Chapter 87: Crossing the Bridge of No Return (1)

The Lord of Praizen, Marquis Kataroan Pelican, was eighty-two years old this year—an age considered quite advanced.

Because of that, his appearance had aged beyond measure, yet the dignity and presence befitting the former Chancellor of the Canel Kingdom still remained.

Knock, knock!

Time passed.

Before long, the door to his office was knocked upon, and his direct administrative officer, Orbas, poked his head in.

“We have brought Adventurer Raion Dragonia, my lord.”

“Is that so? Send him in.”

At his response, Orbas stepped aside.

Cayman waited just inside the door with him.

In the meantime, Raion entered the room.

Step. Step.

Marquis Kataroan Pelican, who had been gazing out the window, slowly turned his head.

“You are…!”

For a moment, he was taken aback, unable to take his eyes off Raion’s face.

“I don’t believe we’ve met before. Do you know me?”

In truth, Marquis Pelican had never seen Prince Raion in person.

That was because the young prince had rarely appeared before others since childhood.

Raion, too, was slightly surprised by the Marquis’s reaction.

“Ah… no, not exactly. It’s just… you resemble someone I once knew…”

As his words trailed off, a faint smile appeared on Raion’s lips.

“And who might that be?”

In that instant, the image of King Laskan Canelo in his prime flashed across the Marquis’s mind.

“His Majesty the King…”

Clatter…

Then, Raion raised his hand, revealing a golden badge.

Engraved upon it was the Canel Royal Family’s emblem—a large lion’s head.

“Royalty?”

“Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am the Third Prince, Raion Canel.”

At those words, Marquis Pelican’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“Good heavens…! You mean to say you are truly a prince? But then, this Dragonia family… what of it?”

In his earlier investigation, he had learned that the Swordmaster was of noble descent.

But to suddenly hear that he was a prince—it was nothing short of shocking.

“It’s a name I fabricated for convenience’s sake, due to my current circumstances. But tell me, do you intend to continue our talk standing up?”

“Ah…”

The Marquis, once known as the Iron-Blooded Chancellor, found himself losing the initiative to Raion.

The two then took their seats and continued their discussion.

“So it’s true that Your Highness has attained the rank of Swordmaster?”

“That’s correct.”

“I can scarcely believe it. And yet, should you not be residing in the Kanas Territory at present?”

He knew this because the royal decree regarding the princes’ succession trials had been sent to every domain.

“That’s true as well. But I’ve come here on important business.”

“Do you mean to form your own faction apart from the line of succession?”

A sharp question.

Raion smiled faintly at that.

“Surely, Marquis, you stand on the side of His Majesty and my maternal grandfather. Would there be any need for me to form a faction of my own?”

“Then for what reason have you come secretly to Praizen? If the Royal Capital learns of this, they certainly won’t stay silent.”

Even now, Duke Alito Kright and Queen Elina were expanding their influence within the capital.

That much was evident even to Marquis Pelican, who had long withdrawn from politics.

Naturally, from his pro-royalist perspective, Raion’s movements seemed perilous.

“The reason is simple.”

“And what would that be?”

“I came to protect you, Marquis.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

“Because Duke Alito Kright intends to target you.”

At that explanation, the Marquis’s brows furrowed deeply.

“Why would the current Chancellor wish to harm me? If it’s merely because I’m a royalist, that’s absurd. I hold no present power that could threaten him.”

“And that’s precisely what makes you a threat. You’re acting as my grandfather’s representative right now, are you not?”

In that moment, Marquis Pelican’s expression stiffened.

That information was known only to a few close officials.

Of course, it might have reached the Royal Capital through Duke Saliann Arenvatz’s report—but there was no conceivable way Raion, who had been in the Kanas Territory, could have known.

“How did you…?”

“If something were to happen to you, the responsibility would fall upon my grandfather. As a result, the foundation of the royalist Northern Defense Force would begin to crumble.”

The Northern Defense Force’s military power was entirely under Saliann Arenvatz’s control.

The same applied to other border defense forces, though they were gradually being divided due to Duke Alito’s influence.

“So that’s why Duke Alito intends to target me… Hah, should I feel honored or not?”

“For now, Marquis, all you need do is strengthen your internal security. I will handle the rest.”

“And what exactly do you intend to do, Your Highness?”

“You’ll see soon enough. Also—about your grandson.”

“You mean Grain?”

Grain Pelican, now thirty-four, was the only heir left to the Marquisate after his parents’ death.

“I plan to give him a bit of instruction.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

“Do you intend to keep letting him run wild like a good-for-nothing?”

Grain Pelican was the one and only weakness of Marquis Kataroan Pelican, who was otherwise known for his strict discipline.

His notoriety as a troublemaker was so great that there was hardly a person in all of Praizen who didn’t know his name.

“Please keep my true identity a secret as well. If anyone asks, simply say I am an important guest of the territory.”

