The Stolen Throne
The tale spilling from Arthur's lips was a commonplace saga of power struggles. The crown prince, destined to be the next emperor. An emperor who possessed the qualities of a wise ruler but suffered from poor health. And the emperor's younger brother, who had lived concealing his lust for power. A power conflict in a setup so familiar it bordered on cliché. It all ignited when the ailing emperor succumbed to illness.
But Romania's emperor surely wore the Immortal Crown, enchanted with magic to extend lifespan. And yet he was frail... How short must his natural lifespan have been? No, he probably donned the Immortal Crown only after ascending the throne. If he'd been sickly from birth and delayed in claiming the crown, it wasn't so strange. The man who became emperor... Ah, back then it wasn't an empire yet, so he was a king, not an emperor. Romania became an empire under the previous emperor—Arthur's father, apparently. Hmm... This is needlessly confusing. I'll just call them all emperors for simplicity.
In any case, Arthur's father, even with the Immortal Crown, remained frail and ruled Romania capably for a few years before succumbing to his chronic illness. According to Arthur, his father poured his heart into elevating Romania to empire status, which ruined his health... Hmm. Who knows. Maybe his lifespan was just that short. As the Goddess of Life, that's an awfully irresponsible thing to say, but whatever. What's it matter to me? The lifespan of a dead emperor.
After the emperor's death and funeral, Arthur should have succeeded him. But the previous emperor's younger brother—Arthur's uncle—raised an objection. Arthur was too young to bear the throne and the empire's weight. Until he came of age, an adult should assist. Many ministers deemed the uncle's words reasonable, and he became regent, ruling in Arthur's stead.
What followed... well, you can guess without explanation. Arthur and his sister ended up fleeing in this sorry state. The ending was obvious.
"I don't know what tricks that man used, but many lords sided with him. We dodged several assassination attempts and barely escaped. The unexpected part... was my sister Vivi."
"Your sister...?"
"Yes. I planned to slip out of the castle alone, but she threw a fit and insisted on coming along. She even prepared horses."
"Horses too?"
"Yes. I warned her the road would be rough and full of hardship, but I couldn't break her stubbornness."
Hmm. So that's why they fled together. In that case... what about the poison and illness in Vivi's body? That amount wouldn't accumulate in a day or two.
"How did that poison end up in her body...?"
"That..."
Arthur hesitated, but the answer came from another direction.
"At some point, I noticed the chef secretly adding something to Brother's plate. I didn't know what it was, but I knew he shouldn't eat it. So I secretly swapped our plates."
"The plates?"
"Yes. The chef only tampered with Brother's."
At Vivian's words, Arthur looked ashamed.
"Shamefully... I noticed nothing. Not the chef tampering with my plate, nor my sister swapping them."
"Our plates were nearly identical anyway. Unless she got caught in the act, it would've been hard to notice."
Hmm. Even so, swapping them right next to him without notice... that's pretty oblivious. Or maybe Vivian's sleight of hand was exceptional.
"Besides, Brother was busy with lessons until just before meals, so I swapped them before he arrived. If he'd seen, it would've been worse."
Hmm. Indeed. Swapped before he even entered. No wonder he didn't notice.
"And once I knew the chef was tampering, I threw a tantrum to eat alone with Brother. No other eyes, so no one caught the swap."
So she consumed the chef's poison by swapping plates. Reckless girl.
"That's utterly reckless. If it had been a fast-acting poison, you'd have died on the spot. Better to have told someone about the chef."
"Then we wouldn't have uncovered his backer. Lizard tails cut off easily. Later, I saw the chef secretly talking with Uncle in a secluded spot, so I knew who was behind it. I only ate a spoonful from my plate and discarded the rest. Minimal to avoid suspicion—no big issue, I thought."
Hmm... No matter how I look at it, that's not a child's thinking. Spotting suspicious activity and countering it... innate talent? Not just Dragon Maiden potential—she's sharp too.
"Once I learned Uncle was poisoning Brother's food, I prepared horses and some money, then fled the castle with him."
"Without my sister, I wouldn't have made it far from the castle."
Hmm. She did almost everything.
"Still, fleeing together seems awfully dangerous. Better for one to go alone..."
"If Brother went alone, he'd be a pincushion from arrows by now. They held fire because I was with him."
Hmm. They'd kill Arthur alone? Meaning Vivian couldn't be killed.
"Uncle always doted on me. So much he wanted to betroth me to his son."
Uncle's son—her cousin. Cousin betrothal? Hmm... I see. Roughly gets it. A man who couldn't claim the throne now sat on it, legitimacy shaky. To shore it up, betroth his son to the previous emperor's daughter, thickening the bloodline. Quite the Habsburg maneuver.
"I grasp the situation. So, what help do you need?"
Arthur hesitated briefly before speaking.
"I want to reclaim the throne that should be mine. Please help."
Arthur bowed his head in plea, Vivian following suit. Hmm. Vengeance. Against the uncle who stole his seat. No issue helping, but... Hmm... Won't this stir fresh turmoil in the stabilizing Romanian Empire? Makes me hesitate. What to do? What action? What choice? My decision changes much. Help Arthur? Or not? Smite the man who tried to kill his nephew for the throne? Or help Arthur quell his revenge and find another life? Hmm. Uh-huh. Uhhh... Whatever, doesn't matter much. Too bothersome to act directly. Just... help as the Deep Forest Sage. That's enough.
They seek the Deep Forest Sage's aid, not the Goddess of Life. And sending away the Knight King's cherished descendant troubles me. Hmm. Fine. Decided. Help them. Not with direct power, but wisdom... as the Deep Forest Sage. Teach as their master. No need to meddle after. Whether Arthur reclaims the throne or fails, it's human affairs. I'll just teach, keep distance, and watch.
"Understood. With ties to the Knight King, that bond extends to you, his descendants."
I gazed at Arthur and Vivian. Their faces brightened at my words. Young, yet dirt-streaked from hardships endured to reach here, smiles bloomed.
"But I can't lend direct power. Only wisdom."
"That's enough. I need guidance on what to do next."
Indeed. Came seeking wisdom from the start, then.
"First, choose one. The easy path or the arduous. Which will you take?"
"Easy and arduous...?"
Arthur pondered, then asked.
"What's the difference?"
"The arduous path is tough. Every hardship imaginable, no guarantee of success. But it might grant your deepest desire."
"And the easy path?"
"Truly easy. No trials, no toil. But no desire fulfilled at its end."
Without hesitation, Arthur replied.
"The arduous path."
"It won't be easy. Still choose it?"
"Yes. If it leads to what I desire, no other choice."
Hmm. Indeed. Resolve firm. I regarded Arthur's steadfast face, faintly reminiscent of the Knight King.
