Chapter 271. Leave a Beautiful Trace Behind (2)
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace of the Orias Empire...
Inside the main palace where the emperor conducted his affairs, Emperor Revelio sat upon the throne, conversing with Grand Duke Halo.
"There's been a report that Caron has departed for the Southern Great Forest," Halo said.
"Then it seems we can assume the rebellion in the Holy Kingdom has been completely suppressed," Revelio replied.
"At the official request of the Holy Kingdom, some members of the Oceanwolf Knight Order will remain in the capital to assist with search operations," Halo added.
"Very well," Revelio said, then slowly nodded.
The grand plan he had set in motion upon ascending the throne was coming to fruition at remarkable speed.
"Grand Duke," Revelio called out.
"Speak freely, Your Majesty," Halo answered.
"Sometimes I wonder... What if I had never met Caron in Thebe?" Revelio said.
Revelio had been known as the troublesome one of the royal family; the Sixth Prince, once dubbed the top candidate for exile. That had been the general opinion of him only a few years prior. Yet now, it was he who sat upon the throne.
Immediately after Revelio's coronation, he had expelled the other princes from the royal court. Though he'd burned with the desire to take revenge on those who had scorned and belittled his mother, he had chosen to suppress that urge.
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He knew that his current position hadn't been earned by his own strength alone. He had chosen his friends wisely, and the chaos they stirred had lifted him to the throne.
"Since ascending the throne, I haven't had a single peaceful day," Revelio admitted.
Since he depended solely on the political support of the Ducal Family of Leston, merely taking control of the royal court had been an uphill battle.
In a rush to enact reforms, Revelio had begun injecting fresh blood into the palace, but the royal court wasn't something that could be changed overnight.
It had been an unprepared coronation from the start. In some ways, the outcome was only natural.
"Perhaps I'm simply not fit for this position," Revelio said quietly.
At that, Halo shook his head firmly and said, "Your Majesty, Caron never does anything that doesn't benefit him."
"I know," Revelio said. "If he hadn't picked up a sword, he would've made a fortune as a merchant."
"The emperor is the symbol of the empire. And Your Majesty, you know Caron's ultimate goal, right?" Halo asked.
"To conquer the Demon Realm," Revelio answered.
"Yes. And that goal has long been a dream of the Ducal Family of Leston as well," Halo added.
It wasn't just the Ducal Family of Leston that held a grudge against the Demon Realm. The imperial family shared the same hatred. In fact, the imperial family had even deeper reasons for their resentment.
The Demon Realm had humiliated the royal bloodline time and again. And beyond that...There was the cursed blood, passed down from the First Emperor.
"...I never expected demon blood to flow through my veins," Revelio said bitterly.
To be free of this curse, the hateful beings that had inflicted it had to be wiped out entirely.
"The Orias Empire is part of Caron's plan as well," Halo continued. "He has no intention of conquering the Demon Realm alone."
Caron had been expanding his circle of allies nonstop.
Looking back, it seemed that every step Caron had taken had been focused on building his influence.
"In order to be part of that plan, the Orias Empire must become even stronger. And Caron knows this better than anyone," Halo said.
"Indeed," Revelio said with a nod.
"If Caron helped Your Majesty ascend the throne, then that means he believes in your ability. And I, too, believe Your Majesty is the most worthy of the imperial throne," Halo concluded.
Halo's assessment of Revelio's capabilities was remarkably objective.
The southern border city of Reben, once rotten with corruption and illegal dealings, had been brought back to order with astonishing speed—all thanks to Revelio's administrative skill.
That wasn't all.
Even when the Crown Prince had been overtaken by the Malevolent Emperor in an unprecedented disaster, Revelio had acted swiftly and calmed the empire through sheer presence of mind.
All of this proved that Revelio truly belonged on the throne.
The incident with the Holy Kingdom had been no exception. Revelio had boldly sent personal letters to the southern kings, threatening them directly. If the troops hadn't been deployed near the Holy Kingdom in time, perhaps even Caron wouldn't have resolved the matter so swiftly.
"A ruler in turbulent times must be both clever and attentive to the people's needs. With your character, Your Majesty could become one of the greatest sovereigns in the empire's history," Halo said without flattery.
Except for the circumstances of his birth, Revelio was an ideal emperor. Having grown up in the slums of Thebe, he understood the struggles of the common folk better than anyone.
After the Malevolent Emperor's deposition, the power of the royal family had been significantly reduced, but Halo now intended to strengthen the emperor's hand.
"Once my granddaughter returns, we should begin preparing for the engagement ceremony in earnest," Halo added.
