泡芙影院

Chapter 75

Pahell felt his throat becoming drier and drier. He feared his voice would tremble with every word he spoke.

‘I must not show Duke Lungell that I am afraid,’ Pahell thought.

He was aware of his past reputation—an ignorant, juvenile prince. That hadn\'t changed; he had merely taken a step forward toward bravery. Still, Pahell knew nothing. He was learning as he went.

‘What I need now is the audacity,’ Pahell thought as he pinched his thigh hard to regain focus.

‘Urich is risking his life supporting my bluff.’

Urich stood beside him with his arms crossed and with a ferocious smile on his face. Like a beast that had found its prey, he was exuding an aura that made it clear that he would kill anyone and everyone. His presence filled the room, pushing Pahell forward and pressuring Duke Lungell.

Pahell opened his eyes narrowly. His blurry eyes looked into the past. It had taken him half a year to return to the Porcana Kingdom. It was the first harsh journey he had ever undertaken.

‘It all started at that sea,’ he reminisced.

Urich\'s image, roaring at the sea, was still vivid in his mind. Pahell had mocked him then.

As the memories flowed, Pahell\'s mind calmed. He raised his head to face Duke Lungell.

"Do you really think my uncle, Duke Harmatti, would hand over the disputed territory to you, Duke Lungell?"

"There was a promise. The paperwork is already done. The Countship of Kalmati will be mine," Duke Lungell said, squinting at Pahell.

"I am a prince, the rightful heir. On the other hand, Duke Harmatti is my father\'s brother and my uncle. With no rights for the throne, he was granted a duchy by my grandfather. Cunning Duke Harmatti absorbed the surrounding territories and expanded his own to the point of rivaling the statuses of the other duchies."

"That\'s true, Prince. That only proves that Duke Harmatti is politically capable and strong. He would make a strong king."

Duke Lungell\'s expression was complex. Strong royal power in a feudal kingdom wasn\'t good news for the king’s lieges. The power of the sovereign and that of the liege were inversely proportional, as shown by the empire. The emperor practically monopolized the military power, and with the rise of Imperial power, other lords received pitiful treatment. They couldn\'t even resist if the emperor decided to revoke their titles.

"Ironically, my advantage over my uncle is that I am a \'weak king.\' If Duke Harmatti becomes king, a powerful monarchy will emerge, combining his duchy and the royal domain. He alone would hold power equivalent to three other dukes. Could you oppose such a king of Porcana, Duke Lungell? If he decides to take Kalmati, are you confident that you can fight against him and win?"

Pahell had run the scenarios through his head over and over again. No matter how many times he thought about it, he was weaker than his uncle, lacking in political skill and prestige. It was too late to argue legitimacy since the nobles only wanted tangible benefits.

‘My only asset is my lack of strength.’

No lord wanted a strong king.

"You are well aware of your unique advantage, which was probably hard for you to admit, Prince. I\'m not mocking you; it\'s truly remarkable," Duke Lungell said, stroking his chin as he seemed to also be deep in thought.

\'The prince is right. Duke Harmatti will be a strong king, and that will make him difficult to deal with. If conditions are the same, it\'s better for me if the prince becomes king.\'

There was much to consider. The balance in the civil war hadn\'t tipped to either side yet. The scales were still delicately balanced, barely tipping back and forth.

"I\'ll arrange a place for you to rest. After sunset, let\'s have dinner together, Prince. I\'ll think about your proposal until then," Duke Lungell said, preparing to leave. Pahell exhaled softly, nodding.

"Understood, Duke."

Suddenly, Urich lightly tapped his foot, drawing attention.

"We can\'t end it like this. Guarantee our safety here, too, Duke. Otherwise, we won\'t move until you\'ve made up your mind."

Urich\'s hand moved toward his sword hilt. The surrounding guards shouted and drew their weapons in response.

"Urich!" Pahell yelled, to which Urich responded calmly.

"Here, we can hold the duke hostage and find a way out. But what if the duke changes his mind while we\'re separated and tries to kill us? When that happens, even I can\'t do anything."

