Chapter 187 : Sacrifice (3)
Sacrifice (3)
The imperial palace of the Roderun Empire.
The personal bedroom of the third imperial princess, Aurelia.
― Click.
The heavy door, tightly closed until now, opened, and Aurelia cautiously stepped inside.
At her side was her loyal knight, sir Vance, who had served as her shadowy guard for years.
"......"
Aurelia couldn't help but freeze at the sight awaiting her in the room.
In the center, there was a large, plush king-sized bed – a bed upon which only an imperial princess of the empire was allowed to lie.
"Ah. You're finally here."
Sprawled across that pure and private space as if it were his own room, a man lounged with his chin propped up.
His hair was black, tinged with a subtle blue sheen.
His chilling, gold pupils were slit vertically like those of a lizard.
The ruler of the southern continent, and the young lord of the Mirnoi family.
The man known as the continent's most powerful mage.
It was Kalian Mirnoi.
"... Dragonblood lord."
Aurelia forced herself to open her mouth, suppressing her bewilderment.
"All preparations have been made in the drawing room, with refreshments as well. Why did you insist on meeting in such a private space?"
It was not just surprising, but frankly unpleasant behavior.
Even though she had been the one to invite him in a moment of urgency, she was, after all, an imperial princess.
Not only had he trespassed into the princess's bedroom, he was even lounging on the bed.
There should be a limit to rudeness.
Yet Kalian just let out a slight snort, as if finding Aurelia's words absurd.
"Third princess. Do you think you're in any position to be concerned with etiquette right now?"
Kalian tapped the mattress of the bed with his fingers.
"And it's hard to make fun, flexible propositions in front of those stiff, suffocating tables. I like intimate, soft places like this. Our Mirnoi dragons have always preferred cozy nests lined with gold and treasure."
At Kalian's arrogant demeanor, sir Vance's hand instinctively moved to his sword hilt.
However, Aurelia quietly raised her hand and stopped him.
She had to endure it.
Right now, the lives of millions in the empire's southeast and her own lifeline depended on the whim of this arrogant man.
The second prince, ikaron, had abandoned his imperial duties, and even the trusted Marquis Deloa had been killed by the enemy.
Even her friend Veronica Hisperion was now laid up with a wounded dantian, and not by her side.
Aurelia's last remaining lifeline was the man before her – Kalian.
"... Very well."
Aurelia sat rigidly on the sofa, a few steps away from the bed.
"Time is short, so I'll get straight to the point. I need the Mirnoi family's forces, and your magic."
Kalian slowly sat up from where he lay on the bed.
His vertically-slitted pupils roamed over Aurelia's entire body like a snake eyeing its prey.
"Well... That's why you called me, isn't it? But you want to move the continent's strongest mage and the finest magic corps, right? Even for an imperial princess... can you handle the price?"
"What are your terms?"
"Hmph."
He counted off on his fingers as he spoke.
"First, abolish tariffs at the southern imperial trade ports. For at least fifty years. And the empire's natural spirit stones, too. Allow us exclusive trade in my designated territory. Naturally, all the remains and spoils of the enemies you're going to wipe out must belong to us."
"...!"
Every condition made it hard to breathe.
Abolishing tariffs and handing over exclusive rights to natural resources...
It was, in effect, telling her to hand over the entire economic control of the southern empire to the Mirnoi family.
It was practically a traitorous treaty that even the emperor could not easily approve.
But Aurelia bit her lip tightly.
If the country fell, control of the economy or anything else would be meaningless.
She had to survive, even if it came at a tremendous price.
"... I understand. Some of this is beyond my authority, but I will speak to the regent and make sure it is guaranteed, one way or another. You have my word."
"Oh. Decisive enough."
A smirk crossed Kalian's lips.
But his demands did not end there.
"One last thing."
"...?"
Kalian lazily pointed at Aurelia and whispered.
"Princess."
"... Yes?"
Aurelia's eyes shook.
"Become my concubine, Aurelia."
"W-What did... you... say!?"
Aurelia, unable to contain her shock, half-rose from the sofa.
An imperial princess of the empire... and a legitimate heir to the throne at that – being asked to become a mere concubine to a family lord.
It was an insult to the whole imperial family.
But Kalian only went on in an insolent tone.
"Why so surprised? As you know, the Mirnois possess the noble blood of the sacred dragon. To preserve that blood perfectly, the vessel must be equally worthy. The bloodline of the imperial family is not a bad container for housing the seed of our great dragon."
Kalian licked his lips with his tongue.
"Sit on the throne as a dignified princess by day, but cry as my female while bearing my seed in my bed at night. How's that? It's a sweet deal, isn't it?"
"Dragonblood lord...! You...!"
Aurelia's face flared red with humiliation and disgrace.
The contempt cut her to the bone, but she could not recklessly curse.
If she provoked this man, the people of the southeast might truly be massacred.
While she trembled from barely-suppressed fury—
― Chaaang!!
"Hold your tongue, Mirnoi!"
Unable to bear it any longer, the guard knight Vance drew his sword and roared in outrage.
