Chereads / Cardinal: Advent of the Sloth / Chapter 24 - 024 – The Scheduled Battle

Chapter 24 - 024 – The Scheduled Battle

Entry: 400 The Journal of a Slothful Prince

The day is Darsha, the 31st day of Ignos, year 106 996 P.C.

Another week has gone by…

I have checked the dungeon on a daily basis, the hole to the next layer has grown but the water passage shows no changes…

I fear that the waterway shall not vanish, which means I can no longer wait and watch…

I do have a plan, I've had the coachman purchase all the available oil lamps and oil in the nearby noble estate, and I got some tree gum…

I can't rely on torches so a new solution is required, oil lamps are my only bet, the only problem being that they have a single opening for the wick to burn, which means water can get in…

Hence the tree gum, I'll use the gum on some cloth and tie it around the opening, hopefully, it will prevent any water from entering…

I'll be doing the first test today I'll submerge a lamp in the lake and see how well the makeshift caps work…

---

Alphea was in a carriage enjoying a relaxing ride to the palace after a tiring trip, the carriage came to a crawl at one of the busy intersections.

"…tickets available at your local general store!" an advertiser was shouting out; such things were common on the busy streets of Mercurion.

Even at that moment a dozen others began shouting, some promoting an inn's newest ale, while others spoke of new useful tools that would make daily tasks much easier.

Alphea paused taking a look outside, the voice of that announcer was familiar, as she looked out she saw Huber the Great Speaker, the announcer of the colosseum standing in the intersection, with every person paying him a second glance.

Huber was well known, to the commoners, the merchants, the nobles, and the royals, since the Colosseum was one of the few places that was accessible by every class and accommodated every class, he was someone easily recognised by all.

Something which made his appearance on a common intersection all the more out of place, unless something big was happening at the Colosseum.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it shall be the match of the year, and I say that knowing full well that during the festival of the gods, I brought you a tribe of barbarians from the Paramonian Isle to compete in the gambit,"

"On the 23rd 0f Vultical there shall be a battle between kin, and their blood shall forever stain the grounds of the fighting pits,"

"A battle between brother and sister, with an age gap of 5 years,"

"But fear not for a one-sided showdown with the elder coming out victorious, for it was the younger sister who issued the challenge,"

"And who might these siblings be, well you need only visit your local general store to find out,"

"It will be a spectacle you cannot miss, so buy those tickets while they last, it won't be long before your friends and neighbors are fighting you for your tickets," Huber announced with an air of grandeur.

Alphea motioned for her coachman to stop by Huber, "Huber would you care to join me for a moment?" Alphea asked when he looked at the carriage.

Huber paused taking a second to recognise who was speaking to him, he glanced to the side a little hesitantly, "Ah… uh… yes of course your Highness," he uttered even a showman like him couldn't help but feel nervous being called up by Alphea Mercurion Goldore.

"I shan't take too much off your time Master Huber, I have just a few things to ask and you may leave at the next intersection, I believe that there are many there who could also use your announcements," Alphea spoke with a polite smile.

Huber nodded with a look of relief as he climbed into the carriage, "It is my honour that Her Highness remembers my insignificant name, I shall assist in any way that is possible Her Highness need only speak," Huber humbly spoke as Alphea gestured for him to take a seat.

"Which royal household is having a dispute?" she asked, the only reason she could imagine Huber himself hyping up such a battle was because of the royal household having an inheritance dispute, only she had no intel even hinting to such a dispute.

"Your Highness must have been away from the city for some time," Huber concluded.

Alphea nodded, "I've returned because of my quarterly check-in." she explained and gestured for him to go on.

"It is none other than the imperial household itself," Huber answered, "A young princess Mellissa Mercurion Aydal, eldest daughter of the 10 empresses has issued a challenge to a prince,"

"Prince 786 to be precise, also monikered as 'The Lazy Prince' from what I've been able to gather,"

"The 10th empress sent me a letter stating that the battle will occur in the Colosseum and that I was to personally advertise the entire event, should I reserve a personal booth for your Highness," Huber quickly explained and offered the best booth to Alphea.

Alphea stroked her chin with her sleeve falling down her hand revealing a little of her coppery skin, "Please do reserve a place for me," Alphea said and a small purse stuffed to the brim with mercuries appeared in her hand.

