Children of the Holy Emperor
chapter-171

It is difficult for unrefined emotions or impulses to become ideas. And for such ideas to lead to actions or phenomena, more causality is required than one might think.

Then, what can be done? Since you cannot control people’s hearts, you have no choice but to control the driving force that draws out those ideas.

***

Seongjin’s party had to camp out from the first day.

They had started early in the morning with plenty of time, but the problem was that there were too many carriages coming and going to Delcross due to the overlap with the birthday celebration period. It was difficult to pick up speed even on the wide paved road.

On top of that, an accident where a merchant carriage ahead broke down caused the road to be congested for a while.

“According to the schedule, we should have already arrived in Regina and unpacked. It is all my fault,” Herman, Orden’s subordinate, bowed his head to Seongjin with an apologetic expression. He was the person in charge of overseeing the party’s travel itinerary.

“No, how can you prepare for such accidents one by one? It’s fine,” Seongjin answered half-heartedly, waving his hand.

For the time being, he just wanted to rest thoroughly. By that time, Seongjin was completely exhausted from mental stress.

Originally, he had made up his mind to meditate comfortably regardless of whether the traffic was congested or not, but there was an unexpected variable that even he hadn’t anticipated at all. As soon as the grace disappeared, the Demon King, who had become carefree, went on a rampage all day long.

[Ahahaha! Uhahaha! Look at this, Lee Seongjin! Even though I’m this far away from you, it doesn’t affect me at all!]

The fellow who had been annoyingly popping in and out of Seongjin’s head…

[Wow! Look at this, Lee Seongjin! I can control this field mouse!]

Soon possessed a damn mouse and chased after the carriage, squeaking noisily.

[Hahaha! How’s that, Lee Seongjin? I’m flying in the sky now! Uhahaha!]

He brought a crow from somewhere, circled around, landed on the carriage roof, and cawed absurdly.

“Where do these crows keep cawing from…? Aren’t crows the minions of demon species? This is ominous,” Masain, who was particularly sensitive to demon species, kept peeking out the window with an uneasy face, making Seongjin feel uncomfortable as well.

Moreover, Commander Bruno, the only person who could understand Seongjin’s plight…

“Mr. Red, please just stop now, it’s noisy…”

[What? Who are you calling Red, you airhead? Huh? Can’t you recognize the greatness of this Demon King even when you see it with your own eyes?]

Caw caw! Caaaw! Arrrgh!

He occasionally added fuel to the Demon King’s fire, aggravating the situation.

Thanks to that, by the time Seongjin heard the news of camping from Herman as the sun set, he was already in a mood of “whatever happens, happens.”

It was a bonus that Herman felt even more guilty upon seeing the prince’s face with deep dark circles.

[Muhahaha! Lee Seongjin! Look at this! I’m eating grass with the horse right now! Isn’t it weird? It’s just grass, but it’s somehow delicious!]

Seongjin frowned for a moment but got out of the carriage without any particular nagging.

‘For now, I’ll let it slide…’

He thought that the Demon King must have been desperate to act like that.

Come to think of it, the Demon King, the demon of all demons, had endured for months in Delcross, where the holy grace was as abundant as air, with only a barrier as a shield.

Not only that, but he had to constantly cower in front of the Holy Emperor, right?

[Lee Seongjin! Hurry and look at this! I can even do tricks with this guy!]

Neigh neigh neigh!

The coachman sweated profusely, trying to calm the suddenly bouncing horse.

“Whoa! Whoa! What’s wrong with this fellow all of a sudden? Whoa, whoa!”

I changed my mind. If he’s still like this tomorrow, I’ll rush to the nearest church and exorcise him right away!

Meanwhile, the camp preparations were proceeding smoothly.

Following Herman’s guidance, Seongjin approached the bonfire and saw a chef from the Wolf Knight Order and Edith busily preparing dinner.

