Chapter 478
The Kingdom of Leon. Located in the central part of the continent, it shares a border with the Empire and is a nation that suffered a glamorous downfall due to its war with the Empire. That’s the current state of the Kingdom of Leon.
However, the Kingdom of Leon was once classified as a powerful nation. As suggested by the lion embedded in its name, it boasted considerable military might, and during its heyday, it was regarded as the conqueror of the central region, close to Armein. It once led the eastern kingdoms against the Empire as a head of the anti-Empire alliance.
In fact, the time when Leon engaged in full-fledged war with the Empire coincided with the moment the empire was newly crowned. It was a period when the Empire hadn’t yet revived, so Leon must have thought they could pummel the Empire without mercy.
But perhaps the Empire was still the Empire, or maybe the first father-in-law was a monster—whatever it was, the anti-Empire alliance, led by Leon, got whacked hard, and Leon, its leader, paid the price of becoming the loser of the central region.
Since then, due to the consequences of terrible diplomacy, it even got backstabbed by neighboring countries. Now it’s merely seen as a patient waiting for the end.
“I honestly didn’t think it would end like this.”
Yet, I never expected to hear that Leon’s bloodline would be cut off.
When the bloodline of a nation is severed, it means the royal bloodline is lost. Considering the chaos and the power struggle that ensues, you could say Leon is practically doomed now. Whether the newly ascended king can rise again or gets buried depends greatly on his capabilities.
“Isn’t there one left?”
But it didn’t make sense. I knew the royal family of Leon was scarce. I had heard that many of the direct and collateral descendants had fallen in battle, especially given the war.
Still, there remains precisely one child who could inherit the throne. To say the bloodline has been cut off implies that something happened to even that sole child. Is Leon really going insane enough to neglect the Crown Prince—not just anyone, but the Crown Prince?
And as if sensing my curiosity, Count Nerkaff spoke again.
“Leon holds a great reverence for martial prowess. Perhaps because of that, the royal and noble families regarded stepping onto the battlefield as an honor.”
I know. That was probably why the members of the royal family fell from grace.
“That culture led to many heirs perishing in battle, leaving only the youngest prince who didn’t go on the frontlines as the Crown Prince.”
“Oh.”
Only then did I realize. During Leon’s time of madness, the royal family was so consumed by their obsession with honor that all of them ended up on the battlefield. Given that, it’s far more likely that the youngest prince was kept in the palace not because they wanted to have insurance, but because they couldn’t send him out.
Even if they wanted to have a backup, they wouldn’t keep the youngest heir in reserve; it means the current Crown Prince must have had issues that prevented him from even stepping outside the palace.
For example, if he had health issues to the point where going out was a struggle.
“He’s like a Sara type.”
Thinking back, all I had heard was that there was a Crown Prince in the current Kingdom of Leon, but I had no detailed information about him. Considering I had no interest in foreign matters, that wasn’t too surprising.
Moreover, if the current Crown Prince were capable of normal activities, he should be at the age where he could have a child by now. Yet Count Nerkaff mentions that the bloodline is about to end, which indicates the Crown Prince is ailing and that there’s no child to replace him. This is information I’m only encountering today.
Every circumstance points to the Crown Prince’s frailty and the impending crisis for the Leon royal family. It seems I was the only one left in the dark.
“I really didn’t pay enough attention.”
A hint of embarrassment crept in. No matter how much I operated domestically over internationally, I could have quickly uncovered this information; I should’ve been able to deduce this truth without issue. Despite being a minister of the empire, I was woefully ignorant of international affairs.
Time to reflect. From the moment I became a minister, I wasn’t just a bureaucrat; I should be a prominent figure on the continent. It sounds self-important, but that’s the reality.
…
“It’s a disaster.”
Before long, the embarrassment morphed into a sense of helplessness. A Crown Prince that can’t even bear children? That’s indeed a major reason for bloodline extinction in Leon. As key figures from different nationalities meet, we might discuss odd happenings in neighboring countries.
However, Count Nerkaff didn’t merely assert that Leon’s bloodline might be at risk; he added the caveat of “soon,” bolstering it with the claim of being the unofficial word from the King of Armein.
“He knows something.”
It’s certain. No matter how informal, this was the Grand Marshal delivering the king’s words directly. He must have received information that the Crown Prince could kick the bucket any day now, or they couldn’t possibly joke about such matters.
And if the royal bloodline were to be severed, there would only be bloody battles afterward. No matter how rotten a kingdom is, a king is still a king. Even the purple robes are blinded with blue blood spilled everywhere.
