Chapter 135
Rank 8 (4)
『 Translator – Divinity 』
After meeting the Duke of Wei,
Beatrice and Suzanne returned to the Maktern domain and immediately headed back to the castle without rest.
It was because someone had summoned them late at night.
“Y-Your Highness. Why did Crown Prince Zeke summon us…?”
“He must have found out that we were gone.”
“What!?”
“Magic isn’t foolproof.”
“But don’t worry.”
Beatrice had sealed the door with magic, but that act itself could have raised suspicion.
Moreover, there were those who could see through Beatrice’s magic, as there were Rank 7s in this place.
But Beatrice wasn’t flustered. There was no need to be.
‘I need to sound him out about the Finance Director, and if it seems off, I have to share the situation.’
Regardless of the civil war or the Crown Prince, she had to prevent the whole country from being destroyed by the Mad Dragon. And she was also worried about the Finance Director.
After all, as a Rank 1, he could be easily kidnapped even by deserters or bandits, not just through some grand conspiracy or scheme.
She didn’t think that would happen since the Second Security Unit Captain was with him, but…
Conversely, it meant he was kidnapped despite being guarded by a Rank 7. Beatrice, naturally thinking of the worst-case scenario, gritted her teeth.
She walked on and finally arrived at the top floor of the castle, where she had been once before.
Leaving Suzanne outside the door, Beatrice entered the lord’s chamber.
“You’ve returned, my foolish runaway sister.”
“Stop with the jokes. This is serious.”
“It is a serious matter that you met with the Duke of Wei without permission. It’s something that could backfire on me the most.”
“…How?”
“Even if the Duke of Wei and most of the regular army betray us, the royal family still has power. We’re not ignorant of your little rebellion.”
Crown Prince Zeke, slowly rising from his seat,
Glared at Beatrice, who had the ‘potential for betrayal.’
“You’re truly shameless, Beatrice. Secretly meeting with the Duke of Wei with the execution just a few days away?”
“Brother, this is…”
“I won’t hear your excuses. If the situation were reversed, would you trust me? A Rank 7 is a valuable asset, but it’s useless if it’s turned against me.”
“Brother! There’s something more urgent!”
“The most urgent matter for me is to capture the insolent traitor. So I should capture you now… and execute you or imprison you, but…”
“…?”
Beatrice paused at the sudden shift in Crown Prince Zeke’s tone, which had been serious just a moment ago.
“Actually, I heard everything. I know you didn’t betray us.”
“…Then what was that just now?”
“I wanted to try something like that. Wasn’t it fun?”
That damn brother.
Beatrice cursed inwardly, and then, unable to hold back, muttered it out loud as she looked at Crown Prince Zeke.
He was laughing. As if he was genuinely amused.
“If you were truly planning to betray us, you wouldn’t meet with the Duke of Wei at this time. It’s too suspicious. Try to think a little more before you act next time, my foolish sister.”
“Then do you know what the urgent matter I wanted to talk about is?”
“Hmm? Isn’t it that the Duke of Wei will break his promise and betray us, starting a war?”
“…So you knew. And the promise was real.”
“I didn’t know if you knew about the promise because you were colluding with the Duke of Wei or because you were simply perceptive. I’m only acknowledging it now because I confirmed that you weren’t colluding during your meeting with the Duke of Wei today.”
The promise between Crown Prince Zeke and the Duke of Wei.
It was to act as if they were splitting into two factions to start a civil war, have the current king executed by the Duke of Wei’s faction, and then propose a ceasefire in exchange for dividing the kingdom into north and south.
It was practically a staged play. The problem was the purpose of that promise.
For the Duke of Wei, it was naturally to be granted the north and become the king of a new kingdom, but…
Crown Prince Zeke’s goal was…
“Truly…”
“Hmm?”
“Did you truly want to become king that badly? To the point of having Father executed, not even poisoned…? Why?”
“………”
“The throne would have been yours if you just waited. And yet, you couldn’t wait for that.”
“…Yes, you wouldn’t know, not having shouldered any responsibility.”
“Huh?”
“This Delphia Kingdom is practically a house built on sand. It’s a wonder it hasn’t collapsed yet.”
“…!!”
The one at the pinnacle of the Delphia Kingdom, declaring the future of the Delphia Kingdom. That this kingdom should have collapsed long ago.
Naturally, it was the first time Beatrice, who was treated as a burden within the royal family and remained silent, had heard such a thing.
