WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Oblivious
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Prince of Rage ◈
Chapter 72
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The autumn wind was cold. Even so, it was warmer than words cold enough to tear through one’s heart.
The collar of Brynhildr’s cloak was trimmed with white fox fur. As she rode, the fine hairs stirred whenever the wind brushed past, making it look very luxurious.
“What do you mean, your younger brother?”
Randgríðr, riding beside her, asked the question. She was so large that, exaggerating somewhat, her horse looked like a donkey.
“Exactly what I said.”
“...A prince?”
“Yeah.”
“Really? How do you know?”
“I saw his eyes shining on the day of the banquet. The Star of Dawn. Clearly, for a long time.”
Randgríðr was momentarily speechless. Valkyries were special, but princes were even more special.
In principle, no one could know who they were or where they lived unless the king died and the War of Succession began, or some incident revealed their identities.
At present, only the Third Prince was known to the world.
Thus, seeing a prince other than him was much like seeing a creature from legend.
“Why would a prince... Isn’t that dangerous?”
Randgríðr spoke cautiously.
The sanctity of the Volsung royal house applied only through the paternal line. Yet for that very reason, a prince could also be someone who absolutely had to be eliminated.
To most people, a prince was someone to worship and obey. But for those who supported another prince or stood on the opposing side politically, there was no one more necessary to kill.
In other words, princes were double-edged swords. Valkyries were not.
“I don’t really know about that. But his eyes looked sad.”
“Sad? He looked incredibly cold and sharp.”
“That’s true too, but I don’t know. That’s just how I felt.”
“So you’re going to follow the prince?”
“Yeah. Isn’t it natural for an older sister to look after her younger brother?”
“...”
Randgríðr had nothing to say. Brynhildr could not possibly know much about the relationship between siblings.
She had never received anything like affection from either her father, the king, or her maternal relatives.
She seemed to have grown up wanting for nothing, yet she lacked the most important thing. Familial love.
The king had shown her no interest whatsoever, while her mother’s family disliked the burden brought by a princess’s birth. Even if they tried to use her politically, there was nothing to gain and a great deal of trouble to risk, so they treated her as a nuisance.
That was Brynhildr. She held fantasies about building a family, yet also felt an aversion to it. At least, that was what Randgríðr had observed.
Ironically, the person in the most exceptional position wanted the most ordinary thing.
“So I have to take responsibility first. That’s what I was told to do.”
Brynhildr said.
However, it was not responsibility she felt for herself. It was responsibility Valerie had told her to take.
“I think you’re the sad one.”
At Randgríðr’s words, Brynhildr turned and smiled faintly.
“Perhaps there are people drawn to sad people. People like that are truly appreciated.”
“You don’t need to appreciate it. My luck is just tangled up.”
“Then I’ll untangle that luck for you.”
“Just take care of yourself.”
“Hmm... Am I really that unreliable?”
“How are you going to get money out of the Duke?”
“I have to go and talk to him first.”
“Say what?”
“Whatever else happens, I have to tell him to take responsibility for the fake treasure he sold.”
Valerie had called Brynhildr stupid, but at least she understood what people said. It seemed that, unlike Lucilia, she was not lacking in intelligence.
She also knew exactly where the problem lay and how far liability for compensation could extend.
The problem was how she intended to collect it.
“Will the Duke really listen to you?”
“Well, he probably won’t.”
“Then what will you do?”
“I’ll tell him to pay the price for trading on my name. It’s late, but still.”
The Trial of Valor, the Test of Wisdom, and the most valuable treasure in the world. Those were supposedly the conditions required to court a Valkyrie. Yet Brynhildr herself had never demanded any of them.
In other words, it could be seen as the Duke inventing things she had never said and damaging the Valkyrie’s honor.
Naturally, a Valkyrie had no authority to order a provincial lord about. But that did not mean the Duke could casually use a Valkyrie’s name for his own purposes.
The issue had changed. It was no longer about the Duke deceiving people and committing fraud, but about him damaging a Valkyrie’s honor. Which would the Duke find more frightening?
