Chapter 20 – Your Daughter Will Die Too
#1
As soon as Lake opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was his sister’s tear-streaked face.
His father, filled with relief, and some unfamiliar people conversing with each other came into view.
When the terrible pain finally ended and his mind cleared, the first thought that came to him was curiosity.
“Wh-Who saved me?”
“It’s this person here. The youngest prince of the Montemer family.”
“Thank you.”
Lake managed to move his parched throat to express his gratitude.
Lawrence smiled and nodded.
“It feels nice to hear it directly. How are you feeling?”
“I feel weak. I’m worried because all my muscles have vanished.”
“Lake, my son. Were you entirely unconscious?”
Even though his son’s condition hadn’t fully improved, the Grand Duke intended to take care of business first.
It was Leila who stopped him.
“Father, how can you say that in a situation like this!? You should ask if he’s okay first!”
“He seems fine to me.”
“Really… Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Should we spar when you get better? Hmm?”
“…Um, shouldn’t we be more reserved since we have guests?”
Lake spoke with an exasperated expression, but it was no use.
Perhaps Leila’s eagerness was due to being bored all this time.
Loria observed the peculiar atmosphere and whispered to Lawrence.
“It seems they live quite freely here.”
“What!? You’re saying they live without formality here!?”
“Aaagh! That’s not what I meant-!”
“Heh heh, well, she’s not wrong. Little miss, how old are you? I’m sixteen! My name’s Leila! You listen well to your older brother, right?”
Pffft-.
Lawrence and Lancel Gaudi couldn’t hold back their laughter and burst out.
Loria’s face turned red, and she replied with a trembling voice.
“I-I’m actually the older one… I’m the older sister!”
“Oh? Oh, uh, really? Sorry…”
“Haha, it’s nice to see that the Montemer children get along so well.”
Lake smiled with a pale face.
Then, Lawrence and Loria looked at each other and spoke at the same time.
“We’re not really close.”
“Hmph! I’m not close with him!”
“R-Really?”
They seem peculiar in their own way…
Lake scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.
With the mood somewhat lightened, Lawrence began to ask Lake questions in earnest.
“You might have been conscious. Did you hear anything?”
“Not really… It seemed like they were being careful with their words. Occasionally, I sensed someone entering alone.”
“Do you remember any sounds like breathing or footsteps?”
“Oh, now that you mention it, they always cleared their throat. Like ‘ahem, ahem’.”
Everyone’s eyes lit up.
It was a small clue, but it was enough to narrow down the identity of the person.
The Grand Duke spoke quietly and firmly.
“Now, the children’s time is over. The rest will be handled by the adults. You all should be content with the experience you’ve gained in this subjugation.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I am the King of the North. I don’t know which rat has sneaked in… but at the very least, they should be prepared to freeze to death.”
His imposing presence filled the entire space.
He seemed to relax, perhaps mindful of Lake.
Then he extended a respectful noble’s greeting to Lawrence.
“I owe my life to the youngest prince of the Montemer family. I shall repay this debt with my life.”
“I might incur quite a few debts here as well.”
“No matter what the debt is, I will forgive it.”
The Grand Duke, having received something immensely valuable, struggled to find a way to repay the favor.
Lawrence nodded with a pleased smile.
However, the problem was not yet resolved.
“Hooo, maybe it’s because I faced Father’s presence, but I feel quite suffocated.”
“That’s a heart problem.”
“Huh!?”
“What…?”
Another shock followed.
Especially, the Grand Duke looked even more dumbfounded.
Even in some comics, wasn’t heart disease something that even a golden monkey capable of destroying the universe couldn’t avoid?
No matter how strong a person may be, a disease that infiltrates deep into the organs cannot be easily blocked.
Divine power is not a panacea.
It is excellent for healing external injuries by reconnecting and regenerating, but it shows weakness against poisons, curses, and diseases.
What could block such ailments was Lawrence’s modern knowledge.
“It’s called valvular disorder. Simply put, it means the heart might not function properly, and blood could flow backward.”
“Then…”
“Sometimes, it causes chest pain or difficulty breathing, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, I’ve had high fevers in the past, and ever since then, it happens occasionally.”
“It’s not just due to the weather or the Grand Duke’s presence; it’s because Lady Leila’s heart has a problem.”
Everyone had a shocked expression.
The Grand Duke, who nearly lost both his children at once, was now drenched in cold sweat.
He asked calmly, seemingly trying to maintain his composure, though his slightly trembling voice pierced everyone’s hearts.
“Then… what must I do to save my daughter?”
“If you help me create the artifact, that’s all we need.”
“Is that truly enough?”
“It’s not just a simple matter. It’s a task that requires using authority.”
Hooo-.
The Grand Duke closed his eyes and nodded.
Then he took off the fur cloak he was wearing and draped it over Lawrence.
His children watched with surprise.
“Father.”
“From now on, Lawrence Montemer can act as an equal with Lancel Gaudi. Use him freely and make use of him as you wish. And… save my daughter.”
Lancel Gaudi bowed deeply.
The Conqueror, the King of the North, the terror of the barbarians, bowed to a mere child.
Lawrence, too, bowed in return and said.
“Don’t worry. I will protect the Grand Duke’s family.”
