Chapter 131: A Crowd of People

“What? Prince Ian is still unconscious?”

“Unconscious? Is he in danger?”

The nobles were stunned to learn about Prince Ian’s condition.

But their shock was short-lived.

“This is a stroke of luck.”

“Yes, with this, the obstacle to our Third Prince’s ascension to the throne has vanished.”

“Nonsense! The next in line for the throne is our First Princess.”

“Come now; stop it. The next throne should be taken by someone as wise as the Fourth Prince.”

“Know your place. What role does the Fourth Prince play?”

“What? The Fourth Prince? Have you said enough?”

The nobles began to argue over their power once again.

It was inevitable.

The problem arose with Ian, a powerful successor.

They were desperate to make the royal family they were pushing to become the next king.

However, the commoners had a different perspective.

“When will the prince regain consciousness?”

“Mom, is the prince going to die?”

“Shh! You shouldn’t say such things, it’s bad luck. Prince Ian is the only one who cares for us.”

They remembered Ian’s good deeds.

He was the only member of the royal family who had shown concern for their difficult lives during the Northern Expedition.

Upon hearing that his life was in danger, everyone began to gather in front of the royal palace.

The surprised guard knights blocked their path.

“Please give this to the prince.”

“This is a special medicine from our family; it will surely help.”

They handed over the items they had brought, all with worried expressions for the ailing Ian. But that wasn’t all.

“What are the nobles doing? Are they merely watching the wrongdoer?”

“Quick, punish the cardinal!”

“Seek justice for the prince!”

Some individuals even brandished torches and shouted in anger.

Naturally, the nobles were displeased by this scene.

“Where are these commoners coming from?”

“Should we dispatch knights to quell them? It could become troublesome if they continue to gather like this, don’t you think?”

“If we set an example with one or two of them, it will quiet down. How about… I handle it?”

But then someone spoke cautiously.

“But in some ways, isn’t this another opportunity?”

“Ohh?”

“We can use this as an opportunity to exert pressure on the temple forces within the kingdom, including the priests.”

Suddenly, all the nobles perked up.

“Indeed…”

“Lately, those priests have been quite arrogant.”

“They even said my estate is too rural for them to visit.”

The power of the temple was already a great benefit or detriment to the nobles.

There were many cases of profiteering in the name of blessings, and vice versa.

‘If I do well, I might just be able to skip this year’s blessing tax.’

For some nobles, it was beneficial to put pressure on the temple.

So they naturally flocked to King Eloin.

“Your majesty!! We must quickly make Cardinal Haverion pay for his sins.”

“He not only targeted the Seventh Prince, but also the First Princess, and the people of Your Majesty. Please punish the sinner.”

All the nobles came together as one, including Duke Garcia’s faction and the Southern Noble Union, shouting in unison.

It was quite a sight to see people who had previously disliked Ian expressing concerns for him and defending him.

Furthermore, the nobles were incensed upon learning that Haverion had requested to regain his royal rights as a cardinal.

“No way!”

“That’s right! No matter how much he is a cardinal, he cannot simply regain rights once he has lost them.”

“To pardon the one who harmed not only the prince but also numerous people, it’s an unfair and unjust decision, Your Majesty!”

King Eloin couldn’t help but laugh at that sight.

Looking at the nobles’ actions, he realized that someone had ignited their greed.

‘You couldn’t have thought about all of this before committing it, right?’

However, the king couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.

It was an unprecedented chance, even in the eyes of the Holy Empire, under the pretext of terrorism.

So, King Eloin declared, “Inform the Pope of our intentions. We will not let this go easily. We demand retribution for the blood of the Seventh Prince.”

“We will convey your will, Your Majesty!”

The nobles all bowed their heads in the direction of the king.

***

Ian was finally able to take a proper rest.

Apart from secretly training at night, he was enjoying a relaxing break lying in bed.

‘I’ve been so busy since returning from my past life.’n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

It had been a string of incidents and mishaps, and Ian couldn’t even recall the last time he had taken a break. Then, Nathan came running urgently.

“Your Highness, have you heard? It’s said that war might break out.”

“With whom?”

“His Majesty sent a warning to the Holy Empire.”

Ian’s eyes lit up.

It appeared that his plan to put pressure on the Holy Empire and Haverion had worked flawlessly.

He reassured the concerned knight in a nonchalant manner.

“Don’t worry. There won’t be a war.”

“Yes? How can you be so sure?”

“Surely, there won’t be a war over something like this.”

“Something like this?”

Nathan’s expression was one of disbelief. And understandably so.

“Are you saying that risking your own life is just ‘something like this,’ Your Highness?”

Ian cleared his throat at Nathan’s slightly angry attitude.

“I didn’t mean that. What I meant was that there isn’t enough justification for a fight between two countries.”

