“There will be people who drink water and die.”
After the seventh death and the catching of wolves that appeared in various places, the second oracle was issued from the temple. It was done while the country was already in chaos due to the first oracle.
And on the day the second oracle was issued, there was a death right away. The victims were a family that drank water from a well. The number of people who died for the same reason was gradually increasing in various places.
“Do you think the Emperor will follow the oracle?”
Aaron asked. The Duke of Russell took a leisurely cigar in his mouth. His face looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Well."
But the answer that came out was poor. That's because it was an answer that no one could be sure of except Ivan, the person involved.
“First of all, he wouldn’t follow it. He’s not even his child, and there’s no reason to make him the Crown Prince when he’s clearly a threat to his position.”
The Duke of Russell let out a long breath as he spoke his mind frankly. The heavy smell of cigars filled the secret underground room.
“And look at his eyes. They’re a dark brown, so it’s hard to tell, but there’s no denying that they resemble the eyes of a Priestess.”
“...”
“If it were me, I would rather accuse that kid of being the illegitimate child of a Priestess.”
A woman who has abandoned God herself. Where could there be a more appropriate way to criticize and promote her? However, surprisingly, Ivan did not choose that method. It was unclear whether he thought it was something that could be ignored or whether it was his obsession with honor that made him not want to jump into the mud.
“For some reason, the Emperor didn’t choose that method...”
The Duke of Russell's fingers tapped rhythmically on the wooden table, a habit that came about when he was lost in thought.
“Rather than continue to be pressured like this, I’ll choose a dirty way someday.”
But it was not something that could be stepped on. It was before he had even achieved his goal. After the collapse of the sacred legend, it was none of his concern what would happen to Amelia, but before that, her safety was important to him.
“We are in a position where we cannot afford to have our tails stepped on.”
Of the ones who had followed Amelia when she went out and stayed by her side, none of them, except Louis, were still alive. There was no way to tell if Amelia was the biological mother or not, so it was safe to say that there was no need to worry about being caught.
But as they know, once rumors start to spread, they can quickly grow and become uncontrollable. So it never hurts to be careful.
“So, we must get rid of it before the Emperor suspects its existence or uses it as a means of exploiting it.”
The Duke of Russell spoke with a blank expression, but the look in his eyes was cold and gloomy, like that of a snake.
“Even if that child dies, the temple cannot hold the imperial family responsible because of the oath the Priestess signed.”
“Of course, you can’t hold the royal family responsible for that child’s death.”
"Yes," replied the Duke of Russell, as if it were a matter of course, and with a deft hand, he brushed away the ash from his cigar.
“But isn’t the situation now different from when I wrote that pledge?”
At the time Amelia wrote the oath, Ian was nothing. He was abandoned on the street, but was fortunately taken in by a Priestess. That was all. So Ivan had no reason to harm the child. On the contrary, it was a good factor to make the Duke of Russell anxious.
But what about now? The young boy, who does not share a single drop of blood with the Emperor, has managed to seize the throne. Ivan has many elements to harm Ian.
“The Emperor will surely be suspected and lose the people’s support. It will seem as if he does not care whether the country falls or not to protect his power.”
The Duke of Russell gave his predictions, discarding his shortened cigar.
“If we hold him responsible for killing that child, he will demand that we offer the Priestess to the imperial family.”
“Isn’t he an Emperor who has lost the people’s support due to the fulfillment of the oracle? All we have to do is start a holy war under the pretext of getting the Priestess back.”
Ah. Aaron let out a short exclamation.
“You were planning that from the beginning.”
Treason always requires justification. However, it was difficult to find such justification in the royal family up to now. No matter what their intentions were, they maintained a proper relationship with the temple on the outside. Even Ivan's actions against them were at a level where it was difficult to hold him accountable.
“Now, we really need to upgrade the soldiers’ weapons to high-strength ones. It’ll be more urgent than I thought...”
