The Grand Celebration of Victory (Part 3)
The victory commemoration ceremony was set to begin shortly, so the meeting should wrap up quickly while showing consideration for one another. “
“
The royal throne room had the most elevated seat in the royal palace, occupied by the King of Lheinhatz Kingdom himself—Kalitz Van Reinharts.
On either side of him sat Crown Prince Mihael Van Reinharts and Prince Luke Win Lheinhatz.
High nobles stood in front of the two princes, facing each other in opposition. The atmosphere made it impossible to tell whether this was a royal audience of one nation or a negotiation between hostile powers on the battlefield.
“I have already grasped what my brother wishes to say. There is no reason not to respect him as long as he does not throw a tantrum.”
“Oh, brother. You think throwing a tantrum is a word a guy your size should even use? In my eyes, something more fitting for you would be to call it what it is.”
The king, now sixty years old, had been rubbing his temples since the start of the meeting, signaling the princes to settle their differences.
Yet the king’s words seemed to go in one ear and out the other. The two princes stared at each other with battle-ready postures and exchanged barbs.
The king sighed and nodded impatiently, urging them to get to the point.
“Originally, the final act of this victory commemoration was to welcome the new Grand Mage and Aura Master of the kingdom, with His Majesty planning to bestow the titles of Count and fiefdoms upon them.”
“That’s right. Anything wrong with that?”
“Not at all. But I feel the reward for the new Grand Mage Adrian Lawrence is too modest. I’ve called this meeting to properly argue for fair recognition.”
The king stroked his faded golden beard, demanding details.
“A count’s title is too small? What makes you say that?”
“He has achieved enormous contributions in this war. But as a Grand Mage, he would receive the title regardless, wouldn’t he? Considering his genius, future potential, and battlefield merits, I believe he should be granted the title of Marquis.”
“A Marquis out of nowhere… without even passing through Count…”
The king had already figured out that Prince Luke had tried to recruit Adrian.
He glanced at the crown prince with mixed concern. The crown prince simply smiled back, as if he knew exactly what was on the king’s mind.
“Too much, isn’t it?”
The king acknowledged that Luke had proven himself a capable Aura Master in martial matters.
Yet he had also seen Crown Prince Mihael’s exceptional talent in literature and administration. In the end, the traditional heir with royal blood should take the throne.
He wanted to shut the topic down on his own, but…
“Your Majesty, it is not excessive at all! Prince Lawrence is a legendary genius who became a Grand Mage at twenty and an expert in economics who built tens of trillions through his own talent!”
“Exactly! The contributions he has made in this war alone justify even a Viscount or Baron title! Please consider this!”
“Moreover, he has Arsia, an Aura Master and his fiancée, by his side! This cannot be overlooked! If Prince Lawrence leaves for a nation with better rewards, we would lose her as well!”
High nobles from Count upward, including Duke Enaheim at the head of Prince Luke’s faction, bowed their heads in protest.
In feudal states, power struggles centered on succession were common, but it was rare for nobles to unite so fiercely around a newly appointed crown prince.
The king’s gaze grew icy, yet age had weakened his strength. He sank deeper into the throne with a heavy sigh.
Prince Luke, however, subtly curled his lip and laid out a claim that was hard to dismiss.
“Your Majesty, many nations have already approached him because of his genius. The public even calls him a potential second Duke Lucas. Squandering such talent is a loss for the kingdom’s future.”
“Second Duke Lucas.”
The analogy was too absurd to ignore. Duke Lucas’s genius was a once-in-a-thousand-years occurrence, but reaching Grand Mage at twenty made it impossible to dismiss lightly.
The king rubbed his temples for a long time before handing the baton to the crown prince.
“If you have a rebuttal, present it.”
“There has never been a case in nearly five hundred years where someone advanced directly from no title to Marquis. Prince Luke’s intention is nothing more or less than to recruit Prince Lawrence and bolster his strength.”
The crown prince’s straightforward words left even the king’s brow furrowed.
“Brother, your words are a bit harsh, aren’t they?”
“We don’t need to pretend with each other. You know perfectly well he is the one who can be of use to you, yet you still hesitate to grant it.”
“What?! Do you truly not understand how inappropriate it is for you to speak like this in the crown prince’s position?!”
The high nobles of Prince Luke’s faction raised their voices, but the crown prince’s side showed no real resistance.
Prince Luke felt a hint of unease despite his rising power.
“Your Majesty, Brother is blinded by jealousy and cannot think clearly. Please make a decision.”
The king, however, did not easily respond even to the crown prince’s outburst—partly because of the nearly five-hundred-year precedent against such a sudden leap in rank.
Prince Luke tried to press the issue, but the crown prince countered smoothly.
“But if you accept our request, we will grant yours.”
The king narrowed his eyes, sensing Prince Luke’s scheme, yet the seasoned nobles in his faction wore resigned expressions.
“What is your request?”
“If there is a reward, there must also be a punishment.”
“What do you mean? You wouldn’t dare…”
“My demand is for Duke Raven to step down from the position of Marquis. Looking back at the incident involving Prince Lawrence, he does not seem deserving of special treatment for border defense.”
Duke Raven of the Marquis title jolted in surprise from the corner of Prince Luke’s faction.
Prince Luke laughed dryly and voiced his own hidden motive.
“If you want to gain a new faction, you must relinquish an existing one?”
“It’s not a bad proposal. Duke Raven can retain his rank as a Count, and you gain a new Marquis. Everyone wins.”
“Brother truly has the personality I hate the most.”
“So does a deal?”
The king approved of the crown prince’s offer despite its aggression.
Prince Luke, however, had already anticipated the counter and kept silent.
“Impossible! I will never betray my own man for personal gain! Who would follow me then?!”
