Chapter 516: An Important Talk with the Prince

While they waited for Ragune’s return, events were unfolding in the royal capital. Marquis Haragura was summoned to the royal palace, where he was confronted with every conceivable suspicious charge and then forcibly detained in what could almost be called a surprise arrest.

The reason the royal family resorted to such hard-line measures lay largely in the arrest of the hero, Alexa, a close aide to Marquis Haragura.

Not only was Alexa arrested red-handed attempting to assassinate Tauro—a Viscount, though an honorary one—and his companions, all of whom held special titles, but he was also suspected of using forbidden barrier magic within the Haragura territory, magic that harmed the surrounding domains.

Furthermore, there was strong suspicion that it had been Marquis Haragura himself who initially recommended placing certain individuals—who appeared to be agents of the Empire—as attendants close to the Crown Prince.

In other words, there were grounds to suspect him of treason against the state.

Given all this, the royal family had ample reason to carry out such a forceful arrest and detention.

Moreover, Marquis Haragura had long been suspected of involvement in every imaginable crime, with each case believed to have been covered up. Taking all those suspicions into account, even as a high-ranking noble and the head of the largest faction in the country, it seemed unlikely he would escape execution.

This was a tense moment not only for the royal family, but also for the military and the nobles who supported them.

After all, there was a real fear that if things go wrong, this could plunge the nation into a civil war, splitting it in two.

For that reason, not only the royal capital but also the Prime Minister’s faction, the neutral faction, and other nobles loyal to the crown had entered a state of high alert, with many prepared to mobilize troops at a moment’s notice.

That was how dramatic the arrest had been.

“Any movement among the high-ranking nobles of the Haragura faction?”

Tauro was in a room in the royal palace checking in with Prince Fleue about the current situation.

This is because they themselves had been deeply involved in this affair.

“Most of the nobles of the Haragura faction in the royal capital have been placed under house arrest. But, Marquis Haragura’s son and grandson have returned to their own territory and are apparently reorganizing their domain troops, gathering them at the borders under the pretext of training. Some high-ranking nobles who escaped the capital have fled back to their lands and are watching how things unfold in the capital. As for them, His Majesty is currently sending them a letter in an attempt to soften the situation.”

Prince Fleue spoke calmly, as though he had already steeled himself for the possibility of a war breaking out.

“I’m really sorry. I never imagined our actions would cause things to escalate this far.”

“What are you saying? You merely brushed aside sparks that were flying at you! …Besides, we knew this would happen sooner or later. We couldn’t keep turning a blind eye to Marquis Haragura’s tyranny forever. His Majesty understood that as well. And after what happened to my brother, His Majesty had decided that now was the time to make a decision. Fortunately, the upper ranks of the military were able to detain those tied to the Haragura faction and renewed their oath of loyalty to the crown. We managed to avoid the capital turning into a sea of flames.”

Prince Fleue expressed his gratitude to his friend and let out a sigh of relief that it had not come to war.

“I can’t help feeling this might be related to my ability…”

Tauro found himself wondering whether his skill, Great luck, was somehow drawing all these events toward him.

“Still, the man you apprehended, Tauro… To think that he was a hero. That alone makes Haragura’s crimes grave. He kept someone with the Hero skill as his guard and used him as his own tool.”

What Prince Fleue says is also true.

The Hero skill was a skill that could be considered a national asset.

Even if the crown did not demand that such a person be handed over, the fact that he concealed his existence and misused him is a serious crime on its own.

“Haha… I know a Great Hero myself, so I can’t really say too much about that.”

Tauro could only give a wry smile at the prince’s words.

After all, he also knew many others with extraordinary, unknown skills—such as the True Saint and the Sky- Dragon Knight.

“You mean the Dragon people ? As for them, it seems there’s an old pact between them and the royal family, so there’s no problem. Still, just having that many people with skills beyond those of ordinary people, as Tauro’s letter said, would normally be a threat. But if you don’t know about them, you can’t feel that threat.”

Prince Fleue laughed, brushing aside Tauro’s concern.

“—And thAnkhyou for indulging my selfish request and sending court physicians.”

Tauro expressed his deepest gratitude to his royal friend.

“No, it’s fine. On the contrary, I heard the doctors were thoroughly impressed with you and Aeris. That aside, is everyone all right?”

“Thank you for your concern. We still haven’t heard anything about Ragune, so we don’t know about her, but Ankh and Zion have finally recovered enough to get up.”

“I see! I’m glad to hear they’re safe. —By the way, Tauro, your plans for your new adventure have changed quite a bit. What are you going to do now?”

“We were actually planning to head south, but after everything that’s happened, we’ve all had our own thoughts and are talking about going north for a while.”

“North? …Toward the Empire?”

Prince Fleue lowered his voice reflexively, surprise on his face.

“No, after clashing with the Empire’s prized special forces, we don’t have that kind of courage. We were talking about training from scratch at the ‘Dragon’s den’ in the Dragon peoples’ village.”

After denying it with a wry smile, Tauro said something outrageous.

“Th-that’s quite a bold idea… Isn’t that place like hell?”

“…Apparently. To be honest, Zion was reluctant to go, but Ankh said he wanted to go even if it meant going alone, so she seems torn. Personally, I think it would be ideal to grow through adventures.”

“What about Aeris?”

“She says either is fine. She told me she’ll follow my lead.”

“I see! Then that’s good. —By the way, Tauro, you’ve risen to the rank of viscount, even if only as an honorary noble. Don’t you think it’s about time you made your relationship with Aeris clear?”

Prince Fleue knew he was meddling, but he touched on something very real between the two of them.

“My relationship with Aeris? I think it’s already clear, thou…”

Tauro looked thoughtful, unable to grasp the prince’s true intent.

“In what way is it clear?”

“Well, ever since we started adventuring together, she’s been an extremely important companion and friend to me—and someone I care about very much.”

Tauro, often thought to be dense, casually revealed something crucial.

“Is that so!?”

Prince Fleue was also surprised by the unexpected answer.

“Aeris is beautiful, has a great personality, and above all is a partner I can trust with my back as an adventurer. There’s no way I wouldn’t like her.”

While Tauro’s “liking” still seemed heavily weighted toward their bond as fellow adventurers, it was clear he also saw her as a woman. Realizing that his friends’ relationship seemed to be progressing positively, Prince Fleue felt reassured.