“Oh! Baron Tale. You’ve done well coming all this way.”
Prince Reitas Pershion widely opened his arms and offered a warm greeting.
Roan slightly lowered his head.
“Greetings to Prince Reitas Pershion. I am Roan Tale.”
“I have heard much of the Crimson Ghost. They say that you are excellent in not only strategy and tactics but also in skills as a warrior.”
Reitas and the Pershion Kingdom Army hearing of the Crimson Ghost’s rumors were thanks to the Istel Kingdom prisoners.
In the process of collecting information related to the Istel Kingdom, they had naturally learnt of the stories about the Crimson Ghost Roan Tale.
‘He’s different than what we heard. They said that his hair, eyebrows, and eyes were red……’
Reitas stared straight into Roan’s eyes.
“That is an excessive complement, sir. I was simply lucky.’
Roan faintly smiled and lowered his head.
Reitas nodded and stepped to the side.
“I’ve heard that you’ve went through some trouble crossing the border. For now, let us go greet his majesty the king, then enjoy a banquet.”
“Thank you for your considerations.”
Roan slightly lowered his head and then entered the carriage Reitas had prepared.
‘Reitas Pershion……’
Today was the first time that he had personally seen Reitas.
In the last life, he had received the crown from his father, King Ave Von Pershion, and completely transformed the Pershion Kingdom into a powerful nation.
‘Including the Byron Kingdom and the Istel Kingdom, they conquered over one hundred castles.’
Due to this, the Byron Kingdom had to neglect the border with the Rinse Kingdom in order to face the Pershion Kingdom.
At the same time, the Rinse Kingdom attacked the Byron Kingdom in such state, taking tens of castles.
‘Perhaps that too may have been one of the reasons the Great Warring Era started.’
Roan slightly raised his head and looked at Reitas, who was staring outside the window.
A handsome face and a rugged appearance.
He certainly exuded the presence of a prince.
But.
‘Somehow, there is an uncomfortable feeling……’
Was it perhaps because he was experiencing the Rinse Kingdom’s throne succession compet.i.tion and knew of the tragic future of the Pershion royalty?
Roan exhaled a short sigh.
‘For now, I must greet the Pershion King and then meet Prince Ma.n.u.s.’
That was the goal of this visit.
Even while Roan was thinking about other things, the carriage busily continued on and soon entered the palace.
“Everyone is waiting.”
Reitas got off the carriage first and then headed towards the grand hall in the middle of the palace.
Harrison, Brian, and Clay, who had followed behind separately, looked at Roan with slightly tense expressions.
Faintly smiling as if to say there is no need to worry, Roan slowly walked forwards.
‘It’s plain just like the capital.’
The Pershion Kingdom’s palace was smaller and plainer than Rinse Kingdom’s palace.
It was a point that vividly showed the difference in their national strength.
The guards, who were already waiting at every place they went through, opened the door.
Without pausing even once and walking on, they arrived in front of the hall where the king and the ministers were waiting.
Reitas lightly glanced back at Roan and nodded, then lightly clapped his hands.
Suddenly.
Kuuuuuung.
The gigantic doors opened to the sides and the inside of the grand hall revealed itself.
‘Hhm.’
Roan unknowingly swallowed back a groan.
The grand hall that spread out in front of his eyes shocked him for two reasons.
The first was its splendor.
Unlike the capital or the palace that he had seen until now, the inside of the grand hall was adorned with all kinds of jewels and gold.
It was to the point where his eyes hurt from the light the jewels shined.
‘I had heard that the current king was extravagant, so it must be because of that.’
Roan smiled bitterly and stepped inside the grand hall.
Immediately, a suffocating and sweltering heat a.s.saulted his entire body.
The second reason he was shocked from seeing the inside of the hall.
That was because of the incredible number of n.o.bles and military commanders who that lined the two sides of the hall.
Standing straight in attention, all of them stared at Roan and his companions, and the light in their eyes was fierce and blistering.
