Raising the Princess to Overcome Death Chapter 111
111. Childhood Friend – Audience
A few days later, Rev entered the palace with Harvey, the Marquis of Guidan.
It was Rev's first time entering so boldly through the main gate, so he glanced around curiously.
The Nevis Royal Palace was as luxurious as Lutetia Royal Palace in the Conrad Kingdom.
There was a peculiar rivalry between the Orun Kingdom and the Conrad Kingdom. Both kingdoms, which occupied the warm and prosperous south, spared no expense in flaunting their wealth. This might be because the two kingdoms were originally one.
“Please exchange your sword.”
While Rev was looking around, a palace guard approached. The guard took Rev’s sword, which he carried as the Marquis’s escort, and handed him a ceremonial sword with a blunt edge in return.
The sword was light, designed for ceremonial use, and had significantly reduced lethality.
Except for certain individuals like the knights’ commander, deputy commander, and the guards and knights guarding the palace, no one was allowed to carry their own weapons in the palace.
The Marquis and Rev walked through the opulent corridors for a while.
Unlike Lutetia Royal Palace, where halls were densely packed with almost no corridors, Nevis Royal Palace had spacious corridors.
In the middle of the white marble corridors, antique tables and flowerpots were placed, and large doors leading to other corridors or halls were sporadically positioned on both sides.
Of course, the Marquis and Rev had no reason to turn through these doors.
The king’s audience chamber they were heading to was at the end of a straight path from the main entrance.
Eventually, they reached a massive door, fittingly made of solid brass for the Orun Kingdom.
The Orun Kingdom, with its many mountains, was inconvenient for transportation but produced a variety of minerals, earning it the title of the empire’s foundry during the Arcaea Empire era.
“Marquis Harvey Guidan.”
The chamberlain recognized the Marquis and announced his arrival through the door. After receiving permission from inside, the heavy door swung open.
And, in the distance, the king was visible.
‘They’ve set this up arrogantly,’ Rev thought.
The hall where the king resided was grand, and there was a small staircase every twenty steps, gradually increasing the height.
To reach the king, one had to ascend five such staircases. Following the Marquis briefly, Rev saw a message pop up.
[ Achievement: King 1/7 ]
‘Wow—this is really...’
“Glory to the Lognum Mountains. Guidan greets Lognum.”
As the Marquis knelt, the king waved his hand.
“You are always too formal.”
“My apologies.”
Abram de Lognum.
The king had deep black eyes like an abyss and a mane of white hair like a lion’s, giving him a heavy impression. However, being an old man, he exuded more of the inevitability of time rather than spirited vigor, with sagging skin under his eyes sapping his vitality.
He appeared to be working, as a desk on wheels was placed in front of the throne.
“So, what brings you here? Oh, and congratulations. I heard you had a recent celebration...”
The king shifted his sitting position and trailed off. His eyes, deep as wells, held pure congratulations but were actually inquisitive.
Despite being granted the significant position of border lord, aren’t you having second thoughts...
“It’s not the celebration you think.”
The Marquis calmly deflected the king’s inquiry. He chose simple words without any formalities to avoid any misunderstandings.
However, the old king’s inquiry flowed gently like water.
“Is that so? I heard the Duke of Tertan’s heir crossed the border. That sounds like considerable progress. It’s disappointing that you didn’t inform me in advance.”
The king laughed heartily, and the Marquis returned a faint smile.
“It’s merely an exchange between young people. It seemed too trivial to report as it concerns children.”
“...I see. But I heard the heir brought fifteen knights. I trust you displayed equal dignity?”
As the power play continued between the two leaders, Rev, standing behind the Marquis, cautiously observed the king.
So that’s the king.
Even while showing only friendliness, he nonchalantly threw out critical information to corner the Marquis. This was the ruler who dominated a seventh of the continent.
And he was also Rev’s ultimate target to enchant... Rev sighed inwardly.
‘As expected... it’s not going to be easy.’
The white-haired king was heavily blessed.
The three rubies and eighteen red jewels in his crown made of red gold were imbued with divine power, his two rings and brooch were consecrated, and his old body bore a permanent blessing.
He might have seemed like just a grandly dressed, dignified old man, but Rev sensed it.
The complete and flawless divine power, like a dodecahedron, looked nonchalantly at the imperfect divine power of Barbatos, like an inverted triangle.
That can’t be penetrated. Or rather, it could be, but it would take all the lives I’ve accumulated so far.
‘Should I just kill him?’
Was it frustration over a failed plan? An extreme thought crossed his mind.
Compared to enchanting, smashing this arrogant old man’s head would be easy.
Never mind the divine protection—beating him to death physically would suffice.
‘No, no. What am I thinking?’
But wasn’t he planning to incite a rebellion anyway?
Upon acquiring the [Eyes of Enchantment] ability, Rev had planned to handle matters easily, but Plan B of seizing the throne through rebellion was still valid.
Rev’s thought of "killing him" took a step back.
It was unclear from whom he had retreated, but enchanting the king now was impossible.
A task that could have been simple was disrupted by that “damned holy deity,” increasing his workload. He would have to explore ways to incite a rebellion and gather more sacrifices.
“The princes are arriving.”
