I Became the First Prince

Chapter 240

A Group That Follows the Dawn (4)

“Saah,” Malcoy exhaled. His sigh had become a needle that pierced straight through my chest. An uncomfortable silence then followed.

After a while, Malcoy opened his mouth. “Your Highness. I have been waiting for the day when you would call me to teach me the ways and customs of this place. Day and night, I have-”

“As you may have already heard, a war between the Dotrin Kingdom and the Empire has broken out.”

I didn’t intend to be idle while words of resentment flowed from his mouth.

“Dotrin has already claimed the areas of forest they had lost in the war, and they are currently on the verge of completely breaking into imperial territory.”

“What are you saying-”

“The third and fifth principes, or at least the eastern region of the Empire, aren’t even concerned. They’re only focused on occupying the throne, so Dotrin’s invasion can be seen as a natural result.”

In the middle of my speech, Malcoy opened his mouth, but I ignored him and communicated the situation as quickly as possible.

“But I can’t understand how this can be. Even though the situation has reached this point, how can the Empire not yet have developed a countermeasure? Isn’t it normal to at least gather their forces together to prepare for a decisive battle with the Dotrin Kingdom? Even if they marshal only their Eastern Army, it will be enough to decimate the Dotrin Royal Army.”

Malcoy, whose mouth was forming into a sneer, began relaxing.

“By the way, the Imperial Army doesn’t even show signs of moving – they’re not even gathering in one place.”

Interest began to flare up in Malcoy’s eyes that were still full of betrayal and resentment.

“It’s like they’re waiting for something.”

“Your Highness has suspicions.” Malcoy, who had been listening to my explanation for a while, spoke for the first time, finally taking the bait I had thrown him.

“Do you think the defeats the Imperial Army suffered were intentional?”

I replied seriously as I inwardly smiled with satisfaction, making sure I kept my voice low.

“Even the sharpest spears will eventually become dull if they repeatedly stab iron armor and shields, and armies that have penetrated deep into imperial territory have always suffered a bad fate.”

Malcoy then nodded at me.

“It is exactly as your Highness says. When the enemy’s momentum is high, the local armies of the Empire fall back, their prime directive being to draw the foe in and blunt their efficacy rather than openly fighting against them. The breaking of the enemy’s swords and spears-”

“Is the job of the central army directly under the imperial family.”

Malcoy nodded his head. “Your Highness knows the Imperial Army strangely well.”

I didn’t just know it well; I had experienced it to the point of boredom. Four hundred years ago, when the founder of this country marched toward the imperial capital with the Blood Lions, I was also there. And when they broke through the imperial encirclement and returned to Leonberg, I was with them. But I couldn’t tell Malcoy about that.

“It’s because the history of the kingdom is strewn with wars against the Empire.”

I briefly explained why I knew the strategies of the Imperial Army. Then I returned to the original topic and sought Malcoy’s opinion on the lukewarm response of the Empire.

With their most powerful army bound by the civil war, it was difficult to understand how the Imperial Army remained silent as if waiting for something.

“Can you find out more about the war situation?” Malcoy, who had been thinking for a while, asked me for more details.

“I don’t know.”

I replied that I had no details to share. Malcoy’s expression hardened.

“It might feel strange to share secrets with one who had surrendered to the enemy and pledged himself to the Kingdom of Leonberg. But my oath to serve the kingdom was never a lie.”

“No. No, I really don’t know.”

I wasn’t lying. The king had told me about the war but had given no me detailed information.

Where they marched, what the force compositions were, how the war was going, and what kind of battles had taken place — he hadn’t told me anything. Even my entrance into the marshal’s office where all the information of the kingdom was gathered was prohibited. I could always ignore the royal order and sneak into the office, but I would be punished for it further in the future. I told Malcoy this.

In such a situation, the only thing I could do was waylay the messengers that moved to and from the enemy lines and so pluck up pieces of information.

“I know that your Highness is the successor to this country’s throne.”

“I know so too.”

Malcoy looked at me as if I was being absurd. He looked at me as if asking what the hell I had done that I couldn’t even be privy to my country’s secrets.

“I didn’t do much,” I muttered.

I just left a letter that was like a suicide note and had to be brought back bloody on a wyvern. Then I was sent on a diplomatic mission and went missing after fighting enemy knights, not returning for a long time. And as a mercenary, I also battled a bit too fiercely in another country’s war.

It was just a few small accidents. To me, they were trivial and minor incidents, and they were over. The king’s current treatment, gently pressing me down due to my past actions, was really unpleasant. But what could I do? It was all done in the king’s name. He said that the security of the Crown Prince who will inherit the throne was much more important than the immediate war.

“Your Highness. Even if you want to analyze the trends of the Imperial Army, you still need to be informed. Only unreliable speculations can be made without a stream of current intel. No judgment can be made without information.”

“I said I didn’t know. I didn’t say there was no information.”

“I mean, how the hell can you get that information then?” Malcoy asked, striking his chest in frustration.

