Chapter 49: Chapter 49 - Baiting the queen
Being a queen you have to be deceptive and devious, and the current queen had both qualities.
She had a plan in mind, and that was to take the Heartfilia family down a peck as they have been getting too much influence lately. They are a threat to her Fiore family's rule. Even if the Heartfilia had no outward intention of taking the rule, she can't be sure if it's all just a cover.
The queen has been waiting for an opportunity to find an excuse to force them to fight on the front lines and she was currently working with the head of the Alden family to make them.
And the key to her plan was a young man Lisa Heartfilia has taking a liking to, Marc Doyer.
Lisa Heartfilia, nicknamed Celestial Virgin, because she never has been in a relationship with any man, has finally fallen in love. And now the queen has the right to punish her said, love.
The best things in the world that can move people are money and love. There are no limits to what people would do for those.
The head of the Alden family was just acting that he wanted to defend Carlos, but in fact, this outcome is the one he wanted. One leech will be removed and another Royal family will be forced on the front line. What's there to lose other than a little reputation, that will in the end just end getting better after Carlos is dead.
The queen looked at Marc with a stern expression and said "Breaking into the capital is a grave offense and would normally be sent to a prison camp for doing so. But as you are related to the Heartfilia family and seemingly saved a, now former royal, but even so at that time a royal. For doing that I will pardon you and give you a choice for a punishment. Either you will be sent to a prison camp for 10 years or.." the queen drew out her sentence to make it more dramatic before continuing.
"…You will join Platoon 4 for a year."
When the queen said that, Lisa, Nina, and Aina couldn't stay calm. They now realized that this whole orchestra was planned by the queen. It was no wonder the queen had not made any movements for a while. She was waiting for an opportunity to oppose them from the start.
"So that's what she was planning all along," Thought Aina.
"Is he going to be okay? What about Big Sister?" Thought Nina before looking at Lisa who looked like she was about to blow a fuse.
For a pretty woman, she had a really frightening pair of eyes that looked at the queen like she was her mortal enemy. Lisa thought while subconsciously releasing her Magic Power that was a little bit higher than what the queen released before. "How dare she use Marc as bait!!"
Platoon 4 is no ordinary squad of soldiers. It's the squad where commoners can join and potentially be hailed as a hero. It's a very beloved squad for the public who hail them as heroes and do the impossible. But the four Royal houses know the dark truth behind it.
Sure they will be heroes, but only after doing suicide missions. Of course, they don't only do suicide missions or the public, and the soldiers would have figured out that they aren't very valuable in the upper echelons' eyes. If something dangerous comes, Platoon 4 will be the first to get ordered to confront the danger, letting the Royals observe and strategize. The overall strength of it can only be called decent and isn't enough to hold the front in a war.
That's why the queen planned to have Marc joining and force Lisa and her family to follow him. A perfect plan that didn't cost her a single thing. If her plan would only go as she wanted that is.
The old judge turned and looked at Marc's reaction. But what he saw or rather felt was a diminutive change of the Ethernano around Marc. Nobody felt it other than him, as he was close to Marc. Though for some reason he didn't point it out or say anything.
Marc knew nothing of the political happenings in the country, and the truth is he didn't really care. But he knew when someone was playing tricks with him. The little fluctuation in Ethernano was because he used *Panthera Disaster* to try and heighten the sixth sense. The sense that feels the presence, strength, and emotions of others. Right now he only focused on the emotions of people around him.
Outwardly to the queen and the spectators, he looked like he was thinking about his choice. Marc felt them oozing with confidence and disdain for him. Confident that they know his choice and it's obvious.
After about 20 seconds, Marc felt peoples and mostly the queen's patience limiting, so he looked at her with a smile that showed his shiny white teeth and said "Joining Platoon…I forgot the number, seems like a bad idea, so I chose prison."
"…"
Silence took over the court, and people began doubting what they just heard. People from the Alden family cleaned their ears and wiped their eyes to make sure they weren't hearing or seeing things. Most Royals had the perception that they just needed to throw a rope at a starving peasant and the person would for sure take it.
