“Count Beerton and the Church’s delegation have clashed.”
With Princess Irena’s statement, the knights who guarded the royal family entered.
At the sight, silence fell over the conference room.
“……”
The count and the Church had clashed?
At the news the princess had delivered, the king looked bewildered. The nobles, too, seemed shocked, staring at the princess with their mouths agape.
Some among them, however, appeared relieved.
In fact, they had every reason to be.
The nobles gathered here did not belong to the noble faction, but to the royalist faction that supported the crown. And Count Beerton, who had reportedly clashed with the Church’s delegation, was the head of the noble faction.
Even if they were all nobles, their views differed.
They did not know why Count Beerton had clashed with the Church, but one thing was certain: this was not a good situation for the noble faction.
They had already been uneasy because the noble faction’s power was growing by the day, so this was welcome news that allowed them to breathe a sigh of relief, if only for a moment.
Of course, whether it was truly fact was also important.
King Karendia quickly sent someone.
Since it was the princess who had spoken, the possibility of it being false was low, but confirming it directly was necessary.
As everyone’s expressions changed in real time, someone addressed Princess Irena.
“But how did Your Highness come to know of this?”
It was Marquis Robert, one of the royalist nobles.
“And what of the knights behind you? Your Highness will need to explain these matters.”
At the marquis’s words, everyone’s gazes turned once more to Princess Irena.
Her earlier statement had been so shocking that they had momentarily forgotten the knights standing behind her.
“That is right, Your Highness. This is where His Majesty the King is present. Yet you suddenly mobilized knights! This is discourteous!”
Another noble agreed with Marquis Robert and spoke up.
The princess’s current actions were not a light matter, as depending on the situation, they could be considered treason.
The marquis quietly waited for the princess’s answer.
If the count and the Church had clashed, there was no way he, a marquis, would not have known. Let us say, for argument’s sake, that he had not. But even His Majesty the King did not know the news the princess had brought?
In Marquis Robert’s eyes, something was strange.
Through what route had she learned that the count and the Church had clashed?
And why had knights followed in behind the princess?
Marquis Robert thought of one negative possibility.
Could she truly be dreaming of rebellion?
‘No, surely not.’
Forcing himself to ignore the thought, he demanded an explanation from the princess.
“Marquis, is that really what matters right now?”
However, Princess Irena did not meekly answer the marquis’s words.
Instead, she slowly looked around and continued speaking.
“This is a clash between a noble of the kingdom and the Church, no less. In the current situation, is there anything more important than His Majesty the King’s safety? If you find it uncomfortable, I will have the knights withdraw at once.”
It was an incident that, if handled poorly, might bring calamity upon the entire kingdom.
That was why she had called the royal knights.
She meant that the knights behind her were merely there to protect His Majesty the King and had no other intention, so they could be at ease.
When the princess spoke, this time the commander of the royal knights looked as though he could not understand.
The authority to command the knights clearly lay with the commander.
That right had been bestowed by His Majesty the King. So how could the knights be obeying the princess?
However, the knight commander could not say anything.
“No, that will do.”
Since His Majesty the King had given permission first, there was no room for the knight commander to intervene.
Of course, the same applied to Marquis Robert.
“Hmm…”
Marquis Robert, who had first questioned the princess, slowly nodded and lowered himself.
Thinking about it, everything she had said was correct.
This clash was a loss for the royal family.
It would be a problem if Count Beerton won, and it would be a problem if the Church’s delegation emerged victorious.
No matter which side seized victory, the aftermath would soon come crashing down.
And that aftermath would sweep over the royal family first.
‘To think I had always thought of her as a child…’
The marquis was impressed by Princess Irena’s swift judgment and action.
Above all, the princess had used the title “His Majesty the King” instead of “Father” this time.
‘Earlier, it must have slipped out because the situation was urgent.’
The marquis, who had been wary of negative possibilities, softened his expression somewhat. Rather, he even found Princess Irena admirable.
‘As expected, royal blood does run in her veins.’
The noble faction had been stirring up conflict by making claims about the king’s legitimacy.
They wanted to put the king forward as nothing more than a puppet and take all the kingdom’s interests for themselves. Some were even demanding the king’s abdication, but the marquis thought differently from them.
‘Even if he is from a collateral line, he is still royal.’
