Chapter 202: 201

Chapter 201

Connecting blood (2)

This information was flown in after the negotiations were over. However, it came just before the heads of both delegations stamped down their respective seals. The bad luck was obviously the third princeps’, not mine.

“Stop the negotiations! We must study the situation!” I exclaimed as I straightened myself at the negotiating table.

“Aren’t all the matters dealt with already! There is no such law in the world!” the empire’s envoys protested as they rose up.

“The Empire has already expressed as much sincerity as it can to correct relations with your country! This news comes at the last minute, it has no bearing on the case at hand!”

“Since his imperial Highness considers the kingdom like a brother, he decided to make many concessions. This is nothing more than a betrayal of his goodwill and fidelity!”

The envoys put up a strong protest as they pressured me. Of course, I did not swallow their seeds. Whether or not the Empire and Leonberg could deal on the basis of trust, it was they who felt the fire under their feet, not we.

I blatantly laughed at the imperial negotiators.

“Don’t forget that the Empire is not proposing peace from fear of the kingdom,” one of the imperial ambassadors threatened me as he shook in indignation.

“Okay? Then we go ahead,” I stated.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“The war.”

The imperial ambassadors had constantly been whining; they now shut their mouths at once.

“Do you have any wishes?” one of the representatives asked after hesitating, having observed the situation.

“You are the ones with the wishes,” came my reply, saying that it was the Empire that wanted something and the Empire that had to decide what it was willing to trade in order to get what it wanted.

“We will come back again.”

The imperial representatives nodded in agreement and stood up. They seemed to have realized that there was nothing more to gain by talking.

“If you’re coming again, fill your luggage as much as possible. There will be no time to come and go,” I told them.

“We will keep that in mind.”

The envoys left the fortress. And while they left, the Sky Knights started arriving one after another to deliver news after spying on the imperial mainland.

They said that a large number of nobles who had followed the third princeps have defected to the fifth princeps’ side. The knights told me that the Empire’s western territory had already fallen into the hands of the fifth princeps. Rumor had it that he was expanding his power base incredibly quickly, and its foundation was the might of the Imperial Spire.

The Spire wasn’t a simple social gathering place for wizards, nor was it a temporarily assembled group of magic users who acted for the sake of their realm.

One of the most ancient institutions in the world: This was the Spire. The mysteries, power, and wealth they have accumulated through the ages made them a force to be reckoned with. I now had to think differently about the imperial civil war, which I had expected to end soon.

“It is said that those of the Spire are recruiting mercenaries by expending enormous funds.”

“The number of mercenaries they have recruited so far have reached about twenty legions.”

All the information delivered by the Sky Knights pointed to a prolongation of the civil war.

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“Hwaryong, Leonberg, and Dotrin. And now the Spire. Is this the most chaotic age of the Empire?”

I had predicted that confusion would soon come, but the shape it was taking was far different from what I had expected. It was extremely surprising.

But the situation wasn’t bad; the greater the confusion in the Empire, the better off was Leonberg. I was curious, though… What the hell did the fifth princeps use to bake and boil those hardass wizards?

The mages weren’t very active in secular affairs unrelated to the mysteries they pursued.

The Sky Knight spoke on about the discord between the imperial family and the Imperial Spire.

It was said that the wizards were dissatisfied with the emperor compulsively recruiting wizards to take part in the Dotrin invasions, and so they decided to curb the Burgundy family’s power. The rumors went that the fifth princeps did not control the Spire; that they had rather caused the civil war by using the princeps as a proxy. This was a far more plausible reason for the high lords and wizards to be beset by group mania and grasp for power suddenly.

I decided that the rumors could not be true in practice, however.

The fifth princeps was not as greedy as the third. He was not idiotic enough to set a precedent for the Spire to interfere in the imperial family’s affairs.

There must have been a deal done under the table. The problem was that I was not sure what that deal was at the moment.

“Continue to seek information. Deliver everything to me without fail, even if it’s just a vague rumor.”

It was a tense situation for me. We had almost concluded the negotiations. If I were wrong, if I had made a mistake, we would lose our chance. That is why I told the Sky Knights to deliver all information to me without leaving anything out.

