Chapter 80 - 80 To the Kingdom of Pinebay
The royal palace was in an uproar over the information brought by Steve. Now the king, the chancellor, along with Aurora and Steve, were gathered holding a countermeasure meeting.
Aurora placed her hand on her forehead and looked toward Steve.
"I thought something was up, but I didn't think you'd bring trouble from a neighboring country's family dispute."
"I don't think I'm bad at all, not even by 1 millimeter."
"Yes. If you were doing this intentionally, you'd be sitting on the throne by now. Because His Majesty would collapse from stress. But encountering national difficulties one after another isn't something everyone experiences."
The king nodded powerfully at Aurora's words.
"It might surpass the last great war."
"His Majesty seems to enjoy jokes. If we're looking at the brink of national destruction, this is easier, isn't it?"
"I've learned at this age that sometimes it's easier to just fight the enemy right in front of you."
The king let out a large sigh.
The chancellor cleared his throat and tightened the meeting atmosphere again.
"So, the reason we gathered urgently is to decide our country's response policy regarding the coup in the Kingdom of Pinebay, is that correct?"
"Yes."
"I understand."
Receiving Steve and Aurora's replies, the chancellor nodded. And continued speaking.
"First, currently Baron Warner is protecting First Prince Oakley. And the Royal Jewel, which is proof of succession to the throne of the Kingdom of Pinebay, was presented to Our King by Lord Archibalt. In other words, currently the succession right to the throne of the Kingdom of Pinebay is owned by His Majesty. As for the options we will take in the future, supporting First Prince Oakley and participating in the succession struggle of the Kingdom of Pinebay, participating directly as His Majesty formally holds the succession right, returning First Prince Oakley to the Kingdom of Pinebay and returning the Royal Jewel and deciding to be unrelated."
"Since Baron Warner's eldest daughter and First Prince Oakley seem to be entering a romantic relationship, the third option will be difficult, won't it?"
Steve knew Oakley and Erica were drawn to each other with the ability to perceive people's romantic feelings taught by Nancy. So, he spoke that way, but was given a bitter remark by the chancellor.
"If it concerns the future of the nation, sacrificing personal romantic feelings is only natural. First Prince Oakley should also know that. Regarding Baron Warner's daughter, if she is a noble daughter, she is prepared. My Lord, you should not bring personal feelings into matters of state."
Since they are royalty and nobles for whom political marriage is natural, love and such things are put aside before profit and loss. Steve also knew that, but when told like this again, he didn't feel good about it.
There, Aurora made a statement.
"First of all, please show what our country's interest is. From my intelligence agent's report, the Prince-Brother Duke is supporting the Second Prince, but the one inciting that Prince-Brother Duke was a force close to the Empire. If you choose wrong, national interest will be greatly damaged. Also, the possibility of conflict with the Empire will increase, I think."
The king answered that question.
"We have caught that information here too. If the Second Prince takes the throne, it becomes a regime close to the Empire. However, if we support the First Prince, it is a proxy war with the Empire. But, if we watch from the sidelines, domestic forces will be split and fight, weaken, and in any case be annexed by the Empire. In other words, no matter which option, a hard future awaits our country. The best in the current situation is for the proxy war to continue permanently, and for the Kingdom of Pinebay to become a buffer zone with the Empire."
"So it means there's only loss in any case, is that right?"
"That's how it becomes."
First of all, regarding the succession right struggle in the Kingdom of Pinebay this time, there was the Empire's manipulation. The Prince-Brother Duke also hadn't thought to push out the First Prince with force, but due to the Empire's manipulation, his heart changed, and he decided to use force.
For the Empire, if a neighboring country becomes in a state of internal conflict, it weakens and becomes easy to annex, and even if it doesn't go to annexation, it can be treated like a vassal state. Above all, since they didn't want to create a situation where they had to prepare for countries other than the Kingdom of Cascade, which has the momentum to knock down flying birds, this manipulation could be said to be a success.
Even Aurora thought in this situation to support the First Prince endlessly, and somehow create a force other than pro-Empire in the northwest.
In such a situation, only Steve held a different opinion.
"Your Majesty, I think I have another option."
"Lord Archibalt, what kind of other options do you have?"