The fact that she could think that far showed that family was family. She resembled Valerie in some ways, particularly in how quickly she instinctively grasped an opponent’s weakness.
“If your honor has been damaged, you can formally demand a duel. Is that the picture you’re painting?”
“For now.”
“This will be quite troublesome for the Duke. He cannot fight you, and even if he does, he cannot hurt you. Still, we should see how he responds.”
“Right.”
“By the way, you can be quite meticulous about things like this.”
“I have a goal now.”
“What goal? Following the prince?”
“Yeah.”
“...”
Randgríðr did not know whether it was healthy for Brynhildr’s motivation to be centered not on principles she had set for herself, but on another person.
What if that person was evil? What if he used and abused Brynhildr?
Even the Duke of Nearcaster had taken advantage of her being a Valkyrie. To Randgríðr, putting someone else at the center of one’s heart did not seem desirable.
That was because she still did not know what kind of person Valerie was.
The Duke of Nearcaster was named Edgar and was, by lineage, an Astrian.
His family was unusually descended from merchants. During the War of the Beasts, they had suddenly risen to prominence by siding with Helgi, the current king.
Recognizing which among many princes had the makings of a king and attaching oneself to him beforehand was a skill in itself. The family had also thrown its entire fortune into supporting the war, so its contribution could not be called small.
However, it was Edgar’s father who possessed that ability, not Edgar himself. Though Edgar had grown up watching his father.
In any case, the Nearcaster family had a short history as nobles, and as great lords ruling a region.
That also meant their foundation of rule was weak. Moreover, Edgar, the current Duke, was famous as a good-natured man.
He did not discriminate in dealing with people, liked getting along with everyone, and was the sort of person with no particular strengths but no weaknesses either.
Valerie would have made a plan while considering such background, foundation, and personal traits.
Brynhildr, however, did not yet have that kind of discerning eye. It was unavoidable. She had never experienced war or wielded schemes at the center of power.
“The banquet the other day was truly regrettable. Had you told me beforehand, I would have mediated as best I could.”
The Duke of Nearcaster spoke while drinking a tea made by boiling apples in wine and scenting it with herbs.
He was referring to the sudden bloodshed between Sigbold and Vidar. It seemed he believed Lucilia had also died in something of an accident because of it.
However, they were Jomsvikings, not some ordinary group. He could not punish them. What could he do against a force even the king could not touch carelessly? It had, quite literally, been an accident.
Without touching her tea, Brynhildr said,
“It is regrettable. Both the girl’s death and the fact that the holy relics were fake.”
“What do you mean, Valkyrie?”
“I heard that the holy relics Your Excellency brokered were fake. Did you know?”
“Is that so? This is... the first I have heard of it.”
“Is that so? Then what about the Count of Westlanding being ruined? I heard he sold his tax collection rights and borrowed money to buy a little bead no bigger than a fingernail.”
“Did such a thing happen? My, my...”
“Yes. You may not have known. You merely connected the seller and buyer. But when you make such a connection, are you not guaranteeing trust in your own name?”
“Me? I only remember mentioning that there was someone selling such a thing and someone looking for an item. Whether one takes interest in buying or selling is up to each individual.”
The Duke of Nearcaster kept feigning ignorance. Brynhildr felt her anger quietly rising as she thought, Look at this bastard.
She had never cared much until now, but what kind of person was this? One only saw a person’s true character after clashing with them.
“Then why did you broker something like a treasure in the first place? I never asked for such a thing. The Trial of Valor and the Test of Wisdom are the same.”
“Well, I heard that the Valkyrie was seeking a husband and wanted to help. Should not the man possess suitable qualifications? I am sorry if it inconvenienced you, but why are you saying this now...?”
“I did not wish to say this, but Your Excellency claimed I said things I never said, and my honor has been tarnished. What do you intend to do about that?”
“What honor?”
“Pardon?”
“Hahaha... I do not quite understand. You are not a prince... I did my utmost to ensure the Valkyrie suffered no inconvenience solely out of loyalty to His Majesty the King. Naturally, I will continue to do so. Yet you keep treating me as a swindler, so I feel that my own honor is being damaged instead.”
