Chapter 199: Imperial Overhaul (3)
As the two were struck speechless and plunged into panic, Ray looked towards the door of the great hall and said,
Come out. From now on, its the empires duty to handle this.
At his words, three knights adorned in half-plate armor with striking golden embroidery entered through the doors.
Their strong presence suggested that each one of them had skills comparable to a knight commander.
They bowed to Ray and the royals.
Then, they began to bind the second prince and the first princess with sturdy ropes, demonstrating skill and finesse that suggested they were well-practiced in this art.
While the second prince resignedly knelt down, the first princess fiercely resisted.
Let go of me this instant! How dare you lay hands on me!
Do not resist. The culprits have already been captured.
Its a frame-up! All a scheme by this man!
To her absurd protests, an imperial knight sneered.
You said it yourself. The masterminds are you. Are you going to change your story now?
Their anger was palpable.
It was natural, considering they had lost comrades in a needless battle with the wyverns.
Those who died hadnt met a glorious end.
At least if they had fallen in the heat of war, it wouldnt have felt so futile.
To be killed merely by a few spells from wyverns was a hollow end, and the resentment held by the soldiers and the people was immense.
As the first princess was almost dragged out of the great hall, one of the knights approached Ray.
Weve captured all those plotting the attack on the wyvern lair.
What should we do now?
His expression seemed to ask, and Ray quirkily responded as if to say, What do you expect me to do?
It would be better to report to His Majesty. As I said earlier, from now on, its for the empire to decide. Personally, though, I think it would be wise to also imprison the nobles involved in the rebellion. Youve done well so far, keep it up.
Ray slung a backpack he had left in a corner over his shoulder.
His actions clearly indicated he intended to leave the empire, revealing just how significant his presence had been.
Noticing his own fleeting sense of loss, the knight shook off the thought.
The shame of relying so much on a young man, not yet fully shed of boyhood, weighed on him.
He lifted his sword and scabbard in a gesture of respect.
Although he couldnt draw his sword before the royals, this was the utmost respect he could show.
Ray casually waved his hand in response and left the great hall without a backward glance.
Wait! Just a minute!
Ray stopped at the sensation of someone approaching from behind.
What now?
It was Princess Celia.
Gasping for breath, she struggled to compose herself, her face drenched in sweat.
Huff Huff Did you really mean what you said earlier?
What are you talking about?
After regaining some composure, she asked in a steadier voice,
The words you said to the second prince in the great hall That wasnt serious, was it?
Ray considered her question for a moment and then chuckled.
It was a fair offer.
Celia felt a considerable relief at his words.
She wasnt sure why she felt relieved, but she did.
Yet, her feelings of guilt also grew.
Having vented various thoughts inside the great hall, Ray felt a sense of relief.
Im sorry. I spoke out of turn without knowing the whole picture.
Dont worry about it. The culprits have been caught, and thats what matters.
From Rays perspective, it was fortunate that Celia had been easily deceived.
Thanks to Celias gullibility, the situation had gradually evolved to portray him as a corrupt saint.
This probably led the second prince and the first princess to trust him enough to consider a deal.
He even felt somewhat grateful to Princess Celia.
She hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes tightly and said,
Please visit Lesia again during your pilgrimage. I promise to show you a changed kingdom!
Change was necessary; otherwise, it would be problematic.
As he had mentioned before, Ray needed to return to Lesia for another reason.
Establishing a medical academy across the continent would ideally start with the Lesian Empire.
He readily agreed.
I will.
His simple agreement noticeably brightened Celias expression, like a constipated person finally finding relief.
His departure from the empire was delayed by a day due to unexpected events, only managing to leave in the late evening to reunite with the paladins.
From now on, matters like wyvern reconciliation or suppressing the rebellion were left to the empire.
With the Emperor firmly in charge, there shouldnt be much to worry about.
Thus, Ray left the empires borders and embarked on his journey back to the Holy Kingdom.
After a long time, the mana crystal began to glow.
Ray, lounging stylishly in the carriage, picked up the communication.
As soon as he infused mana into the crystal, Iriels voice came through.
-Youre late! So late! What on earth were you doing to take this long!