"First, I will restore the condition of the King of the Kingdom of Pinebay. And return the Royal Jewel and restore rule by the current king. And, shouldn't we just depose the First Prince and have the Second Prince given the first succession right? The Second Prince is only being supported by the Prince-Brother Duke and is still young, and depending on future education, there is a possibility he won't be tainted by the Empire. So at that time, if the Prince-Brother Duke who joined hands with the Empire receives heavy punishment, the pro-Empire forces inside the Kingdom of Pinebay can be reduced, I think."
"I heard the King of the Kingdom of Pinebay fell off a horse and consciousness won't return."
"I will try using my recovery magic."
The king judged Steve's proposal to be worth listening to. In any case, if it stays as is, there is only loss, but if Steve's plan works well, rather than loss, we can lend a favor to the Kingdom of Pinebay. And even if it fails, no additional expenses will be incurred.
"Quite an interesting proposal, but assuming recovery can be done with magic, will the negotiations beyond that go well?"
The king looked at Steve as if testing him. Steve answered without hesitation to that gaze.
"The First Prince is within our grasp. Even if told not to depose him, if we don't return him, that's it. A prince not inside the country cannot inherit the throne. So this will go well too."
"What remains is the elimination of the Prince-Brother Duke."
"Regarding this, since he is also a relative of the opposing country's king, there might be family love, but however, as the chancellor said just now, if it concerns the future of the nation, sacrificing personal feelings is only natural. If one is the King of the Kingdom of Pinebay, naturally he should know that. He won't leave his brother who is being used by the Empire as is. If, hypothetically, he decides to protect the Prince-Brother Duke and decides no action, we will ask for the responsibility of the soldiers who invaded and were left to Lord Sowell and start a war. This time, since he should have visited the royal castle first for the king's treatment, if that happens, the outcome will be decided in an instant. At that time, the Royal Jewel will also be within our grasp, so no matter how they struggle, there is no possibility of victory for the Kingdom of Pinebay. After that, we will share deliciously with the Empire that will come out."
Hearing Steve's opinion, the king thought he would try this. Regarding the final disposal of the Prince-Brother Duke, it is unknown which way it will turn, but up to there it hid sufficient possibility.
"So, how will the treatment of the deposed First Prince be?"
"Let's have him go to the other side of the sea. If he stays nearby, scum who think bad things might gather, but if it's across the sea, they won't be able to reach easily. Though we must get Baron Warner to allow sending out the eldest daughter."
"Did you calculate that far?"
"If there is love, they can live anywhere."
"It's a pity that a capable ice mage will be gone."
Steve was thinking of letting Oakley escape to the Kingdom of Merda. Within the Kingdom of Cascade, the possibility that the Kingdom of Pinebay's forces will try to support Oakley again cannot be denied. He wanted to take them as far away as possible. That was more for Oakley than for national interest.
It was already confirmed that Oakley had given up on succession, just wanting to calm the country's chaos. However, royal blood sometimes doesn't allow that. It was also a measure to distance them from that. Also, this was largely influenced by Erica being with them. For the sake of such a young couple's new life, he thought he must execute this operation and succeed.
The king's decision was made, and Steve immediately flew to the Kingdom of Pinebay's royal castle.
Regarding the Kingdom of Pinebay's royal castle, the current king faction was holding it, and the Prince-Brother Duke also didn't have a justification to attack there, so he hadn't touched it.
At the city gate, the guard soldier looked at Steve and tried to turn him back.
"This is not a place for children to come. Go away."
"I am an envoy from the Kingdom of Cascade. Please tell them Lord Archibalt with the Dragon Head Medal has come. I think if I say I also have the Royal Jewel, they will understand."
"A child is an envoy?"
"That's right. I am an envoy to treat His Majesty's injury here. I can treat it, but if you turn me back without confirming, I think heavy punishment will be given later."
Told by Steve, the guard decided to contact the chancellor inside the castle. At that time, he was told to show the letter containing the crest of the Kingdom of Cascade's royal family that Steve brought, and handed it over.
The chancellor confirmed that letter, and recognized that the envoy Steve was official. However, he wondered why he knew the current king was injured. Suspecting spies were lurking inside the castle, while worrying his head on how to verify that, he headed for the meeting with Steve.
And, at the meeting with Steve, he learned the source of information was First Prince Oakley. The fact that Steve had the Royal Jewel that Oakley brought out became the deciding factor, and he decided to believe that story.
"It's good that the chancellor is someone who understands the talk."
"On the contrary, to have the distinguished Lord Archibalt visit. Shamefully, there is no user of healing magic within our country. Even if we recruit from foreign countries, it won't go easily. Even if we rent, it shows the weakness of the nation, so I was hesitating."
