Chapter 601: Four Third-Rank Adventurers
Editor: Tseirp
“Seventy men, you say? Seventy Second-Rank adventurers dead or captured—what is the meaning of this!”
The furious roar of the lord of the residence echoed through Prince Bin’s Royal Residence.
“They say one of the Six Saints, Lord Rowon, intervened.”
“Even if it was a Saint, it was only one person! And seventy Second-Rank adventurers could not bring him down…?”
“My deepest apologies.”
Prince Bin, master of the Royal Residence, lashed out while Lin Sui—the one delivering the report—bowed low.
“So… how many Second-Rank adventurers remain?”
“Roughly eighty.”
“Only half…”Prince Bin’s face twisted into a scowl.
But then, as if struck by a thought, his expression sharpened.
“Why did Lord Rowon just happen to appear? Don’t tell me information leaked from this residence?”
“I don’t believe so, Your Highness…”
“Then why would a being like a Saint show up? Are you claiming he was merely taking a stroll?!”
“They say Lord Rowon claimed as much.”
“Do you expect me to believe that!”
Prince Bin’s voice thundered again.
The gap with the leading contenders—Prince Kouri, the Second Prince, and Prince Churei, the Third Prince—was not closing… Worse, Prince Ryun, who until now had not even been a rival, was advancing toward the title of Imperial Prince.
And the first target of the newly elevated Prince Ryun would, of course, be him.
Compared to the other two princes, his own base among the Shitaifu Class was fragile.
Ryun would drag him down, expand his influence, and only then challenge the other two…
Such were Prince Bin’s calculations.
Thus, the impatience.
Thus, the reckless moves.
And from recklessness came widening cracks…
At that moment, Lin Sui produced a sheet of paper for an additional report.
“The whereabouts of the four missing Third-Rank adventurers have been confirmed.”
“Third-Rank? Bah… after losing seventy Second-Ranks, who cares about four Third-Ranks? Dispose of the matter as you like.”
“Yes, uh…but the place where they are being held is troublesome.”
For the first time, Lin Sui’s face tightened.
“I am the Fourth Prince, an Imperial Prince! Whatever it is, we can handle it! Unless you mean they’re confined in the Taiji Hall, the Emperor’s own hall of state!”
The Taiji Hall was Emperor Tsuin’s audience chamber, hardly a place for prisoners.
Yet indeed, there were few locations in the Imperial Capital beyond Prince Bin’s reach.
Perhaps only the Emperor himself, or Prince Kouri or Prince Churei.
“No… it may be an even worse place.”
“Worse? Out with it.”
“Yes, Your Highness. They are said to be confined in the residence of Duke Rondo.”
“Duke Rondo?”
At Lin Sui’s words, Prince Bin first blinked, then scowled even more deeply.
To be frank, Prince Bin disliked Duke Rondo.
He could not forget the oppressive aura he had felt from the Duke at the wedding banquet of Prince Ryun and Princess Shio Fen.
Each time he heard the name ‘Duke Rondo’, that humiliating memory resurfaced.
And he knew full well that the name now carried immense weight in the Imperial Capital.
Most troubling of all: Duke Rondo was the Emperor’s favorite.
No matter how great an imperial prince’s authority, it could not surpass the Emperor’s.
Rare though it might be, the Emperor could strip an imperial prince of his title.
To oppose the Emperor was unthinkable.
And Duke Rondo was the Emperor’s chosen favorite.
Foreign noble or not…
“I don’t like it.”
Prince Bin said flatly.
Lin Sui held his tongue.
“I’ve decided. Leave them.”
“…Pardon?”
Prince Bin muttered the words, and Lin Sui asked for confirmation.
“Those four Third-Rank adventurers. Ignore them.”
“Is that acceptable?”
“What then? Should we attempt an assassination? Sneak into Duke Rondo’s residence? Do you know what would happen if that became known?”
“…Exactly as Your Highness fears—disaster.”
And so the four Third-Rank adventurers were abandoned.
The day after Prince Ryun and Princess Shio Fen were attacked on their way back from the Imperial Palace.
Ryo and Abel paid a morning visit to their neighbors.
“For a prince and princess to be assaulted in the very center of the Imperial Capital. Frightening, isn’t it?”
