Chapter 77

The Return of the Evil God!

In the main headquarters of the Church of Lehl, within a deep sanctuary where none could step in lightly, the leadership of the Church gathered.

“An evil god… to say the evil god has returned… it is hard to believe.”

“I also cannot believe it. However, it was not just anyone—it was the Archbishop Palpis himself who confirmed it with his own two eyes. It is hard to believe and even harder to accept, but it is something we must clearly address.”

“That is correct. If the Fifth Prince truly is the reincarnation of the evil god, we must nip the bud before it ripens.”

“The same thought.”

“Mm, mm. Naturally, that is what must be done.”

Everyone seated at the round table expressed the same opinion without exception.

Amid the commotion—not quite noise—someone quietly seated at one side of the round table raised his hand.

“….”

As though that silent gesture were some sort of signal, everyone immediately fell silent.

After complete stillness, the man who had raised his hand finally opened his mouth with a heavy voice.

“I shall go.”

“…! Are… are you saying that you, the First Sword Saint, will go personally?”

The Sword of the Church of Lehl, the First Sword Saint, Carniel. He was the one who stood at the apex of the paladin legion the Church of Lehl so proudly claimed.

“This is no ordinary matter. If it concerns the evil god, then naturally I must see it for myself. I also do not wish to believe it, but if by any chance the evil god truly has appeared on this land again, then we must kill him as quickly as possible. Is that not so?”

“Well, that is true, but… the opponent is a prince of the Aphahiel Empire. The Black Lion still watches with both eyes wide open. If you mishandle the lion cubs, future missionary work in Aphahiel will suffer tremendously. As you know, we cannot afford to lose the Aphahiel Empire, considering the influence it holds…”

Even for a prince of a minor nation, such a figure was not easy to touch.

And yet their opponent was a prince of the Aphahiel Empire. One person seated at the round table cautiously voiced his concern.

“…Archbishop Edzel.”

“Y-yes.”

“Which is more important—eliminating the evil god or missionary expansion?”

“Well, of course…”

Inquisitor Carniel drew a cold line with his razor-sharp voice.

“Maintain your center. It seems you have grown complacent and forgotten. What we must prioritize above anything else is eliminating the evil god. Missionary work comes after.”

“Of course. Indeed. That was what I meant to say.”

As Carniel scolded him, Archbishop Edzel quickly backed down.

Carniel’s words had not been aimed at Edzel alone, but at everyone gathered.

In the now somewhat bleak atmosphere, Carniel broke the silence.

“Do not worry. As I said, I shall go personally to verify it. And if the Fifth Prince truly is the incarnation of the evil god, I shall quietly resolve it on my end.”

The First Sword Saint, Carniel.

More widely known to the public not as a Sword Saint but as the ‘Inquisitor,’ the strongest force of Lehl revealed murderous intent toward Yuwon.

After the welcoming banquet celebrating the return of the subjugation force, the Houkijisu participants who had belonged to the subjugation force finally began to return one by one to their hometowns.

At last, this marked the end of this year’s exceptionally long Houkijisu Tournament due to the Southern Subjugation Mission.

The Houkijisu participants who had gathered from all across Aphahiel stopped by the Fifth Prince’s Palace one last time before returning home to bid farewell to Yuwon.

“Your Highness, if fate allows, I shall come see you again.”

“Go on, Jovan. I look forward to seeing you next time.”

A man who had come together with Jovan and stood beside him suddenly inserted himself into the conversation.

“Then I shall head down together with this friend.”

“Ha ha, very well. Lawson, you also return safely. When you first arrived, you and Jovan growled at each other just by making eye contact, yet now you leave together. It is a good sight.”

“Heh heh, our families are quite messily entangled, but he is still the friend who watched my back on the battlefield. Beginning with the relationship between the two of us, we intend to cast off the old, long-accumulated grudges between our houses and move forward.”

“Will your fathers, the lords of your territories, sit still and accept that?”

“Even so, we intend to try. To one day become a strength to Your Highness, I must first put my own matters in order. Wasting energy fighting a neighboring territory… we plan to start by resolving that issue peacefully.”

“Just hearing it is reassuring. Good, I support you. The history between your houses is quite long, so it will not be easy, but if the two of you work together, turning the lords’ hearts is not impossible.”

“Yes, of course. We shall bring you good news soon.”

“Go now. Until next time.”

Thus, more than a dozen Houkijisu participants came each day to bid farewell to Yuwon.

It would have been natural for him to grow tired, yet he showed no sign of weariness.

He welcomed everyone visiting the Fifth Prince’s Palace with a smile and sent them off with well-wishes.

‘This is not something just anyone can do.’

From early morning, the stream of visitors had not ceased. Yuwon welcomed guest after guest, sending them off again and again.

And around lunchtime, just when he finally caught his breath, a different kind of honored guest arrived.

“Your Highness, have you been well?”

An elderly face filled with deep wrinkles that could no longer hide his age. Yet within those wrinkles, his eyes still held a strength that defied the years.

Yuwon greeted the familiar face with a bright smile. It was the seasoned veteran of Aphahiel, Marquis Carson.

“Ah, Marquis Carson, what brings you all the way here?”

“I came briefly to the Imperial Palace to report the results of the recent Southern Subjugation. I have plenty of time before the audience with His Majesty, so I hoped to enjoy a cup of tea with Your Highness. May I?”

“You did well to come. Please sit comfortably. A fine tea arrived today.”

“Then I shall not decline. Thank you for welcoming me even though I arrived so abruptly, Your Highness.”

“Think nothing of it.”

As always, Yuwon prepared the tea himself.

Once completely indifferent to tea, he had changed after Hastings introduced him to the joys of tea ceremony.

