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Volume 5, Chapter 3 – Rain of War, Part 4

When Hiro and the others began to move toward the Great Imperial Capital, a large army had set up camp on the northern border of the Grantz Empire.

There were 20,000 of them.

In the center of the camp was a white flag with a silver wolf emblem. The ornate flag wore an air of greatness and floated gracefully in the freezing wind.

White smoke was rising to the sky from everywhere in the camp, probably because it was mealtime.

Some were chatting with liquor bottles in their hands, others were having a drinking contest and making a lot of noise, and even some were singing and dancing with their upper bodies naked even though the cold wind was stinging their skin.

There was no gloom in the air but a cheerful air that brought the heat to the frozen earth.

It would have been expected that there would be a commotion if such a noisy army were standing around, but there was no confusion in the surrounding towns, villages, and border forts that were on guard.

The commander of the large army was a man they knew well.

Werewolf Sharm Selene von Grantz.

He is the second prince of the Grantz Empire and fourth in line of succession ― the people call him the “King in the North” and “Twin Wolf” and adore him.

“Fuah…”

Selene choked back a sigh and looked around him.

He was surrounded. Selene is surrounded by four strong soldiers.

In their hands, they were holding dangerous weapons.

The blade reflected the sun’s rays in a dull glow, and the sharpened tip glowed with rainbow colors. Even a single sword strike would surely be a fatal blow.

“Hehe, general. Today is the day I’m going to put a scar on your beautiful face.”

“Finally, the time has come to settle a long-standing grudge.”

“You’ve been too busy to hang out with us lately, general.”

“But are you sure you want to do this? Four of us is a lot to handle, you know?”

To the recruit who was concerned about his safety, he said.

“I’ve got time on my hands. You should come at me with the intention of killing me.”

Selene smiled coldly.

“Ugh… beautiful. It’s a shame you’re a man.”

“No, I wish I had been born with a face like that.”

“No way. That face is not gender specific.”

Selene is often said to be beautiful. The reason for this was his appearance.

His blue hair, reminiscent of the sky, is as soft as silk, and his body is thin and fair, with a clear nose and eyes. In other words, he has a neutral face that attracts people’s attention.

However, in Selene’s case, his eyes stand out more than his appearance.

His left eye is blue, and his right eye is gold, also known as “Distinctive Eye,” a physical characteristic that can be said to be a heroic quality possessed by legendary figures.

This is why the figure of the man standing leisurely has the air of a champion, no different than the legendary figures.

“Now, let’s not waste time talking; let’s start training.”

With both hands on the hilts of the swords on his hips, Selene let out a white breath and smiled elegantly.

A moment later, Selene’s figure disappears without a sound.

“Tsk, here he comes! Watch ― Goh!?”

One of the soldiers was blown away as if a bull had hit him. The next soldier next to him fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth without saying a word. The third soldier randomly slashes the space, but it has no effect, and he collapses from the impact on his cheek.

“Eh, eh? Se-senpai ― Goaahh!?”

As if struck by something invisible, the last remaining recruit rolled over and over on the ground and fell silent.

“It’s not even close to a warm-up exercise.”

Selene looked at the unconscious soldiers and sighed in disgust.

A moment later ― a cheer erupted.

“When did that happen…?”

When Selene looked around in surprise, he saw that the soldiers who had been observing the event were making an uncontrolled noise. Where did they hear it from? There must not have been a single spectator before it started.

At any rate, Selene waved his hand in response to their cheers.

“Oh… at this rate, we’re going to run out of booze today.”

Selene shrugged his shoulders and took a step forward, wondering if he would have to buy from a nearby town.

And then…

“Your Highness, what are you doing playing?”

A man noiselessly appeared in front of him. He was not trying to hide his features today but was exposing his true face.

“Oh, Driks, you still look as sullen as ever.”

He is a subordinate of his uncle, Prime Minister Gils, and belongs to the “secret neck.” He was also a former employee of Hiro until recently.

“You shouldn’t care about my appearance right now. More importantly, what are you doing playing in a place like this, Your Highness Selene?”

“It’s none of your business. Or do you have some business with me?”

“I-I’ve sent you many letters. Have you not read them?”

Driks gave him an angry look. However, Selene took it in stride and tilted his head.

“Letter?”

“Yes. There were several letters from Prime Minister Gils!”

“Oh, I remember. Do you mean this one?”

Selene took out a letter from his pocket. The seal on the letter is the crest of the Sharm family. It’s the one he held on to without reading it, thinking it was just his usual quip.

“From your reaction, it sounds like you have something important to tell me.”

“Yes, it’s very important. You must read it immediately!”

When Driks responded with a shrug, Selene cut the seal and took out the contents.