“Regina is a few hours’ distance from here. The schedule will be delayed, but tomorrow we will arrive in Regina early and have to stay there for an extra day,” Orden said, approaching Seongjin as his party settled down.

“Regina?”

“Yes, there is a large logistics hub there.”

Regina was a city located a day’s journey from the northern gate of Delcross.

Originally, it was a small suburban town, but it had rapidly grown over the past decade or so as the Merchant Guild began its full-fledged activities. It was because all the logistics of merchant groups heading to the northern and eastern parts of the continent passed through there.

“Once we arrive in Regina, there won’t be any major changes to the schedule afterward,” Herman added. Since these many merchant groups would disperse throughout the continent after passing through the logistics hub, there would be no congestion on the way to Siegmund Territory thereafter.

“Perhaps it’s a good thing. We can naturally stay in Regina for a day, just like the other merchant groups.”

“…”

Following Orden’s gaze, which was intently staring at something, Seongjin also turned his head across the road.

There were many merchant groups preparing to camp nearby, their progress halted like Seongjin’s party.

Among them, the group that had lit a bonfire right across from them bore the emblem of a merchant association that Seongjin was very familiar with. It was definitely in the information Dasha had investigated.

The leader of the group, a fierce-looking man with a goatee, also looked familiar.

“Is it the Milo Group?”

“That’s right.”

Seongjin clicked his tongue.

What a simple-minded fellow. No wonder he was rushing the schedule too much. He was planning to closely follow the Milo Group’s route and monitor them!

In the meantime, Edith brought Seongjin a warm stew. As soon as he picked up the spoon first, he felt glances peeking at him from here and there. They were members of the Wolf Knight Order who had followed Orden.

From the perspective of camping, it was unreasonable to expect a feast, but it was true that the meal served to the prince was rather meager.

They seemed curious about how the prince, who was notorious for being a scoundrel, would react.

‘I don’t know what they’re expecting, but I’ve been eating only preserved food for decades,’ Seongjin thought to himself with a leisurely smile.

Of course, that composure disappeared the moment he took a sip.

Amused by the prince’s reaction, the Wolf Knight Order members exchanged glances and giggled.

“…”

Seongjin slightly frowned but swallowed the stew obediently without saying a word. And he immediately asked Edith.

“Edith, did you cook this by any chance?”

“No, Your Highness. I just trimmed the vegetables and tasted it a bit.”

Ah, I thought so. It may not taste good, but it’s at least swallowable.

The moment Seongjin thought that…

Poof! Poof! Cough!

The sound of people spitting out the stew could be heard from here and there.

“Is it… poison?”

“It seems to be an assassination attempt, Young Duke! Quickly put down the bowl!”

“It’s an assassin! An assassin has infiltrated!”

…No, that can’t be it.

Seongjin tried to stop them, sensing that things would escalate, but Masain, who had turned pale, snatched his bowl and threw it to the ground, shouting desperately.

“Priest! Priest! His Highness has been poisoned! Hurry and treat him!”

“No, Sir Masain. That’s not it…”

“Ugh! Even though I meticulously monitored the cooking process from the beginning, this happened! I should have noticed the signs earlier! I knew there was something ominous about those crows cawing…”

Seongjin grabbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Meanwhile, Edith, who was tilting her head with a blank expression, absentmindedly put a spoonful of stew into her mouth and immediately scrunched up her face.

“Yuck! It tastes like gall bladder!”

Is that what you should be saying right now?!

[Wahaha! Lee Seongjin! Look over here. I can even briefly possess a person now? I made this kid eat it! But why does this stew taste even weirder than the grass the horse was eating?]

Why are you tasting it for no reason?

In the end, the sudden poison commotion only subsided after the priest arrived.

“His Highness is fine, Sir Masain. Don’t worry, it’s not poison,” the plump man said with a good-natured smile, withdrawing his divine power. It was Gustav, the dedicated healer of the Wolf Knight Order.

