Chapter 47

Vanderas, though troubled, naturally reached out for a handshake.

He was standing here on behalf of the Grand Duke of the North, so he should personally accept this display of loyalty.

Above all, since he was Uriel's child, Vanderas wanted to look upon that face a bit longer.

"It is my first time seeing you in person. I am Alter Radiant, the youngest son of the Radiant family."

Alter carefully grasped Vanderas's hand and met his gaze.

Since his father had been a close companion to the emperor, it was only natural for Vanderas to pay attention to him.

Besides, they had fought in both great and small battles together, so Vanderas would surely treat him as a true comrade and knight.

"... You're the child of the Grand Duke of the North, yes? I heard the news. You're engaged to the daughter of Duke Illenat, aren't you?"

"That is correct, Your Majesty."

"The Grand Duke of the North has been my close friend for a long time. It's been well over twenty years, and yet I haven't been able to see him. How has the Grand Duke been?"

"He continues to carry out his duties in the same place as always."

"I have burdened my friend with too much. I should have shared a drink with him from time to time..."

Though Vanderas trusted the Grand Duke of the North as a friend, there was also a part of him that saw him as a rival who had trampled on his heart.

Uriel had chosen the Grand Duke of the North as a partner, abandoning Vanderas, who would become Emperor.

In the end, Vanderas had returned to the capital alone, and had to undergo the coronation in solitude.

'... It's not wrong. No one would have accepted Uriel.'

Vanderas still vividly remembered Uriel's words to this day.

She could not become the next Emperor's consort when she herself was little more than a fallen noble.

Just because she could use magic power did not mean her status would be elevated.

She said she would have more freedom living in the distant provinces of the Empire than being trapped within the Imperial Palace.

'Perhaps it was just an excuse. Did she not remain in the northern lands because she loved Zair?'

Vanderas had not completely believed Uriel's words.

In the end, Uriel had held a wedding with Zair and bore a child of her own bloodline.

That child eventually entered the Imperial Palace, and was now gazing directly at Vanderas.

It was fate's trick, leading only to further agonies.

'Because he is her son, he deceives me. If it were a daughter, she would test me... How ridiculous.'

Vanderas found the very thought repulsive, yet could not bring himself to wholly deny it.

He still harbored regrets about Uriel, even after decades had passed—he could not forget her poise and beauty.

Perhaps that was why he remained entangled even with Uriel's descendants.

'No wonder the Third Princess coveted him. Even in that, she resembles me.'

Indeed, the Third Princess had once petitioned to become engaged to the youngest son of the Grand Duke.

But due to public reasons, Vanderas had been unable to grant it, and his own feelings had instinctively rejected the idea.

Perhaps, just as Alter Radiant had inherited Uriel's bloodline, the Third Princess, after Vanderas' own likeness, had been dazzled by his radiant looks.

'Now that he's engaged to a duke's daughter, I suppose that ends it.'

If Alter Radiant went through with this marriage, the Third Princess would have no choice but to give up.

A direct royal could not be taken as a mere concubine, nor could she be of lower rank than a duke's house.

Besides, since it was a firm political marriage, a broken engagement would be quite difficult.

"When you next go to the north, be sure to deliver my regards. And if the succession of your title is concluded, I hope you will enter the Imperial Palace."

"Yes. I will be sure to convey Your Majesty's command."

"Feel free to stay and rest. I wish you a speedy recovery."

Only then did Vanderas turn away from Alter and head to the seat of honor.

He had already received a report about Alter's heart being cursed.

Normally, he should not have been allowed into the palace, but Vanderas couldn't simply cast out the representative of the Grand Duke of the North.

Above all, as Emperor, he could not fully trust unconfirmed rumors.

'How could I not meet Uriel's child?'

Sitting at the head table, Vanderas glanced at Alter out of the corner of his eye.

Having prepared this occasion, he could now soothe his feelings about Uriel to some degree.

Of course, if Alter had not inherited Uriel's looks, perhaps it would have been easier to let go.

'Zair. To mock me in this way... no friend could be a worse enemy.'

Vanderas let a faint smile show, then quickly concealed it.

From the beginning, the Grand Duke of the North likely hadn't held any wrongful intentions.

He had lived honorably since youth and still stood firm even now.

It was merely a strange twist of fate over one woman.

'Why did you bear such a child... Uriel....'

* * *

Alter quietly returned to his seat and sat in reverent silence.

Brillie stayed by his side, speaking with him from time to time.

The two of them acted as one, simply observing the hall.

"That noble runs a knight order, too. Since they established it with their family's support, there's no real difference from having a private army."

"If that's the case, why bother making it a knight order?"

