Re:Zero - Jobless Reincarnation: Succubus Sword God? I don't recognize it!

Chapter 500 Letters and Trust

The magnificent carriage traveled along the streets of the noble district.

The early autumn morning had lost its heat, and the clatter of horses' hooves seemed to tell of the joy of those riding in the carriage.

Thus, carried by the autumn wind, the carriage bearing the Iron Heart emblem of the Boreas family gradually bumped along until it reached the highest point of the Silver Palace.

The palace stands at the very top of the capital city.

Of course, this is only relatively speaking. In reality, once you get closer, the king's own palace complex is only located on the mountainside of the highest peak.

The snow on the mountaintop melted into fine, drizzling streams that flowed down the mountainside, forming a small barrier lake next to the main hall.

The lake surface shimmered and sparkled in the sunlight, like a deep blue mirror coated with a layer of brilliance.

The lakeside has been carved out by hand, with white stone forming the riverbank, which is dignified and majestic.

Just like Gravel's attitude.

Asura's soon-to-be first prince was putting on quite a show. After Philip announced the purpose of his visit with a smile, the 'Dawn' Knights guarding the palace gates still ignored him, leaving the disobedient Philip standing outside.

It's unclear whether this was partly at the behest of Gravel, and partly a personal grudge against Allen's father.

No one went to relay the message.

The latter, as the acting head of the Boreas family, was not annoyed at all by the sight.

He was pacing back and forth at the palace gate with his hands behind his back, like a retired old man.
Amidst the obvious unease on the faces of the Water Kings, they strolled further and further away, eventually standing on the riverbank a hundred meters away from the entrance of the mansion.

Then, he plopped down in the pavilion next to the dam.

Enjoying the mountains and water is very relaxing.

They acted like, "You don't care, so what if I don't care either."

After a while, the water kings couldn't stand it anymore. No one wanted to see Philip so leisurely any longer. They suppressed their anger, removed his weapons, and led him into the palace.

The palace was very bright and spacious.

However, it felt crowded.

Looking around, all I could see were nobles. They were lined up, a huge, dense crowd.

Even though he was treated coldly by the First Prince Gravel in Darius's absence, Philip was still very popular in the capital's power circles.

The sheer number of nobles who struck up conversations with him along the way speaks volumes:
"Your Excellency Duke Philip, is this a summons from the Prince?"

"Hehe, that's right."

"Congratulations! I knew the First Prince wouldn't have given the Boreas family the cold shoulder. Heh heh."

"Hey? Duke Philip! Wow, you still look as radiant as ever after just a few days! Well, my eldest daughter is constantly clamoring to see Allen, she's practically refusing to eat or drink."

"You see, could you secretly reveal his whereabouts? A concubine wouldn't be out of the question either. Ah, this old man can't stand my daughter's nagging."

"He doesn't want to come back, and there's nothing I can do. If we wait for him to come back, I definitely will, hehe, next time for sure."

“Countess Kairis, your eldest daughter is twenty-two, isn’t she? That’s a bit old. My youngest daughter has also long admired the young master of Boreas, and she’s only sixteen! Haha! Duke Philip, what do you think?”

"Well, this is a bit of a dilemma. How about you look at my nephew?"

"Oh, never mind, I heard that the young master of the Nottos family only likes noble widows, that won't do, won't do."

The long corridor was a smooth and pleasant journey.

Philip was overjoyed.

Of course, relying solely on a son's popularity with women wouldn't have resulted in such a spectacle.

He was just trying to strike up a conversation, but this also shows that Philip himself is not a freeloader and is quite adept at navigating social situations in the capital.

Thus, Philip and the nobles arrived at their destination, chatting and laughing.

Between the thrones.

The door is made of ancient, thousand-year-old wood, unlike other aristocratic homes which are carved with patterns and have small gemstones inlaid around the doorknob.

It is simple and unadorned, yet it exudes a sense of solemnity.

The Water King, who had led Philip there, stepped forward and gently knocked on the door. A moment later, the voice of the Water Emperor Lilfa came from inside.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open.

Philip stepped inside, glancing sideways at Lilfa, who stood by the door, looking slightly tired and with a golden sword at his waist.

He then looked at the table opposite him, where a judge was working.

There was a chessboard on the table, and behind it sat Gravel, a smile playing on his lips.

There is no opponent in this game.

The first prince was actually playing chess with himself.

Philip smiled and gave a noble bow: "Greetings, Your Highness."

Gravel didn't even look up: "Sit down, Lord Philip."

Philip looked around, but there wasn't a chair opposite Gravel.
He smiled silently and walked up to Gravel.