Just then, a chamberlain announced the arrival of the princes from afar.
“Let them in.”
The king, who had been discussing military training at the border with the Marquis, granted permission with a delighted smile. Two princes strode confidently across the throne room.
“Father! I greet you.”
“Brother, you should use formal speech with Father. Your Majesty, I greet you.”
“Ha ha ha. Come on in.”
[ Achievement: Met Athon de Lognum - Gained slight favor with all nobles serving the Lognum royal family. Gained slight favor with Athon de Lognum. ]
[ Achievement: Met Elzeor de Lognum - Gained slight favor with all nobles serving the Lognum royal family. Gained slight favor with Elzeor de Lognum. ]
Rev unknowingly ground his teeth. He turned to look at the loathsome faces of the princes he had vowed to punish.
The princes looked nothing like he had imagined.
They did not have the appearance expected of vile individuals who harassed noble ladies and shared sex slaves.
They were both strikingly handsome.
Hundreds of years of noble lineage and superior royal blood had not let them become mere riffraff.
The twin princes, identical in appearance, had neatly groomed black hair like the night sky and straight noses resembling mountain ridges, reflecting the nobility of the Lognum royal family.
Their black eyes were calm and deep, instilling a sense of trust in anyone who met their gaze, though their casual smiles were a flaw.
Rev understood why the king favored these late-born princes.
These youths, exuding an air of heroism, seemed destined for the throne.
Perhaps that’s why Rev felt even more anger.
Those handsome brats had embraced Lena. They had made her a pawn in their dirty politics at the cost of his own life.
Rev suddenly imagined drawing his sword and stabbing the blunt blade into the neck of the prince greeting the king.
He wanted to kill them.
Immediately!
While he restrained his impulse, the princes exchanged greetings with the Marquis of Guidan.
“It’s been a while, Lord Border Marquis.”
“Yes, it has been a while.”
“I heard there was good news regarding your daughter. The delayed reply must have been due to that.”
“It’s truly unfortunate. Lady Guidan is so beautiful and virtuous, but I guess I wasn’t good enough to be chosen.”
The Marquis tried to explain, but the princes took turns speaking, giving him no chance to respond.
“Well, it’s the same for me. Considering the Conrad Kingdom's ducal house, it’s a match that rivals our Lognum royal family. We understand your choice, Lord Marquis.”
“Indeed, my brother is... someone I should learn from. I still admire the lady and have trouble sleeping because of it.”
Finally, the king intervened.
“Ha ha... Enough. You’re making the Marquis uncomfortable. And Lord Marquis, you mentioned your daughter did not leave for a marriage arrangement.”
“Is that true?”
The second prince, Elzeor de Lognum, asked in surprise. The Marquis glanced briefly at Rev before responding.
“Yes. My daughter did not leave for an engagement. It was merely an exchange to ease tensions at the border. She should be on her way back now.”
“Oh! I see. I apologize for our presumption. But...”
The first prince, Athon de Lognum, followed the Marquis’s gaze to Rev.
“He looks like a remarkable knight. Young yet trustworthy.”
“Brother, do you feel the same?”
[ Achievement: First Meeting with the Princes - Gained slight favor with all princes. ]
It seemed the achievements overlapped.
Although the favor was slight, both princes activated two achievements at once.
However, after a few compliments about Rev, they lost interest. After all, why would princes care about a knight from another household?
Following that, the princes subtly courted the Marquis, emphasizing various benefits if he married off his daughter and joined them.
Everyone understood these offers were actually veiled threats. If the Marquis refused, they would tighten their grip on the Guidan family.
For instance, they suggested that widening the road through the Guidan estate, which lay between Nevis and the Bellita Kingdom, would benefit commerce.
The roads between estates were under the king's jurisdiction, with taxes collected for maintenance and management.
Thus, mentioning the road was an obvious threat.
They could block it under the pretext of bandit activity or neglect its maintenance to let it deteriorate.
There was also the brazen offer to let Harie keep her surname Guidan even if she married into the royal family.
Usually, such an offer from a royal family member would be a great honor, publicly showing immense respect for the bride’s family.
But for the Marquis of Guidan, who had no heir, it had a different implication.
Eventually, an adopted heir would take over the family. If Harie retained the surname “Guidan,” it could cause complications.
It was a skillful threat.
It subtly suggested that the Marquis should marry Harie off and seek their favor.
Harvey, the Marquis of Guidan, smiled gently, promising to consider it positively while knowing full well the true implications. Eventually, he and Rev bowed respectfully to the king and princes before leaving the throne room.
As they walked down the corridor, the Marquis asked quietly,
“Did you achieve what you wanted?”
“Yes. But it will take some time.”
“...I’m not sure what your goal is, but I trust you.”
The Marquis’s voice had a sharp edge, likely due to frustration with the princes.
“However, I would like to know before Harie returns. She should be back within two months at the latest. By then, those princes will press us again. I will have to make a decision then.”
Rev walked silently behind the Marquis for a moment, staring at his back.
The enchantment had not weakened. There was no message indicating a decrease in the master-servant relationship count.
The Marquis was simply a father worrying about his daughter’s future, independent of enchantment or loyalty.
“Don’t worry.”
But Rev’s brief response offered no explanation.