Chapter. 93. Sticks and Carrots (1)
"Who are you and why do you keep hanging around here? Huh?"
Ian thought for a while.
What would be the best response?
Would it be better to quickly subdue him?
'No, perhaps.'
Finally, Ian's head began to shake.
There was no reason to use force while in a hostile territory.
It was more prudent to approach in a more natural way.
"Ah, I'm….."
The guard was still looking rough.
It was more of looking down on him rather than guarding.
He was displaying a more conceited gesture.
"I am here to request a visit to Sir Auburn Parker."
"Do you think he is some sort of an inn keeper?"
"If you would relay a message that I have something to share with him with respect to the Order….."
"Ord, Order?"
The guard finally changed his continence.
It seemed as if even they knew about the Order of the Dragons.
"The 5th prince has sent me."
Although there was no clear evidence, there were circumstances in which Ragnard has borrowed the influence of the Order. Yet, there was a high possibility. Ragnard certainly could not handle the flower of Landeor all by himself.
"By the, the lord, the prince?"
Therefore, he subtly threw in the name of the '5th prince'. It appeared to be working on the guard. He was certainly in sudden shock. He will soon find out whether it is because Ragnard was involved, or just simply because the name of the imperial family was mentioned.
"Please, please wait a minute."
There was certainly no longer the appearance of looking down on him.
Ian smiled brightly and replied.
"Please, I'll be waiting."
The smile would have earned people's interest in normal situations.
However, the current appearance did not attract it.
Of course, Ian did not realize that.
He simply gave a habitual smile.
"The, Then….."
The guard came out of the mansion without much delay after having entered the house with half embarrassed and half sour expression upon seeing the ugly smile.
"Strange."
Auburn Parker, the middle aged man, murmured, following behind the guard.
"Who are you?"
"As I've said, the 5th prince has….."
"So, I've asked you who you are, bastard."
Auburn Parker's continence was one that was full of suspicion and arrogance. It was a very different attitude than the cowardly display that he had shown before Evantus. It seemed that he was holding a strong position within the Order.
"There should be a designated person for all the things related to the 5th prince?"
Auburn Parker said that much.
He sent a signal to the guards.
The guards followed up by drawing their swords.
It was a display of them being wary.
"You would be smart to tell the truth."
It was rather a sudden threat.
Ian decided quickly.
The speculation that he was sure of,
The time has come to utilize those speculations.
'Dumpil Moret, the captain of the 1st Imperial Knights.'
Dumpil, the old knight, who was guarding the emperor's chamber.
He definitely saw the work of the 5th prince.
The move in which the leaves were dropped into the herbal medicine.
However, there wasn't any reaction to it.
There was one thing that can be speculated.
'That he was in bed with the Order of the Dragons.'
Perhaps, the 5th prince's designee that Auburn Parker has spoken of.
Moreover, it would be Dumpil Moret, the emperor's body guard.
"At this moment, Sir Dumpil is in the middle of a very important task."
On the mention of Dumpil, Auburn's eye brows twitched.
And Ian did not miss that opportunity.
"Therefore, my lord is seeking Sir Auburn's assistance to resolve the current issue."
"The current issue?"
"Is it OK to reveal it right here, right now?"
Ian looked at the body guards.
Auburn also followed his eye sight.
"Hmm….."
'The current problem' that the 5th prince is addressing now,
Auburn also knew what it meant as well.
'This guy must be truly sent by the 5th prince.'
Auburn gave a hand gesture to the guards.
It was an instruction to withdraw their weapons.
"Follow me.
Ian followed Auburn into the mansion.
The inside of it was truly the standard of 'extravagance'.
Even the imperial family's wealth would not be envied in this place.
"So, what have you come to discuss?"
"I'll get right to it sir."
Ian took out something from his inner pocket.
The items that he had picked from the flower of the Landeor.
They were one of each leaf and petal.
"Need more flowers."
"What? Wasn't it sufficient?"
"Since my lord has made several mistakes….."
"What, what is so difficult that he made mistakes."
Ian kept up with his winning moves.
They were the moves solely based on feeling and speculation.
Yet, there was no hesitation.
What if it does not work?
He will simply resolve it with power.
It was only that he wanted to save mana.
'At least until he would face the dragonian.'
There was a high possibility of facing him.
I will keep my distance just like the fairy queen.
It was only that magic must be used to subdue him.
That was the reason for conserving mana as much as possible.
"He was going crazy, asking for the one method, saying it was the only time of opportunity and so on. The leader has provided that much, so he should have been better at it! What do you mean mistakes? Mistakes."
Auburn even dared to complain about the 5th prince.
His place within the Order was imaginable.
At the same time, the possibility has just been increased.
"If the position in the Order was at such a level,'
He can certainly be in touch with Evantus.
Ian thought that he came to the right place.
"My lord has also instructed me to relay that he was sorry to dragonian, the master of the Order, and to you, Sir Auburn Parker as well."
"Apologies? To me?"
"Yes. He had certainly told me that."