CHAPTER 130

"Is it really possible?"

"Please trust me, Your Highness. Lord Elric Melvinger and I have been close since childhood. If I step forward to persuade him, he'll surely lean in our favor."

Prince Cromhel, the Fourth Prince, looked at him skeptically, but Rodeo confidently pounded his chest, promising success.

'It's a matter being pushed by the 13th Inspection Bureau, so there shouldn't be any issues… but do we really have to go this far?'

Cromhel.

One of the three stars in the Empire, standing out even among the new stars shining most brilliantly. Born of the imperial lineage, he demonstrated exceptional talent in swordsmanship, earning high praise at the age of 15 from the Golden Lion, who declared, "He will become a true lion."

Despite not having reached the level of a 5th-chain, Superior, he had already earned the title Black Lion, rapidly gaining a reputation as a potential future emperor.

However, Cromhel had always disliked such circumstances.

'This isn't what I wanted. How did things end up this way?'

Cromhel had simply enjoyed wielding a sword.

The voices around him, telling him he had to become emperor, fulfill imperial duties, or avenge his maternal family's grievances, were all things he hated to hear. The sword was his refuge from it all.

At least when he held a sword, he didn't have to think about anything else.

And unlike other things, swordsmanship came naturally to him. His skills improved so visibly that it made the learning process fun.

But he never imagined that swordsmanship, which he had taken up as an escape, would become a shackle binding him once again.

The casual remark made by the Golden Lion during a brief visit to the palace caused a great stir in the court.

His mother, who had been distressed by her son's disobedience, was delighted to find a new breakthrough.

And Zeraitz, the Crown Prince, who had hoped to secure the throne without issue, began to show overt hostility.

[T/L: Changing crown prince name to Zeraitz.]

Even though Cromhel himself wasn't seeking the throne, the flood of followers who self-proclaimed loyalty as if he were the future emperor constantly gave him headaches.

No matter how much he declared his lack of interest in the throne, the circumstances around him wouldn't leave him alone.

Now, having mounted the proverbial tiger, where to fall off meant certain death, he had no choice but to continue his reluctant march toward power.

This visit to the Border Guard was no different.

He had simply come out of sympathy for the soldiers who couldn't return home in the harsh winters and summers, hoping to offer them some comfort. But now his subordinates had turned even that into a political maneuver.

The problem was that it aligned too perfectly with the current political situation.

It looked as if he was gathering support to counter the rebellion of the Red Lion House.

'My brother has staked everything on this, so it's only natural that his nerves are on edge.'

Cromhel, who had his own information network, knew that there were too many suspicious elements in this rebellion.

Crown Prince Zeraitz was simply using this incident to send a strong warning to the Lion Duchy, while also solidifying his own name in the public eye.

It would be even better for him if he could entangle some of the other princes, who were thorns in his side, and get rid of them in the process.

Although Cromhel had no desire for power, he wasn't foolish enough to let himself be a victim.

That's why he had accepted the 13th Inspection Bureau' proposal and visited the wall. Now, he was preparing to meet Sean Nerester, the third son of the Nerester family, and Elric Melvinger, the head of the Melvinger family, on their return from the Black Snowfield.

Of course, Sean Nerester wasn't someone Cromhel needed to personally persuade. With Tasha Nerester counted among the three stars, Sean was unlikely to become the next head of his family.

However, by building a friendship with Sean, Cromhel could establish a connection with Guy Nerester.

Guy Nerester, an immensely powerful individual whose full abilities were unknown, was the current head of the Nerester family, a family so difficult to assess that the Imperial Inspection Bureau had dubbed it a "vortex of chaos." Guy also held the practical leadership of the Magic Tower.

Even if Cromhel couldn't secure his outright support, simply leaving a favorable impression would give him an advantage in the ongoing succession competition.

'Especially since I'll get to meet White Night, that man.'

Cromhel was also keen to meet Augustine, known as White Night, who had become a primary focus of the Inspection Bureau after the Golden Lion. Though not widely known, those in the know regarded him as a "legend."

'An Archmage who single-handedly defeated an ancient demon king that had crossed over from the East. Truly extraordinary. He may even have ascended to the level of a demigod, like the Golden Lion.'

And that wasn't all.

In their party were also the members of the Weyl family, and rumors suggested a member of Black Skull, whose reputation had recently reached even the imperial palace.

Each of them was a force capable of obliterating a small country with ease.

It was unthinkable that the 13th Inspection Bureau would leave such individuals alone.

However,

Leaving aside all these factors, the one person the Inspection Bureau insisted Cromhel must win over was none other than Elric Melvinger, the current head of the Melvinger family.

'I've heard that during his academy days, he was considered a lunatic, even called trash. And yet, he's been hiding his magic abilities all this time, meaning he knows when to conceal himself.'

Even without the recommendation from the 13th Inspection Bureau, Cromhel had a personal interest in Elric Melvinger.

'One thing's for sure—he's a man with depth.'

If not for the complexity of the succession struggle, Cromhel might have sought out Elric as a friend first.

Regardless.

The 13th Inspection Bureau had recommended a specific individual for the task.

Rodeo Franz.

He had lived in the Melvinger estate as a child and boasted of an inseparable bond with Elric.

He claimed that if Cromhel trusted him, he could easily persuade Elric.

Yet, Cromhel found it difficult to trust Rodeo.

'The Franz family… if I remember correctly, they were originally vassals of the Melvinger house before they switched sides. Hmm!'

