Chapter 59

"Ah, I see. You’ve turned the curse of the vow to your advantage."

In the Raithal mansion located in the capital of the Kingdom of Zain, Raithal nodded in admiration after reading the letter delivered from the palace.

The letter, stamped with the royal seal, was an official order from the king, instructing him to subdue the nobles who had defected to the Arslane Empire. Since they were already on the side of the empire, and Raithal had sworn to fight against the empire, he could not refuse this order. Moreover, as traitors, they had little trust from the empire, so even if the kingdom purged them, the empire would not strongly interfere.

"What will you do, my lord? You could reject the order if you解除 the curse?"

The one who tilted her head and asked was the maid, Naimiria. Holding a teapot, she poured tea into a cup while tilting her head to gauge her master’s reaction. It seemed she was worried that the curse she had woven was putting Raithal at a disadvantage.

"Absolutely not. If I解除 the curse on me, it would also解除 the one on Granado. At this point, the disadvantages of解除 the curse outweigh the benefits."

Raithal answered while picking up the teacup placed before him. The curse he had placed on the king and the one on himself were two parts of a whole. If one was解除, the other would also naturally disappear. Breaking the vow would bring great calamity upon Raithal. Because he had bet his life on it, the curse was so powerful that even a court magician could not easily解除 it.

"Hmm, so you’ll be taking a break from your adventurer work? It was just getting fun."

The last person in the room, Sylia von Arslane, interrupted the conversation. Wearing a simple robe, she crunched on a cookie from the table as she joined the conversation.

"No, stopping here would disrupt the momentum we’ve built. I’d prefer to continue as an adventurer."

Raithal’s deeds as an adventurer had already become a topic of folklore among the people. As a prince who fought from the people’s perspective, he had become a subject of praise and was gaining popularity that rivaled the king, just as Raithal had intended. He didn’t want to stop this momentum.

"Then what will you do? You only have one body, you know?"

"I have one body, but there are two Holy Sword bearers and two Holy Swords. I will act according to Granado’s orders. Sylia, I want you to continue the adventurer work."

"Ah, I have to work alone?"

Sylia, who had a dissatisfied look on her face, suddenly relaxed and looked happy after taking another bite of the cookie. The popular confectionery shop’s specialty seemed to suit the imperial princess’s taste.

"Since you have nothing else to do, can you do it for me?"

"Mm, I don’t have any obligation to work for you, you know? Do you understand that?"

"I understand, I understand."

Waving his hand casually, Raithal saw Sylia pout. With a look that said, "I’m not happy about this," Raithal smiled and added:

"Hey, Your Highness. We’ve become quite close, haven’t we?"

"Eh? What’s this sudden question?"

To Sylia’s bewildered expression, Raithal gave a mischievous grin.

"If I were to become king by pushing aside my brother, a close friend of the imperial princess would be at the top of the Kingdom of Zain. Wouldn’t that bring a new development in the relationship between the empire and the kingdom?"

The Kingdom of Zain and the Arslane Empire had been enemies for a long time, but if a king who was close to the empire were to be born, it might be possible to end the war through means other than battle. Depending on the negotiations, it might even be possible to win without fighting and make the kingdom a vassal state.

"Whether we win or lose, war means bloodshed. You’ve seen that, haven’t you? Wouldn’t it be better to win without fighting?"

"…Are you planning to sell this country to the empire? Isn’t that called a traitor?"

"It depends on the conditions. I’m the type who values substance over name. If becoming a vassal state can avoid war, then that’s fine too."

Raithal, having been exiled to the border for a long time, had no pride in being a royal. He believed that prioritizing interests as an adventurer was more important than maintaining the independence of the Kingdom of Zain.

"Besides, I think it’s strange that humans are fighting each other while ignoring the threat of monsters. Maybe it’s because I’ve been an adventurer for so long."

Even now, in the frontier development cities, adventurers might be battling the monsters that surge from the Demon Forest. Meanwhile, the kingdom’s army and the empire’s army were facing off at the eastern border. Raithal thought it was insane.

"Give me a chance to do you a favor. Act as an adventurer in my place and save the people of this country. Help me build my reputation."

"…Alright. But this is a favor, so don’t forget it!"

"I will follow you to the ends of the earth, my lord. From the cradle to the grave, from baby play to necrophilia!"

"…What are you talking about?"

With a sigh, Raithal looked at Sylia, who nodded reluctantly, and Naimiria, who naturally made inappropriate remarks. He decided on his next move while sighing at the two beautiful girls.