To be honest, the endeavor that the Fourth Prince, Ulysses, is undertaking is something that one would not be surprised if he were afraid and postponed due to fear.
He has already faced life-threatening dangers from demons and has sustained injuries as well.
For an ordinary person, it would be natural to lose heart time and again and give up on the grand goal of departing for the Holy Kingdom.
“It seems fortunate that Fernand is not too far away. If the weather had been bad, it would have taken much longer,” he said.
However, Ulysses made a decision even before a day had passed.
After all, above the Fourth Prince, there are three older brothers in the line of succession.
Moreover, in the empire, the nobility of blood is more important than gender, so his four sisters also rank above him in the order of succession.
‘A prince who, no matter how hard he tries, cannot become emperor.’
It seems he made a quick decision, which is sensible.
By creating his own merits, he might climb to a more advantageous position later.
Who knows? Maybe with the help of Dawn Society or some other external forces, his brothers and sisters might disappear altogether.
I chuckled at such an absurd thought.
But that aside…
“…how shabby.”
This carriage in the procession heading to the Holy Kingdom! Despite a prince being inside, its appearance is embarrassingly plain to describe.
There are only two carriages.
They are not being pulled by eight handsome horses, nor are they resplendent with glittering gold.
They look a little better than the usual carriages you might see in any village but are not particularly notable.
The prince and his attendants are sharing them.
The prince’s carriage and the one for his attendants. That’s how it is.
Originally, it was planned to assign people, including guards, from the border city of Berniden, but Ulysses firmly refused.
-‘I don’t know where Dawn Society might be hiding, so I want to bring only those I know personally.’
I thought it was a valid reason, considering what had happened on the train.
Phuhihing!
“Ugh.”
As I was riding and guarding the surroundings of the carriage, I turned my head at a strange noise.
There, I saw Linne holding the reins of the horse she was riding, looking very awkward.
“Seems like the Sword Saint didn’t teach you how to ride. You look as lacking as your aura,” I remarked.
“It’s because it’s not the horse I usually ride! Uh!”
In response to my teasing remark, Linne bristled, nearly falling off to the side before she managed to grab the reins and regain her balance. It’s because it’s not the horse she usually rides. Watching this, I decided unspokenly, without her knowing, that she simply didn’t know how to ride.
“It’s a shame. If the railway extended to the Holy Kingdom, it wouldn’t have been so difficult. Haha.” Naturally, the resonating trains of the empire do not extend to the Holy Kingdom. The empire isn’t lenient enough to accommodate an enemy nation. Even if it did connect, whether she could have taken it remains uncertain.
“Don’t treat me like a fool! It’s just that this horse has a bad temper………… hic! That’s all. Just a little… ouch!” Frustrated, Linne once again adjusted her position in the saddle and tensed her thighs, but the horse bucked, rejecting her.
‘It seems like the horse had an expression that said, “How dare you try to ride me?” It must be my imagination.
If it’s this difficult, she might as well ride in the carriage… Ah, but being with the prince might be even more uncomfortable. I applaud her effort to avoid uncomfortable situations and decided to offer her a few tips. Of course, these are not from my own experience but from ‘Julian’s’ experience, but well, I can take the credit.
“Trying to overpower it with force is why it dislikes you.”
“I know that much………… eek!” Despite my advice, Linne tried to handle the horse in her own way, but alas, that won’t work.
“It seems you don’t know. First, get your posture right. Align your shoulders, hips, and heels in a straight line.” When people first try to assume the correct posture, they often fail to balance properly and end up tumbling forward. Moreover, it’s a bit of an embarrassing position.
Linne glared at me with half-open eyes, as if checking whether I was making fun of her. If she dislikes it so much, she shouldn’t do it.
Just as I was about to move past the advice, Linne changed her posture as I had instructed.
“And then?” With a sulky face, she reluctantly accepted my advice. Her expression was like that of a child who doesn’t want to do something but has no choice.
I couldn’t help but smile inwardly, but there was still work to do. “Focus on your hips, not your thighs.” After taking a deep breath, Linne promptly took action. Although she had only heard a few words from me about riding, Linne began to adapt to horseback riding quite easily.
“Like this?” Usually, her face was stoic, but her eyes now exuded confidence. Clearly, her innate physical abilities were not to be underestimated.
“At first, I didn’t understand what you were saying, but definitely… relaxing made it much easier to hold the reins.”
