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Chapter: 252

The stories flowing from Arthur’s lips were usually about the cutthroat competition for power.

There was a crown prince whose ascension to the throne was all but guaranteed, a frail emperor with the qualities of a great ruler, and the emperor’s brother, who had lived with a hidden desire for power.

A very familiar and slightly boring power struggle. It all started when the ailing emperor succumbed to his illness.

But surely, as the emperor of Romania, he must have worn an immortality crown that grants extended life. Yet he was still frail… just how short was his original lifespan?

No, it must have been after he became emperor that he started wearing the immortality crown. If he was already sickly from birth and ascended to the throne late, it wouldn’t be too strange.

So, the one who became emperor… ah, back then, it was still an empire, so he was a king, right? Romania became an empire through the efforts of the previous emperor… in other words, Arthur’s father. Hm… this is needlessly confusing. Let’s just unify it all under emperor.

Anyway, even though Arthur’s father wore the immortality crown, he was frail and ultimately lost his life due to a chronic illness while ruling Romania splendidly for several years.

According to Arthur, he had devoted himself to the task of making Romania an empire, which compromised his health… Hm, I don’t know. Maybe that’s just how short his lifespan was.

As the Goddess of Life, I shouldn’t say such irresponsible things. But who cares? Who’s counting the lifespan of a dead emperor anyway?

In any case, after the emperor died, the funeral was held, and then it should have been Arthur’s turn to become the next emperor… but the brother of the late emperor, that is, Arthur’s uncle, raised an objection.

Arthur was too young to become emperor.

They claimed that the empire was too heavy a burden for young Arthur to shoulder before he reached adulthood. Until he did, another adult should help him.

Many of the servants regarded Arthur’s uncle’s words as valid, and thus, the uncle became the regent, governing the land in place of Arthur.

What happened next… well, I think you can guess without needing to be told.

Arthur, who was supposed to have become emperor, fled in this sorry state along with his younger sister. The ending was already in sight.

“I don’t know what kind of measures that man took, but… many lords agreed with him. After dodging several assassination attempts, I barely managed to escape. What I didn’t expect was… my sister Vivi.”

“Sister…?”

“Yes. I was trying to sneak out of the castle alone, but my sister insisted on following me. She even prepared a horse for the escape.”

“A horse too?”

“Yes. I told her the road to escape wouldn’t be easy and that she would face a lot of hardships… but I couldn’t break her will.”

Hmm. So that’s why he fled with his sister.

But then… what about the poison and illness inside Vivi’s body? Considering the amount of poison, it wouldn’t have accumulated in just a day or two.

“How did she end up with that poison in her body…?”

“That’s…”

Arthur hesitated for a moment, and the answer to my question came from another direction.

“Since some time ago, I noticed the cook secretly putting something into your bowl, brother. I didn’t know what it was, but… I thought you shouldn’t eat it, so I secretly swapped our bowls.”

“You swapped our bowls?”

“Yes. The cook only put something in your bowl.”

With a look of shame on his face, Arthur spoke in a low voice.

“I’m embarrassed to admit… I didn’t notice at all. I didn’t realize the cook put something in my bowl, nor that my sister swapped our bowls.”

“After all, our bowls were almost identical. Unless you were caught swapping them directly, it would be hard to notice.”

Hmm. Even so, not noticing the bowl swap right next to you… that seems quite dense to me.

Or perhaps Vivi’s sleight of hand was so good that she managed to swap them without being noticed.

“And since you were busy with lessons just before the meal, you only had to do a quick swap before you came. If you had noticed, that would’ve been even weirder.”

Hmm. So you did the swap before I even came for dinner. That makes it understandable that you wouldn’t notice.

“And after I found out the cook put something in your meal, I started throwing fits to make sure it was just the two of us eating. With no one else around, no one noticed the bowl swap.”

So, she ingested the poison that the cook had… that’s quite reckless.

“That’s seriously reckless. If that poison had been fast-acting, you would have died immediately. It would have been better to inform someone about the cook’s actions.”

“If I did, I might not have discovered who was behind the cook. The tail of a lizard gets easily cut off. After witnessing my cook and uncle talking secretly in a secluded area, I knew who was behind it. And I only ate about a spoonful of what was in my bowl before discarding the rest. I thought the smallest amount would avoid suspicion.”

