Proof

Numerous nobles gathered in the great hall.

Since Duke Flemyr’s report, who’d left as the truth investigation team, was in the Queen’s hands, they couldn’t bear their curiosity.

After Phillena read all the letters and spoke solemnly with a hardened expression.

“Raise your head.”

When the investigation team member raised his head, Phillena looked at Sallio beside him.

“I have something to ask you.”

Sallio only raised his head while kneeling on one knee.

For a nation’s great hall, the flowing atmosphere was quite light.

‘Is the Queen truly a figurehead?’

Tension released all at once.

Sallio comfortably met Phillena’s eyes.

“You said Marquis Falkion’s death was royal contempt crime. Is it truly fact?”

“It is.”

“Who are you?”

“I am called Sallio, deputy guild master of Named serving Prince Pernok.”

Phillena frowned.

“I haven’t accepted that bastard as royalty yet.”

“I apologize. However, esteemed Queen Your Majesty! And I dare appeal to various great and small ministers. Prince Pernok inherited Illumina’s blood, and this is a fact Marquis Falkion acknowledged while dying! How can you turn away from the seed the previous King sowed!”

“How dare…!”

Phillena, who was about to shout, closed her mouth.

Other great and small ministers and royals were the same.

Arjan Al Illumina.

Though not a wise ruler, he was a king who nonetheless led Illumina well.

He was even evaluated as handling well in complex diplomatic relationships.

But his one flaw was his dissolute private life in his youth.

As a lecher who couldn’t sleep without women even for a day, Phillena had also always suffered headaches.

Pernok.

When a royal’s name that didn’t even exist was mentioned together with Arjan, Phillena’s heart sank.

“Prince Pernok suffered unspeakable insults from Marquis Falkion. He even faced a situation where a blade nearly pierced his neck. This is a matter all children of prominent families supporting the marquisate witnessed. Therefore, I dare hope that Your Majesty please defeat the dishonest crowd and permit Prince Pernok to receive the sword’s proof!”

Sallio prostrated himself fully.

Nobles only coughed at his earnest voice while staring at Phillena.

Would she, who only awaited three children’s competition, acknowledge a new succession candidate?

Click-clack sounds echoed into the middle of the great hall where factions’ attention concentrated.

Phillena personally stepped down the stairs in heels.

“Marquis Falkion…”

In fact, she knew First Prince Vans’s merciless past.

‘Vans killed all the sprouts. That person’s disgrace is no longer left in this kingdom!’

She’d used her own hands so rumors of Vans killing bastard sons wouldn’t spread.

She’d found it admirable that the ambitious eldest clearly made the succession structure while even reducing variables.

‘The eldest couldn’t have made a mistake. But Pernok? What’s this bastard? Are you saying there’s a bastard son we missed?’

Incompetent royals finish their remaining years in appropriate places. There was no need to even care.

If they were ordinary nations, they wouldn’t even care about bastard sons’ existence.

But Illumina’s succession procedures are unique.

Because the founding king specified that all royals have legitimate rights and should be given one weapon.

This stemmed from Illumina’s unique situation.

The Illumina royal family, which had to survive in the middle of great powers, had to pass the nation to stronger seed.

Even if collateral, if they inherited blood, they must utilize that person’s abilities to protect the nation.

This was Illumina’s legitimate succession procedure passed down since the founding king.

Therefore, those who inherited the king’s blood are each given one territory, knight order, or foundational force.

It was why she praised the processes where Vans called bastard sons variables and killed them.

‘If a bastard son truly lived, if that’s the bastard called Pernok… how cunning.’

He killed Marquis Falkion and inflated the incident to draw much attention.

Rather, if he’d entered the royal palace, she would’ve fed him poison to handle it secretly, but now even that became impossible.

‘Really, if that bastard is a bastard son and receives the sword’s proof…’

Adding to the S-rank guild, Marquis Falkion’s territory falls into Pernok’s hands.

That meant new winds would blow through the succession war that had been solidifying.

