The nobles who followed him survived, and those who turned away from him were purged. Since the public had already turned away from the Imperial Family for a long time, they welcomed Berthas, who had seized power.
The Emperor and Crown Prince were driven out of the border, but they knew that they would not survive. He heard that the people of the Empire who were grinding their teeth were guarding their path.
He took his daughter in his arms and ascended the throne.
No one opened their mouths to the sight of his daughter with the same hair as Berthas. However, as soon as he sat down, the nobles opened their mouths as if they had been patiently waiting for a long time.
“Well… where is the child’s mother…”
“She couldn’t come because of circumstances.”
“Then, is the Regent not planning to marry?”
“I’m going to visit her when her country is stable, so you’d better not ask that of me.”
All the nobles shut their mouths with his resolute words.
As expected, he thought they would say that. They were noble, who kept talking about their marriages before, so it was probably more so now that they have gained power. He had kept their mouth shut for now though it seemed that the pressure would continue to come in.
It was Berthas who remembered the burden Isilis felt.
— 5 months ago.
‘Did Sir Dahan deliver the news?’
Berthas knew that it would not be easy to enter Larchen’s imperial palace in Larchen. She should have heard the news already, but it was too late. While he was contemplating whether he should send a new person to her, the princess’s body felt unwell.
Berthas continued to carry the child. He didn’t move away even for a moment. There was a separate lady-in-waiting to take care of the child though he always kept the child by his side.
It was the same while looking at the office. Unless it were a special occasion, he would hold the child while he was doing his housework, and while the child was sleeping, he would have a mobile bed and put the child next to him.
Then, one day, as usual, while holding the child in his arms and working in the throne room, he contemplated whether to send more messengers to Larchen, but the child’s body became hot.
“Doctor! Call the doctor…!”
Everyone looked at him in surprise at his cry though Berthas’ aides hurriedly sent the nobles away. As if they were being kicked out of the throne room, they whispered.
“Huh… could there be something wrong with the child who will become the Empress?”
“Maybe.”
“Then, the Regent must definitely accept a new person.”
“I guess so.”
Exchanging secret glances, the nobles went away. Seeing the backs of the nobles, Hector shook his head.
“They’re looking at me like that again.”
“I think so, too.”
He heard the words of a colleague with whom he had gone through life and death. He had to inform Berthas of the nobles’ movements, so the other companions hurriedly followed the other nobles, and Hector went back into the throne room.
“What is the matter?”
“The child has a fever.”
The doctor hurriedly came running. He had come to the throne room after hearing that there was a problem with the future Empress.
“She has a high fever.”
“May I have a look?”
“Why would I call you?”
While the doctor was examining the child, Berthas held the child’s hand beside her. She had traveled a long way for about three months, and it seemed like she had finally gotten sick. The doctor, who was closely watching the child, said to Berthas.
“I think the Regent should find a wizard, not me.”
“A wizard?”
“That’s right. It looks like the Princess is trying to manifest her magic.”
“What did you say? Mana manifestation…?”
“It is.”
When he heard that, the first person that came to his mind was Isilis. He had to let her know, but it was too easy. What would happen with the time wasted on the way to inform her? It took too long to send a messenger from a country with only a single scroll to Larchen.
“Where is the imperial wizard?”
“They resigned because of something the other day.”
He still has not filled the position of the imperial wizard, who resigned and quit because they could not serve two masters. Hillenton was a country where wizards were so precious.
“Then… are there any other wizards?”
“There is someone from Larchen.”
“From Larchen to here…?”
“That’s right.”
“What brings them here?”
“They said they were looking for someone. They haven’t found it yet, so they say they’re staying.”
“Someone?”
Hillenton was a country lacking wizards. That was why when wizards enter the capital, they must go through checkpoints.
It would have been extremely fortunate to be able to recruit wizards who frequented the capital as talented people. He wanted to recruit that wizard, but he had no choice but to give up because the wizard was a Larchen national.
“Then bring him.”
As Berthas said so, the doctor and Hector walked outside with an attendant.
In front of Berthas, who was anxious with a feverish child in his arms, a wizard who had come from Larchen appeared.
“My name is Allure from Larchen.”
‘Allure?’
Berthas tilted his head. He hadn’t heard the name before.
“Berthas, the regent of Hillenton.”
“It is an honor to meet you.”
“The child has manifested magical powers. Can you look at it?”
“I will.”
Allure went all the way to the Hillenton Empire to find the Princess. He decided to reunite with the other wizards and scattered them to each country. Even though he wandered all over Larchen, he couldn’t find the Princess, so he made one last move.
He thought that if the Princess wasn’t in Larchen, she could have gone to another empire. It was his stubbornness to search the entire world to find her.
