Chapter 66: Start Moving (Otou-sama’s POV)

“He said that he can’t give you permission,” the person, who was dispatched as the messenger looked apologetic, but it wasn’t his fault.

“On top of that, I’ve been ordered to send someone who could provide more details straight away?”

“Yes.”

The messenger didn’t directly meet the King. It’s an annoying game of Chinese whispers.

“Should I have gone myself?”

Still, someone from the Four Marquis Houses can meet with the King directly if a message is sent beforehand. However, such an opportunity is rare, and I rarely exercise my privilege. 

“It’s inevitable. Thanks for your hard work.” I thanked the messenger, leant back on my chair and sighed. Was I too hasty? Maybe I should have made the necessary arrangements first. I reflected.

However, I couldn’t make a plan without waiting for the investigator’s report. Even the King knows that my daughter had been kidnapped. I reported this to him myself.

If things were going to be like this, then I wish I had listened to the King’s selfishness and let Lei meet his grandson. He might’ve thought of her a little more warmly if I had let them meet.

Did not letting her meet anyone and enclosing her backfire after all? But I didn’t want to share the time I had with Lei with anyone else, so it couldn’t be helped.

I heard a knock at the door while I was thinking. I told the person to enter, and Jude appeared. Jude, who is usually calm, looked a little pale.

“What’s wrong? Is it the messenger from the castle?”

“Yes, mm…”

“I’m coming in.”

“Ah, please wait!”

The person who had entered without waiting for Jude’s reply…

“Your Highness!”

Shiny blonde hair and blue eyes. The Crown Prince of the still active King. I hastily got up from my chair.

“Aren’t you walking around too freely?”

“What do I have to be reserved about when I’m visiting one of the Four Marquis Houses?”

You’re too unreserved. I wish your unreserved actions would help me in my search for Lei. 

He must have realised the opinion that I didn’t voice, because he explained, “The Royal family can’t support the Four Marquises at all. You know this, right?”

“How about giving equal support for everything?”

“We’ve left the Marquises to their own devices as much as we could, Albans.”

It seems like things can’t go conveniently for me. 

“Jude, prepare tea in the parlour,” I spoke to Jude and properly showed the Prince to a place where he could sit. Anyway, I have to ask him why I can’t get permission.

Tea and snacks were immediately prepared in the parlour. I gradually got frustrated at the Prince, who was gracefully drinking his tea without saying anything.

“So, Your Highness. Please carry out your duties as a messenger.”

“You’re treating me so rudely all of a sudden.”

The smiling Prince is called Lambert. He’s 25 years old. In terms of the Four Marquises, he is in the same generation as the next generation of the Remington House. Stan and I went to school together for a bit. And after I graduated, the Prince entered. When the Prince graduated, Marcus entered the Academy.

In other words, I don’t know him that well. Honestly, I wasn’t interested in him either.

“Well, it’s fine. Everyone knows that this is how Albans is. Why did you not get permission? Because we might have a new job for the Four Marquises.”

“New job?”

I have no idea what he’s on about.

“A messenger came from the Royal Family of Wester last week.”

Wester. I couldn’t help but react to that word.

“Apparently, Wester has plans to reactivate the big ancient barrier.”

Ancient barrier. I squeezed the information from the corner of my brain.

“So in short, they want to spread barriers around each town?”

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“As expected of someone who trades in magic tools.”

Even if a younger person compliments me, it only feels unpleasant.

“Shouldn’t they just do it if they want to do it?”

“Apparently they don’t have enough magic.”

“Then why don’t they stop?”

“You’re too blunt.”

The Prince shrugged his shoulders, but what does this have to do with not being able to pick up Lei?

“The next generation of the Wester Royal family have a lot of magic. They have also been collecting strong magic users and have covered nearly 80% of the magic they need.”

“That’s good.”

“It’s not someone else’s business.”

The Prince finally got serious.

“There are two children in Wester who have enough magic to cover the remaining 20%.”

“Children? Two?”

“One has summery-blue eyes and the other violet eyes.”

I stood up from my chair with a bang.

“Don’t tell me… It’s Lei?! Are they trying to take advantage of Lei?!”

“Calm down, Albans. Calm down. I didn’t say that.”

“Then what do you mean?”

The Prince remained seated on his chair as he leaned a little forward.

“Well, they said they would protect the children, but they want Kingdom to dispatch strong magic users at fixed intervals in exchange for them.”

“How sneaky of them!”

I was in front of the Prince, but I hit my fist into the palm of my other hands. Wester, is it? Why do they want to be trapped in a barrier? People say that living without a barrier is hard, but they have set up systems so that they could live safely. Why do they think it’s inferior to Kingdom?

If they want to use Lei, then I’ll first cut off their magic stone purchases. It might not be enough for a while, but I can switch the magic stones with Farland’s. Next, I have to stop exporting magic tools. I’ll completely stop the lives of those who want to use Lei.

“Albans.”

I’ll also have to intervene with the other exports and imports. 

“Albans!”

I was taken aback.

“You’re probably thinking something dangerous right now. Don’t use the power of the Albans which is not only part of the Four Marquises, but also a large business, for such reckless things.”

“But…”

“No buts. Listen to me. The other child is probably the illegitimate child of the Lisburn House who we can’t seem to find news on. And they’re both at Lentforce.”

“Lentforce!”

“The town where you’re trying to send that search party,” the Prince said as if he was giving me more details.

“Wester’s Royal family have already gone to meet them at Lentforce. They will protect the two children all the way to Wester’s capital, so they want the Lisburn’ and Albans’ to come and pick them up, and fill the magic stone while they’re at it. That’s how it is.”

Lei will still be safe even if no one goes to get her. However, wouldn’t that mean inviting new problems to Kingdom? We’re behind on everything. If only I’d acted faster. I clenched my fist.

“Albans, stop. This isn’t like you,” I looked up when I heard the Prince’s voice.

“If you participate in the meeting with those feelings, then the supervision department will manipulate you.”

“I’m…”

That’s right. I’m the Four Marquises’ Albans. I will fulfil my duties, but I’m not a slave to Kingdom. 

“Wester is to blame for not ensuring Lei’s safety and allowing criminals to run wild and endanger noble children. I was going to go pick her up even if they don’t protect her. They did something unnecessary.”

“Aren’t you being too arrogant, Albans?”

The Prince laughed, then he went back to looking serious and said, “Eventually, your daughter would be protected. Even if you go to pick her up now, you’ll just miss each other, and the power of the Albans will be dispersed. And Wester would still put in this request even without your daughter. We have to think about the problem separately.”

“Kingdom and Frontier. The power relationship between these two are about to change. It’s time for us to seriously consider what we can do to protect the people of Kingdom.”

The Prince stood up.

“Next week, we will hold a meeting with the royal family, the Four Marquises, the nobles and the supervision department. Anyhow, your daughter will return. Focus on next week’s meeting.”

“Noted.” I opened my eyes, straightened my sitting position and accepted.

I was called to a round-table conference that was only held whenever Kingdom is in a state of emergency.