Chapter 17

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Chapter 17

The envoys of the Hillenton Empire entered the capital of the Larchen Empire. Guards waiting at the gates of the capital blocked their way.

“You cannot enter.”

“How can we not enter! We are envoys from the Hillenton Empire!”

“I have heard that the Emperor of the Hillenton Empire is coming, but I have not heard of anyone other than him.”

“We are the envoys of the Hillenton Empire!”

“Then, the Emperor will appear.”

The Crown Prince’s expression, who was riding a horse in the front and maintaining a high-headed posture, became serious. Meanwhile, Berthas, who followed, hid a sneer.

“What is going on!”

Although he yelled at the guards, it didn’t change anything. Standing in front of the Crown Prince’s blushing face, Berthas uttered.

“Then, let me give them a word.”

“All right.”

With his words, the guards went inside to report the news.

“What’s going with this, Duke!”

“How would I know?”

“How would you not know about it in the Larchen Empire!”

“That’s right.”

Looking at Berthas’ witty expression, the Crown Prince was about to open his mouth.

“I think it would be better not to raise your voice in the capitals of other Empires.”

He spoke lightly, but the Crown Prince flinched as the words were not light at all. Looking down at him, Berthas was deep in thought.

‘They’re acting tougher than I thought. Is it because their self-esteem has been hurt…?’

Berthas were satisfied with the treatment, which was worse than expected. At this level, the Crown Prince would not be able to spread his flag in the Larchen Empire.

‘…I hope that since you’ve been humiliated like this when you go inside, you won’t make a fuss.’

Looking at the tightly closed gate, he wondered if they would let them in properly. After a while, a man who looked like the captain of the guard came out.

“Did you say that you were the envoys of the Hillenton Empire?”

“Yes.”

“Obviously, the list of visitors includes His Majesty the Emperor of the Hillenton Empire and others.”

“He couldn’t come for some reason.”

“Still, we have no contact.”

His words became firmer. Then, the Crown Prince, angered by the captain of the guard’s behavior, shouted, “How dare you ignore me, Crown Prince of Hillenton, when you are only protecting the gates!”

“It’s not that we want to ignore the Crown Prince, although we need to check the procedure. And, to speak harshly to those who guard the gates of the capital, which is the heart of the Larchen Empire.”

In a low but powerful voice, the captain of the guard expressed his opinion. Berthas admired his words inside.

‘He is responsible for his work. As expected, an Empire with a long history is different.’

It looked a hundred times better than the Hillenton Empire, which worked in a clumsy way.

“Why is it so noisy?”

Behind the captain of the guard, a man in a wizard’s robe appeared. Judging by the pattern of the Larchen Empire engraved on the robe, it seemed that he was an imperial wizard.

“What brings the minister of the military here…?”

“It had been a while. What is causing a commotion at the gate?”

“The envoys from the Hillenton Empire have come.”

“Then, why don’t you bring them in?”

“However, the list of envoys sent in the beginning was different.”

“How can you be so lax in your work as an Empire towards another Empire? Give it to me.”

The Crown Prince looked forward to the minister of the military’s attitude, who took away the list.

“Hmm…? Where is His Majesty the Emperor of the Hillenton Empire?”

“He didn’t come.”

“What?”

The captain of the guard beckoned, and the gaze of the military minister returned to the envoys.

“Oh, my. I’m in a bind.”

“Let me in.”

“Excuse me, but who are you?”

“I am the Crown Prince of the Hillenton Empire.”

“As the Emperor has not come, you cannot come in, and you must wait here.”

“What do you mean!”

“The Larchen Empire has prepared a welcome event suitable for the Emperor that will come directly from the Hillenton Empire. However, since he did not come, the damage to the Empire is great.”

“Therefore?”

“You cannot come in until you pay the damages.”

“What do you mean!”

The minister of the military resolutely said to the angry Crown Prince that he was baffled by the nonsense.

“Do you know how much it cost us to prepare for the welcome event because of the false documents? The Emperor of the Hillenton Empire did not die, nor did he become seriously ill, but he sent the Crown Prince. Isn’t it the same as coming to declare war on Larchen?”

“What a harsh word… Isn’t it natural if the imperial family is still here?”

“Are the Emperor and the Crown Prince the same?”

“….”

The minister of the military’s word made the Crown Prince shut his mouth.

To say the same here, it would be treason against the emperor of the Hillenton Empire, and if he said they were different, he would be acknowledging their words. Even though he came here to negotiate a trade, what kind of lightning bolt was this…?

‘How the hell does Larchen know…’

He was skeptical of Berthas, though he only had a hunch but no physical evidence. Besides, just because he knew, there was no reason for Berthas to tell Larchen. He was probably just worried about fixing things after they were done.

