Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The War Hero Plans to Disappear (2)
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As King Grates 18th advanced in age, now barely able to move about, the people of the royal palace had naturally come to accept the shift of an era.
"Princess Sylvia, are you finally becoming queen?"
The next monarch was Princess Sylvia. In truth, the kingdom was already transitioning to the rule of Sylvia de Grates 19th, not Grates 18th.
"Shh. Before you start talking, make sure you clearly state the premise first."
"What?"
The maids working in the palace couldn't help but discuss this change of eras either.
When the king changed, everything in the palace shifted to match his tastes. To prepare for Queen Sylvia's reign, they had to bustle about busily.
"Talking like that makes it sound like it's succession after his passing or abdication—you get them confused."
"...He's basically on his deathbed already. Whether he passes the throne after he dies or does it now and kicks the bucket shortly after, isn't it pretty much the same?"
"He hasn't passed yet."
But the minor issue was that Grates 18th hadn't died yet.
"According to the court mage and the high priest, he's full of the will to hang on just a little longer, no matter what."
He was wheezing and all, but still hanging in there.
"Does he want to see just a bit more of this era of peace since the armistice? Makes sense. He went through hell during the war. I thought he'd lost the will to live after all his children were assassinated by the Empire..."
"He's holding on for the one child he has left."
"Why?"
"There's a difference between your daughter getting married as a princess and as a queen."
"Ah."
The reason Grates 18th hadn't let go of his will to live and was clinging on just a bit longer.
"To see his one and only daughter marry the world's greatest man?"
"It's his final selfish wish as a father and as king. If Sir Wilhelm becomes Sylvia's husband, what could reassure him more? Even this palace alone—no one would dare get assassinated here."
He wanted to walk his daughter down the aisle, hand in hand on her virgin road, then pass that hand to her partner.
There might be political reasons too, but everyone raising suspicions shared one common view.
"Even if he's on the verge of passing..."
"Forcing the marriage on Sir Wilhelm without even asking his opinion was too hasty."
The king's unilateral announcement had turned the entire nation upside down.
"If they'd just watched and waited a little..."
"Wouldn't others have snatched him up first? I heard from the food suppliers that a string of noble parties inviting Sir Wilhelm got canceled outright."
"They were setting up traps to introduce their daughters and tempt him into a night together, but then Princess Sylvia staked her claim, and all the parties were scrapped?"
"Exactly. The noble ladies must've been thrown into panic. Even the countess who insists on marrying nobility reportedly threw a hysterical fit when she ordered a dress to seduce Sir Wilhelm the moment armistice talks started, only for him to leave the country before she could show it off."
The uproar had swept the entire kingdom, even casually mentioned in the mouths of palace maids.
"Where is he now? Sir Wilhelm."
"He went to the Elf Kingdom, they say?"
And many were talking about the movements of Hans Wilhelm, the center of all that chaos.
"To... party with the elves, you think?"
"Maybe, but the rumors say a Dark Elf carried out a terrorist attack."
"What? That's a violation of the armistice agreement."
"It wasn't a Dark Elf under the Empire—it was some individual who deserted the Empire because they opposed the armistice."
"What kind of nonsense is that... Who does the Empire think they're fooling?"
"Even if we know, do you think the Empire would bat an eye?"
The fear from the height of the war began to creep back in as people worried that their hard-won peace might shake.
"He shouldn't go to the Elf Kingdom."
"Nah, come on. If he was fleeing Princess Sylvia and heading elsewhere, he'd have gone to some other country, not the elves."
"But elves are elves."
"......Well, if it's gonna be an older woman anyway, from a human perspective, a 900-year age gap might be 'actually preferable' compared to just 10 years."
Amid all the speculation and conspiracy theories.
"So while Sir Wilhelm is off doing that, what are the ones who pushed him out of the country doing now?"
A few gazes turned toward the Grates royal family.
[At that moment, Grates Kingdom. Royal Palace.]
"Princess Sylvia. What on earth were you thinking, committing such a deplorable act?"
"......."
In the palace office, Sylvia—who was effectively acting as regent—pointed to the reception sofa for the visiting Prime Minister Winchester.
"Sit."
"Explain first. No, explain right now, Sylvia."
"What rudeness toward a princess and future queen, Prime Minister."
"Before I'm prime minister, I'm your academy senior by a year—and a friend of Hans Wilhelm. That's why I'm here."
