Chapter 31.1: Before Our Spring (1)
Baron Moliot returned from the County of Ethelred.
The news he brought about the successor, Cain, was enough to shake the kingdom.
The hottest topic was the ‘territorial war’ acknowledged by Princess Oleciren.
Originally, territorial wars were a great bane, causing an arms race among the nobles and weakening royal power.
Therefore, after the ‘4th Airian Great War’ 70 years ago, unauthorized territorial wars were treated as treason, and permission was only granted to direct descendants of the royal family at the time.
In other words, currently, in the Airian Kingdom, only the King, 1st Princess Oleciren, and 2nd Princess Olivia, could be officially authorized to acknowledge territorial wars.
However, even among past royals, those who actually granted permission for territorial wars were extremely rare.
This was the first time permission had been granted for a territorial war between high-ranking nobles, especially those of the count’s rank or higher.
Therefore, many people called the princess’s granting of permission for the territorial war the beginning of the ‘5th Airian Great War’.
It was essentially the beginning of a civil war.
A magnificent royal palace, with white as its base and adorned with green and gold here and there.
In the middle of the palace, surrounded by walls, there was a desolate garden with only two people.
“The territorial war between Ethelred and Lamaring—it’s the first territorial war between the Seven Great Noble Houses in 70 years.”
He had no beard.
A middle-aged man with a smooth face and a tired expression sighed deeply, more than anyone else.
On his abundant head, a small golden crown was placed, suggesting that he was the first human of the Airian Kingdom and its King, ‘Hybolt Rune Airian’.
“Unless one of them is destroyed, the grievances of war will never end, but my older sister Oleciren granted permission for the territorial war to save herself!”
Opposite him.
A girl wearing a dress with a soft color, like a scarlet tulip blooming, opened her mouth.
“Hmm…….”
“Father. Cancel it immediately. It’s not like it’s at the Baron or Viscount level, the territorial war between the Seven Great Noble Houses won’t end easily. It will definitely…….”
As her words continued, King Hybolt’s eyes grew colder. He coldly cut off her words.
“Olivia, I don’t care about you alone.”
Just as Oleciren was called the Princess of ‘Gypsum Flower’, the second princess, Olivia Rune Airian, was called ‘Fiery Safflower’.
As Hybolt coldly drew a line, tears welled up in her large golden eyes in an instant.
Her shimmering gray hair, like waves, trembled, revealing her emotions without a doubt.
“I, I’m just worried about the country…….”
The King is always in the same place.
“If Oleciren had stayed still, wouldn’t you have killed her?”
But that doesn’t mean he’s a fool who doesn’t know anything.
He ascended the throne at seventeen and now, thirty-six years later.
Hybolt had protected his throne by overcoming all the intrigues within the royal family and dodging the mouths of nobles like wolves.
In other words, he was too experienced to be swayed by his young daughter’s schemes.
Olivia shook her head and said.
“My maternal grandfather wouldn’t do that!”
It was what Marquis McLoud had told her beforehand.
Hybolt raised one corner of his lips and shook his head.
“Power has the magic to make siblings kill each other.”
“I have no intention of killing my sister!”
“Neither did I. But the world made us kill each other.”
Hybolt’s voice, echoing through the garden where red flowers bloomed here and there, had no emotion whatsoever.
To Olivia, it felt like the image of a king worn down by time.
She couldn’t even imagine how much pain he had endured, how lonely the time he had endured had been.
“Someday, you two will kill each other too, but at least it will only be once, so the pain will be less.”
Thump━.
Something fell from Olivia’s heart.
It was a feeling that could be called both horror and surprise.
If he was a king, he should have increased the number of concubines to produce a prince, but after having two princesses, Hybolt didn’t get close to any woman anymore.
‘Could it be that the reason is…’
Some people gossiped that there was a problem with Hybolt’s ability or that his taste had changed.
Some dreamers made up novel-like stories that High Bolt secretly met the elves of the north.
His true feelings that nobody knew.
━If they were going to kill each other anyway, he wanted to make it so they only had to kill each other once.
Olivia felt like she had lifted the veil for the first time.
“I said nothing about the McLoud family or the Ross’ bastards behind you.”
“Yes……”
Olivia trailed off.
Even though Hybolt was in a position to stop her actions at any time, he really never interfered with Olivia’s actions even once.
All he did was give the Royal Intelligence Service to First Princess Oleciren.
“So, it would be fair to leave the eldest alone too. She probably tried to gain one of the Seven Great Noble Houses after losing six.”
Hybolt’s declaration that he wouldn’t interfere with either side.
“Father, do you think my sister’s choice is right?”
Olivia’s golden eyes, which had been acting innocent, became clear. It was the question of a brilliant queen candidate who had abandoned her usual act.
Satisfied with this aspect, the King, Hybolt’s lips curved slightly.
“Do you want to hear my political insight?”
“Yes. Honestly, I always thought I would be the next ruler.”
He chuckled and nodded.
It was an affirmation.
“If nothing happens, you, who are supported by McLoud and Ross, would have killed Oleciren and ascended the throne.”
“What if something happens?”
Whoosh━.
Hybolt waved his hand in the air.
The trajectory that stretched out from his chest forward.
Olivia frowned. It was a familiar yet unknown action.
He looked at her expression and clicked his tongue, as if he was disappointed.
“You were too young then, so you wouldn’t know. What I just showed you was the swordsmanship that count Edmund showed when he proved his mastery.”
“……!”