She had never met any officials or those in power, and she didn’t care about the future of the kingdom.
From the outside, the Delphia Kingdom seemed like a stable country with a decent amount of power, following the Empire and the neighboring kingdom.
“If it had gone on a little longer, the kingdom would have had to declare bankruptcy.”
“That much…? How long is ‘a little longer’?”
“Roughly five years.”
“!!!”
Five years. Just five years. The Delphia Kingdom would disappear in five years.
That realistic and incredibly short time frame was enough to awaken Beatrice.
Five years was too short to respond. If it were any shorter, there would be no hope at all.
Of course, if it were any shorter than five years until bankruptcy, it wouldn’t be a functioning organization. Beatrice, convinced that such a place couldn’t exist, had a serious expression on her face.
“Why?”
“The reasons are complex. International situations, decreasing stimulant exports, tax revenue decline due to poor harvests… but there are two things I can definitively say are the biggest factors.”
“What are they?”
“The Duke of Wei, and the army.”
“………”
Only then did Beatrice understand what Crown Prince Zeke meant.
One of the biggest reasons that drove the Delphia Kingdom to the brink of bankruptcy was the Duke of Wei. What he demanded, what they had to offer him, what he took, it was all too much. It would have been one thing if he used that money, but the Duke of Wei hoarded it all.
Money was flowing out, but it was locked up in his vault, not circulating, so it naturally became a problem. The reason why the Duke of Wei hoarded money? It was because he was waiting for the day to establish his own kingdom, like now.
And the other was the army. A certain country’s name naturally came to mind.
“…The Kingdom.”
“King Akendelminos is greedy and cunning. He deployed troops, including several Rank 7s, near the border and periodically sent his own Rank 8s there.”
“The border dispute half a year ago was also…”
“An extension of that greed. That’s why you were sent as a hostage. In that situation, the only option for the Delphia Kingdom was to increase the size of the army. Naturally, it was a back-breaking task.”
National defense costs were essential expenditures, but if they were excessive, it could ruin a country. The army consumed a tremendous amount of money without doing anything productive.
But with the border dispute and a clearly stronger enemy watching them like a hawk, they couldn’t avoid expanding their military.
That conflict had been going on for years and finally dealt a critical blow to the Delphia Kingdom’s finances.
“And Father didn’t try to resolve this situation.”
“Huh?”
“He’s my father, but he was an incompetent tyrant. We should be grateful that he wasn’t a cruel tyrant. He blindly believed the sycophants who said everything would be resolved if we increased tax revenue and did nothing.”
“………”
“But from my perspective, this country needed a prescription. And a very strong one.”
And what Crown Prince Zeke chose was…
“A civil… war?”
“And additionally, dividing the kingdom and pushing the army, which was consuming too much money, to the north. I’ve secured all the money from the royal palace, so if only the south remains, the bankruptcy issue is easily resolved.”
“B-But there are many problems. Food, stimulant cultivation, the army that needs to be rebuilt…”
“That’s right. There are serious and numerous problems. But it was still better than going bankrupt while doing nothing.”
“………”
“And that’s why I have something to tell you.”
Step.
Crown Prince Zeke, taking a step towards Beatrice,
Faced her with his tired yet calm eyes. His younger sister, who had a talent so radiant that it shone brightly.
He wasn’t envious of that fact.
He simply saw an opportunity.
“Become Rank 8, Beatrice.”
“…What?”
“In the end, all these problems stem from the lack of a Rank 8 in the Delphia Kingdom. We spent an enormous amount of money to keep the Duke of Wei, and even then, we had to spend a fortune on expanding the army to avoid standing out. But what about the Empire and the neighboring kingdom?”
“They don’t have… an army as large as ours.”
“Because there’s no need to gather Rank 1s and Rank 2s to increase their numbers. It’s most efficient to form an elite force with Rank 5s, 6s, and 7s, and have a Rank 8 at the forefront. The Empire has ten, and the neighboring kingdom has four, so it was possible for them.”
“………”
“That’s why every country is doing its best to recruit and nurture Rank 8s. A single Rank 8 can drastically change the situation. And it’s the same for us.”
Step. Step.
Crown Prince Zeke continued to approach.
His eyes were now filled with longing.
“As you said, there are many problems. The Duke of Wei will break his promise and actually start a civil war, and even if we somehow manage to divide the kingdom into north and south, the Duke of Wei, who has the regular army, will target us again. It’s the same for the neighboring kingdom.”
