Chapter 13: The Weimar Royal Family 2
Victoria was left in a daze after witnessing Kenta disappear right before her eyes using Teleportation Magic. She snapped back to reality at the sound of her lady-in-waiting’s voice.
“Your Highness, we must—”
“I need to return to the Royal Castle immediately! Prepare to depart at once!”
Without waiting for assistance, Victoria climbed into the carriage, just as she had arrived. Her actions alone revealed how frantic she was.
Hastily making her way back to the Royal Castle, Victoria headed straight for her father’s office, where the King was seated at his desk, looking weary as he glanced up at her.
“How did it go?”
The King asked succinctly, inquiring about the negotiations with Kenta.
“For now, we’ve avoided the worst-case scenario… a war with Maya has been averted.”
Upon hearing Victoria’s words, the King let out a deep sigh, visibly relieved.
“And? What did Maya demand? Money?”
“No. His immediate demands are the retraction of this Wanted Poster and a severe punishment for anyone who acted upon it.”
“I understand. I will arrange that right away.”
“I’ve already issued orders to those present to coordinate and avoid any misunderstandings.”
“Understood. Is that all?”
The King asked, noting that no monetary demands had been made, which led him to wonder if there was something more.
However, Victoria’s expression turned grave as she began to speak.
“Actually… I was instructed to deal with Wimple and the woman who incited her.”
“What!? To dispose of the princess!?”
Though Wimple had caused unnecessary trouble, she was still a beloved daughter to the King. As a father, he found that demand utterly unacceptable.
After all, Wimple had merely been ordered to capture a foreigner who refused to comply with their wishes. To demand her disposal was a request the King could hardly accept.
What kind of lowly individual, not even of royal blood, had the audacity to make such a demand?
Yet, the one making the demand was a person capable of defeating the Demon Tribe they were struggling against. If they became enemies, the kingdom itself could be at risk.
After much deliberation, the King reached a decision.
“Very well. The woman who incited Wimple will be executed for endangering the state, charged with the Crime of National Treason.”
“Understood.”
Hearing the King’s decision, Victoria felt sympathy for the woman who would be executed due to a moment of greed.
“Next, regarding Wimple… for blindly believing the words of commoners and neglecting her duties, I will strip her of her Right of Succession and confine her to the Northern Tower.”
Victoria felt a chill run through her at the King’s words.
Given Kenta’s manner of speaking, it was likely that Wimple had wished for execution as well. However, while she was told to be “disposed of,” the word “execution” had not been used.
“Will Maya accept this?”
“Then we will announce that Wimple died in an accident. After all, she will be confined to the Northern Tower. Publicly, she will be considered dead, and there will be no way to confirm otherwise. It will be hard for Wimple, but as long as she is alive, that is what matters.”
Victoria thought to herself, (With Teleportation Magic, there’s a chance this could be discovered…) but she couldn’t bring herself to voice her concerns to the King.
Despite their rivalry for the throne, Wimple was still her sister. She couldn’t demand her execution outright.
Moreover, it was undeniable that stripping her sister of her Right of Succession and publicly declaring her dead would be an unbearable humiliation.
If they announced her death and held a grand funeral, even if Kenta came to check on Wimple’s situation using Teleportation Magic, he would be deceived. Victoria believed this was the best course of action.
A few days later, an announcement was made in the capital.
It was reported that the second princess, Wimple, had lost her life in a carriage accident.
The sudden news of a royal death plunged the citizens into mourning, and the funeral was held as a state funeral, grand and elaborate.
The ostentatious display was merely to deceive Kenta.
In the shadows, the execution of the woman who had incited Wimple was carried out quietly.
As for Kenta’s new Wanted Poster, it was declared to be a mistake, and any actions taken against it would be met with severe punishment, which was spread throughout the kingdom by officials and soldiers.
Thanks to this, the poster quickly fell into obscurity.
To ensure that no bounty hunters approached Kenta’s home, soldiers were stationed at the entrance to the forest leading to his house, strictly preventing anyone from entering.
The same went for Ivern and his companions, who were also stopped at the forest entrance and unable to reach Kenta’s home.
Initially, when soldiers were deployed, several bounty hunters attempted to enter the forest following the poster, but they were successfully halted, which relieved Victoria.
The retraction of the Wanted Poster was proceeding smoothly, and they had managed to keep Kenta from being reached.
They had executed the woman from the brothel and confined Wimple under the guise of an accident.
Although Wimple had initially resisted the stripping of her Right of Succession and confinement, she ultimately accepted it after a stern reprimand from the King.
Everything was going according to plan.
Victoria thought that once no bounty hunters appeared in response to the Wanted Poster, they could withdraw the soldiers, and everything would be over.
However, that thought was soon overturned.
One night, as Victoria slept in her chamber, a deafening roar and tremor shook the Royal Castle.
The sudden commotion sent the castle into a frenzy, resembling a disturbed beehive.
In a panic, Victoria rushed to the window, only to be left speechless.
A tremendous explosion of flames erupted from the location of the Northern Tower.
“Oh… no…”
That was where Wimple was confined.
Though she was confined, her room was luxurious, and she had dedicated servants. She was living a life of ease, with three meals a day and no work to do.
For some, it was a life to be envied.
Yet now, the Northern Tower, where Wimple lived, was collapsing in a blaze.
There was little hope that anyone inside could have survived.
The destruction was that severe.
Victoria was gripped by fear, not so much for the likely death of her sister, but for another reason that sent shivers through her body.
“…It’s been discovered… that Wimple is alive…”
That was undoubtedly Kenta’s doing.
Since they had not executed Wimple, Kenta had come to deal with her himself.
Victoria was not the only one who was convinced of this.
The King shared the same thought.
How he had done it was unclear, but he had accurately targeted the Northern Tower where Wimple was held.
Kenta had seen through everything…
This realization was enough to instill fear in both the King and his daughter.
From that point on, the royal family of the Weimar Kingdom lived in fear of Kenta’s shadow, and as a small act of atonement, they lifted Kenta’s Wanted status within the Weimar Kingdom.
The world was shocked by the international fugitive’s Wanted status being lifted, but the reason other nations continued to pursue him was their desire to capture and incorporate Kenta.
No country mentioned their reasons for Weimar’s withdrawal from the competition to capture Kenta.
However, the lifting of the Wanted status became known throughout the world.