Raising the Princess to Overcome Death Chapter 95

95. Beggar Siblings - Meeting

The lobby where the fireplace was burning.

The floor was covered with carpets, and various pieces of furniture necessary for living were placed, yet the place exuded a desolate atmosphere as a dozen knights gathered.

Second Knight Commander, Third Knight Commander, Deputy Commander of the First Knight Order, Captain of the Royal Guard - these were all illustrious figures to be found in a shabby back alley building.

All were knights that the Conrad Kingdom took pride in, and they had sworn loyalty to Leo.

[Achievement: Master-Servant Relationship - '216', As long as loyalty is unshaken, those who swore loyalty will trust and follow Leo.]

It had been three weeks since Leo returned after meeting with the cardinal. Having obtained information that the king would soon pass away, he hastily gathered the knights.

Now that only those who could not be guaranteed to pledge their loyalty remained, Leo devised a plan.

He first introduced the knights brought by introduction to Bart, and if he was convinced of their loyalty during the conversation, Leo would reveal himself. Otherwise, the person who introduced them would say, "For the sake of my face, please do not report Sir Bart. Can you promise that?" and send them away.

Several, like Bart’s close friend Alvin, who knew Leo was alive, had not pledged their loyalty, making it already dangerous enough.

'If only we had a little more time...'

The time lost due to assassinating Gilbert Forte and evading pursuit was regrettable, but it was already in the past.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

Leo, sitting at the head of a large table in the lobby, looked around at the knights he had summoned.

These were the representatives among the 216 knights who had sworn loyalty to Leo.

Now, the number had grown so large that it was impractical to summon all the knights at once or issue orders individually, so Leo utilized the organization of the knight orders.

Knights typically formed teams of two, occasionally three. Ten such teams made up a squad, and several squads formed an order.

The number of squads per order varied by kingdom.

Due to the varying number of knights each kingdom possessed, the Bellita Kingdom, with 450 knights, had 7-8 squads per order. In contrast, the Conrad Kingdom organized one order with five squads.

Leo unofficially reorganized two orders according to this structure. He temporarily designated captains for each squad and selected order commanders.

Knights who could not bring their juniors or seniors to form teams with were paired with others in the same situation or grouped into teams of three.

Exceptionally, Jenia Zachary and Bart were not included in any order.

Jenia was solely a bodyguard for Lena, and Bart had a strong desire to remain with his four long-time colleagues, former Royal Guards.

Recognizing Bart’s sentiments, Leo formed them into a team but did not include them in the orders.

The temporary order commanders and squad captains paid their respects to the prince and took their seats around the table.

They greeted each other warmly during the brief intermission.

"Jenia, it's been a while. How have you been since you left the order?"

"Yes, Deputy Commander. I've been doing very well. Here, take this."

"Thank you. I never thought I'd live to be served tea by Jenia... Whoa, you'll hit someone with that."

"Hahaha."

As Jenia swung the tray holding the teapot and cups wide, pretending to make a mistake, laughter erupted in the room.

Everyone knew she left the order to guard the princess, and due to security issues, she could not use maids or servants, so she handled all the chores at the hideout herself.

Of course, it was not a shameful matter at all, so Jenia was confident, and the knights respected her.

"Thank you, Jenia."

"It's nothing, Your Highness."

Leo publicly expressed his gratitude to Jenia and began the meeting.

"Now, this will be our last meeting. Unless something special happens, we will expel Prince Eric de Yeriel the day after tomorrow and restore order in the royal family."

The knights quietly nodded at his calm declaration.

A few clapped lightly, then awkwardly put their hands down.

Though Leo had become quite accustomed to commanding vassals, he still showed limitations in situations like this.

A great leader would have inspired his vassals with eloquence or commanded respect with dignified authority in such moments.

However, lacking such capabilities, Leo chose the next best approach.

He tried to convey that he did not favor unnecessary sentimentality and only pursued efficiency.

Leo got straight to the point.

"Before we proceed, there is a significant proposal that has been brought to my attention, which is why I have gathered everyone here. Sir Bart."

