The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Wants to Break Off the Engagement-Chapter 88

Chapter 88
Zair entrusted full authority to the deputy-commander and hurriedly descended to the capital.
He normally preferred not to leave his post, but this time, he had no choice but to go himself.
An old friend had suddenly died, and he had not even been able to attend the emperor's requiem.
'... Vanderas. Have you really left so soon?'
Standing before the tomb of the 8th Emperor, Zair gazed down at the gravestone.
Its color had yet to fade, and the traces of soil atop it still remained.
And yet, how had the emperor changed so quickly in such a short amount of time?
'Friend. Do you hold a grudge against me? Do you consider that I contributed to your child's tragic end?'
Zair closed his eyes, overcome by grief.
No matter how complicated the sequence of events, the end result was that he too was regarded as having sided with the rebellion.
A political marriage to the Duchy of Illenat was planned, and his youngest son had been deeply involved in the assassination of the emperor.
Now, there was no turning back, and he had no choice but to swear fealty to the emperor who had risen through rebellion.
'You were my friend, but also the emperor I was bound to serve. So, I tried to do my duty faithfully. But you... you never thought well of me.'
Of course, Zair could more or less guess at the reasons why. Vanderas was a human being before he was an emperor, and could not ignore human feelings.
Having his affections brushed aside one-sidedly, he would naturally come to blame Zair as the cause.
'Had Uriel wished to go to you, I would not have stopped her. But even you must have known. The imperial family is even more barren and brutal than the northern lands.'
Even just looking at the current situation, this was clear evidence.
The crown prince had inherited the throne amidst controversy and had tried to take a betrothed lady as his own.
As a result, the officials and nobles rebelled, and put forward the third princess as the next emperor.
Even a moment's inattention could be fatal in the capital; how could anyone else survive such an environment?
'Your passion was that dangerous. It wasn't only you, but even the people close to you who would be threatened. And yet you wished to be with Uriel?'
Though Zair lamented belatedly, he could no longer express those words.
Death had completely severed them; even insignificant rebuke had to be left entirely in his heart.
At the very end, what thoughts had Vanderas—his friend—held?
'I am sorry I could not be by your side at the end. We did not have the chance to meet, so I did not even hear the news in time.'
Though Zair regretted deeply, his gaze remained unwavering. He had carried out his duties faithfully as the Northern Grand Duke, and never attempted to defy the emperor.
They had merely been set at odds because they loved the same woman, nothing could be done about that.
'Your eldest son died in vain, but your daughter has succeeded him. Since a direct imperial heir preserves the throne, is that not enough?'
Forcing himself, Zair offered excuses and slowly turned away.
The dead could utter no words, while the living had to continue to achieve their goals, as always.
He had paid his respects, so now he could let go of his lingering regret.
'Farewell. Even if it is sudden, what can be done? Death is fair to all.'
* * *
While staying in the capital, Zair decided to lodge at the mansion of the Duchy of Illenat.
The Duke of Illenat welcomed Zair and spared no hospitality as his in-law.
Taking advantage of the calm atmosphere, Alter quietly came to see Zair in private.
'... He left behind a secret letter?'
'Yes. He told me directly to deliver it to you, father.'
After casually looking around the room, Alter handed over the letter. Zair scrutinized the small note before setting it down on the table.
'It has the imperial seal, I see. For something of this size, it would normally be used for sealing...'
'It seems he prepared it like this because he had to secretly take it out of the palace. He even prepared a decoy letter to mislead others.'
'Are you referring to the letter recently sent by the imperial family?'
'Yes, I believe so. He called it his final imperial mandate, so it must contain something important.'
'...'
Sinking into silence, Zair attempted to read his intentions. The 8th Emperor had prepared this secret letter before his death.
There must have been many trustworthy people to entrust it to, so why choose him in particular?
'Besides you, does anyone else know about this letter?'
'I have kept it secret until now. No one but the late Emperor and myself knows of it.'
'If it hasn't leaked elsewhere, then that must be the case.'
Troubled, Zair reluctantly unfolded the note. He would assess the situation after first checking the contents.
The emperor had trusted him with this letter; he should reciprocate with sincerity.
'... Alter.'
'Yes?'
'Normally, I should not reveal the contents of this letter to anyone. But the situation has changed.'
Zair read through the note quickly and reached a conclusion.
It was written in the 8th Emperor's own hand, and bore the imperial seal—there was no need to question its authenticity.
This was unmistakably the secret letter of the 8th Emperor, and could be validated as a solemn imperial decree.
'You have already fulfilled the imperial command. And I too have become involved, which serves as justification.'
With a decisive tone, Zair handed the letter to Alter, who read it with a puzzled expression.
The 8th Emperor of the Agnes Empire, Vanderas Ruth Celestion, hereby delivers his final imperial command.
This is a secret letter addressed to Zair Radiant, grand Duke of the North.
