Chapter 274: 144. An Enthronement and a Celebration -2 (Part Two)
Translated by A Passing Wanderer
Edited by RED
I was stupefied at the sight.
Oscal Baldur was standing in the middle of them. He smiled like a kind old man and said to me, “The Vice Captain of the Order of the Golden Cross and the holder of the title of the Sword King, Oscal Baldur, wishes to escort His Highness the Imperial Prince. May I inquire, where were you thinking of heading to, sire?”
“…I changed my mind. I’m staying in.”
I closed the door while the muscles around my eyes twitched nonstop.
Escorting me, my foot. He was here to keep an eye on me!
“…Out through the balcony, then.”
Leaving through the front door was clearly impossible. There was no way I’d fool the eyes of the Sword King. So, leaving through the balcony might be a better idea at this point. Unfortunately…
I flung open the door to the balcony, and stepped onto the railing.
When I looked down to the ground, the Orders of the Crimson Cross and the Verdant Cross, plus the Paladin Corps members, were standing there, right in front of my eyes.
Harman was in charge of them. He turned around and met my stupefied gaze. “Your Highness? Is something wrong?”
I threw the luggage in my hand at Harman’s face and slammed the balcony door shut.
Crap, I was already surrounded.
Only now did I figure out why they had put me in a room so close to the ground floor. It was probably to prevent me from using my trusty Bone Wyvern to fly out of here!
Holy Emperor Kelt, that old man was dead-set on raising me to the position of the Holy King.
“Your Highness, the Holy King coronation will be in three days’ time. You only have to endure until then. Even including the formal military parade and the accompanying banquet after that, the whole event should not exceed three hours. It’ll be over in a blink of an eye.”
Unlike her usual self, Charlotte sounded deeply flustered as she tried to dissuade me.
“But that’s what I don’t want to go through, you know?!”
“But, Your Highness. Getting acquainted with the nobles now would prove to be a great help to you later when you…”
I flinched grandly and stared straight at Charlotte. I was not sure when she started doing it, but she was actually trying to persuade me. “No, hang on. Even you…?”
“…”
“You, do you also want to see me become the Holy King?”
Charlotte suddenly went silent, but she was obviously saying yes to my question.
While feeling this sense of betrayal wash over me, I began massaging my temples in anger. “Call both my oldest brother and sister. They are here, right?”
We were about to hold the Holy King coronation, so at the very least the Imperial Crown Prince, the First Imperial Prince, and the First Imperial Princess should be around the place.
I called for the latter two, and a short while later, Luan and Hilda were escorted to my quarters by a maidservant.
“Ah, my beloved little brother, congratulations are in order, it seems!”
“It’s been too long, so how about we share a drink? Belrog sent this fine liquor as a celebratory gift.”
Luan promptly settled down on the sofa and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, while Hilda walked up and ruffled my hair before pushing a bottle of booze in my face.
I stared at the two of them with a serious face. “I have a favour to ask of you.”
If it was these two, then they could definitely make the Holy Emperor rethink this whole thing. There were plenty of pretexts, as well.
For one, I was still way too young, at only eighteen years old. Sure, anyone past sixteen was treated as an adult in this world, but there was no doubting the fact that I was a youngster.
On top of that, I was as clueless as you could get. Never mind the matters of governance, there was also economics to consider. It wasn’t just these two topics, either. I simply lacked knowledge or experience in every conceivable field.
If they used those points as the reasons, then surely it’d be possible to overturn the Holy Emperor’s decision.
I seriously spoke to the two of them. “Please lend me your support, First Brother, First Sister.”
**
(TL: In 3rd person POV.)
Hans was currently staring at the heart of Mist Calf.
The crimson jewel shards had been joined back together. But a portion around the size of an adult’s head was missing from the edge of the large jewel a metre in diameter.
‘…The demonic energy within it is still dissipating.’
Even though the remaining amount was still considerable, it was only barely enough to open the gateway to Purgatory. But even that would be impossible to pull off if more time passed by.
‘It won’t even matter, though.’
Even if the vampires proceeded to open the gateway to Purgatory once more, it shouldn’t present any notable problem, anyway.
Soon, the Seventh Imperial Prince would ascend to the position of the Holy King. He’d get his hands on the necessary authority and political power. He’d be given the right to mobilise the empire’s powerful army.
He’d enjoy the authority to mobilise not just the Sword King, but also the Imperial Crown Prince, too.
Heck, he could even call on the Church of Caiolium to summon over ten thousand of their Priests, currently spread all around the continent, as well.
Most importantly, the holy relic currently in possession of the Seventh Imperial Prince…
The archangel that used to belong to the first Holy Emperor, Ordin Olfolse, was in his possession. As long as that thing was fully repaired, nothing would present a problem to him.
