Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 110: Queen Maker (10)

"...are permitted to enter. Each of you may be accompanied by up to four escort knights."

The messenger from Lupus finished speaking and bowed his head.

It was partly out of courtesy, but mostly because he couldn't bear the heavy atmosphere ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the tent and the piercing glares directed at him.

"...As if making us wait for hours wasn't enough, now they're limiting the number of people who can enter with us."

One of the men seated at the table muttered.

"Is this the princess's will?"

Callion Oller.

The eldest son of the Oller family, the de facto rulers of the Prona Kingdom's southern region, made no effort to hide his displeasure.

The messenger opened his mouth to say something, then quickly shut it. He had been ordered not to answer any of their questions.

"So it is."

Callion took the silence as confirmation.

"Haha! It seems Her Majesty, the new queen, is quite afraid of us."

The man who laughed cheerfully while looking at Lorian was Louis Sentry, the eldest son of the Sentry Count Family, which ruled the eastern part of the Prona Kingdom.

"I'd say it's more of a wise choice," a handsome man with long brown hair said, shaking his head.

Lorian Kartar.

He was the likely heir to the Kalita Kingdom and one of only four Heroes on the continent.

The moment he spoke, the nobles who had been whispering amongst themselves all turned their attention to him. It was a clear display of his standing within this alliance.

He subtly savored the silence before continuing.

"However, that doesn't change the fact that this is a dangerous proposition for us. The number of people allowed to enter is far too small."

Lupus had granted entry to Lorian and his party, Callion, Louis, and four of their respective escort knights each.

"It's unlikely, but if they were to try something, we would be completely helpless. How is this any different from being told to walk into the lion's den?"

"..."

"Go back. Relay our intentions once more."

"Understood."

Just as the messenger gave a slight bow and turned to leave the tent, Lorian spoke.

"If nothing changes, it would be best for you not to return."

Lorian's softly spoken words struck the messenger like a dagger. The man broke into a cold sweat and swallowed hard.

"...I will keep that in mind."

The messenger bowed once more to the tent's interior and departed for the castle. After he left, Lorian's stern expression softened slightly.

Seeing this, Louis was quick to flatter him.

"As expected of one who carries the royal bloodline, you are truly different. Your voice overflows with authority. When you spoke so coldly to the messenger just now, even my heart skipped a beat, haha."

"I'm embarrassed by such praise. I merely said what needed to be said."

Lorian accepted Louis's blatant flattery with a faint smile. Taking their cue from the prince, the other nobles began to shower him with compliments, hoping to win his favor.

The tent, which had been frigid just moments before,

was now filled with laughter.

Time passed.

'Shameless sycophants.'

At first, Lorraine had been pleased, as if she were the one receiving the compliments, but she was starting to get tired of it.

There's a limit to everything, but this was just...

'My brother should listen for a bit and then shut them up. What's so great about it that he keeps listening?'

Lorraine sighed softly as she watched Lorian skillfully accept the flattery. She knew it was all for managing his image and connections.

But her thoughts weren't just because of today.

Lately, Lorian had been wielding a pen more often than a sword.

Confident that he would inherit the throne, he had slowly begun laying the groundwork for the future.

Solidifying his support base was certainly a good thing.

'Still, there are priorities.'

Lorraine wasn't happy with Lorian's recent behavior.

Was it because, as mentioned, he was playing with a pen more than a sword?

No.

He hadn't neglected his martial skills.

He regularly went on monster subjugations, practiced every night to keep his skills sharp, and had even recently acquired some incredible equipment.

Far from declining, he had become much stronger than before.

So, what was the real reason for Lorraine's foul mood?

The answer wasn't difficult.

'...He won't even spar with me when I ask, saying he's too busy.'

She simply felt hurt that her brother was neglecting her with the excuse of being busy.

While Lorraine was pouting, the knight guarding the front of the tent entered. Seeing the knight, Lorian raised his right hand. As if on cue, the nobles fell silent.

Just as Lorraine was about to make a face of disbelief at the sight, the knight spoke.

"Hero Cloud has arrived."

The knight's words—or more precisely, the name he spoke—drilled into Lorraine's ears. Her eyes flew open as if she'd been struck on the back of the head with a hammer.

She wasn't the only one who was surprised.

The other nobles in the tent, and even Lorian himself, were momentarily shaken.

It wasn't unusual for the strategists of two factions to meet and talk. However, it was definitely unusual for the enemy's strategist to come to their camp.

Of course, they weren't currently at war.

He could come if he wanted to.

Assuming he had balls of steel.

"How bold of him. Very well. Let him in."

Not long after the knight left, a red-haired man entered. His looks were striking enough to stand out even among everyone in the tent.