The Duke of Russell admitted the undeniable fact. The Duke of Russell maintained the structure of the temple and the existence of the Priestess to strengthen the family, not to swallow up the royal family. Naturally, there was no special effort to strengthen the military.
“Military training is also continuing, so it will be okay if we gather the private soldiers of the three families.”
It was like that until he took over the family. After becoming the head of the family, the Duke of Russell raised a private army for the Duke of Russell and did not spare support for the Count of Skipper and Viscount Brown.
“If he loses the people’s support and gives legitimacy to the rebellion, even if it is a hasty rebellion, everything will be perfect.”
The Duke of Russell smiled, as if he had no doubt that this would happen.
As if Ivan did not know that he would respond immediately, there were deaths outside the city walls at the same time as the second oracle. This was an incident that occurred before Ivan sent knights to guard the wells in each area as soon as the oracle was issued.
Since it was not God's will but man's will, the suspicious deaths did not continue, but the people of Escliffe were already unsettled. The Duke of Russell and the temple had delved into the realm of none other than faith.
“...”
Ivan gritted his teeth. Even though he would never acknowledge Ian as his successor anyway, his attitude of going as far as he could since he wasn't the one who would die was so annoying that he wanted to kill him.
"Your Majesty."
Now, even Rodan's visit was causing him stress. Ivan stared at Rodan, who had come to see him, with a complicated expression on his face.
“There is a rumor going around that a commoner died from drinking alcohol, and it was distorted and became a punishment from God.”
Ivan's mood at that moment was indescribable. Rodan seemed to sense it too, because his voice as he reported was not very good.
“There are too many rumors, and there is no way to control them.”
The oracle was all a lie, just as Amelia was not a real Priestess. But that was the story they were certain of.
Both Ivan and Rodan knew that Amelia was fake, but there was no other way for them to prove that she was fake. Just as Amelia could not prove that Ian was Ivan's child, there was no way for Ivan to prove that Amelia was fake.
“Have your soldiers patrol the restaurants and bars to arrest those spreading rumors. And provide entertainment and distractions for the town. To dilute the anxiety.”
With what? Rodan wanted to ask that, but held back. He was afraid that if he asked that, he would be looked down upon by Ivan.
“Support wandering troupes so they can travel from town to town, and hold martial arts shows and horse races. Put up big prizes and prizes so that everyone’s eyes are turned.”
But fortunately, Ivan noticed it and gave the answer first.
“And there was a mother whose baby was blessed by Amelia Escliffe, but who eventually died.”
"Yes."
“Place rumor-mongers around her so that she can go around telling people that the magical powers of the Priestess are false, and don’t spare financial support either.”
Rodan nodded at Ivan's command.
“The existence of a child...”
And Ian was made into a topic of conversation. The best thing to do was to make Ian into Amelia's illegitimate child, and spread the story that the Priestess had already lost the ability to hear the voice of God. It was true, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
“Go out and look.”
But all Ivan gave him in return was an order to go out. He must have other thoughts. Rodan tried to think so and turned around.
“...”
Ian. Kid. That little thing.
Ivan's face was not so happy as he recalled the name he had been avoiding. Because when he thought of Ian, he thought of Amelia. Just as Amelia couldn't separate Ivan from Ian's name, Ivan was no different.
Of course, it's his child, so it's precious. But aren't other people's lives precious?
“Your Majesty, it is time for dinner.”
As the ground spider began to fall, the servant announced that it was time for dinner. The candles that had been lit early began to flicker, and Ivan's untidy mind also began to shake. Ivan impulsively stood up from his seat.
“Your Majesty, aren’t you going to the restaurant?”
Ivan strode out, defying expectations that he would naturally go to a restaurant. The chamberlain followed him in a hurry. Ivan’s footsteps finally led him to the west palace, where the guests were staying.
The watchman carefully watched Ivan's expression. Ivan had a gloomy expression on his face, as if he was going to cut someone's balls off. The guards who had left their posts to get a snack straightened up with prickly faces.
