The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 113

“Ah!”

Duke Lloyd, surprised by his own words, stopped in his tracks.

He looked flustered.

And Si-on seemed to understand why Duke Lloyd was reacting that way.

“It’s your first time, isn’t it? Saying your true feelings openly to someone else.”

“……”

Duke Lloyd blinked his large eyes several times at those words.

Soon, he pursed his lips and shook his head vigorously, as if greatly shocked.

“Phew! So this is how it feels. This is the first time I’ve experienced this. It’s like…”

“Doesn’t it feel refreshing?”

“Yes, it does. It feels incredibly refreshing. Haha!”

A genuine, bright smile appeared on Duke Lloyd’s face, quite unlike his usual ‘composed’ expression.

“You look much better now than before. But, Duke, keep this in mind. Someone might try to take advantage of that side of you.”

“Of course. Besides, good things should be enjoyed sparingly, shouldn’t they? If you indulge too much without restraint, you’ll get tired of it quickly. And I don’t want that.”

“Huh.”

Si-on let out a chuckle unconsciously.

What Duke Lloyd had just said—it was something he had heard from someone a long time ago.

‘They say you can’t hide your blood. He really does resemble his grandfathers.’

The current king had said something similar in his younger days, and so had the Hero King, the father of the current king and Si-on’s old friend, during the Dark Dragon War.

Both father and son were lonely.

Both had been monarchs who had to bear the expectations of countless people while ruling over them.

Even in a democracy, it was exceedingly rare for a politician to reveal their true feelings to voters.

And in this world, which resembled a medieval feudal system, for a monarch to do so?

Even in a democracy, politicians who openly reveal their true hearts to their colleagues or voters (whether their intentions are just or unjust) rarely meet a good end. And in a world like this, where predators lurk?

There was no way they could speak sincerely.

In fact, revealing your inner thoughts was tantamount to forfeiting your qualification as a king or ruler.

That’s why both the father and son, willingly or unwillingly, never revealed their true hearts.

They only showed their genuine selves as ‘humans’ when they were alone with Si-on.

And now, Duke Lloyd was making a similar expression and saying similar words to those of his grandfathers when they had looked at Si-on.

“By the way, Duke Lloyd.”

“Yes?”

“You don’t really know who I am, do you? Is it alright to reveal your inner thoughts so easily?”

Though he had led the conversation in that direction, Si-on still asked the mischievous question.

“Yes? Isn’t that obvious?”

“Hmm?”

“His Majesty the King would never allow me to do something bad, would he? When I told him I was coming to meet you, he even assigned his beloved secretary to accompany me.”

It was a wise answer to a foolish question.

Indeed, this guy had a good sense of decency, sharp instincts, and quite a sharp mind.

“Good, very good.”

Though he initially had no desire to get involved, now Si-on had to admit it.

He had grown quite fond of this young duke.

Of course, that didn’t mean he was going to view Duke Lloyd as a ‘sometimes annoying but ultimately beloved nephew,’ like the current king.

“Yes, at the very least, Duke Lloyd, you’d make a better king than the crown prince, who’s foolish and incompetent. Even I think you’d be a far superior ruler.”

“Yes, of course.”

“But you came all the way here because you thought I could help you become that kind of king, didn’t you?”

“That’s correct.”

“What made you think that all of a sudden?”

“Well…”

Duke Lloyd thought back to what had changed his mind and led him to decide to meet the man called ‘Whale.’

“I suppose I should start with Baron Botan.”

When Si-on heard the mention of the noble who had conspired with Madam Varetti at August Estate and ended up with his head smashed by Si-on, he chuckled.

“You’re not going to accuse me of killing a noble, are you? So, what’s next?”

Duke Lloyd swallowed dryly, trying not to show it.

Although Baron Botan was one of the many petty nobles in the capital who relied on the power of the crown prince and Earl Rundel, he was still a legitimate noble.

Normally, this would have been a case where the royal court dispatched investigators for a thorough investigation.

