Guardian of the World Tree - Chapter 11 English

 Chapter 11 - Meanwhile at the Royal Castle (Alternate Perspective)

On that day, a letter arrived at the royal castle. The sender was Feroll. The recipient was none other than His Majesty, King Theodore.

King Theodore had eagerly awaited the letter from Feroll, growing more impatient with each passing moment.

"Your Majesty, a letter has arrived from Feroll-sama."

"It finally came! Good work. I’ll need you to continue handling the exchange of letters. No one else can see this."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

The man, an agent of the kingdom’s intelligence agency, gave a bow and left the room. After ensuring he was alone, Theodore, suppressing his rising anticipation, sat down, his long, chestnut-colored hair swaying as he moved.

He swiftly took a finely decorated silver letter opener from the drawer of his desk and cut open the seal.

Unable to contain himself, he somewhat forcefully pulled out the letter and began tracing the words with his dark blue eyes.

“It took quite some time. I thought the letter would arrive sooner, but perhaps the frontier is farther than I imagined.”

Unconsciously, Theodore muttered to himself. Then, upon reading the contents of the letter, he was so shocked his eyes nearly popped out of his head, though no sound escaped his lips.

The letter stated that Ridil had been chosen by the World Tree to become a “Guardian of the World Tree.” But that wasn’t all—Ridil had apparently also gained the ability to use magic.

“Is something like this even possible? I sent Ridil to the frontier solely to keep him safe, but I never imagined this would happen. Perhaps sending him there was an act of divine guidance.”

Theodore, unable to miss even a single letter, read the letter over and over again. Once he had thoroughly absorbed the contents, he burned the letter in the fireplace. This, of course, was to prevent the information he had received from leaking out.

“For now, I can trust the intelligence agency, but how long will that last? It would be ideal if I had someone trustworthy, but I’ve already assigned that person to Ridil.”

Theodore muttered to himself, though there was no one around to hear. If only his beloved wife were here, how much easier things would be. He couldn’t help but feel that way.

Ridil, his only surviving link to his late wife. Protecting him was his utmost priority. That was how Theodore intended to atone for failing to protect his beloved wife.

He had already identified the person responsible for his wife’s murder. However, the culprit was a dangerous adversary. The second queen was from a powerful ducal family, one of the most influential in the kingdom.

Theodore was the king. His duty was to protect the kingdom. For that reason, he couldn’t afford to openly confront the duke. The most he could do was send the second queen to a convent.

Naturally, the child born to her was sent back to the duke’s household. Of course, their claim to the throne had been revoked. The duke had not raised any objections to that.

Whether he thought it was only natural or was silently harboring dissatisfaction, Theodore could not be sure. In any case, he could not let his guard down.

“There’s still time. It’s not too late. I must find more people I can trust. But what can I do? I never expected to be betrayed by the ducal family I once trusted.”

Fortunately, his relationship with the first queen was still intact. He could only hope that their bond was genuine. If even she were to betray him, it would utterly destroy him. That fear was what slowed Theodore’s actions.

But now, he had received a letter from Feroll. And he learned that Ridil had safely arrived at the frontier and begun a new life there.

For now, one problem could be considered solved. From the outside, it might look like Ridil had been exiled to the frontier. Some might pity her, but she wouldn’t be seen as a threat. For the time being, Theodore had freedom to act.

All he had to do was be careful with his own safety.

With determination burning in his chest, Theodore rang the bell.

At the same time, elsewhere in the castle, another person was making a decision. It was Raphael, the first queen’s son and the first in line for the throne. He was the kingdom’s future king.

Raphael stood before the first queen, his long golden hair tied back and bristling with anger. His dark blue eyes glared at her.

“Why did my dear Ridil have to be sent to the frontier?! What is His Majesty thinking? He’s only seven years old!”

“Calm down. His Majesty wouldn’t make such a decision without reason. There must be a purpose behind it.”

“No matter what the reason is, there are things you can and cannot do! And this is something that should never have been done.”

Raphael buried his head in his hands, his frustration boiling over. Watching him, the first queen let out a deep sigh. She had started to suspect that this might be the reason behind everything.

Raphael was too fond of Ridil. Such feelings could become his weakness. It was only natural to forcibly separate them. The future king couldn’t afford to have such a vulnerability.

Becoming too attached to any one thing was dangerous and could make him unfair in his judgments.

“I should’ve gone with him…”

“Raphael, enough! If you really think that, then instead, make sure Ridil can return here with a smile.”

“Ridil, return here? That’s it! I remember there were people mocking Ridil behind his back. I’ll start by making them pay in blood! I’ve held back until now, thinking about how sensitive Ridil is, but now I can get rid of them without hesitation!”

As Raphael’s face twisted into a dark smile, the first queen sighed deeply once again.

“That’s not what I mean. Become a worthy king. That way, Ridil can return here without worry.”