They raced like the wind.
The speed of Lancephil Legion’s Gale Troop’s military trucks was that fast.
The wide road was cleanly emptied out.
Thanks to that, the military trucks didn’t reduce speed even once until they arrived at the Mediasis Castle.
Although Clyde and Goden didn’t know of its reason, this too was an act possible thanks the warning system, one of Lancephil County’s many systems.
“S, Sir Clyde.”
Goden stuttered his words and pointed in front of them.
Clyde, who had lowered his head to truck’s below due to the ferocious wind, nimbly raise his head.
Suddenly, his eyes widely opened.
“A castle of light?”
The castle located in the dark was definitely shining brightly.
Caldwell, who was driving the truck, brightly smiled and nodded his head.
“The people who see the Mediasis Castle’s night view all do say that it’s a castle of light as one.”
Voice full of pride.
‘Did they actually mount jewels or something?’
If so, that could be called the most extravagant form in history.
But as they neared the Mediasis Castle, they could tell that that the identity of that light wasn’t a jewel the nearer they became.
“Lamps?”
The two people looked at each other and muttered.
This time again, Caldwell, who was driving the truck, answered shortly.
“They’re magic lamps.”
“Ah……”
Clyde let out a quiet exclamation.
It was magic again.
‘Was there a place that used magic to this extent?’
Clyde soon shook his head.
In the current era, magic was one of the types of extravagant acts.
After the dragons disappeared, the strength of magic, types of magic, and the popularity of magic died down little by little.
‘I thought that only attack magics that are helpful in wars and battles have survived now……’
He thought there was no noble or influential houses who would patron and support magic that couldn’t be immediately helpful to fighting.
Even just Clyde had no single magic tower he was separately paying attention to and sponsoring.
When his thoughts had reached about that point.
Paat!
One of the magic lamps that was lighting the castle wall lit up the military truck troop.
Clyde and Goden were of slightly panicked expressions at the stream of light that suddenly poured down.
However, Caldwell’s expression was greatly calm.
“Raise the flag!”
At the full voice, a troop flag soon soared up above the military truck that was running at the head.
< Gale Troop 1st Squad. >
A flag communicating the squad’s association.
It was a flag that didn’t exist in the past.
It was one of the changes that followed the troop organization system reorganizing that took place in the past one year.
Kuung.
There was no more confirmation procedure.
The stream of light that poured down disappeared and the tightly closed castle gate gently opened.
A perfect cooperation.
The group of military trucks didn’t stop and went through the castle gate.
Simultaneously.
“Ah……”
Even though they resolved to not be surprised, Clyde and Goden couldn’t help but burst out in exclaims once again.
A new world opened up in front of their eyes.
‘Right, the words that merchant said back then……’
He remembered the words of the merchant he met on the magic carriage.
< That place is really a different world. It’s a city where the night view is especially fantastic. >
He felt that he could understand those words’ meaning.
Simultaneously, of why many people including himself called the Mediasis Castle the castle of light.
“Goden. It looks like there’s no night in the Mediasis Castle.”
“Th, that seems to be so, sir.”
Goden nodded his head at Clyde’s words.
The scenery that spread in front of their eyes.
On the grand street that starts from the castle gate they just passed through to the center, tall lamp posts were located on each side.
The lamps that were pouring out white lights were perfectly pushing out the city’s darkness.
Below that, countless residents of the castle were enjoying strolls and sharing chats.
It was a completely different sight than the other fiefs where everyone all returned into their homes when the sun fell.
Caldwell slowly parked the military truck.
“We will have to ride a carriage from here on, sirs.”
Because the transit of military trucks was forbidden inside the castle.
“Yes. I understand.”
Clyde and Goden untied the rings they hooked their feet in and climbed down from the military truck.
As if it had been waiting, a carriage showed up.
It truly was a perfect and faultless sight.
The three people rode the carriage together and headed towards the Lancephil Lord’s Castle.
Clyde and Goden were mindlessly busy sightseeing the Mediasis Castle’s sight that spread outside the carriage.
Looks that even forgot how important a mission they were responsible for right now.
In truth, the sight inside the castle wasn’t something unique or marvelous.
But it merely was that the sight of stone buildings below the magic lamps shining twinkling lights were beautiful enough to lose one’s mind.
“This place really is a different world.”
Clyde unknowingly muttered with a half-dazed expression.
The world outside the Lancephil County was a battlefield of survival where every day was intense.
There was no place as relaxed and peaceful as here anywhere else.
‘Would that difference widen further now? Or……’
Would it all turn into hell whether here or the world outside.
His heart felt frustrated when he thought of the things that would happen from now on.
At that moment, the carriage that had been running nonstop slowly decreased its speed.
The scenery beyond the window also changed.
“It’s the lord’s castle, sirs.”
The lord’s castle.
They had entered Roan’s residence.
Caldwell soundlessly smiled, then opened the carriage door.
An expression that almost seemed to say that his small duty was all over with this.
Suddenly, the scene outside the door entered his eyes in a glance.