"They want to gain honor. Just using them as private soldiers makes them seem ordinary. Operating as knights lets their name be known and brings fame to the family, don't you think?"

"It does look a bit more complicated."

"That it is. Because of that honor, they have to take on all sorts of extra tasks. With their family's name at stake, it just adds more work."

Brillie pointed out each noble, patiently explaining as she went.

Not all nobles were equally wealthy, or equally powerful—it varied widely.

Because of that, each tried to maintain their image in limited ways, causing inevitable conflicts.

"So that's why knight orders compete with each other?"

"It's close to competition. If they make achievements, they get more commissions. These days, mercenary groups are being replaced with knight orders, so nobles butt heads more often."

"That must be difficult for you as well, Brillie."

"My case is a bit different. Our knight order isn't bound to a family. That's why we can move more freely. If something doesn't seem right, we can just pull out immediately."

"But wouldn't clients dislike that?"

"Not always. If it's a joint request, everyone participates. If the request is competitive, the knight orders go head-to-head. As long as the requester doesn't specify, there's no loss."

"... So there's no reason to specify."

"Right. Leave it alone, and they all compete anyway. If a fight breaks out, the families start feuding."

"Still, you seem to manage well, Brillie."

"I just follow the captain's orders. The captain leads well, and the members follow suit."

Brillie searched for Lang for a moment, but quickly gave up.Lang had said he would not attend the Imperial banquet for personal reasons.Even so, as the next Sword Saint and official heir of the Count Couster family, shouldn't he have made a brief appearance?

"If knight orders compete, aren't merchant guilds similar?"

"Merchant guilds are different. First, you need money. And without connections, you can't get deals. There's profit to think about too, so... there's a lot to consider."

"There must be a lot to prepare."

"That's right. That's a problem even before you get to competition. Maintaining a merchant guild is difficult."

"And if you end up competing with other guilds, you'd take heavy losses?"

"If losses are all, you're lucky. If it gets serious, you go bankrupt and your estate gets sold off. I knew a noble who secretly fled because he couldn't pay his debts."

Brillie had a quite detailed understanding of the nobles' profit structures.

There was a time when she relied solely on her swordsmanship, but at some point she began to deal with financial realities.

She ultimately concluded that independence from her family was nearly impossible, and even cooperated with her father briefly, pursuing her own gain.

"So dealing in farmland, mines, or specialties is easiest?"

"Yes, that's best. There are fewer rivals, and you just inherit what the family has always done."

"But if you don't inherit the title, you don't even get the chance."

"That's why everyone crowds into knight orders or merchant guilds. There's nothing else. Ah, you could try becoming a royal official—but who knows how far you'd go without connections."

Only a very select few secured government posts.

Commoners had no hope, and even nobles had to pass tests to qualify.

Even then, low-ranking officials didn't get significant duties.

You needed real ability and qualities to rise—but in practice, birth and bloodline were what mattered.

"... Then, Brillie, will you continue as a knight after we marry?"

"What? Oh, I suppose I can't just keep being a knight. My pay as a knight wouldn't be enough to support you, Alter."

"You don't need to worry about that. I don't want to stand in your way."

"If I thought you were in my way, would I have asked you to trust me? Why do you think of yourself as an obstacle?"

"It's not so much that—I just think... we might make each other uncomfortable. Living together isn't like living alone."

Alter was seriously thinking about life after marriage.

The problems two people had to solve living together, the etiquette expected as a married couple, forming a relationship between spouses...

Anyone sincerely contemplating marriage needed to prepare for those things.

"So... you mean we might fight if we don't get along?"

"That's why I said I wouldn't stand in your way. Don't you have things you want to do, Brillie?"

"It's not that I don't, but I don't want to be unreasonable just for that. If there's one thing I do want, it's just the timing of having an heir..."

Alter listened to Brillie, but then immediately stood up.

With the curse on his heart subsiding, the magic power in his body had begun to amplify in all directions.

As a result, his senses for magic power had sharpened, allowing him to indirectly sense even the moment a spell was cast.

"What is it?"

"Something... is coming."

Alter instinctively sensed the presence of a mage.

He didn't know who, but someone was secretly casting magic.

If his guess was correct, they were slowly preparing to summon undead.

"... Is that bad?"

"It seems someone is trying to use magic."

"Here? Can you find them?"

"I can recognize them if I get close."

"I'll follow you—hurry."

Brillie followed Alter without a hint of doubt.

She had already experienced his magic power, and the dagger he'd given her as a gift carried a powerful chill.

With such talent, it would be natural for Alter to sense any shift in magic power.

'If someone uses magic here, someone will surely get hurt. If they're trying to assassinate the Emperor...'

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