Hero Cloud.

In the past, he was a Hero who was not just easy to deal with, but downright insignificant. Now, he was a man who had literally worked miracles.

All eyes were fixed on him.

Among them was Lorraine.

'Cloud...!'

The devilish man who had trampled on her innocence and purity!

Lorraine glared at him with burning eyes. As if sensing her gaze, he turned his head directly toward her.

'Huh?!'

Lorraine was flustered.

Cloud smirked at her and gave a wink. It happened so quickly that no one else saw it, but she saw it clearly.

'That... that lip-raping bastard?!'

Lorraine's eyes trembled.

But by the time she furrowed her brow, he had already looked away.

Ignoring the trembling Lorraine, Cloud plopped down onto the chair a knight brought for him. He leaned back, creating a posture that looked somewhat delinquent.

In the brief silence that followed, Lorian was the first to speak.

"It's been a while. The last time we saw each other was..."

"Skip the pleasantries and let's get straight to the point."

Cloud cut Lorian off, his voice openly annoyed. His rudeness angered those who admired Lorian, but Lorian himself merely twitched an eyebrow.

"You asked to increase the number of people allowed to enter, right? I'll give you the conclusion first. No."

"What's the reason?"

"You're not asking because you don't know, are you?"

"I'm not looking for a vague answer like that. Please explain properly why you can't provide a place to rest for the command staff of an army coming to support the Alitia Kingdom."

"First you were playing soldier, and now you're playing games with justifications?"

Cloud stared at Lorian with a look of disbelief. Combined with his slightly delinquent posture, the expression had a powerful synergistic effect.

"Hero Cloud. Your words and actions are a bit rude. Though you are also a Hero, Lord Lorian is the Prince of the Kalita Kingdom. I ask that you show some courtesy."

A noble from the Kalita Kingdom, unable to contain his anger, snapped at him.

At his words, Lorian clicked his tongue inwardly, while Cloud retorted as if he'd been waiting for it.

"Rude? You park an army in front of someone else's house without a word, and now you want to talk about rudeness?"

"...We do apologize for that matter."

Cloud let out a dry laugh at the noble's half-hearted apology.

"Is that how apologetic people act? You grilled our messenger so hard his legs gave out and he collapsed the moment he got back. That's why I stopped writing my letter and came all the way here."

It was childish nitpicking.

But no one dared to argue with him.

Even if their current plan succeeded, it wouldn't mean Cloud's downfall. Given his steep growth trajectory, it was highly likely he would continue to succeed.

Therefore, none of them wanted to get on his bad side by picking a fight.

Even Lorian couldn't protect them all the time.

If things got complicated, he might just abandon a family or two.

So the nobles kept their mouths shut.

Lorian sighed, looking at the silent nobles.

"I am truly sorry to you and the princess. But we had no choice. The request for aid from the Alitia Kingdom seemed extremely urgent. In our haste to move quickly, we forgot the basics. I apologize once again."

Lorian gave a slight bow.

His apology, however, only made Cloud's attitude colder, not softer.

All traces of playfulness vanished as he spoke icily.

"You know how ridiculous this is, right? What you've done is tantamount to declaring war on the Prona Kingdom. And at a place that's practically a holy site after defeating one of the Four Heavenly Kings, no less."

"That was not our intention at all."

"Intentions don't change the outcome. I'll be sending letters to the Empire and the Church to lodge a formal protest about this."

"It may not be my place to say, as the one at fault, but that will become quite troublesome."

"What's there to be troublesome about? This is clearly your fault, no matter how you look at it."

"I know. But if our army were to turn back now, the Alitia Kingdom would suffer catastrophic damage from the orcs. They're expecting our support, after all."

"Ah, so you're saying it'll be troublesome for the Alitia Kingdom, not you. Because they'll be hounding both of us for damages. Are you trying to threaten me?"

The conversation continued, cold and tense.

The atmosphere was so thick you could cut it with a knife, and the nobles in the tent darted their eyes around nervously. If a fight broke out between the two Heroes, they would be the first to die in the crossfire, so they couldn't help but be on edge.

Fortunately, the mood didn't last long.

"I had no intention of threatening you. I was merely pointing out that this incident could cause great losses for all three kingdoms."

"If we let this slide, we're the only ones who lose."

"Then we will compensate you for that loss."

"How?"

"I understand the damage the Four Heavenly Kings inflicted on the city was severe. To the point where the citizens lack even the basic necessities of life."

Of those necessities, we will provide the food.

We've allocated ample supplies to prepare for various situations, so we can certainly afford it.

That was Lorian's proposal.

Cloud seemed to ponder it for a moment before adding another condition.

