Chapter 81: You Never Expected to Be Stabbed in the Back While Plotting, Did You? (1)

King Laskan was in the grand hall, discussing national affairs with his retainers.

During the heated debate over an important matter, a commotion erupted outside.

Thud! Boom! Thud…….

A brief silence fell.

Then, the massive doors of the grand hall swung open with a resounding noise.

The king, along with the nobles and ministers, all turned their heads toward the entrance.

Step. Step.

The man who entered was Duke Saliann Arenvatz, the Lord of Arenvatz and the Commander of the Kingdom’s Border Defense Forces.

At his appearance, the faces of countless nobles and ministers stiffened.

Step. Step.

Clad in full armor that clanked with each step, Saliann Arenvatz advanced forward.

When he reached King Laskan, the duke knelt on one knee and shouted,

“Grand Commander Saliann Arenvatz! I pay my respects to His Majesty the King!”

“Duke Arenvatz. How long has it been!”

Though Laskan was genuinely pleased, he did not rise from his seat and simply waited for a reply.

“It has been well over a dozen years.”

“Is that so?”

While the two were exchanging words, Duke Alito Kright interjected.

“Is not Duke Arenvatz the Grand Commander responsible for the defense of both the northern border and the Canel Kingdom itself? Yet, how could you abandon your post and come to the royal capital without report?”

At that, Saliann shot him a sharp glare from beneath his short white hair.

“Does Duke Alito believe I came here without any precautions?”

“What precautions do you speak of?”

“I temporarily reassigned the border watch between the Lords of Clarman and Chelon. Would that be a problem?”

The Lords of those two territories had always remained neutral.

If they followed Saliann’s command, it meant they had been swayed to his side.

Hearing this, Duke Alito’s brows furrowed.

“Still, the post cannot be left vacant for long. It is precisely because of Duke Arenvatz’s presence that neither the Kingdom of Prios nor the Danas Federation dare to invade.”

The last Iron-Blooded Warrior, Saliann Arenvatz.

For generations, the Arenvatz Family had protected the Canel Kingdom through long centuries.

Because of that, the knights of the Arenvatz line had always inherited the nickname Iron-Blooded Warriors.

However, Saliann Arenvatz had only one daughter.

That sole daughter, Sierra, passed away after giving birth to Prince Raion.

As the last knight of the Arenvatz Family, that title now fell to him alone.

“I will handle it as I see fit. Duke Kright, let us leave it at that.”

“Indeed. It has been over a decade since Duke Arenvatz last came to the royal capital. Yet…… even when summoned repeatedly, you would not come. What has brought you here now?”

King Laskan, equally curious, asked the same.

At this, Duke Saliann spoke again.

“I came to report directly because the border movements of the Kingdom of Prios appear suspicious.”

“What? Prios, you say?”

“According to the scouts I dispatched to observe their movements, the troops from several territories have been gathering in the northwestern regions for quite some time.”

At that report, the nobles and ministers began murmuring among themselves.

“The northwest? Then could it be that Prios intends to attack Edina?”

That was the only kingdom in that direction.

“For now, it appears so. That is why I came personally instead of sending a messenger.”

Prios had no reason to attack Edina without cause.

The problem, however, lay in the fact that the Dior Empire stood right beside Edina.

Everyone knew that Edina was practically a vassal state of the Dior Empire.

Prios must have known this as well—so an attack would make little sense.

Of course, the Kingdoms of Prios and Edina had been mortal enemies for centuries.

In the past, Prios’s territory had been much larger than it was now.

But hundreds of years ago, the Dior Empire waged war and seized most of its lands.

During that war, the small nation of Edina sided with the Dior Empire and attacked Prios.

As a result, a portion of the territory Prios lost ended up under Edina’s rule.

In other words, nearly half of the present Kingdom of Edina originally belonged to Prios.

“A war between the two kingdoms… They have been quiet for so many years; could this truly happen all of a sudden? What say the ministers?”

As the question passed around, Duke Alito stepped forward and spoke.

“If Duke Arenvatz’s words are true… then Prios must have been preparing for war for a long time. However, we cannot ignore the relationship between the Dior Empire and the Kingdom of Edina… I believe it would be wise to continue observing the situation for now.”

There was too little information for anyone to give a definitive answer.

It was such an obvious response that it left the air slightly deflated.

King Laskan nodded.

“I am of the same mind. Duke Arenvatz, I entrust this matter to you—continue to monitor the situation in the Kingdom of Prios.”

With a neighboring kingdom in the north preparing for war, it was only natural to stay alert.

Duke Arenvatz extended his right arm and declared,

“I shall obey Your Majesty’s command. And also……”

“Speak.”

“I wish to know why no messenger was sent to inform me regarding Prince Raion’s journey to the Kanas Territory.”

At that question, King Laskan looked puzzled.

“You mean you never received news about the prince?”

