Chapter 145 – Princess Garcia

Princess Garcia

The day after the princess’s life was endangered due to a failed contract with a devil.

Eisen, the Director of the Central Information Department, was riding in a vehicle heading toward the order with his attendant.

In front of them, the vehicle carrying the princess and escort vehicles stretched out in a long line, and the road where the procession passed was empty, as if welcoming a king’s progress.

To an ignorant observer, it might have looked as though the princess was going to commend the inquisitor who had saved her life, but Eisen, who knew the nature of the royal family and the princess well, thought differently.

This procession was a road for revenge, not commendation.

‘I have gotten caught up in a useless matter.’

Had it not been for the matter related to the Flowering Cult,

he would not have joined this procession now, but

the matter related to the Flowering Cult was urgent.

Since they, whom he had thought were merely heretics, had revealed their claws at some point and were wildly disrupting the order within the capital.

Aligning with the order to strike them down as quickly as possible had become the top priority.

‘I would believe it even if they called them a zombie horde. Since the order investigated first, we should cooperate.’

At this time,

the attendant accompanying him opened his mouth in envy while looking at the long line of vehicles.

“I heard Her Highness the Princess was critically ill yesterday. The contract with the devil went wrong and she almost died. I am envious.”

“Envious? What on earth are you envious of?”

“Is she not going to commend the inquisitor?”

Eisen snorted.

“It seems you view this situation in a positive light.”

“Is it not? Since the inquisitor of the order saved Her Highness, I thought Her Highness was visiting the order to commend him in person.”

Eisen openly shook his head.

“Have you been in the Palace Court for so long and still do not know about the royal family? What do you think would have happened if it were His Highness Slain?”

“His Highness Slain? If it were His Highness Slain…”

Honor and loyalty, responsibility and protection.

An exemplary royal family would hold those as core values, but the royal family of the great nation was far from such values.

Fear, greed and profit, ruthlessness.

The place where those were the core values was none other than the royal family of the great nation.

It was safe to call the Grand King a tyrant, and Prince Slain was evaluated as the person who had inherited that Grand King’s temperament the best.

Among the other royal descendants, Princess Garcia was the only other one.

“He would have recruited him, finding him capable. However, from the inquisitor’s standpoint, I think he would find it somewhat burdensome. As much as His Highness Slain showed trust, he would also hold him responsible.”

“Her Highness Princess Garcia is also similar to His Highness Slain. She takes exactly after His Majesty the Grand King’s temperament.”

“In case… is she going to recruit that inquisitor?”

Eisen shook his head.

“Wrong. Do you see the event that occurred yesterday as a good thing for Her Highness?”

Although the contract failed, she was able to keep her life.

“Did she not live thanks to the inquisitor driving out the devil?”

“That is not what is important. The Garcia I know does not fear death. Had she feared death, she would not have contracted with a devil. What Her Highness valued most was the contract with the devil itself.”

The attendant was only able to grasp the meaning of his words belatedly.

“Could it be… she is going to hold him responsible for interfering with the contract? For ruining the contract with the devil?”

Only then did Eisen nod his head in affirmation.

“You could say so. At least, that is how I see it. It is a clear fact that the contract with the devil went wrong yesterday, but even so, there is no way Her Highness would ever look kindly upon the inquisitor who drove out the devil and nullified the contract itself. Since, if she does not contract anyway…”

Eisen continued his next words in a tone full of conviction.

“She will unconditionally die by His Highness Slain’s hand in the upcoming Iron Crown Succession Battle.”

His words continued.

“From what I have observed, His Highness Slain will unconditionally target Her Highness Garcia first in the Iron Crown Succession Battle. Leaving the other royal descendants aside, the young princess who inherited His Majesty the Grand King’s talent just like himself will be the most bothersome.”

The attendant asked back with a dumbfounded expression.

“Her Highness Garcia is only fourteen years old, yet His Highness Slain will strike his youngest sibling first?”

“If it is the His Highness Slain I know, he will naturally do so.”

Eisen’s gaze was fixed on him.

“Because she will be the most threatening element in the Iron Crown Succession Battle. You can bet on this with me.”

“His youngest, and sole younger sister at that… How cruel.”

“It is proof of how outstanding Her Highness Garcia’s talent is. Meaning she is threatening enough for His Highness Slain to target her first.”

The smoothly running vehicle procession suddenly came to a halt.

“What is going on?”

When Eisen asked the driver, the driver pointed ahead and said,

“Her Highness the Princess’s vehicle has suddenly stopped.”

The two looked out the car window to grasp the situation.

The attendant also spoke, feeling bewildered.

“Director, what is happening all of a sudden?”

“I do not know either. That is why I am checking.”

There were indeed times when the royal vehicles stopped occasionally.

In the case of Prince Slain, there was a precedent of forcibly stopping the procession upon seeing a woman he liked during his progress, but this time it was Princess Garcia.

“I heard His Highness Slain kidnaps civilian women in this manner.”

“I know. Who does not know that? At least the people around all know.”

The women kidnapped like that were discarded after becoming his toys.

“I cannot really guess. Since it is not His Highness Slain.”

The culprit who stopped the vehicle procession must definitely be her.

Eisen figured it would not be a good thing.

The attendant, who was closely watching outside, opened his mouth.