“Is that true? Surely there’s not a shred of falsehood in your words?”

“Yes, yes. Of course. Don’t worry. It’s just that the stew was a bit… no, very… tasteless.”

He was a very sociable person. No wonder he could maintain such a gentle smile even when dealing with Masain, who was rampaging like a guardian of a troublemaker.

Anyway, the situation was resolved, and the stew that tasted like gall bladder was reborn into something barely edible thanks to the chef’s bloody efforts. Seongjin had instructed it, thinking it would be a waste to discard it all.

Of course, he didn’t forget to keep Edith at a distance during the re-cooking process.

As the prince was the first to gulp down the tasteless stew, the others also reluctantly forced themselves to swallow it. Before long, the Wolf Knight Order’s gaze toward Seongjin contained a hint of respect.

‘Prince Morres is amazing. He can eat something like that without batting an eye!’

‘And he manages to keep a maid like that alive!’

‘He’s more generous than I thought!’

I didn’t want to be respected for something like that, though.

By the time Seongjin’s party finished their slightly late dinner, drinking parties were already starting in the nearby merchant groups who had finished their meals early.

It was mainly the mercenaries hired for escort who were leading the drinking, and their drunken appearance, leaving only the night watch, was unsightly. Could they even provide proper escort like that?

“We’re still on a safe route, and there are many merchant groups traveling together. The group leaders usually turn a blind eye to this extent,” Gustav said, noticing Seongjin’s dumbfounded gaze.

“This leisurely journey will soon end once we leave Regina.”

However, when people gather and alcohol starts flowing, problems are bound to arise somewhere.

Sure enough, rough curses and loud laughter soon began to echo from here and there. There were even places where fistfights broke out randomly.

It was a strange sight that couldn’t be seen at all when passing through the northern gate. It was as if they had shed a layer of veil and revealed their sharp, bare faces.

“I’ve heard that people and animals alike become rough once they leave the capital, and it turns out to be true,” Masain said, a little perplexed, sensing that Seongjin wasn’t the only one who found it strange. Then, Commander Bruno shook his head.

“It’s probably the opposite, Sir Masain. It’s just that rough-natured people become docile when they enter the capital.”

“Become docile?”

“Yes. I heard a story from a mercenary I knew before. He said that a troublesome subordinate who drank heavily and caused accidents almost every day would mysteriously reduce the frequency of his outbursts whenever he entered the capital. He wondered if it was the influence of grace.”

“Grace?”

“Yes. Those with a quick temper noticeably become calmer. I heard that the reason why the capital has good public order despite people from all over the continent gathering there is probably largely due to the influence of such grace.”

“That’s really interesting.”

Meanwhile, a woman caught Seongjin’s eye.

She was a waitress employed by the Milo Group across the road, busily moving back and forth among the mercenaries with a tray full of drinks. She was a woman from the Barsha region with dark skin.

And to Seongjin, she had a very familiar slender figure and quiet gait.

‘…Dasha?’

Seongjin blinked.

Why was Dasha there? He had expected her to secretly follow him using Aura concealment.

As if noticing his gaze, Dasha, who looked back at Seongjin, winked at him and then disappeared into the merchant carriage.

At the same time, Commander Bruno’s expression became subtle. He must have also recognized the familiar presence he had felt in the Pearl Palace.

Seongjin clicked his tongue, realizing Dasha’s intentions.

Wow, this capable human!

Instead of secretly hiding and following, she got hired by the merchant group to follow them comfortably and openly?

That way, her basic needs would be taken care of, and she wouldn’t have to overuse Aura concealment to hide her identity.

And at the same time, she was conducting an undercover investigation of the Milo Group! Was Dasha truly a genius?

[Didn’t you just curse the young duke for being simple-minded?]

The Demon King, who had finished his mischief and returned to Seongjin’s head at some point, asked dryly.

Well, Orden is Orden, after all.