Even now, many mercenaries were gathering to the demon beast mountain range.

If territory was added here, that power would expand indescribably.

Perhaps forces supporting her children might eye Pernok’s power.

S-rank has that degree of ripple effect.

‘Even dead, you only leave me headaches!’

But Phillena had no other choice.

Duke Flemyr confirmed the blood authentication procedure.

Since he follows Arjan, he currently takes no one’s side.

If she ignored his authentication here, who knows what new variables would be created in the succession war.

“Raise your head.”

Sallio raised his head again.

Phillena’s gaze was cold.

“If you can’t receive the sword’s proof, I’ll exterminate your three generations.”

“Prince Pernok will prove it’s never falsehood!”

Phillena twisted her lips.

“Prepare the sword!”

“…!”

Nobles who hadn’t thought she’d move according to Pernok’s will unhesitatingly revealed surprised eyes.

“The duke acknowledged it! I too, as one verifying succession candidates as I told you lords, will judge Pernok!”

“However, Your Majesty! That place is far and dangerous!”

“What’s dangerous! It’s all Illumina’s anyway.”

They don’t know.

Duke Flemyr, who lost his lord, is troubled about who to choose as new succession candidate, and if there’s anyone who provokes him, he’ll surely oppose.

You must prove it.

That one line written at the letter’s end reminded her of Duke Flemyr’s resoluteness.

When unfolding the succession war with Arjan long ago, she struggled with Flemyr, who was a count at the time, after difficulty persuading him.

Military power, intelligence, judgment.

Nothing could be faulted, so even Arjan, who lived crazed by women, always listened to Flemyr’s words.

Then, he who was level 7 has now become a Magus.

Don’t forget.

When His Majesty Arjan passed away, the reason he recommended Her Majesty the Queen for that position is because it’s a position to ‘observe.’

With rumors already circulating in the royal palace that she coddles her children, if she pushed stubbornly here, the relationship with Flemyr could become uncomfortable.

‘Right, it’s not because of Pernok.’

Flemyr is the key.

Though he doesn’t belong to anything, she only hopes that guy, who shows loyalty to the throne to be called neutral faction, won’t interfere in the succession war unnecessarily.

“However, Guild Master Pernok’s might isn’t easy to lightly dismiss. If the sword doesn’t prove Guild Master Pernok, I’ll impose severe punishment, so know that and prepare the knight order and troops!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Phillena waved her hand and exited the great hall.

At this time now.

At this point when the succession structure finished organizing.

A bastard son who appeared suddenly.

No one could predict how far those ripples would extend.

* * *

From ancient times, determining new succession candidates is the king’s role.

Now Phillena, who inherited that role, personally embarked on a long journey carrying the king’s sword.

The royal guard knight order and thousands of soldiers followed, and nobles curious about the bastard son also mobilized private soldiers with justification of adding strength.

The First Prince’s faction was currently firmly grinding teeth and supporting Phillena with thoughts to somehow catch only Pernok’s flaws.

Meanwhile, rumors that started at Marquis Falkion’s territory were reaching even the capital.

A new royal who inherited the king’s blood appeared in Illumina.

That person nearly died at Marquis Falkion’s hands, but overcame it with innate power and intelligence.

And he distributed wealth the marquis exploited back to territory residents.

That person is the master of the first S-rank guild Named, Pernok Al Illumina.

The more she knew, the more Pernok’s might was tremendous.

To the degree that Phillena’s judgment thinking mercenaries were usually barbarians wavered, discipline and systems were established.

Just looking at someone named Sallio shows it.

‘Is he trying to make a knight order?’

Seven level 6 mages alone, and Pernok is a level 7 mage.

‘They said Magus.’

No, Magus is what Flemyr wrote in the letter.

She didn’t want to believe until seeing directly.

But if all that content was fact, Named’s forces should be considered comparable to Flemyr.

Moreover, they say he once had an exclusive contract with Rezhen Kingdom’s Prince Salavan.

Rezhen’s military supreme commander Ludmila personally acknowledged the relationship with Pernok.

