The Crown Prince Who Raises Alt Characters

#Chapter 222 Leaflet - The Case of Guard D What is the reason nobles are superior to commoners? What grounds and reasons do they have to rule over commoners? If you ask a scholar who has received some education, they would answer like this. "The answer is the gods. The great gods of the Pantheon selected beings to rule the Earthly Realm as their representatives, and those are the nobles. Since the gods selected them as rulers, the absoluteness of the gods justifies their rule. Of course, now that the Pantheon has fallen, the situation has changed somewhat, but that's the fundamental basis." If you ask a merchant who judges the world by credit and profit, they would answer like this. "Isn't it because they have strong power? They can afford to eat well, receive good education, and develop their abilities, so they're superior in capability compared to those busy just surviving day to day. Based on that excellent ability, they create cultivation methods and secret techniques to further solidify their power. Like the nature of money, having power allows them to gain even greater power." These answers are logical but tedious. The nobles and commoners scattered across the continent don't rule and be ruled by examining such things one by one. The reason they accept the system is extremely simple, definable by just one word. 'Just because.' Yes, just because. No grand logic or reasoning is needed. From the nobles' perspective, commoners are 'naturally' inferior, cowardly, and lowly. From the commoners' perspective, nobles are 'vaguely' superior, brave, and remarkable. Just because it's always been that way. Because such relationships have continued from their fathers, grandfathers, and ancestors. Therefore, Thomas, a rural young man from Birka, couldn't help but swallow his saliva nervously. On the opposite side of the vast plain, he could see the 'nobles' army' emanating an ominous aura. Their armor was so well-maintained that it gleamed under the sun, and the swords in their hands looked sharp enough to cut through anything in the world. Most frightening of all was that the target of their hostility was none other than the army Thomas belonged to. 'Fuck, how did it come to this.' Of course, Thomas, being just a common soldier, didn't grasp the overall framework of this battle. The assassination attempt on Claudia Redbell by the 2nd Prince's faction, the political battles that followed leaving the 2nd Prince's side at a disadvantage, how those cornered had desperately raised an army, how the Grand Prince who wanted to check Claudia's excessive growth had made various excuses to delay sending reinforcements resulting in her forces fighting the enemy coalition alone... such matters were unknowable to Thomas, nor was he particularly curious about them. Thomas simply remembered what the recruitment officer had shouted. If those bastards win, the damned old days will return. Greedy Feudal Lords who only fill their own granaries regardless of whether commoners die to monsters will rule the land where Thomas lives, the cute-looking Blood Demon Beasts will disappear leaving people trembling every time they walk the streets, and no matter how much evil the high-ranking people commit, commoners won't even dare voice complaints. Thomas thought that would be truly terrible. The memories of the past were so miserable and painful that he absolutely didn't want those days to return. That's why Thomas and his comrades willingly responded to the recruitment. Raising their voices to protect the happiness they had once gained, to finally drive out those evil blue bloods. When they boldly cursed those noble bastards, it seemed like nothing would be scary... but as the time for battle actually approached, his body naturally shrank and his legs trembled. Thomas wasn't the only one frightened, as the other soldiers in formation were also noticeably stiff with tension. The enemies were sneering at such a sight and raising their momentum even more. The only exception would be the soldiers from Levroucq stationed in the center. As Thomas wondered what the source of their courage was, the enemy camp became bustling, and cavalry equipped with horses and armor began charging toward their allies. The area behind Thomas became busy, and lower-ranking commanders who received orders from headquarters issued commands. "Everyone!! Defensive positions!! Shield bearers prepare for impact!!" The shield bearers in the front line struck shields as big as their bodies into the ground, lowering their center of gravity and bracing themselves. Gripping his spear from slightly behind them, Thomas looked at the battlefield while breathing heavily. Strong warhorses and silver full plate armor are symbols of nobles that ordinary soldiers can hardly dream of. They were the epitome of what Thomas considered 'the strong.' Thomas was frightened, wondering what would happen if they came charging this way, but fortunately their target wasn't Thomas's unit. Levroucq. As if to crush the center and strongest unit of their allies, the knights' charge exploded forth. Thomas unconsciously shut his eyes tight, expecting to see people pierced by massive spears and trampled by hooves, but when he cautiously opened his eyes after a moment, the scene was completely