‘They must be wondering what the goal of the visit is.’
There had been no significant contact between the two sides for decades.
Since Roan had visited not as a representative of the king but the first prince in such a situation, It was obvious that they would be quite suspicious.
“That man is the Crimson Ghost?”
“Isn’t he completely different than what we heard?”
“Furthermore, he’s too young.
“Is he really that Crimson Ghost who is said to have defeated the Istel Kingdom army?”
The n.o.bles and the commanders murmured.
But completely ignoring them, Roan walked up in front of the throne and kneeled down on one knee.
“I greet your majesty the King Ave Von Pershion.”
An elderly man sat crookedly on the throne
A face that looked much older than his actual age, hazy eyes, and a pose that sagged powerlessly.
It was a look that simply drained all the tension of anyone who saw him.
That man was Ave, the current king of Pershion Kingdom.
“So you came from the Rinse Kingdom?”
A sudden informal reception.
It was discourteous.
But Ave didn’t think important of honor nor courtesy.
Leaning his chin on his right hand, he asked again with an annoyed look.
“For what reason did you come all the way here for?”
With his knee still kneeling, Roan answered.
“It is to create a friendly relationship.”
“Friendly relationship? When our kingdom and the Rinse Kingdom are far apart from one another?
And even though you talk of making a friendly relationship, you came not as the king’s but as the first prince’s proxy?”
“That is……”
For a while, Roan meticulously explained the principle of befriending a faraway nation and attacking the ones near. 1
Furthermore, he expressed how the two could check the Istel Kingdom and the Byron Kingdom if the two allied.
On top of this, he stressed that this visit of friendship was a great mission that the First Prince Simon had undertook after raising various deeds.
Ave, after listening for a while, soon shook his hand.
“That’s it. Stop. Talk with the ministers instead about such headache-raising stories.”
He then smacked his lips and stood up.
“I’ll entrust this matter to Reitas…… no.”
Ave, who had spoke up to that point, contemplated a bit and then opened his mouth again.
“I’ll entrust this work to Reitas and Ma.n.u.s. These two people, take care of it on your own.”
Then he soon moved his feet and exited the hall.
It was a truly disrespectful manner for facing a diplomat of a foreign nation.
But Roan didn’t show any particular reaction.
‘Either way, I didn’t expect much from King Ave.’
Instead, he was worried that the incompetent man would hold him back, but since he stepped back on his on, Roan felt much more relieved.
But Reitas’ expression, who had in fact been entrusted the heavy duty, was not good.
‘Together with Ma.n.u.s……’
If it was like before, Reitas would have undertook all the big and small works of the kingdom and manage them.
Ave, the incompetent king and father, held no interest in politics.
Everything was Reitas’ to take.
He had enjoyed that and had also thought proud of it.
‘Is even the King now bearing Ma.n.u.s in mind.’
His mouth felt bitter.
But even so, he didn’t explode in anger nor show any signs of discomfort.
‘Since that’s something only amateurs do.’
Reitas breathed in deeply and turned to the n.o.bles and the commanders lining up on the sides.
“Since we have separately prepared a banquet, everyone, please do be sure to attend.”
“Yes. We shall do so.”
Everyone lowered their heads and answered.
From a glance, their expressions looked as if they were following all of Reitas’ orders.
However, they were each absorbed in complicated thoughts.
‘Should I be following Prince Reitas, or Prince Ma.n.u.s.’
‘Who is taking the leadership of the politics?’
The Pershion Kingdom’s n.o.bles, just like the Rinse Kingdom’s n.o.bles, had also began to weigh the two princes.
This was a slightly faster development than what Roan had experienced in the last life.
Although, he himself didn’t know of this truth.
“Baron Tale. I shall guide you to the banquet hall.”
“Thank you very much.”
Roan stood up from his seat and lowered his head.
‘I should be able to naturally meet Prince Ma.n.u.s.’