Should my successor commit acts of tyranny, offer remonstrance.
If the Empire falls into turmoil due to such tyranny, the imperial family must be restored.
I permit you to rally the northern army, and enthrone a capable person between the 2nd prince and 3rd princess as emperor.
This letter is for the direct line of the imperial family, and if the throne is safely succeeded, consider the command fulfilled.
'This... hasn't the matter already been resolved?'
'If you had read this note first, it would have finished more smoothly. Since you could act in my stead, there would have been no dispute.'
Alter looked over the letter again and again before finally returning it to Zair.
In essence, it provided the Northern Grand Duke with grounds to enact a rebellion.
As long as he adhered to its conditions, he could persuade both officials and nobles at once.
'I will keep this. If needed... I will carry out the command.'
'Are you planning to wait and see a bit longer?'
'For now, things seem alright, but it's too early to be certain. Once I am sure, I will destroy it.'
Zair folded the note and hid it in his clothing.
From what he had heard from the Duke of Illenat, it seemed relatively smooth, but it could all be a fleeting illusion.
That was why he meant to keep watch over imperial affairs and decide whether to keep the letter or not.
'Perhaps it would have been better not to show me at all.'
'The order of things has changed. Since you joined the rebellion, you are now involved with this letter. So you must be aware of it as well.'
'...'
Alter could only accept his words. Though their method had differed from what was stated in the letter, they had ultimately restored the imperial family through rebellion.
In fact, by only mobilizing troops within the capital, things had concluded even more smoothly.
'Only you should know about this letter. Do not tell the Duke of Illenat, and it is tied to the current emperor. Do you understand my meaning?'
'Yes. It would cause unrest.'
Of course, there was always the option of presenting the letter to the current emperor.
But from that moment, suspicion would arise and the grand duke's house would be subject to unilateral checks.
He might even regard the 2nd prince as a threat and secretly seek to eliminate him.
'I would prefer not to obey the imperial command. Fighting amongst ourselves would only increase the losses. If rebellions continue, the imperial family will become more unstable. I would only be fostering chaos.'
'The late Emperor must have known that. So why did he leave behind this letter?'
'... He must have been unable to trust the crown prince. He judged that it was better to change emperors than let the Empire fall.'
For the 8th Emperor, it had been a command issued with much sacrifice.
He would be abandoning his own child, the imperial army would suffer losses, and an awareness would be implanted that the Northern Grand Duke could rebel at any time.
In a way, he had sacrificed his imperial dignity for the sake of the Agnes Empire alone.
'But I cannot ignore the wishes of the 8th Emperor. That's why, as I said, I will keep this letter.'
'Understood. I too will keep silent regarding it.'
Alter was more or less in agreement with his father's view.
He could not simply brandish the letter, but always had to consider the worst-case scenario.
Above all, the very survival of the Grand Duke Radiant's family was at stake, so caution was essential.
'One rebellion should be enough. At this point, I don't think there's much to worry about...'
* * *
Lang crossed the eastern front alone and continued to battle fierce fights. He was quite exhausted, but he would not collapse yet.
To reach the pinnacle of the sword, he had to endure such trials.
'Grrrr...'
'Gyaaah...'
Monsters surrounded Lang but did not attack carelessly.
Countless monsters charged in intending to kill this human, but all were mercilessly slaughtered.
Sensing a powerful opponent, their instincts made them avoid combat.
'Will you not fight? Are you afraid?'
Without lowering his guard, Lang murmured softly. He did not know how many he had cut down, but there was a significant pile of corpses.
Even monsters could distinguish hierarchy and chose to keep their distance from him.
'Kehaha... What an interesting one.'
With a mysterious voice, suddenly flames erupted upward.
The red fire engulfed the monsters in an instant, and Lang quickly located the source of the threat.
Yet, the flames did not touch Lang, burning only the monsters alone.
'Who are you? You don't seem human...'
'Do you compare me to these lowly things? How ridiculous.'
In an instant, Lang sensed an enormous surge of magic power and was overwhelmed with chills.
The existence was incredibly alien, far removed from any usual standard.
He could not label it human or monster—only an unconscious terror could well up from it.
'... I will forgive it this once. There are few as entertaining as you.'
'You could have killed me. Why attack only those creatures?'
'Because you look intriguing, I did not kill you. I sense an immense craving in you.'
The mysterious voice did not reveal its form, but its eyes glinted dangerously.
Meeting that gaze, Lang's whole body froze. But somehow he endured, and managed to thrust his sword forward.
'Hahaha! Even after seeing me, you still want to fight? For a human, you are quite something!'
'I must surpass beings like you if I am to become stronger. Did you think I would give up for something like that?'
'... Arrogant, but brave. I have an offer for you: I shall give you the power you so ardently desire, if you serve me. What do you say?'
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Will Lang accept the dragon's offer and become an enemy?
【「(°ヘ°)?】