“I ask you.”
Late at night.
Lawrence gained an incredibly powerful ally.
It was the moment when the Conqueror of the North extended his hand.
#2
The next day.
The early morning meeting began.
Freya and the Montemer family’s reinforcements attended, as well as the retainers of the Grand Duke’s family.
There wasn’t much of a power struggle.
After all, this was just an event that took place once a year.
“Lady Freya, it’s been a while. You were here five years ago too, weren’t you?”
“Yes. Have you been well, Lord Oberon?”
“Hahaha, well, I have!”
The atmosphere was harmonious.
Rather, there was a sense of wanting to finish the meeting quickly and enjoy some of the Northern specialty honey wine.
“But, have you seen the Young Master and the Young Lady?”
“No, I haven’t. Why do you ask?”
The problem was that Lawrence and Loria, who were supposed to be here in advance, were nowhere to be seen.
Freya asked, but they had no information either.
Where could they have gone?
This meeting was important, and they were told not to be late.
At that moment, the door burst open, signaling the official start of the meeting.
The voice announcing the Grand Duke’s arrival resounded throughout the conference hall.
“His Excellency, the Grand Duke, is entering!”
With a booming voice, the Grand Duke strode in.
And he was holding something in his hand.
Red droplets dripped down.
No one in the room was ignorant of what that meant.
“Th-That’s…?”
“Sir Routine!?”
“H-How could Sir Routine…?”
Appearing drenched in blood, like a living corpse, was [James Routine].
Everyone held their breath as they stared at the Grand Duke.
His expressionless demeanour truly befitted the Conqueror of the North, and the bloodthirst emanating from him dominated the space.
Though he wasn’t known for being ruthless even to his subordinates, just what had happened…
“The Great Northern Wolf! Prince Lake and Lady Leila are entering!”
“What!?”
“Did the prince regain consciousness?”
With a pale face but a confident stride, the boy Lake entered.
Following him, Leila appeared fully armed with a cold expression.
Everyone’s eyes were drawn to Lake, who had been bedridden just the day before.
“How… How is this possible…?”
“No matter how much holy power was used, it was impossible before…”
Priests waiting on the side whispered amongst themselves.
The two children stood to the left and right of the Grand Duke.
Standing firmly like the guardians of light on either side, their presence tightly gripped the room’s atmosphere.
Shortly after, two more figures entered.
“The two esteemed young heirs of the great Montemer family are entering!”
After the surprising announcement, Lawrence appeared, dragging a fur cloak behind him.
Loria, bearing the Montemer name, also made an effort to carry herself with confidence.
For a moment, shock washed over everyone’s faces.
There wasn’t a soul in the North who didn’t know the significance of that fur cloak.
Everyone fell silent.
Even Freya, with her mouth agape, could only watch Lawrence’s actions.
Just what had happened throughout the night?
‘Did Prince Lawrence receive that cloak…?’
In the North, giving a fur cloak was an ancient custom signifying acceptance as an equal.
It was said that no one had ever worn the Grand Duke’s cloak, yet Lawrence had boldly donned it.
Now, no one would dare to treat this young master lightly.
As the two took their seats, the Grand Duke threw down the body of Sir Routine he had been holding.
James Routine rolled across the floor, blood splattering.
“I was a bit late because I was returning from executing his children. This man will be dealt with for treason.”
“……”
“No matter how much you covet the Grand Duke’s position, how could you place a curse on my son and ally with dark wizards?”
“Is that… truly the case?”
“Do I look like someone who would lie?”
“N-No, of course not.”
Someone spoke up courageously, but it only worsened the atmosphere.
Alliances between undead and dark wizards were not uncommon.
In some places, undead were even used purely as a labour force.
But it was different here in the Northern Empire.
At least as long as they were under Gaudi’s walls, undead and dark wizards were targets of eradication.
If Ammon’s influence spread, it would mean the imminent arrival of Demons.
This was why guardians had been annihilated, leaving only humanity, beast folk, and other races to protect the world.
“Rip this man’s limbs apart and feed them to the wolves. And… I make this declaration here.”
With a glance, the Grand Duke’s eyes briefly met Lawrence’s.
If he didn’t crush the opposition here, dissenters would rise sooner or later.
An escape route, he had called it.
He intended to fulfill that role thoroughly.
“Lawrence Montemer, the youngest prince of the great magical family, saved my son. Not only that, but he also played a crucial role in uncovering the traitor, and thus, the Gaudi family owes him a great debt.”
“Oooh…”
“Indeed, our Young Master.”
“They say the Young Master even held his own in a spar with the young lady?”
Whispers spread.
The reactions were not bad.
Lawrence slowly stood up and bowed his head to everyone.
“From now on, any hostility towards Prince Lawrence will be seen as a challenge to me. If you have the confidence, go ahead and provoke him.”
Crunch-!
The Grand Duke’s foot crushed Routine’s skull.
It was a somewhat brutal display, but this was the North, the Empire’s frontier.
Everyone seemed accustomed to such displays, simply bowing their heads before the Conqueror.
‘Wow, the Grand Duke is impressive.’
Of course, Lawrence was secretly impressed as well.
“Now then, let’s begin the meeting.”
Without even wiping off the blood, the subjugation meeting began.
—
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