Chapter 49

The battle for Brain Fortress was won by the Kingdom of Zain, thanks to the power of Raidor and the Holy Sword Dainsleif.

As a result, the Western invasion army of the Arsline Empire retreated to the Varmes Fortress on the border, and for the time being, the Kingdom of Zain overcame the crisis of its downfall.

The Kingdom of Zain's army achieved a great victory by capturing the imperial princess, Seria Arsline, as a prisoner.

This news quickly spread throughout the capital. The residents, who had been in a gloomy mood due to the previous defeats, erupted in celebration at the unexpected news of victory.

"Haha, serve you right, Empire!"

"Long live the Kingdom of Zain! Long live King Granado!"

"No, no, this is all thanks to Prince Raidor's bravery! He truly is the hero of the Holy Sword!"

Amid the joyous cheers of the capital's residents, the name that rose to their lips was, of course, that of Raidor Zain, the wielder of the Holy Sword.

When Granado received the report of the kingdom's victory, he tried to impose a gag order to hide Raidor's involvement, claiming that the victory was due to General Basel Galst's efforts and, by extension, his own leadership. He attempted to manipulate the information in this way.

However, the soldiers who had fought on the battlefield could not remain silent.

They had witnessed the clash of the two Holy Swords, Dainsleif and Clausolas. As witnesses to the myth, they could not keep the living legend they had seen to themselves.

Despite the warnings to keep it a secret and not tell anyone, news of Raidor's bravery spread throughout the kingdom within a few days.

Amid the capital's celebration of the emergence of a new hero, the opportunity for Raidor and Granado to meet again arrived.

"…This battle was truly magnificent. I commend you."

"Thank you, my lord. It is an honor."

Granado, with a face like a scowl, spoke to Raidor, who was kneeling before him. Raidor, in turn, responded with a mocking smile, as if to say, "What do you think of that?"

"I have already heard of your bravery. You broke the enemy's large army and even captured the wielder of Clausolas, did you not?"

"Yes, all of this is due to your majesty's glory. My efforts are insignificant."

While Granado praised him, and Raidor humbly responded, their eyes met in a way that clearly showed they were wary of each other.

Watching this, Prime Minister Lockwood Marcel and General Basel Galst, standing to the side, sighed in unison.

"These two…"

"There's no point in trying to change it. Give up, Lockwood."

Lockwood, who was holding his forehead as if to ease a headache, heard Basel mutter.

"But… if things continue like this, the two will never reconcile. If they could support each other, this country…"

"There are some things that can't be changed. If you wanted to reconcile them, you should have acted earlier."

Both had been involved in Raidor's exile in the past but had planned to bring him back to the capital when the time was right.

During the late king's illness, they had no choice but to sacrifice Raidor to avoid a succession dispute. However, once Granado's position as king was secure, the people who wanted to elevate Raidor would disappear.

They believed that if Granado could build a solid record as king, he would overcome his inferiority complex towards Raidor and could treat him as a brother again.

But…

(The invasion by the Empire has ruined everything.)

The Empire's invasion forced Raidor to return, and without reconciliation, he was ordered to fight.

The rift between the two has become definitive, and it is unlikely they will ever return to being close brothers.

"Those two will eventually fight each other… You should prepare yourself."

"…General Galst, surely you don't intend to side with Prince Raidor?"

Lockwood asked the general, who seemed to have a knowing look, with a hint of suspicion.

Galst stroked his white beard and nodded.

"Whichever of the two wins, I will uphold my loyalty as a warrior. However, if Prince Raidor wins, I intend to leave it to my son…"

"…Is a warrior's loyalty not to be offered to the king?"

"That hurts to hear."

Galst chuckled and shrugged.

"In peacetime, that would be fine. But I don't think the Empire will give up after one defeat. To avoid further loss of our forces, we in the military will not interfere in political disputes."

"……"

"Don't look at me like that. The dice have already been cast. There's little we can do."

Turning his face away from Lockwood's glare, Galst focused his gaze on his lord.

"There's no need to be so modest. Everyone acknowledges that you, chosen by the Holy Sword, excel in battle."

"Speaking of which, my lord, you look very regal on the throne. Just by sitting there, you could easily defeat the Empire without doing anything. Indeed, being a king is a fine position, where you can do nothing for the country's important matters."

The two royal brothers continued their sarcastic exchanges with expressionless faces.

Watching their overly bitter sibling rivalry, the general closed his eyes gently.

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