The knight was about to leave when he looked back at me, remembering something.

“The reason for the fifth princeps to start the war is a bit odd. As a Burgundy by blood, he declared himself a rebel, saying it was to fix the Empire’s faults. In the process, he criticized the emperor, defining him as a wicked man who walks an inhumane path.”

It was an unexpected story to hear. I had thought the reason for the rebellion was that the fifth princeps did not want his trashy brother to become emperor and consume the Empire.

“Of course, he did not forget to mention the qualities of the third princeps. It is said that his tone when criticizing the emperor was much stronger, however. The gist of it was that the emperor was responsible for all the calamities taking place in the Empire.”

It wasn’t strange to hear that the rebel decried his father for his moral flaws. It was indeed a time when many tribulations were occurring in the Empire.

It is called a nosering when in the nose and an earring when hanging from an ear. There was no situation more ideal in which to bite and rip into the monarch’s virtues, or lack of them. If that was all there was to it; I would have heard his report and left it at that.

“The princeps said that the current emperor will be the death of the Empire, that his reign cannot be allowed.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“He said he wants to end the emperor’s reign?”

“Yeah. He said that as long as the emperor endured, the calamities would not end. The princeps said that it was his great duty to correct things.”

It was a strangely gritty thing to hear. The Sky Knight left after saying a few more things, his mood looking somewhat subdued. Even after he left, I could not get rid of my worries.

I felt like I had missed something important, but I didn’t know what it was, so my concern grew greater and greater. While I was in such a state, the third princeps’ envoy arrived at the citadel again.

Naturally, my tone and attitude became sharp. The envoys were desperate to somehow bring the negotiations to a close, and I took note of that. I treated them with apathy throughout the day, so it was natural that the negotiating pace was sluggish.

“Your Highness, leave the negotiations to us and take a break.”

My staff came and suggested it was time to stop, that things were going nowhere. I could no longer talk to these envoys, knowing that they would not negotiate properly by offering the right incentives.

These were the matters of the Empire and therefore fell under the purview of the Burgundy imperial family. I figured that it was better to talk with the persons concerned rather than with envoys alone. I wanted one with Burgundy blood to be called to the table in the near future.

“Tell the princeps: Let’s meet in person.”

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Soon after I had spoken to the negotiators, a close friend of the princeps came as a messenger.

“The princeps accepted the offer.”

It seemed that the princeps figured it was better to meet Leonberg’s top decision-makers in person, and because of our previous relationship, he accepted my offer.

And so a meeting was scheduled between the heads of both sides. Its location was in the wasteland between the Gifted Lion Citadel and the 41st Imperial Legion’s fortress. Legions from both sides stood facing each other across the border.

I saw the Imperial Army in the distance. The third princeps was there, surrounded by knights.

He looked to be in a poor mood, even from a distance. I was sure that he wanted to return to the mainland as soon as possible and that he was angry that I had grabbed him by his ankles.

“Fuck them! You guys couldn’t have done things worse, and now I must be bothered! You are all useless!”

So great was the third princeps’ anger that I heard him shouting from afar. The imperial knights and nobles were trying to calm the princeps down ahead of the talks. I observed the distant scene.

The behavior of the third princeps was truly unrestrained as he kicked noble asses or spat curses. It seemed that his qualities were insufficient to manage a small family, not even speaking of an empire. If I could see this, so could others; it was far too obvious.

How could the emperor see it any differently? And why did he leave the princeps to grow into the most probable successor to the throne?

I would surely have known my son’s nature were I the emperor. The emperor must surely know that the moment the third princeps gained the throne, the Empire would collapse into rubble.

He could have pruned the shoots if he wanted; he could have secured the structure of succession by protecting a competent princeps. And yet, the emperor stood on the side of the third princeps, as if it didn’t matter who succeeded to the throne. It was hard to understand.

While that question continued to trouble my mind, the third princeps came forward with a group of knights.

“Your Highness.”

My knights, who watched him approach, asked if it was our turn to advance.

“Go.”

