Chapter 32

The scary guy, the bad guy, the dead guy (2)

What appeared in the newspaper was just the tip of the iceberg. Kleio thought back to what he had read from the manuscript. If he remembered correctly, the mine's survey and evaluation would already have been completed by the time the press regulations have been lifted.

'The news about the train station will arrive soon. Just like that, the timing is right.'

Kleio laughed as he wrinkled the newspaper he held. If the future didn't deviate from his expectations, he should earn a huge income soon.

'I can't just be a landowner, but I can use the rent. I have to ask Mrs. Canton to check if there is any mail or telegrams for me.'

He could expect Cel's mother, Catarina, to contact him soon.

'I hope the land price rises until then. I can get a good land rental fee.'

He carefully read the news about the tiplaum mine before skimming through the other articles. Reading the newspaper helped familiarize himself with the details of this new word. A photo in one of the articles contained a large picture of Prince Melchior's visit to the military camp of Kision. He congratulated the courageous soldiers defending the border, offering them special vacation pay... blah, blah.

'The work of the royal family is similar to that of a politician.'

The prince was smalling among the soldiers, taller than those around him. His bright hair also stood out, but the newspaper's print was rough, so he couldn't properly recognize any other features. To Kleio, the appearance of the military camp was more impressive than the people.

'How hard did the soldiers work to clean up for this photo? Tsk.'

It was then.

Blam-

Dione ran through the hallway and slammed the door open. She had a large black and white striped ribbon running down one shoulder, with a dress cut to fit her body, making her look as beautiful as a blooming flower.

"Kleio, Kleio, Kleio!"

Kleio, who had set aside the newspaper, looked at her.

"I can hear you even if you say it once."

"I thought you would be sleeping in today, so I tried to wake you up!"

"It's still morning."

"It's time for others to have lunch! Get up and take a bath first!"

"Ugh... Are you planning on that again?"

Kleio, who remembered Novantes' party, shrugged as Dione's voice rose a tone.

"That's it! Will you act like a beggar at the King's birthday? Even your hair is a mess!"

"Because I was immersed in training, I didn't have time for a haircut..."

"Stop making excuses and get to the bathroom. You have ten seconds! Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven...!"

It was a fight he couldn't win. Kleio hurried to hide in the bathroom. He felt that if he continued to resist, Dione herself would wash him herself.

.

.

.

"Hahahahaha, Lady Dione's a big shot."

"Stop laughing; what's so funny?"

"Hey, she made this miracle, so I have to praise her more. Your tutor must have a divine hand."

Arthur sat across from Kleio in the carriage, unable to stop giggling.

"God's hand is so uncomfortable I can't breathe."

"It's like you're wearing armor on the battlefield. If it isn't properly prepared like that, it will attract attention in a bad sense. You should bow down and thank Lady Dione."

Kleio sighed, wanting to rip off his waistcoat and his stuffy gloves. Dione prepared complicated-looking clothes as if the dinner suit he had worn last time was lacking.

'Why are there so many things on it?'

The stiff cuffs scratched at his wrists, and the collar was so stiff, it felt like it was choking him. The worst was the ribbon tied under his top hat. It was embarrassing. Dione had brought him a silver-gray silk bow tie with a colored ribbon and had screamed at him when he tried to escape.

'If you don't like this, you should've trimmed your hair!'

'Even now, I could head downtown...'

'The King's birthday is today. Do you think a skilled barber has time for you?'

Kleio, recalling the previous conversation, leaned his forehead against the shaking carriage as he grimaced.

"Stop acting embarrassed. Rather, you have to do that much to see the ballroom."

"You look rough too, but why did Dione go off on me?"

Even though they were riding in a six-seater carriage with the emblem of the royal family stamped on it, Arthur's dress was unpretentious, so he felt stupid. As usual, he wore a crumpled jacket and boots like a regular old swordsman.

"I'm just heading to escort you. Hey, whoever has the prince as an escort, you must be successful."

"You insisted on coming along."

Kleio looked at Arthur with cool eyes.

'If he were in Kision, he would definitely encounter Melchior, so it's his excuse to jump into the capital.'

Kision's lord and the father of Isiel Kision, Schliemann Kision, became Arthur's first and most willing supporter. Kision was home to the Albion royal family's summer palace, as well as being Arthur's hometown in which he grew up. Kleio had recalled the article he read that morning.

'...Then Melchior's visit at this time would not just be to encourage the troops. What did Viscount Kision and Arthur come up with?'

"How did you know?"

"Because it's obvious."

"You've gotten to know me pretty well."

"Don't act disgusting; you're just a simple human. But isn't Isiel also attending the ball?"

Kleio peeked out the window. Isiel, who was on horseback guarding the front, was in uniform as well.

"Because Kision isn't, Isiel should go."