different from what he expected. "...Huh?" Horses were flying through the sky. The knights riding those horses were also flying through the sky. It wasn't that a legendary Pegasus had suddenly appeared...They had simply been physically beaten and sent flying into the air. -Aaaaagh! -Kuhheok! -Th-these bastards, surely, surely...!! The content of the knights' shocked screams echoing from afar couldn't be clearly heard due to the chaos of battle. But the performance of Levroucq soldiers, who didn't give ground at all against the noble cavalry and were rather beating them one-sidedly, was all too visible. While Thomas stood dazed at that unbelievable sight, someone among the nearby soldiers shouted in a voice filled with emotion that could have been either joy or a scream. "It was real! It's true that in Levroucq, if you don't commit crimes and work diligently, they teach cultivation methods even to commoners who aren't nobles!!" Thomas too had heard about what cultivation methods were. Secret techniques that grant those without mana the ability to handle mana, and allow those with excellent natural talent to reach even higher realms. Techniques that nobles kept strictly hidden, never taught to people like Thomas, and would try to kill anyone who even attempted to learn them. They just teach it? It was certainly surprising. But there was something even more surprising than that. Thomas looked at the battlefield. Perhaps shocked by a counterattack much more powerful than they had imagined, the noble cavalry could be seen hastily retreating and fleeing to their main force. Nobles were running away from commoners. Because Levroucq soldiers learned cultivation methods? But they must have learned them too, right? Then wouldn't that be the same conditions? If so. Then that means. "...What, if it's the same conditions, nobles aren't really any different, are they?" The title of noble itself doesn't bestow any great divine power or strength. They simply have more possessions and their families have accumulated more over time. If that gap can be bridged, they're not particularly superior to commoners. The moment he realized this, Thomas felt his body's trembling stop as if by magic. Watching the enemy's main force advance after learning their cavalry's morale attack had failed, Thomas gripped his spear firmly. Fighting was still frightening. But that was merely the fear of facing fellow humans. Not special beings who held absolute superiority over him. *** Scrape! Dahlia winced at the stinging pain felt in her left arm. Beneath the armor cut like tofu, red blood was flowing freely. "...Surprising. Even cutting with aura couldn't break the bone. Is that really a human body?" The man who had ambushed and cut Dahlia let out a hollow laugh. Dahlia could immediately recognize his identity. Dahlia's body easily blocks even 4th rank sword aura. This means that for a swordsman to wound her, they must reach at least the realm of forming aura externally—that is, 5th rank. And there are very few known to have reached 5th rank in Birka Kingdom. Marquis Redbell, the knight captain of the Sarnos Knight Order, and the Guild Master. Among these, Marquis Redbell is now at retirement age and currently focused on rear supply duties, the Sarnos knight captain was rendered permanently disabled by none other than Dahlia herself, and the Guild Master died during the lich subjugation. Excluding those like Blanca who newly reached 5th rank, there's only one 5th rank remaining in Birka. "Lord Salvados. I didn't want to meet you in a place like this." Salvados Byer. The King's Sword, symbolizing the military power of Birka's royal family. And the knight who executed Dahlia's father, who was a 'Traitor' long ago. Now completely transformed into an old knight, he answered bitterly. "I agree. I didn't want to cut down a child I once let go either." "...Why did you, who had remained silent all this time, intervene now? Did the 2nd Prince offer some great reward?" "Hardly. Would I be tempted by such things at my age? I came merely to protect the kingdom's law and order." Law and order. The moment she heard those words, Dahlia's eyebrows twitched. "The fight between the 2nd Prince and Grand Prince is ultimately just a power struggle. Whichever side wins, the royal bloodline and order will continue. But this isn't that." Salvados looked with a complicated expression at the Levroucq soldiers rampaging across the battlefield and other soldiers fighting enthusiastically, apparently inspired by their performance. "Order exists because commoners obey nobles, and subordinates fear and respect their superiors. If commoners become drunk with half-hearted power and take nobles lightly, if they try to overturn everything with force just because they don't like it, how great would the chaos be?" The collapse of a system inevitably brings much bloodshed and chaos. To prevent this, he had drawn his sword, Salvados said. "Dahlia, you should know. How foolish, irresponsible, and selfish the masses are. What kind of end your father met while trying to meet their irresponsible expectations. Why are you trying to walk the same path?" "—It's hard to listen to such nonsense any longer." Thump! Dahlia stepped hard on the ground with one leg and aimed the spear in her hand at Salvados. "If you were so