The Kingmaker System-Chapter 427 - 426. Say What? (2)

"I want you to marry her," Roger announced.

Say what?

[Goddess of Wisdom falls off her chair while laughing.]

[Defender of Divine Glory coughs.]

[Giver of Gifts covers her mouth.]

"I... beg your pardon?" My words, for the first time in this life, faltered.

"You heard it right," he said as he took a sip of his tea. "Since her standing here is not stable and even her life will be in danger, the safest way to bring her here is through you, as you have dealt with this before."

"Your Majesty, but..."

"I know what you’re worried about. I have learned from my sources that you have a son whom you have been hiding all this while," he said, and I blinked. fгeewёbnoѵel_cσm

"He’s my nephew, Your Majesty, and the reason why I’m hiding him is exactly because his life will be in peril once his existence is revealed," I explained.

"I understand that. That’s why I insist that you marry my niece," he said. "I shall leave the matter of the inheritance and future up to you, but as of now, I think you are the one man who could take up this responsibility."

He wanted me to marry Alys? My own soon-to-be aunt? What would Silas think? My father would have a heart attack first!

"I—I apologise for this, but I cannot, Your Majesty," I said, and he frowned.

"Why?"

I licked my lips. "Considering that her whole life has been filled with suffering and struggle, Your Majesty, marrying her to me is a gamble. Since you know that I am involved in various dangerous things, my life is on the line all the time. The idea of marrying her would bring more danger her way. That’s the reason why I’m yet to bring my nephew before the world."

His eyebrows twitched and he grunted. "Then what else should be done?"

I leaned ahead. Well, I had been thinking of how to bring this up, but since this golden chance had just been put in my lap, I’d better make use of it.

"I have a better man in mind who could be fit for being her husband, and even his family is strong enough that no one could go against them openly," I said, and he leaned ahead.

"And who’s that?"

"I recommend the Archmage of the Mage’s Tower and the only son of Marquis Fairisles, Silas Fairisles," I said, and Roger’s eyebrows twitched before he placed the teacup down.

"Are you serious, Marquis Ryujin? Marquis Fairisles and his son have been separated for years, and the Archmage has sworn off marriage," he said, and I smiled.

"Please leave that to me, Your Majesty. Since I can’t be the one to take direct responsibility for her, then I shall make sure that she is with people who could protect her," I said, and he frowned, doubt swirling in his eyes.

He seemed to ponder it for a while, and I just wondered what he would do if he got to know that his dear wife and Queen was the one who had killed his brother and father years ago.

"Fine," he said. "But if you fail to do so, then you will have to marry her regardless."

I smiled, barely safe.

[Defender of Divine Glory is trembling.]

[Goddess of Wisdom is rolling on the floor.]

[Giver of Gifts has momentarily taken a break.]

It irked me that these guys were having so much fun over this, but I couldn’t help it.

"What was the second thing that you talked about, Your Majesty?" I asked.

Roger sighed. "Since you were speaking of Marquis Fairisles, it’s regarding him."

I leaned ahead and he added, "Eric has been staying at the Fairisles mansion even after returning from the war, so I think he should return to the palace now. If I continue to let him stay there, then the nobles will continue thinking that I am biased."

My eyebrows shot up. He was impressing me more and more today. But then again, I had already prepared for that, so he didn’t need to worry about it.

"Then, do you want me to talk to Marquis Fairisles regarding this, Your Majesty?" I asked, and he waved his hand.

"No, I don’t think Marquis Fairisles would listen about this matter from an outsider."

On the contrary, he wouldn’t listen to anyone except for me about this.

"So, I am thinking of sending him a letter regarding it. Eric has considerable support now that he has ended the war, and it’s clashing against the faction that supports Carlos, so I’m worried things will be chaotic until the Crown Prince is decided," he spoke, and I nodded.

"Indeed, Your Majesty."

"Whom are you supporting?" he asked me directly, and I hummed, leaning back. He hadn’t included Princess Colette, so I guess even he knew that she was better off away from the throne, since she was the untamed version of the Golden Serpent.

"I suppose having only one man’s opinion isn’t good, considering the matter doesn’t only concern the throne but also the lives of the people. Both the Princes have their own assets, so choosing one without any proper test will be called unfair," I said, and Roger’s eyebrows twitched.

"A test?"

"Yes, I mean, a test to see if both the Princes are capable of bearing the responsibility of the kingdom and the people. As of now, both the Princes have been in the war and had shown their valor. Prince Eric and his companions even went ahead and proposed the peace treaty and brought along the sea routes that the King of Denril bestowed especially to them, so that’s a great feat," I said, and he frowned a bit, seeming thoughtful.

