Arc 4 Chapter 3 : Raul's Maneuver

[Raul POV]

Count Raymond de Chatelon—the most senior Grand Espada and the elder brother of the Empress.

He was known as the White Knight, a title he had earned through his mastery of swordsmanship, which relied purely on technique and did not require magic. That did not mean he possessed no magic at all. Rather, he rarely used it because even without magic, he was already overwhelmingly powerful.

“What does the White Knight want from an academy student like me?” I asked him.

“Even so, an academy student like you dared to insult the honor of a Grand Espada,” Count Raymond said. “I do not know whether what you did was an act of courage or merely the naivety of youth.”

He said it without breaking eye contact with me.

The pressure emanating from him was palpable, enough to affect my mental state. It was proof that this man had endured countless battles in which life and death had hung in the balance.

“I can barely sense any Mana within you,” Count Raymond said mockingly. “You will never become a great Knight, Young Man.”

“Then how did you become the strongest Knight in this country, Count Raymond?” I asked him.

Indeed, Count Raymond did not possess a large Mana capacity, much like me. And yet, he had reached the highest pinnacle a Knight in this nation could achieve.

He had become one of the Grand Espadas.

“Cheap flattery will not earn you my recognition,” Count Raymond replied. “So I will tell you this directly. You are not worthy of standing beside Princess Elena—my niece and my student. She is the greatest talent the Empire possesses. Her sense of justice will never yield to anyone, and her actions, which lead by example, have always inspired those around her.”

Everything Count Raymond had said was true.

Elena was the hope of the Aragon Empire—the person who could prevent this nation from descending into chaos and becoming an easy target for the Demons.

She was the only candidate capable of leading this country through all the disasters that awaited it in the future.

That was precisely why I supported her.

I had to make sure the disasters that occurred in the Game never became reality.

“I do not know how your influence managed to enter her mind,” Count Raymond said as he slowly approached me. His expression was deeply intimidating. “But if you ever break her heart, betray her, or make her cry…”

He stopped directly in front of me.

“I will hunt you down, break every bone in your body one by one, and force you to kneel before her and beg for forgiveness.”

I had no idea how Count Raymond had figured out what my relationship with Elena had become.

I supposed his instincts and his closeness to the Princess were enough to tell him something was going on between us.

“Elena deserves the very best person to stand at her side,” Count Raymond said as he turned his back toward me. “And that person is certainly not a weak man like you, who is only good at talking without showing any accomplishments.”

With those final words, Count Raymond walked away, leaving me behind.

It seemed he still did not trust me and believed that I had some ulterior motive for supporting Elena.

Could he be thinking that I intended to ask for her hand in marriage as payment for my support?

What an overprotective uncle.

However, just as I was about to leave the room, I saw a woman and a blond-haired man walking toward me.

“Count Raymond looked rather gloomy after speaking with you, Raul,” the woman said with a smile.

It was Duchess Amanda, walking side by side with the Second Prince—Ramon de Aragon.

“What were the two of you talking about?” the Duchess asked.

“He merely warned me not to harbor any ill intentions toward Princess Elena,” I replied ambiguously. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Ramon.”

I bowed respectfully before him, as befitted a member of the Imperial family.

“Your name is Raul, isn't it? I found your actions humiliating that Grand Espada from Annabella’s faction quite entertaining! Hahaha!”

Prince Ramon burst into laughter.

“Duchess Amanda told me that your family is open to joining our faction. Is that true?”

“Of course, Your Highness,” I replied. “We can discuss this as the beginning of a potential cooperation between my family and your faction in the future.”

“Excellent, excellent! Raul, come with us to my residence. We can discuss this in greater detail there,” the Prince said.

I simply nodded in response.

The three of us then left the meeting room and headed toward the Third Prince’s residence.

[Duchess Amanda POV]

Raul de Garcia…

He was the only son of Duke Alvaro de Garcia and Milenia von Holstein.

Before I married, I had once taught at the Empire’s elementary school for nobles.

He had been a quiet child, lacking ambition and preferring to spend most of his time by himself.

Yet when I met him again at this gathering, that perpetually quiet boy had transformed into a young man who was bold enough to damage the reputation of a Grand Espada in front of the Emperor and every noble present at the meeting.

We were currently at the Third Prince’s residence to discuss the possibility of his family joining our faction.

To be honest, I had no desire to bring my late husband’s family into the Third Prince’s faction.

However, the Prince had threatened to destroy my family under Marquis Lorenzo if I refused to obey his demands.

