrors impossible to oppose, while in others, they were just punching bags.
That uncertainty about their true power until clashing directly was the biggest issue.
'Of course, we have two masters secured now, plus support from more territory folk and troops, so we won't be pushed easily...'
The problem was that dealing with the remaining forces wouldn't be easy from here on.
The Present King had been so overconfident he'd outright ignored his opponent, and the Water King was on the brink of death from grievous wounds.
Still, having subjugated two of the Demonic Realm's four major powers... the remaining ones wouldn't be pushovers.
"Hoo... My head hurts in so many ways."
"Some worry on your mind, Lord Blackguard?"
"Your Highness."
"Th-that title of princess is a bit... Feel free to speak comfortably with me now."
With the discussions over and the office left with just the two of them for once, Anna replied with a bitter smile.
She had come to extend her kingdom's lifeline even a little... yet she was still being treated as a princess.
Would she have received this treatment without her royal status?
Did she truly have that much ability? Anna kept brooding over it.
"How could I forget Your Highness's grace? I approach this battle always with the mind of serving you."
"To hear you say that... I'm truly touched."
"You overpraise me."
"No, I really do rely on you. Far more than you might think, Lord Blackguard..."
Those words weren't empty flattery. To the people of the kingdom, the Empire was like hell incarnate in the present world.
In other words, no matter how much it was for her kingdom, choosing to come to the Empire was an unimaginably brave decision.
If she were alone, she wouldn't have had that courage. Yes, she had believed. In Cain Blackguard...
"Then, may I ask Your Highness a favor?"
"If it's something I can grant, gladly."
"Could you somehow hold back that lunatic... er, Sir Chris von Leonhardt?"
"I don't think that's possible."
Anna rejected him outright.
Impossible was impossible.