At that, Revelio looked visibly troubled. He said, "I'm worried that Lady Leon might dislike it..."
"She was the one who brought up the engagement first. You don't need to worry," Halo reassured him.
"Is that true? Why would she bring it up first...?" Revelio trailed off. His cheeks flushed slightly.
It was clear he had feelings for Leon, at least a little. Seeing that, Halo smiled gently and said, "Leon loves her family very deeply."
"...Then it's just familial duty, after all..." Revelio said quietly.
"But she's also a girl who expresses her feelings honestly. I'm certain she holds warm feelings toward Your Majesty," Halo said.
He had no expectations of marriage yet. He simply hoped that the engagement would solidify Revelio's position and help stabilize the empire more quickly.
Halo then gave a small nod and changed the subject. "I'd like to ask about the summit Your Majesty mentioned."
"I've tentatively named it the Continental Peace Summit. I plan to invite all the continent's rulers to discuss peace," Revelio explained.
It was an ambitious event.
For rulers to come together and discuss peace—Halo had heard the basics before, but the unique part was that even rulers of other kingdoms and non-human races would be invited.
When Halo first heard that, he'd thought it was the kind of idealistic plan only a young man could dream of.
Peace was a mirage. Since the dawn of human history, it had always been an illusion.
"If everyone's ambitions are too different, peace won't come easily," Halo said.
"Oh, I think the same. You gather everyone in a room and talk, and suddenly peace happens? I'm not interested in such naive fantasies," Revelio replied.
"Then..." Halo paused.
Revelio's eyes gleamed sharply as he continued, "After inviting the rulers, I intend to make them fall in love with peace."
"...Your Majesty?" Halo responded.
"If they don't accept our proposal, we'll knock some sense into them. For instance, if the southern kingdoms refuse to sign a ceasefire? We'll just crush them into submission," Revelio explained.
At that, Halo was momentarily speechless. He thought, Is this the birth of a tyrant?
It was a strategy of forcing peace through intimidation.
As the emperor himself had just said, he wasn't some naive idealist. He was, if anything, a ruthless realist.
"Peace must be backed by overwhelming military power," Revelio declared. "I'll use the empire's military power to enforce peace—and then present the Demon Realm as a common enemy. In simpler terms... I'm going to 'pull a Caron.'"
"I don't quite understand what you mean by 'you'll pull a Caron'," Halo said.
"Haha! I mean I'm going to charge forward like a mad dog. That's what I've decided 'pulling a Caron' means. Not bad, right?" Revelio said.
In truth, Revelio was similar to Caron. Perhaps that was why Caron had backed him—not because of talent, but because their natures aligned.
While Halo let out a quiet sigh, Revelio stood up from the throne and said, "Now then, let's begin discussing the real issues. There's a lot of work to do if we're going to force peace on this continent."
The fate of the continent had begun to tremble more violently than ever before.
***
While discussions about the continent's fate continued in the Imperial Palace, Caron's group and the elves were steadily heading toward the Southern Great Forest. Thanks to the swift wolves they were riding, their southward advance was astonishingly fast.
"Ah, I can't wait to see Aqua," Leo said eagerly. "She must've grown a lot by now."
"Leo, do you think dragons even grow that fast?" Caron asked skeptically. "They're slow to mature."
"...Really?" Leo muttered.
There were no disruptions hindering their journey. Wherever they passed, Caron was warmly welcomed. Thanks to that, the group enjoyed abundant supplies and made rapid progress.
On the fifth day since leaving the capital, they already reached the vicinity of the Southern Great Forest.
Holding the reins of his wolf lightly, Caron turned to Leo and asked, "You must've been a little disappointed not to see Adina this time, right?"
The beastkin had also played a crucial role in suppressing the recent rebellion. Unfortunately, due to the distance, they hadn't been able to join the main forces in the Holy Capital. Still, Leo maintained a good relationship with Adina, the daughter of the tiger clan chieftain.
"Ahem, we still keep in touch frequently through communication orbs," Leo replied with a cough.
Caron grinned slyly and said, "Hey, Leo."
"What?" Leo asked.
"I think three nephews would be just right," Caron said.
"Wha—Nephews? What are you even talking about?" Leo asked, not knowing how to react.
"Haven't you already imagined your grandchildren?" Caron teased.
As always, Caron hit the mark. Leo avoided his gaze and muttered, "We're not quite at that stage yet."
"But you're thinking about it, aren't you? Seria, you should officiate the wedding someday. If the Grand Saintess blesses them, they'll surely live happily ever after. Right?" Caron continued.
"Of course," Seria replied with a soft smile.
