-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Back to the Capital (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5.
The road to the capital was exceptionally smooth.
The Imperial Guard, representing the Imperial Family.
The Sea Wolf Knights, representing the Leston Ducal Family.
And on top of that, the 8-star knight, Mason.
Their combined strength was so formidable that it would take a large-scale regular army to even stand a chance against them, so it was only natural that nothing happened.
Thanks to this, Karron was able to sleep comfortably inside the prince's carriage.
How much time had passed?
"Hmm."
Karron slowly opened his eyes.
Leo, sitting next to him, was still drooling in his sleep. The surprising one was the royal family's problem child.
Rebellio was gazing silently out the carriage window.
The sunlight streaming through the window touched his deep black hair.
The deep black hair and golden eyes that proved his imperial lineage.
*If he just kept his mouth shut, he'd be the perfect prince.*
A handsome face and an air of moderate dignity.
Wasn't that the kind of prince the people of the empire wanted?
"Oh, little brother. You're awake? You should've said something. I've been waiting."
Of course, that was only when his mouth was shut.
The moment he spoke, he shattered the atmosphere.
Karron let out a deep sigh and nodded.
"Honestly, I'm a little surprised."
"About what?"
"I thought you'd be chattering nonstop the whole way. Figured you wouldn't even let me sleep."
Rebellio chuckled at Karron's words and waved a hand dismissively.
"I'm not that thoughtless. You guys got caught up in a fight yesterday, right? Plus, you were running around all night, so you must be tired. Sleep more if you want."
"I'm done sleeping."
Karron replied curtly and pulled a piece of beef jerky from his pocket.
He looked at Rebellio and asked.
"Want a piece?"
"They say when a wild beast shares its food, it means it wants to be friends. Should I take it that way?"
"Don't read so much into it. You just look like you'd snap if someone poked you. Even mages need to build up their bodies a bit. Relying only on magic is a great way to get stabbed."
Karron tore off a piece of jerky and popped it into his mouth.
The salty flavor of the jerky filled his mouth.
Rebellio watched Karron with an amused expression.
He was the first person to act this way even after learning he was a prince.
Everyone, even Poina, who had been a close friend since childhood, had felt a sense of distance when he first revealed his identity as a prince.
*He really is interesting.*
It had been a long time since he'd met someone who made such a unique first impression.
"How much longer until we reach the capital?"
"Hmm, about six hours."
"…Still?"
"Do you realize you've been sleeping for a solid six hours?"
"The ride is incredibly comfortable. Maybe I should get one of these when I go back to the duchy."
"These things are ridiculously expensive."
"It's not like I'm short on cash. Or my big brother, the prince, could give it to me as a gift. Isn't that what friends do, exchange gifts?"
"Then what would you give me?"
"I was about to give you some jerky."
"Haha, you're a real piece of work, you know that?"
The two broke the awkward atmosphere with lighthearted banter.
Rebellio laughed out loud for a while. Then, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Karron.
"The things happening in Tebe… that's your handiwork, isn't it?"
Before leaving Tebe, he had heard the mayor's speech.
It was a speech about justice, but it all pointed to one thing.
"He's going to tear down the council and take everything for himself. That was the gist of it."
"Does the imperial family give you guys early education? You've got a sharp eye."
"Ah, I grew up on the streets. I told you, I ran away to survive."
"So proud of your dysfunctional family, aren't you?"
"Anyway, for old man Gline, who was mayor in name only, to suddenly change his tune… it must mean he found a powerful backer. And in that situation, the only one he could have turned to was the Leston Ducal Family."
Karron nodded obediently.
"That's right. We're going to take it all. Speaking of which, is Kalligo by any chance interested in this?"
"You should ask my sister about that directly. She gave you a crystal ball to contact her later, didn't she?"
"Come on, drop the act."
Poina and Rebellio's relationship wasn't just a simple friendship.