The queen's dull face showed a rare expression of surprise and her mouth opened and closed. She was just about to say her practiced sentence she would say after Marc would choose to join Platoon 4, but she had to swallow it. "He chooses to go to prison!? If he goes there then my plan will be ruined. I can't have that! I can't have that! I simply can't have that!" Thought the queen while being furious, as it's not going as she wants. She faked a curious expression before saying. "I'm curious. Why would you chose to go to prison for a whole 10 years instead of joining Platoon 4 for a measly year?"
Having trained traps, Marc shrugged once again before saying casually "I don't like working for others, and a little vacation for 10 years sounds fine enough."
He felt the sudden change in emotion when he chooses to go to prison. It's a gamble he's taking. In fact, if Marc couldn't feel the change of emotions he would have played it off as a joke, and chose to join Platoon 4 since Marc can't take being at one place for a long time before his ADHD will kick in. But letting others control him and choose his future is not something his character will allow.
When the queen heard that Marc didn't like working under others, she weirdly felt like a rope was frown upon for her to grab. Every royal family except the Heartfilia family could see the rope of victory.
"I can make an exception more and make you the Platoon leader instead of, as it would be a waste to throw such a young mage like you in prison. How about it?" The queen said some flowery words as a reason to tempt and butter him up.
"No man can take a few flowery compliments from a beautiful woman and queen like me without being influenced," The queen thought and was convinced that she was the one controlling the situation again.
In response, Marc faked a thinking pose, so it wouldn't seem like he was too eager. After acting a little, Marc told the queen "Then I will accept the queen's proposition" before bowing in 'respect'.
"Then we are done here. You will take over the platoon in a month." The queen said before getting up from her throne and leaving the court with her attendants and guards. She was very happy with the result.
After the queen, the rest of the people left too, except for Marc's companions that came down from their platform to release him from his cuffs.
They weren't happy with the situation though. The only person who didn't show any worried expression was Rofta. Though he still looked ugly with his purple lipstick on.
Gina couldn't help asking with a worried voice which would have looked cute if she didn't have too much makeup on "Is Marc going to be fine?"
Marc waved his hand in dismissal and said "Don't worry too much. Besides…"
"Besides?" Gina asked back after Marc drew his sentence out in a playful manner, and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Of course you and Rofta will join the squad too," Marc said before grinning like the devil.
"I really wonder which one of us has Devil Slayer Magic?" Gina inwardly thought while shuddering when she heard it. In response, she panicked and tried to reason with Marc.
"No! I don't want to jooooooooiiiiiiin...!!" Gina exclaimed while trying to get away from Marc's grip.
"Don't be such a party pooper. Besides, it will be a good experience." Not listening at all to her protest, Marc just pulled her out of the court door before looking back at the rest of the gang that couldn't follow the situation and asked "What are you waiting for? Let's go back." Before going ahead, leaving them behind.
Lisa who was left behind had intended to say something to Marc to lessen his fears he might have but ended up being tongue-tied by the go-to happy mood he had.
A second after Marc and Gina left, Rofta followed and walked by Lisa. Getting out of her trance Lisa couldn't help thinking the obvious. "How stupid I am!!. He's my little man, so of course, he won't let this affect him" before she ran by Rofta, overhauling him to catch up to Marc.
"…"
"…"
"Uhm, are we perhaps what's called third wheels?" Asked Nina her mother, who both was left behind.
Aina took a thinking pose with her arms hugged under her bountiful chest that Lisa got from her, and looked in the air to contemplate a little. "I guess so…Sigh, young people."
****
(A/N: I wanted to make the whole Royal Court episode shorter, but then I wasn't satisfied with it. Hope it wasn't too boring and showed a little of Marc's sly personality. But don't mistake it for him being very clever and be a genius that can make new OP magic or smith a swords like Ea from Fate.)
(Words: 1767)
(A/N: Support me and this story on -> bit.ly/2MZTn3p )
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