“Still, the prince of a country was secretly attacked…”

“But don’t you know, Sir Nathan? Even with justification, sometimes all that matters is what each side needs from the other.”

At least, unless it was an assassination committed by the Pope.

They could have cut off the incident by saying it was just the cardinal’s job.

Of course, the king’s declaration was not simply bravado.

‘His Majesty and the nobles will probably try to take more from the Holy Empire.’

If negotiations had broken down, it could have led to war.

However, what mattered most to Ian at that moment was not the prospect of war.

‘Haverion. I will take away what he has and make him pay for threatening my life.’

The appearance of the [Mania syndrome], which brought bloodshed to the continent, was attributed to the Holy Empire, making Ian’s resolve even stronger.

Furthermore, it was evident that Haverion was in collusion with Ceres.

Ian couldn’t simply stand by and do nothing.

Observing the seriousness in Ian’s eyes, Nathan changed the subject.

“Have you seen this? These are all items sent by the people of Kaistein.”

“Is this everything?”

“This is just a small portion. There’s so much that we had to store some in other palaces due to the overflowing storage.”

“How much exactly has been sent?”

“At least enough to feed all the people in this palace several times over.”

But it wasn’t just ordinary citizens who sent the goods.

“Even the commoners who received aid from the prince’s supply depot are coming to offer help. And not only that, even the nobles are sending items.”

The nobles’ actions were somewhat unexpected.

They’re continuing to apply for a visit.

Nathan was even taken aback by it.

“They’re just like hyenas, rushing in if it’s to their advantage.”

“But, Sir Nathan, aren’t you also a high-ranking noble?”

“Hmm. I gave up that status a long time ago. Now, I’m just a single knight.”

Despite that, it seemed like he was enjoying the life of a noble.

However, Ian didn’t show any reaction and just smiled.

‘Thanks to him, it looks like things are going to be resolved easily.’

That was certain.

If the current situation persisted, Haverion would have to take full responsibility.

It could also put pressure on the Holy Empire.

‘The problem is timing.’

If they dragged it out for too long, the opportunity might slip away.

But if they acted too soon, they wouldn’t be able to properly take advantage of Ian’s fall.

At that moment, Ian quietly whispered to Nathan.

“By now, rumors must have reached Haverion’s ears.”

“No way. The knights of the Royal Guard must be guarding him tightly, right? Even as the Fifth Prince, he wouldn’t have been able to get past the Royal Guard.”

But Nathan was doubtful.

It was impossible for the Fifth Prince, who had been absent from Kaistein until now.

The Royal Guard was a force in this country, with both power and loyalty. He lowered his voice as if he had thought of something.

“Do you not trust the Royal Guard?”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

Ian shook his head.

He wasn’t ignorant of the loyalty of the Royal Guard.

In the past, even Galon served in the Royal Guard for a while.

But he knew.

‘Duke Garcia was involved in the incident that drove the Fifth Prince out of the country.’

But.

“He also had connections with Keres. There is a strong possibility that they belong to the same place.”

He was a man who made connections, even with his enemies.

For a guy to be that meticulous, it certainly meant that even in this royal family, there could be a liaison for them.

The same goes for the Royal Guard.

That’s why Ian never let down his guard.

“Please make sure you keep an eye on Haverion’s surroundings. Who he meets. And all the contact he has with.”

“I will obey your orders.”

Of course, under normal circumstances, it would not have been easy.

If they are related to some kind of force, they must be hiding their movements beneath the surface.

But the situation was different now.

Ultimately, a decision had to be made.

The same applied to Haverion.

‘In the end, he will have no option but to approach either me or His Majesty.’

Naturally, it wouldn’t be a typical encounter.

He would have no choice but to come to him in a truly humiliating state.

But the problem was time.

‘He won’t come to me right away; he’ll attempt to gain the upper hand in some way.’

Moreover, Haverion wouldn’t even attempt to confront him in person.

The moment Haverion meets him, he will instinctively understand that he must kneel.

Fighting until the last breath was a natural instinct for those vying for the throne.

However, it seemed that it would take a long time to draw him out.

‘It’s not that there is no way, but…’

For Ian, who had no choice but to lie down all day, it was inevitable that waiting for that time would be frustrating.

‘I wish someone would shorten that time quickly.’

So he waited.

“Your Highness, there is a visitor.”

“The prince has not yet regained his senses. Send them back.”

“B, but that’s…”

Despite Galon’s cold response, the door was opened.

Ian’s eyes widened at the sight of someone other than Haverion, whom he had been anticipating.

It was only natural.

The sudden visitor was none other than Lady Fionia Lavaltor, who had been with him in Labadom Village.

“It’s been a while since I last saw you. Prince Ian.”