4. In the Midst of the Throne War (2)
4. In the Midst of the Throne War (2)
Princess Brigitte told Yuma not to worry, explaining that a spell had been cast inside the carriage to prevent sound from leaking out, and continued her explanation.
"Four princes and three princesses. Of them, only my older brother Schubertche and I are in the line of succession for the throne. Father decided that two years ago. He said only we two possessed the governing ability befitting a monarch."
First Prince Schubertche had earned the deep trust of the count-ranked nobility. 1st Princess Brigitte had gained strong support from the baron- and viscount-ranked nobles.
Emperor Agares did not regard it as impertinent that his two children had already built their own power bases. Rather, he praised it as conduct worthy of their great bloodline.
1st Princess Brigitte explained the current state of imperial power, and Yuma listened intently.
The carriage they rode in was headed for the Imperial Palace of the Asthes Empire — specifically, the 1st Princess Palace within the palace grounds.
As he listened to Brigitte, Yuma raised the points that puzzled him.
"Why did Prince Schubertche try to secure Cloné?"
"Because of the oracle. The oracle from the Asthes Temple. God Inkrinu delivered an oracle."
The oracles of God Inkrinu, which descended upon the Asthes Temple, held immense significance for the imperial family.
Through the countless tribulations that befell the continent throughout history, when other nations collapsed, the Empire alone had been able to stand firm—thanks to the oracles that came down each new year.
About eighty years ago, there was a time when the Great Forest suddenly became the 'Forest of Demonic Beasts' due to an emergence of demonic beasts.
At that time, two nations bordered the Great Forest: the Keowin Kingdom and the Asthes Empire.
While the Keowin Kingdom was destroyed, the Asthes Empire was able to avoid fatal damage.
That was because, several years prior, they had followed God Inkrinu's oracle, which had instructed them to build a massive barrier.
Of course, the Asthes Empire also lost countless troops fighting against the demonic beasts, but the extent of the damage was far less than that suffered by the Keowin Kingdom, which was ultimately driven to ruin by the beast invasion.
From the moment of that Forest of Demonic Beasts incident, the Asthes Empire's imperial household had no choice but to hold an unshakable faith in the oracles of God Inkrinu.
"Half a year ago. One week after Father fell into an unconscious state. This was the oracle that came down to the temple in the January new year."
Brigitte paused briefly for breath and continued.
"When the daughter of the witch who fell into the hell of black flame meets the Blue-haired Sword Saint, the white-haired empress shall deliver the world."
"...The white-haired empress — does that mean you, Princess Brigitte?"
When Yuma spoke as if he had just heard something utterly bizarre, Brigitte let out a deep sigh.
"Yes. I was rather dumbfounded when I first heard it too. The bigger problem was that the new year's oracle was not heard alone."
Brigitte explained about the new year's oracle. The number of people gathered at the temple was four, excluding Saint Ermel, who received the oracle from the god.
The 1st Prince, the 1st Princess. Then a marquis representing the nobility. And finally, a duke.
"My brother must have been quite shocked. With Father fallen unconscious like that, he would have firmly believed that, according to the Empire's customs, he, as the prince, would ascend to the imperial throne."
Brigitte paused for a moment, then continued.
"So when an oracle like this suddenly came down, he must have been thrown into panic. At that time, he even raised his sword at the saint, shouting demands to know whether she had properly interpreted the oracle."
Yuma replayed the content of the oracle in his mind.
"The daughter of the witch who fell into the hell of black flame... That's Cloné, which is why Prince Schubertche tried to kill her."
Yuma gazed at Cloné, who sat beside him with her head deeply bowed.
Black Flame. The daughter of the witch who had plunged the continent into terror with black fire.
Brigitte nodded slowly.
"Yes. He intended to sever Cloné's mana circuits, rendering her incapable of functioning as a mage, or even kill her. That would be the simplest way to render the oracle void, after all."
Brigitte stroked the head of Cloné, who was trembling.
