The Hero’s Party Members Treat Me Well for Some Reason - Chapter 97



The Struggle for the Throne (2)

The imperial palace is no different from a jungle.

Amidst the dazzling luxuries and gold, there are always wolves lurking, eyeing that wealth.

Everyone smiles on the surface, but if you peer just a little deeper, you find a place rife with hatred and gossip about others.

Most people are preoccupied with how to exploit someone else.

Thus, it is commonplace for yesterday’s allies to become today’s enemies.

Princess Daleira has lived in such a place since childhood.

Here, the reason for smiling at a child is not simply because they are cute, as one might naively think.

The underlying calculation is, how can I build a rapport to later siphon off from this child…?

From a young age, she was sharp enough to quickly grasp such ulterior motives.

That is why she found the palace so utterly revolting.

She had never wished for gold. The power that made thousands kneel before her was, in fact, a source of discomfort. Upon reflection, she realized she was a person ill-suited for the esteemed position of royalty.

She had merely been born with all of that.

Some congratulated her. Others cast jealous glances, expressing envy.

Sometimes, when she saw children starving in the slums, she was reminded that she had been born in a truly blessed place.

Yet, despite that, she could not help but despise the palace.

There was no one who could treat her equally, no one who could engage with her sincerely.

It was, quite literally, loneliness in a crowd. The position of emperor must be the loneliest of all.

As she pondered these thoughts, a question arose in her mind.

Then what?

Then why are you trying to become a king?

‘… Well.’

Daleira still could not provide a proper answer to that.

*

It was none other than a princess who began to tread the path of the rebels.

Her scheme was not entirely without merit. After all, it was true that she needed a group to support her. Given the intense scrutiny from the first prince in the political arena, she had no choice but to gather forces from the shadows.

So, while it may not be the best option, it was a viable alternative. That was my assessment.

“By the way, who is this person?”

As I was lost in thought, one of the nobles pointed at me.

What was his name again…? I remember he’s the son of the Count Kehler.

“He’s our ally. I can’t disclose his origins, but his skills are certain.”

“Hm… Is it really okay to trust him? I’m sorry to say this to Your Highness, but he seems like a rather dangerous person…”

It seemed that the Count’s son didn’t quite like me. Well, I couldn’t blame him for that.

I kindly explained for his sake.

“I apologize. I have a bit of a curse on me. It can give off a rather unpleasant impression.”

“Ha, can you really make such a joke in such a serious situation?”

Of course, he didn’t believe it at all… but I was used to it by now.

“Don’t worry, Lowell. For now… he’s someone we can trust. And anyway, his strength is essential for executing the plan.”

“Your Highness, are you saying you don’t trust us? We have strength as well. Even though I’m the third son in my family, I have trained without rest. I believe I can handle at least two or three knights on my own.”

It had only been about three minutes since we met, but I felt like I had already grasped his personality.

‘A foolish hothead.’

Easily swayed by others’ opinions, lacking in real skill, yet overflowing with confidence.

Unable to see reality, only capable of envisioning ideals. A person who is easy to manipulate.

In fact, I didn’t particularly like the resistance, partly because it was filled with people like him.

Among the young ones, many have a strange romantic notion about rebellion.

And such folks often end up joining these resistances.

Thoughts about the nation? Noble sacrifices? Honestly, they don’t care much about that.

What matters is the illusion that they are doing something grand.

Thanks to that, bad words were on the tip of my tongue.

“Calm down. It’s good to be passionate, but you must face reality. The more strength, the better.”

Fortunately, Dayla had managed to calm him down before that could happen.

Phew, I almost ruined the atmosphere once again. My mere presence was already a problem; I had to be as careful as possible with my words.

“Then let’s set the date for the operation.”

Thus, we began our meeting. We coordinated our schedules and decided on the date and number of people for the raid on the Imperial Palace. We didn’t need to gather too many people.

We were only going to meet the Second Prince, not to wage war. My strength alone was sufficient. The resistance’s role was to lend weight to Dayla’s voice.

Fortunately, this was settled quickly. It had already been vaguely planned before we gathered here. All that was left was to finalize that plan.

The execution would take place three days later, early in the morning. The guards would be in a drowsy state, and the operation would occur while the Second Prince was still awake.

“Then I’ll see you in three days, Your Highness.”

“Until then, may you remain safe.”

Having concluded the meeting, the resistance fighters set off on their own paths.

Left alone, I mulled over a slight unease. It was good that she had worked hard to gather people.

Thanks to that, she now had her own faction. But what worried me was that she had gathered them too hastily.

‘…It feels unsettling.’

One must be discerning when accepting people. Otherwise, one can never know what problems might arise.

Thus, I decided to take a small precaution.

‘This should be fine.’

Using a charm, I extracted a bug. A one-eyed bug.