He spoke very cleverly. He meant that he had treated her well only because of the king, and that she, a Valkyrie, had no honor to speak of.
It was plainly dismissive if one looked beneath the words, and Brynhildr’s gaze immediately changed.
With the fierce gaze characteristic of the Volsung clan, eyes that seemed to blaze with actual fire, she stared at the Duke. Duke Edgar felt his heart drop.
Whether a Valkyrie possessed real authority or not, it was a gaze that instinctively inspired fear in any human being.
“You just said I have no honor. Is that right?”
“...N-no, that is a misunderstanding. Hahaha... That is not what I meant...”
The Duke tried to smooth things over with laughter in response to Brynhildr’s razor-sharp question. After casually looking down on her, he was now belatedly struck by the sense of danger that the Volsung royal house was not to be taken lightly.
“Enough. Are you going to pay or not? Just answer that. Don’t evade it or talk around it. Otherwise, I’ll kill you right here.”
At the words “I’ll kill you,” people burst from the small room connected to the office after opening its door. They were the Duke’s guards.
At the same time, Randgríðr kicked in the office door and entered.
Bang! Crash!
Then she leisurely glanced over the Duke’s guards. In truth, she alone could kill not only the Duke but his entire household and everyone in the castle.
The Duke hurriedly shouted at his guards. It was the only way he could survive.
“Who told you to come in? Do not do anything unnecessary!”
Fortunately, the Duke’s guards had not drawn their blades. If they had drawn weapons, matters truly could have become serious.
Even if a Valkyrie held no real authority, the Duke could not do anything to one. Mutual respect was best. Anything else was worst, and could lead to the destruction of his entire house.
The Duke rose from his seat, went down on one knee before Brynhildr, and said,
“I will pay immediately. However, the amount is substantial, so I shall first give you five hundred gold coins as an advance payment. If you grant me time, I will prepare the remainder.”
Silence passed for a moment. Brynhildr calmed her anger before replying.
“Very well.”
The Duke gestured to his people to bring the money quickly. One of them opened a desk drawer and brought over a small chest.
After respectfully setting it on the table, Brynhildr opened it and saw five pouches filled with gold coins. Each appeared to contain one hundred gold coins.
At Brynhildr’s signal, Randgríðr tucked the chest under her arm and lifted it.
Brynhildr rose from her seat, looked coldly down at the kneeling Duke, and said,
“There are lines that both sides must observe, Your Excellency. I sincerely hope this matter proceeds smoothly.”
She then bowed politely and left through the gaping entrance where the door had been destroyed.
Silence fell again. Duke Edgar remained kneeling for a while, then rose and sat back in his chair.
He did not look offended or angry. His heart was simply pounding at the realization that he could have been fucked. Have I lost my touch? Why did I do that?
Two years had been a rather long time. Brynhildr had done nothing but drink every day, so it was understandable that he had let his guard down slightly.
The thought of having to pay more money in the future left a bitter taste in Duke Edgar’s mouth. Then a thought suddenly occurred to him.
“It seems someone has been putting ideas in her head. That handsome bastard, I think. What was his name?”
“Valerie.”
One of the guards answered.
“Right. He was the final victor, wasn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm... A northerner, the winner of the jousting tournament, and with that face, winning over a Valkyrie would not have been especially difficult.”
Remembering the banquet that day, the Duke became certain. Randgríðr had exchanged roles with Brynhildr, and the question of what Brynhildr was like had been raised.
He thought quietly. Should he investigate Valerie first, send a warning, or eliminate him quickly? If he left this alone, he might suffer terribly.
Thus, unlike his usual self, he made a somewhat hasty decision.
“Gather only the most capable ones and take care of that Valerie within a week.”
“Understood.”
One guard bowed and entered the room connected to the office.
The Duke thought he had made a mistake and stepped over the line a little. He did not dream that he was now crossing the most dangerous line of all.
Still, outwardly pretending to be thoroughly good-natured while securing his own interests behind the scenes seemed fitting for a Duke.
He was not incompetent, but a family that rose through choosing the right side could also fall through choosing the wrong one.
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