Episode 115
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Around that time, the appearance of Michael Lancaster caused quite a stir in the labyrinthine city of Labyrinth.
Michael Lancaster, the sword genius said to be closest to the Seven Swords of the Continent.
It is understandable that individual adventurers or mercenaries would get caught up in the ‘Artifact Rush’ in hopes of making a fortune overnight. However, wasn’t their opponent the second son of the third-generation Duke of the Empire, the Archduke of Lancaster!
Within the Demon Lords’ Territory, ruled by the Count of Saxony, the weight of his presence was indescribable.
However, the shock brought about by the appearance of Michael Lancaster was not limited to the Demon King’s Territory.
Among the Lancaster Archduke’s family, the most powerful one in the world, Michael, who was considered the next head of the family, personally visited the Demon King’s Territory beyond the North. In a sense, he was the first big shot to visit the northern frontier, and the shock that his actions would bring to the Empire was indescribable.
In the Northern Expedition Era, the winds of the artifact rush weren’t even a ‘craze’. They were a real frenzy.
In other words, the opportunity to make a fortune overnight offered by the ‘Labyrinth City’ was not limited to mere adventurers or mercenaries, but even the nobles of the empire were finally beginning to take advantage.
Gold always attracts flies. At least, even if Michael Lancaster was not a ‘fly’, it was a well-known fact that his appearance served as a detonator for the swarm of flies.
* * *
At that time, Edward of Dulles, an S-rank adventurer in the Labyrinth City, was very anxious.
He bowed to the rule of the Viscount of Saxony and secretly joined hands with several guilds to expand his ‘black market business’, and the work of gathering adventurers and expanding his power within the city went very smoothly.
In any case, Count Dulles was a famous family even in the Empire, so even the Viscount of Saxony would not be able to touch them carelessly.
In order to maintain the Northern Expedition and Artifact Rush that the Count of Saxony envisions, the cooperation of the nobles is essential. No matter how much you don’t like Dulles, you can’t just bury him like a criminal without anyone knowing. Even if he’s the world’s ‘black prince’.
Just as in that black and white rotation, the only survivor was the son of the Holy Swordsman, ‘Philip’.
That is nobility. In this world, life is not of equal value, and Edward Dulles had that noble bloodline. At least Dulles himself believed it.
Just then, news spread that an unexpected big shot had visited the labyrinth city.
Michael Lancaster, second son of the Duke of Lancaster.
At once Edward of Dulles did not hesitate. He proposed to join hands with him as part of the ‘Affiliation of Noble Adventurers’ that he was forming.
This labyrinth city has more value than just the mithril mines. And it is impossible to hand over all of its profits to the Saxons. That is why the ultimate goal of the noble adventurer alliance led by Edward was not to stop at just a ‘miner’, but to take away the city’s share from the Saxon Viscount in the long term.
“What do you think, Prince Mikhail? It would be impossible for nobles like us to mingle with those low-blooded adventurers.”
Noble, low-blooded. That was the thought of most nobles toward those who were not, and Michael Lancaster smiled softly at the offer. A very gentle smile. Was he going to agree to his offer?
“Unfortunately, here I am only an ‘adventurer.’”
Michael Lancaster answered.
“Besides, it is not the nobility of blood that saves us from the bottom of the labyrinth.”
Lancaster smiled softly as he said that. It was hard to believe that he was one of the most powerful nobles in the empire.
In the face of Lancaster’s humility, Edward’s Dulles was speechless.
* * *
Some time later. In the depths of the labyrinth.
“You are here, Prince Dale.”
A voice came from behind me, without any sound. It was Michael Lancaster’s voice.
“… … .”
At that voice, the S-rank adventurer, Faceless, turned his head. A thick darkness lay beneath the hood, and the shadows silently kept silence. However, the silence did not last long.
“How did you know?”
From beneath the shadow of ‘Faceless’, who rarely opens his mouth, a voice with a somewhat timid tone was heard. Without even using magic to disguise his voice.
“Who would dare not know the existence of the ‘Black Prince’?”
Michael Lancaster laughed, his red and white aura following the Peacemaker he held in his hand.
Faceless, Dale also kept his composure as if nothing had surprised him. He was oblivious to the ‘cruel nobility’ wrapped around his blade.
“Why did you follow me?”
“I was just curious.”
Michael Lancaster answered.
“The reason why the ‘Black Prince’ of the world and the ruler of the Demon King’s Territory is hiding his true identity and marching into the labyrinth.”
“It’s just a practice.”
“Were the knights of the Duke of Saxony not suitable as your companions?”
Mikhail adjusted the hilt of the Peacemaker’s sword and asked again.
“Then, how about me as your disciple, Confucius?”
“There is no way Prince Mikhail wouldn’t know.”
At those words, Dale continued, the shadow under his hood twitching.
“There is a rule that anyone who crosses swords with other adventurers within the labyrinth will be banished from the Demon King’s territory and never be able to set foot there again.”
These are simply rules that the Count of Saxony built to maintain order in the labyrinth city.
“In the darkness of this labyrinth, is there anyone who will watch over the rules?”
Michael Lancaster asked with mock amusement.
It was just then.
“… … !”
In the darkness, there was a movement.
A bleak wind blew, and soon there were silhouettes surrounding Dale and Mikhail.
