Chapter 82: You Never Expected to Be Stabbed in the Back While Plotting, Did You? (2)

“How was the prince when he left for his territory?”

At Saliann Arenvatz’s question, King Laskan recalled Raion’s appearance from that time.

“Hmm… He was very dignified. He reminded me of you when you were young.”

That had been about fifty years ago.

At that time, Saliann Arenvatz had held both the title of the youngest Sword Master and the position of Royal Knight Commander.

He was a being of unmatched strength.

“I don’t know what era you’re referring to… but even if you say so, how could the Third Prince be like that?”

The last image he remembered of the young Raion was of a boy far more delicate than most children.

Of course, he had always felt a deep guilt for leaving such a child behind in the northern territory.

“You say that only because you haven’t seen him yourself. He didn’t really show anything special before he left, but…”

“Then what makes you say that?”

“Well, it’s hard to put into words. It’s just… he had developed quite an unusual presence.”

As King Laskan rambled, he shouted toward the door.

“Someone! Call for Sir Trine, the Knight Commander!”

At his call, the attendants outside brought in Trine Diego, the commander of the Royal Knights.

When Trine entered, he bowed first to the king, then to Saliann Arenvatz.

“Lord Arenvatz, it’s been a long time since we last met.”

“Indeed it has. But why did His Majesty summon you here?”

“Actually, from about five years before Raion left for his territory, he had been living at Taron’s Palace. The Knight Commander here used to visit him there and report back to me.”

That was news to Saliann, and he was visibly startled.

“At Taron’s Palace? But that place…”

He knew very well that the palace had been unused for a long time, which made him uneasy.

“I tried to stop him, but the boy’s will was strong. Sir Trine, tell him what you saw there.”

Saliann Arenvatz’s gaze turned toward Trine.

“Hmm… Well, to be honest, it was difficult for me to gauge His Highness’s strength.”

Trine Diego, the Royal Knight Commander, was also a Sword Master, just like King Laskan and Saliann Arenvatz.

Naturally, unless the other person was beyond that level, a Sword Master could roughly assess someone’s power.

“What do you mean, you couldn’t gauge it?”

“For instance, Jade, who served as one of the prince’s escort knights, was nearly at the level of a Sword Master. Yet even though the prince never displayed his ability outright, he felt… greater than that.”

He had seen him once at the royal capital during the coming-of-age ceremony, when Raion was selecting his fief.

For an instant, the ominous energy that had emanated from Raion’s entire body had been far more terrifying than his own as a Sword Master.

“How could that even be possible…”

“Anyway, you’ll be shocked when you meet him again.”

“If time allows, I’d like to stop by Kanas before returning to the territory.”

“You know well that it won’t be easy.”

Crossing the Clamen Mountains of Kanas alone was a serious obstacle.

If he delayed that long, it could significantly postpone the reconnaissance mission into the Kingdom of Prios.

“I wonder when I’ll be able to see him again…”

Saliann Arenvatz was weighed down by guilt for having abandoned his grandson for over a decade.

Part of the blame lay with Duke Alito Kright, who had obstructed the messengers traveling between the Arenvatz Territory and the royal capital.

Of course, without evidence, Saliann Arenvatz could do nothing about it.

“Time will tell. As long as Raion returns safely, that’s all that matters…”

“For now, Your Majesty, please be cautious. The atmosphere in the Great Hall earlier wasn’t good.”

“Hmm… yes, indeed.”

The three pillars of the kingdom’s military power worried deeply over the uncertain future of the Canel Kingdom.

Inside Duke Alito Kright’s royal office—

Thwack—!

His staff swung down, striking the head of Feian, the leader of the Dagger of Darkness.

“Urgh—!”

With a short groan, Duke Alito’s face twisted in fury.

“What were you doing, failing to keep track of the Grand Marshal’s movements?!”

It was because of the sudden appearance of Duke Saliann Arenvatz in the royal capital’s Great Hall.

“M-my apologies…”

“What were the Dagger of Darkness agents stationed in the Arenvatz Territory doing until he arrived here?!”

Feian, too, had heard about Saliann Arenvatz’s appearance and had immediately investigated.

“It seems the Grand Marshal deliberately moved in a way to avoid our surveillance.”

“What do you mean by that?!”

“I checked the last telegram we received from the Arenvatz Territory. It stated that Duke Arenvatz was inspecting the border garrisons.”

Normally, inspections along the border took several tens of days.

Using that as cover, Saliann Arenvatz had shaken off the Dagger of Darkness and slipped out of his territory.

It was still speculation, but it seemed the most likely explanation.

“Does that mean he’s already sensed something?”

“I’ll check the movements in the Clarman and Chelon territories as well.”

“Do that. If those territories have indeed fallen under Arenvatz’s influence, we may have to accelerate our grand plan.”

