[Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]

    Chapter 98

    “Father.”

    “I need your strength.”

    “What do you mean? I am currently under house arrest by royal decree.”

    When Violet questioned him, Kaiten hesitated for a moment.

    He couldn''t possibly tell her everything—how he had been caught working with Black Skull and was now facing death threats.

    This secret was too classified, even for Violet.

    He vaguely glossed over the details.

    “I''ve been thinking for a few days... The Sword Master is too dangerous.”

    “What makes him dangerous? He helped eliminate the Black Skull for the royal family.”

    “Think about what would happen if that sword were to turn against the royal family!”

    “I don''t believe he is that kind of person.”

    Violet’s constant rebuttals irritated King Kaiten.

    “Regardless! He is dangerous. You need to step in. We must be prepared to counter the Sword Master.”

    “...Me? I am nothing more than a criminal who aided followers of the Demon Realm. I no longer have the right to step forward.”

    “Hmph. Was it your fault? How could you have known when Diether Hart was the one who concealed it?”

    It seemed King Kaiten had conveniently forgotten that he was the one who ordered Violet’s house arrest in the first place.

    It was Violet who hesitated instead.

    “Even so, I cannot escape my responsibility. Resuming activity now would be...”

    “Hmph. The royal family may be in danger because of the Sword Master, and as a member of the family, it is only natural for you to contribute your strength. Are you trying to avoid it?”

    Violet sensed something was off.

    The king already seemed almost certain that the Sword Master would pose a threat to the royal family.

    If that weren’t the case, he wouldn’t be pushing this hard.

    ‘What happened?’ She studied King Kaiten’s face.

    Come to think of it, he, who rarely left the palace, had recently visited Melzrek Lodge.

    His complexion looked poor, likely due to accumulated fatigue.

    And yet, here he was, causing a commotion early in the morning.

    Violet asked the king,

    “So, does this mean I am no longer under house arrest?”

    “That’s right.”

    “Even if I am released, I don''t have the strength to face the Sword Master. I would need to reach the 5th Circle...”

    Kaiten frowned at her words.

    That man...

    He’s far too strong.

    Even the owner of an S-Class mana suit couldn''t be confident against him.

    Hearing this from Violet only reinforced Kaiten’s resolve to be wary of Stein.

    “Hmph. Then reach the 5th Circle.”

    “Becoming a 5th Circle mage isn’t something that can be achieved at will. It requires significant investment.”

    “Hmm... I see. Then what do you want to do?”

    Violet gazed at the king with calm eyes.

    She still didn’t know why he was so desperate to prepare against the Sword Master, but she felt she could make unreasonable demands of him in his current state.

    “In any case, to keep the Sword Master in check, I will need an organization. Allow me to recover and reorganize my late brother’s faction.

    From there, I will select capable individuals and turn them into your royal guards.”

    “Hmm.”

    Turning them into royal guards?

    King Kaiten nodded in satisfaction.

    ‘Yes. To keep the Sword Master in check, I need my own forces, including Violet.’

    Despite being the king, Kaiten had indulged in pleasure, turning a blind eye to the power struggle between the first and second prince factions.

    After all, Crown Prince Cesar was there, and Diether Hart had become part of Black Skull.

    He had assumed they would handle things on their own.

    Of course, King Kaiten had not always been a hedonistic and incompetent ruler from the beginning.

    When he first ascended to the throne, he had once harbored the desire to govern the kingdom well.

    However...

    Of course, Kaylen had already perfected the Four Swords and could wield 5th Circle magic, but he feigned great surprise and interest.

    “Her Highness will explain the details. May I guide you, Lord Kaylen?”

    “Alright. Lead the way.”

    Jane led him to the Superior Mage’s conference room.

    Princess Violet greeted Kaylen with her usual composed demeanor.

    “Lord Kaylen. It’s been a while.”

    “Yes, Your Highness.”

    “Have you heard the news from the palace?”

    “The news from the palace...?”

    She smiled faintly as she spoke.

    “They say the first prince was actually a servant of the Demon Realm and was executed by the suddenly appearing Sword Master.”

    “...I’ve heard various rumors.”

    “Rumors? It’s true. My brother, whom I trusted and followed, turned out to be a mere pawn of the demons, and the Black Skull had infiltrated the palace.”

    With those words, Violet recounted everything that Sword Master Stein had done without holding anything back.

    Throughout her explanation, she maintained an unwavering smile from start to finish.

    Not a single crack in her expression.

    To Kaylen, that smiling face seemed like a mask she wore.

    “...As a result, I was placed under house arrest by His Majesty, but thanks to his sudden change of heart, I was allowed to resume my activities.”

    “I see...”

    “Lord Kaylen, you once told me that since you belong to the Tower of Fairies, you wished to remain neutral, correct?”

    “Yes, that’s right.”

    “The struggle for the throne is over now. The second prince will surely ascend as the next king. So... why don’t we cooperate? To reach the 5th Circle.”

    She never mentioned joining the royal faction.

    Violet spoke only about the 5th Circle with a pure and straightforward tone.

    ‘The 5th Circle...

    The final stage that any Meister would long to reach.

    And yet, she speaks of it so casually.’

    ‘If reaching the 5th Circle were as easy as she claims, the world would already be filled with 5th Circle Meisters.’

    Even though Kaylen had already reached the 5th Circle, he couldn’t help but feel intrigued by her confidence.

    Just how did she plan to reach it?

    “Your Highness, you seem quite confident about the 5th Circle.”

    “If you assist me, Lord Kaylen, it will be more than possible.”

    “What exactly do you need me to do?”

    “Just think of it as training in magic together. However, you’ll need to assist me with a few experiments.”

    “If such methods existed, I’m curious why you haven’t tried them before.”

    At Kaylen’s question, Violet gave a sly smile.

    “It’s simple. If this experiment fails, you’ll just gain some experience... but I, on the other hand, will freeze even more severely. I had too much to do for the First Prince’s faction to take that risk.”

    As she spoke, she gently touched the unfrozen part of her cheek.

    “But it’s different now. This body of mine... it can freeze a little more. The First Prince was a Black Skull, so what’s the big deal if the First Princess turns into an ice monster?”

    “...I see.”

    “I swear on the name of Princess Violet, Lord Kaylen. No harm will come to you.”

    Kaylen nodded.

    Although he had already reached the 5th Circle, he found himself intrigued by the experiments she was planning.

    “Alright. However, I have one condition.”

    “What is it?”

    “I’d like to postpone the experiment until after we stop the monster wave attacking Duke Oblaine’s territory.”

    “Ah, are you planning to participate?”

    “Yes.”

    No matter how interested he was in the experiment, it couldn’t take precedence over fighting against the forces of the Demon Realm.

    As Kaylen expressed his intention to join the battle, Violet responded.

    “Then there’s no need to postpone the experiment.”

    “What do you mean...?”

    “I’ll be participating as well.”

    [Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]