Prince Luke’s stubborn outburst was laid bare.
Duke Raven breathed a sigh of relief. The nobles of Prince Luke’s faction smiled triumphantly at the crown prince’s side, as if proving that this was truly the king’s quality.
“My dear brother looks so cool. You really are a man of action.”
“Stop testing me like this!”
The crown prince had assumed Prince Luke would reject the proposal and prepared a new one.
“Then I would like to appoint Duke Otis as Marquis in recognition of his great contributions as the direct superior of Prince Lawrence in this war.”
“Duke Otis?”
Duke Otis was part of the crown prince’s faction.
“If you want the Marquis title, you must surrender the Marquis position.”
Surprised, Duke Otis blurted out, “M-me?”
“I acknowledge Duke Otis’s contributions to the war. His share is already a significant portion of Prince Lawrence’s.”
Prince Luke was speechless. He stared at his grandfather, Duke Enaheim.
The crown prince’s proposal was reasonable enough that no clear excuse existed to reject it. The nobles of Prince Luke’s faction frantically calculated in their minds.
“It’s a proposal that accepts an ambitious title, overlooks Duke Raven’s mistake, and shows recognition of Prince Lawrence’s value. If you reject it, you will gain nothing in this meeting.”
Prince Luke’s smile vanished. As an Aura Master himself, facing the crown prince made him uneasy.
In the end, the majority of high nobles concluded that accepting the crown prince’s proposal would be the wiser choice.
“Very well. As you wish.”
“Excellent.”
The crown prince smiled again and asked the king who had been silently watching the entire farce.
“Your Majesty, please make your decision.”
The king, feeling like a mere puppet, clicked his tongue.
“I accept the requests of Crown Prince Mihael and Prince Luke.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
—* * *—
Two straight days of visiting the royal palace. But today the purpose was different from yesterday.
“Arsia seems quite interested in the festival.”
We had come to the royal palace today to participate in the victory commemoration ceremony hosted by the palace itself.
Since the ceremony was a national event, the capital Lionel, home to the royal palace, was bustling with countless crowds.
We crossed the sky roads in a vehicle at high speed and could not leisurely admire the city scenery. However, Arsia, with her sharp sight, took in every corner of the metropolis beneath her feet with great interest.
“After the party ends today, shall we take a quick tour?”
“That would be wonderful.”
I chuckled softly as I sensed her mood shift from mere curiosity to genuine pleasure.
“Won’t it be dangerous? Unruly people flood in from every region during festivals.”
“Mother, we are both Grandmasters.”
“Why does that matter?”
My mother still only saw me as a child.
Father chuckled and took over the question on my behalf.
“As long as no war breaks out in the city, there is nothing to fear.”
“R-really?”
“Yes.”
Yet my mother, still worried, insisted that if we enjoyed the festival we must bring guards along.
As the one who had made her this protective, I readily agreed to everything she asked.
“The royal palace is new to me. I’m a bit nervous.”
Father, a noble with vast palace experience, found the gathering of high nobles burdensome. My mother, born in a provincial town and a commoner, had never visited such a place before.
“Adrian, do I look strange? Too rustic?”
My mother had always been renowned for her outstanding appearance. Even in difficult times, her beauty never faded.
Now that she was the official mistress of a noble family, with me as a Grand Mage and Arsia as an Aura Master, her attire could no longer remain the same.
She was adorned in a dress befitting the mistress of a high noble house, complete with jewels.
I responded cheerfully to her worries.
“Don’t worry. There will probably be many suitors who mistake you for a lady and try to dance with you.”
I winked at Father, urging him to take care of her.
“Arsia-nim also looks lovely in a dress….”
According to the rumor Prince Luke had boasted, today Adrian and I would both receive our titles.
We had no choice but to wear formal attire. However, using brooches and insignias made of jewels and gold to cover the plainness of the uniform, and adding a silk mantle, the splendor matched that of a dress.
Set together, our matching outfits made Arsia’s appearance especially striking.
“This attire is also very pleasing.”
“It would be nice if we had time to change into dresses before the party begins.”
Mother, who had brought Arsia’s dress just in case, smiled bashfully and held her hand tightly.
The tension had clearly eased.
“Hoo… this is quite grand.”
We arrived at the royal palace shortly.
The atmosphere today was completely different from yesterday. Noble families from across the kingdom had gathered, along with knights who had earned merits in the war. The entrance to the palace had become a sea of people.
Thousands of luxurious carriages waited outside like visitors at an amusement park. The scene was quite magnificent.
“The nobles are also divided by rank here.”
“With Baron and Viscount scattered everywhere, there are fewer than thirty high nobles of Count rank and above in the entire kingdom.”
Among them, a few individuals received special treatment. Those were the carriages bearing the crests of high noble families.
Adrian and I would soon belong to that group, but we had to wait patiently in line.
“Please show your invitation.”
“Here.”
“Hm? Ah! W-welcome to the Lawrence family!”
The soldier guarding Gate 21 reacted with obvious surprise. He probably regretted letting high nobles slip through without proper checks.
“Sorry, vehicles are not permitted beyond this point.”
As our vehicle passed the royal gardens and neared the inner palace, we had to disembark and follow the guards’ guidance.
—Step. Step.
Father escorted my mother; I escorted Arsia.
The gazes of surrounding nobles turned to us the moment our Lawrence family appeared.
Nothing special—yet.
“The eyes of hyenas surrounding us.”
Deep interest and calculating minds for how to become close were visible in their gazes.
“Adrian?”
As we walked, someone called my name casually. I turned and recognized familiar faces.
The moment I saw them, a genuine smile spread across my lips.
Those were the people I had never failed to look forward to seeing once.
The academy friends I could never forget, even if I tried.