Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 304: Beggar Siblings: Smuggling
303 - Beggar Siblings: Smuggling
Marquis Benar Tatian remained silent for quite some time.
Not going to speak?
Just as Lean felt his impatience rising, the marquis finally opened his mouth. His tone suggested that he would humor Lean for now.
He was smiling.
"It sounds as though you know the king's mind."
Lean felt a shiver run down his spine. The marquis stood with his hands clasped behind his back, exuding a degree of self-control that was meticulous to the point of obsession. Lean forced a smile of his own.
"It’s just a guess. But I think it’s right. The king wouldn’t be happy with the current situation."
"…I see. Please, have a seat."
Marquis Tatian gestured for him to sit.
His manner was flawless, with no missteps in treating a prince. Yet, the sound of their seating echoed loudly in the room, thick with tension. It settled over them like falling snowflakes.
Lean carefully controlled even his breathing. He wanted to hide any sign that he was relieved, even to himself.
Then, the marquis spoke again.
"Would you like a drink?"
A drink...
That’s not a bad idea.
Nothing helps ease tension like alcohol. It forms an emotional bridge, allowing you to peer into the other person’s thoughts.
But Lean immediately realized this was the marquis’s intention, not his own.
Thinking back, it seemed the marquis had never actually gotten drunk before.
It was only Lean who had felt some emotional connection forming with him. The marquis’s words, which Lean thought were rambling, had been carefully calculated.
In fact, Lean cautiously speculated, the marquis must be an extremely strong drinker. Suddenly, he craved tea instead.
"That would be nice. But something a bit softer, please. I’m still young, after all."
But he didn’t actually say that. Asking for tea would’ve been an act of retreat.
It was better to bring up his age, pointing out that the marquis was stacking the odds in his own favor, which subtly provoked the marquis.
'This kid has some nerve,'
thought the marquis.
He wouldn’t give up a single step of the ground. Even here, in his own estate, in his own private quarters. The tension in the room amused and impressed him at the same time.
This kid with nothing has managed to make me tense.
He had been exiled from the kingdom at a young age and probably hadn’t even received a decent education.
The marquis found his curiosity growing.
In a magnanimous mood, the marquis poured a drink for the prince, adding rare ice and some sap from the
Totre
tree to dilute it.
He wanted to keep this strange prince around for a longer conversation. Meanwhile, the marquis himself drank pure, undiluted liquor, without any ice.
"When did you arrive here, Your Highness?" the marquis asked, opening with some small talk. He considered speaking like a noble for a moment but dismissed it. The person in front of him was royalty.
Lean responded straightforwardly, "About a year ago." He had no reason to rush the conversation, so they exchanged some trivial pleasantries.
"Did you know Lady Jenia is Count Peter’s daughter?"
"I did."
The marquis didn’t bother asking
how
he knew.
Details like that weren’t important to people who knew how to get results.
"Then, I suppose you also know I’m quite interested in her."
"Yes."
Though I have no idea why.
Lean didn’t reveal what he didn’t know, but suddenly a thought struck him, and he threw out a seemingly random remark.
"Brian Sauer left just a moment ago."
The marquis took a sip of his drink.
It seemed a natural action, but Lean realized it was a stalling tactic. His probing had hit the mark, igniting his suspicions.
When Lean had tried to become this man's adoptive son, the marquis had introduced him to various nobles, a few at a time.
It had been a declaration that he now had a new son and a way to help Lean make his entrance into noble society. But the nobles the marquis had introduced shared some common traits.
They were either key members of the royalist faction,
linked to the royal family,
or people who worked for the House of Tatian or were close relatives. These introductions were clearly categorized.
Naturally, Count Peter was one of the people Lean had met. Among those introduced with him was Brian Sauer.
No longer a viscount, but still.
Yet, the two didn’t seem to have anything in common.
Brian Sauer wasn’t a close friend of the marquis, and Count Peter wasn’t a royalist.
They weren’t even particularly close or similar in character. It was here that Lean found a very small clue.
A clue that tied into something he had seen in the engagement scenario.
- "They asked us to smuggle."
- "Smuggling?"
Lean recalled what the head of a merchant guild had said when the engagement scenario began at the estate of Lord Avril.
- "Yes. Without going through official checkpoints. The viscounty borders the Kingdom of Jerome and the Kingdom of Bellita. Duke said that a war would break out soon, presenting a perfect opportunity. He also emphasized that negotiations were already concluded with Count Oscar of the Holy Kingdom and with Viscount Sauer of Bellita."
The viscounty mentioned here belonged to the Brina family of the Kingdom of Astin.
A merchant named Vernon had been supported by Lord Diego Brina to set out on his trade journey.
However, the trade route ended at the viscounty.
That merchant had refused the request to smuggle and fled, only to be chased down by knights and killed. Lean had saved him once (during the 14th cycle), but the same event had repeated afterward.
With the northern history now altered, it was uncertain how things would play out. The important part was the keyword ‘smuggling’ and the hidden connection between Count Peter and Viscount Sauer.
Before the marquis could gather his words, Lean swiftly threw out another guess. He needed to stall for just a little more time to confirm his suspicions.
"Vivian de Isadora’s visit… Although it wasn’t planned, it presents a good opportunity for you, doesn’t it?”
The marquis’s eyes widened.
His blue eyes, still holding the glass to his lips, filled with shock. Lean had his answer.
Now, he knew what the marquis was after.