“That’s good.”
“Julian, who taught you how to ride a horse?”
I don’t know either. I just became able to ride naturally after I became this body.
“I haven’t learned from anyone.”
That’s not just about riding horses.
Nor about using a sword.
Or managing mana.
It’s all just that my body ‘remembers’ from when I became ‘Julian.’
Of course, there were some trials and errors.
“How come you ride so well then?”
If it were ‘Julian’ here, he wouldn’t give a foolish answer like ‘I don’t know.’
“That’s the difference between you and me.”
Linne, as expected, ignored me with a look and focused on her riding.
Then, the window of the carriage Ulysses was in opened, and his face appeared briefly.
“We should see the border of the Holy Kingdom soon.”
“Yes, it seems so.”
“Before that, we were supposed to meet some people sent by the Sword Saint from the Holy Kingdom, haven’t they shown up yet?”
As Ulysses said, I looked far off into the distance at the ridge.
“It seems they haven’t arrived yet.”
“Ah, is that so? But Miss Linne, have you ever been to the Holy Kingdom of Fernand?”
Ulysses awkwardly changed the subject.
“No, this is my first time.”
“Is that so? I’ve been there, but when I was young. According to my nanny, I went there to be baptized. I don’t remember it though.”
The ‘baptism’ he was going to receive now had a different meaning than the one he mentioned.
It was just a formal announcement of being born.
What he was going to receive now was an official baptism, proof of being converted to the religion of the Sun God.
Ulysses, smiling slightly, then turned his gaze to me.
“Julian, you’ve been to the Holy Kingdom quite recently, right?”
‘News to me?’
Instantly, the thought ‘When did I?’ rose to my lips, but I barely held it back.
Seeing how confident he was in his statement, there must have been some incident before.
Thinking this, I nodded affirmatively.
“Haha, yes.”
“Exactly! How was the Holy Kingdom? I heard that the capital of the Holy Kingdom is as sophisticated as our own!”
Ulysses looked at me expectantly.
Slyly glancing aside, Linne also said nothing, but it seemed she was waiting for my response.
No, I haven’t been there either!
“Large windows, thin yet numerous pillars, and the use of marble to create a devout pure white style were enough to impress even an art lover like myself.”
Well, how long did I play ‘Let’s Kill the Demon Lord’?
Based on what I saw on the screen, I could vaguely describe it as my own experience.
“Listening to you, Julian, makes me want to see it soon too. Ah! How was the food?”
Give me a break.
“Your Highness Ulysses, there are people ahead. It seems they are from the Holy Kingdom as you mentioned earlier.”
Just as Linne spoke, fortunately, I did not have to describe the food.
Taste doesn’t come out in the game anyway.
Relieved, I looked forward, and from a distance, I could see something standing still.
As if they were waiting for us.
***
Upon reaching the ridge, the attire of the personnel sent from the Holy Kingdom could be clearly identified.
Their ceremonial clothes were made of neat white and blue fabrics, adorned with jewels. Though not elaborately decorated, there was an inexplicable sense of reverence in their appearance.
Among them, one man who was leading a horse stood out. Unlike the others, he was dressed in armor rather than ceremonial clothes.
With a pure white scabbard at his waist and an air that spoke of deep proficiency in swordsmanship, it was evident he was well-versed in the martial arts.
“You must have had a hard journey getting here. I am Prasion, belonging to the White Night Order of the Holy Kingdom. Prince Ulysses de Adratan of the Adratan Empire.”
“Yes, it has been quite the journey.”
“Ha, but it seems you will need to endure a bit more. The road ahead might be quite arduous,” he said, glancing at me.
“I thought the escort for the prince of the Empire would be modest, but it seems that’s not the case.”
The man spoke as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have, and his tone carried an air of displeasure, suggesting he knew who I was.
“The Smiling Executioner, I didn’t expect to see you here. Are you foolish or just shameless?”
With a sharp critique, the man acknowledged me as if he knew me.
Truly, it’s surprising how recognizable I am, even in a foreign nation.
“Are you sure you’re okay? There are those in the Empire who shudder at your nickname, ‘The Smiling Executioner,’ and wish to exact revenge.”
With a smirk, the man sent a veiled warning my way, but I responded nonchalantly.
“Thank you for your concern, but I don’t believe there’s ‘something’ here that could threaten my life. Haha.”