"That's not enough."

"...Is there something more you want? Name it. As long as it's not unreasonable, I will accept."

"You asked for passage, right? Then pay the toll."

This time, it was Lorian's turn to hesitate.

But not for long.

"Very well. We will pay. How much will it be?"

When Lorian accepted his final proposal, Cloud broke into a wide grin.

"Welcome to Lupus. Let's negotiate the details inside."

It was a bright smile, with no trace of the icy expression from before.

Something wasn't right.

That's what Lorian thought.

For now, the plan had gone smoothly.

The number of people allowed into the city had been adjusted.

As they had wanted, all the nobles were now able to enter. The number of escort knights each could bring was reduced to two, but that wasn't a problem.

The important thing was that they had all entered together.

They had also succeeded in subtly releasing their food supplies under the guise of an apology. With their overwhelming quantity and quality, seizing control of the city's food supply would be a simple matter.

And in a ruined city like this, controlling the food supply was the same as holding power.

From that perspective, the toll negotiation was a very good thing for them.

Time was on their side.

'...It's strange.'

It was good that the plan was going well.

But it was going too well.

Like a pre-rehearsed play...

His growing suspicion was largely dispelled the moment he entered Lupus.

'The damage is more severe than I expected.'

The streets were filled with beggars pleading for a single coin, belying its status as a kingdom's capital.

'They must have been desperate.'

Desperate enough to snatch any apple offered to them.

If so, the task was simple.

He just had to get them drunk on the sweetness so they wouldn't realize the apple was poisoned.

Yes, that would do it.

It should...

'But something still feels off.'

What is it? What's the problem?

As his thoughts raced, Lorian recalled his conversation with Cloud in the tent.

He had clearly said he came in the middle of writing a letter.

'Who was that letter for?'

Perhaps that letter could be a variable.

Wanting to thoroughly eliminate any variables from his plan, Lorian sidled up to Cloud and casually probed.

"Oh, that? Frillite."

Cloud's answer was so casual it made Lorian's roundabout questioning seem pointless.

"I see. Sorry for asking something so trivi—"

It was so casual he almost missed it.

Thud.

Lorian stopped in his tracks.

"...What did you just say? Who is the letter for?"

"Didn't you hear? It's a letter for Frillite."

Was it his imagination, or did Cloud put a slight emphasis on Frillite's name?

No. That wasn't what was important right now.

Lorian's brow furrowed as he snapped.

"Why are you writing a letter to Frillite? I know she's extremely busy. She doesn't have time to receive a letter from the likes of—"

"I know she's busy. But when you get a letter, you have to write back, right?"

Thump. Lorian felt his heart drop.

"A letter... you received one...? From... her...?"

His voice, which hadn't wavered even in the tense atmosphere, now trembled violently.

Impossible.

Frillite had never once written a letter to anyone. Whenever she needed to send correspondence, she had someone else write it for her.

There was no way she would have written a letter to this man...

"It's true. Wanna see?"

Cloud pulled a rectangular piece of paper from his coat.

It was an envelope.

He had handled it so carefully that even the wax seal used to close it was perfectly intact.

"See? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I told you it was real."

He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tapped the center of the wax seal with his index finger.

The crest stamped in the center of the seal was one Lorian knew well.

How could he not?

It was the crest of the family of the woman he had adored his entire life.

Lorian hung his head low.

He couldn't believe it.

He desperately didn't want to believe it.

But no amount of denial could change what had happened.

He had to admit it.

Frillite had written her first letter.

Not to him, Lorian, but to Cloud.

His chest ached, and his eyes began to well up with tears.

He bit his lip to stop them from falling, but it was not enough to hold back the blood of his heart.

Drip. Drip.

Tears fell one by one, staining the ground.

'Why... why is it always someone like you who gets to be her first memory?'

First, the casual touches and drinking together, and now a letter.

What would be next?

Just imagining it made his chest throb with pain.

"What's wrong? Why are you acting like this?"

Cloud's voice sounded feignedly concerned.

Detestable.

Considering the sneer he'd shown last time, he clearly knew about Lorian's feelings. His act of feigning innocence was unbearably repulsive.

'Wait, he knows...?'

Lorian's mind raced, recalling the past.

During their conversation in the tent, Cloud had been sarcastic, his voice grating.

Lorian had thought it was a psychological tactic to seize control of the conversation.

But what if it wasn't?

What if it wasn't a mind game at all, but simply groundwork to bring up the word 'letter'?

"Hey, are you crying?"

Lorian looked up.

He saw Cloud's face, desperately trying ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to hold back a laugh.

"You son of a bitch!"

Lorian could no longer hold back and threw a punch.