Chapter 31: A Feast in Grayke (4)
“A banquet, you say…?”
I frowned as soon as I heard the story from young Greike . The Duke’s intent was obvious enough.
He was asking for political funds.
In other words, a bribe.
Such things are common in powerless territories.
In truth, a good lord must also know how to use their social skills appropriately. In the political arena, being too rigid can actually lead to losses.
In any country, the central politics are intricately intertwined, always ready to devour prey.
If you withdraw, you become the prey, but if you become too immersed, you become a victim of power struggles in this terrifying world.
The Count of Greike has no political prowess to withstand such turbulence.
Grayke, where I have retired and settled down, is a peaceful town that I do not wish to see disturbed.
Although this is a challenge young Greike must overcome on his own, it’s undoubtedly too much for him to handle alone. He’s just a budding sprout, not a fully developed talent.
In that case, I must help him so that the sprout isn’t trampled. The peace of Grayke is also my peace.
“Master, isn’t there any way? I have no idea what to do. My father is not in a state to give proper advice, and I don’t know how to overcome this situation! You are the only one I can trust, Master!”
Young Greike cried out with a desperate face. He trembled with uncertainty, but there was something commendable about him. He had shown resourcefulness in buying time, which was the best choice he could make.
“You did well to buy time. Now, about the Crown Prince suddenly getting involved.”
“Huh?”
“The Duke merely intended to pressure you, but the Crown Prince’s reaction bought you some time. What kind of person is the Crown Prince?”
“He abruptly challenged me to a ridiculous wager. It might be rude to say, but… he seemed rather frivolous.”
Frivolous, you say.
It seems that’s how young Greike saw him, but hearing the story, I felt a bit puzzled.
The Duke would have wanted an immediate answer.
It was the Crown Prince who prevented that by proposing a wager, thus stopping the Duke’s actions.
Was this just because he likes to play? Or was it intentional?
If it’s the latter, the Crown Prince is quite an intriguing man. If it’s the former, it’s a coincidental outcome.
“Master!”
“Baron, calm yourself. If you are this flustered by such a crisis, how will you become a good lord in the future?”
“But isn’t the situation dire? At this rate…”
Young Greike clutched his head, falling into panic.
No matter how much advice I give, if the person who has to deal with the situation is like this, nothing will be achieved.
He needed to be steadied first.
“That’s right. It can’t go on like this. So, will you follow me? Clutching your head won’t bring any good ideas. Let’s catch some ingredients for the banquet and think it over slowly.”
“But we don’t have that kind of leisure!”
“Baron Greike!”
I raised my voice, but gently called out young Greike ’s name and title. Then I quietly looked at him.
Greike flinched at my action, then nodded hastily with a fearful face.
“Understood, Master…”
Like an emperor who had lost his kingdom, young Greike dropped his shoulders and started following me.
As we left the drawing-room and went down to the first floor, a handsome man with golden hair approached us.
He looked unmistakably like the Crown Prince and, upon seeing Greike , came forward.
“Where are you headed?”
“Your Highness! I’m going out to gather ingredients for the banquet with the chef.”
“Ingredients for the banquet?”
The Crown Prince crossed his arms with a bored expression and asked indifferently.
“So this man is the chef?”
“He’s both the chef and the mentor of my life.”
There was no need to mention that I was his mentor. The title of mentor still embarrasses me.
But perhaps because of this, the Crown Prince’s indifferent face changed to one of mild curiosity, and he began scrutinizing me from top to bottom.
He had the look of someone evaluating a person. But he soon lost interest and turned his gaze back to young Greike .
“Hmm, I was quite bored anyway. This is good. I’ll join you.”
It wasn’t a request to join; it was a declaration. The authority of the Crown Prince was evident. Naturally, Greike had neither the right nor the power to refuse the Crown Prince.
He could only look at me with a troubled expression. I could only nod in agreement.
“Understood. However… I don’t think you’ll find it very interesting.”
Greike seemed troubled, but for me, this was rather a fortunate turn.
If the Crown Prince had intervened in the conversation between the Duke and Greike with careful calculation and proposed the wager, he might be hiding something shrewd.
It was a perfect opportunity to gauge his intentions.
Thus, the First Knight Division and the Crown Prince joined our party.
The First Knight Division was protecting the Crown Prince, not the Duke. The Duke was guarded by his own knights.
Naturally, Derient was among the group.
Derient looked slightly surprised to see me but remembered he was on official duty and showed no particular reaction.
Of course, Derient didn’t know my true identity. He only knew me as a 7th-class wizard and a strategist for the Monster Subjugation Army. So, I was free from concern.
At the end of the Monster War, he was at the northern front line. After obtaining the dragon heart, I had been active in the Imperial Capital, which had become a battlefield due to the dragon.
