It was not only Cardinal de Mare who was faced with the absurd summons. Prince Alfonso was the same. He asked, doubting his ears.
“Huh? You want me to go to Trevero?”
He was a dutiful Prince who never disobeyed his father's orders or questioned him. His job was simply to silently carry out his orders.
But now Prince Alfonso could not hide the look of contempt on his face.
“Are you serious?”
The last time Leo III sent the Prince out of the border, he almost died.
If it had not been for the protection of the gods, his body would have been found dead in the distant land of Gallico.
Asking a son like that to go abroad again was something that only someone so shameless could have brought up.
However, Leo III was not a particularly shameless man.
"Yes."
Leo III stroked his beard. To everyone's relief, it grew to his cheeks.
Prince Alfonso would have seen his father's cold expression clearly if his beard had not covered some of the facial muscles.
“I told you to go to Trevero.”
But Leo III also had an excuse. He did not intend to just force Alfonso into Trevero without any countermeasures.
As he discovered, Pope Louis had not only extended his invitation to the Etruscan kingdom.
It is said that the Pope's invitations were also extended to the King of the Kingdom of Salamanta, the Grand Duke of the Duchy of Assereto, and Philip IV of the Kingdom of Gallico.
After sending out invitations like this, isn't it impossible to harm the monarch of another country or his successor?
'Surely you're not planning to destroy the Central Continent.'
Excluding the small countries in the north, this roughly included the large chunks of the central continent.
'Is the Pope preparing a second temple?'
He heard that the recent Third Crusade was a great economic success.
The throne of the Kingdom of Yesak, occupied by the Grand Duke of Yuldenburg, the commander-in-chief, as well as the large and small castles in the occupied territories, were torn apart and given to each participating country and lord.
Although Leo III's own son returned from the Crusade as a vanguard, the Etruscan kingdom received little in return.
This is because, when they first participated, each participating country had agreed in advance on what they would receive according to their investment if the holy war was successful.
The Duchy of Sternheim, where the monarch personally dispatched troops as commander-in-chief, would become the owner of the ancient capital if it captured Yesak; the Kingdom of Gallico, which provided financial support, would receive the Aman Plain and the port; and the Republic of Porto, which was in charge of logistics, would receive a permanent autonomous region in the port.
The Etruscan kingdom had already withdrawn from there. Prince Alfonso's entry into the war was merely a later development.
'You wouldn't have offered indulgences only to me. What other reason would there be to offer indulgences to monarchs than the Holy War?'
Leo III, having seen the success of the Third Crusade, was seething with the desire to get a piece of the action.
There was still plenty to be eaten in the land of Yesak.
The ancient city of Yesak and the coastal areas were reclaimed, but the inland areas connected to the internal trade routes of the Moorish Empire were still swarming with pagans.
'If only I could occupy the territory along the Silk Road...'
At least for ten years, there would be no need to worry about the national treasury.
Even if the annoying feudal lords didn't bring taxes to the national treasury, they could manage their livelihoods with money coming from overseas territories! It was impossible to guess how high the royal power would rise.
'If we are to safely bring the gold collected from the barbarian lands to San Carlo, we must train a navy, right?'
A smile naturally appeared on his lips.
He did not notice the cold, sullen expression on his son's face, as he imagined the Etruscan flag and the coat of arms of the Kingdom of de Carlo fluttering in the white sea.
A deep voice broke Leo III out of his thoughts.
“There is no work.”
Leo III was shocked by his son's blatant rejection, but Alfonso turned his head coldly.
“Are you disobeying my orders?”
Leo III asked. Alfonso turned his head and glared at his father with his blue-gray eyes.
“Is it your order as King to go to Trevero?”
They were eyes that looked exactly like the dead Queen Marguerite, with their deep, overlapping blue hues and droopy corners.
One different thing was the challenging look in his eyes, perhaps even his belligerence, that he had never seen in his son's mother.
“If I refuse to go, will you punish me?”
Leo III felt an instinctive threat from his own son. His son's towering figure loomed over him coldly.
His only child was no longer the child who played in his arms.
“...That, that can’t be possible.”
Leo III trailed off. He changed his tone to a soft one and began his persuasive tactics.
“Can’t you help me out by helping your father? I already helped you with the tax-related favor you asked me before.”