"Yes."

"Would you please explain the existing plan again, though it might be a hassle?"

Bart stood up.

He began his explanation by emphasizing the need to kill Duke Tertan.

"I believe no one here disagrees that we must first kill Duke Lappart Tertan. He is the main contributor to Prince Leo's expulsion. We need to first eliminate him to disrupt the nobles' cohesion. So, the original plan was to kill the duke 'first' and then expel Prince Eric."

"Indeed..."

"But the problem is the order. Why must we kill the duke before expelling Prince Eric? I believe this is why Sir Hazen proposed this."

Bart continued his argument, preventing the intervention of Sir Hazen, the second knight commander.

"As everyone knows, it's about justification. Prince Leo currently holds the justification. He was unfairly expelled by force, so he seeks to reclaim his position by force."

While Bart's somewhat heated voice echoed, Jenia quietly moved around, placing simple snacks like cookies before the knights.

No one dared touch them, watching for the prince's cue.

"However, after expelling Prince Eric, he loses that justification. If he then tries to expel the duke by force, the world will call Prince Leo a tyrant, and the nobles might rise against him. But if we deal with the duke first, it will serve as a good warning to the nobles, and the people will see it as just."

Bart's argument had a personal grudge as well.

His resentment towards Duke Lappart Tertan did not fade even knowing Leo was alive. Many comrades had lost their lives to the duke's pursuit...

Therefore, Bart always insisted on killing the duke first, and thus the plan to eliminate Duke Tertan before expelling Prince Eric was formulated.

"Are you finished? Then, Sir Hazen, please state your proposal."

Hazen, seated opposite Bart and to Leo's left, began to speak heavily.

From his sideburns to his chin, he had a dignified beard. He was the second Knight Commander of the Kingdom of Conrad and had recently sworn loyalty to Leo.

Because he had never revealed his political stance, everyone hesitated to introduce him, causing a delay. However, when Hazen finally met Leo, he was disappointed and asked why it had taken so long to introduce him.

"Before I share my suggestions, I would like to express my agreement with Sir Bart."

His blunt and businesslike tone sharply contrasted with Bart's rough and passionate voice, calming the lobby.

With nothing to do, Jenia Zachary stood near the fireplace, licking her lips in envy at those participating in the grand event and listening intently.

"Duke Tertan is a cunning man. Even just over a decade ago, I wouldn't have believed he would mobilize an army to place his grandson on the throne."

The knights nodded in agreement. Everyone in the Kingdom of Conrad likely thought the same.

Once, Duke Lappart Tertan was considered a generous and mild-mannered noble. When a famine struck the kingdom, he persuaded the nobles and the king to lower taxes. He was always respectful and revered by many.

However, Duke Tertan suddenly revealed his ambitions. When the king fell ill, he seized power and turned against the rivals he had previously tolerated.

Everyone was shocked into silence by the duke's transformation.

People whispered that Lappart Tertan was indeed a terrifying man.

But his actions didn't stop there. Duke Tertan allied with Prince Eric de Yeriel, raised an army, and surrounded the royal palace, shocking the kingdom's citizens.

In effect, Duke Lappart Tertan had the Kingdom of Conrad in his grip. Surprisingly, he continued to display courteous manners to visitors at his mansion, causing the nobles to tremble with fear.

"If we let such a person live, it will surely bring future troubles. He might even use the pretext of killing his grandson to start a war. But..."

Hazen began to express his opinions earnestly.

"There is a problem with the current plan to kill the duke first. If we kill him, Prince Eric will undoubtedly tighten security. The guards in Lutetia will be on high alert, and the knights and soldiers of the nobles will be summoned to the capital. And most importantly... the army might be mobilized."

In any kingdom, the area around the capital was royal territory.

This was Hazen's concern.

Killing the duke was fine, but it wouldn't mean the end of Prince Eric's forces.

As the heir to the Yeriel royal family and the one who had taken control of the royal family in place of the ailing king, Prince Eric de Yeriel could raise thousands of soldiers around Lutetia with a single word.