"It's all right now. Since we've met like this."
Cloné wiped her tear-brimmed eyes with the handkerchief Brigitte had handed her and spoke.
"...I'm fine. But I really don't know if I can be of any help to you, Your Highness. Someone as insignificant as me..."
"It's only been about two years since you awakened your mana, and without a properly prepared environment, at that. Yet you've already reached the 3rd Circle. That is who you are. You just need to believe in yourself."
Yuma gazed at Cloné, who was deep in dejection and anguish.
If Princess Brigitte's words were true, Cloné was quite literally a genius.
And the results of his Scanning Eye confirmed it.
'She'll be a tremendous help.'
[Lv.38] Cloné
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Realm: 3rd Circle
Innate Trait: Magical Genius — A being possessing limitless talent for magic.
Flat-out stated to be a magical genius. The information boldly proclaimed, 'I am a future Archmage,' plain as day.
Brigitte resumed speaking.
"For me to ascend the imperial throne, I must either find the Blue-haired Sword Saint mentioned in the oracle, or make Father personally declare from his own mouth that he appoints me as the next emperor."
The oracle alone could not, for the moment, push aside First Prince Schubertche, who was closest to the throne.
Nor was Schubertche the sort of man who would abandon his ambitions simply because the oracle favored Brigitte.
"My brother insists that the saint must have misinterpreted the oracle. He has persuaded the noble factions of the same. After all, it is true that there has never been a precedent of an oracle directly stating who would become the next emperor."
Schubertche had absolutely no intention of bowing to the oracle.
That was why he had ignored the oracle and bought off the noble factions wholesale.
"The time I have is two years at most. According to the High Priest, whether Father awakens from his current unconscious state or dies — that crossroads will be determined within two years."
Two years.
Yuma offered his impression of that time frame.
"Long and yet short."
Brigitte nodded and said,
"It is thanks to Duke Balzac that I was able to properly secure these two years."
Balzac, who had also heard the new year's oracle from the saint's mouth, proclaimed on the spot:
First: should His Majesty the Emperor awaken, he would follow the Emperor's choice unconditionally.
Second: should His Majesty the Emperor ultimately fail to awaken, then if the 1st Princess could prove the oracle's validity within two years, he would support the 1st Princess as the next emperor.
Duke Balzac's influence in the Empire was second only to the Emperor's.
The Balzac Duchy was large enough to be considered a small-to-medium-sized kingdom in its own right, and Duke Balzac's martial might was the pinnacle of the Empire. Defender of the Empire — that was Balzac's title.
"Yuma, he is as strong as you."
To be considered comparable to the Empire's pinnacle. Yuma was dumbfounded that a single display of force on his part could be inflated to such an enormous degree. So he steered the conversation back.
"What do you plan to do once two years have passed, the Emperor has passed away, and Duke Balzac's mediation has completely ended?"
Brigitte's lips curled upward at the question.
"I'll face my brother head-on."
"Aren't you outmatched in military strength?"
"What's there to do but die?"
With 1st Princess Brigitte's bold remark,
the carriage came to a halt.
"I'll tell you the main point while hosting you for dinner."
"Understood."
***
"...."
After washing up, Yuma, draped in something like a bathrobe, checked the folded clothes.
They were not the 300-cent clothes he had bought. Instead, they were black garments of an even more aristocratic, high-quality material.
Yuma put them on and headed for the dining hall, whose location he had been told earlier.
"Welcome, Yuma."
"Yuma-nim!"
Brigitte spoke with dignified grace. Cloné smiled brightly and waved her hand.
"Here, eat. It's the finest steak."
Yuma used his knife to slice the meat, from which savory juices flowed temptingly. Indeed, it had an exquisite taste, worthy of an imperial calling it the finest.
Of course, he did not show it on his expression.
"It's good."
"Would you like a glass of wine as well?"
It was red wine.
"I will."
The twenty-year-old Princess Brigitte did not offer alcohol to Cloné, who was still only fifteen.