Like many great houses, the Melvinger family, with its history predating even the Empire, had several vassal families under its command.

However, after the Melvinger family's fall, most of these families defected.

The Franz family was one of the first to lead that defection. Before that, they had been regarded as "the most loyal right hand of the magic royal family."

Given this history, Cromhel doubted whether Rodeo Franz could truly persuade Elric.

'For now, I'll have to trust him.'

The 13th Inspection Bureau weren't foolish enough to recommend someone without merit, so Cromhel decided to give Rodeo a chance.

"Fine. I'll trust you with this once."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Rodeo Franz bowed deeply, as if receiving a great favor.

The exaggerated gesture only made Cromhel feel even more uneasy.

***

"Are you really going?"

"Yes."

"Didn't you say you hated getting involved with the Imperial Family?"

Elric and Sean, having accepted Vanil's request, were being led to accommodations prepared by the Border Guard.

They had learned that the teleportation gate to the Imperial Capital would take a full day to activate, so they planned to meet with Prince Cromhel in the meantime.

While Sean hesitated, Elric had been the one to accept the proposal.

Knowing how much Elric disliked the Imperial Family, Sean couldn't help but ask.

But Elric shrugged, seeming unbothered.

"I'm trying not to care anymore."

At Elric's casual response, Sean suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong?"

Puzzled, Elric turned to look at his only friend.

Sean's eyes gleamed sharply.

As if he had discovered something suspicious.

"You sneaky bastard. What are you up to?"

"Up to? Nothing. Really."

"Spit it out."

"…Ugh. Why don't ghosts just come and take you away?"

『And why exactly am I the one you glare at?』

Mephistopheles gave Elric a baffled look, but Elric's attention remained on Sean.

"I just feel like I can't stay quiet any longer. It's time to rebuild the family. That's all. The timeline's just moved up a little."

After returning from the Black Snowfield, Elric, having completed a large part of his strength, had been considering his next steps.

Originally, he had thought about taking his time, building up the family's foundation with the help of the Nerester family and slowly gaining a reputation.

But given the current situation, his thoughts had begun to change.

Was there really any need to take things slowly?

"So, are you going to use the Fourth Prince to rise?"

"That depends on how things go."

"You're planning to really fly in this war, aren't you?"

Elric smiled without saying anything.

There were two ways to revive the family.

Either make a big impact in war or become a kingmaker.

Since he had already distanced himself from the Crown Prince, there was no point in aligning with him. Instead, Elric could turn the war, which the Crown Prince had likely engineered, into his own stage to gain fame.

Given the circumstances, Prince Cromhel could be a useful card to play, depending on how things unfolded.

Of course, that would be something to determine after meeting him in person.

"A winter storm is coming."

Sean couldn't help but chuckle bitterly at the thought of the storm that had swept through the Black Snowfield making its way to the Empire.

Whatever happened, this meeting was sure to be the first step toward the Melvinger family's revival.

"You want to know what kind of person the Black Lion is?"

"Yes."

"Hm. How should I put it?"

Herman had thought that Elric was seeking him out to resume his swordsmanship lessons. He and the others had been somewhat disappointed when that didn't seem to be the case, but now Elric was asking about something else entirely.

Elric explained that he would be meeting Cromhel later that evening and briefly filled Herman in on the situation.

Though the Weyl family had broken off the engagement with the Crown Prince, they had once been engaged to the Imperial Family. As such, Herman had closer ties to the Imperial Family than anyone else present.

Moreover, as a fellow "Lion," he had likely crossed paths with Cromhel in both public and private settings.

Fortunately, Herman had never had any serious conflicts with Prince Cromhel.

"While I have sworn loyalty to the Imperial Family, I have no desire to be drawn into their disputes. That was one of the main reasons I broke things off with the Crown Prince."

He wanted to ask for help from his in-laws, but I kept my distance from them, Herman added.

Elric was surprised by Herman's candor.

He had expected it to be awkward to bring up such a sensitive topic, but Herman spoke of it as if it were no big deal.

Even Isabelle, who had been listening nearby, seemed unfazed.

Elric had noticed before that Isabelle didn't hold on to grudges from the past.

Thanks to this, Elric felt more comfortable continuing the conversation.

"But if you need advice… hmm! Yes, I can sum it up in two words."

"What are they?"

"Sword fanatic. And battle maniac."

"…Are you saying he's obsessed with swordsmanship and fighting?"

"Forget whatever rumors you've heard about the Fourth Prince. Whatever you've read or heard is likely very far from the truth."

Elric recalled the rumors he had heard about Prince Cromhel.

A righteous knight. A lion whose true nature is hard to discern. An ambitious man who hides his true self…

But it seemed these were all misunderstandings caused by his poker face.

"I can't say whether you'll form a good relationship, but once you've met him, it won't be a bad thing."

"I understand."

That was enough for Elric.

Thanks to Herman, he now had a clearer idea of how to approach Cromhel.

"But more importantly…"

"…?"

"Now that General Winter has passed, we should resume our trade. It looks like you've changed quite a bit since going through the arrangement."

Elric could sense Herman's keen interest, particularly in the Body Strengthening Art, which he had used to face off against the Blood Wolf King.

In fact, Elric had been hoping to test his martial prowess with Herman's help.

"Would you care for a duel?"

"I'd love that."

The two stood up at the same time, as if on cue.

"Hey, me too, me too!"

"Big brother! Seriously, are you going to keep doing this? You're not even giving us a chance…!"

The Blue Hawks hurriedly followed after the two men.

[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]