worried about how the country was being run, you should have stepped forward long ago. Instead of filling bellies with oil and storehouses with gold and silver treasures, you should have looked after the people—no, the citizens—and resolved their grievances. You stayed silent all this time, but now that people seem ready to rise up with spears, you speak of order? Law? There's a limit to how disgusting things can be." "Do you think the royal family was just trying to satisfy their private desires? Everything was to accumulate power. When the right time came, we would sweep away corruption in one stroke and make this country a powerful nation." "So you got that white hair waiting for the right time? Or will you comfort yourself until the moment you die saying you tried to help the people but the time never came? Our Miss has quite a personality too, but at least she's trying to change something even if her own desires are the driving force. Unlike you who just talks." Salvados's face contorted, and an ominous aura emanated from his body. His white-stained hair and wrinkles carved into his skin were proof that he hadn't completely escaped the human realm and remained at 5th rank. Even Salvados, praised as the greatest in Birka and a figure who would remain in the kingdom's history, knew better than anyone that by the standards of truly great nations, he wouldn't even rank in the top ten, let alone be the best. That's why he had at least taken pride in his loyalty to the royal family and chivalry for the country, but Dahlia had mocked this. "I didn't want to cut down father and daughter together, so I tried to persuade you with words. But it seems you've already been corrupted." At Salvados's words, Dahlia unconsciously snickered. Because she thought she couldn't completely deny the expression about being corrupted. Certainly, if it were the Dahlia of the past, she wouldn't have been able to deny Salvados's words so firmly. She would have constantly doubted whether what she was doing was really right, feared whether her actions to correct something would cause greater bloodshed, and shrunk back. But not anymore. It doesn't mean she stopped doubting. That would be dogmatism. However, if action is needed, she doesn't hesitate. While she still can't assert what is right, she can at least claim that what's wrong is wrong. A certain free-spirited and humorous thief had taught her this way. -Charge! Salvados and Dahlia simultaneously charged toward each other. The old knight thought. 'I heard about how the Sarnos knight captain was defeated by this child. He was careless and had a part of his body grabbed, then was thrown around until he collapsed.' Dahlia's strength and physical toughness are not ordinary levels. Knights who can enhance their bodies with mana gain physical abilities comparable to beasts, but Dahlia is at a level that easily surpasses even this. 'I just need to be careful not to get grabbed. It's enough to cut her down gradually without overexertion!' He had already confirmed that aura's cutting power could slice through Dahlia's body without difficulty. It seemed he couldn't cut through bone in one strike, but conversely, that meant he could slice through flesh as much as he wanted. By accumulating wounds to gradually slow her movements, then dealing a fatal blow to unprotected areas like the belly or throat when she showed an opening, he could defeat her. Scrape! Swish! The title of Birka's strongest wasn't an empty name, as Salvados leisurely avoided Dahlia's attacks while continuously cutting her body. Eventually, when Dahlia, whose body was wounded to the point where it was hard to find an uninjured spot, unconsciously lost her balance, Salvados's eyes flashed. 'Now's the time!' Thrust! Salvados's sword pierced Dahlia's abdomen. Just as he was about to swing his sword to cut through her belly and spill her entrails. With a creak. Salvados realized his sword wasn't moving properly. 'She stopped it by tensing her muscles? Impossible! That shouldn't work against a sword imbued with aura!!' Salvados widened his eyes in disbelief and saw. Dahlia's skin pierced by his sword. On its surface, mana compressed to the point of materialization. In other words, aura had formed. 'This girl, she broke through to the next realm in actual combat—' Thud! Salvados's thoughts couldn't continue to the end. Because Dahlia's straight punch, thrown with the sword still pierced in her belly, instantly caved in his head. Considering that the number of attacks he had landed on Dahlia exceeded dozens, it was an absurdly unfair damage exchange ratio. "Tsk..." Dahlia grimaced deeply and pulled out the blade stuck in her belly. It was an action that would have horrified anyone with medical knowledge, but when she applied pressure to the wound, surprisingly the bleeding began to stop. While letting out a short sigh at her armor that had become rags with various parts exposed, instead of retreating to find new clothes or heal her wounds, Dahlia immediately began swinging her spear at the enemies. After all, wouldn't this save at least one more ally? She felt no particular emotion about defeating Salvados. Subjugating criminals who constantly rationalized their actions was like daily routine for Dahlia. The results tallied later showed an overwhelming victory.