Oswald: Earl Keely
Trevor: Eldest son (twin)
Hadley: second son (twin)
Steve: third son, adventurer
Priscilla: eldest daughter, clergy worker
Catherine: second daughter
A clear baritone voice was heard from the study of the Earl Keely’s castle.
The study was a place of relaxation and often served as an office as well.
However, since the castle separated the office from the study, the study was purely Oswald’s private space.
Accompanied by a small magic lyre that played itself, Oswald sang the tragedy of a man who fell in love with the fairy queen.
A nobleman must master at least one of the arts to avoid the slander of the illiterate.
This may seem surprising given his stiff image, but Oswald was an accomplished singer.
However, just as he was about to reach the climactic chorus, Oswald stopped singing and turned off the automatic music.
He felt the presence of someone behind the door.
As Oswald stopped singing, someone knocked and entered the room.
“Father. Am I interrupting your practice?”
The person who entered the room was a young man in a dark blue suit with citrus-colored hair just like Oswald’s. He looked as if he had wires all over his body. He had square, snappy movements, as if his whole body was wired.
Trevor Henrik Keely. He was Oswald’s eldest son and the next Lord of Oswald’s estate. He had the air of a competent official, in other words, a man much like his father.
“No, I don’t mind. No problem, just a distraction. What’s the matter, Trevor?”
“Steve has arrived.”
“Yo, Dad! Long time no see!”
A shadow about two sizes too big for Trevor, who looked a little less dignified, peeked out from behind him.
He had shaggy black hair braided together into so-called dreadlocks. He wore a cape made of animal skin over his scarred armor in the style of a brigand.
He was Steve Adrian Keeley. He was Oswald’s third son.
He was a man who had been living as an adventurer in the Federation of Gireshtal in a semi-exiled state.
Trevor poked him on the head when he heard Steve’s lighthearted greeting.
“Father. Say father. You’ve become so … vulgar in all the years I haven’t seen you.”
“You’re right, brother.”
“Hahahaha. But you’ve grown strong, too.”
Oswald greeted Steve and patted him on the back.
When he had left home upon coming of age, he was still an “inexperienced boy swordsman”, but now he was a full-fledged adventurer. They had talked a few times at the communications office, but it had been a long time since they had seen each other.
He was happy to see him again and wanted to have a leisurely chat with him, but that was not going to happen.
“I heard that Priscilla is back too?”
“Yeah, she’s back. She’s stuck with Catherine 24/7.”
“Steve. I’m sorry to interrupt your arrival, but we’ve only got a few minutes to kill. Let’s talk about the situation and the future. Trevor, get Priscilla and Hadley. And… Catherine too.”
＊ ＊ ＊
The entire Earl family, with the exception of the Countess, was gathered in the study.
Normally, this would not be the place for a family meeting, but it was for the purpose of using the materials in the study.
The books on monsters and magic were pulled from the bookshelves and piled up in a mountain.
“But, well, it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”
“Yes, it’s been a long time. I was really surprised. I never thought that Steve would come back as a fine bandit.”
The man who teased Steve was Hadley Casper Keely. He was Oswald’s second son.
Since he and Trevor, the eldest son, were twins and looked exactly alike, it was decided that Trevor would wear blue and Hadley would wear red.
Although Hadley was not a legitimate heir, he was also a backup in case something happened to Trevor, the eldest son. He never left home like Steve, but helped his father run the estate.
Steve shrugged in a tone of displeasure when he was teased.
“Adventurers are usually like this, you know. Real bandits don’t shave clean like me, and they don’t take baths. … By the way, Dad. Why is Catherine here?”
Catherine’s eyes were downcast when she heard her name called out, as though she were worried about something.
Considering the agenda of this family meeting, Steve probably thought that Catherine’s presence was not a necessity, nor was it something that she should be forced to hear.
But Oswald shook his head with a somber expression.