After the seventh death and the catching of wolves that appeared in various places, the second oracle was issued from the temple. It was done while the country was already in chaos due to the first oracle.
And on the day the second oracle was issued, there was a death right away. The victims were a family that drank water from a well. The number of people who died for the same reason was gradually increasing in various places.
“Do you think the Emperor will follow the oracle?”
Aaron asked. The Duke of Russell took a leisurely cigar in his mouth. His face looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Well."
But the answer that came out was poor. That's because it was an answer that no one could be sure of except Ivan, the person involved.
“First of all, he wouldn’t follow it. He’s not even his child, and there’s no reason to make him the Crown Prince when he’s clearly a threat to his position.”
The Duke of Russell let out a long breath as he spoke his mind frankly. The heavy smell of cigars filled the secret underground room.
“And look at his eyes. They’re a dark brown, so it’s hard to tell, but there’s no denying that they resemble the eyes of a Priestess.”
“...”
“If it were me, I would rather accuse that kid of being the illegitimate child of a Priestess.”
A woman who has abandoned God herself. Where could there be a more appropriate way to criticize and promote her? However, surprisingly, Ivan did not choose that method. It was unclear whether he thought it was something that could be ignored or whether it was his obsession with honor that made him not want to jump into the mud.
“For some reason, the Emperor didn’t choose that method...”
The Duke of Russell's fingers tapped rhythmically on the wooden table, a habit that came about when he was lost in thought.
“Rather than continue to be pressured like this, I’ll choose a dirty way someday.”
But it was not something that could be stepped on. It was before he had even achieved his goal. After the collapse of the sacred legend, it was none of his concern what would happen to Amelia, but before that, her safety was important to him.
“We are in a position where we cannot afford to have our tails stepped on.”
Of the ones who had followed Amelia when she went out and stayed by her side, none of them, except Louis, were still alive. There was no way to tell if Amelia was the biological mother or not, so it was safe to say that there was no need to worry about being caught.
But as they know, once rumors start to spread, they can quickly grow and become uncontrollable. So it never hurts to be careful.
“So, we must get rid of it before the Emperor suspects its existence or uses it as a means of exploiting it.”
The Duke of Russell spoke with a blank expression, but the look in his eyes was cold and gloomy, like that of a snake.
“Even if that child dies, the temple cannot hold the imperial family responsible because of the oath the Priestess signed.”
“Of course, you can’t hold the royal family responsible for that child’s death.”
"Yes," replied the Duke of Russell, as if it were a matter of course, and with a deft hand, he brushed away the ash from his cigar.
“But isn’t the situation now different from when I wrote that pledge?”
At the time Amelia wrote the oath, Ian was nothing. He was abandoned on the street, but was fortunately taken in by a Priestess. That was all. So Ivan had no reason to harm the child. On the contrary, it was a good factor to make the Duke of Russell anxious.
But what about now? The young boy, who does not share a single drop of blood with the Emperor, has managed to seize the throne. Ivan has many elements to harm Ian.
“The Emperor will surely be suspected and lose the people’s support. It will seem as if he does not care whether the country falls or not to protect his power.”
The Duke of Russell gave his predictions, discarding his shortened cigar.
“If we hold him responsible for killing that child, he will demand that we offer the Priestess to the imperial family.”
“Isn’t he an Emperor who has lost the people’s support due to the fulfillment of the oracle? All we have to do is start a holy war under the pretext of getting the Priestess back.”
Ah. Aaron let out a short exclamation.
“You were planning that from the beginning.”
Treason always requires justification. However, it was difficult to find such justification in the royal family up to now. No matter what their intentions were, they maintained a proper relationship with the temple on the outside. Even Ivan's actions against them were at a level where it was difficult to hold him accountable.
“Now, we really need to upgrade the soldiers’ weapons to high-strength ones. It’ll be more urgent than I thought...”