“Surely one of the three princes orchestrated it. When those close to the core of power move, anything can happen.”
“Will our own Kingdom of Knightley be safe?”
“It will. Marquis Heinlein is there.”
The Duke Rondo voiced his concern, and the King answered breezily.
“Abel, you always say that.”
“Eh?”
“You rely on Marquis Heinlein for everything!”
“I won’t deny it.”
“The world isn’t so kind! A supreme ruler must always stay vigilant.”
“But the poajou you’re holding in both hands is sweet and delicious.”
Perhaps a premier duke’s stern words lose force when his hands are full of snacks.
“Still, I was surprised to hear that the one who came to their aid was Captain Lu Yao’s master.”
“Yeah. An alchemy master—and a water-attribute magician, no less.”
“And one of the Six Saints! The name alone sounds so cool!”
“I knew you’d say that.”
Abel said, while Ryo nodded enthusiastically.
“A powerful water-attribute magician and alchemist… rather like you, Ryo.”
“Perhaps fate decrees we’ll have to fight someday!”
“Why? He’s not an enemy.”
“Because that’s the classic storyline!”
“Right…”
Ryo insisted; and Abel nodded saucily.
Humoring him, perhaps.
“I thought you’d go ask him about that magic formula.”
“I’d love to… but even Captain Lu Yao said she doesn’t know where he is.”
“She did. But he’s in the capital, surely?”
“Probably. Before retiring, he served in the Ministry of War. They say he owns a villa in southern Darwei but has no house here. Maybe he’s staying at an inn. Like the old ‘Crimson Sword’ days.”
“Could be. Inns handle all the cleaning. Easy life.”
Back when Abel led the adventuring party ‘Crimson Sword’, they always stayed at the luxury inn ‘Golden Wave Pavilion’ in Rune.
People with steady income could live like that.
“Extravagant!”
Ryo flicked his finger in mock reproach, lacking such income himself.
“You’re wealthy enough to do it.”
“That’s not the point. Without a steady future income, such spending is dangerous.”
“Is it?”
“Yes. One risks bankruptcy.”
“Sounds tough.”
Ryo lectured, Abel let it slide.
“Those with little income can’t be understood by the rich! Down with social inequality!”
“I have no idea what you’re on about.”
The Premier Duke raised a fist to the sky in protest; the King remained baffled.
Perhaps it was a picture of politics leaving commoners behind.
Though maybe it still brought them happiness… maybe.
Abel’s eyes drifted to the garden.
The ice golems were cleaning as usual.
And at the center stood four ice sculptures.
“Those four Third-Rank adventurers… no one’s come for them.”
“Right? I expected someone to make contact, or intruders, or even sudden assassins…”
Abel stated the facts; Ryo spun out his fancies.
“Assassins would be troublesome… but with not a single reaction, it seems they’ve been discarded.”
“How pitiable…that adventurers can be cast aside the moment they fail.”
Ryo lamented the precarious life of an adventurer.
“Compared to that, Your Majesty has it good!”
“Hmm?”
“You can’t be thrown away at someone else’s whim. You are the power!”
“Why do I feel accused…?”
“I’m not accusing you, Abel. I mean kings in general.”
“I’m not sure there’s such a thing as a general king…”
Then Ryo suddenly gasped.
“But kings are executed in revolutions… Literally losing their heads to the guillotine.”
“Gui-what? I sense something ominous…”
“There’s a saying in my homeland: ‘Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely’.”
“H-hmm…?”
“As long as you govern for the people, you’ll be fine… But if you stray, I’ll stop you!”
“O-okay… I’ll count on you, I suppose.”
“By the way, Secretary Shau said these four haven’t committed any crime.”
“Right. They were only spying.”
“Yes. And I have a little plan for what to do with them next.”
“…This plan doesn’t involve risking their lives, does it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like using them for your magic experiments…”
“No! I’d never do anything so cruel. A-ha-ha-ha!”
Ryo laughed heartily, taking Abel’s words as a joke.
Anyone else watching Abel’s expression would know… it was not entirely a joke.
“So, tomorrow let’s visit the Censorate.”
Ryo announced with a bright smile.
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