“Because it’s necessary. Catherine was one of the people involved, and she voluntarily investigated … the “Rose Princess of Hellrage”.”
“… Catherine?”
“Well, anyway, let’s start with what happened. Can you tell them? Catherine?
“Yes, Father.”
Catherine then told the story of what had happened that day.
The day when the royal capital was attacked by the “Rose Princess of Hellrage” and she herself became a captive.
The day when Terra Ruale, which had boasted a century long tradition, fell to the immortal army in just a few hours.
Steve, who apparently still knew little more than gossip about the events of that day, listened to the story with his face turning red and blue.
“… The First Order of the Knights was almost completely wiped out. The Second Order had only a few survivors, including the Commander. It is believed that not only His Majesty, but even his courtiers, were almost all killed.”
“Oh God, man, it’s… this is even worse than I imagined.”
As Oswald concluded the story, Steve let out a shuddering sigh.
Incidentally, Catherine was sitting on Priscilla’s lap being hugged the entire time she was talking.
When Priscilla finished listening to Catherine’s story, she embraced her deeply as if to reassure her that she was safe now.
“Aah… I’m so glad you’re okay, my sweet, sweet Catherine. I was so worried about you that I couldn’t even eat. I tried to contact you from the communications office, but I couldn’t get through to you… I was so worried when I heard that the mighty undead had attacked and captured the capital that I doubled the number of times I kissed your portrait, and the next day it increased fivefold, and on the third day I threw it all away and ran out of the academy. I had no idea that you were in the capital, and that you were being held captive by the “Rose Princess of Hellrage”! Ahh! I’m so glad you’re okay! Surely, this must be God’s will.”
The tall woman with long, citrus-colored hair braided like a crown. She had a mature face and body, but also had a girlish, innocent air to her.
She was holding Catherine firmly in her arms and nuzzling her cheek.
Even when Catherine wriggled around in annoyance, she was firmly in place.
Her name was Priscilla Mayu Keely. She was Oswald’s eldest daughter.
She was an elite clergy student studying at the Temple Academy in the Holy Kingdom of Diletta.
She wore the uniform of the Temple Academy, a white one-piece dress similar to a priest’s uniform. The dress hid her body shape, but her protruding b*easts stood out.
“No, sister. I was brought alive because of the whims and fancies of the … Princess. There was no such thing as God’s will in that place…”
“Well,… if Catherine says so, then surely that’s right.”
Catherine had a look on her face that was more than dark, but something was stuck in it.
“Was there a rumor about our country at Temple Academy?”
“Of course. Everyone is always interested in international affairs. It is a matter of great concern to the Temple that a country has been destroyed by the actions of an undead monster.”
“Have you heard anything about the Temple’s activities?”
“I heard a rumor that there will be a joint mission with the Adventurers’ Guild to investigate.”
Steve laughed sarcastically when he heard Priscilla’s remark.
“Joint, huh? I wonder how far cooperation can go…”
Since the two organizations shared the same mission of investigating the “Rose Princess of Hellrage”, it was understandable that they would want to join forces in order to proceed with the project with caution.
However, there was no guarantee that the two organizations, which had different objectives and philosophies, wouldn’t pull each other down.
There was a famous and hilarious story of the Temple and the Adventurers’ Guild sending out a party to defeat the same monster at the same time, and while they were dragging their feet, the target of the attack escaped.
“Well, the Adventurers’ Guild will probably send out an investigation anyway. Depending on the situation, the Federation’s Guild might even dispatch adventurers to the area.”
“But unfortunately, politics won’t wait for that.”
Oswald said lamentingly.
They could not wait for the chaos to subside and safety to be ensured.
Rather, it was precisely in order to clean up the mess that politics had to move in.
… Or maybe it’s a fire sale of some sort.
“This is still a private matter, but … His Highness Ghislain intends to run for Crown Prince.”
“… What?”
“His Highness Ghislain?”
Steve and Priscilla, who had not yet heard the news, were astonished.
