Chapter 35

Rozlin, who had been brought to the Duke Chalther's castle and had finally calmed down, met with her uncle, Duke Chalther, Raul de Chalther, alone.

Rozlin, who had been in her travel clothes, was immediately made to change into a dress upon arriving at the castle. She felt a bit of sadness as the dress, which she hadn't worn for a few days, felt tight. As Raul observed her, he chuckled.

"Hehehe. Still, Rozlin, you really haven't changed. You're still as spoiled as you were when you were a child."

"Uncle! Don't tease me so much!"

He was probably referring to the times when she had cried and begged him to play with her as a child. Her uncle's teasing about her childhood was particularly annoying. Rozlin's face turned red with embarrassment. She remembered how, in a moment of heightened emotion, she had clung to Raul and cried in front of everyone. Now, as she calmed down, the embarrassment welled up inside her.

"Though I would like to reminisce, I will ask directly. What happened in Clermont? It seems you had some companions, but they appeared to be commoners. If you pretended to be of a lower status and came here alone, something serious must have happened, right?"

Raul, returning to a serious expression, questioned Rozlin. Rozlin began to recount the strange events at the palace and the incidents during her journey. As she spoke, Raul's expression grew increasingly stern.

"Hmm, I see. Not only the nobles at the palace, but even the king and queen... I didn't realize the situation had become so dire."

"I'm sorry, Uncle. If I had acted sooner..."

"That's beyond your control. I had noticed the disturbances in Commune, but I lacked concrete evidence."

"You were aware?"

"Commune is a trading nation. By paying attention to the flow of people and goods, one can naturally understand what's happening. When changes occur in these areas, it can only mean that there's a problem at the source or in the destination. The number of visitors and supplies from the north gradually decreased, leading me to suspect that something was happening in the north. However, even if I had realized it, I couldn't protect the royal family. I'm sorry, Rozlin. I'm glad you're safe."

Raul seemed to have his own thoughts and looked momentarily sad, but quickly turned his attention to Rozlin.

"But why did the vampires sneak into the palace?"

"They probably intend to take over the country. To the common people, the king still seems to be in power. Their goal is likely to control the country from behind the scenes."

"Is that so? But their plan seems too sloppy, and their methods are too clumsy."

"Sloppy?"

Raul nodded in response to Rozlin's question.

"Vampires can replace humans, or they might have turned them into their minions. However, not everyone in the palace has become a vampire. That's why Rozlin was able to escape. But there's something that doesn't make sense. Why didn't they target Rozlin first?"

"Perhaps there are limitations or conditions for replacement. Also, they didn't expect me to escape to Chalther. They might not have anticipated my escape."

"That's unlikely. Even if there are limitations or conditions, the soldiers who pursued you were also vampires. If a significant number of nobles and soldiers in the palace have been replaced, they should prioritize high-ranking and influential nobles. Even if they had the king and queen under control, they wouldn't overlook Rozlin, the only daughter and heir to the throne. They would either replace her or, if that's not possible, at least confine her. It's a drastic measure, but controlling the palace requires more than just replacement."

Rozlin, the first in line for the throne of Commune, should not have been left alone. Even if she had fled before the vampires could act, it was still unnatural that they didn't target her first. She herself felt a sense of unease.

"Furthermore, the pursuers were strange. They could use dragons. Why didn't they send more pursuers immediately after the first one? If you had escaped and the truth had been revealed to the nobles, it would have hindered their plans to take over the country. Normally, they would have searched for you frantically. Additionally, the pursuers, dressed in the uniforms of Clermont's soldiers, caused a commotion near the walls of Chalther, drawing attention. By sealing off Clermont, they could temporarily prevent information from spreading, but it would only be a matter of days before the news reached the surrounding towns, effectively announcing the disturbances in Clermont. This undermines the purpose of acting secretly. It almost seems as if they didn't intend to hide anything."

Despite the irregularity of the Chaos carriage, there was still a few days' delay, and Rozlin's escape routes were limited. It should have been easy to set up an ambush along the way. Moreover, their other actions were far from covert. If you list the suspicious points, as Raul pointed out, the vampires' methods seem particularly clumsy for a plan to control the country from behind the scenes.

"The most terrifying aspect of vampires replacing humans is that no one realizes their allies have become enemies. It's similar to a spy. The key is to remain hidden. Once discovered and guarded against, their value is lost."

Seeing people who looked the same but were completely different, Rozlin felt an indescribable fear. But what was truly terrifying was an enemy that couldn't be distinguished from the original. If the vampires in Clermont had approached her as they were, she wouldn't have realized until a blade was at her throat.