By now, I had grown fond of it, to the point where it seemed cute. Since it could record video, it would at least be able to inform me if anything unusual occurred.

I quietly attached the bug to her as she moved away.

*

“…So, the plan is to be executed in three days? To rescue the second prince and to bring about my downfall?”

“Yes, yes… That is correct. I heard it clearly.”

Hours later, after the temporary meeting of the resistance.

In the early hours of the morning, three people gathered in a luxurious inn.

The first was the first prince, Ian, along with his knight. And one of the minor nobles who had just been part of the resistance.

The reason they had gathered was simple. The minor noble had come to sell information to the prince.

From the execution date of the plan, to the details of the plan, and who among the resistance was involved, and so on…

“That could have been a disaster.”

Having heard the entire story, Ian let out a small sigh of relief. Of course, even in that moment, his expression remained utterly impassive. After all, it could have been a major crisis. If things had gone wrong, even the few supporters he had painstakingly gathered might have turned their backs on him.

Of course, that wouldn’t mean his claim to the throne was completely shattered, but it was clear that problems would arise.

It was nothing unusual for Ian to meet with the whistleblower.

After all, the person wasn’t even part of his faction. They were too insignificant in both lineage and capability to be included in his power.

They had merely made a subtle proposal to the nobles once before. If they had any information that could be of help, they should bring it. In return, a reward would be given.

The other party remembered that, and commendably, they had come to him. Thanks to that, he had managed to avoid a great disaster.

“Here. This is your reward.”

As Ian said this, he handed a bag filled with gold coins to the other party.

The noble approached hesitantly and took the bag. Though his demeanor was timid, he couldn’t hide the greedy smile that crept onto his face.

Up to this point, everything was fine. However, the problem was that the other party had crossed a line.

“Uh, um… Thank you. If it’s alright, may I also join your faction, Lord Ian?”

—

Hearing that, Ian frowned deeply.

“Tsk, know your place. What do you have? Just a title, and as the youngest, you have no chance of inheriting the family legacy. You have no money, and no noteworthy skills to boast about. The reason you came for the reward is probably because you’ll need a lump sum when your family discards you later, isn’t it?”

“Th-that’s…”

The noble trembled at Ian’s irritated words. He didn’t even have the guts to stand firm against a mere comment.

“If you understand, then get lost.”

“Yes, understood…”

With that, the noble shuffled out of the room, clutching his bag of gold coins.

As the other party left, Ian’s guard beside him asked,

“What will you do now?”

“…I’ll take care of it.”

Just like with the First Princess. Ian swallowed the rest of his words.

He had intended to let it go if possible, but this time, the other party had crossed the line first.

It was indeed the act of killing a fellow royal, but there was nothing to hesitate about.

After all, most of the power was already in his hands.

If he simply maintained the status quo, he would become the Emperor. Once he became the Emperor, the killing of royals wouldn’t be a problem at all.

If necessary, he could even frame it as eliminating a rebel faction.

Unlike when he had merely sent the Second Prince to the confinement palace, now there were countless ways to dispose of them.

“However, we must leave no evidence. Make sure to handle it in the most secluded place possible.”

“Yes.”

The guard nodded.

The First Prince’s orders were carried out the very next day.

Trustworthy subordinates were summoned to invade the room where the Third Princess, Deila, was staying in the dead of night. With hardly any servants around and little attention paid to the place, it was easy to abduct her.

After the operation was completed, the subordinate reported back to Ian.

“We have safely loaded the Third Princess into the carriage.”

“Good job. Were there any difficulties?”

“Yes. However, the Third Princess’s guard put up quite a struggle…”

“What did you do?”

“…We killed him.”

Ian nodded. He had anticipated that level of trouble.

He lifted his gaze to briefly observe the ornate ceiling. Then he thought.

—

Let me know if you need any further assistance!

The palace is a jungle.

It is always a den of beasts seeking power and gold.

Everyone does not hesitate to stab others in the back for their own benefit.

The fact that the outside and inside of the palace are different is not a realization unique to Deila.

It is something that not only she knows, but also Ian, and indeed everyone who has devoted their lives to the political world.

However, they still do not hesitate to betray others.

Thus, gold and power are valuable.

Because everyone wants them. They are unreserved in sacrificing relationships to obtain them.

In the palace, trust is worth less than gold.

Unlike Deila, his reason for wanting to become king was painfully clear.

‘To become the most valuable person.’

If what everyone desires is power, then the one at the pinnacle is naturally the emperor.

Everyone would look up to him.

Ian muttered while thinking of the third princess, Deila.

“You should have been more careful, little sister.”

Born in the jungle, yet carelessly giving trust to others. That is the cause of your defeat.

*

The princess was kidnapped.

“Hmm… no wonder.”

Luke learned of this fact half a day after Deila had been abducted.

“Something felt off.”

He grumbled as he drew his sword.