The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character

Episode 49: Servant Cedric (15) – Three Problems, Three Solutions

Episode 49: Servant Cedric (15) – Three Problems, Three Solutions

“The Marquis requests your presence.”

It was, quite literally, a bolt out of the blue, an utterly unexpected summons.

Among the countless retainers in the various territories governed directly and indirectly by the Redbell family, only a mere handful could converse with the Marquis face-to-face.

This wasn’t just talk among those from other territories, but extended even to the retainers active within the main residence where the Marquis dwelled.

If even retainers, composed mostly of aristocratic stock despite being from vassal families, were like this, it went without saying how it was for the servants, who were for the most part commoners.

Yet, why would such a Marquis summon a mere servant, one hired by his youngest daughter from another territory?

The retainers and servants who had followed Claudia couldn’t hide their bewilderment, and it was the same for those who had accompanied the other children.

“Understood. Please lead the way.”

But regardless of the reactions around him, Cedric urged them forward with an utterly unfazed demeanor.

Not a trace of nervousness could be felt in his attitude, and a faint astonishment bloomed on the faces of the main house retainers, who usually maintained expressions as cold as ice.

Unlike the retainers from other places, those of the main house were accustomed to not displaying emotion, but that didn’t mean they were incapable of feeling.

They found it peculiar that Marquis Redbell would show interest in a mere servant from the periphery, but as they watched Cedric’s attitude, which bordered on recklessness, they couldn’t help but concede that there might be good reason for it.

A short while later.

“A face somewhat different than I anticipated, I must say.”

Deep within the estate’s garden.

Before Cedric, having arrived, could even offer his greetings, the Marquis spoke abruptly.

The servant who had guided Cedric inwardly pitied him, anticipating his bewilderment, but Cedric, with a smiling face, asked back.

“Is that so? I am curious as to what visage you were expecting.”

“Aren’t you the knave who stole my daughter’s heart? I imagined you’d be a devastatingly handsome man, enough to make her swoon. But thinking on it, that face of yours has its own kind of danger. All soft curves, a face that disarms a person.”

“Those are high praises indeed.”

“Does it sound like a compliment to you?”

“Was I not meant to take it as such?”

The retainers nearby betrayed signs of agitation at the light banter being exchanged.

Even the grandest merchants and lords who ruled their own territories like kings grew tense before the Marquis, carefully choosing each and every word. What, then, was this servant’s audacity?

They debated whether to point out the servant’s impudence, but the Marquis himself seemed intrigued, showing no particular sign of anger.

Occasionally, nobles of high birth would display an anti-authoritarian streak, interacting with commoners without pretense, but Marquis Redbell was not typically one of them.

Therefore, the fact that he showed no anger at a mere servant’s brazen behavior was an exceptional occurrence.

“Taking it as a compliment, are you? Quick-witted, yes. But also insolent.”

“It seems I still lack much. I apologize.”

“To hear that from someone who doesn’t think they’ve done anything wrong…it’s like forcing a bow.”

“How could that be?”

“Hmph.”

Marquis Redbell stroked his beard.

He gazed intently at Cedric, as if trying to see into his very soul, but Cedric received it all with an unperturbed demeanor.

“So, what’s your purpose?”

“My abilities are lacking, and I did not understand what Your Grace was saying. Would you deign to provide a slightly more detailed explanation?”

“What are your intentions with my daughter? Do you want money? Her body? Or perhaps…”

At the Marquis’s feet, as if blood were spurting forth, a colossal beast manifested itself.

-■■■■■……!!

A lion’s head at the front, a goat’s head in the middle of its torso, a serpent for a tail.

Marquis Redbell had experienced countless crises in the process of rebuilding his family, which had been on the verge of collapse in his youth.

As if to prove that it had crossed countless life-or-death situations alongside the Marquis, the blood beast possessed an overwhelming majesty and presence, incomparable to what Claudia had shown.

The Redbell family’s most powerful asset, boasting the strength of a top-tier Rank 5, snarled as if ready to pounce, turning the vassals’ faces ashen.

Even knowing the Blood Demon’s attention wasn’t fixed on him, he felt an instinctive, primal terror as a living thing.

“…So, you desire to seize control of this family’s power?”

The Duke knew a frivolous answer would invite immediate dismemberment.

He believed it possible, in fact.

Not based on his own capabilities, but on the Blood Demon’s assessment – perceived through the beast’s peculiar senses. And it was accurate.

Unlike Bern, who possessed at least a Rank 4 power level, able to contend with Rank 5, or even momentarily defeat them through sheer force, Cedric’s raw combat prowess hovered around Rank 3.

Pushing past his limitations at the cost of debilitating side effects, he could unleash power equivalent to Rank 4, but even then, drawing out strength enough to triumph against this Blood Demon was impossible.

A situation where he could not protect himself through pure force.

And yet, Cedric’s reply was clear, as though incapable of feeling fear.

“─My objective is simple. It is for Lady Claudia to become a great ruler.”

“A great ruler? Does that imply more power?”

“Power is merely a means.”

Cedric met the Duke’s gaze head-on.

“Duke Redbell, allow me to offer my frank assessment: the powers that be in this nation are abysmal.”

A gasp, as if air were being forcibly drawn in, rippled through the surroundings.

The Duke, too, momentarily furrowed his brow, but he did not command the Blood Demon to forcefully silence Cedric.

“Dangerous monsters roam unchecked throughout the land, yet they neglect this, allowing the common folk to suffer while they idly indulge in languor and pleasure, squandering their days in meaningless pursuits. Frankly, there are more than a few nobles whose actions give rise to doubts about their very intelligence.”