‘Yes, my worries are unfounded. I should be more concerned with selecting the right celebratory gift for His Highness, instead.’
Hans’s career path to a brighter future would open up wide the moment the Seventh Imperial Prince ascended to the Holy King.
He’d surely become the Holy King’s closest confidante and leave behind various achievements that would be celebrated throughout history.
Here was a moment that the family of Hans, which didn’t even have a surname, was being recorded in the annals of history.
‘…What those bastards are aiming to achieve is the sealing of the Imperial Family.’
However, Hans’s mind wandered back to worrying before long. He couldn’t help but pore through the data from Count Timong.
This vampire turned out to be someone far more incredible than Hans had initially bargained for. Even though he and his family members were often praised as geniuses, only by utilising all the knowledge they had accumulated, as well as that handed down by their ancestors, could he somehow match the knowledge level of Count Timong.
It shouldn’t be possible, but…
But, if the vampires had another being possessing a similar level of knowledge as Count Timong among them…
“…Aha, hahah! Why am I so worried about, anyway? E-eii, there’s just no way.”
Hans shook off all the distracting thoughts from his mind. He got up from his seat and began rummaging through his luggage.
He found the novel that the Imperial Prince had given him, and took it out of the bag. That wasn’t all, but he also saw the unknown metallic debris and wiring messily tangled up in a pile, as well.
All of them had been recovered from the ruins of the ice castle.
Without a doubt, they were not materials found in this world. Hans knew that, and that allowed him to also know that Count Timong had once successfully created a warp gate.
Hans gritted his teeth as a sense of defeat took over him. “To think that I lost to a damn vampire…”
He roughly massaged his temples. He rapidly inhaled and exhaled to get a grip on his emotions, before standing straight up.
A bitter grin floated up on his lips when he looked at the book in his hand. “Should I go and ask His Highness? Yes, there’s a chance that he might know something else!”
He walked quickly towards the Seventh Imperial Prince’s quarters.
The Order of the Golden Cross had set up a camp in the corridor, and Hans could hear a bit of a commotion happening behind the closed door.
That door was suddenly flung open and the Seventh Imperial Prince’s shouting voice could be heard next. “If you ain’t gonna help, get the hell out of here!”
The First Imperial Prince and First Imperial Princess were quickly vacating the room with mischievous grins on their faces.
A wine bottle suddenly flew out of the doorway and Hans had to hurriedly duck his head lower in surprise.
“We shall come again!”
“The Holy King coronation. We’re looking forward to it!”
Luan and Hilda left the room, while Hans stared at the Seventh Imperial Prince. He was panting like a bull while trying to slam the door shut, before finally noticing Hans’s presence and tilting his head. “Hans? What are you doing here?”
“Ahaha! Well, sir. I have something to discuss with you,” Hans said energetically, then showed the novel to the Imperial Prince.
The latter shook his head. “I told you, I don’t know anything about it.”
“Ah, is that so, sir? Still, maybe you can, somehow…?” While asking that, Hans naturally stepped across the doorway.
“I don’t know. It’s not like Count Timong is alive to tell us the truth anyway, so how can I…” the Imperial Prince replied while waving his hand dismissively.
Hans watched the boy prince’s back, then after closing the door, he quietly spoke up, “Your Highness, sir.”
“…?”
The Seventh Imperial Prince, Allen, looked behind and stared at Hans. The latter had frozen up in place.
His expression showed how serious he was, too. He put the book in his hand down on a nearby table, then held Allen’s gaze. “I’m not certain if my cowardly nature is to blame for my worries, sir.”
He simply had to talk about this.
If his suspicion on what the vampires were trying to do was correct, then he and everyone else would need to be fully focused on it.
“I might even be burdening you with a needless worry, as well.”
However, if his prediction turned out to be on the money, then it had to be stopped, no matter what. And only himself and Prince Allen before him were capable of pulling this off.
“Even then, I am compelled to speak to you regarding this matter.”
Hans proceeded to say what was on his mind.
Charlotte, standing next to them, gradually widened her eyes, while Allen settled down on the sofa and paid close attention to everything Hans said.
From the missing part of Mist Calf’s recovered heart, to its demonic energy gradually dissipating, and the time remaining until all of it was completely gone…
Hans spoke in a worried voice. He mentioned the danger that might come to pass. And then, he made a declaration, “If I’m right about what they are planning to do, then that will become a truly dangerous situation for all, sir. However, you and I can put a stop to their plan. If we succeed…”
The light in Hans’s eyes didn’t waver once as he finished after a pause, “This will become a great opportunity to deal a huge blow to the vampires!”
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