My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 133

§ 133 – The Place Scarred (2)

What on earth is he imagining?

Cian was merely gasping for breath from the pain.

Conrad stared at Cian for a while before speaking to Osley.

“Border Count, could you excuse us for a moment?”

“Understood.”

At Conrad’s words, Osley bowed slightly and left.

And Conrad didn’t speak informally to Osley.

Even though Conrad was the Crown Prince of the Empire.

Osley was the Border Count of the North.

Of course, the Crown Prince’s status was significantly higher.

However, even for the Crown Prince, the Border Count’s position was not one to be treated lightly or spoken down to casually.

Beyond being the highest authority in administration, military affairs, and law, he was a kind of autonomous king.

That weighty responsibility and authority were something even Conrad couldn’t take lightly.

As Osley left, Conrad looked back at Cian.

In the meantime, the pain had subsided a little.

Cian spoke to Sera, who was in his arms.

“Sera, can you go out for a bit too?”

“Um···.”

Sera hesitated for a moment, then looked back and forth between Cian and Conrad.

Soon, Sera got up and went straight out of the room.

A moment of silence descended.

“Ahem. Ahem.”

Conrad let out an awkward cough.

“It’s my first time seeing an Elf too, but···.”

Conrad chuckled and approached Cian.

Cian hurriedly tried to get up, but Conrad waved his hand to stop him.

Then, Conrad sat on the edge of Cian’s bed and said.

“So, was this why?”

“What··· do you mean···?”

Conrad spoke with a disappointed look.

“Is this why you kicked Elena out?”

Elena was none other than Conrad’s younger sister.

The princess who had visited Ruben in the past.

And Cian had kicked her out because she caused so much trouble in Ruben.

But was this why?

“What are you talking about?”

“It seemed so intense that you couldn’t even hear the knocking.”

Conrad once again wore a disapproving expression.

It seemed he was having a ridiculous misunderstanding.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but··· I can definitely say it’s a misunderstanding.”

“Hmm··· really?”

“Really, I just woke up.”

“Hmph···.”

At Cian’s words, Conrad’s expression softened a little.

However, the sense of crisis on his face became even more intense.

Then, Conrad looked at the door Sera had left through.

“I’ve heard that Elves are the race of beauty, but···. Last time, Brahe’s daughter too···.”

*Would pushing with looks be impossible?*

*I should drop the honey trap.*

Conrad muttered to himself.

Then, he turned his gaze back to Cian and said.

“I’ll apologize for what happened last time. Marriage out of the blue. Ah, but don’t misunderstand. Elena doesn’t do that to just any man. She hasn’t even properly met a man yet.”

“No, but─.”

*Sigh, never mind.*

What more could he say here?

“And even if Elena seems a bit out of her mind, I can confidently say there’s no woman as virtuous as Elena. I’m not saying this because I’m her brother, but it’s really true.”

“Elena has been bound by her duties as a princess since she was young, so she never neglected her princess lessons. If she were to support someone, she would be better than any other woman···.”

Conrad’s muttering continued.

Cian simply shook his head.

Conrad’s boasting about Elena continued for a really long time.

Cian could immediately tell how much Conrad cherished Elena.

The boasting ended after a really long time.

Dizzy, Cian finally spoke.

“More importantly, Your Highness. How did you come to be here?”

Conrad also smiled awkwardly as if he had just remembered.

“I received a report about the situation in the North and rushed over immediately.”

The incident that had turned the entire North upside down this time.

And perhaps an incident that could have turned the entire Empire upside down.

As the Crown Prince of the Empire, he needed to see the truth with his own eyes.

“But Dark Elves. I had only encountered reports about Elves, but··· Dark Elves are something I’m seeing and hearing for the first time. Moreover, to be able to come to a Dark Elf village···.”

Conrad muttered the last words quietly, scanning his surroundings.

Well, seeing Conrad here.

It seemed things had been resolved well.

But the problem was that the related facts had been reported to the Imperial Palace.

And Conrad had come all the way here.

That time wouldn’t have been short, would it?

“Was I··· unconscious for that long?”

“According to the Border Count, it’s been three weeks as of today.”

Three weeks.

Cian paused to think.

It wasn’t exact, but···.

The time when he faced Dyson was a little over 10 days after coming to the North.

In other words, solving the incident in the North took 10 days.

And he had been unconscious for 3 weeks.

‘What the···.’