In that case, the nobles would eagerly volunteer to become generals and establish a complete military system.

Of course, Leo's side was not insignificant either.

With two hundred knights, it was a formidable force that might only appear in a war.

However, this was an extremely unbalanced force. Facing an army composed of various types of troops with only knights was highly inefficient.

The larger and more complex an army was, the stronger it became. The knights could be bogged down by a rain of arrows and spear formations.

And then there were the wizards.

Because of those wizards, it was difficult for the knights to form a solid group and break through.

There were only about two or three hundred wizards across the entire continent, and they were affiliated with the Magic Tower, hired as mercenaries for money. To fund their research, they were employed in large cities, and there would be at least three or four wizards in Lutetia.

Afraid of the wizards' area magic, they couldn't form groups, while the soldiers, if in formation... would inevitably defeat them no matter how they fought.

Hazen glanced at Bart and then concluded.

"We must not make the mistake of alarming the snake by hitting the grass. If Prince Eric abandons the palace and joins the army, we will never catch him. In that case, even if we occupy Lutetia, we won't be able to withstand the enemies gathered from all over the kingdom."

As Bart flinched and began to show discomfort, Leo intervened.

"Then what do you suggest, Sir Hazen? Do you have an alternative?"

"Yes. We could first drive out the prince and then kill Duke Tertan... but as Sir Bart said earlier, this would appear as an unjust retaliation, tarnishing the prince's reputation and causing significant backlash from the nobles. Many of them are complicit, aren't they? If we take action after restoring the throne, they will likely rebel out of fear of being purged."

"So what then?"

"...We must take some risks. Split our forces and attack Prince Eric and the duke simultaneously. We should strike the duke first and then immediately head to the palace to deal with Prince Eric... as long as we can prevent the prince from escaping and quickly deal with the duke, any method will do. However, I think it's best to attack both at once from the start."

"Hmm..."

As Hazen leaned back, indicating he had said all he wanted, the knights turned their eyes to the prince.

Ultimately, Leo had the final say on all strategies.

Leo briefly rubbed his forehead in thought.

'We do need to deal with the duke...'

In reality, there was no absolute need to kill Duke Tertan. Simply attacking the palace with the two hundred knights and capturing Prince Eric would suffice.

From Minseo's perspective, that was the case.

As long as Lena could somehow become a princess, it would be a success. There was no need to take unnecessary risks to deal with the duke, which was far from Minseo's desires.

Leo scratched his brow anxiously.

Unfortunately, Leo had his own position to consider. This was a matter of his 'future.'

Minseo could simply clear the task and leave, but for Leo?

He had to consider his life after the 'ending,' so just achieving a princess ending was not enough. He wanted to avoid an ending where a civil war broke out.

As he was firming up his resolve, Bart interrupted Leo's thoughts.

Displaying confidence, he said,

"Your Highness! I think it's a good plan. I will take on Duke Tertan. You don't need to allocate many knights to me. Even if it costs me my life, I will deal with the duke."

Leo calculated inwardly at Bart's reassuring words.

'Yes. With Bart and my tracking skills, even if we split our forces, there shouldn't be any mishaps. If I head to the palace, there won't be any chance of missing Prince Eric.'

"Very well. We will attack Prince Eric and Duke Tertan simultaneously."

As the prince made his decision, the knights around the table busied themselves with strategizing again.

Jenia Zachary also slyly joined in.

"Your Highness, there are about 60 royal guards and a thousand soldiers stationed at the palace..."

"Your Highness, there are approximately 50 knights and an estimated number of armed retainers at Duke Tertan's estate..."

"In that case, for personnel allocation..."

Hazen, delighted that his suggestion had been accepted, showed boundless enthusiasm, and Bart, seemingly satisfied, smiled broadly.

'I will surely cut off that man's head and offer it to my comrades in their honor!'

With a sinister smile, Bart exuded murderous intent, while Hazen glanced at him, stroking his beard.