Leo III reminded Alfonso of the land taxes and customs duties he had suggested to him.
Although the amount was not large, the King accepted the Prince's petition and reduced the land tax slightly for one year, making up the lost revenue by creating a permanent tax on merchants.
"Your Majesty."
But Alfonso's reaction was still cold.
“What do you mean by a favor? It was just a suggestion regarding national policy.”
Leo III cursed inwardly.
Policy recommendations were never made purely out of patriotism, at least not among Leo III and his associates.
'You must have received something from behind, how could you not know!'
But now he was in a sorry position.
“You must broaden your horizons so that I can open my ears and listen to your ‘suggestions’.”
The King's voice became sweet and gentle.
It was the desperate cry of someone who had nothing to give but wanted to gain something, saying that they should continue to help each other. He affectionately comforted Alfonso.
“Coming to Trevero to see the cultural heritage that the Central Continent has built up so far will be a great opportunity to broaden your horizons.”
Alfonso smiled broadly. He had already seen the thousand-year-old city of Yesak.
“I’ll think about it.”
He stood up. It was a rejection.
Ariadne was having a headache.
“Things aren’t going well...”
She had attended this party just in case, but she scanned the area from the entrance and couldn't find the person she was looking for.
Today, she attended a poetry reading hosted by Count Rinaldi.
The Rinaldi family belonged to her friend Cornelia's family, and the family had two grown daughters, apart from the youngest, who was still young.
Count Rinaldi held a social gathering under the pretense of cultural life to find spouses for his daughters who were of ripe age, and Countess Ariadne de Mare, known for her deep knowledge of theology and literature, was the perfect guest to invite.
"Ari."
Cornelia, who was walking around the restaurant used as a recital hall to entertain guests, spotted her friend and approached him.
“Cornelia!”
“Thank you for coming.”
Cornelia blushed in embarrassment.
“I don’t know if it’s necessary to go this far for marriage, but...”
Cornelia, who had a strong personality, was not accustomed to expressing regrets to others. Ariadne spoke to ease her embarrassment.
“It’s important.”
Ariadne answered with a calm expression.
“I wish I could only have one friend whom I could meet only when I visit the convent.”
But the content was not at all plain. Cornelia kept her mouth shut.
“Don’t be embarrassed. I’ll be happy to help you anytime.”
“...Thank you.”
Unlike the eldest daughter of the Rinaldi family, who was at a loss because she hated this situation, the second daughter, Lady Bedelia, was scanning the male guests with eagle-like eyes.
“Look at your sister. She has to be so enterprising and go out looking for things. I don’t have to worry about her at all.”
“Aren’t you worried about my sister, but are you worried about me?”
“Yeah. I think your sister will catch five people for your share.”
Cornelia laughed in vain. Meanwhile, the other guests, who had noticed that Countess Ariadne de Mare had attended the recital, began to whisper among themselves.
“Oh my, she really came!”
“I heard that these days she doesn’t go out much and it’s hard to meet people in social circles!”
“Is she really going to meet the Prince?”
Ariadne was admired and envied by high society, but at the same time suffered from underestimation.
This was mainly because her Countess title was not 'a great ancestral title'.
It was a self-evident fact that Ariadne had no lands attached to her countship, but those who ridiculed her for this were mainly those who had neither lands nor a countship.
“I don’t believe it either, but I heard it directly from someone.”
“You’re not saying that she's dating the Prince herself, are you...?”
“Yes. There is no reason for Prince Alfonso to meet Countess de Mare.”
Ariadne let out a small sigh.
'I can hear everything...'
Ariadne considered for a moment whether to storm into the crowd and just stare at them.
Looking at the faces of the people pounding away at the mill over there, they were Baroness Loredan, a member of the Silver Cross Women's Society, and several lower-ranking nobles.
Now that she was the holder of the countess's title, they could not say a word to Ariadne unless she spoke to them first.
However, it would be incredibly rude for them to ignore her and leave after they recognize her, so they have to stand there and face the punishment.
'But I don't want to go there and mess around...'
Ariadne was now slowly becoming mentally strong enough to not even blink at petty complaints.
Their murmurs posed no threat to her.
But where there are haters, there are also ardent followers, and even if Ariadne remained silent, there were those who fought for her.