Ghislain had a reputation of being a mere bookworm who kept his distance from the political scene.
With no anecdotal evidence of his royal genius and no ambition, he would not seem like the kind of man who would make a move here and now.
In fact, Oswald, Trevor, and Hadley thought so too.
“I was surprised. I didn’t see him that way, but I wonder if he was inspired by the national crisis.”
“Consider this, Priscilla. Who is His Highness Ghislain’s mother?”\
Hadley said with just a hint of bitterness.
Priscilla looked as if she had just eaten something bitter.
“No way…”
“Marquis Edfeldt is in on it.
Everyone was aware of the composition of the coup d’état.
Marquis Edfeldt, a nobleman with close ties to Noacurio, was one of the first to go to Hilbert. If he was involved, the decision in favor of Ghislain would become extremely suspicious.
Something might have been about to happen that would further drive a wedge in the rift between the lords.
“I intend to go to Terra Kaine in the near future. I would like to meet His Highness Ghislain and see what his intentions are. Is it really His Highness’ own will? But … in any case, I believe that His Highness’ accession to the throne is unquestionable.”
“I think His Highness Ghislain is not bad. But I don’t like the idea of Marquis Edfeldt in the background.”
“Whether you like it or not, once the coronation is official, there is nothing for Father to do but to support His Highness as one of the lords of the kingdom.”
Trevor admonished Steve for expressing his dissatisfaction in a straightforward manner.
But even Trevor looked as if he was biting his tongue. He, too, seemed to be suspicious about something.
“Steve. Priscilla. Can I ask for your cooperation?”
“Cooperation…?”
“What?”
“Accompanying me. To put it bluntly, escorts.”
Steve and Priscilla looked at each other.
“The country is in danger now. The Royal Knights have been almost completely wiped out, and the maintenance of security and the extermination of monsters have virtually come to a halt. We cannot even ascertain the extent to which this has affected the situation. Not much time has passed since the situation fell into a state of lawlessness, but there are stories circulating that bandits are rushing to take refugee’s lives, or that refugees have lost their lives to bandits because they have become desperate. But if I take a bunch of knights to escort me in this situation, my territory will be in jeopardy. Adventurers too…”
Oswald cut off his words as if to prod and closed his eyes painfully.
“The party I was favoring was wiped out. I hired the best I could get my hands on, but I’m not sure I have enough.”
“That’s why you want us to come.”
Steve rolled up his sleeves, showing off his steel-hardened muscles.
“Sure, if that’s what Father wants me to do.”
“I just did some exercises at the … academy, but if I can still be of help to Father, by all means.”
Priscilla also nodded with her hand on the holy seal on her chest.
The holy seal, ordained in the temple, was a catalyst for the use of holy magic, the miracle of the God.
“You can cast healing spells, can’t you? Then just wait with Dad until we get hurt.”
“Thank God. With you guys, I’ll have a few tricks up my sleeve if I need them.”
“Father, are you going to do that?”
“Yes. If … I do it, hypothetically. If I had any hope of surviving an attack by the “Rose Princess of Hellrage”, it would be my only hope.”
At Oswald’s words, the air in the room became heavy and cold, as if the room were flooded.
The sound of wood burning in the fireplace was hollow.
“Father, that’s…”
“… I have told you about the bandits and monsters that are rushing in, but you know what is the most dangerous thing in this country right now? The ‘Rose Princess of Hellrage’ and her army. The “Rose Princess of Hell” has freed Catherine once without harm, but I am not sure if she will be granted such a kindness again. In fact, I think the chances of that happening are slim. The candidate for Crown Prince pushed by the Marquis Edfeldt, who gave his support to the former King Hilbert, will surely incur her wrath. How will I be seen as a burden there?”
At that moment, Catherine stood up… and tried to shake Priscilla off, but she had no choice but to remain hugged and said decisively.
“Father… Please let me accompany you.”
“Catherine!?”
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