Chapter 49: Planning Meeting
After spending the night at the mansion of Lord Garland, we promptly began our discussions the following morning.
Present were myself, Luche, Charl, Noel, along with my close aide, Makina, and the knights dispatched from the capital.
Representing the Garland territory were a few Garland soldiers and, though not present yet, Simeon Garland, the Lord of Garland. Also in attendance was Loretta Garland, the eldest daughter of the Garland family.
With her silver hair and androgynous features, Loretta exuded an elegant charm that garnered her many fans, alongside Luche, at the magic academy. Being of the same age as Leo and Luche, she was eighteen this year. Interestingly, despite being the same age as us, she seemed much more mature.
“It’s been a while, Loretta. Were you lonely while I was studying abroad?”
“Not really. Rumors of Luche causing trouble in the northern country reached me too. Haha… You’re still as chaotic as ever, aren’t you?”
I thought Luche and Loretta were good friends from what I’ve seen at the academy, but it seems their relationship is even better than I thought.
“You two seem quite close, don’t you?”
Charl’s casual remark prompted Luche to nod deeply as if reminiscing.
“Well, at first, we saw each other as rivals, clashed fiercely, and became close since then. It’s nostalgic now,”
“Rivals, you say. From my perspective, I remember only you seeing me as a rival,”
“Nah, I just wanted to see who scored the same top marks as me on the entrance exam. Besides, you were conscious of me too,”
“When dealing with rumors about the first princess, one can’t help but be conscious. But indeed… you’re right. Maybe we did see each other as rivals,”
“Not ‘maybe,’ we definitely did. But hey, through all that competition, we became friends somehow,”
I see. I didn’t know about those times since I hadn’t entered the academy yet.
“Loretta, my sister must have caused you quite a bit of trouble,”
“Oh no, it was quite an exciting experience in its own way,”
“I appreciate your understanding,”
“I might need to ask what you mean by that,”
Surely, it’s not hard to imagine Luche causing quite a stir.
She must have caused a lot of trouble. In that case, it would be my duty as her brother to offer an apology.
“Just so you know, Loretta caused quite a stir too. Especially when it comes to wielding a sword, she’s unbeatable. In terms of skill, she’s on par with me,”
“Indeed, Loretta’s sword skills were famous at the academy. I’ve witnessed them myself, and they were truly magnificent,”
“Speaking of which, how have you been on that front lately? You haven’t gotten rusty while I was studying abroad, have you?”
“Well… actually—”
Before Loretta could finish my sentence, while casting a somber shadow, spoke up.
“Ohh… I’m really sorry, but Loretta been swamped with essential tasks that she couldn’t ignore,”
said Lord Simeon-Garland, finally appearing thirty minutes behind schedule.
He claimed to be caught up with unavoidable business, but whether such a thing truly existed was questionable.
(…………But it’s puzzling.)
I knew Simeon belonged to Leo’s faction.
Leo was the first prince. He was like a twig, compared to [the disliked third prince].
However, that was a story from not too long ago.
Now Leo had lost an arm and suffered a disgrace by having the [Royal Garb Ring] stolen. Despite being on suspension, he awaited his punishment.
He hadn’t completely fallen… but as a faction, it was a significant blow.
Then there was Luche. The first princess, or more accurately, a [female], was far from the throne.
In the Kingdom of Leuville, there had never been a queen leading the kingdom, and even among the nobility, there were many who reacted negatively to the idea of a woman on the throne (although my old man probably wouldn’t care about such things).
Luche was popular among the masses and possessed the highest level of magical power in the country. Despite such talent, the throne remained distant. Hence, as a faction, they were probably third from the top (incidentally, I’m at the very bottom).
Nevertheless.
Luche still held the title of the first princess.
So why was Simeon behaving so arrogantly?
If he had the backing of the first prince like Dold and Filga, I could understand his aggressive behavior towards us. But now, that support was fragile.
(Being overly aggressive for mere factional retaliation… There must be something more to it.)
Unaware of my scrutinizing gaze, Simeon surveyed the assembled members in the meeting room and said,
“Hmm? Loretta, why are you here? It’s pointless for you to be here when you can no longer wield a sword.”
The sound of a chair tipping over echoed in the silent room.
Perhaps it was unconscious. Luche stood up with a bewildered expression.
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“What does that mean?”
Loretta, when questioned, wore a somewhat ephemeral, bitter smile.
“…………Actually, right after you went abroad, I had an accident. It doesn’t affect my daily life, but I can no longer wield a sword or fight.”
Loretta rolled up her sleeves, revealing grievous scars on her arms.
“It’s not like I had my arm cut off like Lord Leo. Having fingers and being able to use magic is better than nothing.”
“Hmph. There’s no use for you here if you can’t wield a sword. You should leave immediately and do some knitting in your room.”
“Understood, Father. Excuse me, everyone, I’ll take my leave now.”
Without changing her expression at her father’s rough words, Loretta quietly left the room.
Luche just stared at her. She probably had a lot to say. She probably wanted to offer some words of comfort. But maybe she didn’t know what to say to a dear friend who had lost something significant.
“Honestly… my foolish daughter who doesn’t know her place has caused trouble. Well, shall we move on to the meeting?”
“…Yes.”
Normally, if it were the usual Luche, she would have snapped back at Simeon, but she just roughed up her seat. She probably restrained herself from biting back, thinking it would cause trouble for Loretta.
With such an uncomfortable atmosphere, the meeting began.
We synchronized the plan we had prepared in advance with the situation of this territory and made plans for the future.
“It seems that Charlotte will be performing the purification.”
“….Is there a problem with Charlotte?”
“It’s not so much a problem as it is… a concern, I suppose.”
An exaggerated sigh, an affected gesture. Even his sarcastic expression was irritating.
“Apparently, Charlotte has never done [purification] before. And her magical purity is lower compared to royalty. It’s natural to have concerns.”
“It is reasonable to be concerned. That’s why this time, as backup, Princess Luche and Prince Noel are participating.”
“…Forgive me, but was it the Third Prince who created this plan?”
“That’s right.”
When I nodded, Simeon smirked openly.
“Allow me to say something a little harsh, but it’s suspicious that a Third Prince who cannot perform purification would come up with an accurate plan.”
Damn it. He’s hitting a sore spot.
And seriously, that’s why we brought Noel from another country and even got Luche to participate. Where else can we pull more firepower from?
“I also reviewed and approved the plan document. Of course, unforeseen events may occur. However, what’s written in that plan document is the best we can do under the current circumstances.”
“Since it involves the [Land God], the essence of this territory, we cannot help but feel uneasy.”
Luche deflected the supporting fire.
“But both the Third Prince and the First Princess insist on it to that extent. As someone who governs the territories of this country, I will follow the opinion of the royal family. And in case of emergency, both of you will take responsibility, won’t you?”
…I see.
In other words, if any problems arise with this [Land God] purification, it’ll all be our responsibility.
It would be easy to refuse here. We could dodge it by using vague words.
However, is that what it means to be a king?
Even if I become king. There will be more responsibilities. Turning away from one’s decisions and responsibilities. Is that really what it means to be a king?
Above all, I believe this plan is correct. I adjusted it with Luche and Charlotte, and I made the decision myself.
Whatever Simeon’s intentions are, I’m prepared to take responsibility for this plan itself.
“Of course.”
“Thank you for those words; I am also relieved.”
Simeon smirked, his lips curling into a nasty smile.
As if he’s been waiting for this.
—-And so, we began to move toward the purification of the [Land God].
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