Count Peter’s and Viscount Sauer’s territories bordered on each other.
Viscount Sauer’s territory bordered both the Holy Kingdom of Jerome and the Kingdom of Aslan, while Count Peter’s land was located at the boundary between the Kingdom of Conrad and the Kingdom of Aisel. And I had crossed that border as a child.
According to the merchant guild leader’s account, the Brina Viscounty had been planning smuggling operations with Count Oscar of a neighboring kingdom and Viscount Sauer. At that time, Viscount Sauer had essentially been nothing more than a pawn of Marquis Tatian.
So, if smuggling was occurring across those three border regions...
It must be part of the marquis’s plan.
Furthermore, Count Peter’s territory, which lay on the opposite side from Orville, was similarly entangled due to Count Gustav Peter’s peculiar situation.
He was both a count of Bellita and a baron of the Conrad Kingdom.
Baron Monarch’s land was adjacent to Count Peter’s, just like Baron Oliver Trudi’s land in the Kingdom of Aisel, whose name had just caused the marquis to react earlier.
Now I understand why the marquis is so fixated on Jenia.
Marquis Benar Tatian intended to dominate trade across these border regions. And not just these regions—if he was eyeing all five kingdoms that bordered the Kingdom of Bellita, his ultimate goal was to build a trade route spanning the entire continent.
And that plan was already in motion.
The "Baron Guanin of the Kingdom of Orun"... He complained once about some strange tax discrepancies. And yes, now that I think about it, the House of Mordred had also fallen into economic ruin.
Baron Guanin’s land in the Kingdom of Orun and Count Mordred’s land in the Kingdom of Aslan—both families’ territories bordered Bellita and sat at the junction of three kingdoms.
Baron Guanin, lamenting his family’s financial troubles, had begged Rev to appoint him as Treasurer in the 19th cycle, right before Rev ascended to the throne.
The House of Mordred was in a similar situation.
Count Jacob Mordred—his family’s heir had even joined the royal guards as a knight, a sign of their desperation.
The Tatian family had been siphoning off wealth from across the continent, using smuggling operations to avoid paying taxes altogether.
The symbol of a tilted green scale.
Lean suddenly realized why that emblem adorned the marquis’s chest as the crest of the House of Tatian.
Should I kill him?
Meanwhile, Benar Tatian was contemplating whether or not to kill the prince in front of him.
Lean had crossed a line.
He was talented, too talented.
Despite having nothing in his hands, this young man was terrifying.
If Lean had come here after learning about his plans, the marquis would have killed him long ago.
The only reason he hesitated now was because he could see the prince piecing everything together as they spoke. Lean couldn’t fully hide his expression this time.
I must kill him. If left alive, he would be dangerous.
But... it would be a shame.
Marquis Tatian slowly gulped down his liquor as he stared at the prince.
His thoughts drifted back to his father.
Did my father also feel this way?
As the youngest son of the illustrious House of Tatian, I was loved.
I had two much older brothers who had been locked in a succession battle for over a decade. To them, I was just the cute youngest sibling.
But my father saw me for what I was.
He recognized that this youngest child would devour the family whole. He struggled with that realization but ultimately could not cast me aside. As a result, he met a miserable end along with my two brothers.
I thought he was a fool.
He clearly recognized me, knowing I would surpass my brothers and eventually consume him as well. So why did he keep me alive?
I didn’t understand back then. But as I grew older and watched my own son, I began to comprehend.
Truly gifted people are rare. Even if they one day outshine you, there’s a desire to witness their brilliance in full bloom.
My father must have died with a smile, thinking, “He got me.”
The marquis set his glass down. Still silent, he reflected on himself.
Would I be able to smile like that?
The answer was...
No.
Lean wasn’t his son, and the marquis wasn’t that kind of man. I’ll kill him. He had made up his mind.
"They’re accompanying him, are they? Well then, never mind that; it seems you’re more interested in other matters. As for the Kingdom of Aslan... I can offer some help in that area."
"What do you mean?"
Even though he had decided to kill him, the marquis decided to hear a bit more. After all, this was his estate, his own room. There was no way the prince would leave alive, which gave the marquis leisure and Lean an opportunity.
Let’s see how hard he tries with that clever tongue of his.
But instead of his tongue, Lean took out a "mirror." He did so with a hint of urgency.
"...?"
"Ray, it’s me."
What is he doing? The marquis thought. But then the mirror in the prince’s hand began to glow white. Astonishingly, a voice came from the mirror.
"How did it go? Did it work?"
A young man’s voice called out. Lean, his throat dry, held the mirror out toward the marquis.
"You might have a lot to say, but first, why don’t you greet him? You know who he is, right?"
"......"
"......Is this for real?"
"He’s a close friend of mine in the Kingdom of Aslan. He’s staying at Avril Castle, not far from the Brina Viscounty. You probably have a mess on your hands there... He can help."
Lean was using up all the luck that Lena had granted him through her applause. Without it, he wouldn’t survive.
Marquis Tatian and Ray exchanged blank stares. Fortunately, Ray wasn’t that slow-witted. Plus, there was one last piece of unexpected luck.
"I’m Ray, Marquis Tatian. I’ve heard much about your reputation. As for me... well, let me introduce myself."
His aura blade flared white-hot. Thanks to the rewound time, he was still...
A Swordmaster.
Chapter 304: Beggar Siblings: Smuggling
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