“How rude! Prince Alfonso himself said that they were meeting seriously!”
“Huh? You want me to go to Trevero?”
He was a dutiful Prince who never disobeyed his father's orders or questioned him. His job was simply to silently carry out his orders.
But now Prince Alfonso could not hide the look of contempt on his face.
“Are you serious?”
The last time Leo III sent the Prince out of the border, he almost died.
If it had not been for the protection of the gods, his body would have been found dead in the distant land of Gallico.
Asking a son like that to go abroad again was something that only someone so shameless could have brought up.
However, Leo III was not a particularly shameless man.
"Yes."
Leo III stroked his beard. To everyone's relief, it grew to his cheeks.
Prince Alfonso would have seen his father's cold expression clearly if his beard had not covered some of the facial muscles.
“I told you to go to Trevero.”
But Leo III also had an excuse. He did not intend to just force Alfonso into Trevero without any countermeasures.
As he discovered, Pope Louis had not only extended his invitation to the Etruscan kingdom.
It is said that the Pope's invitations were also extended to the King of the Kingdom of Salamanta, the Grand Duke of the Duchy of Assereto, and Philip IV of the Kingdom of Gallico.
After sending out invitations like this, isn't it impossible to harm the monarch of another country or his successor?
'Surely you're not planning to destroy the Central Continent.'
Excluding the small countries in the north, this roughly included the large chunks of the central continent.
'Is the Pope preparing a second temple?'
He heard that the recent Third Crusade was a great economic success.
The throne of the Kingdom of Yesak, occupied by the Grand Duke of Yuldenburg, the commander-in-chief, as well as the large and small castles in the occupied territories, were torn apart and given to each participating country and lord.
Although Leo III's own son returned from the Crusade as a vanguard, the Etruscan kingdom received little in return.
This is because, when they first participated, each participating country had agreed in advance on what they would receive according to their investment if the holy war was successful.
The Duchy of Sternheim, where the monarch personally dispatched troops as commander-in-chief, would become the owner of the ancient capital if it captured Yesak; the Kingdom of Gallico, which provided financial support, would receive the Aman Plain and the port; and the Republic of Porto, which was in charge of logistics, would receive a permanent autonomous region in the port.
The Etruscan kingdom had already withdrawn from there. Prince Alfonso's entry into the war was merely a later development.
'You wouldn't have offered indulgences only to me. What other reason would there be to offer indulgences to monarchs than the Holy War?'
Leo III, having seen the success of the Third Crusade, was seething with the desire to get a piece of the action.
There was still plenty to be eaten in the land of Yesak.
The ancient city of Yesak and the coastal areas were reclaimed, but the inland areas connected to the internal trade routes of the Moorish Empire were still swarming with pagans.
'If only I could occupy the territory along the Silk Road...'
At least for ten years, there would be no need to worry about the national treasury.
Even if the annoying feudal lords didn't bring taxes to the national treasury, they could manage their livelihoods with money coming from overseas territories! It was impossible to guess how high the royal power would rise.
'If we are to safely bring the gold collected from the barbarian lands to San Carlo, we must train a navy, right?'
A smile naturally appeared on his lips.
He did not notice the cold, sullen expression on his son's face, as he imagined the Etruscan flag and the coat of arms of the Kingdom of de Carlo fluttering in the white sea.
A deep voice broke Leo III out of his thoughts.
“There is no work.”
Leo III was shocked by his son's blatant rejection, but Alfonso turned his head coldly.
“Are you disobeying my orders?”
Leo III asked. Alfonso turned his head and glared at his father with his blue-gray eyes.
“Is it your order as King to go to Trevero?”
They were eyes that looked exactly like the dead Queen Marguerite, with their deep, overlapping blue hues and droopy corners.
One different thing was the challenging look in his eyes, perhaps even his belligerence, that he had never seen in his son's mother.
“If I refuse to go, will you punish me?”
Leo III felt an instinctive threat from his own son. His son's towering figure loomed over him coldly.
His only child was no longer the child who played in his arms.
“...That, that can’t be possible.”
Leo III trailed off. He changed his tone to a soft one and began his persuasive tactics.
“Can’t you help me out by helping your father? I already helped you with the tax-related favor you asked me before.”
Leo III reminded Alfonso of the land taxes and customs duties he had suggested to him.
