The Prince Wants to Retire

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Chapter 25: The Retirement of the Crown Prince

“I want to retire!”

A young man approached a gigantic behemoth.

While everyone thought it was dangerous, he walked calmly and vanished into the inferno that enveloped the beast.

At that moment, a red wave spread in all directions.

Like the eruption of a dormant volcano, the wave spread out and the once rampaging behemoth began to resonate peacefully with the young man amidst the flames.

Even an onlooker who knew nothing would feel a deep sense of awe at the sight.

If commoners felt this way, what of the Empire Citizens who had a fondness for this young man?

“Your Highness…”

“Your Highness!”

Even after his retirement, the Empire Citizens cried out for the Crown Prince.

Then the fierce political struggle that had just erupted, supporting the current Crown Princes and asserting that Derek must be made a prince, dissolved like a morning mist.

Like nothing had happened, everyone shouted, ‘His Highness Kariel.’

One noble tried to say ‘Your Grace’ instead of ‘Your Highness’ and was met with sharp glares from those around him, so no one could stop calling him His Highness Kariel.

Still, unable to contain themselves, a few nobles stepped forward.

“Isn’t it supposed to be ‘Your Grace’ instead of ‘Your Highness’?!”

Then a man suddenly asked, “Hey, which faction are you from?”

A noble who stepped forward stammered.

“The Second Prince’s faction? The Third Prince’s faction? Or that punk’s faction?”

The young noble, caught in a glare with fiery determination, faced the questioning man coolly.

“This idiot can’t read the mood. Is the title even important right now?”

“Tsk! What a child of a noble family!”

Not just common citizens but even his fellow nobles began to mock him.

A young noble following the Second Prince felt anxious that Kariel might become the Crown Prince again and stepped forward, only to be met with a backlash from those around him.

Similarly, young nobles supporting the Third Prince rose in indignation but then quietly retreated.

Though the Second and Third Princes were both considered magnificent, they paled in comparison to ‘the Hero of the Empire.’

If Kariel could declare he wanted to be the Crown Prince again, supporters would flock to him, but as Kariel himself did not wish for the title, they could only lament.

The desire of those supporting him to keep him distant from power only heightened their anxiety.

In that moment, they were uplifted, having witnessed the former Crown Prince showcasing heroic deeds after a long time, chanting his name.

But what happens if there’s someone stirring the pot on the side?

“……”

A man in a gray robe watched the scene, his expression hardening.

He saw the young nobles from the Second and Third Prince’s factions getting clash with the crowd around them in real time.

By now, the name ‘Derek’ had long been forgotten from their minds.

Seeing the Empire Citizens fervently chanting only for the Crown Prince, the man clucked his tongue.

“……That guy’s definitely an issue.”

“Is it a failure?”

In response to the gray-robed man, a man named Derek quietly spoke.

“Yeah. As long as the First Prince is here, it’s tough to make any moves in the capital.”

The man who had stirred up chaos in the East frowned.

Though he dug up the disgraceful past of the emperor to create an illegitimate child issue, a single heroic act by the former Crown Prince had shattered the entire plan.

“Can’t we push a little more?”

At Derek’s inquiry, the gray-robed man shook his head with a smirk.

It might be possible to gather people again and demand royal lineage representation over time.

But that would be the end of it.

There would be no more discussion beyond that.

Due to the First Prince’s heroic actions, his past deeds in the capital would resurface, and that would only strengthen the factions of the Second Prince and the Third Prince.

Most importantly, the Emperor would not sit idly by now.

“The crafty Emperor has seized his chance. Our plan is effectively over.”

The current Emperor had a habit of hiding when things turned troublesome.

A typical sneak who pushed the blame onto nobles and incited faction wars.

But when he saw an opportunity, he was different.

He would relentlessly pressure while pretending to withdraw at the last moment to feign mercy.

“Having found an opportunity to expel us through the First Prince, he will take action himself.”

“Should we retreat from the capital?”

“……No. You stay here with me.”

At the words of the gray-robed man, Derek’s expression darkened.

“……Are the Belphus staying too?”

“Yes. We will draw attention so that the seeds of the Great Plan can overflow.”

“……Did the Lady agree as well?”

“Yes. Mother has decided to bury her bones here with me.”

Derek’s face stiffened at the man’s words.

“……Understood.”

The gray-robed man nodded gently at Derek’s reply.

He didn’t particularly care about his own life.

He only regretted the failure of the Great Plan.

Even having staked his entire life on it, he could only play the role of buying time, which was truly frustrating.

“Don’t regret it, the Great Plan will continue…”

“Yes, but when will it execute?”

At Derek’s question, the gray-robed man smiled as he responded.

“The moment the Emperor moves.”

“……I’ll prepare.”

As Derek slightly bowed and disappeared, the gray-robed man nodded softly.

“I need to survive as much as I can…”

His only role was to buy time.

And it was probably the same for another ally in the Northeast.

“……That’s unfortunate.”

All the operations initially designed for the Great Plan seemed destined to be used merely for buying time for comrades to flee to the East Continent.

Yet the good news was, if that was the case, at least they could surely buy time.

The simultaneous chaos occurring in the West Continent would cloud the judgment of various nations and reveal the desires hidden deep within their hearts.