Everyone raised their hands at the chief wizard’s insistence.
The place where he arrived was the Capital of Hillenton.
In the Capital, he carefully looked for the princess, but the result was always the same. However, all of a sudden, he was approached by a knight of the Hillenton Empire as he wandered around the capital even today.
“Are you a wizard?”
“Yes.”
“You should come with me to the Imperial Palace for a while.”
“What is the matter…”
“You will know when you go.”
Perhaps something unsavory might happen, so Allure quietly raised his magic. The knight noticed his expression but did not show anything. At the place he was guided to, he felt a strange flow of magical power.
“This is…”
“You can go in here.”
Powerful magic was leaking out.
The wizard’s atmosphere suddenly changed as he approached the child. As soon as his atmosphere changed, Berthas, who was wary of outsiders, raised his aura.
“How dare you… kidnapping the imperial family of Larchen?”
“Kidnap?”
Berthas raised his sword and cut the spell at the wizard’s action. The wizard exclaimed while Berthas carried the child.
“You villain! What are you doing by taking the princess of Larhen?!”
Berthas said a word as he looked at the wizard who was trying to regenerate his magic.
“She is the Princess of Larchen, but she is also my daughter.”
“…What?”
When the wizard looked dazed, he spoke again. In an instant, the wizard’s magic was scattered.
“I said she is my daughter.”
“Then you…”
“I am the child’s biological father.”
It was then that the feverish child began to cry bitterly. It was fortunate that the people in the audience room were Berthas’ henchmen. Everyone was surprised to learn the new fact but kept their mouths shut.
Allure hurried over and looked at the child.
“My God… it’s a manifestation of magical power. I knew the Princess would have magical powers!”
“I’ve heard the attendants say that she didn’t have magical power when she was born.”
“Nonsense! There are very few cases in which the Imperial Family of Larchen is not born with magic.”
Allure delicately controlled the child’s magic to calm it down. He tried to calm the child’s magical power as a temporary measure, but the Imperial Family of Larchen was different. His magical power was not enough.
He said to Berthas, feeling a strong sense of exhaustion from his magic that was draining away.
“Only the Imperial Family can calm the Princess’ magical power. Hurry up and contact Her Majesty!”
“To Isilis?”
“To call her name carelessly…!”
“Your Excellency! There is a commotion in the Capital!”
Berthas’ aides hurriedly raised their weapons after seeing the messenger rushing through the door.
He had only been the Regent for two months. There were nobles rising up all over Hillenton, aiming for the previous Emperor’s reinstatement. They called it a reinstatement though it was for their greed. It was the foolish idea that Berthas Hillenton had seized the throne through treason, so they could do it too.
“Go and get them all.”
“I accept your orders!”
Berthas, who gave the order to Hector, also raised his sword and stood up. Allure continued to control the magical powers.
“Please take care of my daughter.”
“To the magicians of Larchen, the imperial family of Larchen is what must be protected at the risk of our lives. Even if you don’t say that, I will, of course, protect her.”
As he stepped out the door when Allure suddenly turned his head, beads of sweat were beading on Allure’s temples.
“This… will consume all my magic power.”
— The present.
It took five months to stabilize the child’s magic. In the meantime, he asked Allure what was happening.
“Is the child here because something happened in Larchen?”
“There is trouble. The young nobles stood up to say they did not accept the rule of the Imperial Family, and the princess was almost kidnapped, but a light shined, and the Princess came here….”
“Those who live parasitically on magic do not acknowledge the rule of the Imperial Family. Are they crazy?”
Allure shut his mouth with Berthas’ low words. Even though he sent messengers to Isilis, there was no news. He wasted time catching nobles revolting everywhere, and the news from the messengers was cut off.
Someone was preventing the messengers from reaching Larchen.
The newcomer to the imperial wizard’s position took turns pouring magic power on the child, along with Allure.
After that, it was up to the attendants to take care of the two wizards who collapsed on the spot from exhaustion. Under these circumstances, it was impossible for Allure to use magic to contact Isilis. If not done right, the child’s life could be in immediate danger.
“The princess will be fine now.”
Allure, who looked like he had aged significantly, gazed at Berthas and said so.
“You suffered.”
“It’s not for you, it’s for our Empress.”
“Have you reached Isilis?”
“You! How rude! Seeing me collapse every day, do you still say that?”
“My messenger did not reach her, so I asked out of curiosity.”
A bitter smile appeared on Berthas’ face as he spoke to Allure.
If he could go, he wanted to go to Larchen right now. But it was impossible. Now that the foundation of the country was established, there were still swarms of foxes that would rush at him like crazy if he were away.
“I will take the Princess.”
—
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