Chapter 737: The Royal Family (Part 1)
The United Kingdom of the world's superpower alliance.
Its homeland was known as Celland.
It was said that the first king of the United Kingdom bought this island, hence the name. But to be precise, he claimed it at a bargain price by wielding his sword. Well, it was an ancient story that hardly held any meaning now.
In any case, Celland was the heart and homeland of the United Kingdom, also called the Land Where the Sun Never Sets.
It was also the land of miracles, the first to usher in the era of magic and industry.
But was it always an extraordinary place? The answer is no.
Miracles don’t happen easily.
In fact, Celland was more of a remote village, a backwater.
Especially since the "frog-like Gallos" mocked Celland as a gloomy rural place, where there was nothing but sheep and weaklings who only tended sheep. The problem was, they weren’t entirely wrong.
Celland, which ruled over the vastest land in the world, was located on the far northwest corner of the Chosen Nations’ territory, frequently shrouded in fog with weather that could hardly be called pleasant.
You could see it from how the wealthy often traveled abroad or purchased villas overseas.
And Celland’s reputation for having nothing but sheep, earning it ridicule as a land of "sheep tenders," was further reinforced by a history mostly marked by invasions and struggles against countless barbarian tribes.
(The United Kingdom itself, after all, is a dynasty built on conquest.)
From a long historical viewpoint, Celland wasn’t particularly remarkable.
It wasn’t the center of the world, nor was it vast, fertile, or rich in resources.
In short, while Celland was habitable, it was far from ideal. To use a human analogy, it was like a person who hadn’t received much blessing from the gods—a common, ordinary person lacking any special talent.
Then, how did Celland come to be the center of the world?
The answer was simpler than expected: effort.
Celland thrived through the efforts of those who settled there.
They risked their lives to forge new routes, discover new lands, and pursued science and magic day and night, dramatically increasing productivity and enlightening countless barbaric lands to create today’s kingdom.
It may sound self-congratulatory, but it was by no means an exaggeration.
Just seeing how Celland, once called a backwater among the Chosen Nations, had now become a hub not only of politics and economy but also of culture and academia proves it.
"And that’s why my nanny used to tell me... not to feel down even on gloomy days. She said it was all part of the foundation that built this kingdom."
In a private villa used by the royal family, in the quietest, coziest room, a young boy held an elderly woman’s hand as he spoke.
The boy, appearing in his early teens, was unmistakably young, someone any onlooker would consider to be "just a boy."
His attire, hygiene, and hair condition were better than the average boy’s, but at the end of the day, he was still just a boy.
However, aside from that "someone," no one else in the building... No, no one in the entire world could judge this boy as "just a boy."
Because this boy was Prince Albert, the second in line to the throne of the United Kingdom, a world superpower.
No matter how reckless one might be, there was no one who would treat this boy as just another child.
If there were, they would either be a fool who understood nothing or a lunatic who dared to disregard worldly authority.
Prince Albert himself was aware of this fact, and thus, from a young age, he strained to act like an adult before he even turned ten.
To fulfill his duty.
That’s why Albert always dressed neatly, maintained a posture as rigid as a wooden board, and spoke with a maturity beyond his years.
Ironically, Albert’s behavior resembled that of children who had grown up too soon due to poverty.
It was truly ironic.
A boy born into the wealthiest and noblest family in the world had matured early in the same way as children from impoverished areas.
And now, that same boy, visibly exhausted, gazed out of the open window and muttered.
"I agree with what Nanny said, but on a day like today, it feels unfair. It would be nice if the weather was a bit brighter."
The one he was talking to was none other than the elderly woman holding his hand—the Queen of Victory who ruled over the United Kingdom.
The most magnificent queen, destined to be remembered in history for her reign during the golden age of the United Kingdom.
This reputation wasn’t just because she was born at a time of prosperity.
Even with favorable fortune, it takes one’s own ability to seize it.
The reason she was hailed as a great queen was due to her active role as a national symbol, even though she couldn’t directly rule.
Her only flaw was her lack of luck with children, but even that was resolved as she secured her succession by having Crown Prince Edward and Prince Albert in her forties, making her practically flawless as a queen.
It was nothing short of miraculous... but alas, that miracle had come to an end.
Until recently, the queen had been active, but she had suddenly collapsed.
Now, she was rapidly growing weaker, spending most of her days confined to her bed.
As if she was paying for all the blessings she had previously enjoyed at once.
A faint murmuring came from beyond the window...
It was the sound of visitors arriving—a sound Albert had been hearing more frequently lately.
Ever since his mother fell ill, countless people from both domestic and foreign lands had come daily to pay her a visit.
Typically, visiting the ailing monarch was an act that could stir political confusion and was against protocol. However, with Crown Prince Edward’s succession almost certain and his permission for visitors, everyone was allowed to come without issue.
Not only nobles and politicians, but even wealthy commoners.
