“Count Beerton and the Church envoys clashed.”
With Princess Irena’s declaration, knights who protected the royal family entered.
At their appearance, silence fell upon the conference room.
“……”
A count and the church clashing.
The King looked flustered by the news the Princess delivered. The nobles, too, seemed shocked, their mouths agape as they stared at the Princess.
Some among them looked relieved, however.
It was only natural.
The nobles present belonged to the Royalists, who supported royal authority, not the Aristocrats. And Count Beerton, who clashed with the Church envoys, was the head of the Aristocrats.
Even among nobles, their claims differed.
Regardless of why Count Beerton clashed with the Church, it was clear this was not a favorable situation for the Aristocrats.
They were already uneasy due to the Aristocrats’ ever-growing influence, so this news offered a brief respite.
Of course, it was crucial to ascertain if the news was true.
King Carendia quickly dispatched someone.
As it was the Princess’s statement, the possibility of it being false was slim, but direct verification was necessary.
While everyone’s expressions shifted in real-time, someone asked Princess Irena.
“But how did you know about this, Princess?”
It was Marquis Robert, one of the Royalist nobles.
“And what about the knights behind you? You will need to explain these matters, Princess.”
At the Marquis’s words, everyone’s gaze turned back to Princess Irena.
The previous announcement had been so shocking that they had momentarily forgotten the knights positioned behind the Princess.
“That’s right, Princess. This is where His Majesty the King resides. Yet you suddenly mobilize knights! This is disrespectful!”
Another noble chimed in, agreeing with Marquis Robert.
The Princess’s actions could be construed as treason, depending on the circumstances, so it was a matter not to be taken lightly.
The Marquis quietly awaited the Princess’s response.
If Count Beerton and the Church had clashed, Marquis Robert would have known. Even giving him the benefit of the doubt and assuming he didn’t know, the fact that His Majesty the King was also unaware of the news the Princess brought was strange to Marquis Robert.
He wondered through what channels the Princess had learned of the clash between the Count and the Church.
And why did knights accompany her?
Marquis Robert entertained a negative thought.
Could she truly be plotting treason?
‘No, that cannot be.’
He dismissed the intrusive thought and demanded an explanation from the Princess.
“Marquis, is that truly important right now?”
However, Princess Irena did not readily answer the Marquis’s question.
Instead, she slowly surveyed her surroundings and continued.
“This is a matter of a noble clashing with the Church. In the current situation, is there anything more important than His Majesty the King’s safety? If it is inconvenient, I will dismiss the knights immediately.”
This was an incident that could potentially bring disaster upon the entire kingdom.
Therefore, she had summoned the royal knights.
The knights behind her were merely there to protect His Majesty the King, and she wanted to reassure them that there were no other intentions.
As the Princess spoke, the Knight Captain leading the royal knights showed a look of incomprehension.
Clearly, the command of the Knight Order belonged to the Captain.
That authority was granted by His Majesty the King. So, how could knights obey the Princess?
However, the Knight Captain could not utter a word.
“No, it is fine.”
Since His Majesty the King had already granted permission, there was no room for the Knight Captain to intervene.
Of course, Marquis Robert felt the same.
“Hmm…”
Marquis Robert, who had initially questioned the Princess, slowly nodded and lowered his posture.
Thinking about it, everything the Princess said made sense.
This clash was detrimental to the royal family.
Whether Count Beerton won or the Church envoys emerged victorious, it was problematic.
Whichever side triumphed, repercussions would soon follow.
And those repercussions would first engulf the royal family.
‘I always thought of her as just a child…’
The Marquis marveled at Princess Irena’s swift judgment and actions.
Most importantly, the Princess had used the title ‘His Majesty the King’ instead of ‘Father’ this time.
‘Perhaps she misspoke in the urgency of the situation.’
The Marquis’s expression, which had been wary of negative possibilities, softened slightly. He even felt a sense of pride in Princess Irena.
‘Perhaps it is the royal blood within her.’
The Aristocrats were creating conflict by disputing the King’s legitimacy.
They wanted the King to be a mere figurehead while they held all the kingdom’s benefits. Some even demanded the King’s abdication, but the Marquis did not share their views.
