The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Decided to Divorce

48

Despite his turmoil, Athelore naturally offered a handshake.

Standing in for the Duke of the North, it was only right to personally reciprocate his loyalty.

Above all, being Uriel’s child, he wanted to take a closer look at that face.

“It’s my first time greeting you. I am Alter Radiant, the youngest son of the Radiant Duke.”

Alter carefully clasped hands and met Athelore’s gaze.

Having been friends with his father, it was natural for him to show interest in Alter.

Moreover, having fought together in both major and minor battles, he regarded him as a steadfast comrade and knight.

“…You’re the offspring of the Duke of the North. I’ve heard the news. You’re engaged to the lady of the Elenath Dukedom, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“The Duke of the North is an old friend of mine. It’s been over twenty years, and I haven’t been able to meet with my friend. How is the Duke doing?”

“He is always dutifully fulfilling his role in the same place.”

“I’ve burdened my friend with too much. Sometimes, we should meet and raise a glass together…”

Athelore trusted the Northern Duke as a friend, yet regarded him as a rival who trampled on his heart.

Uriel chose the Northern Duke as her consort, abandoning herself who was to ascend the throne.

In the end, she returned to the capital alone and had to conduct the coronation ceremony in solitude.

“…It’s not wrong. No one would have accepted Uriel.”

Athelore still vividly remembered the words he heard from Uriel.

He, no different from a fallen noble, could not be welcomed as the consort of the next emperor.

Being able to use magic does not elevate one’s status.

It would be freer to live on the fringes of the empire than to be trapped in the imperial palace.

“Perhaps it was a trivial excuse. Did I not remain in the northern territories because I cherished Zaire?”

Athelore did not fully believe Uriel’s words.

Ultimately, Uriel married Zaire and bore a child who inherited their bloodline.

That child eventually entered the imperial palace and now stood before him.

It was a jest of fate, bringing forth nothing but further torment.

“It’s because he’s a son that he deceives me. Had it been a daughter, she would have tried to test me. Isn’t it ironic?”

Athelore found the thought repulsive, yet he could not wholly deny it.

He still harbored feelings for Uriel.

Decades had passed, yet he could not forget her grace and beauty.

Perhaps that’s why he was even bound to Uriel’s lineage.

“The Third Princess was worthy of attention. Did she, too, resemble me?”

The Third Princess had indeed proposed to engage the youngest son of the Duke’s family.

But he could not permit it due to external reasons, and his emotions instinctively rejected such behavior.

Just as Alter Radiant inherited Uriel’s bloodline, perhaps the Third Princess was also captivated by his radiant appearance.

“Now that she’s betrothed to the Duke’s daughter, I can put an end to this.”

If Alter Radiant marries as is, the Third Princess will have no choice but to give up.

One must not dare to take a direct royal as a concubine, nor can they hold a rank lower than that of the Duke’s family.

Moreover, with a firm political marriage in place, even a breakup would not be difficult.

“When you go to the northern territories, do convey my regards. If the succession of the title is concluded, I would like you to enter the palace.”

“Yes, I will certainly convey your august command.”

“Stay comfortably before you leave. I wish you a swift recovery.”

With that, Athelore finally turned away from Alter and headed towards the high seat.

It was already reported that a curse was engraved on Alter’s heart.

By principle, he should not have been allowed into the royal palace, but it was impossible to simply turn away the representative of the Northern Duke.

Above all, as an emperor, one must not blindly believe in unproven rumors.

‘How could I not meet the child of Uriel?’

Athelore glanced at Alter inadvertently while seated at the high table.

Having arranged this meeting, he could somewhat soften his feelings towards Uriel.

Of course, had Alter not inherited Uriel’s appearance, it might have been easier to dismiss him.

‘Zaire. To mock me in such a way… You’re not a friend but rather an enemy in disguise.’

Athelore let out a faint smile, then quickly concealed it.

After all, the Northern Duke probably harbored no ill intentions.

He had lived loyally since his youth, and even now, he stood firm.

It was just a strange twist of fate over a woman.

‘Why did you bear such a child, Uriel…’

***

Alter returned to his seat and sat down solemnly.

Brillie stayed by his side, occasionally engaging in conversation.

Both of them acted uniformly, merely observing the interior of the banquet hall.

“That noble also runs a knight order. It’s no different from private soldiers since it was established with support from the family.”

“If that’s the case, why bother creating a knight order?”

“It must be for the sake of honor. If you only use them as private soldiers, it looks ordinary, doesn’t it? By operating as a knight order, your name gets known, and you can enhance your family’s reputation.”

“It does seem a bit troublesome.”

“It is troublesome. Because of that honor, you have to take on various miscellaneous tasks. And you have to protect the family, so it just means more work.”

Brillie pointed out each noble and explained them one by one.