“Ah…… Sir Count Lancephil……”
Clyde unknowingly froze like a stone statue.
The young man standing in front of the carriage.
He definitely and certainly was Roan Lancephil.
‘Was he that big?’
A feeling of his airway suffocating in an instant.
He remembered the first time he met Roan in the past at the capital, Miller.
‘He’s different than back then.’
Even though the thought that he wasn’t an ordinary individual also passed his mind back then, it wasn’t as much as now.
‘Although a thought that I might be able to take him on if I use my full force passed my mind back then……’
Now was a degree where he couldn’t even dare to meet his gaze.
“Sir Clyde. It has been a while.”
A gentle but powerful voice.
Roan’s heart was urgent, but even so, he did not err in courtesy.
“Ah, yes. It has been a while, sir.”
Clyde effortfully smiled and once again lowered his head.
Roan lightly greeted Goden who was standing at the side, then took out the main topic.
There was no more leisure to wait.
“Where is my godfather?”
At those words, Clyde deeply breathed in, then took out a thick envelope from his left chest pocket.
With both hands, he politely extended the envelope.
“Please see it directly.”
Roan looked down for a moment at the envelope, then gently extended his hand.
Tap.
The tip of his fingers touched the envelope.
Every person who was standing there dryly swallowed.
They were all instinctively feeling it.
That the precariously continued era of peace would end the moment that envelope opened.
*****
“Your majesty. I’m sorry.”
Duke Francis Wilson, one of the Rinse Kingdom’s four dukes and the one who supported the current king Deni Von Rinse from the back, lowered his head with grave expression.
“Don’t lower head that much. Since it’s not something you did wrong.”
A dry voice.
Deni III, who was lying down on a sickbed, effortfully smiled.
Francis was kneeling near the sickbed.
“I will safely keep hold of the royal family’s crest and the national seal.”
“Yes. That should be better.”
Deni III slowly nodded his head.
An enfeeble look was clear on his face.
“So it’s not that my body got destroyed from the wild lifestyle until now?”
Even though it was a question he already asked a number of times, he wanted to ask again.
Likewise, even though he had said the same answer number of times already, Francis once again answered clearly without an annoyed look.
“Yes, your majesty. Although we can’t tell the kind, you have definitely been poisoned.”
“Hmm.”
Deni III leaked a groan.
Once again, he took out the question in his heart.
“And you can’t tell who the culprit is?”
Francis could only say the same answer.
“I’m sorry, your majesty. We cannot tell at the current time.”
Even though he had stealthily searched the route of poison through various directions, there was not one thing that was clearly revealed.
For a moment, a heavy silence spun.
After who knew how long, Francis effortfully smiled and opened his mouth.
“Even so, there were doctors and priests’ diagnosis that there is no danger to life. You should be able to instantly shake it off and stand up if your majesty takes care of your health well.”
They were words said with deceit just to comfort the complicated and gloomy heart.
In fact, Deni III merely lost his strength and wasn’t at the edge where life was precarious.
Only, the fact that they couldn’t find out the one who played foul on him was the biggest problem.
‘Me, who is a duke of the kingdom, can’t even catch the tail of the mastermind.’
It meant that, at the very least, the identity of the mastermind was of his influence or higher.
Because of that, Francis discussed with Deni III and decided to move the royal family’s crest and the national seal to a safe place.
‘It’s merely a work in case of the very unexpected, in case of the event that might just happen.’
Francis himself too tried not to hold a big meaning to moving the crest and the national seal.
At that moment, Deni III looked up at the ceiling with empty eyes and called Francis.
“Francis.”
“Yes. Please speak.”
Francis quickly lowered his head.
Deni III hesitated for a moment, then very arduously added on.
The question he wanted to ask multiple times but couldn’t quite ask.
“It’s not something my children did, right?”
The First Prince Simon Rinse, the Second Prince Tommy Rinse, the Third Prince Kallum Rinse.
A suspicion that they had become blinded by the next generation’s throne and fed poison to their father.
It was a suspicion that he didn’t even want to think of.
Francis couldn’t easily answer.
He gritted his teeth.
He couldn’t confidently say the words ‘no, absolutely no, your majesty, there was no such event’.
There weren’t many people stronger than his power.
The three princes were included amongst that not so large a number.
“Right. You said that you can’t tell at the current time.”
Deni shook his head with a hollow look.
Francis quietly watched that sight, then slowly stood up.
“Your subject Francis Wilson. I will be back soon, your majesty.”
“Yes. Do come back soon.”
It wasn’t an evasion.
He planned to move the royal family’s crest and the national seal for now and return.
Francis’s steps leaving the king’s bedroom was heavy yet fast.
But in the future, Francis would end up repeatedly regretting this decision today.
Because history began without even himself knowing and demanded someone’s sacrifice.
******
He was calm.
Clyde and Goden thought Roan would slam down on the table and scream out in rage.
But he was truly calm.
Roan put down the envelope and then deeply breathed in.
“Are you fine, my lord?”