The very existence of that organization was unnatural. A group composed entirely of former slaves was no different from a ticking bomb.
The fact that such an organization hadn't been crushed long ago meant they also had a backer.
For instance, a certain royal bloodline putting on an act right in front of him.
Rebellio's lips curled into a grin as he looked at Karron.
"Alright, if we cooperate, what's in it for us?"
"Nothing different from how it is now. The mayor takes the public face, you guys take the shadows. Happiness multiplies when you share it. And we can help each other out when things get tough."
"I see you're not thinking of taking both."
"You eat too much, you'll burst. Oh, but there's one condition before that."
"Go on."
"We need to know who we're getting into bed with, right? I want to know your objective."
Karron cast his bait.
Rebellio simply shrugged at the question.
"Nothing special, really. Just a bunch of guys with no one to watch their backs, banding together. If I had to pick another reason… a bunch of people who want to be free?"
"Free from what?"
"That's different for everyone. For some, it's their social status. For others, poverty. And for some… hmm, that one's a bit difficult even for me. Anyway, they're all people who yearn for freedom."
"You too, Prince?"
"Yeah, me too."
A cryptic conversation.
Karron tore off another piece of jerky and put it in his mouth.
"And an elven mage is the leader of a group with such an ambiguous purpose."
"My sister is a special case. She originally came to Tebe to rescue the elven slaves who had been brought there. As you know, nobles are crazy about elves. It's decreased a lot thanks to her, but back in the day, Tebe was the biggest marketplace for elf trafficking."
The more he heard, the more questions he had about the organization.
Despite that, could he work with them?
In truth, that wasn't a very difficult question for Karron.
*As long as the relationship is mutually beneficial.*
He wasn't looking for a lifelong companion, just a business partner.
As long as there was profit in it, there was nothing he wouldn't do.
"Consider it payment for cooperating with us so readily. Thanks to you gathering the evidence beforehand, you saved us a lot of trouble."
"My sister will be happy to hear that. She was just grumbling about the lack of customers lately. My own pockets have been feeling the pinch because of it."
"A prince lining his pockets through the black market. What a fine example you're setting."
"Unlike my other siblings, I don't have a maternal family to give me an allowance… But you're one to talk. A guy who slips bribes to the mayor."
"How did you know?"
"Because you're exactly the type who would."
Anyway, the prince never lost a war of words.
A peculiar guy.
Having finished his business so simply, Karron pulled the folded blanket from beside him back over his body.
Seeing this, Rebellio's eyes widened.
"Sleeping again?"
"I just ate jerky. After you eat, you sleep. You need to sleep enough for your muscles to grow. You said we still have a long way to the capital, right?"
"Well, yeah."
"You have to sleep when you have free time. How else are you going to run around diligently once we arrive?"
Still, it was a relief that the prince didn't bother sleeping people.
Karron spoke from under the blanket.
"Big Brother Prince, can I ask you a favor?"
"If it's something I can do, I'll do it."
The sun was still high in the sky, making the inside of the carriage too bright. So, he pointed a finger at the window.
"The sunlight is too bright. Let's draw the curtains."
"Can't do that. Looking out the carriage window is my only pleasure. Let's do this instead."
*Whoosh.*
Rebellio waved his hand lightly, and a black sleep mask materialized in mid-air.
"It might not look like much, but it's a magical artifact. It blocks out light and sound. Wear it and sleep."
"Oh, thanks."
"Eat, sleep, and shit. What's the difference between you and an animal?"
"I haven't shit yet. You want a demonstration?"
"…If you need to, there's a toilet in the back of the carriage. Use that."
"This carriage has everything, huh? Tsk."
"Just sleep, you animal."
Karron smirked and picked up the sleep mask Rebellio had summoned.
*I win.*
He had worn out his opponent first, so this round was his victory.
"*Snore.*"
As Karron put on the mask and fell asleep, a quiet silence once again filled the carriage.
