Chapter 111. Childhood Friend – Audience
A few days later, Lev entered the palace with Marquis Harvey Guidan.
It was his first time entering so boldly through the main gate, so Lev glanced around.
The Nevis Palace was sparkling, as extravagant as the Lutina Palace of the Conrad Kingdom.
There was a subtle competitive spirit between the Orun Kingdom and the Conrad Kingdom.
The two wealthy kingdoms, occupying the warm and fertile south, spared no expense in showcasing their wealth, not knowing that the two kingdoms were originally one.
“I will exchange swords with you.”
At that moment, a palace guard approached.
He took Lev’s sword as a sign of his subordinate position and handed him an old sword that was light for combat but lacked killing power.
Except for certain figures in the knights like the Knight Commander and the Deputy Commander, as well as the palace guards and knights guarding the palace, no one could carry their own weapons at the palace.
This was a common practice in any kingdom, so Lev obediently took the sword.
Harvey and Lev walked through the magnificent corridors for a while.
Unlike the Lutina Palace, which was almost devoid of interconnected halls due to the way halls were adjoined to each other, the Nevis Palace had corridors that were cool and spacious.
Elegant tables and vases were placed in the middle of the white marble corridors, with large doors sporadically decorating the sides.
Each corridor led to different halls or rooms. Of course, there was no reason for Harvey and Lev to turn into those halls.
As they approached the king’s chamber, which was located at the very end of a straight path since entering through the main gate, they finally arrived at a giant door made of solid bronze, typical of the Orun Kingdom.
The mountainous Orun Kingdom, though inconvenient in transportation, was once known as the melting pot during the Achaean Empire period due to its abundant mineral production.
“The Marquis Harvey Guidan has arrived.”
The herald recognized the Marquis Guidan and announced his arrival beyond the door.
Upon receiving permission with a nod, the heavy door unfolded to the sides. And there, in the distance, the king was visible.
‘He really made it pompously.’ Lev muttered. The king’s hall was grand, with stairs being added gradually with every twenty steps walked.
To approach the king, one had to climb five stairs, and as Lev followed Harvey, a message flashed in his mind.
[ Achievement: 1/7 Kings ]
‘Oh… damn…’
“May the glory of the Lognum Mountains be upon you. The Marquis Guidan has come to meet Lognum.”
When Harvey attempted to kneel, the king raised his hand.
“You are always too polite.”
“I apologize.”
Abram de Lognum. The king, with deep black eyes like an abyss, silver hair scattered like lion-maned, had a heavy demeanor.
However, being an old man, the weariness of time was more apparent than his youthful zeal, with loose skin under his eyes stealing his vitality. He had a wheeled desk in front of his throne, indicating he was examining reports.
“Yes. What brings you here? Oh, but first, congratulations. I heard there was a recent celebration…”
The king corrected his posture as he trailed off. His deep eyes contained only pure congratulations, but it was actually an interrogation.
‘Are you not just daydreaming despite being granted the heavy position of Margrave?’
“I do not think so.”
Harvey calmly deflected the veiled inquiry.
He chose a mundane tone without showing any sign of concern, lest a misunderstanding arise without indicating any particular manner.
However, the old king’s inquiry flowed smoothly.
“Is that so? I heard Lord Tertan’s attendant crossed the border. That should signify a significant development, shouldn’t it? It’s disappointing that such significant events were not forewarned.”
When the king chuckled, Harvey returned a faint smile.
“It is merely an exchange between young people. It is a small matter to discuss about kids.”
“…I see. But I heard his ward brought about fifteen knights with him. I’m sure Lord Harvey exhibited dignified behavior matching his rank, right?”
As the two authorities continued their conversation, Lev, standing behind Harvey, cautiously scanned the king. That’s the king.
While portraying nothing but kindness and appearing indifferent, the Marquis subtly threw crucial information to propel Harvey forward.
He was the ruler of one-seventh of the continent.
And he was supposed to be the ultimate target to charm… Lev sighed inwardly. ‘As expected… it won’t be easy.’
The king with silver hair received tremendous protection.
Three rubies in the crown made of red gold contained divine power, while eighteen carnelians held blessings. The two rings and brooch contained achievements, and eternal blessings adorned the old body.
It appeared to be merely flamboyant attire and dignified bearing at first glance, but Lev felt it.
The perfect divine power stored in that entity, akin to a dodecahedron, gazing down faintly at the incomplete divine power of Barbatos.
That was impenetrable. Well, one could perhaps penetrate it, but… It was futile to use all accumulated life force even if trying to break through.
‘Would I rather kill him?’
Was it a rebellious spirit against the plan going awry? Extreme thoughts crossed his mind.
Breaking the arrogant old man’s skull was no difficult task compared to seducing him. If he had to, he could physically beat him to death.
‘No, no. What am I thinking?’
But he wasn’t planning a rebellion anyway, was he? With the power of [Enthralling Eyes], he had planned to handle things easily, but Plan B of overthrowing the throne through rebellion still remained valid.
The idea of killing the old man from Lev took a step back. He couldn’t tell who he was stepping back from, but in any case, seducing the king now seemed impossible.
What could have been a simple matter was distorted by the “dirty old man,” adding more tasks to his list. He needed to look into ways to incite a rebellion, and more sacrifices were required.
“The princes have arrived.”
At that moment, the herald announced the princes’ arrival.
“Greetings, Your Highnesses.”
The king, who was happily discussing Harvey and the military training at the border, smiled graciously and granted permission.
Then, two princes strode confidently into the hall.