"Please thank Prince Oakley for his courage and action power. I was also moved by the prince's enthusiasm and came here like this. Well, even if we talk too long, His Majesty's body is priority."
"That's right."
The chancellor guided Steve to the king. The king had breath but was in a state of not waking up for a long time. Due to the impact of falling off a horse and having his head stepped on by the horse, damage was done to the brain. Even in the current Earth, treatment is difficult, but that is a world where magic exists. With Steve's healing magic, the king's brain damage recovered cleanly, and regained original function.
When healing by magic ended, shortly after the king opened his eyes.
"Your Majesty!"
At the miracle before his eyes, the chancellor involuntarily shouted.
"Chancellor? I should have been riding a horse."
The king who had no memory from the fall prompted the chancellor to explain.
"It will be long if I speak, but Your Majesty fell off a horse and lost consciousness. While we were giving up treatment, Lord Archibalt from the Kingdom of Cascade appeared and healed Your Majesty with magic. Details later."
Told by the chancellor, the king noticed Steve was in the room. And, bowed his head on the bed.
"You traveled a long way to come, and I am grateful to have my body healed."
"Because it was Prince Oakley's earnest wish."
"I see. Then, where is that Oakley?"
The chancellor explained the subsequent circumstances to the king who asked that. Then the king showed anger at his own brother.
"So, Oakley was targeted for his life, and is now being protected in the Kingdom of Cascade, is that so!"
Steve did not miss this opportunity and spoke of Oakley's deposition.
"Prince Oakley dislikes such struggles occurring in the future and wishes to be deposed. In case of emergency, he even wants the Kingdom of Cascade to rule the Kingdom of Pinebay using this Royal Jewel and settle the struggle. However, since Your Majesty's condition has recovered, we will return this."
Steve returned the Royal Jewel to the king.
"Is it good?"
"I don't understand the intent of that question."
"Holding this is the proof of ruling the land of the Kingdom of Pinebay. If it were the Empire, they would never return it."
"Our Majesty has no intention of targeting the territory of the Kingdom of Pinebay. So, this Royal Jewel is also unnecessary. We hope for good relations in the future as well."
"It's hard to believe suddenly."
It was hard to believe suddenly that the Kingdom of Cascade, which has been expanding territory with tremendous momentum recently, had no interest in the territory of the Kingdom of Pinebay.
"If we intended to target territory, I would have been sent here without treating the king, either supporting Prince Oakley or using our own soldiers directly to invade."
"Indeed. If it were the opposite position, we would do that."
"That is the matter."
"Then, does the Kingdom of Cascade have no requests?"
"If you call it requests, two. First, the Empire is involved behind this disturbance, and we ask that you don't get too close to the Empire in the future. And the other is, after Prince Oakley is deposed, we want his life to be allowed freely."
Against Steve's requests, the king and chancellor were surprised. The first request is not incomprehensible. It is troublesome if a country with strong influence of the Yellow Empire, which is hostile to the neighboring country, is born. However, regarding the second one, it is not a request a nation would make. Wondering very much why such a request was made, the king asked Steve.
"Why is the second request?"
"The one who helped Prince Oakley chased by the Prince-Brother Duke's soldiers is our country's noble daughter. The prince fell in love with that daughter, and wants to live happily with her for the rest of his life. We don't want politics brought into that."
"I understand that, but if she is a noble daughter of a baron, won't she be unable to leave politics?"
"So, we will have the two go to another country further."
"To another country further. Can a prince and a noble daughter live as commoners in an unknown country?"
The king's worry was reasonable. Just living as commoners as a prince and noble daughter was difficult enough, he thought they couldn't live in a country they knew nothing about. However, Steve answered that there was no need to worry.
"It is not an unknown country. We will have them move to the Kingdom of Merda, which has deep ties with the Kingdom of Cascade, and my sister is the queen. I will prepare work on my side, and I will tell my sister and husband, so they won't starve to death."
"Indeed, if it is the Kingdom of Merda, there is also the influence of the Kingdom of Cascade, and Lord Archibalt's real sister is the queen."
The chancellor follows up on the information. If it is set up that far, the king also accepted it.
Thus, as Steve's plan went, Oakley was deposed and became able to live with Erica in the Kingdom of Merda. And, the execution of the Prince-Brother Duke was decided, and the influence of the Empire could be eliminated from the Kingdom of Pinebay.