“Are you attempting to challenge me, who sits at the apex of those nobles?”

“If you were to ask if I have ever considered it, then yes, I have. But not at this moment.”

“Why not?”

“While the Marquis’s guiding principle may not be ‘benevolence’ itself, he at least understands that protecting the populace and stabilizing their lives is, in the long run, beneficial for any ruler, and he acts accordingly.”

Compared to the nobles Adventurer Bern had witnessed – the kind whose very reason for existence seemed questionable, so incompetent and indolent were they – the lords dispatched from Redbell, or their representatives, at least didn’t forsake the minimal duties and roles expected of a lord.

Few took the initiative to improve the territory or the lives of the people, but they did, at least, fulfill their obligations when dealing with matters requiring territorial-scale action, such as bandit raids or monster attacks.

“In this kingdom, there are countless others who can’t even manage that bare minimum. Thanks to them, throughout this nation, tumors steadily grow, tumors that may one day bring the country itself to ruin. I believe the Lady is capable of resolving these problems. And that is why I am aiding her.”

“The investigation revealed she’s from the Ijzern Empire. What concern is it of yours how the Birka Kingdom’s public welfare fares?”

“Allow me to pose a counter-question: If your neighbor’s house were ablaze, Marquis, would you simply stand by and watch, thinking, ‘It’s not *my* house burning, so it’s none of my concern’?”

“…Indeed. I don’t necessarily *sympathize*, but I understand.”

The Marquis seemed lost in thought for a moment, before speaking again.

“There are three problems.”

“State them.”

“Rooting out corruption is not as easy as it sounds. The world is brimming with fools who care only for their own comfort and habits, even if the country collapses around them. They will resist Claudia’s expanding influence with increasing vehemence. How will you handle this?”

“That is already a solved problem.”

“Hmm? How so?”

“Because the Lady Claudia I know would not hesitate to toss such individuals to the dogs.”

Claudia’s personality was, to put it mildly, difficult.

Impetuous, violent, and impulsive.

However, it was precisely because of this that she possessed the drive to undertake actions that others, fearing the consequences, would shy away from.

“So, instead of coaxing or compromising with those who are obstructive, she will simply eliminate them? Hmph, you are a dangerous companion indeed.”

The Marquis’s eyes gleamed.

“Then, the second problem. The public security improvement system Claudia is implementing ultimately relies on her Blood Magic abilities. Perhaps that works for one or two small to medium-sized territories, but transforming the entire country in the same manner is impossible. How will you address this?”

“That matter is already resolved.”

“Do tell.”

“Because I succeeded in modifying the Blood Fiends to reproduce with ordinary animals.”

“…?”

The Marquis’s face momentarily went blank.

Then, he blurted out:

“Are you quite mad?”

“I am perfectly sane.”

Cedric’s gaze drifted towards the enormous Blood Fiend guarding the Marquis’s side.

“The Redvel family’s technique is exceptionally brilliant. Loyal, ever-present, and easily handled—few make such useful personal guards. However, the fact that they are comprised, from head to toe, of their master’s blood and mana, is somewhat regrettable. It makes greatly increasing their numbers difficult, you see.”

The Marquis wanted to say that the technique wasn’t originally intended to be spread so thinly, but he decided to hold his tongue.

He was too intrigued by what fresh nonsense the servant before him would spout next.

“The new Blood Fiends will not be directly crafted from head to toe, but will instead be created by imbuing existing Blood Fiend essence into animals such as stray dogs or cats. They will lose their original regenerative abilities, their capacity for miniaturization, and their formidable combat prowess, but they will retain a vague loyalty to their master and enough communicative ability to understand commands. More importantly, in this state, the Blood Fiends can reproduce normally, like any other animal.”

“And these traits of a Blood Fiend are passed down directly to their offspring?”

“I have observed a degradation of the blood over generations, but according to my calculations, it will still be sufficient to cover at least a country.”

“It sounds like a boast, no matter how I slice it, but if it’s possible, the utility is beyond measure. If it exists, I would be interested in studying it.”

“I believe that would be impossible. It was customized specifically for Lady Claudia.”

“Ha! So, ‘If you want to use it, don’t sell it off to some strange place, but hold onto it tightly,’ is that it? Quite the loyal servant.”

The Marquis snorted, seemingly displeased.

But his eyes gleamed with an unsettling intensity, as if he’d discovered a path toward even greater authority and power.

“A final question then. Claudia, you see, has a marriage arrangement pending. Officially, the Royal Family offered to mediate, but in truth, it’s my son’s machinations, designed to keep Claudia’s rapid ascent in check. The game is afoot, and reversing course now, even for me, would mean absorbing a considerable loss. And I am no romantic fool who’d swallow such losses based on the boasts of some nameless servant. How do you intend to resolve this? Or is that already…settled?”

Cedric replied,

“That is a matter I intend to resolve shortly. Ah, and if it pleases you, might I be permitted to offer a word myself, Marquis?”

“Since we’ve decided to parley, I suppose I’ll hear you out to the end. What is it?”

“It may be…somewhat unpleasant to hear, but are you quite certain you wish it, Marquis?”

The Marquis clicked his tongue, quite openly.

“Enough beating around the bush, just speak. What on earth could you possibly have to say?”

Cedric opened his mouth and declared,

“Can you not distinguish between what is and isn’t appropriate to say to a child? If you end your days alone and lonely, consider it karma catching up.”

“…….”

The Great Demon in the shadows thought,

*That’s* a servant? This lunatic…