Pernok is even established at Falkion, where it’s easy to obtain Rezhen’s cooperation.

He absolutely wasn’t an existence to be disregarded as a bastard son.

‘Arjan… Arjan…!’

The closer to Count Charles’s territory, the more she only thought of her husband, a headache even dead.

It had been a long time since she felt the path to meet someone was this tense.

“Whoa whoa!”

The royal guard knight commander at the front grabbed the horse’s reins.

And when he waved his hand, flags rose and the great army stopped.

The royal guard knight commander approached Phillena.

“Your Majesty, it’s Count Charles’s territory.”

Phillena gazed at the peaceful territory far away.

“There’s someone up there.”

“Duke Flemyr and…”

A position that appeared like a distant dot to ordinary people was captured clearly to the royal guard knight commander.

The royal guard knight commander who judged the man’s features spoke.

“…It’s the one called Pernok. And mages presumed to be those guild members are positioned on the ramparts.”

“Prepare to strike anytime if I give the signal.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Leaving troops behind, Phillena headed to the castle with the royal guard knight order.

Despite facing a great army of 10,000, the castle showed no signs of tension at all.

Before the kingdom’s flag, guild members were all calm.

“Since Illumina’s noble Queen has arrived, let the one to be proven come forward!”

It was simultaneous with the royal guard knight commander’s shout.

Toot!

Trumpet sounds echoed from the castle.

After grand sounds continued for a long time as if holding a triumphal ceremony, the castle gate opened.

Creak!

Flemyr and Pernok walked out side by side.

“You may go.”

When Phillena spoke indifferently, Sallio immediately ran to the castle gate.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Not at all. It was what I ought to do.”

“Things I must give you have increased more.”

“I’m merely grateful.”

When Sallio bowed his head and climbed the ramparts, Pernok approached smiling.

‘Smiling?’

At that moment, Phillena saw dead Arjan’s appearance overlapping in Pernok. The leisurely feeling resembled him exactly.

“Tsk.”

Phillena briefly clicked her tongue and shook off the nightmare-like imagination.

And she dismounted and faced Flemyr and Pernok.

“Your Majesty, this is the one who passed the blood authentication I mentioned.”

“You’ve worked hard. Was there nothing else at the castle?”

“Yes. Except that he wanted to see the nobles but deferred it saying he’d hand down all dispositions after finishing the sword’s proof, the castle was extremely peaceful.”

“Making the kingdom’s investigation team seek permission for everything. Such an insolent bastard.”

Phillena looked at Pernok coldly.

“You’re the bastard mercenary called Pernok who dared impersonate royalty.”

“Why would I claim as falsehood what will soon be revealed as fact?”

Phillena extended her hand to the side.

“Commander!”

The royal guard knight commander respectfully offered an old scabbard to Phillena.

When Phillena immediately drew the sword from the scabbard, amazingly a white sword with not a single blade damaged revealed its pure form.

Phillena pointed the pure white sword at Pernok.

“Prove yourself.”

Instantly, all troops put strength into weapons.

The royal guard knight order’s mana also rose subtly.

If this proof was revealed as false now, they would’ve immediately declared him rebel forces and carried out judgment.

But when Pernok bit his thumb and dropped blood on the pure white blade, everyone lost their senses.

Hum!

A refreshing color as if embracing the great ocean vibrated the sword.

When blueness that even Vans, called a genius, couldn’t produce shone like the sun, Phillena was startled.

“How…”

The fainter the blood and dimmer the talent, the hazier the color becomes.

Such deep color proves that the royal blood and talent flowing in Pernok are superior to anyone.

When everything was finally confirmed, Flemyr swallowed a groan beside her.

Everyone couldn’t continue words.

When silence flowed before the castle.

“They say Illumina’s royal family are all one family. I can finally call you.”

Pernok smiled brightly before the brilliantly emitting light.

“Aunt.”^[1]

At that moment, an inexplicable eeriness flowed down Phillena’s spine.