With Quéon and the Black Lancers in front, we headed to the empty field where the princeps was waiting.

“Because you are my brother, I made a lot of concessions. Don’t test my patience further.”

This was how the third princeps greeted me as he sat down before the negotiating table that stood on the field. Instead of answering the third princeps, I sat down and gave him a provocative look.

The princeps’ face turned red as he noticed my attitude. It was regrettable that he didn’t have a seizure right there and then. Rather, he started speaking in a growling voice.

“I will accept almost any terms you demand. If you ask for a citadel, I’ll give it to you. If you want the land, it’s yours. Just don’t overdo it. I don’t want to have to take back what I’ve given you in the future.”

Our unlikely play-acting as siblings was ended immediately; the third princeps was openly hostile to me. I also had no intention of playing the game anymore.

“I will only ask once,” the princeps stated. He was genuinely angry that a prince of a small country was proudly standing against him.

“Make your demands,” he said. “But if you waste my time with useless things after hearing my answer, I will not tolerate it further.”

I shook my head with vigor and asked the princeps, “What is the emperor thinking?”

The third princeps’ eyes widened when I asked my blunt question, and he pointed at me.

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“This guy! He is the Emperor of the Burgundy Empire! He’s not one who wants to talk to some border prince in the barren countryside!”

“If you want to become emperor, you’d better answer my questions.”

“Hah!” the third princeps exclaimed as if having a seizure of anger. I waited patiently. It was the princeps that was being chased by time, not me.

After I waited for a while, the princeps managed to calm his anger and spoke.

“I don’t understand the intent of your question. You want to know his Majesty’s intentions?”

“I mean, the Empire is in chaos, so why isn’t he moving?”

The third princeps laughed.

“Don’t look down upon the Empire. It is still strong. It is impossible for such a little conflict to have any influence on the long history and great power of the Empire.”

“So, I’m asking why he’s not using that great power.”

“To a prince from some small village country, the turmoil seems great. But you should know – the current uprising is nothing but a trivial thing, and it will end as if it never happened the moment his Majesty moves.”

The third princeps – like the idiot he was – didn’t understand the point of my question as he continued to laud the Empire’s greatness.

“My question seems difficult for you to grasp. So, why did the great emperor remain silent and allow things to reach this point? If he wanted to, it would’ve been an easy job to designate one of the principes as the successor to the throne.”

The princeps laughed, only now understanding my question.

“It is the decision of the emperor of the great Empire. The Empire does not allow the unqualified to rise to the throne.”

The man who said this was the epitome of being unqualified, so his statement was absurd. The third princeps named the theory of survival of the fittest, and I had no idea where he had picked that idea up.

“We of the Burgundy imperial family believe that, if you are truly outstanding, you will eventually reach the highest place, no matter how rough the storm. That belief has never betrayed those with Burgundy blood.”

The princeps seemed to be the only person who did not know that this would be the first time in history that the Empire was betrayed by that belief.

“You are a prince from a lesser country which maintains its ruling family by adhering to the principle that succession goes to the firstborn. You will not understand. The fact is that the lineage of our monarchs is determined by heaven itself.”

I was about to end the conversation with the self-indulgent princeps at this point.

I wanted to; I tried… I couldn’t.

“There are many kings in this world.”

My heart rang out, feeling stretched, as the third princeps spoke.

“The only true monarch is Burgundy.”

Such great energy flowed along with the words of the idiot princeps who couldn’t even take a proper shit, the princeps who was trembling with anxiety. My eyes widened as I looked at him.

There was nothing special to be seen on the nervous and arrogant man’s face.

But I knew: It was no illusion, that vibrating energy and the pounding of my heart I had felt moments ago. It was a deep ripple of karma and spirit, scattered so far throughout the world that its origin remained unknown. Even if it existed under a veneer of insignificance, the power of the energy could have reached anywhere.

It was obviously a [Mythic] poem.

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“That is the truth about the Burgundy imperial family, which has forged and supports the Millennium Empire,” the third princeps chattered on with an arrogant face. He didn’t even seem aware of what had happened moments ago.

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