Joreureureu...
An attendant approached and deftly poured wine into the glasses.
Yuma and Brigitte each downed a glass in one go.
A faint flush rose to Brigitte's face.
"I am truly fortunate to have met you, Yuma. Thanks to you, Cloné has come safely to my side."
The corners of Brigitte's mouth curved into an arc.
"I don't wish to blindly place my faith in the oracle. No matter that it is an oracle delivered by a god... if I were to act relying solely on it without my own will, I would regret it bitterly should the result go wrong."
Brigitte spoke slowly.
Every word was sincere. After all, it was true that staking everything on the oracle alone was dangerous.
"But right now, as the comparatively weaker candidate for the throne, this oracle is the strongest card I hold."
There was definitely unease.
Entrusting to others what one ought to judge and act upon oneself — that was what Brigitte hated most.
Yet for now, the oracle was her only card.
Brigitte thought it was time to get to the main point.
"Two years. For two years, I need someone to protect Cloné and search for the Blue-haired Sword Saint. My brother will keep sending people like Kainegal of the Imperial Ten Seats, or other assassins, after Cloné as he did today."
Even after two glasses of wine, Yuma felt no intoxication, so he was able to think clearly.
And Brigitte, despite her faintly flushed face, did not seem particularly drunk either.
Yuma slowly opened his mouth.
"Do you have any clues for finding the Blue-haired Sword Saint?"
"Resonance. According to the saint, when Cloné and the being known as the Blue-haired Sword Saint draw close to one another, a Resonance is highly likely to occur. That means they will perceive each other's existence."
Resonance.
"If we have to travel the entire continent relying on such a Resonance, two years won't be anywhere near enough."
Brigitte added a clue she knew to Yuma's words.
"The south of the continent. According to the Oracle Saintess's divination, he is somewhere in the south."
Yuma savored the red wine as he considered Brigitte's proposal.
'She's entrusting something this critical to me just because I killed one of the Imperial Ten Seats?'
For Brigitte, this was a matter upon which her destiny hinged.
Yuma gazed at Cloné.
'Good and evil are somewhat clear.'
Brigitte's side was good.
At least from his perspective.
Just as Brigitte had said, Schubertche would try to eliminate Cloné by any means.
And from a game player's standpoint, this very moment was the 'main story.'
The 1st Princess, a David to the Goliath of the 1st Prince.
It was exactly that kind of dynamic.
Yuma slowly opened his mouth.
"1st Princess Brigitte von Astes. What is the compensation I will receive for helping you?"
Brigitte grinned.
"If you succeed, I will become the emperor. At that point, I could give you everything."
Yuma decided to end his deliberation.
"Fine. I accept."
"I am glad. Truly glad. What's there to do but die! Hahahahahaha!"
Brigitte laughed with great delight.
'I don't have the slightest intention of dying, though.'
Yuma stroked the head of Cloné, who was nodding off.
"Go inside and sleep comfortably."
Cloné's eyes flew wide open.
"Yes, Yuma-nim... hehe."
***
Morning came.
Brigitte held something out to Yuma.
It was a golden proof plaque bearing three swords standing tall.
"This is all I can give you. Ah, financial support is possible at any amount. I'll have it placed in your subspace pouch."
"What is this?"
Yuma examined the elegant proof plaque.
Brigitte grinned.
"A proof plaque engraved with a mana seal designating you as my agent — the agent of me, 1st Princess Brigitte. I will convey to all nobles of the Empire that they are to treat you as my equal when faced with this proof plaque."
Yuma accepted the proof plaque indifferently.
"Better than nothing, I suppose."
"Indeed. I trust that you, Yuma, will build up the prestige of this plaque's name."
Yuma took the proof plaque and stowed it away.
"I've marked the first destination on the map. It's the County of Rubelt, the northernmost territory in the Empire's south."
The first destination on the journey to find the Blue-haired Sword Saint had been set.