The mercenaries who had accompanied Urich also silently drew their weapons, getting ready for a fight, which felt imminent.

Creak.

The doors surrounding the office opened and the hidden guards emerged from all sides of the office, numbering over thirty. The full room quickly warmed up with people\'s tension.

\'That is some confidence. Is it a bluff? Does he really believe he can win with just ten people?\' Duke Lungell glared at Urich, who pointedly remarked. He wasn\'t wrong.

\'He’s experienced life-threatening deals like this several times. He knows how they go.\'

Duke Lungell raised his hand to stop his guards. Sweat dripped from Urich\'s muscles. Even though he hadn’t actually moved yet, his muscles readied themselves for battle autonomously. Even his taut muscles writhed flexibly under his skin.

‘We are in enemy territory. Any careless action could mean death if we’re not careful.\'

Urich had been a part of deals like this a few times back in his tribe. A deal between tribes falling through often led to war. When one side didn’t get what they wanted from a negotiation, they took it by force and blood instead of backing off.

"Swear on your name and Lou\'s name that you will guarantee our safety in your territory. Everyone here will be witnesses," Urich demanded as he pointed at Duke Lungell.

The oath of the sun was considered ultimate, but it was far from a certain guarantee. When driven into a corner, most civilized men broke the oath of the sun. However, under the presumption that they weren’t in such a case, the oath of the sun was quite safe. It was rare for a lie to be worth spending one’s eternity without peace in their afterlife.

Silence fell. Duke Lungell\'s lips moved slowly. "I swear before the sun god Lou. I will guarantee your and the prince\'s safety in my domain. I\'ll inform my lieges and servants too. Are you satisfied now?"

"Good. I’ll see you at dinner," Urich nodded with a smile. The guards retreated.

Pahell stood up, almost staggering. He bit his lower lip to hide his trembling.

Pahell had barely overcome one hurdle. He wanted to rush to the annex and prepare for the evening, gathering his thoughts.

"Is that...!"

“As if the prince coming here wasn’t enough...!”

Outside the window, a commotion erupted. A group of knights were entering through the castle gate.

Bang!

A messenger burst into the office with a pale face.

"What\'s going on?" Duke Lungell shouted at the panting messenger.

The messenger glanced around the room to quickly assess the environment, then whispered in Duke Lungell\'s ear. His eyes widened.

"... I can’t believe this. Prince Varca, did you guys plan this together?"

Duke Lungell looked at Pahell. Breathless, Pahell, who had just caught his breath, felt it becoming rapid again.

"What are you talking about, Duke Lungell?"

"Duke Harmatti has just arrived. He showed up here himself."

Pahell\'s head spun. As he swayed, Urich supported him by grabbing his arm.

"Duke Harmatti... My uncle is here?"

Pahell couldn\'t hide his trembling anymore as a mix of anger and fear took over his mind.

\'Uncle.\'

He felt his stomach churning. Curses and all other sorts of rough words were on the verge of exploding out of Pahell’s mouth along with gagging. Pahell physically blocked off his mouth to push everything back down under his chest.

Duke Harmatti strode across the castle yard with his robe fluttering majestically. His stride was full of confidence. The fact that he too belonged to the Porcana royal family was displayed with his well-maintained blonde hair and beard and calm turquoise eyes, which in some ways seemed superior to Pahell’s sole blue eyes. The royal bloodline of Porcana was renowned for its beauty, and Duke Harmatti was not an exception. He was a handsome man.

"His forces are gathering nicely."

Duke Harmatti observed the army around the castle. His deep voice resonated. The knights accompanying him were all experienced warriors.

\'Two contenders for the throne of Porcana have arrived at Duke Lungell\'s territory.\'

People murmured. Duke Harmatti glanced at them, puzzled at their reaction.

"Is my appearance that shocking? Haha."

Duke Harmatti, who had led a hundred horsemen to Lungell Duchy, just laughed.