"Isn’t it wrong to discriminate against people based on their status? Times are changing, and as long as they’re worthy, everyone should be allowed to show their respect. Isn’t that fitting for our kingdom, which governs the world?" Edward X had said.
It was an admirable sentiment, but even so, Albert did not like his brother’s decision. As mentioned earlier, it was against royal protocol.
The royal family had its laws...
However, he couldn’t oppose it.
Too much had happened for him to object.
This event referred to was the disgraceful scandal of a royal general who made a secret pact with the organization known as Finger in Landa.
Driven by ambition, the general colluded with Finger to stage a fabricated invasion of the Free City of Landa. This alone was an incident severe enough to stain the pages of history in black, but regrettably, the scandal didn’t end there.
Though how it happened remains unknown, during the process of uncovering the pact between Vice General Billy and Finger, one particular conversation was broadcasted throughout the entire United Kingdom.
The conversation was between Vice General Billy and the fixer Dave.
During their exchange, Billy recklessly spouted nonsense, claiming that not only he but all of the United Kingdom’s leaders were allied with Finger and its puppets. This included the kingdom’s core military mages, the emerging Druid elite, the noble pillars of the kingdom, central politicians, and even Albert’s brother, Edward X, the Crown Prince.
“Oh, dear god…”
Albert could still recall every word from that broadcasted conversation.
[“No, it’s just that I recognize the method Puppet uses the most. Most people are susceptible to persuasion that way, you know. People who lack confidence but are full of greed—common and ordinary people.”]
[“Common and ordinary… people?”]
[“Yes, people who don’t stray far from societal norms, whom you’d find anywhere.”]
[“Ridiculous! Are you saying the military mages at the Tower, the Druids, the nobles, central council politicians, and the Crown Prince himself are ‘ordinary people’ whom you consider susceptible to persuasion by Puppet?!”]
[“Does that mean you’re implying that the military mages, Druids, nobles, central council politicians, and even the Crown Prince are allied with Puppet?”]
[“That’s right! All the ruling classes of this kingdom! No matter how powerful you are, even if you could overpower us, all you’d gain would be ruins! Because we are the kingdom itself…!”]
Albert froze upon hearing this exchange.
It wasn’t because he believed the absurdity of it. The claims were obviously nonsense. After all, there was no way the core of the kingdom—his brother included—would be in league with Finger… Such a notion was laughable.
What shocked Albert wasn’t the content but the potential impact such nonsense would have on the kingdom.
With holy law having vanished and dark mages running rampant, even the smallest spark could easily ignite a firestorm.
And, as he’d feared, things unfolded as expected. Large and small uprisings broke out, particularly in regions like Northland and the colonies, where resentment toward the kingdom simmered. These disturbances only echoed and grew louder.
Even though the kingdom officially announced the incident to be baseless rumors from Landa, it was no use.
At that moment, Albert’s mother collapsed.
The Queen of Victory who had led the kingdom through its golden age…
Her illness, widely supported and respected both domestically and internationally, quickly overshadowed Billy’s scandal and silenced the rumors in a flash.
However, even this news was another spark waiting to spread, leading the central council to propose an unprecedented solution to contain the unrest.
Due to the critical state of affairs, they suggested preparing the succession while the queen was still alive.
It was a feasible decision, given the chaos caused by the disappearance of holy law and the Finger scandal that rocked the kingdom and royal family alike.
Historically, the best way to suppress unsettling rumors has been to drown them out with even bigger news.
For this reason, Albert resolved not to harbor grievances.
Not against the politicians who saw his mother’s condition as another opportunity.
Nor against the nobles, politicians, or financiers who eagerly flocked to the palace, hoping to curry favor with the new king.
Not even toward the guests who shared drinks on one side of the palace, pretending to be concerned.
All of it was for the kingdom, after all. And as a prince, he would fulfill his duty to the end.
As a prince of the greatest nation in the world.
But he couldn’t deny that he felt a bit angry.
Most visitors seemed to wish for his mother’s passing, and even his brother, the future king, seemed merely to be awaiting the coronation. It was a sentiment he couldn’t easily grow accustomed to.
Was he failing as a prince? This thought began to take root in his mind when suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door.
“Your Highness?”
It was the voice of Miller, the royal secretary assigned to Prince Albert.
Royal secretaries were like shadows of the royal family, responsible for managing and safeguarding each member’s daily life. Miller was particularly capable and experienced, entrusted with assisting the second in line to the throne, Prince Albert.
“What is it?” Albert asked, sensing that something unusual was happening. For Miller to interrupt the private time he’d requested with his mother, something significant was likely afoot.
And his intuition was correct.
“A guest has arrived, Your Highness.”
“I know. Guests arrive daily, even property speculators.”
“This one is different, Your Highness… The Child of Angels has come.”
“…”
“They claim they have come to cure Her Majesty the Queen.”