If the banquet opened up in a large scale, Ma.n.u.s too, who had been jointly entrusted this topic, would attend.
However, that was a miscalculation.
In the banquet that would open up from then on, a strange experience awaited.
Soon, with Reitas and Roan at the lead, numerous people moved their feet towards the banquet hall.
Clay, who had been quietly watching, silently kept his place and then discreetly headed outside the grand hall.
‘As expected, the mood of the palace is unusual from Prince Ma.n.u.s’ prominence.’
From the moment he had heard that Ma.n.u.s had defeated the Byron and Istel’s allied army and saved the Pershion Kingdom, he expected that the events would flow bizarrely.
‘The thing called power, you simply can’t let go of it after tasting it once.’
In Reitas’ position, it was a situation where he had to share the power, that he had all but grasped, with his brother.
No, it was a situation where it may be all s.n.a.t.c.hed away.
‘And here, if the numerous n.o.bles and powerful families attach themselves to one of the two princes……’
Possibly, an event even more ferocious than the Rinse Kingdom’s throne succession compet.i.tion may happen.
‘At least our Kingdom has three princes so it’s possible to keep each other in check, but……’
The Pershion Kingdom only had two, Reitas and Ma.n.u.s.
If one person’s power became too big, the other could only be swallowed.
‘First, I must grasp the mood of the capital, Althus, and the palace.’
With calm and composed eyes, Clay quickened his steps.
Flap.
He lightly shook his two hands.
It may seemed like a meaningless movement from a glance, but.
Flutter.
Five small birds flew up above his head.
They circled above Clay’s head, then soon scattered in every direction.
*****
The banquet was at an incredible scale enough for all the n.o.bles and commanders gathered at the grand hall to attend.
Roan sat opposite of Reitas and tilted their drinks.
Next to him sat Harrison, Brian, and Clay, who had appeared late.
On the other side sat the kingdom’s duke, marquis, and count.
‘To think that I would share drinks and seats with a foreign kingdom’s prince and n.o.bles.’
Harrison unknowingly gulped.
On the other hand, Brian and Clay were greatly relaxed.
As the banquet progressed, they instead went around and chatted with the Pershion Kingdom’s young n.o.bles and military commanders.
Thanks to them, the banquet blossomed further the longer it went.
But wherever one went, there would always be someone who would break the good mood.
“Hmph! So even the rumors of the Crimson Ghost were all empty rumors.”
A rather loud noise rang throughout the banquet hall.
The people who had been laughing and chatting searched the owner of the voice and turned their heads.
“Kuhu. What great drink!”
The one who once again shouted aloud was a man with a ma.s.sive build.
Reitas, who was tipping his cup at the table, slightly frowned.
“Viscount Corin. It seems you’ve drank too much.”
He admonished in a quiet voice.
“There’s still more to go before I get drunk, sir!”
The ma.s.sively built man, Viscount Harvey Corin, once again chugged the cup and slammed down on a table.
Boom!
Several delicate n.o.bles, from the sudden shock, shrunk their bodies.
“The Istel prisoner b.a.s.t.a.r.ds said that the Crimson Ghost literally brought to mind a war G.o.d. They have said that he, with a single spear, controlled the soaring flames like his own limbs and handled hundreds of enemies like playing with kids. Not only that, he is said to have not only stopped all of Istel Kingdom’s attacks but also a.s.saulted their supply storage and led the war to victory.”
Although they was slightly exaggerated, those words were all true.
With slitted eyes, Harvey stared at Roan.
“And so I had thought that Baron Roan Tale, who is called the Crimson Ghost, would be a general with incredible skills. But when I look at him today, this is no more than a child who still smells of……”
“Harvey Corin!”
Reitas cut into his words and roared.
“Khhm.”
Harvey couldn’t quite finish his words and coughed.
But that didn’t meant that his complaints had ended.
Filling up his mug, he muttered in a quiet voice.