“Father! Greetings.”
“Brother, as father is busy with official duties, we should speak with proper decorum. Your Majesty, greetings.”
“Haha, come here quickly.”
[Achievement: Meeting Aeton de Lognum – Obtained slight favor from all nobles serving the Lognum royal family. Obtained slight favor from Aeton de Lognum.]
[Achievement: Meeting Algeo de Lognum – Obtained slight favor from all nobles serving the Lognum royal family. Obtained slight favor from Algeo de Lognum.]
Without realizing it, Lev gnashed his teeth.
He turned to confirm the vile faces of the princes who seemed resolved to capture him someday. However, the princes looked quite different from what he had imagined.
They didn’t have the appearance that a despicable human who mocked noble youths and treated concubines like playthings should have.
They were handsomely well-groomed, both of them. The meeting of noble women and royal men over centuries had created a superior lineage, ensuring their royal dignity.
Born as twins, the two princes were dignified, with neatly groomed dark hair, straight noses like mountain ridges, embodying the dignity of the Lognum royal family.
Their black, serene eyes exuded such deep trust that anyone meeting their gaze would feel it, but their forced smiles were a flaw.
Lev understood why the king cherished these late-born princes. Young men exuding the aura of heroes, who else could ascend the throne if not them?
Was that the reason? It made him angrier.
Those split-faced kids embraced Lena.
They used my life as a pawn, turning her into a toy, a victim of vile politics.
Suddenly, Lev drew his sword. He imagined stabbing an invisible sword into the back of the prince greeting the king.
I want to kill him. Right now!
As he struggled with the impulse, the princes exchanged greetings with Marquis Guidan and turned towards him.
“Nice to see you again, Lord Harvey.”
“…Yes, it’s been a while.”
“We heard good news from your daughter. The delays were because of that, right?”
“Truly regrettable. Lady Guidan is truly beautiful and wise, but it seems my inadequacies were not chosen.”
Despite Marquis’s attempts to defend her daughter against their hasty remarks, the two princes interjected without giving her a chance to speak.
“Oh, that’s the case for me as well. Being a concubine of the Conrad Kingdom, it’s not easy to be noticed by the Lognum royal family, is it? We understand your choice, Lord Harvey.”
“Indeed, you should… I should learn from my brother… I still haven’t forgotten about Lady Guidan”
Eventually, the king intervened.
“Haha… that’s enough. Are you not putting Lord Harvey in a difficult position? And Lady Guidan’s visit wasn’t meant for marriage negotiations.”
“Really?”
When the second prince, Algeo de Lognum, asked, surprised, Marquis glanced at Lev and responded slyly.
“Yes. My daughter did not go to be engaged. It was merely for the exchange, as it will help address some issues at the border. She should be on her way back now.”
“Oh! I see. I apologize. We made hasty judgments. But…”
The first prince, Aeton de Lognum, caught Lev’s gaze following Marquis’s glance.
“…You seem to be an impressive knight. Very young yet reliable.”
“Oh? Did my brother also think so?”
[Achievement: First meeting with the princes – Obtained slight favor from all princes.]
The achievements seemed to overlap.
Though slight, two achievements were simultaneously activated for the princes.
However, after exchanging a few compliments about Lev through Marquis, they lost interest. After all, what could princes be interested in concerning another family’s knight? Following that, the princes subtly courted him. Encouraging to quickly marry off their daughter and join hands, emphasizing various benefits.
However, everyone there knew very well that it was not an encouragement but a threat. If the princes read upside down the benefits offered by the princes, they would immediately grab the leash of the Guidan noble family.
For instance, there was a proposal suggesting that widening the road in the Guidan territory placed along the way from Nevis to the Belita Kingdom would be beneficial for commercial activities…
The road between territories was a facility entirely under the authority of the royal family, which levied taxes for maintaining and improving it.
Therefore, the motives of the princes mentioning the road were obvious.
They could use the excuse of bandit attacks to block it, or they could leave it unmanaged, leading to chaos.
There was also a somewhat shameless proposal that if Harriet were to join their family, she could keep her surname as Guidan without changing it to Lognum.
Usually, if a member of the royal family heard such words, it would be a matter of great joy. Ensuring that a daughter who marries does not follow her husband’s surname is a public declaration of respect for her family.
However, since there was no successor to the Guidan fief, a different interpretation was necessary.
At some point, they would bring in outsiders to be heirs to the family, and there was a concern that if Harriet continued to carry the surname ‘Guidan’, it could cause trouble.
This was a subtle form of coercion.
It subtly made one think about the future of the successor and was a way of saying, ‘Send Harriet into a marriage and appeal to our mercy’.
Marquis Harvey clearly understood this, but he delayed his response with a soft smile. Eventually, he and Lev departed politely outside the court, following behind the king and the princes.
As they walked down the corridor, the Marquis quietly asked, “Have you obtained what you desired?”
“Yes. However, it will take some time.”
“…It is difficult to understand what goal you are seeking, Lord Lev, but I believe.”
Perhaps he was a little angry being pestered by the princes, as there was a sharpness in his voice.
“However, please inform me before Harriet arrives. The girl will return within two months at the latest. Then those princes will pressure me again. At that time, I will also have to make a choice.”
Following Lev, the Marquis briefly looked back at his back.
His fascination with him had not waned. There was no message saying that the count of merits in the master-slave relationship had decreased.
He was concerned about his daughter’s future regardless of infatuation or loyalty.
“You don’t need to worry.”
However, Lev’s brief response did not offer any explanation.
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