"Is it okay to wear a school uniform at the banquet?"

The Royal Capital Defense Force's school uniform was a white shirt with a dark gray tie, a light gray vest, a black jacket, and trousers for both men and women. The girls often wore skirts, but Isiel always wore pants with her uniform.

"Hey, Isiel, and you are different. She'll claim attention with her school uniform."

"Why?"

"She's a student at the Defense Force's school, and she's a swordswoman. Because of that, some crazy bullshit is spreading."

"Hm? Why is that...?"

Arthur pretended to tap his head like the sight of Kleio was pitiful.

"Think with your clever mind. It's not normal for a girl to become a soldier. But if you stick with me, you'll hear all the rumors."

"So, are you the source of all that information?"

He turned Remember on and quickly looked back through the manuscript. There had been a group of nobles that spread messy rumors because the incredibly gorgeous Isiel was lingering behind the stupid prince.

'I forgot because they were all horrible anyway.'

"Regardless of the actual situation, she is in a status that can intermarry with the royal family."

"Even so, looking at Isiel, you know..."

"That's what I mean. Since I was a child, I saw her tears and runny nose as we trained under the same teaching, vomiting, and collapsing during training. We're like brother and sister."

Arthur lowered his voice despite the noisy street outside the carriage.

"People don't know yet, but Isiel swore a knight's oath when we were twelve. Isiel, who's been with me everywhere from that moment on, had suffered all kinds of humiliation as a result. It will take a decade to avenge those grievances."

Having grown up confined in the summer palace, the prince had ended up with the swordsman teacher by chance and learned the ways of the sword with Isiel. In the last manuscript, the two's childhood had been described shortly like that, so he didn't know the details. As Kleio listened seriously, Arthur spoke without any of his usual playfulness.

"As Isiel swore allegiance to me, I also [Covenanted] that I would honor her as a knight. Nothing else, only a noble knight. I will make sure that she inherits what she deserves."

Kleio's eyes went wide.

"Isn't a [Covenant] used with words with ether?"

"Of course."

[Covenant] was an oath made by knights to their King after completing their probationary period and receiving the formal oath. The fact that this had happened between Arthur and Isiel hadn't appeared in the previous manuscript.

"Because of the inheritance law that was made to confiscate the manor of Sir Rosa Pehite, Isiel cannot inherit her father's manor. I have to put that back right."

"Rosa Pehite... the professor of swordsmanship at school? What's her relationship to the inheritance law?"

"What, you don't know?"

"Is it related to your father's throne...?"

Kleio chose his words carefully.

'Was it related to the case where Philippe stabbed his brother Edward to become King? It was roughly mentioned in the manuscript.'

"Don't you know the details?"

"I don't. How do you?"

"Isn't it natural? I am among the royal family members. Then, listen carefully."

Arthur rolled up the window curtains to measure their distance from the royal city, then pulled them down before he continued.

The current King, Philippe, wasn't the first-born. He didn't even have a will for the throne. Thirty-two years ago, when his predecessor Edward ascended, his wise and powerful reign was expected to last. However, after a few years, Edward grew mad, and Philippe expelled his brother with the consent of all the nobles. The news was that he was expelled, but the reality was he was murdered.

Rosa Pehite, who was the head of the knights at the time, objected to the harming of the King, even if he was mad. Rosa had to face the knights who had followed Philippe when they came to Edward's isolated tower. Rosa was defeated, and her left eye was taken by Pierce Klagen, another knight. It wasn't that she lacked the ability, but compassion and humanity blunted her sword. After Philippe took over, Rosa voluntarily withdrew in the form of retirement, but in fact, she had been dismissed. After that, a law was created to deprive Rosa of her estate as an amendment to the inheritance law, saying that women couldn't inherit. The Pehite estate was passed on to a distant relative, and she remained a professor at the school.

"When we were twelve, Viscount Kision had to replace Isiel as his successor at the order of the nobles and the King. My own work, to make Isiel the successor, persisted and endured, but those two forces pressured it."

Recalling the performance of Isiel in the last manuscript, it felt absurd that such a skilled and loyal knight couldn't inherit territory because of political intimidation.

'Of course, because of that irrationality, Isiel became loyal to Arthur. Even in the last manuscript, she couldn't succeed. It was a fantasy background in a monarchy, so... there must've been such a backstory.'

Arthur wished to become King, and Isiel wanted to inherit her own estate and the army that came with it. That's why the two had sworn an oath.

"Does that make sense? Isiel is the best swordswoman of our generation. In the east, it was said that no one her age could beat her. When I become King, I will definitely break those laws."

When Arthur finished speaking, he grew quiet as if to leave the evaluation to Kleio. Kleio looked at him with fresh eyes. He wasn't trying to become King solely out of rebellion against his brother. He wanted the throne as a means to correct injustice.