“The marshal,” I replied, having taken it for granted that Malcoy knew this.

“Did you not say that you are unable to enter the marshal’s offices, by the king’s order?”

“I am unable. Yet, you are not.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’ll get the marshal to allow you inside.”

Only then did Malcoy really frown, realizing my reason for visiting him.

“So now I’m serving as your Highness’s spy?”

I was insulted by the word, I, who had endured all kinds of hardship to thin out the nobles of the kingdom and the capital for sharing our secrets with the Empire.

Malcoy saw my reaction and quickly bowed and apologized.

“I apologize, your Highness. I made a mistake.”

“I’ll let it pass this time, taking into account your ignorance of the kingdom’s circumstances.”

After his swift apology, my face relaxed, and I told Malcoy what I wanted him to do.

“Check the information gathered in the intel office with your own eyes and report it to me. Based on that, we can go head-to-head together and dig into the Empire’s strategy.”

“How is that different from being a spy?” Malcoy asked with a troubled face.

I shook my head and answered firmly.

“This isn’t spying – it’s just about preparing for a situation that might come into play.”

Malcoy was still unconvinced by my words.

“It’s different, anyway,” I reassured him. It wasn’t; he would be spying for me.

“Tell the marshal I’m waiting for him,” I told a messenger and sent him off to the Marquis of Bielefeld. And soon enough, the marquis came to my palace.

“It’s a waste to let such talent lay dormant. If you put him by your side and teach him well, he will become an asset that will be of great use to you.”

The old noble looked at Malcoy and me alternately.

“Huhu, hahuhu.”

He then suddenly laughed.

“If that’s all your Highness has to say, I’ll go back now. There are so many things to be done.”

The marquis suddenly looked down and turned around to leave. I decided I had to give him some incentive.

“I have recognized the talent of a maid that no one knew was talented. Have you forgotten that I made her my knight and raised her to become a champion of the kingdom? It seems that you don’t believe my eye for talent, marquis.”

“Is that a thing to say? I believe in your Highness more than anyone. It’s just this current request that I don’t fully believe in.” Bielefeld looked at me and sighed as if the ground has been ripped out from under him. “It’s a question that plagues my mind: Why only now? Why put him in service of the marshal?”

“It’s because his talent is exactly what is required of the marshal’s staff.”

“Do you really have no other motive?”

I laughed awkwardly as the marquis watched me. It felt as if he knew what I was doing. Even as I thought about it, my scheme was one that could be seen clearly. But at times like these, you have to be brazen.

“The sooner he starts, the sooner his talent will blossom and be of decisive benefit for the kingdom’s future. I believe you understand what this means, marquis.”

Instead of answering, Bielefeld merely sighed.

“Okay. I’ll just skip the interview this time.”

Then, after a while, he accepted my offer.

“Thanks. After all, you are always there for me, marquis.”

“And at times, it makes me feel like a fool,” the marquis once again sighed, bowed politely, and turned around. “What are you doing? Come along now,” the marquis told Malcoy, who looked amazed by events. I nodded, and Malcoy went to stand behind the marquis, who glanced at him, then left my room. Malcoy followed him out. As they disappeared and I was left alone, a mysterious feeling of dread poured into me.

“Why did the marquis concede so easily?”

It wasn’t like Bielefeld to be weak-willed. However, I soon convinced myself that everything was good. That was a mistake. A week passed, and I didn’t realize my mistake until the time I had scheduled for the first meeting with Malcoy came around. Deep into the night, I was waiting for him to come to the place we had agreed upon, but I felt a familiar presence from afar.

It was the Marquis of Bielefeld. I quickly hid myself in the dark and hoped the Marquis would pass me by. But Bielefeld didn’t pass by; he stopped right in front of me.

“I already know that your Highness is here,” the marquis said, adding, “You can wait, but he won’t come.”

It wasn’t that difficult to figure out the situation. I appeared from the darkness. The marquis, who was looking toward the wrong spot, turned to face me.

“Malcoy leaked everything,” the marquis said with a sigh. Then, he started speaking to me in a tone of reproach.

“He is a depressed man who has already surrendered to his enemies once. How can I give such a position to such a person? If your Highness so greatly wants to use him, you must not hurt his pride.”

I stiffened as I heard the marquis’ words. It wasn’t because the marquis knew Malcoy’s story.

“Please treat him with honor. Your Highness might have done what you did without thought, but even such a thing that you consider insignificant can destroy a man’s pride.”

It was because the marquis was scolding me for the parts of my scheme I hadn’t thought of. It was only after I heard him speak that I could realize that I was overly careless. I began blaming myself, but Bielefeld said in a soft voice, “Now that I know it, it’s done with. Your Highness needs to watch him from now on so that he can establish himself in the kingdom. Fortunately, his talent is rare and outstanding, and soon he will be recognized and established.”

I could only stand still as I listened to the marquis.

“But why the worry? These are things your Highness will get to know over time.”

“I have my reasons. The Empire’s trends seem sinister,” I responded in excuse, and the marquis almost spat out his response.