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My family was nothing more than a noble house of Baron rank. Their lives would become unbearable if an Imperial Prince decided to make them his enemies.

Reluctantly, as the Regent representing the Duchy of Valencia, I had no choice but to support the Prince in this succession struggle for the Imperial throne.

“Sit down, Raul,” the Prince said from his seat on a large sofa.

A scantily clad woman was sitting in the embrace of his right arm.

“Hey, bring our guest something to drink,” the Prince ordered one of his servants, a woman wearing cat ears and a cat tail.

“Raul, what is your favorite drink? I recommend Rodka—the famous liquor from the Kingdom of Pulishia!”

Hearing the Prince’s suggestion, Raul gave a faint smile.

“I think wine will be enough, Your Highness. I still have several other events to attend, and I would like to remain conscious when I arrive there.”

“Bah, don't worry so much about those formalities. I'm sure you'll enjoy this drink!” Prince Ramon insisted.

“Very well, but only one glass.”

Raul had no choice but to comply with the Prince, who was notorious for doing whatever he pleased.

“Now that is how a true noble should behave! Enjoying life because you were born among the upper class!” the Prince exclaimed. “Quickly, bring three bottles of Rodka here!”

Not long afterward, the servant returned with three bottles filled with a dark-red liquid.

She placed two bottles on the Prince’s table and the remaining bottle on Raul’s.

Prince Ramon then opened his bottle by biting down on the cap before raising it to his mouth and drinking until half the bottle was empty.

“Khuhhh! No drink can compare to the taste of this!” the Prince exclaimed as he placed the bottle back down. “Hey, Raul! Hurry up and try it yourself!”

“Of course, Your Highness. But where is my glass?” Raul asked, looking confused.

“Aren't you an adult already? Drinking alcohol from a glass is something only children do, Raul,” the Prince replied.

Hearing that, Raul merely sighed before opening the bottle.

He then tilted it back and emptied the entire bottle in a single gulp.

The Prince’s expression became utterly ridiculous.

His mouth hung open, and his eyes bulged as though he could not believe what he had just witnessed.

“Hey… are you really only eighteen years old?” the Prince asked.

“Of course, Your Highness. Why do you ask?”

“Never mind. Let us get straight to business.”

Prince Ramon abruptly changed the subject.

“Amanda, tell Lord Raul about it.”

Huh?

Why had he suddenly become so polite toward him?

Did watching Raul finish an entire bottle in a single gulp somehow make him respect him more?

I truly could not understand how this foolish Prince’s mind worked.

“Very well. As we said earlier, Raul, we want your family to join our faction,” I said to the black-haired young man. “Does your family have any conditions before that can happen?”

“Of course, my family would be pleased to cooperate with Prince Ramon’s faction, Duchess Amanda,” Raul said as he placed the empty bottle he had just finished on the table.

“However, we will only support a candidate who has a realistic chance of winning. And judging by the current situation, your candidate is still far behind Prince Felix’s faction, which has the support of the greatest number of nobles.”

His statement was perfectly logical.

No noble would willingly support a candidate with little chance of winning unless they had a particularly strong relationship with that candidate.

“Oh, as for Brother Felix, you don't need to worry about him, Lord Raul,” Prince Ramon said. “I already have a plan to destroy the noble faction supporting him.”

Huh?

Was that true?

Why had he never consulted me about such a plan?

Still, I doubted that anything he had devised could be considered a good plan, given the capacity of his brain.

“Oh? Is that so? What plan are you talking about, Your Highness?” Raul asked, appearing genuinely curious.

No.

Don't trust him.

Knowing him, it would probably be something idiotic, like bribing other nobles with money he planned to obtain from the Garcia family.

“It is a secret plan, Lord Raul. I cannot reveal it to someone outside my faction,” the idiot Prince replied.

Someone outside your faction?

You did not even discuss the plan with me—the person arranging everything necessary for your victory in the upcoming succession election.

“But if you give me 30,000 Gulden to finance my plan to destroy Brother Felix’s faction and promise to join my faction, I can reveal part of my plan to you,” the Prince said.

Upon hearing the offer, Raul appeared to consider it for a moment.

“Very well. As a gesture of goodwill, my family will provide you with 30,000 Gulden to support your plan, Your Highness,” Raul said seriously. “However, my family will only officially support you if you successfully execute this plan. How does that sound?”

Raul was more cautious than I expected.