"For your troubles," she said handing it to him.

Huber sat up straight as the carriage slowed at the coming intersection, he took the purse and placed it on his seat, "It is payment enough to sit in your Highness's company," he gave a flourished bow and stepped out of the carriage.

Alphea's forehead creased as she looked to the edge of the entertainment district to see the massive colosseum structure occupying the space.

'The Aydals are starting to make their move,' she thought with worry festering in her mind.

---

"Eros," Alphea called out as she made herself at home in her room.

"Yes, princess is there anything you need?" he asked.

"Bring me Princess Mellissa and Prince 786, I wish to have a siblings chat with the two of them," she said.

Eros paused, "Prince 786 is currently away, he was assigned to clear a dungeon, he left a week before the announcement was made, and it's nearing a month since he left," Eros answered without batting an eye.

"I see that this match is already a common topic in the court," Alphea noted.

Eros nodded, "Naturally the first Ancestral imperial in 80 000 years versus an Ancient imperial, this match will affect the reputation of the 9 Ancient families, and there is no way for the prince to back down from this challenge," Eros explained.

"Well, this prince is older so victory should be simple!" Alphea muttered, but then she looked up at Eros, "There's more to this otherwise it wouldn't be getting so much attention," she said with her eyes going wide.

"As astute as always princess, have you heard of the prince's moniker?" he asked.

"The lazy prince," she quipped.

"That's the one," Eros replied with a bland smile, "Apparently despite being born with a special core and having access to the best of cultivation manuals he has outright refused to begin cultivating, he skips a vast majority of his classes barely achieving the passing grades, and he finds every excuse in the book to return to his bed,"

"His personality is worrying and it's because Princess Melissa pointed out each of those problems in her challenge that he cannot refuse, she claims that he is a waste of resources and should be cut off, a claim that all the evidence supports,"

"The 7th empress has likely given him his assignment to force him to begin cultivating, if not he'll lose and it won't just be his or the empress's reputation on the line, but all the Ancient families," Eros explained.

Alphea nodded, Mercurion was already a bit of a laughingstock amongst the other empires they could not afford to give their rivals anymore to hold over their heads.

"Bring Princess Mellissa here?" she eventually asked.

---

A few minutes later a young girl almost 5 feet tall entered Alphea's chambers in a simple but elegant blue dress, her small face was tense, and her small fists trembled as she took deep breaths with every step.

Alphea sat with her legs crossed, she invited her little sister to sit on the couch across from her.

"Y…you wished to see me," Mellissa stammered as she tried to force a brave face, she had grown up being bullied and pushed down by her siblings, she was used to it, but never before had one of the elder ones shown an interest in her, let alone the sibling who was likely the most important.

"Show me your mask," Alphea opened her hand waiting for the girl to hand it over.

Mellissa reached to her waist and undone her waist ribbon that passed through the open eyes of the mask.

Alphea rotated it in her hand before placing it on Mellissa's face, it was a perfect fit.

As she pulled it back she smiled lightly at Mellissa, "You should wear it more often," she said as she returned the mask.

Mellissa quickly shook her head, "Mother says the masks are only for the nameless trash!" she exclaimed with her chin held high with pride.

A moment passed and Alphea opened her hand, a similar mask appeared in her hand and she placed it on her face, "Am I nameless trash?" she asked with a very subtle threat lacing her voice.

Mellissa sat back with her face going pale, she wrapped her hands around the armrest to hide her trembling body.

"The masks are a gift from our father, anyone who disrespects them is disrespecting the emperor, and do you know who are the only people that disrespect the emperor little sister,"

"Do you know what we call those people little sister?" she asked.

Mellissa seemed to have lost her ability to think as she shook her head.

"Traitors!" Alphea whispered into her ear, "And do you know how we deal with traitors to the empire?" she asked.

Mellissa aggressively nodded her head with beads of sweat pouring down her face, remembering the time her mother took her to watch an execution at the guillotine.

"Remember that for as long as you bare the name Mercurion, all comes second to that name, now go," Alphea dismissed the timid girl.

"Eros arrange a carriage, we shall head out to meet that lazy brother of mine," she called out once Mellissa was gone.