They were men wearing black coats and bird beak masks.
High-ranking assassins of the ‘Shadow Court’ who have been reborn as Dale’s subordinates.
However, no matter how high-ranking assassins they were, they would not be able to fool Mikhail, who was close to the Seven Swords of the Continent. That is why what surprised Mikhail was not their very existence. It was only ‘one assassin’ among them.
Even the great Michael Lancaster did not detect the presence of the sword until it reached the nape of his neck.
A sword that is said to be closest to the Seven Swords of the Continent, but that even he cannot realize.
It meant only one thing.
The greatest assassin on the continent, the Seven Swords of the Continent.
“Sword of murder… … .”
“No, I didn’t mean any harm, so don’t feel too bad about it.”
Master Salgeom Baro answered as if it were someone else’s business.
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“It’s not like I’m holding the tip of my sword to the son of the Heavenly Sword Nari because I like him.”
Michael’s father, who took over the title of ‘Imperial First Sword’ after the death of the Heavenly Sword.
“Are these ‘shadow courts’ watching the adventurers within the labyrinth?”
“At least in the areas they can monitor.”
The organizations led by the Viscount of Saxony as the ruler of the Demon King’s Territory. The Night Raven Knights, the Winter Watchmen, the Black Armor Company, and the Shadow Court. Each of them is a subordinate organization that carries out Dale’s orders in their own territory.
“You knew from the beginning that I was following you.”
“Prince Mikhail must have known that fact and followed suit.”
The conversation continued like a tail biting its own tail. Mikhail was following Dale, and Dale, who knew this, used his hands and feet to follow him, and Mikhail also knew this. He knew from the beginning and provoked him.
Even the fact that Salgeom was directly following him was unexpected.
“That day, at the Black Market in Guild City… … the City Master said that Prince Dale had obtained the ‘Shadow Court’.”
At least, it was a fact that needed no hiding from Michael Lancaster.
“I cannot help but be amazed at the actions that Prince Dale is showing.”
“He is incomparable to His Royal Highness Prince Michael, who has emerged as the ‘potential successor to the House of Lancaster’ as the second son in line.”
In this world, succession is based entirely on primogeniture, and the weight of that rule among the nobility is by no means light.
For example, if the head of the family refuses to give the title to the eldest son, will the eldest son accept it obediently? And if the nobles around him gather together and encourage a coup d’état, it is not uncommon for this to develop into a civil war over the succession.
Especially when the scale of the situation is as big as that of a duke’s house, it could easily become a firework that encompasses the entire empire.
Despite knowing this, the Duke of Lancaster’s decision did not change. He officially designated his second son Michael as the successor and began work to solidify his succession.
“You wouldn’t come all the way to the Northern Demon King’s Territory just to cross swords with me, would you?”
Dale opened his mouth as he considered that fact.
“For what purpose have you come to my estate?”
Only then did the two people bring up the topic they had been keeping hidden inside, and the negotiating table was set up.
“How much do you know about Richard Lancaster, the eldest son of House Lancaster?”
Michael Lancaster asked back.
“I know that you won’t just sit back and watch your second son become the head of the Lancaster family.”
“Yes.”
Michael Lancaster nodded blandly.
“And not long ago… … Lady Margaret, the eldest daughter of the Marquess of York, became engaged to your brother.”
The Marquess of York. One of the great nobles, just below the 3rd Duke. And the fact that he was engaged to the eldest son of the House of Lancaster meant only one thing.
“If my father were to break the rule of primogeniture and embark on the task of succession, the Yorks would claim to be my brother’s force in the name of upholding the ‘traditions of the Empire’.”
Involuntarily, Dale recalled the emblem representing the House of York.
The symbol of the Duke of Lancaster is the red and white rose and cruel nobility.
And the symbol of the Marquess of York is the white rose, the symbol of wise nobility.
“Wars of the Roses… … .”
Dale muttered absentmindedly.
At those words, Michael’s Lancaster smiles bitterly.
“How are you, Prince Dale?”
Mikhail opened his mouth with a smile.
“Would you please lend the ‘Power of Saxony’ to our House of Lancaster?”
“Is it for the peace of the Lancaster family?”
Dale asked, remembering his words that peace could only be achieved through war.
“Yes.”
“The alliance between the two dukes could threaten the order of the continent.”
Dale asked back.
“Also, the Empire and Prince Mikhail know what I acquired at the ‘black market’ that day.”
The heart of the third Duke of the Empire, Barbarossa the Drowned. The Duke of Saxony, who held the heart, once again joined hands with the one who would become the ‘successor to the Archduke of Lancaster’, and this meant only one thing.
“The Empire will not be pleased with the power of the three major ducal families being tied together around Saxony.”
Despite knowing this, Mikhail reached out to Dale, and Dale laughed at the contradiction.
“And wasn’t Prince Michael a patriot who thought of ‘peace for the empire’ more than anything else?”
“Ah, more than anything, I wish for peace in the empire.”
Mikhail smiled as if he had known this would happen.
“But for the ‘perfect peace’ I desire, a certain amount of destruction is a sacrifice that must be made.”
As if to say that destruction comes before creation.
“Besides, in this world, there is giving and there is receiving.”
Michael Lancaster continued.
“In return for an alliance with the Duke of Saxony, I am willing to show them the appropriate ‘good faith’.”