Her voice was strong, suggesting shed eaten well.
There was one more official task requested by the empire, and it took time to resolve.
-A request? I havent heard about that yet
Of course, Iriel wouldnt know.
The empire was currently busy suppressing the rebellion and purging corruption from high-ranking officials.
Moreover, they had to win back the wyverns trust, which wouldnt be an easy task.
Ray yawned widely and said,
If you heard it from me, thats enough.
Iriel frowned at his nonchalant response.
-Thats not really how it works? The pilgrimage schedule has been set.
Hahaha. Take it easy, take it easy. Gaia said to enjoy prosperity, right?
-.
Enjoy prosperity, not laze around.
If Gaia heard this interpretation, shed likely protest vehemently.
Suddenly struck by a thought while lazily reclining, Ray sat up.
If I hurry to the Silia Kingdom, Ill have more time to meet my parents and Aira.
A delay in the schedule meant less time in each country.
Prompted by this sudden shift in mindset, Ray adjusted his posture.
Iriel, confused by the sudden change, asked,
-What? Why suddenly?
Ive changed my mind. Need to hurry.
-Yes? So suddenly
Life is always full of sudden turns.
Just a moment ago, he had been epitomizing laziness, and now he was philosophizing about life.
Ray hastily gathered his backpack and, holding the mana crystal, stepped out of the carriage.
The paladins asked in confusion.
Saint, whats going on?
Ray answered their question.
The pilgrimage schedule has been set. Im heading back to the Holy Kingdom first, so take your time coming!
With just those words, he started sprinting past the carriage.
He bit down on his backpack and stuffed the mana crystal carelessly into his clothes, transforming into a form perfectly suited for running.
Iriel inside the mana crystal began to protest.
-Aaah! Where are you stuffing me into! What are you showing me!
Itll be over soon!
-What is it! Ill hang up for now and call you back later!
Iriel hastily cut off the mana flow, disconnecting the communication through the mana crystal.
Despite lifes sudden turns, she was left with only confusion and shock due to his abrupt actions.
But Rays mind was solely focused on reaching the Holy Kingdom on time.
Whether Iriel was confused or disturbed, it was irrelevant to him at the moment.
Charged with mana, he continued sprinting towards the Holy Kingdom.
Iriel sat at her desk with her face buried in her hands, muttering.
What was that all about, really!
Her face was flushed red as a beet, and her shoulders trembled slightly.
Watching from the side, Griaia stopped writing on parchment and offered an awkward smile.
Is it the saint again? What happened this time?
She couldnt possibly explain.
She couldnt admit that the saint had stuffed the mana crystal inside his shirt while running.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Iriel spoke in her usual tone.
Its nothing. We should start getting ready too. Since Gria will be coming on the pilgrimage, prepare any personal items you might need in advance.
Her face was still visibly red as she spoke nonchalantly.
Griaia chuckled behind her hand and replied.
Hehehe. Understood. Ill take my leave then.
Please do.
After Griaia bowed and left the office, Iriel finally took her hands off the parchment.
While the escort team would prepare the basic necessities, there were certain items, or rather plans, that Iriel needed to prepare herself.
More accurately, they were plans, not items.
With the Holy Kingdom ceasing trade with neighboring kingdoms, the Silia Kingdom was the closest and most beneficial nation to target.
It would be a loss to return from such a country without accomplishing anything.
Iriels current preparation involved forming good relations with Silia and laying the groundwork for future trade negotiations.
It might be a stretch to start trading immediately upon arrival, so it was better to consider it a preparatory step for the future.
Less burdensome for the other party that way.
Now that Ray had unexpectedly facilitated trade with the Lesian Empire, there was less worry, but had that not been the case, all hopes would have rested on Silia.
To prevent such a situation, it was essential to think and prepare for the future.
With this judgment, she meticulously planned for the visit to Silia.
Perhaps she was working even harder, hoping that Ray, meeting his parents after a long time, would enjoy his stay.
Iriel chuckled, recalling the recent incident.
Holding a steaming cup of tea, she looked out the window and murmured to herself.
Will there ever come a time when I can confess my feelings to you, Gaia?
A smile was on her lips, but there was an undeniable sadness in her expression.
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