Hmm… no matter how I think about it, that doesn’t sound like a young child’s thinking. Witnessing suspicious behavior and responding to it… is that a trait inherent in them?

Aside from her talent as a Dragon Priestess, she seems quite clever too.

“So, after discovering my uncle was behind the poison in your food, I prepared a horse and some money, then escaped the castle with you.”

“If it weren’t for my sister, I wouldn’t have made it very far from the castle.”

Hmm. It seems like Vivi did most of the work.

“Still, escaping together is quite a dangerous decision. It would have been better if only one of you had escaped…”

“If my brother had fled alone, he would have been pierced by arrows long ago. I was with him, so they probably didn’t shoot.”

Hmm. If Arthur had been alone, he would have been killed? That means there was a reason Vivi shouldn’t be killed.

“My uncle has cared for me since I was young. To the extent that he even tried to arrange my engagement with his son.”

If his uncle’s son is his cousin… a cousin engagement? Hmm… I think I’m starting to get a rough idea of what’s going on.

Since someone who shouldn’t be emperor has taken the throne, the legitimacy must have been somewhat compromised.

To restore that legitimacy, he intended to engender a strong bloodline by arranging a marriage between his own son and the daughter of the former emperor.

How very Habsburg of him.

“I understand the general situation. So, what kind of help can I provide?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Arthur opened his mouth.

“I want to reclaim the emperor’s position that should have been mine. Please help me.”

Arthur bowed his head in request, and Vivi mirrored his actions.

Hmm. Revenge. Is it the desire for vengeance against the uncle who usurped his position?

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind helping. But… hmm. Could this stir up trouble in the stabilizing Romania Empire again?

Thinking this way gives me a bit of hesitation.

What should I do? What actions should I take? What choice should I make?

My one choice could change a lot.

Should I help Arthur? Or not help him?

Should I unleash divine punishment on the one who tried to kill my nephew and usurp the throne? Or should I help Arthur quench his desire for revenge and enable him to live a different life?

Hmm. Hmm. Hmm… well, it’s probably okay either way.

I’m too lazy to act directly. I think it would be sufficient to lend my wisdom as a sage of the deep forest.

Arthur and Vivi sought help merely from the sage of the deep forest, not the Goddess of Life.

And, simply returning the favored descendant of the Knight King doesn’t sit well with me either.

Hmm. Alright. Decided. Let’s help these two.

Instead of directly lending my power, I will lend my wisdom… as the sage of the deep forest. As their teacher, I shall guide them.

After that, I won’t have to worry about things too much.

Whether Arthur’s attempt to retake the throne is a success or a failure, it’s a matter among humans.

I will simply offer guidance, keep a safe distance, and observe as needed.

“I understand. Since I have ties to the Knight King, I suppose those ties extend to you, his descendants.”

I looked at Arthur and Vivi.

Their faces lit up with joy at my words. Even though they are still young, having faced countless hardships to get here, smiles emerge on their faces dusty with dirt.

“However, I cannot lend you direct power. What I can offer is wisdom alone.”

“That’s more than enough. What I truly need is wisdom about what I should do next.”

I see. Was it always wisdom they sought from the start?

Then…

“First, choose one thing. The comfortable path or the perilous path. Which road will you take?”

“The comfortable path and the perilous path…?”

Hearing my words, Arthur pondered for a moment before asking.

“What are the differences between the two paths?”

“The perilous path isn’t an easy one. You’ll face all sorts of hardships, and even then, there’s no guarantee you’ll obtain what you desire. But it could also be the road to grasping what you most wish for.”

“And the comfortable path…?”

“It will truly be a comfortable path. There will be no adversities, and it won’t be related to hardships at all. However, at the end of it, you won’t obtain what you are hoping for.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Arthur declared.

“I choose the perilous path.”

“It’s going to be a difficult road, but still, will you choose that one?”

“Yes. If there’s something I’m seeking at the end of it, I have no other choice.”

Hmm. As expected. His resolve is firm.

I gazed at Arthur’s determined face. A face that slightly reminded me of the Knight King.

 

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