Having decided to journey together from now on, Caron and Seria had agreed to speak more casually with one another. While Seria still spoke formally, her tone had softened noticeably.
As the group exchanged light banter, Orion approached from the front.
"Caron," Orion called out. "We'll be entering the Great Forest around this evening. Just be aware."
"We really have been rushing nonstop," Caron said, stretching.
"It's thanks to Saintess Seria," Orion remarked.
Seria had continuously cast blessings on the wolves whenever they showed signs of fatigue, helping them stay energized. Her holy power was the unseen force behind their incredible speed.
That was why having companions with diverse abilities made a party far more effective.
"I've only ever been surrounded by sword-obsessed idiots, so this is a refreshing change," Caron muttered to himself.
Leo, who was riding nearby, narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are you talking about me?"
"Wow, you're getting sharper every day," Caron said with a smirk. "I'm proud of you, Leo."
"I have my own talents, you know," Leo grumbled.
"Like what?" Caron asked.
"A walking refrigerator. What's more valuable than that in the summer?" Leo replied.
Now that he was the master of Rigor, he could freely control the chill.
But Caron dismissed him in a bored tone. "We could just bring a mage for that. What's so special about that?"
"Why are your standards always harsher when it comes to me...?" Leo asked.
"Because I want you to improve. Ah, I'm bored," Caron answered.
Then, with a surprising show of agility, he lay down flat on his saddle, as if the back of the massive wolf were a bed.
"Impressive," Orion said, clearly awed. "Even the most seasoned riders can't do that easily. Wolves are prideful—letting someone lie comfortably on them like that takes deep mutual trust."
But then, Orion noticed something peculiar about the wolf's expression. He thought, So it's not trust after all. I figured as much.
The wolf looked utterly intimidated—no, downright terrified.
Well, of course, Orion thought.
Caron scared humans half to death; what chance did a poor wolf have?
"Ahhh, now this is a real traveling bed," Caron sighed contentedly. "So comfortable."
"I can't just stand by and watch this animal abuse—" Orion began, but was cut off.
"Hey, Bark Bark! Here, have some jerky," Caron said as he fed the wolf a piece of jerky.
Howl!
Caron skillfully employed both carrot and stick.
"Man, I'm bored. Isn't anything fun going to happen? This has got to be the most peaceful journey I've ever had," Caron said.
"Don't jinx it!" Leo snapped. "You and that mouth of yours. A peaceful trip is a good thing."
"I wonder if any deranged cultists are coming for revenge? I haven't danced with my sword in ages. My body's getting stiff," Caron said.
Perhaps because they were traveling with the main elven force, not a single group of attackers had appeared. So Caron decided to make up for some lost sleep.
"Pluto, wake me if you sense anything," he said.
Meow!
With Pluto and the elven patrol on watch, they'd alert him if anything went wrong.
And with that, Caron drifted off into a nap on the back of the giant wolf.
***
Perhaps Caron's mouth brought trouble upon them, just as Leo had warned.
Thwack.
Pluto smacked Caron's head with its front paw, waking him up with a jolt.
"Was that personal?" Caron asked, rubbing his head.
Meow!
Pluto cried indignantly.
Rubbing his eyes, Caron slowly sat up from the wolf's back and immediately shared vision with Pluto.
"...What the hell is that?" Caron muttered.
What unfolded in his sight was a vast horde of monsters with green skin. It was a literal army—an overwhelming force standing waiting up ahead. Judging by their formation, there was no doubt—they were lying in ambush for Caron and the elves.
"Patrol Captain!" someone shouted from behind.
A unit of elven scouts returned swiftly to the main force, their expressions tense and urgent.
"Enemy sighted ahead!" one of them cried.
"...This is still technically Holy Kingdom territory. Have the remnants of the rebellion surfaced?" Orion asked.
"No, Captain!" the scout answered, his expression grave. "It's orcs! A massive group of orcs has appeared! The estimated number is three thousand! Based on their armaments and movements, they're elite warriors, including numerous berserkers! We believe they belong to the Blackclaw Clan of the Rahal Mountains!"
In the end, it seemed Caron's tongue had once again summoned trouble.
Orcs, known for their savage nature, were categorized as monsters by most races. They were a people with whom Caron had had no significant prior dealings.
Caron casually gripped Guillotine and nodded to himself, remarking, "This is an unexpected twist. Now this is the real joy of adventure. Wonderful."
"Caron," Leo said with a sigh, "Can't you just wear a muzzle from now on?"
"Come on, Leo. Smile a little. They say smiling makes you happier," Caron said.
A dark grin spread across his face.
Something had finally come to ease his boredom—trouble had walked right into his path.