That Armein, fully aware of this, talking about bloodlines concerning the Empire is—
“Unfortunately, it seems the last remaining Crown Prince will soon return to Enen, so we believe that the homeland must appoint wise and strong nobles to fill the vacant throne.”
This means Armein intends to intervene in the throne dispute, and—
“However, how can the king of one nation appoint another country’s king arbitrarily? We wish to seek wisdom from His Majesty the Emperor, who protects the divine mandate.”
It’s a proposal to coordinate positions because he doesn’t want to keep it all for himself.
I couldn’t believe it. I had let my guard down thinking he was visiting in a personal capacity, but I never imagined he’d make this proposal. More perplexing is why he’s coming to me and not the Emperor.
…No, I know why. If Count Nerkaff formally approaches the Emperor, it would draw the continent’s attention. From Armein’s standpoint, eager to quickly dominate Leon while coordinating secretly with the Empire, it would be best to avoid that situation.
That’s why it’s me. There have been countless foreigners visiting the club expo, so Count Nerkaff’s visit wouldn’t raise any eyebrows, and I’ve been a fixture at the Academy since two years ago. It’s highly unlikely anyone would suspect a meeting between me and Count Nerkaff.
“Damn that Academy.”
Ultimately, I couldn’t suppress my gloomy feelings and silently cried out in my heart. It’s truly a drag to deal with all this just because I’m associated with the Academy.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor’s wisdom indeed blankets the continent, and as a mere subject, I can hardly presume to speak on behalf of His Majesty.”
“An excellent point. Who on this continent could fathom the Emperor’s will?”
I managed to wrap up my message that essentially said, “I don’t have the authority to negotiate such matters, you jackass,” and Count Nerkaff ignored the word I used for expressiveness, determining that he couldn’t grasp the situation.
You scoundrel. I could get orders from the Emperor to speak on his behalf; you should just go ask him!
“…Now that I think of it, we have no pastries to go with the tea. Allow me to borrow some from the booth.”
“Thank you. It’s not urgent, so please take your time.”
Dammit.
I made my way to the quietest corner possible to pull out the communication device. Today was a day like no other; I wished fervently for a quick response from the Emperor.
And perhaps my deep desire reached the heavens, for not long after, the Emperor finally got back to me—
“Yoo─?”
“Your Majesty?”
I saw the chubby Crown Princess waving her hands around.
“Oh, it so happens that the Grand Uncle has gotten in touch. Come greet him quickly.”
“Aww!”
The Emperor’s voice followed, but his face was obscured by the Crown Princess.
What the hell is this? Did I just interrupt their family playtime by contacting them now?
“Your Majesty, I will hold her.”
“Thank you, Empress.”
Fortunately, the Empress was nearby. The Crown Princess, who had been cluttering the communication, disappeared, making the Emperor’s face visible.
“Indeed, it seems the Minister is also the grand uncle to the Crown Princess. What a coincidence to contact me while I’m with her; how wacky.”
He seemed to be in a pretty good mood, chuckling softly. Who wouldn’t be happy spending time with family?
Yet, I found it unfortunate. Only to have the Emperor’s high spirits turn sour in an instant. All thanks to the Academy.
“Your Majesty, I apologize, but I have urgent matters to discuss.”
At those words, the Emperor’s brow furrowed slightly.
It was as if he sensed something was up.
*
Upon hearing the report from the minister, I unconsciously stroked my jaw. I already knew via the Special Services report that the Crown Prince of Leon was in critical condition.
That information had come in just this morning.
“Seems Armein holds the upper hand in Leon.”
Bitter. I could only accept that while I had just learned this morning, the King of Armein had already secured that information and acted by sending unofficial envoys. I’d have to concede that Leon’s intelligence network was above that of the Empire.
However, it couldn’t be helped. The collapse of intelligence capability due to the mass hunt wars, followed by a redeployment of the Intelligence Department, and Leon being lower in priority, compounded with the temporary information lapse due to the inclusion of the Inspection Department—it was a series of misfortunes that made Special Services operate in a limited capacity.
Of course, this disadvantage should remain temporary. The Intelligence Department is planning to assign a new espionage division to the Special Services, so such incidents shouldn’t happen again in the future.
“Minister.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Command me.”
After sorting my thoughts, I opened my mouth toward the minister.
“Cooperate as long as it doesn’t harm the Empire’s national interests.”
It was a vague directive, but it was sufficient. Given that we’ve agreed to intervene with Armein, it’ll be beneficial for the Empire, regardless of the outcome.
Thus, it would be better to provide the minister with general diplomatic instructions rather than nitty-gritty details. After all, he isn’t a professional diplomat either. Right now, all we need is a broad outline, and we can deal with specific negotiations when the royal family is on the verge of being severed.
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