Chapter 144: The Soaring Hawk (4)

༺ The Soaring Hawk (4) ༻

Members of the royal family should be the king's strongest supporters and should rule over the nobility. For a small royal family to govern a nation, even a single royal was essential. However, I wasn't even by the king's side but was in a foreign land.

Due to the 'sin' of not being born later, and my brother's 'sin' of not being born earlier, I had to leave my homeland as if fleeing. Although it was akin to neglecting my royal duties, I had no choice. Fulfilling my duties could have endangered the royal family, and by extension, the nation.

A royal must be competent. To stand tall above many nobles, a royal needed not just authority, but also matching abilities.

Thanks to Enen's favor, I possessed said abilities.

"Regrettably, I have nothing more to teach you."

The problem was that my abilities were too extraordinary.

"A blessing to the royal family, a talent bestowed by the heavens."

"Indeed, he is a great magician who will be remembered in history."

This wasn't baseless confidence or arrogance; my talents were universally acknowledged.

"Perhaps even surpassing the crown prince—"

Yes, everyone thought so.

My abilities were superior even to those of my brother, the crown prince.

This wasn't just the opinion of the minority; the king and my brother saw it that way too, and that was the problem.

"Well done. Continue to work hard."

The king's gaze towards me was unusual. There was a hint of regret in his eyes when he looked at my brother. In the magic powerhouse of the United Kingdom of Yuben, having magical talent was a significant advantage.

If I, an observer, noticed this, how could my brother, the subject, not know? The implication in that gaze was probably enough to drive him mad. After all, the throne was at stake.

If the succession of the throne bypassed my eldest brother, it wouldn't just be a matter of pride. It was a matter of life and death for him.

"That's amazing, Lather."

Nevertheless, my brother suppressed his feelings. Instead of expressing his anger and hatred towards me, he welcomed the emergence of a talented younger brother.

If there had been a significant age difference between us, the royal family would have been peaceful.

But that wasn't the case. The age difference was small enough that the king could feasibly replace the crown prince.

As the king's worries deepened, other emotions began to mix into my brother's brotherly gaze...

"I'm going to enroll in the Imperial Academy."

When I was seventeen years old, I suddenly declared my enrollment in the Imperial Academy.

It was a rash decision. For a royal, and not just any noble, to attend an educational institution in another country was unheard of, especially at an age when one should be engaging in social activities.

That was also why I chose to go to the Empire. No noble would support a prince who spent three years at a foreign educational institution. In my absence, my brother's foundation would solidify.

"Lather, please reconsider it. There's no need for such a long journey."

My brother's words as he stopped me were a mixture of concern and pity for his brother, happiness at his rival's elimination, and self-deprecation at himself for rejoicing in it.

If my brother was a villain, then I might have seriously aimed for the throne. But how could I bring down a brother who worried so much about a sibling who could take everything from him?

"It's fine. I just wanted to gain various experiences."

Various experiences, none of which included the throne.

I enrolled in the Imperial Academy while ignoring everyone's dissuasion. My standing in the homeland would plummet, which is what I wanted. I must become someone far removed from the throne for the stability of the royal family and the prosperity of the nation.

I probably won't be warmly welcomed in the Empire, either. The sudden arrival of a foreign prince would surely raise a few questions.

'I never thought there would be another like me.'

A chuckle escaped me as I recalled that time. Surprisingly, the prince of Armein and the next saint also enrolled.

I wondered what was going on. Perhaps Armein also had a succession issue, or the Holy Kingdom had a new saint candidate.

But it was neither.

Anyway, that was what happened. Memories of the past came flooding back thanks to the foolish hawk that couldn't fly and fell.

'I can't go back.'

I chose this path, ready to face a weakened position and a tarnished reputation, all for the royal family and the nation. Even if the king suggested it, I can't return.

And then—

"Chess is not about winning. It's about making the opponent angry so he can't win."

"Wait. I just need to create one more knight."

"Where did the other chess player go?"

That voice still seemed to echo in my ears. Unwittingly, my fists clenched.

'Going back now means losing.'

I can't go back now. How could I return without ever defeating Rutis?

If I had lost conventionally, I would have simply accepted that someone was better than me. But the unheard-of strategy of using five knights mocked my pride.

So I must win, no matter how long it takes. I would defeat Ryutis, even if it meant shoving a queen in his face.

'By the time I win, Louise should have made significant progress too.'