Growing anxious, Duke Alito Kright clenched his staff tightly.

Though he had already won over several other territories, the influence of Arenvatz—who commanded the northern defenses—along with Chelon and Clarman, was still formidable.

If the lords of those territories were to directly intervene in royal affairs, it would cause a serious problem.

“I was so focused on winning over the surrounding territories that I neglected those areas. That was my mistake.”

For now, the territories of Dolianche and Virand, where the First and Second Princes resided, had already been secured under his influence.

Those regions held absolute control over commerce and trade, and their influence was not to be underestimated.

However, in terms of military power, it was still difficult to suppress the strength of Saliann Arenvatz.

“The internal knight orders and mage divisions have been mostly swayed to our side, haven’t they?”

“Yes… Still, I’ll need to make contact with Praizen.”

“To prevent them from communicating with Kanas Territory?”

“Now that Duke Arenvatz has begun to move, he’ll surely try to establish a communication link through there. If we accidentally lend them any support, it could become a serious problem.”

The Praizen Territory lay between Kanas and Arenvatz, alongside Clarman.

Since Clarman had already sided with Arenvatz, Praizen would likely be keeping a close watch on the situation.

“If you give me specific orders, I’ll carry them out immediately.”

“The lord of that territory was Marquis Pelican, wasn’t it? A rather difficult old man.”

He had once served as a minister.

Marquis Kataroan Pelican had resigned from his position as chancellor and returned to his territory after his son and daughter-in-law were killed twenty years ago, defending against monsters from the Clamen Mountains.

He was known for his stubborn temperament, which made him hard to persuade.

Moreover, he was a respected scholar and a staunch royalist, so if they handled him poorly, even their current foundation could be endangered.

“In that case, I might have a good method.”

At Feian’s suggestion, Duke Alito Kright’s ears perked up.

“What is it?”

“It would be best to use his grandson. We have some valuable information about him.”

With that, Feian began revealing the information he knew.

Unlike the tense atmosphere of the royal capital, in Kanas Territory, Raion was deeply absorbed in an experiment he had been pouring his heart into.

He had engraved the advanced form of the 1st Circle Light spell — the 3rd Circle Mirror Illusion — onto a large Steeloud board, roughly the height of a person.

“Conditional Formation!”

Dding―!

A familiar sound rang out as a blue window appeared.

[You may set the conditions for the formula.]

Mana Authentication

Target Link

Image Projection

“Engraving Expansion, Engraving!”

After setting all the parameters, Raion inscribed the formula onto the Steeloud surface.

He deliberately expanded the engraving to increase the mana output.

The first stage of preparation was complete.

Next, he took another Steeloud board about the size of his palm and engraved the same formula using the same method.

This time, because of the smaller size, he didn’t use Engraving Expansion.

“It should work properly this time.”

It was an invention he had been trying to create since long ago, along with the flush toilet.

Yet, despite over fifty attempts, he had failed each time.

Either the magic link had compatibility issues or the conditions had misaligned, causing the formula to collapse.

Now that Conditional Formation existed, he saw new potential and decided to challenge it again.

“Let’s see if it works.”

The device required Raion’s mana to activate.

He placed his palm on the large Steeloud board.

At first, it was as still as before.

Then, at the center of the board, twelve blue buttons appeared in light.

On the buttons were engraved the Arabic numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 — not the numbers used on the Phalon Continent — along with the words “Connect” and “End.”

“It worked!”

What Raion had created was a communication device.

In war, the most crucial elements were information and communication.

However, despite the existence of magic across the Phalon Continent, the fastest methods of delivery were still messenger hawks or couriers on horseback.

With a faster communication system, orders and intelligence could be transmitted instantly on any battlefield.

Of course, the device wasn’t complete just because the large one had turned on.

“Let’s test the connection.”

Raion entered a number on the large communication device.

[000000]

[Connect]

He input a specific code and pressed the connect button.

After a moment of silence, the small board sitting on the workbench began to emit a blue light.

“It worked—!”

He lifted the small board.

As soon as he pressed the “Connect” button, a screen appeared, projecting Raion’s own face on the large communication device.

It was complete — a communication device that could project the other party’s image onto a different device.

“If I install these in key facilities and villages, there’ll be no more communication delays.”

The large communication device was purposely made bulky for security reasons. The smaller one would only be used by Raion himself.

Even if foreign nations discovered the device, it would be nearly impossible to replicate, and precautions had been taken to prevent theft.

The core of the Conditional Formation was the mana authentication system.

Without a small board imbued with Raion’s mana, the device couldn’t be operated at all.

He also planned to issue these mana-authenticated small boards only to key leadership members and communication officers.

“Whew~! Now I just need to make enough of them.”

Raion exhaled deeply from the exhaustion of his intense work.

But as the devices would strengthen Kanas Territory even further, a smile formed on his lips.

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