“Since the Istel b.a.s.t.a.r.ds didn’t have much to show, they had blown up the rumors like that. Perhaps even Prince Ma.n.u.s defeating the Istel b.a.s.t.a.r.ds wasn’t such a hard thing.”
Ma.n.u.s’ name abruptly came out of nowhere.
“Do stop yourself now.”
Reitas once again admonished him.
“Yes. Yes. Understood. From now on, I’ll have my mouth shut tight.”
Harvey repeatedly nodded his head and then emptied his cup in one shot.
Reitas looked at that sight and made an awkward smile towards Roan.
“Baron Tale. Please forgive this disgrace. Viscount Harvey Corin has became drunk and had made a slip of his tong……”
The moment he spoke to that point, a young military commander, who had been tipping his cup while sitting at one side, abruptly stood up.
“Viscount Corin! No, Commander Corin! Were those words just now denouncing Prince Ma.n.u.s’ military achievement?”
The moment he spoke those words, several young commanders also echoed his voice.
“I don’t think that should be something a sir who had consistently been losing early on in the war should say, though?”
“Prince Ma.n.u.s is someone who had saved the kingdom with a disadvantageous strength. He isn’t someone who should be hearing such critique.”
“Commander! Please take back your statement just now!”
The mood turned turbulant in an instant.
Harvey, who was emptying his cup with his mouth shut, exploded out a crazed laugh.
“Hahaha! You green b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! So the children who just went out to the battlefield are pointing their fingers to a great commander of hundred battlefields!”
He then slammed violently down on the table.
Kaang!
“You’re overly arrogant and impudent just because you became a bit famous these days!”
Harvey suddenly jumped up from his seat and glared at the young commanders.
Then, the older commanders followed and stood up from their seats.
“Right! Commander Corin, you said it well. Even without it, I’ve not liked these young ones jumping around without knowing ups and downs.”
“The fledglings who had only been out on the battlefield for two, three years dare to treat us like some senile old men?”
“Have you forgotten all the achievements that we put our lives on and fought for!”
The mood turned even more tempestuous.
Between the preexisting commanders and the young commanders, a sharp atmosphere roared.
But for some reason, Reitas didn’t show any sign of attempting to intervene.
With his eyes closed, he was holding up an empty cup.
He looked to be in thought.
From a glance, it looked to be so.
But.
‘Viscount Harvey Corin. You’ve done well.’
Inwardly, he was smiling.
Harvey’s discourteous action was all Reitas’ plot.
‘So the faction following Ma.n.u.s is already this much, is it……’
To discriminate those supporting Ma.n.u.s amongst the n.o.bles and the commanders, he purposely started an fuss.
He had thought that if he used Roan, who was called the Crimson Ghost amongst the Istel Kingdom soldiers, he could naturally create the episode.
‘Hmm.’
Reitas let out a short sigh.
He slowly opened his eyes and put down the cup he was holding up.
“Baron Tale. It seems our commanders have all became drunk. I’ll have to end the banquet at this point.”
“Yes. I have already had plenty to drink.”
Roan slightly lowered his head.
Then, he soon led Harrison, Brian, and Clay, and exited the banquet hall.
Even in that while.
“Aren’t you saying too much!”
“How dare the immature one!”
The banquet hall was greatly clamorous.
“Huu!”
Roan, who went outside, spat out a long sigh.
He then turned to Harrison, Brian, and Clay, and asked shortly.
“How is it?”
“Yes?”
Harrison and Brian, not understanding his meaning, tilted their heads.
But only Clay formed a faint smile and answered.
“However it is, it’s strange.”
“As expected……”
Roan slowly nodded his head.
Smiling faintly, he whispered in a quiet voice.
“It seems Prince Reitas probably intends to use me as a chess piece.”
< To Pershion Kingdom (5) > End.
Translator : CSV
Proofreader: st8_lupe.
1. the author wrote 원교친공, but the actual name of the principle is 원교근공, or at least, that’s what I think the author meant.