Chapter 74

Kurt isn’t the only one who speaks openly. "I also feel uncomfortable with the believers surrounding the princess. The reason I don’t devote myself to the princess is because of that. It looks quite abnormal, you know."

Theo’s way of addressing the ‘princess’ is probably intentional. And believers, huh, that’s a good point. The people enchanted by the Princess Einhorn do indeed feel like believers. Some of them might even go too far.

"Theo, do you know about the kidnapping that happened two years ago?"

"I heard it from the Duke. I also knew about the troubles between the princess and Albert. It’s clear that the Duke’s plan to make them get engaged is a bad idea. But, as I said before, the Duke really dotes on the princess. So, he would naturally be very selective about her marriage partner. Ideally, he would want a family that can maintain the same living standards as the Duke’s household. That would mean either the royal family or a high-ranking noble family. I heard that things didn’t work out with the second prince. So, Albert is the only one left. The Duke’s strategy to resolve the issues between the princess and Albert by making them interact and become intimate is reasonable. But... didn’t you already realize this?"

"Yeah."

"Then it’s impossible. This kind of thing only works if you don’t realize it. It’s easier to make someone believe it’s a fateful encounter if you can build it up nicely."

"I understand that, but..."

Theo is right. The Duke’s approach isn’t necessarily bad, but it depends on the person. For a noble lady, the standard for marriage is wealth and power, but the Duke seems to include ‘love’ as well. Even if someone has wealth and power, if they are mistreated in their marriage, it’s counterproductive. The Duke probably believes that if the princess has wealth, power, and love, she will be happy.

"If you think that far, you should also consider what the princess thinks of her potential partner."

"That’s why the Duke jumped to conclusions. He seems to be reflecting on it now."

"Reflecting?"

"The response after the kidnapping wasn’t good either. His only daughter was in danger, so emotionally, he wanted to tear the culprit apart. He wanted to catch the culprit as soon as possible. But, if he was going to do that, he should have apologized to Albert first. Instead, he punished the people involved, which was a bit too hasty."

I think the enchantment is involved. It seems like he’s thinking clearly, but his emotions get out of control...

"The Duke knows he has upset Albert. The one who doesn’t understand is the heir. If someone doesn’t tell him firmly, I think the Einhorn family’s reputation will suffer."

I think the heir and others are also enchanted by the Princess Einhorn.

Hmm, what should I do?

"Theo, I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"Please advise the Duke or the Duchess about the heir. If things continue like this, the Einhorn family will be ruined. If the Einhorn family disappears, the power balance in the Kingdom of Laave will be disrupted, and other countries will take advantage."

I don’t really care what happens to the heir, but it’s not good for the Einhorn family to disappear. When Ignatz becomes king, I want to eliminate any factors that could make the Kingdom of Laave vulnerable.

To achieve this, at least one heir needs to be sane. If that’s not possible, the worst-case scenario is that all the heirs die, and the princess inherits the Duke’s family.

I don’t like playing these political games.

I’m not sure if Theo noticed my thoughts, but he looks serious.

"Alright, I’ll discuss this with my mother. She’ll be more effective."

It’s good to leave it to Matilde, but I’m worried she might go too far.

"By the way, Albert."

"Hmm?"

"Is it true that Valand is in the capital of Fulftball right now?"

"Ah, yeah. Do you want to meet him? We can go tomorrow. He’s at the Marcocius family’s workshop."

"I’m going!!"

Theo’s eyes sparkle as he eagerly responds.

"Valand’s swords are the coolest, after all. Hey, let’s have a sparring match!"

There’s another weapon enthusiast. And Valand specializes in swords. I wonder if there are any in the armory?

"Sure, but I’m not good at sparring with people."

"Huh?"

"Also, I use a bardiche, not a sword. If we do it, we’ll have to use wooden swords and long sticks."

"Huh?"

"Is Silt around? Please ask Fairvalter to prepare for the sparring match."

"I’ll let him know. Please wait a moment."

Silt, who was standing in front of the watchtower door, leaves after saying that.

I’m not good at sparring. It’s ultimately training for fighting people. I can’t complete a sparring match. I can face off and hold my weapon, but I can’t go further.

Fairvalter also uses weapons in Fulftball for hunting beasts, and for fighting people, the advice is to aim for the neck. Of course, if the head and body are separated, it’s over, so that’s the target.

But that’s for real combat. Sparring and real combat are different, so aiming for vital points is not allowed. That’s why I always fail.

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