“…But…”
“Everything changes if you become Rank 8. We can minimize defense costs and invest in other issues, and the national defense problem will be resolved immediately. And you’re the only one with the ‘talent’ to become Rank 8.”
“…Is that why you were kind to me sometimes when we were young? Because you needed me for this?”
“It was a gamble with a low chance of success. I didn’t know if you could truly overcome your chronic illness. But in the end, you’re standing before me like this. You dislike the Delphia royal family, don’t you? Those who tormented you?”
“I do.”
“I’ll give you the authority to punish them all. If you wish, you can even demote all the royals except me to slaves. But there’s one condition.”
Something, something felt familiar.
Beatrice could predict Zeke’s next words.
Because the Duke of Wei’s offer also had the same condition.
“…Absolute loyalty to the Delphia Kingdom.”
“You know well. You must have talked with the Duke of Wei.”
“………”
“I desire a Rank 8 this much, but as seen in the Duke of Wei’s case, the relationship between a nation and a Rank 8 is quite delicate. They need each other and keep each other in check. It’s partly because a Rank 8 could overturn a nation, and conversely, a nation could try to restrain and control a Rank 8.”
“Like the Headmistress and King Akendelminos…”
“Their checks and balances are well-known. So I need to make you a Rank 8 through a hidden method while ensuring your complete control.”
She hadn’t expected even Zeke to make this offer.
The Duke of Wei and Crown Prince Zeke, both were trying to make her a Rank 8. Their arguments were completely different, but their ultimate goal was the same.
She quietly held her head in her hands. She had a feeling that everything would change depending on her choice in this upcoming civil war.
The Duke of Wei, who spoke of the logic of power, or…
Crown Prince Zeke, who spoke of the logic of the nation.
Beatrice sighed at the choice that seemed like picking the lesser of two evils.
‘What could that hidden method be…? No, wait!’
Beatrice’s eyes shot open as she thought about the ‘method to become a Rank 8’ that Crown Prince Zeke mentioned.
She had forgotten about it because of the shocking revelations, but she hadn’t mentioned the most urgent matter yet.
“W-Wait a minute! That’s not the important thing right now!”
“What? If this isn’t important, then what…”
“The Finance Director has been kidnapped.”
“…That means…”
“If that’s known, the Headmistress, the Mad Dragon, will come here.”
“Damn it.”
Crown Prince Zeke, his demeanor changing instantly, gritted his teeth. He hadn’t known about the Finance Director’s disappearance.
It hadn’t even been a day since they met and parted ways. He wasn’t under 24-hour surveillance, so there was no way they would know he was gone after just a few hours.
But there was something suspicious.
“Wasn’t it my brother’s doing?”
“That’s impossible. But there is something that comes to mind.”
“What is it?”
“I received a strange report today. There were several missing person reports at the same time. An officer, a guard, a maid, and an old man and a child who came here as refugees.”
“…?”
“And they were all presumed to be ‘sculptures.’ I just left it alone because I didn’t want to incur the wrath of a Rank 8 by touching them.”
“Are you… talking about the Sculptor?”
“There might be a connection to the fact that the Finance Director disappeared, and they disappeared as well.”
So, for some reason, the Sculptor kidnapped the Finance Director.
If it were the Duke of Wei or Crown Prince Zeke, it would be one thing, but Beatrice’s face turned pale at the fact that a Rank 8, known for being eccentric and crazy, kidnapped the Finance Director.
It was a problem she couldn’t possibly solve on her own.
“…I’ll mobilize my shadows. We need to search this area thoroughly.”
“Do you have any spare magic stones? I can expand the range of my detection magic with that.”
“It’s a waste, but it can’t be helped. We can’t let the whole country collapse because of a drastic measure.”
Crown Prince Zeke, who knew what kind of being the Headmistress was, broke out in a cold sweat as he considered the Rank 8 Duke of Wei.
More importantly, he couldn’t shake the thought that it might already be too late. It wasn’t like the Sculptor would take a long time with a mere Rank 1 he kidnapped.
As they were exchanging urgent words,
Knock knock.
“Um… Your Highness? Your Highness Beatrice?”
“Suzanne! How dare you open the door without permission when we’re not finished talking!”
“I-I apologize! But I thought you should hear this directly!”
“What?”
“I-I just heard it from a passing guard…”
“What is it? Don’t tell me they found a body…!?”
“They said that both the Finance Director and the Second Security Unit Captain are safe in their room…”
“………”
“………”