Chapter 461
(Kyle Calendar Year 516:
Age 23)
Flipping the Table
After
taking into account the numerous preambles, I couldn't help but brace myself
for what would come out as the 『main topic』
spoken by the old raccoon.
「Now then, I would like to move on to
the main topic of the meeting between the King of the Kyle Kingdom and
the Archduke-heika of the Westlights Demon Territory Dukedom.」
Hey
old raccoon, suddenly straightening your posture, what are you intending to
say? Moreover, changing my title back to 『Archduke』
and politely adding Heika, what is your intention?
「This is not a matter for me to speak
of, so please, Heika.」
Huh?
Why pass the baton to King Kyle here? What are you planning to have the
King himself say in his own words?
「As the King of the Kyle Kingdom,
I wish to make a request to the Archduke of the Westlights Demon
Territory Dukedom. Please allow us to welcome the Archduke's
daughter, Princess Karin, as the Princess Consort for my son, the First
Prince.」
『Haaaaah?』
What
is this middle-aged man in front of me saying? Karin is still four years
old, you know? To the Kingdom's Prince? If that happens, in the future she'll
be the Queen of the Kyle Kingdom! There's a limit to jokes!
「O-Of course, for now an
engagement... in that form is fine. The formal marriage can be when she comes
of age, no, after graduating from the academy in the Royal Capital is fine.」
No,
that's not the problem! I don't want to use Karin, no, not just Karin
but my daughters as diplomatic tools! I want to raise them to be carefree and
uninhibited, and I don't want to put unnecessary shackles on them. In the back
of my mind floated the innocent smile of Karin, who always comes flying
and begs for a hug when I return. To make such a Karin a Queen?
Moreover, even attending the Kingdom's academy has already become a set route!
「Please, I beg you!」
The
King of a country, moreover an existence above the clouds until a few years
ago, the one I pledged my loyalty to, is now pleading with enough force to
prostrate himself, but what am I supposed to do! A little while ago, it would
have been an imperial decree and the kind of matter I absolutely couldn't
refuse, but my position is different now. Of course, it's not the kind of
matter I can answer immediately either.
「If she were to become the Princess
Consort to the First Prince, and the Queen of the Kyle Kingdom in the
future, I humbly believe it would be a suitable match for the Princess-denka
of the Demon Territory Dukedom.」
It's
fine for the old raccoon to humbly think so, but I don't need to conform to
that idea! Damn it! He played his strongest card, one that would solve all the
agendas we had talked about so far all at once.
「If that happens... I will have to
protect the Kyle Kingdom and support the First Prince for the sake of my
own daughter, won't I? Right or wrong aside, excuse me for saying so, but I
feel like I've been set up.」
Yes,
just this one story completely blows away everything we've discussed so far. Of
course, that means I would lean towards voluntarily and fully supporting the
Kingdom... Which means everything we talked about up to now was a farce.
Flipping the table is putting it lightly!
「Heika and I are well aware you would say
that. However, King-heika has kept a special eye on the Archduke
since you were the second son of a Baron house, and has supported you from the
shadows all along. This is Heika's earnest wish, so please...」
Tch,
if you say that, I lose my escape route too! My feelings are strictly those of
a father; from the standpoint of someone entrusted with a country, it's natural
to accept it. But...
「As a major premise, if we get back
to the origin, Karin is a child born between the second son of a
frontier Baron and a commoner's daughter. Without bloodline magic, I do not
want to see her suffer in a disproportionate position as a father.」
Yes,
to begin with, according to the laws of the Kingdom, a child born between Anne
and me originally shouldn't have been recognized as a legitimate child. It was
avoided thanks to Yuka's consideration and Anne being appointed
as a Baron of the Kingdom at a later date, though. But there is still a
significant problem. Anne and I are not Mages, which is
considered the proof of a noble bloodline.
「That is strictly a matter of the
Kingdom, is it not? The Principality is a completely different country, and
there are no laws restricting bloodline magic. I hear there is no curse placed
on nobles either.」
「Exactly as Heika says. A
person born between a hero who became the King of a country through numerous
martial exploits, and a mother who rose to Baron through her contributions
behind the scenes; there is no way this is disproportionate.」
Certainly,
as the old raccoon says, looking at it now that's true, but she might be
ridiculed as an 『upstart』.
Especially since the higher up the Kingdom's nobles go, the more set in their
ways they are with tradition and pride.
「To begin with, I heard that
inheriting bloodline magic suitable for a King is a condition for succeeding
the throne in the Kyle Kingdom. However, there is a possibility that the
proof to succeed the throne might not manifest in a child born from a Princess
Consort who is not even a Mage, you know?」
Yes,
I've heard that during the era of the previous King, the reason the current
King, who was the youngest child, ascended to the throne from among the many
candidates for imperial succession was precisely because of that. Despite being
the legitimate Queen, for the child she bore to not even be able to become the
successor to the throne, wouldn't that be a pitiable story?
「Hahahahaha, in the face of a great
matter, such a trivial thing doesn't matter anymore now.」
Hey!
You just handsomely declared a tradition that lasted nearly five hundred years
to be a trivial matter, but... Is it okay for the very person who succeeded the
throne because of it to say that?
「Fofofo, that matter is not
stipulated in the national law either. It is like an admonition established
privately only by the royal family... when the next King accedes to the throne,
all the humans who know the admonition will probably no longer be alive.」
No,
I mean... you're talking about quite a huge matter, but that includes you (old
raccoon), right? Is it okay to be laughing!
「To begin with, our ancestor, the
first King Kyle, was also of commoner origin. I believe the Archduke,
who deciphered his biography, said so? In that case, between descendants of
people from the same homeland, what deficiency could there be?」
Tch,
before I knew it, they even brought up the story from when I deciphered the
writings left by the first King Kyle. It's true that at that time, I had
conveyed that in our homeland, Japan, both the first King Kyle and I
were commoners.
「I hear that it has already been
decided that the Princesses born this year will marry into the Griffonia
Empire and the Fearalt Principality. If so, even if the First
Princess marries into the Kyle Kingdom, it won't be outdone.」
Hey
old raccoon! Where did you hear such a story! Well, it's true that their birth
was grandly celebrated by the Empire at the New Year's banquet, and a
messenger to bless their birth came from the panicked Principality, but I
myself haven't yet agreed to the story of becoming 『relatives』 that a certain tomboy was selfishly talking about.
This
is bad... it seems I'm completely cornered. No matter how I think about it,
there's no escape for me.
「Such a grave matter is not something
that can be settled with a verbal promise on the spot, I think. I will take it
back, consult with my vassals, and consider it positively, so could you leave
it as just a talk between us for now? As a major premise, I think it is an
honor more than I deserve, so...」
「Ooh, you'll accept it!」
「Heika, with this a burden is taken off my
shoulders as well.」
I
mean, you're already rejoicing completely like 『Bride
secured!』, but it's strictly 『consider positively』, you know? Were they listening
properly?
「Haaaaah...」
I
had no choice but to let out a big sigh. How am I supposed to talk to Anne
about this? If she ends up crying, how am I...
In the end, having an unreasonable demand forced upon me just as Raymond had feared, I merely sighed and simultaneously held my head in my hands grandly. My souvenir... maybe I shouldn't bring it out?
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
-
[Gold]
B random
Nepheos
[Silver]
Corey Hicks
Creris
Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon
Jake Seagraves
Matthew Fraser
Tbaum56
Baelee
Christopher Feliciano
Ctdela
Curious Panda
nick nasca
SD Fox
Taylor King
Z
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----