I dismissed all the retainers and went to the special reception room prepared for the VIP. As I entered, I recalled memories of the Fourth Prince. The Fourth Prince, Izuel. He had a deep interest in all fields of study, including literature, science, and mathematics, and was the most devout among the princes.
According to the history of <Paradiso>, he did not get involved in the prince's rebellion, unlike the other princes. Instead, he tried to dissuade his brothers before the rebellion occurred. Many people praised and followed Izuel's virtues, so the Second Prince, Pthalin, who ascended the throne later, exiled him to a remote area. There, Izuel spent his life writing the scriptures of the Radius Church, one of the holy orders of the Nas Continent, until he died of natural causes.
Because of this, the image of Izuel I remember from <Paradiso> is of him preaching doctrines in exile and indirectly criticizing the Umbra Church, which was designated as the new state religion of the Sinders Kingdom. Therefore, he was a character with relatively low importance in the story. However, when I met and talked with him a few times during quests, I felt that he was truly polite and knowledgeable. I often wondered what it would have been like if this man had become the king of the Sinders Kingdom.
'Originally, the Second Prince, Pthalin, would ascend the throne. He is the prince with the strongest backing from the Umbra Church.' The moment the Second Prince, Pthalin, ascends, the state religion changes.
Overnight, a country that pursued divinity transforms into one that follows magic. The problem is that due to the nature of my territory located in the northern part of the Nas Continent, the influence of the nearby Sinders Kingdom is very significant. There is a difference in scale.
So far, neither I nor my territory is a subordinate force to any country. If it were a peaceful era, our territory would have been subordinate to some kingdom or empire, but... With the advent of the Spring and Autumn Warring States period of the Five Empires and Sixteen Kingdoms, independent forces like mine were springing up everywhere.
It is truly an era where everyone dreams of becoming a lord, like the era of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Although I have established an independent force, it is not that there is no country that can immediately influence me. That country is the Sinders Kingdom. If they force us to follow the Umbra Church, we would have no choice but to accept it. The Umbra Church is a religion that thoroughly rejects heresy and pursues perfect theocracy. If we do not accept it, war will break out immediately. Anyway, because of this fact, the moment the Holy War breaks out, all countries that have the Umbra Church as their state religion become forward bases for the Demon King's army.
'This is a headache.' I pressed my throbbing temples. But soon, I composed myself and prepared to welcome the guest. And after a while.
"The Fourth Prince is entering!"
Izuel entered the reception room.
"It's my first time seeing you, Lord Jared. Nice to meet you. I am the Fourth Prince, Izuel."
"Jared von Yukales greets the Prince."
Greetings were exchanged between Jared and Izuel. Since Jared was not a subject of the Sinders Kingdom, he did not use the word "臣" (subject). Naturally, Izuel did not take issue with this either. After Izuel sat in the prepared seat of honor, he gestured for Jared to sit as well, and only then did Jared take a seat in the chair next to him.
"His Majesty sent a personal letter. He mentioned that he would like Lord Jared to participate in the upcoming celebration of his birthday."
"May I read it?"
"That's why I brought it. Please read it, Lord Jared."
At Izuel's gentle voice, Jared quickly read the letter. Most of the content was ceremonial, and the main point was that they hoped Jared would attend the celebration a week later.
'What could be the reason?'
Jared was curious about that. Strictly speaking, Jared's territory was not affiliated with any country. Therefore, it was hard to find a reason or a proper connection to participate in such a kingdom's event. Just then, Izuel, seeing Jared not immediately speaking, read his mind. It was a letter that, even from a common-sense perspective, had slightly overstepped.
"I personally asked His Majesty to invite Lord Jared. I wanted to see you in person. The Lord who developed the cure for Ronella's disease, the military weapon known as Jared's mine, and significantly increased the success rate of Rettria farming with pesticide production."
"Did you, Prince? I am merely a nameless lord managing two cold regions in the northern continent. I am overwhelmed by your words despite my insignificance."
Jared replied with a smile. It felt really good to know that even the Fourth Prince had heard about him. It seemed it was not a lie that his name was circulating among the upper echelons of the Sinders Kingdom.
"Please do come. I would like to have a light drink and conversation with Lord Jared at the palace."
"Prince, was it necessary for you to make such a long journey? You hardly brought any attendants and came all the way to this remote area..."
"I wanted to see you. The first person I wanted to see with my own eyes was Lord Jared."
Izuel's words were gentle yet carried a certain strength. Soft on the outside, strong on the inside. Jared could feel the intense inner thoughts hidden within Izuel's soft words. Blond hair, eyes shining brown, and a slender jawline with a lean physique. He had a gentle appearance that seemed far removed from blood-stained battles. Jared thought he understood Izuel's mind. Among the four princes, Izuel, who had the weakest backing, was desperately seeking talent everywhere.