Austin asked with a careful voice.
Roan tapped the envelope with a tip of his finger, then looked straight at Clyde.
The light in his eyes were fierce.
“Is he truly safe?”
“Yes. For now…… he is, sir.”
Clyde hesitated for a moment, then nodded his head.
“Huu.”
Roan instead let out a long sigh.
“So my godfather is held in the Holy Palace……’
At the quietly muttered words, the retainers all lowered their heads with subdued expressions.
The Holy Palace.
If just looking at the size, it was a place smaller than the Rinse Palace.
However, the influence they had could be said to be the continent’s greatest.
The headquarter of Ruth Faith that the empire and the kingdom both chose as national faith and the order that ruled over the entire world’s Ruth Faith devotees.
Although they were located within the Estia Empire, their independent status was recognized.
In short, it was a place not even the empire’s breath touched.
It was not strange that Agens and the Tenebra Troop couldn’t find Io Lancephil’s whereabouts.
Rather, the fact that Clyde, who was a mere merchant, found out the news inside the Holy Palace was an incredible feat.
‘Since Clyde Company’s roots are originally said to be in the Estia Empire……’
Furthermore, although the amount was small, they were said to be delivering goods to the Holy Palace.
“He went at Prince Simon’s order……”
Roan muttered in a small voice.
Clyde, whose ears were good, immediately nodded his head.
“Yes sir. Prince Kallum has confirmed that part.”
“Have you not discovered the reason, sir?”
“Yes. We couldn’t find out the reason Sir Io Lancephil went to the Holy Palace. But the fact that the mood at the Holy Palace isn’t good is certain, sir.”
Clyde answered in a careful voice.
However much Kallum and Clyde flew and crawled, they couldn’t find out even the fact that Simon needed the Holy Palace’s God’s Medicine.
Roan slowly nodded his head, then placed the envelope inside his chest pocket.
“It seems I will have to directly ask Prince Simon of that part.”
“A, ask Prince Simon?”
Clyde asked with a slightly surprised expression.
He hadn’t known that Roan might react as quickly like this.
“If you wish, Prince Kallum could look for it, sir.”
He poured out the words he prepared at once.
He planned to give favor and make him carry a debt.
However, Roan faintly smiled and shook his head.
“No. Even without this, I was planning on having a meeting with Prince Simon. There are various things I need to ask him, you see.”
The light in his eyes coldly sank.
“I apologize, but please empty the seat for a moment.”
“Eh? T, that’s……”
Clyde fleetingly glanced at Elva.
Elva slightly nodded her head.
“Sir Count. We too wish to involve……”
When her words reached about that point.
“Baroness Dionell.”
A quietly calling voice.
Light in his eyes that sank even colder.
Gulp.
Elva unconsciously twitched and trembled.
‘There shouldn’t be a need to unnecessarily make petty trouble.’
Although regrettable, now was a time to step back.
Elva signaled at Clyde and Goden with her eyes, then exited out of the conference room.
Clyde and Goden too couldn’t endure any further and followed Elva’s back after politely giving adieu.
Roan, after feeling the presence outside the door, turned towards Austin and Semi, Harrison and Chris, Keep and Brian, and so on.
“We’re going to the capital, Miller.”
A short order.
Austin asked in lieu of everyone.
“Should we ready for march?”
All retainers dryly gulped.
Lead a legion size soldiers and charge towards the capital.
If not careful, they could receive a crime of treason.
Roan shook his head.
“Only Harrison, Keep, Brian and I are going.”
“It’s too dangerous, sir.”
Chris immediately went out in opposition.
Roan nodded his head.
He too was being careful to not act rashly himself through the conversation with Clay in the past.
“I plan to separately take five hundred Taemusas and Tenebra Troop’s troopers.”
No, to be exact, he planned to make them follow behind secretly, very secretly.
At the order that fell following, the retainers exhaled held breaths and lowered their heads.
“Yes, my lord. We will prepare them as your order.”
The situation advancing rapidly without a pause.
Meanwhile, Elva, Clyde, and Goden, who went out of the conference room, were of fraught feelings of their own.
‘For now, we have to send a letter to Prince Kallum.’
The situation was changing suddenly.
So that Kallum could prepare ahead of time, they had to report the events that were happening in the Lancephil Fief.
But in actuality, the sudden disaster that could flip the world and for both the sky and land to shake exploded in the capital, Miller.
“Urgent news! Urgent news!
Four days later, an agent of Agens raced up with urgent expression to Roan and his party who were about to start towards the capital, Miller.
The agent raced like the wind and kneeled down on one knee in front of Roan.
He, towards the people whose puzzled looks were obvious, screamed at the top of his throat.
“His Majesty the King’s Ascension!” 1
A thunder like sound and thunderbolt like shock.
Everyone’s faces stiffly froze.
The agent once again lowered his head and shouted at the top of his throat.
“His Majesty the King has ascended!”
The sudden change began from the capital, Miller.
< Sudden Change (1) > End.
Translator : CSV
Proofreader: Sai101