But the young nobleman standing in front of him seemed certain that such a thing would never happen.

‘No, it’s not that he’s certain—it’s that someone will prevent it from happening.’

And that someone was none other than the king himself.

“At first, I was merely curious. I thought you might be of some use to me. But when I found out you had dealt with Baron Botan… No, when I realized there were no consequences for what you did to him, I started to see you as someone I had to meet.”

“I see. Go on.”

“Then, recently, I heard rumors that Uncle Philon and Earl Rundel had a huge argument in the capital. At first, I thought it was about Baron Botan.”

“But it wasn’t?”

Duke Lloyd was taken aback by how readily Si-on acknowledged it, but he quickly composed himself.

“Yes, from what I’ve heard, it wasn’t about that. Apparently, a noble from the Kingdom of Guslander sent a letter to my uncle, and that’s what caused the argument between him and Earl Rundel.”

“Ah, so it’s about Souden. And?”

Surprised by Si-on’s straightforward admission, Duke Lloyd quickly gathered himself.

“Yes, I heard it wasn’t about Souden, but rather about the Garen Count’s family. And shortly after that, I heard that the heads of all the old noble families in Souden were heading to the Si-on Duchy. Even the proud merchants of Yazan.”

“And then?”

“And then I heard even more surprising news. Over the past few months, everything about the Si-on Duchy—what happened, how it was resolved, and who was involved—all reached me.”

Someone of Duke Lloyd’s rank, second in line to the throne, would have access to more than just flimsy rumors. He would have access to a ‘golden straw,’ indestructible and precise.

“That was the moment I made up my mind. I had to meet the man called ‘Whale,’ the collateral member of the royal family whose identity even my uncle doesn’t know.”

In contrast to Si-on’s calm demeanor, Duke Lloyd, slightly excited, continued.

“From the moment you appeared in Burgos to this very moment, I’ve come to know all that you’ve done. How could I possibly stay still?

The King’s warning to stay away from you? It terrified me. It really did. But, I was even more certain that I would regret not meeting you directly. That regret would be much worse than facing the consequences of defying His Majesty.”

“…….”

Si-on quietly observed Duke Lloyd’s face, which was filled with clear determination and confidence, not arrogance.

‘He looks just like that friend of mine, but his actions resemble Marco’s to a tee.’

“Alright, Duke Lloyd.”

“Aah…”

Duke Lloyd’s face lit up.

The mysterious elder, who clearly had influence over the king, was finally willing to help him.

“I’ll take care of the minor obstacles. Whether or not you can wear the crown after that depends on your abilities.”

“…What?”

* * *

“…Sir Tever.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Inside the carriage, which was being escorted by Elf Rangers, Duke Lloyd finally spoke after an hour, drawing Tever out of his thoughts.

“That man… what exactly did he say to me earlier? Could you repeat it? No matter how I think about it, I feel like I misheard…”

“He said that the next king of our kingdom would be Duke Gio Lloyd.”

“Gasp!”

Duke Lloyd instinctively covered his mouth with his hand, his face instantly turning pale.

“Breathe properly, Your Grace. You might meet a terrible fate before you even have a chance to wear the crown.”

“No, no! How could that even be possible? Who exactly is that man? I mean, I know he’s done some incredible things, and I know he’s a royal whom even His Majesty values highly. That’s why I went to meet him in person.

But still, no matter how amazing he is, to say something like that… And why did you, as His Majesty’s secretary, not react to such an outrageous statement?”

“Because he’s the kind of person who can say such things.”

“No! That’s not what I mean! Who exactly is that man, that Whale fellow…?”

“Even if His Majesty had been present, he would have said the same thing.”

“……!!!”

Duke Lloyd, eyes wide open, let out a long sigh.

“Phew. It doesn’t make sense, but after seeing and experiencing it firsthand, it somehow does. But, Sir Tever.”

Lowering his voice, though knowing they were alone in the carriage, Duke Lloyd whispered.