'The fact that Count Capri urgently stepped in to put a brake on it means that the level of power I showed was by no means low.'
The impact shown by himself, a young lord from the provinces, must have left a deep impression on Izuel. Jared thought so.
'The problem is that this way, I too will inevitably get caught up in the prince's rebellion.'
The death of Deckard IX cannot be prevented. Moreover, the prince's rebellion led by the Second Prince is an inevitable future. If he had to take someone's side, Jared wanted to side with the Fourth Prince, Izuel. In fact, there was no other choice. Although each had different ambitions, from the First Prince to the Third Prince, they were all fervent followers of the Umbra Church. If anyone other than the Fourth Prince inherits the throne, the kingdom will turn into a magic state. Then, as a neighboring lord, he would inevitably become a target for conquest.
'But I must be cautious. Eyes of surveillance can be anywhere. Until I make the final decision, I must lead the situation.'
Jared, who was about to say something, held back his words. He could not be sure that even Izuel's subordinates waiting outside the reception room were completely his people. If he hastily confirmed his stance and things went awry, he might have to pay with his life. Jared cleared his throat a couple of times and replied in a calm voice.
"Prince, I am merely a lord of a humble territory and not a subject of the kingdom. I appreciate your sentiments, but I find such conversations very uncomfortable."
"Ah..."
At that moment, Izuel's eyes wavered greatly. Jared's response was colder than he had expected. However, the astute Izuel soon realized the hidden intention in Jared's words.
'I was rash, driven by my emotions. The place, the situation... it must all be uncomfortable for him.'
Even if his true feelings were different from what he said, he realized that he could not openly express them. A subtle exchange of glances occurred between Jared and Izuel. It was a fleeting moment, but it was enough to communicate their feelings. Eventually, Izuel stood up abruptly. Then, as if angry, he pushed the letter towards Jared and turned to leave.
"I made an unnecessary visit. But I hope you do not disrespect His Majesty's letter."
"I will not ignore the King's letter. Farewell, Prince."
Without giving a glance, Jared watched Izuel walk away with a meaningful smile.
'You are much smarter than I thought, Prince Izuel.'
And through his departing figure, he did not forget to check his stats with his mind's eye.
[Izuel – Lv. 59]
[Strength: 42]
[Stamina: 38]
[Magic: 18]
[Wisdom: 122]
[Agility: 21]
[Charm: 322]
[Physical Defense: 9]
[Magic Defense: 24]
[Special Traits: Royal Studies S / Radius Theology A]
[The strong synergy of special traits has greatly increased the charm stat.]
'He is indeed a talent with the qualities of a king. Moreover, he has solid theological knowledge that can be the foundation of a holy state, the opposite of a magic state.'
Jared was very surprised by the two special traits Izuel possessed. The fact that Royal Studies was rated S meant that he had studied diligently for a long time and had many self-realizations. Of course, this is not a guarantee of becoming a sage king. But at least it could be a guarantee that he would not become a tyrant.
'A choice between two options has been presented. Whether to rise as an emerging warlord in the northern continent... or to become a death row inmate recorded in a single line in the history of the Nas Continent in 1414.'
Pressing the sides of his throbbing temples again, Jared fell into deep thought. There was a change in the plans he had been pushing forward without any hindrance. Today's worries seemed to be longer than expected.
Five days later. I set off for the royal capital of the Sinders Kingdom with Hayes and Aki. Since it took about two days by carriage from the Mallorca territory to the royal capital, we set off early.
Hayes accompanied me as an attendant, and Aki joined for business purposes. Aki had been busier than me lately, meeting people related to the merchant guild all day long. This time, he had a meeting with Count Peter of the Sinders Kingdom.
It was said that the mines I developed were chosen as a means for the large-scale underground dungeon strategy being promoted by the Count's family.
Meanwhile, I alternated between looking at Hayes, who was fast asleep in the carriage, and Aki, who was gazing out the window, until my eyes met Aki's.
"Traveling together like this reminds me of the old days. I even remember you, Aki, being captured by bandits and locked up next to the outhouse."
"Lord, that's my dark past. Please, not that story..."
"Hahaha, but now you're such a splendid merchant guild leader, helping with the management of the territory. I'm always grateful. You've been working hard, Aki."
"No, after that day, I decided to live for you, Lord. I've never thought of a life without you."
Aki's eyes, gazing at me, sparkled brightly. Just then, as if he remembered something, Aki snapped his fingers and quickly changed the subject.
"Lord, do you know about Prince Pthalin?"
"Of course. The Second Prince of the Sinders Kingdom."
"I heard from a business partner recently that the Second Prince is very interested in you, Lord."
"The Second Prince?"
"Yes. It seems he has been looking into not only your predecessor, Viscount Barrett, but also your family tree with great interest."
"..."
A chill ran down my spine. I had started to attract the deep interest of the one I least wanted to.