Only the high-ranking nobles of the empire and key figures, including the Emperor, knew my true identity.
Greike ’s soldiers, the Crown Prince, and the knights. Our now larger group headed to the mid-slope of Mount Greike .
This area was known for frequent appearances of wild Ubas.
Wild Ubas have a different taste from those raised as livestock. The mountain slopes are also a perfect spot to catch the wind.
“What are we doing here?”
In response to Greike ’s question, I pointed to a wild Uba, angered by the intrusion into its territory.
“We’re here to catch that creature. It’s an ingredient. Could you have the soldiers attack it?”
Young Greike nodded at the word ‘ingredient.’
Following the young lord’s command, the soldiers charged at the wild Uba.
The wild Uba was soon surrounded. But it began thrashing even more fiercely, breathing heavily. The wild Uba was cut by a sword but still charged. Despite bleeding, it showed no sign of losing its momentum.
A wild Uba is known to resist violently until its last breath or until its limbs are paralyzed.
It was resisting right before our eyes with its unyielding spirit. Though not as strong as a monster, it had an unmatched tenacity.
Even when speared, it would ram into the soldiers. Watching this, I asked Greike .
“What do you think?”
“Huh?”
Young Greike tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.
“What do you think when you see that creature? Compared to the surrounding soldiers, it’s very weak. Yet it resists to the end. Even as it’s dying, it doesn’t lose its spirit.”
“That’s…”
Young Greike turned his gaze to the wild Uba.
Even while dying, it didn’t retreat. It only advanced. Charging at the enemies in front until it finally collapsed.
“Are you saying that even such a lowly creature fights fiercely to live, while I just clutch my head…?”
If he understood what I meant, it meant he had some insight.
Greike continued to watch the struggling wild Uba. I added a word, just in case he misunderstood.
“Of course, anyone can struggle. But don’t become a mere ingredient like the wild Uba. Struggle and become someone who overcomes. Don’t become an ingredient for the Duke to devour.”
If the boy is devoured by the Duke, the people of Greike will become nothing but resources for the Duke.
Young Greike slowly walked towards the wild Uba. Step by step. The wild Uba kept writhing even after it fell.
“You’re quite interesting, aren’t you?”
The Crown Prince, who had been watching from behind, tapped my shoulder and approached Greike .
“It doesn’t matter if a lowly creature struggles or dies, but is it tasty?”
“I think it is. No, it is delicious!”
“Haha, really? Well, good. If you’ve regained your composure, I’ll give you a reward! I’ll change the conditions of the wager a bit.”
“What?”
Greike had a puzzled look on his face. Sometimes one must learn to hide their emotions. This boy has a long way to go.
“If I win, you still have to strip and walk around Grayke. That part stays the same. I’ll change the condition for your win. If you win, I’ll tell you the new condition. It’s a very interesting deal. So make sure you win. Hahaha!”
The Crown Prince burst into hearty laughter.
Greike could only look at the Crown Prince’s back with a grim expression. As we descended the mountain, the Crown Prince continued to laugh, looking almost like a madman. At least, that’s how he appeared to Greike .
But was that really the case?
I was now convinced from the Crown Prince’s demeanor.
He’s definitely a sly one.
“Master, do you understand what His Highness was talking about? I’m completely lost…”
“Well, instead of worrying about that, what do you think about going to the capital, Baron, if I help you this time? To become a bigger vessel. A vessel capable of understanding the Crown Prince’s intentions. Train your political skills in the capital. I don’t mean to work under the Duke. There are many other ways.”
“Then, does that mean there’s a way to overcome this crisis?”
Greike blinked at me, reacting to the mention of help.
Eyes like a baby bird seeking food.
A solution had come to mind. Something that struck me while observing the Crown Prince.
A way to overcome this crisis.
It involves using the Crown Prince.
If the Crown Prince is truly as cunning as he seems.
From what I know, the current Emperor is indulgent in luxury and pleasure. Thus, the central authority is weakened by the power struggles of several Dukes.
If the Crown Prince’s actions are aimed at curbing the growing power of the Dukes and strengthening the royal authority, it suggests an intriguing hypothesis.
The Crown Prince likely sees himself as the protagonist of this scenario.
By helping Greike through the guise of a wager and preventing the Duke’s power from growing, he might be subtly protecting the royal authority.
In the world, there are always higher players.
The outcome of the wager between the Crown Prince and Greike will be determined by whether Greike can move the Crown Prince’s heart.
In this situation, the Duke is merely a side character.
By leveraging the power struggle between the Duke and the Crown Prince, we can escape Grayke’ crisis.
But just being dragged along by the Crown Prince isn’t interesting.
If my guess is correct, the current control lies with the Crown Prince.
That control.
I wonder what expression he would make if it were taken from him.