“It’s all because of this ugliness that your Highness is so worn out! Your Highness hasn’t seen what I have seen so far, so your Highness believes that if you don’t come and take care of it, nothing will be safe.”

The marquis stared at me, gave a short sigh, and told me, “His Majesty and I don’t know what your Highness is concerned about. My staff is analyzing information day and night, so they will find answers soon. The only thing I can tell you in advance is that nothing your Highness is concerned about will happen.”

Bielefeld spoke with a strangely confident tone.

“Before the Empire picks up the sword, it will first be picked up from our side.”

It even seemed like he had prepared several secret strategies.

“Has your Highness’s concerns been resolved, if only a little?”

“No. They got worse.”

I wasn’t just saying it. I couldn’t even guess what the kingdom had prepared, so my curiosity was amplified.

“If you’re not going to tell me, don’t tell me stories,” I stated, and the marquis smiled.

“Don’t be so impatient. You’ll find out soon.”

“Soon?”

“Yes. Soon.”

The meeting with the marquis ended, and my curiosity remained.

When I returned to my palace, I took up my sword. Then I headed to the training hall and started swinging it without stopping — that was the only thing I could do right now.

After swinging my sword all night, the thoughts that had filled my head disappeared like mist in the sun. After all, rather than tinkering with papers and pens, this was a hundred times more pleasurable. Since then, I have spent most of my time wielding my sword. At first, it was to keep me out of mischief, but later, I got drunk on the act of swinging the sword itself.

When I regained my senses, Adelia, who had healed her injury, was swinging her sword next to me. Arwen and Eli had also joined me.

“Shall we try to fight again, after so long?”

It started with Eli — the weakest among the champions I had raised.

“I have to tell your Highness, things haven’t been going good as of late.”

He told me they had no time to respond to the surprise imperial attack properly and that knights they recently dueled with were just chaff when faced with the blades of champions.

“It is only your Highness who could face the Penta Knight as an opponent.”

Bernardo Eli spouted reasons for a duel without stopping.

“When the Nightmare Knights attacked the royal palace, there was not much I could do.”

“Good. Then let’s do it right this time,” I told him. There were no surprises, no magic sword that could sever his soul. Eli said it was an opportunity to prove himself with the sole application of pure skill, and so he gathered light onto his sword when I said I would face him.

And- “No!” Not long after our duel started, Eli rolled to the floor, a scratched mess. I looked at him, laying there as if half-fainted, and turned my head. Arwen drew her sword and pointed it at me.

“Come on,” I arrogantly let energy crackle over the edge of my blade. Arwen took a few deep breaths and then hit the floor. She began to push me back as she poured starlight from her sword. I scattered each one of her strikes, strikes so sharp that they were incomparable to before.

“When you are obsessed with victory, still be aware of your opponent’s subtler movements!”

As we fought, I constantly pointed out what was lacking in her style. Arwen competed with me for a long time and then took a few steps back and lowered her sword.

“I thank your Highness for the match.”

“Do not be shaken and proceed along your current path. Your steps will always be straight.”

“I will keep it in mind.”

Arwen’s sweaty hair and clothes have been a bit messy, but her posture was just as upright as always. I happily sheathed my sword when Adelia stepped up and met my gaze.

“Adelia?”

She didn’t seem very pleased and clearly wanted to duel with me. I looked at her face in wonder, seeing a feeling of resentment in her eyes. I couldn’t figure out whether the emotions resulted from the defeat she had suffered by Duncan Seymour Tudor or whether it was a feeling that her master was to blame, being no help to her while she fought a strong enemy.

I was just glad that Adelia stood in front of me, facing me with a sword by her own will for the first time. I drew my sword and readied it. Unlike Arwen and Eli, the descendants of the Predecessors are quite tricky to deal with properly.

‘Swang!’ A golden flash flew at me. It was a fierce and rough attack that was fundamentally different from Arwen’s sword style, which had a fine balance of power, speed, and skill, or Eli’s, which was as sharp as the wind.

“I feel so good!”

I was excited and swinging my sword like crazy, and only after Adelia was completely exhausted did I step back. As I watched Adelia, who held her sword tightly while gasping for breath, I saw how bold she had become.

“The maid’s shell has just started to peel off.”

Adelia promptly blushed at my words. I had wondered if she would ever become even a little knightly; now I knew that, sooner or later, she would develop a form that was original to her. This wasn’t bad news to me, so I laughed and nodded proudly at Adelia.

“You are all complete monsters,” Eli said, just then waking up and sounding very tired. Only then did I notice that his face was full of scars that hadn’t been there after I had defeated him. When I came to think of it, there had been something that kept getting caught under my feet as I dueled with Arwen and Adelia, and I had the distinct memory of kicking it a few times.

It was probably Eli. Fortunately, Bernardo Eli was unaware of this fact. We ended training from there, and a few days passed.

And the ‘soon’ that the marquis had spoken of arrived — far earlier than I suspected, and in a way I never thought of.

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