\'I need to confirm Duke Lungell\'s stance again.\'

Duke Harmatti was anxious about Lungell’s potential switch in sides after learning that the prince had returned with the support of the empire on his back. It was more than possible that Duke Lungell was going to change his mind.

Creak, creak.

Duke Harmatti led thirty knights deeper into the castle. He glanced up at one of the windows.

"Hmm?"

He seemed to recognize a face. He muttered to himself.

"Well, well."

It was only a glance, but he knew exactly who had caught his eyes.

"There you were, my nephew."

Duke Harmatti grinned broadly, revealing his teeth.

* * *

The dinner was far from warm and congenial. The armed warriors were standing a step behind their masters.

"Leaving the castle without a word to travel... that was quite irresponsible, my dear nephew," Duke Harmatti spoke first. He tore off a turkey leg, placing it on his plate. As he bit into it, juices squirted out.

"I wanted to visit the Imperial capital one last time before becoming king and losing my freedom to travel. Uncle," Pahell said, tilting his wine to the side. A knight tasted the wine first and nodded.

"You needn\'t worry about that. You can leave all the hard work to me," Duke Harmatti offered.

"That would be too much for you, Uncle. You already have many important responsibilities on your plate."

Pahell spoke nonchalantly, while Duke Harmatti wiped his mouth which was stained with the juice from the turkey.

\'Such a foolish conversation,\' Pahell thought, bitterly laughing as he gulped down the wine.

Both Pahell and Harmatti were eager to kill each other. One of them had to die for this bloody civil war to end. By now, there must be a battle raging in the Vaskerling Duchy.

"I feel a bit slighted, my dear nephew. You visit Duke Lungell before me upon returning to the kingdom. Since when have you and Duke Lungell been such close friends?" Duke Harmatti said, smiling at Duke Lungell. Despite his smile, his eyes held a cold fury.

\'Are you planning to betray me, Duke Lungell?\'

Duke Lungell remained neutral. If he just consented, Duke Harmatti would have killed Pahell right there.

"I heard that Duke Lungell is a thoughtful man. I wanted to meet him before becoming king. If I had returned to the palace right away, I would have had to proceed with the coronation immediately, wouldn\'t I? After all, my father hasn\'t awoken, and I am of age now. You\'ve done a fine job managing the kingdom in the meantime, Uncle. I truly thank you for your service."

"Hard time? Don\'t say that. Everything I did was for you and your father. If you need me, my dear nephew, I, Duke Harmatti, will devote myself entirely to your service!" Duke Harmatti said, pounding the table lightly.

"That won’t be necessary, Uncle. Go back to the Harmatti Duchy. There is no need for you to come to the palace again. If you step even one foot out of your duchy, I will consider it as an act of treason and label you a traitor," Pahell declared, putting down his glass. Duke Harmatti\'s hands trembled.

"...You seem quite drunk," Duke Harmatti said, looking directly at Pahell. Pahell swallowed hard.

\'Uncle.\'

His memories of his uncle weren\'t all bad. He remembered his uncle\'s kind and gentle demeanor from his childhood. When had his uncle\'s eyes become so cold? Pahell tried to calm his trembling heart and cleared his throat.

"Duke Lungell, you and I must toast. I’m sure my uncle doesn\'t like the alcohol."

Pahell had decided to go against his uncle, and to do that, he needed the support of Duke Lungell.

\'The prince\'s offer isn\'t bad. If Duke Harmatti becomes king, my power will diminish.\'

Duke Lungell picked up his glass. He glanced back and forth between Duke Harmatti and Pahell. Duke Harmatti seemed ready to flee the room at any moment. Outside, there were a hundred heavy cavalry loyal to Harmatti. If a fight broke out here, it would be chaos.

"Hmm," Duke Lungell hummed, not toasting with Pahell, just drinking his wine alone.

\'Dammit. So, he won\'t be supporting me.\'

Pahell\'s face twisted at Duke Lungell\'s action, while Duke Harmatti\'s face lit up with joy. The atmosphere shifted drastically.

"Urich," Pahell said lowly. A metallic sound rang out. Urich drew his sword and axe, glaring all around the room.