“Hm…”

“As for Grain, think about what I said. And soon, something major will happen in the Royal Capital. I trust you’ll understand what that means.”

Raion concluded the conversation and rose from his seat.

Four men dressed as adventurers were roaming the inner city of Praizen Fortress.

In truth, they were knights belonging to the Dagger of Darkness, sent by Duke Alito.

Their leader, Rocio, glanced around and asked his subordinates,

“Have you assessed the castle’s forces?”

“Far fewer than what was reported to the capital.”

“As expected. With Duke Arenvatz gone to the capital, they’ve likely redirected troops toward the Prios Kingdom’s border.”

Rocio spoke in a calm tone and nodded slightly.

One of his subordinates continued,

“There’s supposed to be a northern coastal inspection soon. That would be the perfect opportunity to strike.”

“Good. But before that, I’d better make sure to hammer the first nail in.”

“Will you meet that person in person?”

“I’ll make contact first, then finish setting up the plan.”

“Understood.”

The three men followed behind Rocio as he moved.

Their destination was the northern gate of Praizen Lord’s Castle.

Through the northern gate, land trade with the Prios Kingdom via the Clarman Territory was thriving.

Alongside the bustling commerce, it was also a place where illegal goods were traded.

Rocio walked through the crowded street in front of the northern gate, then slipped into a dark alleyway.

When he knocked on an old iron door standing to one side, two eyes peered out through a narrow slit.

“What’s your business here?”

“I heard there’s good merchandise in stock. I’ve come to buy some.”

“How much do you have?”

At the man’s question, Rocio handed over four gold coins.

The man took them through the slit, his eyes curving in a pleased grin. A moment later, the iron door creaked open, and Rocio and his subordinates stepped inside.

“If you cause a ruckus in here, I’ll have your head rolling before you can blink.”

“I’ll be careful.”

Inside was far more spacious than the narrow alley outside.

The air was thick with a hazy smoke that filled the entire space.

It was Rebra, a hallucinogenic drug that had plagued many kingdoms.

Once addicted, it was almost impossible to escape its grasp, so its distribution and production had been banned throughout the kingdoms.

However, due to its intense addictiveness, it continued to circulate illegally.

“To think the heir of a marquis’s house would wallow in a place like this…”

Rocio glanced around as he walked, stopping when he reached a particularly noisy spot.

“Drink! Let’s see who drops dead first tonight!”

“Oh my, really? Hohoho!”

With that boisterous shout, the light, fluttering laughter of women filled the air.

Approaching the room, Rocio peered through the crack of the door and confirmed the face of Grain Pelican.

“Truly a disgrace of his own kind.”

When Rocio entered, Grain Pelican, who had been drunkenly pouring wine, raised his head.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Forgive the intrusion. My name is Rocio. If you would allow, I wish to have a quiet word with you.”

“Get lost! Hey!”

At Grain’s shout, the man who had opened the door earlier rushed in.

“I told you if you caused trouble, you’d lose your head!”

The instant the man reached out, Rocio grabbed his arm, drew a dagger from his belt, and swung it.

Slash!

“Gahh!”

In an instant, blood spurted from the man’s neck like a fountain.

“Well, the noisy one’s quiet now.”

“Kyaaaaah!”

The women screamed at the sight and bolted from the room.

Grain tried to flee with them, but he froze at the sight of the dagger in Rocio’s hand.

“W-what are you?”

The man’s underlings came running, having heard the screams.

At that moment, Rocio gave his order.

“Clean it up.”

“Yes, sir!”

Rocio’s subordinates moved swiftly, stabbing each of the men precisely in their vital points.

Stab! Stab! Stab!

With tremendous speed and precision, the four men fell helplessly to the floor.

After that, Rocio’s three subordinates exited the room and began mercilessly slaughtering everyone else inside.

“This should quiet things down nicely.”

“W-what do you want from me?”

“I’ve come to make a deal with you, Lord Grain.”

“A… a deal?”

“This place is quite the mess. Let’s move somewhere quieter.”

Rocio grabbed Grain by the scruff of his neck and dragged him into the hallway.

Corpses of those slaughtered by his subordinates were strewn everywhere.

“Urgh—!”

“Ah, it seems you’ve a weak stomach. Then let’s get moving quickly.”

After his subordinates finished the cleanup, Rocio led the group through the back door of the Rebra den.

He had investigated this place days beforehand, so finding it hadn’t been difficult.

They relocated to a secluded area.

Grain’s whole body was trembling uncontrollably.

“Are we frightening you?”

“W-what the hell do you want from me?!”

At his outburst, Rocio answered calmly.

“I know that Lord Grain has been quite miserable. The problem lies with your grandfather, Marquis Kataroan Pelican, who’s held his seat for far too long.”

“W-what?”

“It’s about time he stepped down… Hasn’t it frustrated you to no end, watching him cling to power all this time?”

Grain couldn’t deny his words.

He had always been compared to his grandfather—no matter what he did.

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