It seemed we still could not secure the Garcia family’s complete support.

“I think that is fair,” the Prince replied with a broad smile.

“Then what is your plan for destroying Prince Felix’s faction?” Raul asked again.

“Before I tell you, let us perform a Blood Pact Ritual to ensure that you will not reveal it to anyone else,” Prince Ramon replied.

So he was not entirely stupid after all.

Still, I was genuinely curious about what Prince Ramon’s plan was for destroying the largest faction in this Imperial succession.

“Very well.”

After agreeing, Raul and Prince Ramon each sliced their palms before shaking hands, allowing their blood to mix.

The Prince swore that he would reveal his true plan, while Raul swore that he would never disclose it to anyone.

A Rune then appeared on both men’s hands before sinking into their skin.

“My plan for destroying Prince Felix’s faction is…”

The Prince stared directly into Raul’s eyes with a serious expression.

“The Tyal Tribe…”

He then explained how he intended to use the money that the Garcia family would provide to destroy Prince Felix’s faction.

“What do you think of my plan, Lord Raul?” the Prince asked.

“I believe this plan has a very high chance of succeeding,” Raul replied with a faint smile. “In that case, I will look forward to the results of your plan, Your Highness.”

Afterward, we discussed the timing and method by which the Garcia family would deliver the money to our faction.

Raul said that he would provide it within three months at the latest.

“Very well. I believe there is nothing more we need to discuss regarding this matter,” I said to the two of them. “Raul, thank you for your cooperation and for agreeing to support our faction.”

“There is no need to thank me, Duchess Amanda. As I said, my family is quite open to joining Prince Ramon’s faction.”

Raul then stood up, intending to leave the room now that the discussion regarding Prince Ramon’s support was finished.

“One more thing, Your Highness,” Raul said as he took out a sheet of paper and handed it to Prince Ramon.

The paper contained an illustration of a beautiful woman dressed in a dancer’s outfit.

“Hooo~ What an incredible woman, Lord Raul,” Prince Ramon remarked as he examined the illustration. “Is she one of the slaves you own?”

“That is correct. I heard that you own entertainment establishments such as gambling houses and brothels, Your Highness,” Raul said, pointing at the illustration of the woman. “She is an excellent dancer. To celebrate our agreement, I would like to lend her to you so that your establishment can attract more customers.”

“Hoho~ You are quite generous, Lord Raul,” Prince Ramon said, still smiling as he stared at the illustration. “What is the name of this dancer of yours?”

“The woman’s name is—Aliya.”

[Princess Annabella POV]

After the meeting ended, Danilo and I returned to my residence to discuss what had happened.

“Why did you lose control like that?”

Earlier, he had nearly caused a commotion in front of Father and the other nobles simply because of the words of an academy student.

That would inevitably leave a poor impression of our faction in Father’s eyes, as well as in the eyes of the nobles who remained neutral.

“It was obvious that boy was deliberately provoking you. You should have simply ignored him so things would not become even worse.”

Hearing my words, Danilo lowered his head and clenched his fists tightly.

“Forgive me, Annabella,” the armored man said remorsefully. “I disappointed you this time.”

“This is your final warning, Danilo. Do not disappoint me again. Understood?”

“I understand. This mistake will never happen again!” he replied firmly.

However, there was no way an academy student would dare insult the honor of a Grand Espada without having some sort of protection.

He must have had a shield in place in case our faction retaliated against him for humiliating us.

“Danilo, which faction do you think will protect that boy?” I asked him.

“I don't know for certain,” Danilo replied, touching his chin thoughtfully. “However, earlier I saw him together with Duchess Amanda and Prince Ramon.”

Hmm…

Brother Ramon’s faction?

If he had truly managed to secure the support of the Garcia family, then his faction would now be considerably larger than mine.

I needed to secure the support of the remaining neutral nobles as soon as possible if I wanted to accomplish my goal.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A knock echoed through the room.

“Come in.”

After I spoke, the door opened, revealing a beautiful green-haired woman wearing an elegant green dress.

“Lady Valeria, I apologize for making you come here,” I said to her.

“It is no trouble, Your Highness,” she replied with a smile. “So, what did you wish to discuss with me?”

The reason I had summoned her was to secure the support of her father—Duke Julian de Artagnan, a man with tremendous influence over the Magic Tower and the Imperial Council of Mages.

If I could secure his support, the strength of my faction would become comparable to that of Brother Felix, whose faction was currently the largest among all the Imperial candidates.