The Prince's Nanny, Her Specialty Is Assassination - Chapter 92

Chapter 92: Founding Festival Preparations (3)

“Ah, that place?”

Sage raised one eyebrow.

“That marks the territory the Kingdom of Adamant has reclaimed since its founding.”

He hesitated for a moment before adding an explanation, “Most of that land originally belonged to the Kingdom of Lionel.”

Edwin’s eyes widened at his teacher’s words.

The Kingdom of Lionel had been his mother’s homeland.

“The Kingdom of Lionel was destroyed by Adamant. And in the most brutal way.”

Sage smirked faintly as he looked at the silent prince.

“Why? Do you suddenly want revenge?”

Revenge?

Edwin shook his head with a vague expression.

“…No.”

He’d never felt such a strong attachment to his maternal side to even dream of something as grand as revenge.

They hadn’t even bothered to visit once when his mother was bedridden. There was no reason to feel any fondness toward them.

‘If anything, the King of Adamant seemed like a better person.’

They’d only met briefly in the garden, but before leaving, the king had even sent a gift to wish his recovery.

He must have known Edwin was a Shabby Prince, yet he had still done it.

“Well, I’m glad you’re not thinking of revenge.”

Sage crossed his arms and looked back at the map.

“The first king who founded Adamant conquered the entire western region within a year. He wasn’t an ordinary man. I heard he had only just passed his twentieth year.”

That meant he had been fighting on battlefields since his teens, eventually destroying the Kingdom of Lionel and becoming king.

It was said that in the western continent, his influence was now greater than even that of the Emperor of Ventrume.

“Still, there’s little known about such a famous man’s private life.”

Unlike other kings and emperors whose sleeping habits, favorite foods, and even taste in women were known to the world, the King of Adamant remained shrouded in mystery.

“For a king that famous, keeping all personal information hidden is no easy task. Just how powerful must his rule be to make that possible?”

Though most people knew only that the King of Adamant had never lost a single battle, it was clear he was a man of extraordinary stature.

“So, Edwin, if you ever thought of revenge against someone like him, you’d need another hundred years.”

Edwin gave an awkward smile instead of an answer.

‘I really don’t want revenge.’

He’d simply been surprised for a moment.

He’d never imagined his mother’s homeland had fallen by the King of Adamant’s hand.

‘Still, to found a kingdom at twenty….’

Edwin quietly gazed at the vast territory marked as the Kingdom of Adamant on the map.

He couldn’t help but be impressed by that young, imposing king he’d met only once.

“Come to think of it, I heard the King of Adamant will attend this year’s Founding Festival. It’s his first time appearing at a foreign event, so everyone’s in high anticipation.”

“Really? Then I’ll get to see the King of Adamant at the festival?”

“Most likely.”

Seeing the excitement in the young prince’s eyes, Sage changed the subject.

“Since we’re talking about Adamant, why don’t we learn about the adamant itself today?”

“I know about adamant! It’s the most expensive mineral in the world.”

“Do you know why it’s so expensive?”

“It’s hard to refine, but once processed properly, it becomes the lightest and strongest metal.”

“Right. It’s hard to destroy, yet light, strong, and flexible.”

He looked at Edwin again and asked another question, “Then do you know why the Kingdom of Adamant took its name from that mineral?”

“Hmm…”

After thinking for a long moment, Edwin spoke with an uncertain expression, “Maybe they wanted to express their ambition to become the strongest nation in the world?”

“If that’s the case, it’s a rather romantic reason. But there’s a more straightforward one.”

Sage lifted his pointer and indicated the center of Adamant’s territory.

“The largest adamant mine on the continent is located here. It used to be managed by the Kingdom of Lionel.”

That was why no one had ever believed Lionel would fall.

Even though the king was a womanizer who had turned the royal bloodline into a chaotic mess, even though corruption and misrule were rampant throughout the kingdom, no one thought it would truly collapse.

“But Lionel was ultimately destroyed by civil war.”

“Civil war?”

“Yes. The King of Adamant was originally a citizen of Lionel. I’ve heard he was a commoner, but no one knows for sure.”

They called it a civil war, but in the end, wasn’t it just a rebellion?

If he was a commoner, he wouldn’t have had any support base. How could a man like that possibly overthrow a royal family?