Not all nobles are equally wealthy, and often there is a disparity in power as well.

That’s why they all try to maintain their dignity, but since the methods are limited, conflicts are inevitable.

“So, do the knight orders compete with each other?”

“It’s close to competition. You have to establish merit to get more requests. Nowadays, mercenary groups are being replaced by knight orders, so nobles often clash with each other.”

“It must be tough for you, Mr. Brillie.”

“I’m a bit different. Our knight order is not dependent on the family. So we can move more freely. If something doesn’t seem right, we can just pull out.”

“The clients wouldn’t be happy about that, would they?”

“It’s not necessarily so. If it’s a joint request, we can all do it together, and it becomes a competition for the target request. There’s no loss to the requester as long as a specific knight order isn’t designated.”

“…So there’s no reason to designate one?”

“Exactly. If left alone, they’ll rush in on their own accord. And if they end up fighting each other, it leads to disputes between families.”

“But you, Brilliere, seem to be holding up well?”

“I just follow the orders of the captain. The captain treats us well, so the members move accordingly.”

Brilliere inadvertently looked for Lang but soon gave up.

Lang had said he wouldn’t attend the royal palace banquet due to personal reasons.

Still, as the next Sword Saint and the official heir to the Custer earldom, shouldn’t he have at least made a brief appearance?

“If they fight even with a knight order, wouldn’t it be similar with a trading company?”

“Trading companies are a bit different. First, you need money, right? And without connections, it’s hard to get deals. You have to think about profits too… There’s a lot to consider.”

“It seems like there’s a lot to prepare.”

“That’s right. It’s a problem before the competition. Maintaining a trading company is difficult.”

“And if you compete with another trading company, you could suffer a lot of losses?”

“If only losses were all, it would be fortunate. In the worst case, you could go bankrupt and even have to sell your mansion. There have been nobles who couldn’t handle the debt and secretly fled.”

Brilliere had a fairly detailed grasp of the nobles’ revenue structure.

Once relying solely on swordsmanship, she eventually faced reality and delved into the financial aspects.

She concluded that it wasn’t easy to become independent from her family, and for a while, she had to cooperate with her father and pursue her own benefits.

“It seems that dealing with farmland, mines, or specialty products is more comfortable.”

“Yes. That’s the best. There aren’t many competitors, and you just have to continue what’s been done by the family for generations.”

“But if you don’t inherit the title, you won’t even get the opportunity.”

“That’s why everyone flocks to the knight orders or trading companies. There’s nothing else left. Ah, there’s also the option of becoming a royal bureaucrat… but I’m not sure how far you can get without connections.”

A position in charge of national affairs is granted to only a few.

Commoners are not permitted, and even nobles must pass related exams.

Even if one becomes a bureaucrat, if the rank is low, significant duties are not assigned.

To go through this process, one must possess the necessary abilities and qualities, but most are judged only by their origin and lineage.

“…So, after marrying me, will you continue to be active as a knight, Brilliere?”

“Huh? Oh, I can’t just be active as a knight. The knight’s salary alone isn’t enough to take care of you, Alter.”

“You don’t have to worry about me. I don’t want to hinder you, Brilliere.”

“If I thought you were a hindrance, would I have asked you to trust me? Why do you think you’re a hindrance?”

“It’s not that I think I’m a hindrance… It’s just that… living together could be uncomfortable. It’s different from living alone.”

Alter was deeply contemplating life after marriage.

The problems that arise from living together as a couple, the etiquette to be maintained, the relationship between spouses, and so on.

If one was truly prepared for marriage, it was only natural to anticipate and prepare for these matters.

“So… you’re saying we might fight over incompatible issues?”

“That’s why I said I wouldn’t interfere. Ms. Brilly, don’t you have something you want to do?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to do anything, but I don’t want to force it. If there’s one thing I wish for, it’s to see the heir…”

Alter listened to Brilly’s words and then promptly stood up.

As the curse etched in his heart faded, the magic within his body amplified in all directions.

This made him more sensitive to magical reactions, and he could even indirectly perceive the moment magic took shape.

“What’s wrong?”

“Something… is coming.”

Alter instinctively detected the presence of a sorcerer.

Someone had secretly cast a spell.

If things were as expected, they were probably preparing to summon the undead.

“…Is it something bad?”

“It seems like they’re trying to use magic.”

“Here? Can you find it?”

“If we get closer, I’ll be able to tell.”

“I’ll be by your side, so let’s hurry.”

Brilly followed Alter without a hint of doubt.

Alter’s magic had already been experienced, and the dagger given as a gift was endowed with intense coldness.

A sorcerer of such caliber could intuitively sense even the slightest change in magical energy.

‘If magic is used here, someone is bound to get hurt. If it’s an assassination attempt on the emperor…’