Magic Caster of Destroy

What’s Brain planning to do in the future? Does he have something in mind?

Although Brain had become Princess Renner’s direct subordinate, Gazef had a feeling that he would leave soon. If he did vanish, it would probably be to hone his sword skills. As a man bound to the courts, Gazef could not help but admire that lifestyle.

He recalled Brain’s polished swordsmanship.

After the demonic disturbance, Gazef and Brain had exchanged blows in a friendly spar.

Although Gazef had triumphed in that no-holds-barred match, he could feel the hours Brain had put into his sword work as the wind of his sword’s passage blew through his hair.

Who knew, in a few years’ time, Brain might end up becoming stronger than himself.

If Brain agreed to take my place, I’d focus my energy into training the next generation, so theKingdom would have its share of skilled warriors in the future.

“I certainly agree!”

Marquis Bowlrob’s voice interrupted Gazef’s thoughts. Now was not the time to worry about the distant future.

“If you will permit me, I would gladly contribute my strongest troops to the effort and to the protection of his Majesty’s person. How about that, your Majesty?”

“Umu. Warrior-Captain, what do you think?”

He could not pretend that he had not heard it. That would be a lie. Gazef put on a show of earnest consideration, while ignoring the twitch of Raeven’s eyebrow.

It was probably Bowlrob’s suggestion, who supported Barbro as the next king, for Barbro to fight at the front. However, Gazef had no proof of this, so there was only one answer he could give.

“I believe it all depends on his Majesty’s opinion.”

The King nodded deeply, and Gazef suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

“Is that so… well, if that’s the case… then you shall come along as well.”

“Yes! Allow me to present the false emperor’s head to you, Father!”

As he listened to Barbro’s enthusiastic reply, Gazef could only hope that the impending preparations would blow away the clouds of unease forming over his heart.

♦ ♦ ♦

Marquis Raeven’s political ability was second to none among the Six Great Nobles, so one would expect that the office where he showed his abilities would be an impressive one. Yet, this was not the case. Many would be surprised by how the orders which determined the future of the Kingdom were drafted in such a humble, cramped place.

The room’s interior was filled with bookshelves, and the books and scrolls were neatly arranged in a way that hinted at their owner’s personality. However, it was not because of these things that the room was so small, although they were part of the reason for it.

The greatest reason could not be seen by the naked eye.

Raeven’s home was built of bricks coated in stucco. This was customary when it came to the construction of a noble home, and Raeven’s office was no exception.

However, the interior of those walls were coated with copper sheets that enveloped the entire room.

This was done to interfere with spells used to eavesdrop, observe or detect his location.

The windowless room felt a little claustrophobic, but from a cost-effectiveness point of view, it was practical and had to be endured.

Upon returning from Valencia Palace, Raeven had made a beeline for this office, which was proofed against magic. He crossed to the other side of his sturdy working desk before flopping down onto his chair, his body devoid of energy.

Then, he covered his face with his hands. He did not look anything like a great noble who commanded unrivalled power and privilege in the Kingdom. Instead, he looked like a middle-aged man, worn down to exhaustion by the weight of stress and responsibility.

He brought up the limp strands of his blonde hair in his fingers, combing them back up as his face twisted.

After taking a deep breath, the stress accumulated during the court session turned to anger, which filled his heart. In moments it had exceeded his limit, and burst forth like an explosion.

“Those bloody, bloody, bloody idiots!”

Nobody understood what was going on. No, if someone had understood and was taking advantage of the situation, they would be masterful schemers indeed.

Right now, the Kingdom was in great peril.

The Empire’s frequent sabre-rattling lead to severe problems such as food shortages, and then there were other issues that were starting to precipitate. The only reason why no cracks in the Kingdom had appeared so far was because the nobles honestly believed “we just need to hold on a bit longer until the other faction collapses first”.

The Empire employed professional warriors known as knights, but the Kingdom had no equivalent soldiers among their ranks. To resist the Imperial invasions, they needed to conscript peasants in their levies. And of course, this meant that the villages would run short of manpower.