The princes’ journeys to their respective territories had been completed a year ago, and official documents had been delivered to each region.

Naturally, the messenger headed to the Arenvatz Territory—home of the prince’s maternal grandfather—should have been handled with utmost care.

But hearing that Saliann Arenvatz had never received it was baffling.

“I only received the initial official document granting permission. After that, nothing else was delivered to me.”

“Duke Alito! What is the meaning of this? Explain yourself immediately!”

At the king’s command, Duke Alito Kright stepped forward once again.

“At that time, I indeed sent a messenger with the official document to the Arenvatz Territory through the secretary.”

“Then how is it that the person in question claims to have received nothing?”

“There must have been some issue during delivery. I shall look into it immediately.”

“That will not be necessary!”

Duke Arenvatz rose from his seat with a hardened expression and glared at Duke Alito.

“Prince Raion was sent to the Kanas Territory. Meanwhile, Princes Ashuran and Valet were sent to Dolianche and Virand respectively!”

“That is correct. The assignments were chosen fairly. Is there a problem with that?”

“Kanas, Virand, and Dolianche! Can you truly call that fair?”

The difference between those territories was far too great.

When Duke Saliann Arenvatz had discovered the news belatedly, he had been furious.

However, he knew well that protesting from his own territory would have been useless.

That was why he had chosen this chance—reporting directly and confronting them in the royal capital.

Duke Alito, unwilling to yield, pressed on just as fiercely.

“It was carried out under His Majesty’s approval! How can you call it wrong?”

“……Can you truly say it was fair?”

“It was fair above all else!”

Despite Alito’s bold demeanor, Duke Arenvatz did not back down.

“I will investigate this myself. If I find even the slightest problem, you will be held accountable—with your position on the line!”

Fierce energy radiated from every part of Duke Arenvatz’s body.

It was the confidence of the Canel Kingdom’s warrior general—one of the few remaining Swordmasters.

The ministers and nobles watching were startled, exchanging uneasy glances.

Saliann Arenvatz, the warrior duke, did not fail to notice the strange atmosphere.

‘So these wretched fools have all sided with Alito.’

A considerable number of nobles and ministers were reacting in the same way.

Perhaps because of that, Duke Alito’s attitude remained just as defiant.

“Do as you please!”

“Enough!”

At King Laskan’s shout, the hall fell silent.

The king looked between them and spoke again.

“I understand the issue at hand. But it has already been a year, has it not? What good will it do to drag up the matter now?”

“But Your Majesty! This concerns the line of royal succession.”

“I know that well! For now, let us adjourn this council. You and I shall speak privately.”

The ministers and nobles all left the chamber.

Afterward, King Laskan entered his office with Duke Saliann Arenvatz.

Once seated, the king’s stern expression softened slightly.

“I understand why you are upset. Do you think I am truly unaware?”

“Haa……”

Duke Saliann Arenvatz couldn’t immediately respond—only a sigh escaped him.

Truthfully, he had no desire to see his grandson Raion rise to the throne.

But because he had spent so many years drowning in grief, he hadn’t even realized that Raion had departed to such a harsh land.

If left alone, Duke Alito’s dark influence might reach Raion as well—he could not stand by and let that happen.

Moreover, the pain of losing his only daughter, Sierra, still hadn’t faded completely.

“After losing Sierra, it’s true that I neglected Raion. I couldn’t bear to face you—her father.”

“……It’s nothing, Your Majesty.”

“You must have been disappointed. Who wouldn’t be?”

The duke, who had been answering quietly, furrowed his brows as he replied.

“If it had been any other territory, I would have said nothing. But Kanas Territory of all places? That’s simply too much!”

He had even considered sending a letter to Kanas Territory.

However, the royal family’s relatives were forbidden from contacting the participants during the succession trials.

It was to prevent any unfair assistance or interference.

Duke Arenvatz knew this well, and thus could only abandon the idea of sending the letter.

“I didn’t agree with it either. It was part of Duke Alito’s scheme.”

“What has become of the kingdom’s state of affairs?”

From what he had witnessed during the royal council, it was clear that the mood among the nobles and ministers leaned heavily toward Duke Alito Kright.

As a warrior and the king’s closest ally, Saliann Arenvatz found it incomprehensible.

“To be frank, things are not good.”

“How bad?”

“Bad enough that it’s uncertain how long we’ll last once the successor to the throne is decided.”

“Hah……”

“It must be my lack of virtue. But even more than that, I owe you too many apologies—failing to look after Raion, and… Sierra as well.”

King Laskan still longed for Sierra.

Because of that, when Raion departed for the Kanas Territory, he couldn’t even bring himself to see him off.

“It seems much has changed since I left.”

“It has changed far too much. Raion as well, of course.”

Saliann had never even seen his grandson Raion’s coming-of-age ceremony.

The grief of losing Sierra had been far too great—but now, it was far too late for such excuses.

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