"If you think some pointless power play will get what you want from me, it's utterly pointless."
Princess Sylvia shrugged lightly and rose from her seat.
"Did you come to berate me for Father's hasty choice and my rash steps to find Sir Wilhelm?"
"Watch your words. Wasn't it you who used His Majesty's short remaining days to proclaim by royal decree exactly what you wanted?"
"...You think I exploited Father's age to announce my marriage to Sir Hans Wilhelm?"
"Yes."
Count Winchester replied with firm conviction, but Princess Sylvia gave a wry smile and shook her head.
"If that's true, I'd be the world's most unfilial daughter."
"Sylvia."
"A 37-year-old spinster desperate for a good man, forcing her bedridden father—who needs 24-hour care—to sit on the throne and proclaim his daughter's marriage to the war hero."
"......."
"Prime Minister. Do I seem like such a shameless wretch to you? Or shall we go ask His Majesty directly?"
"His Majesty would say 'I did it' no matter the truth."
"......."
The two glared at each other for a long while.
"You've already decided the answer you want from me, so why bother hearing it from my mouth?"
"The circumstances point 99% to it being true, but without hard evidence, the party's own statement is key, isn't it?"
"So there's a 1% chance you could be wrong."
"Yes. But I'm convinced even that 1% proves me right."
Count Winchester pointed a finger at Princess Sylvia.
"You blackmailed His Majesty to force the marriage through. Then to Sir Wilhelm, you played it like, 'I'm as shocked as you by this forced marriage talk, but it's a royal command, so let's make the best of it.'"
"......."
"You aimed for marriage that way, but you never dreamed Sir Wilhelm would bolt out of the country the very day you visited him."
"Well..."
Princess Sylvia lifted a cup of richly brewed red tea and turned her gaze to the office wall.
"Count Winchester. You're an outstanding talent as prime minister, unmatched by any—but you're not one blessed by mana."
"Princess...!!"
"Those at master level see a world visible only to masters."
"Are you insulting me now to dodge the question?"
"Think what you will. But remember this one thing."
She took a short sip of the red tea.
Princess Sylvia stared straight at Count Winchester and continued.
"For a 'better Grates,' I'll sacrifice even myself to achieve what I desire."
After talking with Queen Asteria, I entered the guest bedroom in the Elf Kingdom's forest residence and flopped straight onto the bed.
"This is driving me insane."
Really, it's enough to make me go mad.
"I came to the Elf Kingdom to escape a princess trying to force me into marriage, only to witness preparations for a shift to militarism."
The Grates royals' recklessness was somewhat understandable on a human level, given the '37-year-old princess' and the 'king on the brink of death.'
And here in the Elf Kingdom—the front lines of the 12-year war—it made sense to a degree, as someone who'd been there.
Elves loved peace and hadn't secured much military power, so they'd suffered greatly.
With countless elves killed or enslaved, it was understandable they'd swallow their thirst for revenge but at least vow 'never again' and build strength.
The problem was the next generation.
Once the current Elf Queen returned to the World Tree's embrace, what choice would the next one make?
-Never again, war!
Would she cry out for revenge against humanity and start a war? Or twist ultimate naturalism into seeing 'the extermination of all humanity'?
I couldn't just tell them not to—there were more elf slaves scattered across the continent than one might think.
Not just elves, but other races too.
The war wasn't truly over. Even after the armistice, places needing force were everywhere.
"Seriously, this is insane."
All I wanted was to retire and roll around peacefully in bed.
And while rolling, to have beauties in both arms, enjoying happy hour 24/7.
'Should I really go to the Empire?'
Paradoxically, if that was my sole pursuit, the Empire could provide the best environment.
Princess Sylvia would try to curb my relations with other women, while elves would lift their skirts for me only for political reasons, not romance.
"Hah."
Maybe.
"I just want to fool around freely, without political pressure or schemes."
I might crave pure, budding love between man and woman, premised on physical relations.
For that, I'd have to shed this Hans Wilhelm guise...
"Hm?"
Out the window.
In the sky above, a massive shadow.
It was just a fleeting moment, but channeling mana into my eyes, I caught the flow.
"Oh ho?"
A clear silhouette of a woman with master-level magical power.
Such a being slipped in silently toward the World Tree's heart, undetected by anyone.
"......."
This is something.
"Beauty spotted."
Lucky me.