Although the amount was not large, the King accepted the Prince's petition and reduced the land tax slightly for one year, making up the lost revenue by creating a permanent tax on merchants.
"Your Majesty."
But Alfonso's reaction was still cold.
“What do you mean by a favor? It was just a suggestion regarding national policy.”
Leo III cursed inwardly.
Policy recommendations were never made purely out of patriotism, at least not among Leo III and his associates.
'You must have received something from behind, how could you not know!'
But now he was in a sorry position.
“You must broaden your horizons so that I can open my ears and listen to your ‘suggestions’.”
The King's voice became sweet and gentle.
It was the desperate cry of someone who had nothing to give but wanted to gain something, saying that they should continue to help each other. He affectionately comforted Alfonso.
“Coming to Trevero to see the cultural heritage that the Central Continent has built up so far will be a great opportunity to broaden your horizons.”
Alfonso smiled broadly. He had already seen the thousand-year-old city of Yesak.
“I’ll think about it.”
He stood up. It was a rejection.
***
Ariadne was having a headache.
“Things aren’t going well...”
She had attended this party just in case, but she scanned the area from the entrance and couldn't find the person she was looking for.
Today, she attended a poetry reading hosted by Count Rinaldi.
The Rinaldi family belonged to her friend Cornelia's family, and the family had two grown daughters, apart from the youngest, who was still young.
Count Rinaldi held a social gathering under the pretense of cultural life to find spouses for his daughters who were of ripe age, and Countess Ariadne de Mare, known for her deep knowledge of theology and literature, was the perfect guest to invite.
"Ari."
Cornelia, who was walking around the restaurant used as a recital hall to entertain guests, spotted her friend and approached him.
“Cornelia!”
“Thank you for coming.”
Cornelia blushed in embarrassment.
“I don’t know if it’s necessary to go this far for marriage, but...”
Cornelia, who had a strong personality, was not accustomed to expressing regrets to others. Ariadne spoke to ease her embarrassment.
“It’s important.”
Ariadne answered with a calm expression.
“I wish I could only have one friend whom I could meet only when I visit the convent.”
But the content was not at all plain. Cornelia kept her mouth shut.
“Don’t be embarrassed. I’ll be happy to help you anytime.”
“...Thank you.”
Unlike the eldest daughter of the Rinaldi family, who was at a loss because she hated this situation, the second daughter, Lady Bedelia, was scanning the male guests with eagle-like eyes.
“Look at your sister. She has to be so enterprising and go out looking for things. I don’t have to worry about her at all.”
“Aren’t you worried about my sister, but are you worried about me?”
“Yeah. I think your sister will catch five people for your share.”
Cornelia laughed in vain. Meanwhile, the other guests, who had noticed that Countess Ariadne de Mare had attended the recital, began to whisper among themselves.
“Oh my, she really came!”
“I heard that these days she doesn’t go out much and it’s hard to meet people in social circles!”
“Is she really going to meet the Prince?”
Ariadne was admired and envied by high society, but at the same time suffered from underestimation.
This was mainly because her Countess title was not 'a great ancestral title'.
It was a self-evident fact that Ariadne had no lands attached to her countship, but those who ridiculed her for this were mainly those who had neither lands nor a countship.
“I don’t believe it either, but I heard it directly from someone.”
“You’re not saying that she's dating the Prince herself, are you...?”
“Yes. There is no reason for Prince Alfonso to meet Countess de Mare.”
Ariadne let out a small sigh.
'I can hear everything...'
Ariadne considered for a moment whether to storm into the crowd and just stare at them.
Looking at the faces of the people pounding away at the mill over there, they were Baroness Loredan, a member of the Silver Cross Women's Society, and several lower-ranking nobles.
Now that she was the holder of the countess's title, they could not say a word to Ariadne unless she spoke to them first.
However, it would be incredibly rude for them to ignore her and leave after they recognize her, so they have to stand there and face the punishment.
'But I don't want to go there and mess around...'
Ariadne was now slowly becoming mentally strong enough to not even blink at petty complaints.
Their murmurs posed no threat to her.
But where there are haters, there are also ardent followers, and even if Ariadne remained silent, there were those who fought for her.
“How rude! Prince Alfonso himself said that they were meeting seriously!”
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