Battle Race in the Fantasy World

Battle Race in the Fantasy World – 110

EP.110 Good Changes, Bad Changes

She finally returned. She came back! The princess had returned!

A peaceful week had passed in the blink of an eye.

And today, she hadn’t even made an appointment beforehand.

Kyle was having coffee with Elga at a café when she barged in.

Since it wasn’t inside the academy, she thought there was no need to inform anyone.

As a result, Elga, whose time had been interrupted, looked visibly frustrated.

Even now, the displeasure hadn’t completely left her face.

But what could she do? The other party was a princess. One of the Empire’s top ten.

The one feeling pressured wasn’t the princess but Elga herself.

So, she had to swallow her complaints and keep her mouth shut.

“Jonathan is indeed a great place.”

Whether she knew Elga’s feelings or not, or perhaps she didn’t care, Yurika kept laughing heartily and nodding.

One could tell just by looking at her expression that she meant it sincerely.

“…It’s strange to hear such praise from someone who isn’t from my hometown.”

Even as someone from Jonathan, Kyle didn’t think it was that great.

It was barren, cold, and filled with people obsessed with training.

He had heard that even the top ten strong people of the Empire were reluctant to visit, but this woman wasn’t one of them.

“How badly were you beaten up?”

“Ka-Kyle?!”

To ask the princess if she had been beaten up! Elga grabbed Kyle’s hand in shock.

It seemed she was more surprised by Kyle’s words than by her own actions.

It was only natural. The only person who could speak like that to the princess was the Emperor himself!

However, neither Kyle, who made the remark, nor Yurika, who heard it, paid any attention to it.

“I got beaten up a lot. Yes, I got hit a lot.”

“And yet you say it’s a good place.”

“It’s refreshing, you know. Fighting so intensely.”

“…Yes. It must be refreshing.”

Somehow, through sparring and talking with two of the Empire’s top ten, Kyle had learned one thing.

Once they reached the top ten, they rarely clashed with other top ten members.

This didn’t just mean in a negative sense. They didn’t even spar for practice.

The reason was simpler than one might think. What if one of them got injured during such a clash?

‘If they got hurt, it wouldn’t just be a minor injury. With similar skill levels, one or both could get seriously injured. If that happened, the Empire would lose significant power in an instant.’

Although the Western Kingdoms Alliance had recently switched to a pro-Empire stance,

not long ago, they had been staunchly anti-Empire.

The top ten level forces they possessed, or used to possess, were quite threatening.

Additionally, there were two similarly skilled warriors under the independent lords of the southern islands.

Lastly, there were the nomadic tribes from the east, who had strong warriors appearing from time to time.

Therefore, the top ten were crucial assets that the Empire had to maintain in full strength.

They served as a deterrent, strongly pressuring potential enemies and preventing war.

But if these top ten got injured not in a battle with enemies but internally, it would be a loss!

This understanding had led the top ten to stay as quiet as possible until now.

‘Of course, the princess and Priscilla, the commander of the Order, have sparred freely, but that’s another story.’

In any case, in such a situation, the princess had undoubtedly gone to Jonathan and had a proper fight.

With an official imperial decree, everyone must have given their best.

Even if other top ten members didn’t enjoy it, it was clear that Yurika found it immensely enjoyable.

“It’s amazing.”

While Yurika reminisced about the duels she had in Jonathan, she chattered excitedly.

Elga, sitting next to Kyle, whispered in his ear.

“To think they would send the precious top ten and equivalent warriors to Jonathan every month. Just a while ago, they were so protective of them, afraid they might get hurt.”

“It could also mean they have another card they can use.”

The mandatory visits of the top ten and other strong warriors to Jonathan.

At first glance, it might seem like a kind of reward for Jonathan.

But taking a step back and looking from a broader perspective, it becomes clear that’s not all.

By continuously sending strong warriors every month, they keep the people of Jonathan entertained.

Over time, not only the top ten but other strong warriors will steadily go up, and Jonathan will be waiting for that.

Then, if they announce that due to external conflicts, they can’t send people anymore?

‘Jonathan would want to quickly resolve the issue to continue sparring, and in the process, they might also investigate what the external conflict is. It gives Jonathan a very good reason to step in.’

