Chapter 159: The Arrogant One (2)

“Still no news?”

King Harlan Mineta shouted ferociously in the Great Hall of the royal castle.

Even after dozens of days, they still hadn’t found the missing noble.

Because of that, Luteo Candir, the Commander of the Royal Knights, couldn’t lift his head.

“We’ve searched nearly the entire outer castle. There’s only a small area left—we’ll find him soon.”

“I’ve heard rumors that he already left the castle.”

“That’s impossible! Mineta Castle is impregnable beyond comparison. You know well, Your Majesty, that no one can leave so easily.”

Outside Mineta Castle, waterways flowed along the north and east sides. Unless the drawbridge was lowered, there was no way to cross.

That left the west and south sides.

But those areas had become vast wastelands after large-scale battles with monsters.

It was impossible to slip past the watchful eyes of the castle guards.

Harlan Mineta knew this well. That was why he was certain that the missing nobles hadn’t left the castle.

And yet, they still hadn’t been found. The frustration was unbearable.

“Moratz Kingdom has at least sent a reply… but is there anyone who can accompany Deborah for her marriage?”

“……”

The alliance terms included the mining rights to the mithril mine in the Helao Mountains.

In terms of profit alone, it was equivalent to the kingdom’s budget for decades.

Because of that, Duke Dominus Flomen had originally been scheduled to go to Moratz Kingdom himself.

But now, that was impossible.

The nobles standing nearby remained silent, like dumbfounded fools.

It was a matter of great importance, and they all felt the pressure.

“No one…?”

“……”

“Hmph—!”

Their incompetence was so infuriating that it bordered on contempt.

It hadn’t always been this way.

When he executed the previous king—his own brother, King Charta Mineta—he also purged every one of his loyal retainers.

Of course, a few had survived.

But after the change in royal authority, they no longer involved themselves in any affairs.

“Truly useless people. More importantly, how is Deborah behaving?”

The last time he had seen her was when she’d been brought to the royal capital.

Since then, she’d been confined to the northern annex, and he hadn’t heard a single word about her.

He hadn’t bothered to concern himself—he had stationed knights all around the annex, so there was nothing to worry about.

At that, Luteo Candir spoke again.

“She reportedly stays in her room. Other than that, she spends her days quietly, without any activity.”

“Not quite like her normally noisy nature.”

“All she has left is disappointment, I suppose.”

“Should I take her quietness as a relief, then?”

At that moment, the Great Hall’s doors opened, and a knight responsible for the north gate post rushed in.

His expression was extremely urgent.

“What is it?”

“A delegation from Moratz has arrived at the north gate!”

“A delegation?”

There had been no prior notice.

Harlan Mineta’s brows furrowed at the sudden development.

“I asked about it since I hadn’t heard anything either. The delegation said they would explain directly to Your Majesty.”

“Hmm…”

There was no reason for an envoy to arrive without warning.

But the internal state of Mineta Kingdom was far from ideal.

He couldn’t afford to let a foreign nation see that weakness.

“Let them in. Ministers, make sure not a single word about the current situation leaks outside. Everyone except the knights—withdraw.”

The Great Hall fell silent.

Only Harlan Mineta’s sigh echoed faintly through the vast chamber.

Soon after, the sound of bustling footsteps came from outside as the Moratz delegation passed through the north gate and entered the inner castle.

Not long after, the delegation arrived at the Great Hall.

There were twenty-eight of them in total.

After they entered, one man among them stepped forward.

“I am Count Militas Rusta, Foreign Minister of the Moratz Kingdom. Greetings, Your Majesty King Harlan Mineta.”

“……”

The lengthy introduction made Harlan Mineta’s brow twitch.

Count Militas Rusta spoke again.

“I apologize for arriving without even sending a letter in advance. It was necessary to move discreetly, representing the will of my kingdom.”

“And I’m supposed to be considerate of such a sudden visit?”

“I understand Your Majesty’s displeasure.”

“More than that… I didn’t expect even Prince Rasfer to come in person.”

Prince Rasfer Moratz, the second prince of Moratz Kingdom,

stood arrogantly with slanted eyes before slowly stepping forward.

“It’s been a while, Your Majesty King Mineta.”

“The last time we met must have been at the victory celebration in the Negro region of Moratz Kingdom, yes?”

A war decades ago.

The Negro region had originally belonged to Dekelan Kingdom, but after the war between the two nations, it fell under Moratz’s rule.

Another war nearly broke out afterward, but the Dior Empire had mediated the conflict.

“Yes. I’m glad Your Majesty remembers.”

“It left quite an impression. You were just a boy back then, but still recognizable now.”

“Thank you.”

“So, you’ve come personally to take your bride? It must’ve been a difficult journey. You’ve come a long way.”

If he had come himself, that could only be the reason.

“Of course I had to come. After all, Your Majesty went through great trouble to bring back the princess who fled her kingdom.”

Publicly, it had been announced that Princess Deborah Mineta had returned of her own will.

But the Moratz Kingdom, familiar with the inner workings of the royal court, would hardly believe that at face value.

“It seems there’s been some misunderstanding. Rumors have exaggerated the tale of a girl who left the kingdom briefly during hardship and returned.”

