88 Episode 88 "Hegemony Offers Help"




"There are two large castles in my kingdom of Gurtra. One is the main castle where the lord lives. The other is the Castle of the Fangs, where criminals are held captive.

 Princess Carol apologetically lowered her eyes and continued her explanation.

The Castle of the Fangs is a castle with towers that literally look like fangs, located on the outskirts of the territory. That's where Princess Sylvia's father and sister are being held.
"...... Father and sister are alive?
Yes, I'm sure. The Castle of the Fangs is controlled by a loyal retainer of the previous Lord Gurutra. I did not disobey the Lord's order to imprison the two of you, but I do not wish to harm you.

 Princess Sylvia breathed a sigh of relief at Carroll's words.
 The disappearance of her father and sister for the past few months must have made her anxious.
 She may have been a little relieved to know that they were missing.

...... I wonder if Princess Carol came here for the hostage exchange.

 It occurred to me, and I said.
 Princess Sylvia and Princess Carol looked at me at the same time.
 And don't get all teary-eyed, Prim. You wanted to say it yourself, but you couldn't find the right moment, so you squeezed my hand, squeezing it. I know, I know.

"There's no need for Princess Carol to risk her life just to tell me where Sylvia's family is. All she has to do is send her maid Kate. And yet, if the princess herself came here, doesn't that mean that she should ...... use herself as a hostage to get back Princess Sylvia's family?
"You are a ...... formidable man. "The King of the Frontier.
I'm merely tracing the thoughts of my warlord.
As you can see, sir. I'm here to be your hostage.

 Princess Carol stood up and bowed deeply.

I am here to be your hostage.
 My brother Tonia may not care for her life. But he may not have the guts to abandon you in front of soldiers, generals, and the people. I'm sure I can be of some use.
"......, Princess Carol.

 Princess Sylvia is looking at Princess Carol as if she were looking at a dazzling object.

I'm very pleased with your suggestion, Princess Carol. But why are you doing this?
"Why ......?
"The journey here is not always safe. You might have been attacked by bandits or demons and lost your life along the way. Why did you ...... go to such lengths to help us ......?
...... I'm praising the ancient Dragon Emperor.

 He closed his eyes and smiled gently, as if he were speaking to someone who wasn't here.
 With a gentle smile on her face, Princess Carol-Gurtra said.

My grandmother always told me the legend of the Dragon Emperor. And she told me this: ...... "When the world is in turmoil, there will always be a successor to the Dragon Emperor. You should live your life so that you will not be ashamed of him. ...... My grandmother was also skilled in magic and consulted with people about their problems. ......
You mean she was a wizard?
Yes. And when she passed away, she said. "If the Dragon Emperor's successor appears, don't hesitate to serve him. If you live a life not ashamed of the Dragon Emperor, you will surely meet him.' ......
That's why you're risking your life to do this?
The great Dragon Emperor would never have forgiven his brother Tonia for what she did.

 Princess Carol smiled with a clear face.

And ...... it's a turbulent time. Everyone is working for their own greed. It's good to have one foolish girl who idolizes the Dragon Emperor.
...... Since the princess is like this, I'm willing to help.

 The maidservant, Kate, smiles with a troubled look on her face.

In addition, when you are with the ...... princess, you really feel as if you are going to meet the heir to the Dragon Emperor .......
"It's not a feeling. Kate. It's not that I don't like it. I'm sure you'll be able to find the Dragon Emperor's successor, because your grandmother told you so!
".........

 ...... Don't look at me. Prim, Sylvia. You'll be found out.
 No, it's not that I don't want ...... to be found out, but .......

 I wonder what ...... is. I'm not sure what to make of this.
 I'm not sure what to make of it. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you. .......

I'm afraid I've gone off topic. Let's go back to the story of Princess Sylvia's father and sister.

 I somehow turned my head to the side and said.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it.
"Yes, sir. There is no doubt about it.


If the story had been told during the battle, the ...... soldiers would have been upset. If my father or sister had been brought to the front as hostages, ...... the battle might not even have been fought.

 Princess Sylvia took over Princess Carol's words.

But now that we have the information, we can do something about it. I'll accept your offer of a hostage exchange with Princess Carol. The other side knows that Princess Carol came to us voluntarily, but ...... only a few of them. The soldiers and the people don't know. At least it will buy us some time while we negotiate.
"Yes, sir. The Castle of the Fangs is a ruin (・・・・・) from the time of the Dragon Emperor (・・・・). It will be difficult to sneak in and rescue the two of you...
"Wait..." "Please wait.

 Prim and I raised our hands.
 ...... What did Princess Carol just say?

I'm sure you're not the only one.
"Yes, I did. It was originally my grandmother's castle, and there are murals of the Dragon Emperor in it. ...... It is a really old castle. It is located to the northwest of the Grand Protectorate of Gurtra, closer to the Grand Protectorate of Kittle. But it's heavily guarded, so it's not easy to get close. ...... Um, King of the Frontier, ...... what's going on?
I have a proposal.

 The magicians we've activated so far have all been in old ruins.
 They were in forts, castles, towers, and dungeons.
 There was no information about the Dragon Emperor, just a magic circle.

 But the Castle of Fangs is different.
 There's even a mural of the Dragon Emperor in that place.
 There is no doubt that there will be a magic circle, and ...... there may be information about the Dragon Emperor himself, or detailed information about the Dragon Emperor Skill.

I'd like to help with the hostage exchange for Princess Carol and Princess Sylvia's family. Yes, Prim?
Yes. I would like to advise you that the generals of the Demon Demon and my soldiers will escort you during the negotiations and hostage exchange. We are not only dealing with Princess Carol's brother, but also the Ten Wise Men. We don't know what they will do to us. I think we should be on our guard.
...... That's an offer I'd like to keep. Are you sure? My king. ...... No, no. "King of the Frontier.
I'm in league with Princess Sylvia. I'm sure you're not the only one. You can't say they had nothing to do with it.

 I looked at Princess Carol and her handmaiden Kate.
 They're both looking at me with a twinkle in their eyes. They're gonna love this.

 If we follow them as an escort, we can get close to the Castle of Fangs.
 Whether we attack the castle or not, I want to see what it looks like.
 Maybe there will be a clue that will help us learn more about the Dragon Emperor Skill.

I'm sorry for interrupting you as an observer. Princess Carol, Princess Sylvia.
No. No! No!
It was...

 It was sudden.
 Princess Carol knelt down on the floor and took my hand.
 Then she kissed the palm of my hand...

"I thank the great King of the Frontier for his mercy. There are people who despise subhumans, and yet ...... they are willing to help us in this way. ......
...... I've told you many times that I'm in league with Princess Sylvia.

 ...... This princess has a habit of looking straight at people.
 She holds her peach-colored bangs in one hand and stares at me with her big eyes.
 It's as if you're trying to look deep into me.

"If ...... things settle down, may I visit the ...... frontier?
Princess Carol in the middle of nowhere?
Yes. I would like to see the Dragon Emperor's mausoleum, which he left behind. I would like to know when the 'Dragon Emperor's successor' will appear there.

 Princess Carroll smiled gently as she said this.

My grandmother was a priestess. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that will help you out.
"What will you do if there is an 'heir to the Dragon Emperor'?
I'll leave it at that. Words are precious things.

 Princess Carol held her lips in embarrassment...

"...... I'll save that for when we go to the Dragon Emperor's Temple.

 She mumbled something like that with a bright red face.