The Prince’s Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 143

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 143. The Prophet and the Guardian (1)

‘If it’s a mutant monster.’

I recalled the information Kaiden had told me before.

“You mean those mutant monsters that the Holy Kingdom released.”

[As expected, you remember.]

“My memory isn’t that bad.”

I was the one who delivered the news about the Holy Kingdom releasing mutant monsters in the first place.

There’s no way I’d forget, you little brat.

[Right, then do you also remember that I said I’d investigate the Holy Kingdom before?]

“Yes, I remember.”

Could he have already found something?

I raised one eyebrow.

“Did you find something?”

[A few things, at least.]

Kaiden crossed his arms and leaned back against his chair.

[A letter arrived from the Bentrum Empire recently.]

Why is he suddenly talking about the Empire?

[It said that the number of mutant monsters is rapidly increasing in the mountain range stretching between the Holy Kingdom and the Empire, so they want to conduct a joint subjugation.]

“They want to launch a joint operation to subjugate the monsters?”

[Something like that. It’s true that the number of monsters is becoming too much for one country’s military power to handle.]

Recently, the number of monsters had been rapidly increasing across the entire continent.

They appeared more frequently than usual, and the Imperial Knight Orders were increasingly being dispatched for monster subjugation.

Thanks to this, the fatal weakness of loosened security within the Imperial Palace and the Empire’s borders had emerged, but it couldn’t be helped.

To protect the lives and property of the people, they had to immediately defeat the monsters attacking settlements.

[But what’s important right now is something else.]

A strange light flickered in Kaiden’s golden eyes.

[The Emperor seems to be planning to put the princes at the forefront of that joint operation.]

“…What?”

I unconsciously opened my mouth at Kaiden’s words.

Doubts about whether the Emperor was in his right mind arose in my head.

‘Lloyd aside, Adrian is sickly and Edwin hasn’t even had his coming-of-age ceremony yet.’

Moreover, all three princes were children under twenty.

To send these kids who hadn’t even dried the blood on their heads to such a dangerous place.

‘And they’re princes, no less?’

These were boys who had been raised more preciously than anyone else since birth.

Furthermore, one of them would inherit his father’s position and become the master of the Empire.

At a time when it hadn’t even been decided which one that would be.

‘Yet he wants to send them to a battlefield where they might die.’

All three of them?

It was a decision I simply couldn’t understand.

[This is just my speculation, but.]

Then, Kaiden continued in a serious voice.

[Cabellius III seems to be planning to appoint the prince who achieves the most merit in the monster subjugation war as Crown Prince.]

* * *

“Is that really true?”

Catherine immediately shot up from her seat upon hearing my words.

With a face pale as a sheet, she repeated exactly what I had just said.

“His Imperial Majesty said he would send the princes to subjugate monsters?”

“It’s not confirmed yet. I only heard that such talk was going around.”

“Good heavens, dear me.”

Catherine clutched her forehead and slumped back down in her seat.

This caused Seiji, who was sitting beside her, to bounce halfway up into the air before settling back down.

“Well, what do you expect from someone so cold-blooded.”

Unlike Catherine who was terrified, Seiji was calm as if he had expected this.

“To test his own bloodline in such a way. Truly remarkable, remarkable.”

Says the one who drove Edwin into danger under the pretext of testing him.

I glanced at Seiji sideways and opened my mouth.

“In any case, since such a situation could suddenly arise, we should prepare in advance.”

“Even if you suddenly tell us to prepare…”

Catherine chewed on her lower lip.

She seemed to have no idea where to even start preparing.

It was the sage, no, gardener Seiji who offered an opinion in place of the confused head maid.

“First, we need to prepare military forces.”

“What?”

Catherine’s eyes widened at Seiji’s words.

“Wh-what do you mean? Within the Imperial Palace, no one except His Imperial Majesty can possess military forces! Even for a prince, owning private soldiers is clearly treason…”

“Who said we need private soldiers? I’m saying we should create allies who will follow only Prince Edwin in the subjugation war.”

Seiji looked at Catherine with pitying eyes.

“The other princes will be the same, right? The 1st Prince has his maternal uncle as the Gloria Knight Order Captain, so he’ll naturally receive their protection, and the 2nd Prince will have the Marquis of Redcliff’s knight order and nobles who support him.”

Large-scale subjugation operations didn’t involve only royalty.