‘If Hastings were here, he would have scolded me for failing to bring out the full aroma of a fine tea.’

The thought passed briefly, and soon after, the sound of trickling water echoed as the tea finished brewing.

A soft fragrance spread quietly through the room where the two sat.

“Here, please have some.”

“Ah, thank you. Tea personally brewed by Your Highness… I am looking forward to it.”

“No, I worry that my lacking skill may have ruined a good tea.”

At Yuwon’s answer, Marquis Carson brought the teacup to his lips. And soon, after moistening his mouth, he smiled.

“I believe that worry was unnecessary.”

“Does the tea suit your taste?”

“Yes, excellent.”

At that response, Yuwon also smiled softly.

A silence—comfortable rather than awkward—flowed between the two as they quietly enjoyed their tea.

After about five minutes, Yuwon set down his cup for a moment and opened his mouth.

“You must have a reason for seeking me out before meeting His Majesty.”

“That is correct. But does Your Highness not already have a rough idea of why?”

“I had my guesses.”

Perhaps he had made some sort of decision. Marquis Carson tilted back the lukewarm tea in one motion, emptying his cup, then set the empty cup on the table.

Tak—

“Would you like more tea?”

Marquis Carson gave an answer that had absolutely nothing to do with Yuwon’s question about another serving of tea.

“I have seen the future owner of the next imperial throne during this subjugation.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. Originally, I was someone who thought it did not matter to me who would sit upon the next throne. When His Majesty, Emperor Yulaios, stepped down, I intended to lay down my own burdens as well. But seeing that person changed my mind.”

Yuwon was listening, but at the same time, he was not. He was already refilling both his own empty cup and Marquis Carson’s.

Trickle— trickle—

And once the two cups were filled again—

“So what do you intend to do?”

“Though old and worn, making it difficult for me to be of great help, I intend to exert my remaining strength until that person takes the throne. Would that be acceptable, Your Highness?”

Yuwon gave no answer.

No—his mouth remained silent, but his eyes spoke louder than ever. Yuwon’s blue eyes pierced through Marquis Carson.

Gulp—

Under the peculiar gaze that felt as though it were combing through his mind, Marquis Carson swallowed without meaning to. Then Yuwon opened his mouth again.

“It seems I have gained a precious ally today. It is an honor, Marquis.”

A bright smile drew across Yuwon’s lips.

Fifteen days had passed since the subjugation force returned to the Capital.

A short time if short, long if long.

During that time, great upheaval struck the Aphahiel Empire.

“From this moment onward, I, Astasil Carson, hereby officially proclaim Fifth Prince Yurion Aphahiel as the rightful heir to the next imperial throne.”

Long ago, when Yulaios had not yet been Emperor but was still called a prince, Marquis Carson had ridden alongside him across battlefields.

Having already done more than enough by Yulaios Aphahiel’s side, people naturally expected that Marquis Carson would quietly retire once Yulaios stepped down.

After all, for more than a decade, while countless voices argued over the next imperial throne, Marquis Carson had never once shown any interest in it.

“So it was… but for Marquis Carson to make an official declaration of support…”

But the situation had changed.

After returning from what was believed to be an empty, ceremonial Southern Subjugation Mission, Marquis Carson stepped into the muddy struggle for the throne without hesitation.

If Marquis Richmond was the voice of the neutral faction, then Marquis Carson was its spiritual pillar.

After his declaration of support for the Fifth Prince, numerous noble families that stood under the neutral faction’s banner abandoned neutrality and built a new nest under the Fifth Prince’s camp.

Before people could even finish being shocked, new reports swept in from across the empire, leaving them stunned. The sources were none other than the Houkijisu participants who had returned from the Southern Subjugation Mission.

“Father, you must have heard that Marquis Carson rolled up his sleeves to support the Fifth Prince, yes?”

“Yes, because of that, my head is about to split. The neutral faction has all but collapsed. Seven out of ten have followed the Marquis to support the Fifth Prince. Why he is suddenly acting so whimsically at this stage… things have become complicated.”

To the son who had witnessed Yuwon’s achievements in the South with his own eyes, his father’s worries were nothing but amusing.

“There is nothing complicated. The reason Marquis Carson made that decision means the Marquis certainly has eyes and ears.”

“What? What are you saying now?”

“Father, do you still not understand? It is no longer one strong, two mid, one weak—it is two strong, one mid, one weak. Within fifteen days, the support for the Fifth Prince’s faction will undoubtedly triple.”

“Are you joking with your father right now? Triple in fifteen days? What kind of nonsense…”

“Four days.”

“…?”

“Within four days, starting with the Valaris Count Family in the South, several houses will declare their support for the Fifth Prince. In that case, it will likely double immediately.”

“…This is no childish game. It concerns the very survival of our family. Can you take responsibility for what you are claiming?”

“Yes, I can. Because I was there.”

Only then did the Viscount realize that the eyes of the son standing before him were not the same as before. His son, who had graduated the academy with average grades, received knighthood, and drifted without purpose, had returned from the South after three months radiating the spirit of a true man.

‘This boy has finally grown…!’

A dignity only possessed by those who had crossed the line between life and death at least once.

The Viscount listened more closely to his son’s words.

“What in the world… happened in the South?”

“…Father. His Highness the Fifth Prince will ascend the next imperial throne.”

Throughout all territories of Aphahiel, scenes like this repeated as though copied from one another.

And three days later, as if fulfilling a prophecy, Count Valaris and several Southern families formally announced their support for the Fifth Prince as the successor to the throne.

In just a few days, with Marquis Carson, most of the neutral faction, and then the Valaris Count Family and the South all joining in, the Fifth Prince’s faction rapidly grew into a powerful rival capable of threatening the Crown Prince’s faction.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep