Chapter 6

Third Person's Perspective

Iktos Totus, under my command as a palace guard, had just left the room.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly relaxed, and I even felt it was easier to breathe.

I am supposed to be a noble of considerable rank, bearing the title of Marquis Strategos, but Kaijin, a noble who rose from a hunter, was spreading a killing aura without any regard.

He must have been that angry, but he should have taken it out elsewhere.

“What should we do?”

In the room, there were palace guards and civil servants. From the unusual behavior of Iktos Totus, only those with tight lips were left.

Among them, a young man with blond hair asked about my intentions without showing any fear.

As the one in charge of the palace guards, I could not ignore the report from Iktos Totus.

I had already heard about the commotion in the garden.

A complaint from the side of the Second Prince had also reached me.

“There’s no choice but to impose strict punishment for the violation of regulations.”

“Are you going to take their word for it?”

A civil servant urged me to deliberate, but this was a situation that required swift action.

“First, there were three of them, and they left the Second Prince alone.”

To me, whether the Second Prince was made to cry or not was not the main issue.

Losing sight of the person under their protection was unforgivable in their duty.

“Second, despite only the nurse and the First Prince being present, they reached for their swords.”

Iktos Totus immediately interjected, as he was the one who informed the guards about the Second Prince’s whereabouts after they lost sight of him.

The side of the Second Prince claimed that the Second Prince had disappeared and was surely kidnapped.

When they found him, he was crying and had a scratch on his hand, indicating that he had been assaulted.

They said they acted to protect him from harm.

If this were true, it would mean a crime had been committed in the palace.

I thought it was a major issue, but upon further investigation, inconsistencies emerged.

There was no evidence of kidnapping, and the First Prince’s side had informed them of the Second Prince’s whereabouts.

The scratch was noticed later, and no one had witnessed the assault.

“No matter how you look at it, the fault lies with the Second Prince’s side. They admit to reaching for their swords against the First Prince.”

Then, Iktos Totus relayed the account from the First Prince’s side.

During a walk, they discovered the Second Prince crying and, considering the situation, guided him to a more visible location.

While Iktos Totus was searching for the responsible guards, the First Prince waited with the nurse.

However, the Second Prince’s side shouted at the First Prince and accused him of reaching for his sword, showing intent to harm.

In this situation, the Second Prince’s side is clearly unfit to be guards.

The privilege of carrying a sword is granted on the condition of proper judgment.

In fact, they could have been cut down on the spot by Iktos for attempting to harm the First Prince.

“Has Totus become more lenient?”

“Didn’t the Second Prince’s side say they were almost killed?”

The young man with blond hair laughed boldly, but those who were doing their jobs properly did not laugh.

He is skilled and resourceful, but he has a bad mouth and, I suspect, a poor character.

To me, he is a charming young man, but to others, he is disrespectful.

He has talent, and I hope he learns to navigate the world better.

“Upon investigation, it was the other side who reached for their swords first. Totus did not even touch his sword.”

When I heard the Second Prince’s side’s complaint, I felt something was off.

From Iktos Totus’s report, it became clear that they were trying to cover up their mistake and failed.

For young and inexperienced guards, it was a significant error.

“Those are young nobles of the Lukaieos Duke’s lineage. They are not the type to dedicate themselves to their duties as guards. I expected them to make mistakes, but I didn’t think they would lack so much self-restraint.”

“But if we punish them severely, it will create friction with Duke Lukaieos, which would be detrimental to the Marquis.”

The civil servant raised concerns and subtly suggested ignoring the First Prince’s side’s complaint.

The Lukaieos family is gaining influence as the emperor’s in-laws, and they are a connection I cannot sever, as they are related by blood and marriage.

I do not want to cause trouble, and as a Marquis, I can afford to look down on those who are not Dukes.

However, not addressing this situation would be a mistake.

“But if we do nothing, my authority will be undermined. Even if I could keep Totus on probation, his behavior suggests he will be dismissed.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“Perhaps I will give him some training?”

