‘A visitor at this time, huh.’
Unfortunately, Raul didn’t personally meet anyone below a certain status.
Given his fame in the capital, where he was known as the “Guardian of Thurium,” there were simply too many people wanting to meet him.
If a visitor wasn’t someone the branch head Elias could handle, it meant they were of significant status. Hearing the visitor’s identity from the servant, Raul nodded knowingly and moved to the reception room to greet them.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
As Raul bowed his head in greeting, the guest waved him off.
“We agreed to speak comfortably in private, didn’t we? Using formal language is just burdensome.”
“If you say so.”
The visitor was none other than the 6th Prince, Gerard. They had established a connection as academy classmates and had grown closer through the knightly investiture and gate crisis.
Even after Raul left the capital last year, they occasionally exchanged letters.
“What kind of tea would you like?”
“A simple milk tea, please.”
“Got it.”
Raul rang a bell and asked a servant to bring the tea. Then, the two sat facing each other on the sofa with a table between them.
“I heard the news. There was a significant event in your territory, huh?”
The conversation started with Raul’s territorial battle, then moved on to the internal conflict within House Ashton, and eventually touched upon the current situation in the capital and the atmosphere within the royal palace.
“…So, the current noble council in the royal court seems to consider you and House Ashton quite inconvenient.”
“I see. Thank you for coming all the way to inform me of this.”
“No problem, you probably knew most of this already. It’s just a shame I couldn’t be of much help while in the capital.”
“Don’t say that. I appreciate you coming all the way here.”
Truth be told, 6th Prince Gerard lacked any real power or background. He was so far down the line of succession that neither he nor those around him had any interest in it, and his mother, the 3rd Queen, had passed away long ago due to illness.
As a result, when Gerard heard about the territorial battle and House Ashton’s conflict, it was already over. Despite being a prince, his position was worse than that of a common noble in the capital.
“So, what made you decide to come here? I’m sure the surveillance wasn’t light.”
Looking at Gerard’s appearance, no one would think he was a prince. He wore simple clothes that a wealthy commoner might wear, with a slightly worn cloak. It was likely to avoid surveillance, but how effective it was remained uncertain.
“Well, in a way, I owe it to you. My third brother and the noble council pushed their agenda confidently but ended up in a mess. Consequently, surveillance has become more lax.”
“They reap what they sow.”
Even the Third Prince must have been taken aback. He probably thought he could weaken the provincial lords seamlessly, but what ensued was chaos rooted in the survival of the fittest.
Previously, the royal observer’s mediation proposals might have worked, but not now.
Raul had set a clean precedent for territorial consolidation, prompting other lords to battle until one side was completely crushed.
‘The result will eventually be the emergence of powerful provincial lords.’
Just look at Raul; he had just consolidated six territories at once. In terms of territory size, this made him the owner of a vast domain that surpassed that of a viscounty when compared to ten baronies combined.
‘If I can fill it with enough population, it would rival major counties.’
If territorial consolidation continued, small baronies would disappear, hastening the royal family’s loss of control over the provinces. Putting aside thoughts on the royal family’s blunders, Raul refocused on Gerard.
“Now, could you tell me the main reason for your visit? You wouldn’t risk coming here in disguise just to see a friend’s face.”
The 6th Prince Gerard took a deep breath and cautiously began to speak.
“It’s a bit awkward to ask, but I’d like you to talk some sense into my brother.”
The brother Gerard referred to was not the Third Prince Herdian, but the Fourth Prince Jonas. Explaining the current situation of the royal family was complex, but briefly, the factions were divided by the queens.
The Ruben Kingdom had four queens, but only the Fourth Queen was still alive. The heirs with the highest legitimacy were the offspring of the First Queen: the deceased Crown Prince and the Third Prince Herdian.
The Second Queen’s son, the Second Prince, was also deceased.
The Third Queen’s children were the Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince Gerard.
The remaining Fifth and Eighth Princes were the children of the Fourth Queen.
Thus, the factions were split with the Third Prince holding the highest legitimacy, the Fifth Prince having the only surviving mother, and the Fourth Prince being without allies.
‘Frankly, the Fourth Prince doesn’t stand much of a chance in this situation.’
Gerard seemed to share this view.
“Recently, my brother has started coveting the throne. It seems someone is putting ideas into his head… To be honest, it’s hard to say this myself, but he has almost no chance.”
Given the background support, it wasn’t even a fair game. And judging the individuals, ‘To be honest, I’m not sure.’
In his past life, these figures were already dead, so there weren’t many records left regarding their abilities or reputations.
The Third Prince was thirty-two, the Fourth Prince was twenty-seven, and the Fifth Prince was twenty-four.
They were not too old to aim for the throne, but none had made any remarkable achievements. Information was still being gathered through the intelligence department, but reliable information on royal figures who didn’t engage much in public activities was hard to come by.
“…So, my brother wants to meet you. He asked if you could visit him when you go to the palace.”
“And you want me to dissuade your brother?”
Gerard nodded. He feared his brother would be ‘eliminated’ for coveting the throne with no chance of winning.
Whether this concern stemmed from genuine worry for his brother or fear the repercussions might affect him was unclear.
However, it was a reasonable judgment at this point.
“What about you? Don’t you want to be king?”
When Raul asked, Gerard, taken aback, placed a finger to his lips with a rigid expression.