Then they would buy time until their comrades could rebuild their forces in the East Continent.

“Let’s see you try to stop this.”

Muttering as he watched the First Prince taming a behemoth in the Image Sphere, the man quietly turned and vanished into the crowd.

Thus, one of the Dark Mage’s plans was shattered by Kariel’s efforts. However, something unexpected occurred from where the Empire had never anticipated.

As the situation worsened in the East, nations close to the Empire formed an alliance.

“A Neutral Nation Alliance has been established!”

A group formed to fight against the Empire’s tyranny.

Then the allied forces, positioned near the conflict zone, began to show signs of greed.

The alliance, which was meant as a means of negotiation with the Empire, started getting greedy as the West Continent fell into chaos.

The catalyst for this was the Holy Nation.

“Are they trying to interfere with the Principality’s affairs?”

“Yes.”

In response to the Third Prince’s inquiry, the Second Prince replied with a serious expression.

Then, the report received via a crow made the Third Prince frown.

It was just yesterday they’d heard that the Research Facility of Dark Mages was located in the depths of the Labyrinth.

Yet, the Holy Nation immediately made a grand announcement about what happened in the Labyrinth and declared they would investigate the entire Giant Mountain Range.

Naturally, the mountains within the Principality’s territory were also included in the investigation.

In the past, the Principality would have protested against the Holy Nation, but in their current state, they had no spirit to do so.

“This is maddening.”

“Brother, are you still on this?”

“Yeah.”

The two princes sighed and fell silent for a moment before summoning all the ministers.

But the bad news didn’t end there.

“Talos is also moving?”

At the Third Prince’s words, the shadow reporting slightly bowed its head.

While the Grand Council Meeting was in session, ministers began whispering at the sudden report.

“Since the Holy Nation has made a move, Talos will not remain idle.”

Nodding along to the Foreign Affairs Minister’s words, everyone agreed.

Having stepped onto the already crumbling Principality, Talos also had no choice but to move.

Like a testament to the Principality’s weakened power, bandits, brigands, and pirates from the Eastern lands were swarming around the Principality, plundering openly.

With the Holy Nation making their move, Talos would have to respond too.

It would have been tough to manage the Empire on their own, but now that the Holy Nation was moving, it made perfect sense for Talos to act.

“Is it a competition to see who can help the Principality more?”

At the Foreign Affairs Minister’s musing, everyone nodded solemnly.

With the Empire already helping the Principality, the Holy Nation and Talos also began to act.

Even if they were to fend off Dark Mages safely and push back Roman, it was likely the Principality would suffer immense losses.

Nothing in this world comes free.

After the war ended and chaos calmed down, it was only natural to repay the nations that had helped them.

They might have to open up the Eastern sea route to the Empire or lower customs barriers for other nations or even cede parts of territory.

Though the territory size was slightly larger than a Small Nation, the benefits held by the Principality were comparable to major powers in the West Continent.

“For now… wouldn’t it be wise to observe the situation?”

At the Second Prince’s suggestion, the Third Prince fell into contemplation.

The ministers were in agreement.

If the Holy Nation and Talos moved, and the Empire followed with more troops, it would be the Principality that would feel burdened.

“Are they really trying to devour us?”

Such doubts could arise.

With the Eastern, Western, and Southern Armies already stationed nearby, it had long been evident that reinforcements exceeded a reasonable limit.

If they pushed any further, even if they intended to occupy the Principality with overwhelming soldiers, they’d have nothing left to say.

At that moment, the Minister of Military carefully opened his mouth.

“With the gathered troops, we are prepared for any contingency.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, therefore, it may be wise to prioritize internal stability over the East.”

With the Military Minister’s comments, he bowed as if he’d said all he needed to say, and everyone nodded.

Though they had averted a crisis due to the First Prince’s achievements, not everything was resolved yet.

“Has there been any response from the Principality?”

“Yes, but the letter should have arrived.”

In response to the Third Prince’s inquiry, the Foreign Affairs Minister bowed and replied.

It was a prepped method in case such a situation would arise.

“I know it’s painful to sell out our brother, but if it turns out well…”

“There couldn’t be a better plan.”

If they could form a blood alliance with the Principality, all the worries they had here would become meaningless in an instant.

The letter they sent to the Principality contained a proposal for a Marriage Alliance between the First Prince and the Principality’s princess.

Officially retired, the First Prince would minimize opposition from foreign nations, and since it was a blood alliance, there would be no restrictions on sending reinforcements.

From the Principality’s perspective, they regarded Kariel as someone who held practical power, so it was a satisfactory proposal.

The problem was…

“Are you really okay with this?”

At the Foreign Affairs Minister’s question, both princes paused, and their eyes quivered slightly.

Seeing the princes dripping with cold sweat, the ministers turned their heads away, deliberately clearing their throats.

“……I got my brother’s permission.”

“Ahem! Given the Empire’s crisis, he will understand.”

Though the two princes said this, all the nobles gathered in the Grand Council heard it.

They heard the trembling voices of the two princes.

It was expected that an enraged Kariel would come to the Imperial Palace and seize the two princes as though grabbing mice, but they hurriedly pretended not to notice and rushed to the next agenda.

The issue was that the next agenda would also be one that would incite Kariel’s wrath upon his return.