Totus is a self-made man.

Because of this, he has been looked down upon and bullied by those born into nobility.

If he were easily crushed, he wouldn’t have risen to prominence in the central continent from the east and become a hunter.

He has a history of using training as a pretext to break the will of noble youths and demonstrate his skills, leading to their dismissal.

“Be careful yourself.”

I genuinely worried and warned the young man, who tends to get carried away.

“That is not a sword for protection. It is a sword to kill. When he decides to act, there will be no hesitation or restraint.”

“Why did you let someone like that in, Your Excellency?”

“He is rough, but thanks to him, it has become easier for me to use the guards. I thought adding someone different would spur the others to improve. I was disappointed by the bullying, but the results were good.”

Thanks to Totus’s intimidating presence, I have been able to maintain discipline.

After being recommended by the emperor, he was conveniently reassigned to a less prominent position, which helped suppress any dissatisfaction and was fortunate.

Therefore, those who have joined in the past two or three years do not know Totus.

I have heard that he is seen as a self-made man in a less important position, but he is not dealing with them.

“... It’s a good time for a crackdown.”

The young nobles of the Lukaieos Duke’s lineage will resign.

They will be made to crawl on the floor during training and be relentlessly reminded of their inadequacies.

While the military teaches discipline as a collective, this is a prestigious position that draws attention.

Many of them have high self-esteem and pride, so I risk being disrespected and facing resistance.

“I will report to Duke Lukaieos and inform the emperor of my intention to impose punishment and seek his approval. The punishment will be... demotion, reduction in pay, and a few days of suspension.”

“The emperor and Duke Lukaieos are one thing, but the lower nobles will likely say something.”

The civil servant is already worried about the response, but there is a discrepancy in our understanding.

“No, the emperor will also get involved. Regardless of their birth, both are his sons.”

The First Prince, who was nearly harmed, and the Second Prince, who was not properly guarded.

As a parent, he will blame those who created such a situation, even if there was no actual harm.

At the very least, he will stop any immediate dismissals.

“No, depending on the extent of the injuries, a longer suspension might be better.”

“Ah, you’re assuming there will be injuries? Iktos Totus didn’t seem particularly aggressive or silent to me.”

“Is that so?”

He was spreading a killing aura just a moment ago.

The young man chuckled, shaking his blond hair in response to my comment.

His perception will change in the future.

“In any case, we should prepare the documents for the punishment first. It’s a loss if others interfere later.”

The palace is a place of power struggles.

Everyone is constantly watching to see who is above and who is below.

But I have no intention of being under anyone.

To achieve this, I need to firmly hold onto my authority and benefits.

“This incident has shown that Totus is completely on the First Prince’s side. What about the former soldier, who was feared for his bloodstained past, and the former teacher, known as the green-tailed genius?”

They are all valuable talents, but there are only a few of them.

They are not the type to stand out or cause trouble, but if they are leaning towards one side, it changes things.

“Then there’s the nurse. ... If she is related to the First Prince’s mother, she might have ambitions for the throne.”

“What, you don’t think the First Prince is involved, do you?”

My face hardened at the potentially troublesome words, but I wondered if I should praise the young man for understanding my intentions.

In reality, I have no way of knowing what the First Prince or the nurse said.

“Don’t say such things lightly. However, the struggle for succession is a hundred times more harmful than beneficial. The safer option is a lower probability.”

For the sake of the country, myself, and my duties as a palace guard, this is true.

This time, it was a case of false accusations, but it could happen again.

If it does, it should be nipped in the bud, and the nurse is no longer needed.

It would be wise to distance the First Prince from his sidekicks before they give him bad advice out of sympathy for the current situation.

Without power, there will be no further issues.

“I will keep an eye on things and shake things up if I see any suspicious movements.”

I muttered this while receiving the documents prepared by the civil servant.

* * *

(End of 100 Bookmarks Celebration)