Ryu returned to the capital, but he still had things to do. He planned to see the King, get his permission, and then depart again.

However, when he requested an audience with the King, he was inexplicably denied.

Even though he had been staying at the palace, he was no longer allowed to do so. He was kicked out of the palace and had to return to his inn.

Ryu could teleport directly to the King if he wanted to, but he wouldn't do that.

It was a chaotic time, the aftermath of the invasion war, even though they had won. There had been a coup attempt, though it failed. Many princes had died. The King must have been busy trying to re-establish order, so Ryu decided to be patient and wait.

Ryu had been holed up in the palace library for about five days, so he had no idea what was happening in the palace (or the kingdom) during that time. But during that time, the First Prince, Rezild, had returned to the palace and was working tirelessly with the King and Sophie on various matters.

Reorganizing the kingdom's forces and rebuilding the defense system in various regions was a top priority.

If the border defenses were weakened, neighboring countries would quickly try to seize their territory. Humans had been repeating this cycle for the past 500 years.

He also had to deal with the nobles who had plotted the coup.

They had hoped for a pardon and had intended to join the war, but ultimately, Ryu had resolved the war, leaving them with no role to play. This meant that most of the nobles would have to face punishment.

However, it would be unwise to execute a large number of nobles and weaken the kingdom's forces. So, their punishment was put on hold.

Ryu's report revealed a new problem: the rise of the demon country. This was no time for humans to fight among themselves and weaken their forces.

The punishment was only postponed, so the nobles who were supposed to be punished were allowed to contribute to border security and defense against the Demons, which could lead to a pardon.

The nobles who had military power were now required to contribute troops to the leaders responsible for defending the borders and remote areas.

As this was purely for defense, it was difficult to clearly demonstrate military merit like in a war. However, it meant less risk of losing their lives as they wouldn't have to fight a war, which was a welcome change.

The nobles who wanted to secure a pardon and regain their position in the kingdom started to move actively.

Seeking the most effective place to demonstrate their achievements, a large military force gathered in Valeed, a city close to the border with the demon country in the west.

At least, the defense line against the Demons was now secured.

Of course, if the Vampires launched a full-scale attack, they might not be able to defend themselves...

The King had lost many of his sons in this war. Only the First Prince, Rezild, and his youngest daughter, Sophie, remained.

However, Sophie had never been involved in politics before. As a result, Rezild, the remaining First Prince, had to take on the responsibilities previously held by the Second to Fifth Princes, all by himself. While Sophie did try to help actively, her lack of experience meant that she could only handle a small number of tasks.

The King had entrusted the administration and control of various regions to his sons. However, he had relied on his sons too much and had failed to create nobles whom he could trust and delegate tasks to.

The First Prince was a capable man, but he couldn't manage everything alone. He had no choice but to seek help from the Duke's family, who were related to the royal family.

But there was a problem.

The Duke, Joldo, was King Largo's brother, but he was also the father of Viscount Gitt. He was the one who spoiled Gitt, and he was actually quite ambitious himself.

It was well-known in the upper echelons of the kingdom that the Duke was a problematic figure.

But despite this, they were short-staffed and had no other choice. The First Prince, Rezild, persuaded the King to accept the Duke's help.

The King hadn't anticipated losing four of his sons in such a short period.

(There were even kings in the royal family who had two-digit numbers of princes, but there was a reason for that.)

With fewer royals, the Duke's family, who were nobles related to the royal family, would inherit the throne. It was inevitable under the system.

The Duke had four children. (Actually, there were many more unofficial children born to mistresses, but they were not acknowledged, and only the four children of the official Duke's family were considered heirs.)

The fourth son, Gitt, was dead. The second daughter had also died of illness. Only the eldest son, Rodan, and the third son, Marquez, remained.

(In this country, there was no distinction between genders. Children were simply numbered from the eldest. If a child was born male-female-male, they would be called "eldest son," "eldest daughter," and "second son" in Japan. But in this country, they would simply be called "eldest son," "second daughter," and "third son." The right of succession to the throne was also gender-neutral.)

Thus, the Duke and his two sons arrived.

However, upon hearing the situation report, the Duke's eldest son, Rodan, began to question the figure known as Ryujeen.

To be Continued...

Next Time

The Duke's family, aiming for the throne, move to eliminate Ryujeen?!

Don't Miss It!