Edwin found it difficult to imagine such a thing.

“Anyway, what makes the Kingdom of Adamant unique is that it’s a nation of swords. I’ve heard that every knight there wields a sword made of adamant.”

“Every knight?”

“Yes. And that’s not all. They say the walls of their capital are reinforced with a special alloy of adamant. The enemy calls it an impregnable fortress. Despite countless wars over three years, their capital has never once fallen.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

Edwin let out a pure exclamation.

At that, Sage narrowed his eyes and twisted the corner of his lips.

“Good. Then your next assignment will be about the Kingdom of Adamant. Find a way to capture that fortress everyone calls a natural stronghold.”

“What?”

Hadn’t he just said that the place had never fallen before?

Edwin was so flustered he couldn’t even close his mouth. “But you said there isn’t much known about that country yet….”

“The deadline is right after the Founding Festival.”

Sage rolled up the map hanging on the wall.

“I can’t leave this cabin during the festival anyway.”

“You’re not going to attend the Founding Festival, Teacher?”

“Have you forgotten, boy? I’m someone who can’t let his face be known. Besides, where would a mere gardener dare wander?”

“But it must be boring for you….”

Edwin looked at his teacher with worried eyes.

Sage frowned and roughly ruffled the prince’s bangs. “Why is a child worrying about an old man? Don’t bother. I’m used to being cooped up like this. Instead of worrying about me, focus on preparing for the festival.”

“Huh?”

“I heard from Kyl—I mean, Rachel. You’re going to perform the sword dance with the Second Prince during the Founding Festival, aren’t you? It’s a shame I can’t see it for myself.”

Sage smiled as he looked into the bright eyes of his student.

“Do well. It’ll be your chance to make your name known to everyone.”

“…Yes!”

Edwin stood up energetically at his teacher’s encouragement.

“I’ll do my best!”

He had never once received anyone’s encouragement in his life.

But now, things had changed.

“You’re steadily becoming stronger, Your Highness.”

Just as Rachel had said, Edwin was indeed growing stronger.

It wasn’t just physical strength.

‘Yeah, I have to do my best so I won’t be ashamed in front of everyone.’

The heart that had grown used to giving up and resigning itself to fate—

That heart was changing, strengthened by the people who looked at him, helped him, and cheered him on.

“I’ll be going then.”

“Go on. You can forget your teacher, but don’t forget your assignment.”

“Yes!”

Edwin smiled brightly and left the cabin.

The trousers that used to drag on his heels now sat neatly above his ankles.

Seeing that, Sage let out a soft laugh.

“Yes, it’s your time to grow with all your might.”

In the eyes of the old man once called a sage, there was a warm light of affection for the growing sprout.

“I hope you grow tall without breaking.”

Even when the inevitable storm arrives, he wished the boy would not fall.

***

The Empress’s Palace was busier than ever.

It hadn’t been long since the Empress recovered from the poisoning attempt, and there was already a mountain of delayed work to handle, on top of preparations to receive the foreign delegations attending the Founding Festival.

“The number of guests we can accommodate in the detached palace seems to be about this much. I’ll ask for cooperation from each palace to host the envoys from the nations visiting for the first time.”

At Empress Melanie’s instruction, the palace administrators and the finance officials began reporting in turn.

“The First Prince’s Palace will receive the envoys from the Kingdoms of Named and Northride….”

“The Second Prince’s Palace will host the Second Prince’s maternal relatives and the envoys from the Kingdom of Northcan….”

The guests assigned to the First and Second Princes’ Palaces were delegations from some of the most powerful western nations, second only to the Empire itself.

Melanie nodded slightly at their reports, stroking her chin in thought. “Then the only country left is the newly established Kingdom of Adamant.”

The Kingdom of Adamant.

At those words, silence fell over the conference room.

It was the most talked-about nation on the continent, and from the Emperor’s perspective, a particularly irritating one.

‘I heard the king himself will attend the festival this time.’

Treating him carelessly could cause problems, but being overly courteous could also provoke the Emperor’s displeasure.

Either way, it was a troublesome guest.

“Are there no volunteers?”

Even after Melanie’s question, the silence continued.

Then, a young woman sweating nervously caught the Empress’s eye.

It was Catherine, the head maid of the Third Prince’s Palace.