"No matter how strong a mage you may be, there are lines that mustn't be crossed! How dare you subject an imperial princess to such foul and filthy harassment! I'll rip your mouth—"
"V-Vance! Stop!"
Aurelia shouted desperately.
But it was too late.
"Hoh."
Kalian's smile, as he sat cockily on the bed, vanished in an instant.
The languid, playful face abruptly transformed into the cold, lifeless expression of a reptile.
― Goooooo!
At that moment, it was as if the air of the bedroom had frozen over.
The crushing pressure of overwhelming magic power made it hard to even breathe.
"There's a dumb mutt barking here, who doesn't know his place."
Kalian casually flicked a single finger.
"Ku-Kuhk!?"
An invisible giant hand viciously seized Vance's throat, hoisting him high into the air.
― Kwadeudeuk!
"Gah—Aagh...!"
He was a master top-rank knight, but before Kalian's telekinetic power, vance was no more than a strangled bug, flailing in midair.
The sickening crack of bones twisting in Vance's neck resounded.
"I... I'll kill you—! Kuhk!"
"Stop! Dragonblood lord, he'll die!"
"Hah... You should know your place, third princess."
Without so much as looking at the Vance, who hung in midair with whites showing in his eyes, Kalian leveled a cold stare at Aurelia.
"I have nothing to lose. Whether the empire is reduced to ashes, or whether mysterious monsters swarm the southeast. Nothing will reach our Mirnoi territory. The desperate one isn't me, it's you."
"K-Kalian!"
"You're the one who called me. To beg for your life."
― Bbadeuk!
"Grgk! Guh...!"
Vance's life was nearly at its end.
His face was already flushed black and red, and the sword in his hand fell limp to the floor.
"Stop! Please, stop! I'll apologize! Just please let him go!"
Aurelia finally rose from the sofa and dropped to her knees on the floor.
Seeing her submission, Kalian finally released his telekinetic grip.
― Thud!
"Kahak! Huff, huff...!"
Vance, flung to the floor, clutched his throat and gasped desperately for breath.
With trembling hands, Aurelia checked on Vance's condition and looked up at Kalian with eyes filled with fury.
Kalian reclined against the bed once more, smirking.
"Hmph. Spare me the thanks for my mercy. Because of that mutt's barking, the price has gone up by one more condition."
"... What?"
"If you bear the dragon's seed... you must renounce your claim to the imperial throne and enter the Mirnoi family. Abandon the imperial surname and take the Mirnoi name. I wouldn't mind ruling the empire with you, but I don't want my child to become a puppet prince of the imperial family."
"... Ha!"
To forsake the throne.
It meant abandoning the retainers who had followed her, and her lifelong vow to defend the empire.
"If you don't accept, you may leave this room immediately. I'll just go watch the southeast turn to ash."
There was not an ounce of wavering in Kalian's gaze.
He was truly the kind of man who would turn around and walk out without a second thought.
'... If I refuse here.'
The hundreds of thousands of people who supported her in the southeast, the countless soldiers and nobles who trusted and followed her, would all be massacred by the mysterious golden monsters.
She only needed to sacrifice her own dream.
If she could just give up her paltry pride and right to the throne... she could save the empire.
Aurelia clenched her fist so tightly that blood almost oozed from her palm.
After a long silence.
At last, she slowly bowed her head.
"... I agree."
"Your Highness! Don't... *cough*!"
Vance tried to protest, coughing up blood, but Aurelia was resolute.
"I will enter the Mirnoi family and become your concubine. The throne... I will give it up."
Shame and loss almost caused her to burst into tears, but she forced herself to meet Kalian's reptilian eyes.
"But! I have a condition I cannot yield!"
"Oh? You're making demands in this situation?"
"To offer my body to you...! Only after you have completely saved the empire from this terrible crisis."
There was venom in Aurelia's eyes.
"If you fail to uphold your end of this contract, I would rather slit my own throat than ever give myself to you. This is my final condition. If you refuse, I will leave this room right now."
It was her last dignity as a princess, and her final ultimatum to ensure Kalian's cooperation.
"......"
Kalian was silent.
His slitted pupils swept over Aurelia's determined face.
"How pitiable."
A weak prey he could claim at any moment.
"And at the same time, admirable."
Eyes determined to uphold her pride even with a blade at her throat.
After a moment.
"Heh... Hahahahaha!"
Kalian threw his head back and laughed heartily at the ceiling.
"Alright. Fine, fine."
A submissive plaything was no fun.
Bringing down prey who struggled to the last, crawling to preserve their own dignity, was far sweeter and more exhilarating.
"Very good, Your Highness."
Kalian rose from the bed and lifted her chin.
He wiped away the small tear at the corner of her eye with his thumb, whispering softly.
"There's an art in drawing out the pleasure a little longer. The anticipation of a victory's spoils is quite sweet in itself."
He pressed his lips close to Aurelia's ear.
"Just this once. I'll indulge that cute little plea."
Thus, a foul and secret pact was struck between the third imperial princess of the empire and the continent's most powerful mage.
And the next day—
The continent's mightiest magical family and the arrogant Grand Duke's army clashed head-on.