The marquis remained loyal to the royal family. And today, he had seen a new side of Princess Irena.
“I, too, believe Her Highness the Princess is correct.”
If there was one thing that had changed, it was that the way the marquis addressed the princess had been elevated to “Her Highness the Princess.”
That was how favorably he now viewed Princess Irena. In fact, Marquis Robert wore the warm smile of a grandfather looking at his granddaughter.
But since there was another problem that had to be resolved now, he soon corrected his expression.
“Princess, explain this matter in detail.”
The king, who had been watching the situation until now, opened his mouth. In a solemn voice, he demanded an answer from Princess Irena.
He had sent someone, but it would inevitably take time for them to confirm the matter and report back.
Right now, every minute and second was precious.
In response to Karendia’s question, Princess Irena continued her explanation.
“They say that before the clash, the Church designated Count Beerton as a heretic.”
“What! Is that true?”
At Princess Irena’s words, Marquis Robert rose from his seat.
For the Church to designate a noble of the kingdom as a heretic—this was no simple matter.
If handled poorly, it was a grave issue that could turn the Church against the entire kingdom.
“Why are you only now telling us such an important thing…”
If the Church designated the entire Seil Kingdom as a heretical nation, things would become truly serious.
At that point, the kingdom might have to wage war against every nation on the continent.
The marquis muttered with a hollow expression.
This was not the time to be leisurely wasting time like this.
The nobles, too, had fire at their feet.
However, none of them could reproach the princess.
After all, they only knew of this news because Princess Irena had told them.
Amid the atmosphere of panicking nobles, Irena smiled faintly.
The situation she had wanted had been created.
Count Beerton had been designated a heretic?
No. Skeleton knights had merely been discovered at the count’s mansion; he had not officially been designated a heretic.
‘But by now, they must be suspecting each other.’
The Church’s delegation and Count Beerton would be doubting one another and swinging their swords at each other.
The Church, to exterminate a heretic.
The count, because he believed he had fallen into a trap.
All of it was the work of Celia and Irena.
Irena was satisfied.
Until now, the royal family had had no power. Because of that, the king had been dragged around without being able to take the lead himself.
The same had been true for Princess Irena.
Not only the nobles, but even maids and butlers had often ignored her.
But what about now?
‘If Lady Celia is with me, it is possible!’
The kingdom was moving according to her thoughts.
Irena felt exhilaration at moving the kingdom as she wished.
After making a contract with Celia, she had prepared many things.
One of them had been secretly siphoning away the royal knights’ equipment with Celia’s help. And using those items, she had infiltrated skeleton knights.
At first, she had infiltrated them into the kingdom’s interior, and next, little by little, into some of the nobles belonging to the noble faction.
‘By now, they should be moving.’
Unlike the Church’s delegation, which had received an invitation from Count Beerton, there was another group.
The Church’s paladins, who had infiltrated the kingdom before the delegation officially arrived.
In a word, they were people one might call rats, but for now, they were not enemies.
‘How did Lady Celia even win over the Church’s paladins?’
She had heard that Celia had won over the vice commander of the paladins.
Of course, Riana, the vice commander of the paladins, had mistaken the skeleton paladin “Maru” for a saint and was following him, not Celia, but there was no way Irena could know that.
One thing was certain: the information that Vice Commander Riana would soon launch a surprise attack on the nobles.
It was a plan they had prepared for quite a long time, and at last, it was bearing fruit.
The things they had prepared were taking the stage one by one.
And now it was Irena’s turn, as the princess, to step onto the stage.
“So what does the princess think we should do?”
There was no strength in the king’s voice.
Because the matter had suddenly grown so large, it had become a headache. On top of that, they lacked time.
Thus, the king asked Princess Irena, who had informed them of this first, for her opinion.
From Princess Irena’s perspective, she had deliberately revealed the information with a time lag.
The tighter time became, the lower the chance of making a normal judgment.
“I will resolve it myself.”
While everyone was flustered, Princess Irena did not miss the opportunity.
“In exchange, grant me the authority to command the royal knights.”
The knights following behind her now were all merely skeleton knights armed in royal equipment, not the true royal knights.
It was something she could do because there was no priest of the Church here.
But once she went outside, she would inevitably run into the Church.
The princess’s need for the skeleton knights ended here. They were nothing more than a tool to obtain command authority over the royal knights.