The nobles who followed them and the soldiers under those nobles’ command all had to participate in the war.

‘No matter how outstanding someone is, they can’t go to the battlefield alone.’

In the end, what was most needed was a force with high loyalty and excellent martial skills.

“The gardener is right. Before entering the subjugation operation, we must create many forces that will unconditionally support Prince Edwin.”

“There are moderate nobles who haven’t chosen either side yet. Couldn’t we persuade them?”

“It won’t be easy, but we’ll have to try.”

Not having taken either side yet meant they were people with clear convictions and stubbornness.

I looked at Catherine, who couldn’t say anything with an uncomfortable expression.

“Catherine.”

“Y-yes?”

“Could you compile a list of moderate nobles for us?”

“What? Oh, th-that’s not difficult, but…”

“Then I’d like to ask you to do it right now.”

“R-right now?”

“Yes.”

When I stared at her directly, Catherine hurriedly got up from her seat.

“Oh, understood!”

As soon as Catherine left the room, I immediately turned my gaze to Seiji.

“Could you introduce me to a trustworthy mage?”

Seiji frowned at my sudden request.

“A mage? Why suddenly a mage?”

“To strengthen our forces.”

“Ah, well, those guys are perfect for monster subjugation.”

Seiji made a sour face and scratched his forehead vigorously.

“But the mages I know are old, and most of them have passed away. Don’t you know any mages, Kayl, I mean Brown Lordling?”

“If I knew any, I wouldn’t have asked…”

Wait.

I frowned.

‘There is one mage I know.’

I suddenly recalled a very old connection in my mind.

‘…Maybe I should look for that person, just in case.’

It was such a disturbing and ominous connection that I never wanted to encounter him again.

That person was a different breed of human from Seiji or Somnia.

‘No, can he even be called human?’

Recalling the past when I was entangled with him suddenly gave me a headache.

During my time working with the Assassin’s Guild, I faced life-threatening crises dozens of times.

And more than half of those crises were caused by that person.

“Brown Lordling? What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. Just a brief migraine.”

I mumbled evasively, avoiding Seiji’s curious gaze.

‘Let’s put that person on hold for now.’

From now on, I should only use past connections in truly unavoidable circumstances.

I steeled my resolve and shook the memories of that person from my mind.

“But you know.”

Seiji suddenly threw me an unexpected question.

“Are you seriously thinking of going through with it?”

“With what?”

“I mean….”

Seiji seemed to think for a moment, then bluntly spoke.

“Do you really believe Edwin can become Emperor?”

“…It’s not about believing.”

Believing is what the clerics and believers of Leon Kingdom do.

I silently rose from my seat.

“I’m going to make it happen.”

* * *

The sewing chamber of the 2nd Imperial Consort’s Palace was busy today as well.

Since the palace’s mistress was so sensitive to fashion trends, the chamber maids couldn’t put down their needles for even a day.

Today too, they were diligently making a dress for the 2nd Imperial Consort to wear at the banquet in a few days.

Through the hands of various maids, golden flower vines gradually took shape on brilliant red silk.

“Oh my, you’re really skilled, aren’t you?”

“You’re the new girl who just came in, right?”

But among them, there was one with particularly outstanding skills.

It was the new chamber maid.

“Goodness, it really looks like flower vines.”

“How can it be so lifelike?”

A small commotion arose among the maids who were always busy with their own work.

The newly arrived chamber maid was not only quick with her hands but also had exceptional embroidery skills.

Thanks to her, the other maids’ workload was gradually decreasing.

“Yes, I was originally at the Imperial Palace.”

The praised maid smiled shyly.

“Oh my, I knew it. Those from the Imperial Palace are different.”

“But still, for His Imperial Majesty to send his own person. Even if he doesn’t show it, he must truly cherish The 2nd Imperial Consort.”

“That’s right. He’s famous for never sending his personal attendants elsewhere.”

The maids poured out gossip after a long time.

Stories about the 2nd Imperial Consort, The Emperor and The Empress, and even the princes.

All sorts of scandals and rumors of the Imperial Palace flowed from their lips.

“Wow, really?”

The new chamber maid listened to their stories with apparent interest.

In her crystal-clear eyes, a translucent light that seemed almost inhuman swirled, but no one noticed.

“But there’s something I’m curious about.”

The new chamber maid cautiously raised her hand to join the maids’ chatter.

“What does The 2nd Imperial Consort like most?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————