Chapter 47

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: An Unfortunate Accident
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#47

“What are they babbling about now…”

Witten ignored them and climbed the ladder.

But all the sailors were shouting similar things. Even the helmsman yelled something in a gravelly voice, and the captain, who had been inside, burst out with a grim face, pointing at the horizon and shouting incomprehensible words.

Unable to bear the annoyance any longer, Witten turned his head.

At first, he didn't know what felt wrong. But as he focused his gaze where the sailors were pointing, he saw something approaching.

A galley was approaching their ship at an incredible speed.

“That's… That ship… What…”

*What is that?*

No matter how long he stared, the ship didn't slow down. Only when it was close enough for its stern to be visible did Witten feel a sense of crisis and hastily let go of the ladder.

“What in the…! G-get back, now! It's going to hit us!”

“Helmsman! Get the Duke's ship away! Right now!”

The Imperial ship, sensing something was wrong, also shouted and quickly retrieved the ladder. An attendant who had followed him belatedly grabbed Witten and yelled.

“It's not stopping, even with our signals! Your Excellency, you must take cover!”

“But how can a ship suddenly appear in the middle of this vast ocean…!”

The ship, which had looked like a dot, grew in size in an instant. It was moving so fast it seemed it would crash into them at any moment.

“It's going to hit!”

“Down below! Everyone, jump—!”

The closer it got, the louder the sailors' shouts became, and as it drew near, sailors began jumping into the sea one after another.

Yet, the galley did not slow down. The moment the anchor hanging from its bow became clearly visible,

“I-it's going to hiiit!”

Witten screamed unknowingly and collapsed to the floor. At the same moment, with a tremendous *craaash*, the hulls collided.

With the sound of splintering wood, the ship lurched violently. The Crown Prince's ship, which had been alongside, also lurched, and sailors fell into the sea with screams from all sides.

“What is this, this damn… Ugh…!”

Witten's ship, unable to right itself, slowly began to list to one side.

The hull was already severely damaged; it was only a matter of time before the ship sank. The sailors clinging to the railing fell off one by one, and the helmsman and captain also jumped into the sea without hesitation.

Witten, panicking, could only hug the mast, not knowing what to do. He couldn't swim, so jumping in meant certain death.

“Damn it all!”

*What do I do? Should I just jump?*

*No, what is that ship?*

“You crazy…! What the hell is that!”

*The Crown Prince?*

*What's he doing? He should be saving me!*

The situation was a mess, but his mind was even more chaotic. As he hesitated, wondering what to do, a loud shout echoed from the galley.

“Is everyone alright? We were so engrossed in fishing that we made a mistake! Our apologies! We will compensate you!”

*That voice… sounds familiar…*

He realized the source of the déjà vu in an instant. Witten grunted and scrambled up the tilting hull.

The galley, perhaps thanks to the anchor hanging from its bow, was almost undamaged. Looking from his own broken ship to the intact galley, a curse escaped his lips automatically.

Witten raised his gaze a little higher.

And there, he saw a face that no lord of Parnas could fail to recognize.

“Oh. Could that be Duke Witten? And that ship… judging by its design, it appears to be an Imperial vessel…”

A stiff voice, as if reading from a book.

And that impassive expression, as if he were detached from all worldly affairs.

“My. What on earth are you doing in these border waters?”

…It was undoubtedly Walter Hyverge, that damn Grand General.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The lords gathered after hearing the urgent news three days later.

One and all, the lords assembled at Central Command with shocked expressions, heading not to the usual conference room but to the tribunal located in the deepest part of the main building. The tribunal was normally used only for military trials, but today, a trial was to be held there under the Queen's direction.

The lords, taking their seats one by one, stared with grave faces at the letters they had brought.

The Queen's message was very simple.

[Duke Bon Witten has been imprisoned on charges of leaking Parnas's secrets and throwing the nation into chaos by forming an immoral connection with the Empire. A public trial will be held, and all lords are required to attend.]

*Duke Witten leaked secrets to the Empire?*

Not long after Duke Kill's rebellion had been suppressed, another huge incident had erupted, leaving the lords no choice but to attend.

“Duke Witten, an Imperial spy? Does that make any sense? He has been loyal to the royal family for so long…”

“…Still, it's entirely possible. He flew into a rage when he heard about the Grand Tutor before. In my opinion…”

“If he rashly joined hands with them out of a desire to undermine Her Majesty…”

“But a public trial… I don't understand why she's holding a trial instead of just punishing him…”

Speculations and assumptions passed from one to another, and anxious, worried gazes filled the air.