The Crown Prince was terrified, unaware of Berthas’ heart.

“Then, what shall we do? We also have a situation…”

“That’s Hillenton’s, and Larchen’s situation is different.”

The minister of military’s words didn’t even allow a leeway.

“We are here to negotiate trade. So…”

“Then, it won’t be anymore. You can’t sit at the negotiating table with people who aren’t the ones to negotiate.”

“No, look…”

“In Larchen, there are laws of Larchen. If you come here, you must obey the laws of Larchen.”

After saying that he would not forgive any further fuss, the minister of the military turned around. The Crown Prince could not stop the minister of the military, that was already distant. It was too risky to cause a commotion here.

“What to do now, Your Highness?”

When a person who could be said to be a close associate of the Crown Prince opened his mouth, there were roars from all over. They were tired of coming here from the port. Neither were they trained to march like Berthas’ army, so they continued to groan.

In fact, if an envoy was coming from the Empire, there would be an escort from the port. No matter how close the port was to the capital, it seemed problematic that no one from the Larchen Empire was sent out for them.

“Doesn’t this really mean that we have to go back without being able to sit at the negotiating table?”

“Silence!”

When the Minister of Finance, who had joined the envoys of the Hillenton Empire, spoke, the Crown Prince, sensing an uneasy aura, closed his mouth.

It shouldn’t be like this. If he returned without any results, his position as the Crown Prince could be in jeopardy. It was also the Crown Prince’s opinion that he insisted that he would come instead of the Emperor.

Despite the fact that both Larchen and Hillenton were Empires, the Emperor agreed to his opinion as to why the emperor had to go on his own. Under these circumstances, he couldn’t even enter the capital.

It couldn’t be a big deal.

“Urgent news!”

A soldier of the Hillenton Empire, who was running from behind, delivered a letter to the Crown Prince.

“What…?”

It was an order for Berthas Hillenton to return to the battlefield as the border was being attacked.

“No, this is…”

Berthas, who took the order from the devastated Crown Prince’s hand, said to Hector, “Sir Hector. Contact the troops staying at the border right now. We will immediately join them in the front line.”

“Wait, Berthas…!”

The Crown Prince called his name.

“What’s the matter?”

“If you leave here, who will protect me!”

“Ha! Haven’t you heard that the border is being attacked?”

“I am the Crown Prince of the Hillenton Empire! Why are you going to the border in a situation where you don’t know what my safety will be?”

“I am the sword of the country. It is right to go to the border.”

“No!”

The Crown Prince said resolutely, making the messenger roll his feet.

“A battalion of wizards from the Larchen Empire is attacking the border. You must leave quickly.”

“Then, that’s the more reason I can’t send you! The border could be restored later. When you’re attacked at the border in Larcher, what would happen if I was left alone here?!”

Everyone in place opened their mouths together with the Crown Prince, who kept fussing. Was he saying that his own safety is more important than the safety of the Empire…?

…To believe that such a person was the Crown Prince?

Seeing the distrustful servants’ eyes, Berthas smiled inside.

“Then, write a new order to the messenger, that way, I can stay here.”

Hector looked at the Prince with a pitiful look as, when hearing Berthas’ words, he immediately wrote a new order and put his seal on it. He gave up his country for his own well-being. It didn’t make sense for Hector as a soldier.

Watching the messenger return with the letter in disappointment, Berthas also swallowed a laugh.

‘These people are called royalty…’

It was even more pitiful for him to kneel down to those who were not even the base of the imperial family. If he had taken that place, he would have had to do the right thing, but seeing those he couldn’t keep, Berthas couldn’t help but mourn inside.

But, what could he do…? He himself was from an Imperial Family who had renounced the throne. It was difficult for him to even be called the Imperial Family.

“For now, Sir Hector, go to the battlefield and wait for my instructions without moving too quickly.”

“Understood.”

“If there’s a chance that a large-scale magic will be fired from over there, stay back in moderation.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Hector and the other men had escaped behind Berthas. Seeing this, the prince asked him.

“Where are they going?”

“Since I’m here, shouldn’t they have to go to the battlefield?”

“…They should.”

The Crown Prince smiled laboriously and uttered so as if he couldn’t tell them to stand and protect himself as well.

Berthas sighed and opened his mouth to him.

“We can’t stay like this all the time, so we’ll have to find a place to stay.”

‘I don’t know if there are any accommodations that will accept us because the rumors have already spread.’

—

Thank you so much for always supporting the novels I work on, even if you don’t buy me a coffee, I really do appreciate it a lot. ❤︎

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