Chapter 125: The Furious First Prince
Inside Lorente Castle in the royal capital, in First Prince Barbro's private sitting room, the air hung heavy as an afternoon before a storm.
Bang!
A crystal wine glass shattered against the stone wall. Shards flew in every direction. The dark red wine ran down the wall in a thin, winding trail, like a half-dried bloodstain.
"Renner——!"
Barbro's voice rang through the room, fury compressed to its absolute limit.
"And those Blue Roses women!"
His face had flushed deep red. The veins at his temples were visibly pulsing. Those blue eyes burned with unconcealed hatred.
"Your Highness, please calm yourself! Please, Your Highness!"
Baron Chenako sprang from his chair, his lean, thin body nimbly sidestepping the flying shards.
He stooped forward, hands wringing together in front of him, a broad smile stacked across the face behind the pencil mustache — paired with those small, darting eyes, the overall effect was remarkably reminiscent of a fawning rat.
Barbro was breathing hard, chest heaving.
He had not said aloud the real reason for his fury.
Eight Fingers had been Barbro's financial lifeline, and the intelligence network through which he had placed his informants throughout the capital. In a pinch, it had also served as a hidden instrument for suppressing rivals.
Now it was all gone.
Renner, working with Blue Roses, had turned years of his work to ash in a single night.
His private treasury had lost a critical source of funding. The informants who had previously moved through Eight Fingers' networks were down to a handful of survivors, cowering in their holes like startled mice, unwilling to show their faces.
More infuriating still: Renner had built her reputation by standing on what he'd built.
The princess's name had spread through every street and alley of the royal capital. Even commoners knew that Her Highness the Princess had led the operation that cut out the Kingdom's rot.
And him — the First Prince, the rightful heir to the throne — had gotten nothing out of this entire affair. Not even a speck of dust.
Barbro clenched his fist until his nails bit into his palm.
Renner and Zanac had grown far too close.
Second Prince Zanac — that brother of unremarkable looks and unremarkable fighting ability — had by now formed something close to a natural political alliance with Renner. With the two working together, Renner's reputation would become Zanac's asset.
Barbro didn't dare follow that thought to its end.
He sank back into his chair, like a grain sack with the support knocked out from under it. The furious energy from a moment ago had been drained away, leaving nothing behind but a hollow exhaustion.
"...."
Baron Chenako edged forward with great care, produced a clean handkerchief from inside his coat, and held it out with both hands.
"Please, Your Highness, do calm yourself. Ruining your health with anger would be playing right into the Second Prince's hands."
Barbro took the handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. This useless man — nothing from him but flattery.
"You're right." Barbro tossed the handkerchief back. "I can't hand that ugly wretch Zanac something to laugh about."
His gaze drifted to the ceiling. Where was the problem?
He turned it over for a moment.
High-end fighting power.
Barbro had his answer. It was precisely Renner's access to high-end fighting power that had made dismantling Eight Fingers so easy for her.
He quietly sorted through the Kingdom's power structure in his mind.
The Kingdom's Adamantite-ranked adventurer teams: Blue Roses and Crimson Dewdrop.
Blue Roses' captain, Lakyus, was the daughter of Count Aindra. And the Aindra family was one of the Kingdom's oldest noble houses, with a significant position among the royalist faction.
More importantly — Lakyus's brother. Lucian Aindra.
The man known as the Knight Lord. His personal fighting ability was said to be on par with Kingdom Warrior Captain Gazef Stronoff.
He had also spent years building up the Aindra domain, commanding an elite cavalry force that made the annual campaign to the Dragon Kingdom, steeped in real combat experience.
High-end fighting power like that, and it all had to be on Renner's side.
Barbro scratched his head with some irritation.
The captain of the other Adamantite team, Crimson Dewdrop — Azis Aindra — was Lakyus and Lucian's uncle.
Which meant both Adamantite teams were bound to the Aindra family by ties running in every direction.
And the Aindra family had close ties with both Renner and Zanac.
Barbro ground his teeth.
Gazef Stronoff, the Kingdom's Warrior Captain — powerful, no question, but that thick-headed man's loyalty was to his father the King. Barbro had tried to bring Gazef into his camp, but Gazef had maintained nothing but distance. While Ramposa III was alive, Gazef would never side with any prince.
As for the one who had once matched Gazef blow for blow in the royal tournament — Brain Unglaus...
Barbro recalled the scene when he'd sent someone to recruit that wandering swordsman.
That down-and-out figure, holding a worn blade, looking at his envoy the way one looks at garbage.
"I have no interest in nobles' games."
The line his envoy had brought back had made Barbro throw an entire tea set across the room.
That useless man — he'd been thoroughly beaten by Gazef, and he still thought he was in a position to be choosy?
Barbro drew a slow breath and pressed the anger down.
This wasn't the time to be angry. He needed to find a way through.
Then, all at once, a flash of inspiration.
Lucian Aindra.
If he could bring Lucian over to his side, Blue Roses would very likely follow. Lucian was Lakyus's own brother — if her brother asked, she'd have no reason to refuse. And once Blue Roses was in his corner, Azis of Crimson Dewdrop, as the uncle might not declare an open position, but would at least not stand on the opposing side.
That would tip the balance of high-end fighting power decisively in his favor.
The corners of Barbro's mouth lifted slightly, then quickly fell again.
The problem was: how to bring Lucian over?
That man had a rather unflattering nickname in the capital's noble circles: the lolicon.
If Lucian were simply a straightforward lolicon, things would be much easier. Barbro had already quietly obtained several elven young ones.
But...
From everything he'd seen, Lucian hadn't taken the bait last time.
Barbro's brow furrowed.
Right, the problem was still Renner.
Renner was undeniably good-looking: golden hair, deep blue eyes, an angelic face.
Most critically she hadn't come of age yet.
If Lucian really was a lolicon, Renner's appeal to him was probably considerable.
The more Barbro thought about it, the more agitated he became. He picked up the fresh wine glass from the table and threw back a mouthful of spirits. The harsh liquid burned down his throat and ignited a fire in his stomach.
"Chenako." The First Prince spoke suddenly.
"Here, Your Highness!" Baron Chenako scrambled to his feet immediately.
"Tell me... when is Renner going to grow up?"
Baron Chenako was thrown for a moment. His small eyes blinked rapidly as he worked to read the First Prince's meaning.
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