Cian was momentarily dumbfounded.

A dazed mind.

‘Ah, right.’

Suddenly remembering something, he asked Conrad.

“Asrandiz. What happened to Asrandiz?”

“Asrandiz, you mean the Dark Elf forest keeper?”

Cian slowly nodded.

Conrad immediately mentioning the forest keeper at the mention of Asrandiz.

It seemed he knew all the circumstances that had unfolded in the North.

“You should be worried about yourself, yet you’re worried about others first. You really are···.”

Conrad shook his head slightly and continued.

“He’s fine. His life isn’t in danger.”

“Haa···.”

Only then did Cian let out a big sigh of relief.

In the moment of crisis.

In the stopped time, Cian had targeted Insteez, not Asrandiz.

The madness and malice dwelling within Insteez.

And something unknown.

Asrandiz was being controlled by that unknown entity.

And he thought that if he destroyed it, he could save Asrandiz.

And more than anything···.

Cian couldn’t bring himself to point his sword at Asrandiz.

As the forest keeper, Asrandiz’s fate had been to kill his wife and son.

And Sera had to remain.

Cian couldn’t bring himself to point his sword at Asrandiz.

Perhaps that was why.

“I only heard about this, so I don’t know the details, but everyone says the forest keeper’s life was saved thanks to you.”

Sera’s attitude just now.

He thought it was uncharacteristically excessive for Sera to hug him so tightly, and it seemed that was the reason.

“However···.”

Conrad continued with a dark expression.

“It seems he’s lost all his power.”

“Lost his power? Are you talking about Asrandiz?”

“That’s right. I heard he’s lost all his magic.”

Conrad nodded calmly and said.

“Panat said that he used up all his magic while controlling Insteez’s rampage. And it seems that a part of the mental world that makes up his magic has also been damaged···.”

Conrad frowned slightly, as if recalling Panat’s words.

But soon, he shook his head.

“It’s too complicated to understand.”

It seemed that Panat’s··· no, the magician’s explanatory nature had been activated.

Cian had experienced it too, and it was quite dizzying.

Complex theories that others wouldn’t understand even if explained.

And Conrad was also a knight.

Could a descendant of Charlotte be a magician?

He would only get a headache from complicated theoretical explanations.

So he didn’t ask about it in detail.

Anyway, the conclusion was one.

“The Dark Elf forest keeper has lost his qualifications as a magician.”

“······”

Cian was speechless.

The absolute magician of the 8th Circle [a high level of magical power].

The countless efforts he had made to reach that level.

To have all of that disappear in an instant, he really had nothing to say.

Cian pressed his lips tightly and remained silent.

Seeing Cian’s appearance, Conrad spoke again.

“It’s not because of you. It was something that was decided from the moment he controlled Insteez’s rampaging magic. If it weren’t for you, the forest keeper wouldn’t even be alive.”

Conrad spoke as if to comfort him, but··· he wasn’t blaming himself.

Cian had done his best.

And Asrandiz had simply fulfilled his responsibility as Asrandiz.

It was a situation that had occurred from each of their best efforts.

However··· Cian was feeling a bit of self-reproach.

“The problem now isn’t that.”

Conrad continued.

The gaze he cast.

Conrad opened his mouth again with a rather troubled expression.

“His Majesty is quite angry about this situation in the North.”

“You mean His Imperial Majesty?”

At Cian’s question, Conrad nodded slightly and replied.

“As you know, this incident in the North is something His Majesty is directly involved in.”

That was something Cian also knew.

That was why Elanur and Rothschild.

These two families had come to support the North.

And an incident that the Emperor was directly involved in.

That meant that the report of this incident had not only gone to Conrad.

“His Majesty is quite angry at the actions committed by the Dark Elves.”

“Ah···.”

Only then could Cian nod.

The incident that had turned the entire North upside down.

No, perhaps an incident that could have turned the entire Empire upside down.

The mastermind behind this incident was none other than the Dark Elves.

And if you only look at the facts, everything was done by the Dark Elves.

It was true that the Dark Elves had used black magic.

It was also true that the Dark Elves had used that black magic to control the barbarians.

The fact that Imperial citizens were harmed and the Empire was threatened.

All of those things were done by the Dark Elves.

Of course, Asrandiz, the forest keeper, and the sentinels stepped forward to cover up their own faults.

But in the end, even Asrandiz, the forest keeper, became tainted with madness and became an evil that threatened the Empire.