With a creak, the door was closed by Lilfa.

Gravel stroked his chin, seemingly oblivious to the lack of chairs:
"Lord Philip, I have won the contest for the crown prince position."

Philip smiled and nodded.

"At present, Princess Ariel only has the support of the people, and her decline is obvious. The Second Prince's departure to the Dragon Kingdom is merely to change things up. As things stand, it seems that Princess Ariel has indeed won."

Gravel was taken aback, then laughed.

"I thought you came to see me to admit defeat, but this doesn't sound like it, Lord Philip?"

Philip chuckled and said, "Your Highness is overthinking it."

Gravel, his expression solemn, turned to look at Lilfa, who stood by the door:

"Lilfa, am I overthinking this?"

Lilfa glanced at Philip: "Your Majesty is overthinking it."

Gravel smiled again, looking at Philip, whose expression remained unchanged.

“My father is now unable to move, speak, or see. I really don’t want him to see blood at this time, so I have deliberately indulged my sister for so long.”

Of course, I was partly thinking about Philip's relationship with him, but now it seems I was overthinking it.

"Ariel deserves to die. I've indulged her for so long; my affections have run their course. Prince Philip, what do you think? Should I kill her today, or let her live a few more days so she can accompany Father on the journey? So the old man won't be so lonely?"

Philip stared at Gravel for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"Are you asking for the Boreas family's opinion?"

Gravel pressed his hand on the chessboard: "Otherwise?"

Philip shook his head: "I'm just the acting head of the family, you don't need to ask me."

Gravel was delighted.

"Then who should we ask? Grand Duke Salos? Haha, Philip, why play dumb? Now that Darius has gone to the Kingdom of King Dragon, it's hard to say what will happen to the pro-war Grand Duke Salos in the future."

He stared at Philip's face, which had lost its smile: "But Philip need not worry. Darius, as prime minister, is someone I do not wish to see dominating the country. I have a very good impression of the Bereas family, and you are also my staunch supporters."

He stood up, leaned forward, and took Philip's hand with genuine affection:

"The old warships of Asura are fading into the distance! The path to the future lies at my feet."

The flame of Asura's glory will be rekindled by me, Gravel!

Philip was clearly taken aback by these words.

The story of this person has already spread throughout the capital, and this slightly comparative word choice sounds all too familiar.

The next moment, in such a serious setting, coupled with the threatening atmosphere, even the shrewd Philip couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Gravel's face darkened, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes: "Why is Lord Philip laughing?"

Philip smiled and pulled his hand away from Gravel's, reaching into his breast pocket and pulling out a letter.

“Your Highness, the flames of glory of Boreas will surely be ignited, that is beyond doubt, but I am a remnant of the old era.”

He respectfully handed the letter to Gravel, whose face showed surprise.

"Asura's future is none of my concern. The flame of glory in Boreas was rekindled two years ago. Tell me, shouldn't I ask you?"

silence.

silence.

Beside the door behind the two, Lilfa's face had turned extremely ugly at some point.

I've already become a close attendant of the new king, so why is the damned Glory of Boreas still chasing me?

Gravel paused for a moment, then suddenly grabbed the letter Philip handed him and tore open the envelope with a hiss.

His movements suddenly slowed. He glanced at Philip and slowly unfolded the letter in front of the two of them.

The sharp handwriting seemed to leap off the letter:
-
Your Highness Gravel,

How have you been lately?

Two years have passed in the blink of an eye, and the heartfelt words we exchanged when we shook hands back then still echo in my ears.

I really miss it.

I wonder if the flame of Asura is now in your hands, ready to be rekindled?
-
Upon seeing this, Philip involuntarily touched his cheek.

Gravel's face was numb, but he gritted his teeth and continued watching.
-
There was a reason why he left without saying goodbye two years ago.

The conspiracy theories circulating in the capital are too outlandish, including claims that I've been hiding behind the scenes for a long time.

Hibernation? That's absurd.

I previously lay low for two years and then came back to kill James. So who will I kill this time I lie low for two years and come back to kill?
Such divisive remarks are pure nonsense; Your Highness, please do not believe them.

As for the exact reason for leaving, it was because I realized at the time that I had an opportunity to break through in my swordsmanship.

The master is old, Xinuo is sluggish, and Lierfa is frail.

In this vast capital city, there wasn't a single swordsman who inspired in me the urge to draw my sword.

This doesn't work.

So I left the capital to seek an opportunity to rise to a higher level.

And now, I have reached a new level in swordsmanship.

Fortunately, it successfully joined the ranks of the seven great powers.