"I had supposed that Denril would hand over the sea routes to Sestia. It was an underhanded move to bestow them to those Princes who were invited," he said, and I smiled.

"A lot of people here would have the same thoughts. That’s why I suggest that they should see for themselves whether Prince Eric had been worthy enough of what he achieved or not. That would be the best way to discern if he is the right candidate or not," I said, and Roger seemed to ponder over it.

"All right then," he said after a couple of moments, and then added, "since you aren’t of any faction, I would appoint you as the one who could arrange these tests."

My eyebrows shot up again, "I beg your pardon?"

"The other nobles have chosen their sides except for you and some of the nobles who are associated with your Oasis Foundation. Those nobles will support whomever you support, so I ask you to arrange these tests so that I and the kingdom could see which one of my sons—and even my niece—could take the throne."

"Say, my dear Patrons," I spoke in my head, "Did you guys mess with his head or something? He’s literally giving me the offer of being the Kingmaker right now."

[Defender of Divine Glory says that they had no hand in this.]

[Goddess of Wisdom says that your capabilities aren’t completely hidden from the world.]

[Giver of Gifts says that it’s a great way to fulfill your motives.]

"I know, but this all seems too set up that I find it fishy."

"I wonder if I am capable of such a big responsibility, Your Majesty," I spoke.

"If you weren’t, I wouldn’t have asked you to do so, Marquis Ryujin."

"But I don’t even hold a position in the court, Your Majesty, and I’m a mere merchant. I’m still considered an outsider," I said, and he grunted.

"Your neutral and objective stance is the reason why I chose you, Marquis," he said, and then sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Besides, you won’t be doing it only under your name, Marquis. I shall bestow special authority over you so that you can conduct the trials and judge the Princes accordingly."

This was still a situation where I was walking on a double-edged sword. He was putting this responsibility on me not only because I was in a supposedly neutral position but also because the rivalry between the two factions was brutal. I had the reputation of being invincible since the very beginning, and the King knew better than anyone what kind of underhanded tricks his wife, the Queen, could use to remove anyone that could pose any threat to her son’s future.

Roger was playing a game in which he was thinking of removing himself from the arena. He was handing me the authority to make me his sword and his scapegoat. If anything were to go wrong, then the one whose head would go flying would be mine. Not that it was possible, but he had some idea of what the Queen could do. And now that he was sure that the Queen and I weren’t on the same side, he was using it to get her off his back and watch from the sidelines as she and I would bash heads. He would play his part, but only minimally, and then stand with the one who would win.

He had impressed me for being such a sly man. But I wasn’t the one who would get used so easily. I had been playing this game before he had even thought of it. So, this move wasn’t going to hinder me in any way. Rather, it was going to profit me, as I was going to use his name and his authority to my heart’s content.

"I understand about the Princes, Your Majesty, but the Princess is unaware of all of this, and suddenly bringing her back and thrusting her into all of this might take a toll on her," I said, and he sighed.

"Fine, since it will take some time, let’s do it after the new year. Till then, fulfill the first task and then start working on the tests that would be suitable for becoming the King of Sestia."

This was too good to be true an offer, and my Patrons were expecting me to believe that this wasn’t a setup. Who would think this was something that naturally came up?

"I shall do my best to live up to your expectations, Your Majesty," I said, and he nodded before he looked at the documents.

"I shall speak to the Minister of Justice and put in a word from your side. Have Marquis Glines arrested and go ahead with the investigation. I support you, Marquis Ryujin," Roger announced, and I smiled.

I stood up from my seat and bowed before him. "I am grateful for His Majesty’s support."

After leaving the King’s office, I stepped out with a lightness in my stride. Not only had I secured the King’s backing, but I had also gained both leverage and authority—three gains in exchange for one meeting. Not a bad bargain, especially considering I’d left my child on his birthday for this.

The wind felt cooler against my skin, perhaps out of pity for what I had sacrificed.

Now, where was Remi?

I had told him not to wander too far. Knowing him, he would either be admiring the palace’s ancient frescoes or—more likely—chasing butterflies through the flowerbeds. I walked down the corridor, past the arches that opened up to the garden, eyes scanning for that familiar flash of his clothes or the mop of the brown bouncing around.

Then, a shrill voice snapped through the air like a whip.

"Kneel properly!"

My eyes narrowed at the sharp command. It was followed by a muffled cry—soft, almost stifled, but enough to stir something deep in my chest.

Without thinking, I leapt over the balustrade. My boots landed silently on the grass, my body already moving toward the source of the voices.

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