“Do you really think he can make me king?”

“He didn’t say he would make you king. He said he would take care of the greatest obstacle in your way. The rest depends on Your Grace’s abilities.”

“Right. That’s what he said. It sounds like the same thing, but it’s actually quite different. Anyway, does that mean… he intends to deal with my Uncle Philon… in that way?”

Though Duke Lloyd was in a contest for the throne, he couldn’t bring himself to speak directly of his uncle’s death, so his words were careful.

“With that man’s abilities, he could do it that way. But I don’t think he will this time.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Duke Lloyd’s expression brightened.

A reaction that would diminish his score as a candidate for the throne, where ruthlessness was a necessity.

But, believing that Duke Lloyd’s nature was one of the important reasons ‘that man’ had made today’s decision, Tever, as always, spoke with a businesslike tone.

“That’s how I see it. He’ll likely deal with it in a way that everyone can accept, while still clearing the path for you to wear the crown.”

“That’s good enough. If it goes that way, I can handle the rest.”

Having regained his usual confident and composed demeanor, Duke Lloyd asked in a subtle tone.

“So, are you ever going to tell me who that man really is?”

“No, not until he permits it.”

“Tsk.”

“And the reason he didn’t tell Your Grace more about himself is likely because he judged that you aren’t qualified yet. Or maybe he wants you to figure it out on your own.”

In truth, it was because the old monster didn’t want to get too deeply involved, but Tever had no way of knowing that.

“Qualified…? What does that even….”

“But the fact that he spoke to you informally means that you’ve already made a good impression on him. And…”

As Duke Lloyd’s face turned slightly disgruntled, Tever offered a meaningful smile.

“It seemed to me that Your Grace was also quite, no, very fond of him.”

“Hmm?”

Turning his head and squinting with one eye, Duke Lloyd watched as Tever coughed lightly before continuing.

“Hmm, hmm. No matter what anyone says, I will make an excellent king. At least, better than an incompetent fool who can’t even govern a small village…”

“Waah! Waaah!”

As Duke Lloyd frantically reached out to cover his mouth, Tever smoothly dodged his grasp using weaving and swayback, continuing to chatter.

“Incompetent and foolish Philon! Hah! My uncle is nothing compared to me! No matter what anyone says, I will become a great king, cof!!”

Even for Tever, it was impossible to dodge in such a narrow carriage without laying a hand on royalty, so in the end, Duke Lloyd’s palm smothered his mischievously babbling mouth.

With his face flushed red and blue flames flickering in his eyes, Duke Lloyd gritted his teeth and glared at the royal secretary.

“If today’s events leak, it will be solely because you let it slip. If that happens, both you and I are dead. Understand?”

“Mmm, mmm.”

In response to the veiled threat from the ‘next king (who was much more shy than expected)’—who had effectively skipped 99 of the 100 steps to the throne with a bit of help—Tever nodded quickly.

* * *

At the same time that Duke Lloyd and Tever’s carriage, escorted by Elf Rangers, was just passing through the Forest Without Echoes, Si-on met again with the figures from Yazan and Souden who had been tortured for six days by Hender (the Great Demon King) Yonas and the Dwarf Mine Master (Mouth of Hell) Sminov.

“Ugh…”

“Huff, huff…”

Looking as if they were on the verge of turning into zombies from whatever had happened (Si-on actually knew), Si-on handed each of them a document.

Their near-dead expressions instantly changed as they skimmed the contents of the papers.

“Gah?!”

“Huh?!”

Whether it was a last-ditch revival or a final desperate flare, they all shot up from their seats in an instant.

“These are verified reports cross-checked by the Obla Information Guild from information gathered by Yazan and the Kingdom of Guslander.”

“T-This is…”

Their hands trembled violently as they gripped the documents, and their eyes flickered as they scanned the contents. Si-on gave them a nod.

“It’s the truth. Across all species, monsters have increased by two to four times. Not just in your homelands, but across this entire world.”