Looking back, the two years have been a long journey, but it has been worthwhile.

I imagine it won't be long before we can shake hands and talk again in the capital.

See the words as they appear.
(Handwriting blurred)
Oh, right.

There's something else I want to tell you in this letter.

I saw Halfas in the conflict zone.

he died.

I killed him.

At that time, Pilemon and his men were defeated by me in the capital, but they were still not giving up. They led the magicians carefully trained by Asura to stir up trouble in the conflict zone, intending to make a name for themselves in the Kingdom of Dragon King.

unlucky.

Is Asura's millennia-old legacy something that such a worthless person, who only knows petty tricks, could possibly covet?

He deserves to die.

Finally, please give my regards to my younger sister.

Since Bereas was under the prince's command, I decided not to write to her to avoid suspicion.

See the word as the face.

Allen Boreas Greirat.
-
Gravel was very moved.

You can tell how agitated he is from the bulging veins on his forehead and his trembling fingers.

The letter contained very little information.

Gravel, who had already proclaimed himself His Majesty, looked at it over and over again.

He strongly suspected that his mother had forged the letter.

However, the arrogance in the other person's words clearly told him that the letter came from Allen.

Because even Philip couldn't concoct such a tone! Such words!
Arrogant! Conceited! Always thinking he has everything under control!
Allen! Allen Boreas Greirat!!

Gravel took a deep breath and slammed the letter onto the table.

He looked at Philip beside him.

Before anyone knew it, he had already picked up a cup of red tea and was drinking it, while also fiddling with the chess pieces on the board.

Gravel's anger flared up instantly, and he grabbed Philip's hand as he touched the chess pieces.

He stared at the latter and said each word clearly.

"Well done! Well done!"
My foolish brother, if I hadn't been careless and let him escape, he would be dead by now!

Haha, Allen went to all this way to get rid of this major worry of mine! That's great! That's great!!

Philip nodded in deep agreement.

"exactly."

"When did you receive the letter, Philip? This is too formal. Why didn't you just send it to me directly? And Allen, really, he did it so quietly. Has he already become one of the Seven Great Powers?"

Philip took a sip of tea.

"Two years is not a short time, but it's not a long time either. Hehe, the seven great powers, huh... Actually, I only received the letter this morning. There are many letters, this is just one of them. I guess it's better to send them all together to save money."

Gravel felt like he was breathing like a leaky bellows.

He gritted his teeth and forced out the words.

“Okay, okay, okay.

Then I must offer my heartfelt congratulations to Prince Philip!
Hahahaha!

That's all for today! Lilfa, see them out!

He stopped saying things like "Ariel deserves to die" altogether.

-

The Boreas Palace.

Someone is leaning against the bed in Hilda's bedroom, reading a letter.

Who else could it be but Sylphie?
The incident at the city gate was strange. The water king spoke the most defiant words, but his tone clearly betrayed a submissive attitude.

He actually let himself send Ariel out of the city.

This isn't right.

After instructing Girenou to proceed according to plan, he persuaded Ariel to continue her escape.

Hilfi hurried back to the manor, wanting to discuss with Philip, who refused to see Ariel, what had happened with the First Prince Gravel, and why Ariel had been let go.
Then, Philip wasn't home.

What awaited her was a stack of letters in the housekeeper's hand.

Each letter is signed by the recipient.

The top letter clearly bore his own name.

The handwriting is a sharp, aristocratic cursive script.

Too familiar.

Hilfi only glanced at it before freezing in place.

After a long while, he reached out his hand several times.

He wanted to touch the letter, but then withdrew his hand.

She felt as if her body was floating.

I forgot how I reached out and took the letter afterwards.

With what mindset did he carry the letters between himself and Hilda all the way to her bedroom?

How did he find himself in a dilemma while looking at Hilda's sleeping face, and how did he shuffle over to the window in his slippers?

How to steal a sliver of sunlight through the autumn breeze blowing gently through the window cracks, how to carefully tear open the seal of a letter bit by bit.

How did I pull out the rough letter paper as if I had found a treasure? How did I unfold the letter paper after countless hesitations and struggles?

then
And how did they manage to read the writing on it?

And how?

The writing on it is no longer legible.

but no matter.

Sylphie's emotions, which had been floating in the air for two long years without reaching the bottom, finally landed safely.

Only the first line.

She melted away the mask that had formed on her face from the need to navigate the power arena into her expression of crying, laughing, and feeling wronged.
-
My dear Lady Boreas,

Sorry, after two years, your deadbeat fiancé has finally written.

Don't cry yet, please allow me to make an excuse.
(End of this chapter)