“For the safety of the kingdom, I will take responsibility for everything.”
Lastly, she declared that she would take responsibility for all of this.
Now only the king’s decision remained.
Princess Irena looked at Karendia, her father and king.
‘Father.’
There had certainly been an opportunity.
In fact, even now, she could use the skeletons disguised as knights to raise a rebellion.
It was the easiest way to inherit the throne.
But she could not, if she considered the kingdom’s future.
‘Father, there is still something you must do.’
Once these matters were settled, the Church would demand responsibility from the kingdom on a massive scale. The things that would happen from now on would by no means be minor.
And when that time came, someone would be needed to shoulder the blame.
‘For the future of the kingdom, you will have to sacrifice yourself.’
The first person responsible would be the king of the Seil Kingdom himself.
Unaware of Princess Irena’s inner thoughts, the king made his decision from his seat.
“I understand the princess’s resolve. It was likely not an easy choice, but as a member of the royal family, the princess must also fulfill her responsibility.”
If it had been a simple clash, that would be one thing, but a noble of the kingdom had been designated a heretic.
From now on, the royal family had to take active action.
In any case, this matter was not a battlefield or a dangerous fight. It was merely a political issue.
For now, it was right for the princess, a member of the royal family, to step forward.
Even if combat broke out, the princess would not stand at the forefront, so the king did not hesitate.
“I will entrust all authority over the royal knights to Princess Irena! Princess, make your preparations at once.”
At the king’s command, Irena lowered her head with a smile.
She had taken the first step.
Under the pretext of preparing, the princess left the room. Then she immediately headed to her chambers.
On the way, she commanded her escort knight, Lennon.
“Lennon, I appoint you temporary commander for this matter. Prepare the knights immediately.”
Lennon was the princess’s escort knight, but he had been born a commoner.
If Lennon, born a commoner, commanded the royal knights, there might be gossip afterward.
But it did not matter, because the princess had obtained command authority over the knights.
‘Once this matter is over, everyone will be distracted by that.’
Rather, because of what was soon to happen, she was not worried about gossip arising afterward.
Lennon, too, obeyed, as it was the order of the lord he served.
“I will carry out Your Highness’s command!”
Lennon knelt and assumed a knightly posture.
Only after confirming that the princess he served had entered her room did he move his feet.
‘……’
Irena, who had entered the room, also began to prepare.
However, she did something else.
She took out the parchment she had hidden deep beneath the bed. The parchment was filled with unknown characters.
After the parchment, she took out a rat’s corpse, and then a small amount of jewels and gold.
It was the same ritual she had performed when she first summoned Celia.
But Irena continued her preparations. Celia had requested that if she wanted to use additional power, she should perform the ritual again.
—The Great One is merciful.
She had said this ritual was not offered to Celia, but to the Great One.
And she had said that thanks to that Great One, Irena had been able to meet Celia.
The present Irena had never seen the Great One. However, she did not doubt that being’s existence.
‘All of this is for the kingdom.’
‘And for the Great One!’
Once the ritual was fully prepared, she lit the candles as she had last time.
And just as she was about to bite her finger to let drops of blood fall—
She stopped.
Irena’s movement halted.
And a different thought came to her.
Irena did not want to become merely an ordinary king. She needed greater power.
“Greater power…”
Last time, she had been able to contract with Celia using the drops of blood that came from biting her finger.
In exchange for offering only a few drops of blood, she had been able to come this far.
Then what would happen if she offered something greater?
Irena’s eyes gradually became stained with madness.
“…I need a sacrifice worthy of that.”
Having finished thinking, Irena took a small fruit knife from the drawer.
Then she placed her left hand on top of the parchment.
Her right hand, holding the fruit knife, trembled. But there was no time to hesitate.
Irena drove the fruit knife down toward her little finger.
* * *
—Special mission generated!
—The Princess Who Wishes to Become King
—Help Princess Irena so that she may ascend the throne as queen.
—Please select the monsters to dispatch to the Seil Kingdom. Princess Irena has offered her “little finger” as a sacrifice.
—The number of monsters that can be dispatched to the Seil Kingdom has increased!
Monsters 5★ or higher (0/5)
Monsters below 5★ (0/100)
—Reward: Princess Irena will swear absolute loyalty. Additionally, the range of activity for dungeon monsters will expand to the Seil Kingdom.