While it seems like the royal family is accommodating Jonathan, even bowing their heads,

a closer look reveals that the Empire is securing its gains in the process.

It naturally brings to mind the thought that they are indeed the rulers managing the Empire.

Baron Jonathan must have noticed this to some extent.

Yet, the fact that he hasn’t said anything implies his tacit approval.

One of Jonathan’s principles was that if you receive something, you must give something in return.

“…So when I went like this, bam! Your brother twisted it with a crack. I thought my wrist was going to tear off, but before that, he slammed me to the ground. I thought my head was going to split.”

Yes, yes. That must have been something. It’s a pity it didn’t actually split. No, it’s a relief it didn’t.

Kyle thought as he brought the coffee to his lips.

“And… oh! Right. You’re summoned to the palace.”

Pfft, cough, cough!-

The coffee he was drinking went straight down his windpipe.

Even someone from Jonathan couldn’t withstand this. If they did, they wouldn’t be human.

“Gah, cough, cough….”

Making a scene in front of the princess and the duke’s daughter—what a disgrace. Oh, come to think of it, it’s the princess’s fault.

Fortunately, a quick-thinking waiter brought a glass of water.

Thanks to that, Kyle managed to calm himself down and looked at the princess.

“Princess, what did you just say…?”

“You’re summoned to the palace.”

Could it be that the term ‘summoned to the palace’ doesn’t mean what I think it does?

Did the definition of the word change?

Blinking his eyes, Kyle cautiously asked.

“By ‘summoned to the palace,’ you mean entering the palace, right?”

“Has the meaning of ‘summoned to the palace’ changed? That’s what it means.”

“….”

Anyone hearing this might think the palace was some sort of shantytown.

Was it so easy to say, “Come to the palace”? It shouldn’t be.

Kyle wasn’t the only one shocked by the sudden mention of entering the palace.

Elga, sitting next to him, was also taken aback, stammering, “Huh? Wh-what?”

Even the daughter of a grand duke was genuinely surprised.

A summons to the palace held that level of significance for the Empire’s nobility.

In the capital, the heart of the Empire, and within the capital, the imperial palace.

And in the most important part of the palace, the heart and head of the Empire.

That was the imperial palace, where the ruler of the Empire resided.

Nobles, except for grand dukes, rarely set foot in the palace, perhaps a handful of times a year.

Even if they achieved great deeds, the Emperor’s representative usually praised them outside.

It was the residence of the supreme ruler, a place not to be entered lightly.

And now, the Emperor had commanded that a mere noble’s child be brought into the palace!

“Soon, you’ll receive an imperial decree. Probably… hmm. Within the next hour?”

“That….”

“How do I know? When I returned from the north and entered the palace, they were discussing it. Whether to bring you into the palace or not. It seems they’re leaning towards bringing you in.”

So, why are they having such discussions?

The reason, the reason. Isn’t there a more detailed reason?

He wasn’t an unexpected guest like Riona or Rhea.

The Emperor had no reason to summon him. Even if there was, he could just send a representative.

Isn’t there a representative right in front of him, the princess?

“I don’t know the detailed reasons either. When people from the Ministry of the Internal Affairs and the Special Affairs Department come, they’ll tell you.”

Yurika said, sipping her coffee.

Thanks to that, Kyle felt his mind going blank.

“…Kyle.”

“Yes, Elga?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, did you?”

How absurd must it be for Elga to say something like that?

Kyle shook his head, indicating that there was no way he could have done anything wrong.

He hadn’t done anything like his sister, who half-destroyed the academy, nor did he have any guilty conscience.

“Don’t be like that, Kyle. Think quickly. Being suddenly summoned to the palace doesn’t make sense.”

Elga continued to press Kyle, her voice filled with worry.

Elga, who usually had a cold demeanor and spoke with hidden meanings, seemed unusually sincere today.

Whether it was due to the instinctive fear of a noble being summoned by the Emperor, or for another reason, was unclear.

“Oh. But I do know the general reason.”

Would it hurt to mention that earlier?

Patting Elga’s hand reassuringly, Kyle focused on the princess’s next words.

“I heard that man is coming to the Empire.”

“That man?”

“The Western Kingdoms Alliance. The Three Heroes, Mathieu Philibert.”

“…?”

Why is he coming to the Empire?