For that reason alone, I need to stay at the academy until graduation.

It's going to be an exciting time at the academy.

***

I felt a flicker in my fading faith. Did my prayers reach the heavens? Did Enen finally take pity on me?

"You mean, the hawk faction?"

— Yes.

I almost bit my tongue when I got the call from the Information Department's Executive Manager. The Dove faction of the Five Pillars had fallen from grace. If the Information Department's Executive Manager was contacting me directly, then it must be a serious matter. Usually, it didn't mean good news.

This time, the usual odds were defied.

— They overexerted and collapsed.

'Those fools.'

The more I heard from the Information Department's Executive Manager, the more I was astounded, though negatively.

The hawk faction had ousted the doves and seized control. However, they hadn't completely eradicated the dove faction. The doves were still alive and alert within the Five Pillars.

So, the next logical step would be to completely eliminate the doves or assimilate them, right?

'They're definitely not normal.'

The hawk faction, like a relentless V8 engine, didn't care about such trivialities. They undertook a project that would make anyone say, 'Are you insane?' even if the faction was all hawks.

An audacious plot of royal assassination. I honestly anticipated it but never thought they'd actually go through with it. If someone asked me why they would undertake such a risky move, I wouldn't have an answer for them. I didn't understand it, either.

Anyway, the doves, ground down by the hawks, rushed to the royal family as soon as they realized the hawks' spectacular self-destruction.

'They really are doves.'

Seeing their speed which was almost like a postal service made it clear that the doves lived up to their name.

Then, things moved swiftly. The United Kingdom of Yuben's royal family flagged an unexpected royal assassination attempt, and the doves quickly distanced themselves for fear of getting caught in the hawks' self-destruction.

In fact, the doves had been severely beaten down by the hawks before they could even cut ties, so no one suspected the doves of complicity. It was like a blessing in disguise.

— So the hawk faction has completely collapsed. Senior members were executed, and the rest either defected or left politics.

"That's astonishing."

— It is astonishing.

It was truly surprising that all these events unfolded in less than a month.

The Dove faction, the dominant faction of the Five Pillars for decades, lost its power. From the empire's standpoint, it was annoying but possible. After all, politics were unpredictable.

The hawk faction replacing the doves? It was also possible. If the doves fell from grace, it indicated an internal desire for new policies, and the hawks could do what the doves couldn't.

But I never thought that 'what the doves couldn't do' meant royal assassination. That was something that neither the doves nor any sane person would do.

'Are they... brainless?'

There was a limit to recklessness. I thought that the hawks would at least completely control the Five Pillars before messing up, but I didn't expect them to implode so quickly.

Were hawks always such mindless creatures?

Suddenly, my fondness for hawks seems to have diminished. Hawks were quite the fools, weren't they?

— The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is busy thanks to that, but it's not a bad outcome.

I nodded in agreement. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was probably bewildered. They were planning to make contact with the hawk faction, but now the doves were back in power.

But, wasn't it always better to deal with a known weakling than to befriend a madman?

'Well, that ended well.'

From my perspective, this wasn't a bad outcome, either. With the hawk faction's downfall, the possibility of the Five Pillars targeting the academy was gone. Now, only two out of the three organizations remained.

I hope the rest self-destruct, too. I'd like to have some peace.

— Anyway, I thought it was right to inform you since Prince Lather was the target of the hawk faction.

"Ah, yes. Thank you for your consideration."

— I'll have to go now. There's a lot I need to do.

As always, the Information Department's Executive Manager ended the call while flaunting his workload.

I'm glad I don't live like that.

'I should retire before I end up like him.'

My determination to retire grew weaker day by day, but seeing the Information Department's Executive Manager always reignited that desire.

Thank you, Information Department's Executive Manager...

***

The next day during club time, I noticed that Lather seemed his usual self. He showed no signs of disturbance or anxiety whatsoever.

While it was a relief that he seemed unaffected, I was half hoping that the United Kingdom of Yuben would recall Lather for his safety. Looking at him now, that doesn't seem to be the case.

'Damned doves.'

Shouldn't this be the time for them to strongly argue about bringing the royals in foreign lands back home for safety? After defeating the hawks, they should at least put in that much effort.

I guess doves really are incompetent.

But hawks are cute, so it's fine. Come to think of it, isn't the Valenti family's symbol a hawk? Hawks are cuter than doves, after all.

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