It was a well-written letter with a well-defined message. The most important thing is that there are no small words written in the letter, so it is easy to understand the content.

“Heh…”

Selene smiled as he read on.

“The head of the Krone family was assassinated? And it was father who did it? The fact that the Krone family is angry about it and revolting is… a little too fast, don’t you think?”

“The situation is urgent. Prime Minister Gils would like you to turn back the troops to the Great Imperial Capital.”

“I see. If this is true, it is indeed a national crisis.”

“The rebels’ blades may have already reached the capital. Let’s immediately turn the army around and defeat the rebels!”

“Very well.”

Selene muttered in a serious tone.

“But I’m not interested.”

He tore up Prime Minister Gils’s letter with a smile.

“W-what?”

Driks said stupidly as he followed the scraps of paper flying in the wind with his eyes.

Selene muttered while giving the upset Driks a cold look.

“I’m sorry, but… I’m only concerned with the safety of the north.”

“It’s a matter of national importance!”

“What does it matter? There is a Spirit Wall in the north. Isn’t it more important to protect it?”

“B-but if… the Great Grantz Empire is shaken, the north will also be in danger. Also, the Marked People have been quiet lately, haven’t they?”

In this world, in addition to the five major races of Humans, Long-Ears, Dwarfs, Demons, and Beastsman, there are also barbarian races called the Three Barbarians.

One of them is the world’s prevalent “monster.”

The remainder is a violent race called the “Lethal” and the “Marked.” These two races only live in the central continent, and they have established their own state in a certain area without any interference from anyone else.

That is the uncharted territory on the other side of the Spirit Wall.

“They’re just waiting for us to show them an opening. Their eyes are watching us, thinking about how to get over the wall.”

“…But even so, Your Highness Selene still has to go to the Great Imperial Capital.”

“For the throne?”

“…..”

Driks fell silent at Selene’s sharp point.

“I have always said that I have no interest in the throne.”

“Then you are saying that you are willing to suffer if it is not the people of the North?”

The conversation is not coherent. This is the reason he is in such a hurry.

If Selene does not rush to the capital, the other heirs to the throne will take on the rebels. If they were to win, they would be able to consolidate their position as the next emperor. This is something that those who want to make Selene the emperor would like to avoid.

His uncle, Prime Minister Gils, has always been very keen on having Selene on the throne. He knows that some of the northern nobles are of that opinion.

“Your Highness, the people of the central are waiting for you. They want to be saved.”

Selene sighs deeply in disgust at Driks’ unseemly emotionalism.

“I don’t like it.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I don’t think it’s fun for me to walk the path that others have set for me. If he wants to bring the throne to the Sharm family so badly, he should be the one who becomes emperor. No, I don’t mind if Stobel becomes the emperor, either.”

“Are you insane? If the First Prince Stobel becomes emperor, the Grantz Empire will collapse.”

“How can a man who has been involved in political conflicts since he was a child be sane?”

If one thinks about it, Stobel is pathetic. From a young age, he was used by his grandfather, the head of the Krone family, and from the time he was chosen as the “Thunder Emperor,” he was used by the emperor, and to top it off, he broke his heart. When you think about his life, you can’t help but feel sorry for him.

“…That’s.”

Driks choked on his words as he quickly added a rebuttal.

Selene looked at him as if he were bored.

“Speaking of which…”

Selene held his chin with one hand and turned his face away.

He has been thinking about Hiro for a while now.

(I wonder what he’ll do…)

Hiro didn’t seem to have any ambitions, but Liz probably did. Although he’s not interested in the throne, he’s very excited to see where they go.

Selene changed his mind a bit about what moves he would make against the rebels this time and invited one of his aides to join him by the hand.

“What can I do for you?”

“‘I want you to organize a detachment. About four thousand is enough.”

At these words, Driks, who was on one knee on the ground, raised his head. His eyes were full of anticipation, and he looked as if he was happy as if he was trying to caress Selene’s emotions.

Selene looked away from him uncomfortably and listened to the words of his aide.

“What about the rest?”

“I want you to head to the Spirit Wall. Then we can slowly make our way to the Great Imperial Capital.”

“Very well, sir. I’ll go make the preparations as soon as possible.”

As the aide backs away, Selene turns his gaze to Driks again.

He looked relieved that Selene was ready to go.

“I don’t know what you’re expecting. I’m not going to do what you want.”

Driks raised an eyebrow as if to say he was stubborn.

“…..What is the purpose of your journey to the Great Imperial Capital?”

“I’m just visiting. It’s the theater of the future of this country.”

Placing his hands on the hilts of the swords on his hips, Selene smiled and said he was looking forward to it.