Perhaps if Cian hadn’t been there, something truly terrible would have happened.

“His Majesty is greatly praising your achievements. He even mentioned wanting to meet you in person.”

The Emperor knew all of Cian’s accomplishments.

However, each and every situation that had led to this point.

All of those things were the fault of the Dark Elves.

“His Majesty intends to hold the Dark Elves accountable.”

The Emperor’s anger was, in a way, natural.

And the reason why Conrad was here now.

“So Asrandiz, the forest keeper, is currently being held in the Imperial Palace. His Majesty wanted to immediately hold him accountable, but··· I somehow stopped His Majesty and delayed the progress of the matter. I came here myself under the pretext that the circumstances of the situation should be properly understood even if blame is to be assigned.”

It seemed that this was the ultimate reason why Conrad had come here himself.

“More than anything, I couldn’t handle things while you were unconscious.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Cian expressed his deep gratitude to Conrad.

Asrandiz, who had been taken to the Imperial Palace.

The Emperor, who was angry at the situation in the North.

And the 3 weeks that had passed.

If Conrad hadn’t stepped in, the situation would have been over.

Before Cian could even try to do anything.

Fortunately, Conrad had immediately taken action upon realizing that Cian was involved.

“It’s nothing. All I can do is buy you time like this.”

No one else could have done it if it wasn’t Conrad, the Crown Prince.

“I can’t completely persuade His Majesty, but··· I’ll still help as much as I can.”

Following Conrad’s words.

Cian quietly sank into thought.

The incident in the North had been resolved well.

Scars remained, but fortunately, they weren’t at an irreversible level.

However, not all incidents were over.

The crimes committed by the Dark Elves.

Although it was Dyson’s independent act, the crime did not disappear.

The wounds and scars that the Dark Elves had left were still there.

But Asrandiz and Sera.

The Dark Elves seen here in the village.

Was it really right to hold them accountable?

Cian was deep in thought.

The thought continued for a while.

And after a long time.

“Your Highness. May I ask you for a favor?”

Cian said to Conrad.

Conrad nodded as if to tell him to speak.

Cian looked at Conrad and slowly opened his mouth.

“I would like to have an audience with His Imperial Majesty.”

Darkan, the capital of the Charlotte Empire.

And the heart of the Empire located in Darkan, the Imperial Palace.

And a place that can be said to be the heart of the Imperial Palace.

None other than the Emperor’s audience chamber.

A neat and elegant interior.

A vast place that could easily accommodate hundreds of people.

In this place, there were two blonde men.

One was a handsome man in a neat and dignified attire.

A being who naturally exuded dignity and grace.

“There was no need to move so urgently when your body isn’t even fully recovered.”

None other than the Crown Prince, Conrad.

And the other blonde man who received Conrad’s question.

“I’m fine. Although my body is uncomfortable··· as Your Highness knows, I don’t have much time.”

None other than Cian.

“That’s true, but···.”

At Cian’s words, Conrad trailed off for a moment.

Independence from Elanur.

And the time earned from Durak.

Before going to the North, there were less than 4 months left.

And over a month had passed due to this incident in the North.

The incident had ended in about 10 days, but Cian had been unconscious for 3 weeks.

So the remaining period was a little over 2 months.

“Really, are you thinking of becoming independent from Elanur?”

At Conrad’s question, Cian nodded without hesitation.

“My thoughts haven’t changed. I took on this incident in the North with that in mind.”

“Certainly···.”

Conrad nodded slightly and continued.

“I need to watch the ending a bit, but··· it seems you’ve earned the qualifications for independence with this incident in the North. His Majesty is also paying great attention to it.”

Overwhelming justification for Ruben’s independence.

This time, it was not only Cian but also the Knights of Ruben who participated.

And to be precise, it wasn’t Cian who helped the people of the North.

Cian had only solved the root cause of the threat.

It was the Knights of Ruben who had driven out the barbarians who had occupied the North.

In fact, the incident in the North was done by Cian and the Knights of Ruben.

Naturally, not only Cian but also the name of Ruben was in the Emperor’s ears.

‘Surely Durak won’t find fault with it, right?’

None other than the promise with Durak.

He had promised to return to the family immediately if he didn’t resolve this incident in the North well.

Of course, Cian’s achievements were so great that even the Emperor praised them.

It wasn’t just that he had resolved it well, it was fair to say that Cian had resolved it.