‘Even if she is from a collateral line, she is still royalty.’
The Marquis remained loyal to the royal family. And today, he saw a new side to Princess Irena.
“I also believe what the Princess has said is correct.”
The only change was that the Marquis’s title for the Princess was elevated to ‘Your Highness.’
This indicated his favorable opinion of Princess Irena. In fact, Marquis Robert smiled warmly, as if looking at his granddaughter.
However, he quickly adjusted his expression, as there was a more pressing issue to address.
“Princess, explain this incident in detail.”
The King’s voice, which had been observing the situation, finally spoke. In a solemn tone, he demanded an explanation from Princess Irena.
Although he had sent someone, it would take time for confirmation and the report to be submitted.
Every moment was precious.
Princess Irena continued her explanation in response to Carendia’s query.
“Before the clash, the Church designated Count Beerton as a heretic.”
“What! Is that true!”
At Princess Irena’s words, Marquis Robert rose from his seat.
The Church designating a noble of the kingdom as a heretic was not a trivial matter.
It was a grave issue that could potentially turn the entire kingdom against the Church.
“Why reveal such important information only now…”
If the Church declared the entire Sail Kingdom as a heretic nation, the consequences would indeed be severe.
At that point, the kingdom might have to wage war against all nations on the continent.
The Marquis muttered with a look of exhaustion.
This was not the time to be idly spending time.
The nobles were also in a tight spot.
However, no one dared to question the Princess.
After all, they wouldn’t have known about this situation if Princess Irena hadn’t informed them.
Irena smirked at the bewildered atmosphere of the nobles.
The situation she desired had been created.
Count Beerton designated as a heretic?
No. Skeleton knights were simply discovered at the Count’s mansion; he was not officially designated as a heretic.
‘But by now, they must be suspecting each other.’
The Church envoys and Count Beerton, suspecting each other, would be drawing their swords.
The Church, to eliminate the heretic.
The Count, believing he had fallen into a trap.
It was all the work of Celia and Irena.
Irena was satisfied.
The royal family had been powerless for so long. Thus, the King could not lead and was instead dragged along.
Princess Irena was no exception.
Everyone, from nobles to maids and butlers, often ignored her.
But what about now?
‘If Celia-nim were here, it would be possible!’
The kingdom was moving according to her thoughts.
Irena felt a thrill in manipulating the kingdom as she pleased.
After contracting with Celia, she had made extensive preparations.
One of them was secretly siphoning the royal knights’ equipment with Celia’s help. And using them, she infiltrated skeleton knights.
First, she infiltrated the kingdom’s interior, and then gradually infiltrated some nobles belonging to the Aristocrats.
‘They must be making moves by now.’
Unlike the Church envoys who received an invitation from Count Beerton, there was another group.
These were the Church’s Paladins who infiltrated the kingdom before the envoys officially arrived.
In essence, they were called rats, but they were not the enemy now.
‘How did Celia-nim win over the Church’s Paladins?’
She heard that she had won over the Vice Captain of the Paladins.
Of course, it was the skeleton paladin ‘Maru’ whom Deputy Leader Liana mistook for a saint and followed, but Irena was unaware of this fact.
One thing was certain: Deputy Leader Liana would soon raid the nobles.
The plan, prepared for quite some time, was finally bearing fruit.
The prepared elements were appearing on stage one by one.
And now it was her turn, as the Princess, to step onto the stage.
“So, what do you think we should do, Princess?”
The King’s voice lacked strength.
The sudden escalation of events had become a headache. Moreover, time was scarce.
Thus, the King was asking for Irena’s opinion, who had first reported the incident.
For Princess Irena, she had deliberately disclosed the information with a time lag.
The more pressing the time, the lower the probability of rational judgment.
“I will resolve this myself.”
While everyone was taken aback, Princess Irena seized the opportunity.
“However, grant me the authority to command the royal knights.”
The knights following her at this moment were merely skeleton knights in disguise; they were not the actual royal knights.
This was possible because there were no priests from the Church present.
However, once they went outside, they would inevitably confront the Church.
The skeleton knights were only needed up to this point. They were merely a tool to gain command of the royal knights.