“Raul, be careful! Speaking recklessly like that in the capital can get you in serious trouble. Besides, someone like me becoming king is… impossible.”
Though he shook his head vehemently and looked genuinely horrified,
‘He didn’t say no. Then again, who wouldn’t want it?’
It would be strange for a prince who grew up watching the king in the palace not to have any desire for the throne. They merely suppressed that ambition because they lacked the circumstances to pursue it.
In that sense, Gerard seemed more patient and thoughtful than the Fourth Prince. In any case, this was as far as Raul would test him. There was no need to provoke him further when nothing had been decided yet.
“Alright. I’ll try to have a word with Fourth Prince Jonas. Competing against the Third Prince in the current situation isn’t a wise choice. But I can’t guarantee that he’ll listen to me. Don’t get your hopes up too high.”
“That’s more than enough. Thank you.”
As Gerard prepared to leave, Raul spoke one last time.
“I don’t know if this will help, but if anything happens, you can find refuge with the Duke of Templeton. I’ll give Dalton a heads-up. If that’s not possible, you’re always welcome here.”
There was no need for further elaboration. Gerard looked somewhat relieved, nodding gratefully before leaving the room.
Alone, Raul sipped his now-cold milk tea, deep in thought.
‘I’m not planning to get deeply involved, but in case of anything…’
It’s always good to have more cards in hand.
*
“Wow, what can I say?”
Raul, back from the royal palace, slumped onto the sofa, feeling drained.
“Did things not go well?” asked Kane.
“No, it’s just that everything went exactly as expected, which is somewhat amusing and a bit disappointing.”
Raul replied, shaking his head. He recalled the events at the royal palace. Raul wasn’t summoned to the main hall or a conference room but rather to a reception room.
This was because Raul hadn’t broken any major laws or committed any crimes warranting formal punishment. Moreover, although the summons bore the royal seal, it wasn’t from the king but the Third Prince (who wasn’t even the crown prince yet), making it a somewhat informal setting.
Upon his arrival, it wasn’t the Third Prince who greeted Raul, but a group of nobles. They were mostly in their 20s and 30s, either heirs from noble families or newly-appointed heads.
‘So these are the Third Prince’s pawns or think-tank members?’
The Third Prince had previously stated that he would overhaul the political scene with young nobles if he ascended to the throne. These individuals seemed to be part of that plan.
Among the group of sixteen or so, the most notable figure was Viscount Brayden. In his mid-thirties, he had reached the high rank of Expert and was the fifth son of Marquis Clifford de McNeil, a current Master.
‘So it’s you.’
It was clear that Viscount Brayden was the leader of this group. Even after the Third Prince entered, Brayden led the conversation, with the Third Prince seemingly heeding his words.
The discussion naturally centered on the territorial battle. From the way things unfolded, it was evident that this current territorial matter was the work of these young nobles.
What struck Raul most was how uninformed and disinterested the Third Prince seemed about the entire situation.
‘Now I understand why things unfolded the way they did in my past life.’
The Third Prince severely lacked capability. He was an authoritarian who believed the world revolved around him and took great pride in the royal bloodline.
Though he had a strong desire for power, his actual cognitive and decision-making abilities were subpar. He was utterly unaware of the implications of every territorial battle approval he had signed.
Surrounded by sycophants who only told him what he wanted to hear, he was completely out of touch with the realities outside the palace. The young nobles were no better.
Despite priding themselves on being progressive, they were inexperienced and clueless about actual governance and warfare. They were just desk-warmers, thinking everything could be resolved through paperwork and theory.
Hence their absurd suggestions like ‘returning the annexed baronies through territorial wars to the barons,’ and ‘the Crown should reclaim part of your excessive holdings as a viscount.’
Of course, Raul didn’t bat an eye and refuted their nonsense point by point. He suggested that if they wanted to return the territories, the Crown should compensate him for the baronies’ value, including war expenses. The amount silenced them.
He boldly proclaimed that if the Crown attempted to seize lands without just cause, he would bring the matter to the united lords and wouldn’t hesitate to go to war.
When he said he would challenge the person who proposed it to a duel, their face turned pale and they quickly apologized. While the Third Prince seemed slightly displeased, seeing the reality of those he worried about made his concerns seem trivial.
However, there was one exception. Viscount Brayden couldn’t be taken lightly. He cleverly maneuvered the conversation, drawing out his desired opinions through others.
Unlike the other young nobles with empty heads, he clearly understood the situation’s full scope. Though it may have been his opinion, ‘It’s likely that the real masterminds are the Marquis McNeil.’
The biggest backer pushing the Third Prince for the throne, and the ones gradually expanding their influence through territorial wars—the McNeil household.
Ultimately, this series of events was likely orchestrated by the McNeils, using the Third Prince as a puppet. As in the past life, resolving the McNeils would be imperative for the Ruben Kingdom.
In any case, the palace visit ended with both sides confirming their differing stances. In the past, it might have been different, but now Raul, who owned seven baronies, couldn’t be threatened with mere suggestions.
Additionally, with House Ashton already having settled the situation without trouble, even the royal family would find it burdensome to confront him now.
In truth, the royal family’s breach of trust could be debated, but Raul chose not to push it.
‘Arguing pointlessly won’t achieve anything.’
With something in mind, Raul had a meaningful smile on his face.
(To be continued)