“Her Highness the Princess is suddenly getting out. It seems she is walking toward a mother and daughter on the nearby sidewalk.”

On the nearby sidewalk stood a young girl walking with a young woman.

The girl was tightly hugging a doll her mother had bought her, and the two looked like a close mother and daughter to anyone who saw them.

The princess, who approached the mother and daughter surrounded by escort knights, snatched only the doll the child was tightly hugging and returned to the vehicle.

It was the moment the reason for suddenly stopping the smoothly moving procession was revealed.

“Why would Her Highness Princess Garcia… Is she not someone who can have thousands or tens of thousands of teddy bears like that? Why go out of her way to take someone else’s teddy bear…”

The attendant wore an expression as if he absolutely could not understand the princess’s bizarre behavior.

On the other hand, Eisen was different.

Because he knew about the princess’s upbringing to some extent.

‘She is showing the signs of growing up without receiving a mother’s love here.’

Due to the Grand King’s frequent affairs, the Queen began to hate the Grand King from some point on, and became a mother who did not even love his children.

It was the same for the princess, who grew up as the apple of their eye.

‘In any case, that household must only feel satisfied when they get whatever they want. One guy is crazy about girls, and one girl is trying to search for the mother’s love she never received in other things.’

It was simply deplorable.

The vehicle procession began to move again.

* * *

Inquisitor Jason, who was in his office, heard some news from the outside.

“I see. I will deliver the message.”

He immediately sought out Rashid.

“Inquisitor Lycian. It seems Her Highness the Princess is visiting.”

“Her Highness the Princess?”

For what reason was she coming?

Was she coming to commend him for yesterday’s matter by any chance?

‘No. That family is far from such things.’

Rashid knew about the royal family of the great nation to some extent.

In fact, if one knew about the tyrant-like Grand King and the brutally ruthless Crown Prince Slain, they could vaguely predict what Princess Garcia, who shared a similar nature to the two, was visiting for.

‘Surely she is not visiting to blame me for the ruined contract, is she?’

A normal person would expect something pleasant, but:

Rashid’s expression had been rotten from the moment he heard the news.

‘If it is the ruffian-like royal family I know, the possibility of her visiting for such a reason seems highly likely.’

Inquisitor Jason expressed doubt.

“Why is your expression like that?”

“Did you only receive notification that she is visiting?”

“Yes.”

“What about other words?”

“There were no other words. That was all.”

“Then it likely will not be a good thing.”

Inquisitor Jason thought it was strange.

“What do you mean by that? Not a good thing.”

“Do you not know about the royal family? I have heard many stories.”

Inquisitor Jason was not ignorant of the royal family steeped in fear and ruthlessness either.

However, he had absolutely never imagined that she would visit to interrogate him over yesterday’s matter.

Rashid spoke to him, who was still unable to grasp the situation.

“You are lucky.”

“Lucky?”

“Yes, you will find out if you watch me. Why I said you are lucky.”

Looking around the office, which was narrower than expected, Rashid spoke.

“Let’s go outside. Nothing good will come of causing a commotion here.”

“A commotion? She must be coming to commend…”

Then, as if some thought had struck him, his face stiffened coldly.

He seemed to have realized only belatedly.

“Looking at it at times like this, the authority of the order is truly regrettable. Swayed by a mere royal descendant. I should not have come on dispatch if it was going to be like this.”

As the two went outside to welcome the princess who was said to arrive soon, they ran into a group of executioner knights led by the princess in the center of the main hall.

Princess Garcia.

A fourteen-year-old girl with silver hair and cold blue eyes.

Her attire was for holding a sword, not a dress, and her temper and murderous intent were written plain on her face.

“Her Highness, they are coming over there.”

“Which of the two is it? Or is it both?”

The executioner knight attached to the princess reluctantly pointed to Rashid.

“It is the young inquisitor.”

Having confirmed, the princess snatched the sword the executioner knight was wearing.

If he had not grasped the situation, he might have been puzzled, but:

Rashid stood still without panic, waiting only for her to approach.

“It is truly just as you said.”

Inquisitor Jason gasped in admiration.

It was regarding his judgment that predicted this situation precisely.

At the same time, worry also arose.

The opponent was the apple of the royal family’s eye.

With the authority of the order, there was no way to stop the princess’s tyranny.

It was a situation where it was safe to consider him practically dead.

“Step aside. I will handle this myself.”

Perhaps they had a conscience, but:

the executioner knights and Palace Court agents who accompanied her stood still without stepping forward.

They intended to watch from behind.

This was the same for Eisen.

Restraining the agents, he intended to watch for now.

Regardless, this was the order, and no matter how much the order’s authority fell short of the royal family, they still had to be careful.

The princess lunged in with a spiteful face.

For a mere fourteen-year-old girl, her movements were sharp enough to rival a knight’s.

Everyone expected the inquisitor’s pitiful end, but

regrettably, no such thing happened.

Lightly dodging the sword, he caught and easily subdued her.

Rashid looked down with a cold gaze at her struggling in close proximity.

“So the royal family repays a favor with enmity.”

Trying to resist in any way, she attempted to stomp on his instep with her heeled foot, but it was out of the question.

None of her resistance reached Rashid, and only then did the executioner knights who accompanied the princess begin to move.

The Palace Court agents also tried to move, but Eisen stopped them.

He was watching this situation with quite some interest.