“I will take full responsibility for the kingdom’s safety.”
Finally, she declared her responsibility for all these actions.
Now, only the King’s decision remained.
Princess Irena looked at her father, the King Carendia.
‘Father.’
There was certainly an opportunity.
In fact, she could even instigate a rebellion using the skeletons disguised as knights right now.
It was the easiest way to inherit the throne.
However, considering the future of the kingdom, the kingdom’s future was paramount.
‘Father still has things he needs to do.’
Once these events concluded, the Church would demand a major reckoning from the kingdom. The events that would unfold were by no means minor.
And at that time, someone would need to take responsibility.
‘For the future of the kingdom, you must sacrifice.’
The first person to bear responsibility would be the King of the Sail Kingdom.
The King, unaware of Princess Irena’s true intentions, made his decision.
“I understand the Princess’s decision. It was likely not an easy choice, but as a member of the royal family, the Princess must fulfill her responsibilities.”
It wasn’t just a simple clash; a noble of the kingdom had been designated as a heretic.
From now on, the royal family must actively intervene.
After all, this was not a battlefield or a dangerous combat situation, but a political issue.
It was fitting for the Princess, as a member of the royal family, to step forward.
Even if combat ensued, the Princess would not be at the forefront, so the King did not hesitate.
“I entrust all authority over the royal knights to Princess Irena! Princess, prepare yourself at once.”
At the King’s command, Irena bowed her head with a smile.
She had taken her first step.
Under the guise of preparation, the Princess excused herself from the gathering and headed directly to her room.
On her way to the room, she commanded her escort knight, Lennon.
“Lennon, I appoint you as the temporary commander for this operation. Please prepare the knights immediately.”
Although Lennon was the Princess’s escort knight, he was of commoner birth.
As Lennon was born a commoner, there might be dissenting opinions if he were to command the royal knights.
However, now that the Princess had command of the Knight Order, it was irrelevant.
‘Once this is over, everyone will be preoccupied with that.’
Moreover, she wasn’t worried about any backlash due to what was about to happen.
Lennon, as a subordinate, obeyed his mistress’s command.
“I shall obey the Princess’s command!”
Lennon knelt and assumed the posture of a knight.
He only moved after confirming that his Princess had entered the room.
‘…….’
Upon entering her room, Irena began her own preparations.
However, she was doing something else.
She retrieved parchment hidden deep beneath her bed. The parchment was filled with indecipherable characters.
Next to the parchment, she took out the corpse of a rat, a small amount of jewels, and gold.
It was the same ritual as when she first summoned Celia.
However, Irena continued her preparations. Celia had requested that the ritual be performed again if she wanted to use additional power.
– The Great One is merciful.
This ritual was not for Celia but for the Great One, she said.
And it was thanks to that Great One that she could meet Celia.
Irena had never seen the Great One, but she did not doubt their existence.
‘All of this is for the kingdom.’
‘And for the Great One!’
Once the ritual was prepared, she lit the candles as before.
Then, intending to drop a drop of blood, she raised her finger to her lips.
*Pause.*
Irena’s action stopped.
And a different thought entered her mind.
Irena did not wish to be an ordinary queen. She needed greater power.
“More power…”
Last time, she was able to contract with Celia by dripping a few drops of blood.
She had come this far in exchange for a few drops of blood.
Then, what would happen if she offered more?
Irena’s eyes became tinged with madness.
“…I need a fitting sacrifice.”
Having made up her mind, Irena took out a small paring knife from her drawer.
Then, she placed her left hand on the parchment.
Her right hand, holding the knife, trembled. But there was no time for hesitation.
Irena then plunged the knife towards her little finger.
* * *
– Special Mission Generated!
– Princess Desiring Kingship
– Assist Princess Irena in her ascension to Queen.
– Select monsters to dispatch to the Sail Kingdom. Princess Irena has offered her ‘little finger’ as a sacrifice.
– The number of dispatchable monsters to the Sail Kingdom has increased!
5★ and above monsters (0/5)
Monsters below 5★ (0/100)
– Reward: Princess Irena pledges absolute loyalty. Furthermore, the action radius of dungeon monsters will expand to the Sail Kingdom.