"However, if their personalities and actions change too much, it becomes obvious. If they are recognized as monsters, they can't control the country. Even if they control the palace, it's not enough to take over the country. Sudden political changes could lead to resistance from the nobles and the people. Therefore, they need to act secretly and take their time, at least until a majority of the nobles in the country are replaced. Are they really planning to take over the country, or do they have another purpose?"

"Another purpose?"

"It's still just a guess. Regardless, we must reclaim Clermont from them as soon as possible. They are cunning monsters who have secretly controlled the palace. It might be better to think too much. Rozlin, be careful. In the future, the enemy might approach you disguised as an ally. Never let your guard down."

The full extent of the enemy's influence is still unknown. It's unclear how much power they have in Commune. If their influence extends beyond Clermont to other territories, even the nobles and common people outside of Raul might be enemies. A moment of carelessness could lead to being taken advantage of by the enemy.

"Uncle, when will the march to Clermont begin?"

"We plan to depart the day after tomorrow. I need to contact the Duke of Mayenne and the Duke of Numur. It will take some time to reach Clermont."

"Then, please take me with you!"

"That's... but..."

Rozlin leading the charge would be the most appropriate. Some might suspect a coup if Raul acted alone, but if it's known that Rozlin, the rightful heir, is leading, more nobles would support her. Despite this, Raul still looked hesitant.

"I am the princess of Commune. I cannot sit idly while the people of Clermont wait for me."

"If the king and queen are captured, can you defeat them?"

The risk of taking her into enemy territory is high, but the main reason Raul didn't want to take her was to prevent her from being branded a matricide. Her parents were likely no longer themselves. Even if they had been turned into minions, there was no way to return them to human form. Rozlin herself had realized this. But emotions and reason sometimes diverge. Would she be able to strike down her parents if she saw them?

"I will defeat them. Many have sacrificed to get me here. I must avenge them. Those who betray the country, even if they are family, must be punished. It is my duty as a princess."

"...Understood. We will go together."

Rozlin's resolve was firm, and Raul had no choice but to accept it. He felt a mix of sadness and bitterness.

"You've grown, Rozlin. I'm happy to see you as a princess, but I can only impose burdens on you. It's a difficult world."

Raul smiled wryly and then, with a serious look, said to Rozlin.

"Princess, from now on, you must not think of me as your uncle. I am your subject. If I treat you with personal affection, I might make unfair decisions. Even if you don't intend to, other subjects might think so. A subject always looks to the king. You are the king. Make decisions as a king, without personal feelings. Do not forget this."

"...Understood."

"But for now, we are alone. There is no king or duke here. We are just uncle and niece. ...So, it's okay to be sad. If no one mourns, your parents will be lonely. It's okay to cry. Then, from tomorrow, you will fulfill your duties as a princess."

Rozlin's expression faltered. Her resolve hadn't wavered, but the emotions in her heart hadn't disappeared. She buried her face in Raul's chest, not wanting anyone to see her distorted face.

"Why... why? What did Father and Mother do? Why did everyone in the castle have to be sacrificed? I am powerless, and I just ran...! Father... Mother..."

Raul embraced and comforted Rozlin. Despite her awareness as a ruler, she was still young. As the princess of Commune, she would face even more difficult decisions in the future. Therefore, someone needed to watch over and support her to prevent her emotions from overwhelming her. But the number of people who could support her in her position was limited, and most of them were in Clermont, at the palace. They had all been unjustly taken away. For now, it was fine. At least until this battle ended, Raul would be by her side. But as a duke, he couldn't always be with her. When this battle ends, will there be someone by her side?

***

After bringing Rosa to Chalther, I was taken to the castle.

If I get a territory, will I get a castle like this? That would be nice, I'm envious. I didn't need to be thanked, but apparently, the guild members were very grateful, and I couldn't refuse. I was surrounded and swept along. Well, it was quite a touching scene. For those two, the guild members were so grateful. Everyone is so nice.

They wanted to talk for a while, so I was led to a guest room and waited. The room was spacious and beautiful, and I felt almost guilty to dirty it. I was restless and fidgety. I couldn't just leave without saying anything; it would be rude. I couldn't log out because I didn't know when they would come.

After waiting for a while, Raul, Rosa's uncle, and a beautiful woman in a long dress entered the room with a group of people. The woman looked familiar.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I hadn't seen Rozlin in a while, so I wanted to talk properly. We got a bit carried away with old stories. I am Raul de Chalther. Thank you for bringing Rozlin safely to Chalther. Without you, Chaos, she wouldn't have made it here. I am grateful."

Raul smiled and thanked