His tone was soft but carried a faint pressure.

Prince Rasfer nodded slightly.

“Then it appears I truly misunderstood. My apologies.”

“I appreciate your understanding.”

“But I don’t see Duke Flomen here. I expected he’d be the first to welcome me.”

Was he probing for information on purpose?

Harlan Mineta considered telling the truth, but it wasn’t an easy decision.

Within the royal capital, if news spread that a duke of the realm and twelve other nobles had vanished without a trace, who could possibly refrain from ridicule?

After a brief pause, Harlan Mineta closed his mouth slightly and spoke.

“Duke Flomen had urgent matters arise, so he went on an inspection tour to the territory of Angbla.”

It was a domain at the southernmost tip of the Mineta Kingdom.

Nestled between the Rolarsen Mountains, it had several trade routes leading to both the Dior Empire and the Danas Federation, making it a hub of active commerce.

However, there was no convincing reason for Duke Dominus Flomen, who was supposed to handle important state matters, to go there now.

“There must have been some trouble there, I suppose.”

“It’s because the trade route runs between the Empire and the Federation. Had the prince sent word in advance, I wouldn’t have dispatched him.”

“Hahaha, my apologies. But Your Majesty knows well that caution is sometimes necessary.”

“I do indeed.”

Though they smiled at each other, a subtle tension lingered between them.

Perhaps it was fortunate that the other nobles had been dismissed earlier.

Meanwhile, Luteo Candir, the only one aware of the truth, could only wipe the cold sweat forming at his temple.

“So then, when would be the most suitable time for the ceremony? Surely we don’t have to wait for Duke Flomen to return, do we?”

“You seem more impatient than before. I still remember how you once lashed your whip at a servant for not obeying fast enough.”

“A man doesn’t change so easily, does he?”

“The princess will have a hard time of it.”

“If she becomes my wife, then naturally she must serve her husband as is proper. But more importantly, when the ceremony is over, I expect the promise to be fulfilled.”

There was no way Prince Rasfer, the second prince of Moratz, would agree to marry Princess Deborah Mineta without conditions.

After all, the Moratz Kingdom had offered even the mithril mine as part of the alliance terms.

From that perspective, Moratz stood to lose in the bargain—so of course, they wanted something in return.

“Our forces are fully prepared,” said Harlan Mineta.

“Seventy percent of the Boluzan Kingdom’s army, along with autonomy over the occupied region,” replied Rasfer.

War—that was the true purpose of the alliance.

Of course, Mineta Kingdom had no particular reason to attack Boluzan.

But if another nation desired it, and the terms were favorable, that could change things.

And it was Moratz Kingdom that had proposed such terms—forming an alliance by marrying Princess Deborah Mineta into Moratz.

“Then there’s no need to worry about that. However, has a plan been made to contain the Bachenan Holy Kingdom? If I recall, that was supposed to be arranged on your side.”

The Boluzan Kingdom had long served as a gateway into the Holy Kingdom of Bachenan.

Thus, ties between their royal family and the Holy Kingdom had endured for generations.

That remained true even now.

“Hmm… please allow us a bit more time. The Bachenan Holy Kingdom’s influence is not easily ignored.”

“Understandable. The church is spread across the entire continent, after all.”

“Indeed. We’re preparing countermeasures—at the very least, to restrain their knight orders.”

The scales of negotiation tilted delicately up and down.

Harlan Mineta’s lips curled slightly.

“What if I already have a way to do that?”

“Your Majesty has a plan? What might it be?”

“It’s a way to shackle the Bachenan Holy Kingdom, if used wisely.”

“Is that even possible?”

Even with just cause, the Holy Kingdom would never take part in a war.

That was their sacred duty as servants of the goddess.

However, the Boluzan Kingdom, being connected to the church, followed a slightly different creed—

a fact well known among neighboring nations, making them difficult to confront directly.

“What if we were to take one of the Holy Kingdom’s high priests as a hostage?”

“…If it’s a temple or the Holy Kingdom, they would hesitate indeed. But that’s sheer madness, is it not?”

Such an act could make every temple and priest across the continent turn against them—

perhaps even lead to a full-scale holy war.

Even Prince Rasfer, known for his cunning, judged the idea dangerously reckless.

“And what if Mineta Kingdom is willing to bear that madness? What will Moratz Kingdom offer in return?”

It was practically a declaration to cross every line.

Prince Rasfer was stunned by Harlan Mineta’s audacity.

“You truly mean to do it? Is that even possible?”

After all, high priests rarely left their temples or the Holy Kingdom itself.

If one were abducted, war would be declared instantly by the temples and the Holy Kingdom.

He couldn’t understand what method Mineta Kingdom could possibly use.

“…What if one is already here?”

“Here? You mean a high priest?”

“High Priestess Marianne, and Holy Knight Commander Larsen Heights. Along with them are five priests and four holy knights.”

“How could that be?”

It couldn’t have been planned in advance.

Yet it also couldn’t have been a hasty abduction.

“Let’s just say fortune smiled upon us. So, Prince Rasfer, discuss the terms further with Count Rusta.”

“…Understood.”

“You may go now. Rest well during your stay.”

A chamberlain entered and guided them out.

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