Chapter 45

A few days after the battle for Brain Fortress, in the palace of Zain.

"…So, Raidor has won, has he?"

"Yes! The fighting prowess of His Royal Highness was truly legendary! He fought magnificently as the wielder of the holy sword, without disgracing himself!"

King Granado Zain, upon hearing the report from the messenger who had been sent from the fortress, covered his face with his right hand.

The expression on his hidden face was clearly unamused, and his stern look made it hard to believe he was hearing news of a victory.

Unaware of the king's gloomy change in demeanor, the soldier-messenger excitedly detailed the battle.

"His Highness parried the lightning released by the enemy holy sword wielder with a jet-black slash, and then countered with a decisive blow... Normally, we should have assisted, but no one could intervene due to the overwhelming intensity of the two combatants..."

"…That's enough."

"Huh?"

"I said, that's enough. You may leave."

Granado waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a dog, and ordered the soldier to leave.

The soldier, though puzzled, had no choice but to obey the sovereign's command, and left the throne room with a pout, dissatisfied at not being able to finish his heroic tale.

Once the soldier was gone, Lockwood, who had been listening to the report beside the king, spoke up.

"At least the threat from the empire has been averted for now, Your Majesty Granado."

"Yes, truly a cause for celebration."

The king's face, however, twisted in dissatisfaction, contrary to his words.

His complex expression clearly showed both the joy of the kingdom's victory and the inferiority complex he felt due to his despised younger brother's success.

"If only that foolish brother of mine had fallen in battle with the enemy, there would have been nothing to complain about."

Granado folded his arms in front of his chest and muttered these honest words. Lockwood's lips twitched at the content of his words.

"Your Majesty, that is a bit too much..."

"I am not saying anything wrong. Now that the imperial threat has passed, he is nothing but a dangerous element."

"That cannot be denied..."

With no need to maintain pretenses, Lockwood grimaced at the king's words.

(This... reconciliation is impossible now.)

Lockwood wished that Granado and Raidor, the two brothers, could reconcile and rebuild the war-torn kingdom together.

If Granado had handled the politics and Raidor the military, complementing each other, the Kingdom of Zain would undoubtedly have flourished even more.

For that to happen, Granado would have to at least bow his head and apologize to his brother, but given Granado's current attitude, that possibility was nonexistent.

(Raidor did indeed seem to harbor hatred, but he was also rational. He was not consumed by revenge. I thought that if the king, even informally, apologized for treating him with contempt, there might have been a chance...)

Granado no longer saw Raidor as his brother. He only saw him as a political rival threatening his throne.

For Lockwood, who knew the once harmonious relationship between the brothers, this was a frustrating situation.

As if sensing the chancellor's inner thoughts, Granado, seated on the throne, glared sharply at Lockwood.

"Chancellor, I am the king of this country. Do not think too much."

"…Of course, I understand."

"He even cursed me. Think of him as a traitor who endangers the country."

"Understood..."

The curse mark was still etched on Granado's chest.

The court mages were working tirelessly to remove the curse, but the spell Raidor used was entirely different from the contract curses typically used on slaves and criminals, making it difficult to even analyze.

Even the head court mage, the elderly Babaroa, had thrown up his hands in frustration, his white-bearded face showing his distress.

"Most likely, it is a spell from over two hundred years ago. Most of the documents from that time were lost due to the witch's calamity, and it might take at least half a year to remove the curse. Indeed, where did His Royal Highness acquire such a spell?"

Despite this, Babaroa continued to work tirelessly, and Lockwood was worried about the old man's health.

"Once the curse is lifted, I will have Raidor executed as a traitor. Prepare for it now."

"…Your Majesty, the empire's intentions are still unclear. They might send more troops and attack. It might be premature to execute His Royal Highness."

Granado's merciless order made Lockwood shake his head solemnly.

"Did we not capture the empire's holy sword wielder? We can use her as a hostage to negotiate peace. If we can avoid war, he will have no value."

"……"

Would it really go that smoothly?

Lockwood asked himself.

Indeed, capturing the imperial princess and holy sword wielder, Sylia von Arsline, would be a significant bargaining chip.

If it weren't for the issue with his brother, the highly capable Granado's negotiation skills would make securing peace relatively easy.

(But... that was in the previous emperor's time.)

Zacharius van Arsline, who became emperor a few years ago, was rumored to be hungry for war.

He had killed the peace-loving previous emperor, usurped the throne, and was waging wars across the continent for domination. Would a straightforward negotiation really work with such a man?

(We cannot kill His Royal Highness Raidor in the worst-case scenario... there are still two more holy swords in the empire.)

It would be better if the curse never lifted.

While thinking such unbecoming thoughts as a minister, Lockwood racked his brain for words to soothe his lord.

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