And so, the carriage continued its diligent journey toward the capital.
6.
"Karron, Leo. Time to wake up."
When he opened his eyes again, darkness had already fallen outside the window.
"Ugh."
"*Yaaawn.*"
Karron and Leo yawned in unison as they sat up.
"This carriage is the best… I never knew a seat could perform the miracle of turning into a bed. It's so luxurious. Karron, I guess money really is the best."
Leo said in a groggy voice, and Karron replied indifferently.
"You're just figuring that out now?"
Karron pushed the backrest he had been using as a bed back into its upright position. Then he looked at Rebellio.
"Are we there already?"
"We can't go fast from here on out."
"Why?"
"We just crossed the border into Dekus. We have to obey the speed limit within the capital."
Dekus, the capital of the Orias Empire.
Dekus was on a completely different scale than an ordinary territory.
It was a city built on the most fertile land in the empire, its vast outskirts entirely protected by sturdy walls.
In terms of size alone, it was a massive territory, twice as large as the Leston Duchy.
The distance from the central district where the Imperial Palace was located to the city's outermost region was a 30-minute train ride, giving a rough idea of just how large Dekus was.
"If I had my way, I'd turn this carriage right back around."
Rebellio muttered with a smirk.
"I'd get whipped by my father… Ah, but Father is sick in bed right now, isn't he? So no whipping. Lucky for me, right, Karron?"
"The moment we agree with you, it's treason."
"What does it matter? No one's listening."
"…Sir Mason is listening, Sir Mason."
"It's fine. Sir Mason is tight-lipped."
Karron took a sip of the water placed beside him.
It seemed Rebellio had cast a chilling spell on it, as it was cool enough to instantly wake him up.
Watching him with satisfaction, Rebellio spoke in a languid voice.
"Where are you guys staying when we arrive?"
"At my maternal grandfather's house."
"Ah, the Commissioner of National Revenue's place? Nice. It's a little ways from the central district, so it's quiet."
"You seem to know everything."
"When you run away from the palace as often as I do, you get to know the layout of Dekus like the back of your hand. If you need a guide, just say the word. I'll run away and come find you, alright?"
Karron lightly ignored him and quietly gazed out the window.
*I wonder if Grandfather is doing okay.*
His maternal grandfather, Gail, was traveling in the carriage following them.
Karron had invited him to ride in Rebellio's carriage, but he had declined, saying it would be uncomfortable.
It seemed Gail, too, was well aware that Rebellio was a madman.
"Woah…"
Leo, who had been looking out the window with Karron, let out a gasp of awe.
It was only natural, as the downtown area of Dekus had come into view.
"Karron. That tower is…"
"The Imperial Magic Tower."
A white tower that soared so high it was visible even from a great distance.
It was the Imperial Magic Tower, a symbol of civilization that had existed even in Karron's past life.
*It's gotten even more extravagant since I last saw it. How much money did those magic-slinging bastards blow on it?*
Seeing the Magic Tower for the first time in nearly fifty years, its appearance had clearly changed.
In the old days, it had never shone so brightly.
The mages must have gone on a spending spree, Karron thought.
As if sensing Karron's displeasure, Rebellio said with a laugh.
"They're the ones who rake in all the money, after all."
"Then and now, they're always…"
"Hm? Have you been here before? I thought this was your first visit to the capital."
"I'm going to soak in the view for a moment, so don't talk to me."
"Country bumpkin."
Karron casually ignored Rebellio and turned his gaze outside again.
Slowly, the buildings of the capital began to draw closer.
The heart of the empire, a symbol proving the splendor of its civilization.
And also, the city personally ruled by the great Emperor.
And.
*…My grave.*
The place where he had met his end in his past life.
Karron took in the sight of the capital for the first time in fifty years, a bitter smile on his face.
The knight who had fallen long ago.
*It's damn good to be back.*
Had finally returned to his own grave.