Chapter 186

“I am Aendydn Kayle of the family of Marquess Kayle. You may call me Marquess Kayle, Jr.”

Crown Prince Bartèze, who was about to yell, “How dare you butt in!”, hesitated when he heard that Aendydn was the junior marquess. Aendydn continued.

“I don’t think it’ll be easy to come to a conclusion if we continue to quarrel like this…“

His gaze shifted to Count Morgana.

“Why don’t we ask the count to decide instead?“

“I-I beg your pardon?” The count, who had been quietly observing the situation unfold, stuttered in surprise.

“The right to the Holy Sword’s excavation originally belonged to you in the first place. You’ve merely chosen to yield that right.“

“Oh, um…“

“So I think it would be a good idea if you were to choose whom to yield the right to. Wouldn’t you agree?“

The crown prince and Yelena snapped their gazes to the count. Count Morgana’s back started sweating from the sudden attention.

“Of course, you will yield that right to me, the crown prince, isn’t that right, Count?”

“Count Morgana. Please don’t forget that last night you gave us permission to excavate.”

“Ah, well…”

The count racked his brains, after such an important decision had suddenly fallen into his hands.

‘W-what do I do?’

Should he side with the duke?

‘No, then I’ll fall out of the palace’s favor… Everyone knows how nasty Crown Prince Bartèze’s temper is.’

Then should he side with the crown prince?

‘But then what if that causes Duke Mayhard to hate me? His fief is close by. I will certainly face large damages if he were to get revenge…’

Count Morgana gradually looked more and more like he was going to cry. He was torn between the two.

What in the world is one supposed to do in situations like this?

‘Oh, Mother…’

The faint-hearted middle-aged man thought of his late mother.

“Father.”

A door clicked open on one side of the corridor and out came a young girl, whose face showed signs of drowsiness. It was none other than the count’s daughter, Grace Morgana.

“Grace! Why aren’t you asleep…”

“I thought I heard a commotion outside. What’s going on?”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Grace noticed Crown Prince Bartèze and the palace’s badge on his chest as she approached her father. She courteously bowed in front of the crown prince. One could not find fault in her greeting.

‘Come to think of it, I think I heard that the count’s daughter is remarkably intelligent.’

As Yelena recalled what she had heard in passing, Count Morgana bent down to his daughter’s height and spoke hesitantly.

“The truth is…”

He explained everything to his daughter in a small whisper. Grace turned her head to Yelena and the crown prince and stared at them after listening to the entirety of her father’s explanation.

“How about this?”

“What?”

“There is a place called the Herman Mountains in the countdom.”

“And? So what about that mountain?“

The crown prince, who seemed to be in a hurry, pressed the young girl imprudently. Grace continued speaking in a calm manner that contrasted the crown prince’s own demeanor.

“When it gets hot, the monsters in the mountains grow bigger and they often come down and attack the countdom. So…”

“…”

“Please exterminate the monsters in the Herman Mountains. Whoever eradicates more monsters will receive the right to the Holy Sword’s excavation.”

“Do you think that ridiculous proposition makes sense?”

The crown prince scowled, showing his discomfort, but Grace’s firm tone did not change.

“The Holy Sword is an immensely important relic. No one knows what kind of trap will activate if one were to approach the Holy Sword or what will happen if it were to be taken.”

“…”

“Exterminating the monsters is beneficial to us, but it is also a way to evaluate your strength.”

Grace’s bright and intelligent eyes shifted between Yelena and Crown Prince Bartèze.

“I believe that yielding the excavation right to whomever is stronger is the logical thing to do.”

“Hah, you can obviously tell that we’re the superior ones, even without an evaluation…”

Crown Prince Bartèze clicked his tongue. He certainly seemed to have a greater advantage, just from the number of soldiers he had brought with him.

But Yelena smiled the moment she heard Grace’s proposition.

‘Exterminating monsters?’

The expert of that was already over here. And he had the power of a hundred—no, a thousand men.

Yelena looked up at Kaywhin, eyes filled with her belief in him. Kaywhin hesitated at first, but then he nodded. She could trust in him.