The Duke of Russell admitted the undeniable fact. The Duke of Russell maintained the structure of the temple and the existence of the Priestess to strengthen the family, not to swallow up the royal family. Naturally, there was no special effort to strengthen the military.
“Military training is also continuing, so it will be okay if we gather the private soldiers of the three families.”
It was like that until he took over the family. After becoming the head of the family, the Duke of Russell raised a private army for the Duke of Russell and did not spare support for the Count of Skipper and Viscount Brown.
“If he loses the people’s support and gives legitimacy to the rebellion, even if it is a hasty rebellion, everything will be perfect.”
The Duke of Russell smiled, as if he had no doubt that this would happen.
***
As if Ivan did not know that he would respond immediately, there were deaths outside the city walls at the same time as the second oracle. This was an incident that occurred before Ivan sent knights to guard the wells in each area as soon as the oracle was issued.
Since it was not God's will but man's will, the suspicious deaths did not continue, but the people of Escliffe were already unsettled. The Duke of Russell and the temple had delved into the realm of none other than faith.
“...”
Ivan gritted his teeth. Even though he would never acknowledge Ian as his successor anyway, his attitude of going as far as he could since he wasn't the one who would die was so annoying that he wanted to kill him.
"Your Majesty."
Now, even Rodan's visit was causing him stress. Ivan stared at Rodan, who had come to see him, with a complicated expression on his face.
“There is a rumor going around that a commoner died from drinking alcohol, and it was distorted and became a punishment from God.”
Ivan's mood at that moment was indescribable. Rodan seemed to sense it too, because his voice as he reported was not very good.
“There are too many rumors, and there is no way to control them.”
The oracle was all a lie, just as Amelia was not a real Priestess. But that was the story they were certain of.
Both Ivan and Rodan knew that Amelia was fake, but there was no other way for them to prove that she was fake. Just as Amelia could not prove that Ian was Ivan's child, there was no way for Ivan to prove that Amelia was fake.
“Have your soldiers patrol the restaurants and bars to arrest those spreading rumors. And provide entertainment and distractions for the town. To dilute the anxiety.”
With what? Rodan wanted to ask that, but held back. He was afraid that if he asked that, he would be looked down upon by Ivan.
“Support wandering troupes so they can travel from town to town, and hold martial arts shows and horse races. Put up big prizes and prizes so that everyone’s eyes are turned.”
But fortunately, Ivan noticed it and gave the answer first.
“And there was a mother whose baby was blessed by Amelia Escliffe, but who eventually died.”
"Yes."
“Place rumor-mongers around her so that she can go around telling people that the magical powers of the Priestess are false, and don’t spare financial support either.”
Rodan nodded at Ivan's command.
“The existence of a child...”
And Ian was made into a topic of conversation. The best thing to do was to make Ian into Amelia's illegitimate child, and spread the story that the Priestess had already lost the ability to hear the voice of God. It was true, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
“Go out and look.”
But all Ivan gave him in return was an order to go out. He must have other thoughts. Rodan tried to think so and turned around.
“...”
Ian. Kid. That little thing.
Ivan's face was not so happy as he recalled the name he had been avoiding. Because when he thought of Ian, he thought of Amelia. Just as Amelia couldn't separate Ivan from Ian's name, Ivan was no different.
Of course, it's his child, so it's precious. But aren't other people's lives precious?
“Your Majesty, it is time for dinner.”
As the ground spider began to fall, the servant announced that it was time for dinner. The candles that had been lit early began to flicker, and Ivan's untidy mind also began to shake. Ivan impulsively stood up from his seat.
“Your Majesty, aren’t you going to the restaurant?”
Ivan strode out, defying expectations that he would naturally go to a restaurant. The chamberlain followed him in a hurry. Ivan’s footsteps finally led him to the west palace, where the guests were staying.
The watchman carefully watched Ivan's expression. Ivan had a gloomy expression on his face, as if he was going to cut someone's balls off. The guards who had left their posts to get a snack straightened up with prickly faces.
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