The endless whispers, rising and falling like waves, quietly died down when Lucy entered the courtroom.

“Is everyone here?”

Lucy, wearing a black dress similar in design to a judge's robe, exuded an imposing yet solemn aura, perhaps due to the weight of the location and her attire.

Seated at the judge's bench, Lucy surveyed the assembly and cleared her throat lightly.

“It is shameless of me to keep summoning you during such a busy time when you have your own domains to manage. However, this is a matter of such gravity that it could not be overlooked. I ask for your understanding.”

Her grave declaration softened the somewhat reproachful gazes. Lucy glanced at the old man sitting in the witness box, then commanded in a loud voice.

“Bring him in.”

The words had barely left her lips when the doors opened, and Walter, dressed in military uniform, entered the court, dragging someone with him.

Witten, his hands bound, walked in step with him, his head bowed low. With white, dried salt stains on his clothes and his hair disheveled, he was unrecognizable at first, but when he lifted his face, a collective, stifled gasp came from the lords.

Witten stopped walking, his eyes blazing with fury as he stared straight ahead.

From the moment he entered the courtroom, his gaze had been fixed solely on Lucy's face. Lucy met his stare head-on and offered a relaxed smile.

“It's been a while, Bon Witten.”

“What is the meaning of this charade?”

His sentence, devoid of formality or courtesy, sent a small ripple through the assembled lords.

Lucy did not answer, merely gazing at him indifferently. Her lack of reaction only fueled his anger, and Witten raised his voice.

“This has been a ridiculous farce from the very beginning. On what charge have you dragged me here? You smash my ship without warning, and now you drag me to a military tribunal? For what reason have you brought me here!”

“Grand General. Explain.”

Cutting him off, Lucy turned her gaze to Walter.

Walter shot Witten a domineering look, a clear warning to stop his useless chatter, then turned to address the lords.

“A few days ago, I took a long-overdue vacation and went fishing at Portmeier Harbor with Count Bubehol. After fishing near the pier for a while with no bites, we decided to take a boat out to sea.”

The lords showed signs of discomfort at the Grand General's sudden confession of his daily life.

Lucy silenced them with a stern look and gestured for him to continue.

“We became so engrossed in fishing that we didn't even realize we had strayed from the designated sea zone. At that very moment, a double rainbow appeared near the horizon, and the entire crew was captivated by the sight.”

“And?”

“And while we were so distracted, we very, very unfortunately collided with an unknown merchant ship that was loitering near the edge of the sea zone.”

Witten, who had been listening with a displeased expression, gaped in disbelief.

Walter looked at the lords with an impassive face and continued, “But by a sheer coincidence,”

“To my surprise, Duke Witten was on the ship I hit. I never would have imagined he would be aboard such an ordinary merchant vessel. And what's even more surprising is that there was another ship near the Duke's.”

“What kind of ship was it?”

“It had no name or markings, so I can't be certain, but judging by its construction, it appeared to be an Imperial ship. And by an incredible coincidence, I came face to face with the Imperial Regent, Crown Prince Alejandro.”

The moment the name of the Imperial Regent, Crown Prince Alejandro, was spoken, the faint whispers that had been rustling through the room ceased at once.

At the same time, the pity vanished from the lords' faces, replaced by spreading suspicion and displeasure.

The war between Dopein and Antevasila.

The fact that the Empire was behind it had already become accepted as truth after Lucy's public announcement.

Fear that the Empire might use Dopein to invade Parnas as well had become widespread, and the Empire was now the lords' primary object of caution.

And in this situation, Duke Witten met the Crown Prince?

To have met him by chance near the border waters, on an unidentified ship… anyone would conclude that Witten had been caught in the act of spying.

Walter, who had been gauging the atmosphere with just his eyes, continued in a calm tone.

“The Crown Prince also seemed quite surprised. Fortunately, he was unharmed, but the Imperial soldiers around him all drew their swords, shouting about whether this was an attack disguised as a meeting.”

“So what happened with the Crown Prince?”

“I explained the situation and apologized, offering to pay for the damages. He didn't press the matter, seeming reluctant to do so for some reason.”

“A blessing in disguise.”

“It was such a chance accident, and since only civilians were present, we were able to resolve it without any major misunderstandings.”

Lucy reflexively rubbed her furrowed brow.

Just thinking about him soured her mood. Crown Prince Alex... what kind of face did that bastard make when he met Walter?

*Was he surprised? Or angry?*

*Either way, it would have been great to see his flustered face in person…*