[translator - kiteretsu]

    [proofreader - kyros]

    chapter 81

    after meeting with the first prince, diether hart, the superior mages convened for the first time in a long while.

    “it has been a while, everyone.” princess violet greeted the superior mages as they entered one by one.

    however, her face was as cold and expressionless as ever, making it impossible to read her emotions.

    “who might you be... could you be prince kaylen?”

    “yes, your highness.”

    even she was momentarily startled by kaylen’s appearance, which was vastly different from before.

    “you’ve changed a lot. you look well.”

    “thank you.”

    she quickly returned to her usual frosty demeanor.

    after all, she had already heard reports from her maid about kaylen’s drastic transformation.

    —“let me say it again: this is a command from the first prince. delay them as much as possible.”

    since receiving this order from diether hart, her mind had been so preoccupied that she hadn’t even noticed the faces of others.

    soon, the last person entered the room.

    “it has been a while, your highness.”

    “it’s good to see you, prince lioness.”

    “i had something i wanted to discuss with you.”

    lioness, who had often clashed with the princess, now set aside his hostility and asked with a serious expression:

    “have you heard about the disturbances in the northeastern part of the kingdom?”

    “yes. the saintess mentioned it. four days ago, a massive dungeon portal appeared...”

    the superior mages widened their eyes in shock at the exchange between the two influential figures.

    they had already heard rumors that dungeon portals were disappearing, but a massive portal forming near the northeastern border?

    this was the first they had heard of it.

    “monsters that are natural enemies, incapable of uniting, are advancing in organized formations as though they are an elite army. the northeastern border lies in count villed’s territory, and the monster horde has already reached his castle.”

    “they’ve already reached that far? but isn’t the distance considerable?”

    “they seem to have no physical limits. they march day and night without rest. the scale is so large that defending the lord’s castle is impossible. civilians are being evacuated, but...”

    lioness’s expression hardened.

    “flying monsters are forming separate units to massacre civilians. they seem intent on eradicating humanity altogether, targeting both large cities and small villages alike... count villed’s territory is in complete collapse.”

    “despite the borders losing their significance...”

    “but for count villed, who once held the title of border count, to fall so quickly?”

    with the advent of the dungeon era, traditional borders had lost much of their importance.

    even so, count villed was known for maintaining military strength in line with his family’s traditions. he was lauded for effectively managing both the modern civil squad and the traditional elite military units.

    for his territory to crumble so swiftly—could this truly be real?

    judging by the grim faces of the two, it didn’t seem like a lie.

    the superior mages were left speechless.

    for some time now, with dungeon portals disappearing, they had jokingly wondered if their jobs as mages would vanish too.

    ‘what in the world is happening?’

    ‘even the tower of magic didn’t inform us about this!’

    “the horde advancing now...” violet paused briefly. “the saintess referred to it as a monster wave.”

    “this wave isn’t a one-time event,” princess violet said in a cold tone. “the saintess has foreseen that the monster horde will advance up to seven times. if we focus all the kingdom’s forces in one place and the capital is invaded, it will be the end of the kingdom.”

    she continued, her voice sharp with authority.

    “the capital is a hub of mage towers and the primary location for manufacturing mana suits. if its industries grind to a halt, we will lose the ability to resist the monster horde.”

    “hmm... but still...!” lioness attempted to counter.

    “of course, we will send reinforcements,” violet interjected, her calm demeanor unwavering. “however, neither i nor the civil squad assigned to defend the capital can leave.”

    princess violet and the civil squad loyal to the capital would remain there.

    lioness gritted his teeth upon hearing this. while she claimed to offer help, in practice, the core forces of the first prince’s faction would remain safely in the capital.

    while the monstrous horde breached the duchy’s lands, the overwhelming military power of the capital would stay secure.

    “...your highness, why are you so concerned about the capital?”

    “what are you implying?” violet asked sharply.

    “we all know how many civil squads the royal family commands. not just those aligned with the first prince or the second prince, but those directly under the royal family’s control.”

    “...”

    “surely, the royal civil squads are enough to defend the capital!”

    “it seems you have a misconception about the royal civil squads,” violet replied, her tone icy. “while they are not insignificant, they are far from sufficient to protect the capital entirely.”

    lioness let out a bitter laugh. “not enough? are you telling me that, despite the many meisters serving the royal family, the capital cannot be defended?”

    though he raised his voice in protest, violet’s demeanor remained calm and composed.

    “reinforcements will be dispatched,” she reiterated. “but i cannot leave the capital.”

    as the wielder of an s-class mana suit and a key figure of the first prince’s faction, violet made it clear she had no intention of stepping away from the capital.

    “but—”

    “lord lioness,” violet cut him off firmly. “you’re becoming too agitated.”

    she stood from her seat, signaling the end of the meeting. “let us adjourn for today. continuing any further would be unproductive.”

    with that, princess violet left the chamber.

    lioness clenched his teeth in frustration. finally, he slammed his fist on the table and stormed out.

    zaik baldur hurriedly followed him, while the three superior mages accompanying them disappeared from their seats. one by one, the remaining mages left, their expressions filled with unease.

    the only one who remained was kaylen, seated with his arms crossed and eyes closed.

    ‘even in the face of this crisis, the king of this nation does not show himself.’

    though it wasn’t yet widely known, the situation was undoubtedly a national emergency.

    in times like these, the ruler ought to take charge, mobilize the central army, and respond swiftly. yet, the king remained absent.

    ‘is it incompetence? or... is there another reason?’

    kaylen leaned more toward the latter. the kingdom of bormian had been running far too smoothly for the king to simply be inept.

    if incompetence wasn’t the reason, then what could it be?

    “sir kaylen,” a voice interrupted his thoughts.

    he opened his eyes to see jane, princess violet’s maid, entering the chamber.

    “it’s been a while, lady jane,” kaylen greeted her.

    “oh my, you remember me?” she replied with a soft smile.

    “of course. but what brings you here?”

    “the first prince wishes to meet with you,” she said.

    [translator - kiteretsu]

    [proofreader - kyros]