Clank!
As I rattled my scabbard, Prasion and the others behind him flinched.
“Don’t be nervous. I am merely the captain of the guard accompanying the prince.”
With that, I took control of the situation.
There was no need for such measures, as I was confident that nothing would jeopardize my safety.
After a long war and a ceasefire, the Empire and the Holy Kingdom still harbored residual bitterness toward each other.
Despite this, it would be no exaggeration to say that the Holy Kingdom was seeking peace with the Empire.
Specifically, a peace founded on ‘religion.’
Their underlying strategy is to spread the ‘Sun God Religion’ widely within the Empire. It would be foolish to interfere with Ulysses and his diplomatic entourage, considering they are part of such a grand plan.
‘The problem is, now that this guy has arrived, I need to figure out what his agenda is.’
I took another look at the man in front of me.
The Holy Kingdom of Fernand, like the Empire, has a special force that resembles a religious-military fusion, reflecting its policy of merging church and state.
Their name is the Seven Voices Order.
They perform almost every elite task, from guarding dignitaries to assassination.
And Prasion, who introduced himself as a member of the White Night Order, belongs to a division suitable for escort duties within the Seven Voices Order.
‘Since the Seven Voices Order is directly under the high priests, it’s hard to know what secret orders he might have received.’
Because of this, I found myself on edge and had no choice but to keep an eye on Prasion.
Even though the Holy Kingdom harbors grand plans, they surely don’t include ‘individual deviations’.
Being cautious about potential issues is a very wise choice.
“Understood. Then let us escort you for the remaining distance to the Holy Kingdom.”
Prasion withdrew his sharp gaze from me and turned his horse towards the Holy Kingdom.
***
As Prasion joined the escort, it started to feel real that we were nearing the Holy Kingdom of Fernand.
The pure white structures, predominantly made of marble, conveyed a sense of piety typical of Fernand’s architectural style.
These elements that represent Fernand flashed through my mind once again.
I anticipated feeling nostalgic about the time I played ‘Let’s Kill the Demon Lord’, but…
Before that, my heart began to race with the suspicion that I might meet ‘him’ first.
“The Sword Saint.”
The origin, or at least a fundamental cause, of what turned me into this state.
‘What should I say if I see him?’
My feelings were complicated.
Initially, after seeing the trailer where ‘Julian kills the Sword Saint and Linne’, I tried to avoid any interaction with them as much as possible, fearing that it could actually happen.
But now, resentment outweighed my worries.
What in the world was he doing, abandoning his own affairs and seeking asylum in the Holy Kingdom?
‘Now I’m curious about what he’s up to… Hmm?’
Holding the reins and following Prasion, I noticed a fork in the road.
I know this path.
When I played the game, this was the first choice the ‘Sword Saint’ faced when heading to the Holy Kingdom.
‘Both the left and right lead to the border of Berniden.’
The left is a paved road.
The right is unpaved, as I remember. Probably.
And there was something behind it.
Naturally, it makes sense to take the paved road. It wouldn’t matter if it were just horses, but we have carriages too.
“Turn right.”
Contrary to my thoughts, Prasion naturally began leading the procession to the right.
The right path seemed well-maintained at first glance.
The left appeared unfinished and rough.
“Wait.”
“What is it, Sir Julian?”
Prasion turned around with an annoyed expression.
“That path isn’t paved, so it might be difficult for the carriages.”
I voiced my thoughts directly.
Then, he turned his head and our eyes met.
“We know the geography here better. Sir Julian, this is your ‘first’ time in the Holy Kingdom, isn’t it?”
He looked at me with a glance that seemed to say, ‘What would a murderer know?’
I simply responded with a warm smile.
Yes, it’s my first time.
But I’m not naive. There’s another reason we shouldn’t go that way. Haha.
As far as my memory serves, Julian’s official visit to the Holy Kingdom happens much later.
Prasion is right, now is ‘officially’ my first time.
But I’ve been here hundreds, thousands of times.
“Yes, ‘officially’ that is.”
Today, I particularly enjoyed the slight curve of my eyes and the upward tilt of my lips.
Caught off guard, Prasion started to ponder my words.
“So, then…”
Yes, what I mean is, ‘I’ve been here unofficially.’
I probably know the geography here better than you do.
Cliche Novel 
jejejeje
LikeLike