Chapter 8
The very first thing I did as soon as I woke up.
“The Second Prince, he”s a really complicated guy in many ways.'
Was contemplating “how to handle” the Second Prince.
Honestly, the fastest way to resolve things wasn’t just dealing with the Second Prince’s aides.
It was to strip the Second Prince of all his titles and, if I really wanted to handle it swiftly, kill him.
Because that was the fastest way to pull out the root cause of the problem.
But the reason I couldn’t do that was.
“I can”t just hand the Protagonist a free experience point event.'
Because I had absolutely no intention of going out of my way to create a revenge narrative.
In a Romance Fantasy, the Male Leads were the Heroines.
Besides, someone of the Second Prince’s level would be a Heroine with quite a bit of weight, likely in a position competing for the spot of the main wife.
And I just off a guy like that? From that moment on, the Protagonist’s narrative of revenge against the Empire would begin.
“If that happens, the Chance of Annihilation will only increase.”
A Romance Fantasy Protagonist is generally born with truly immense talent.
They show exceptionally good skills in either Magic or Spirits.
Not only that, but whenever they face a life-threatening crisis or a dangerous situation, Allies appear in droves.
So, in truth, I never once thought about killing the Second Prince from the start.
Rather.
“I should use him.”
I only thought of turning the very fact that he could contact the Protagonist privately into an opportunity for the Empire.
Since the novel 'Jupeobae' was about a country growing stronger through the continuous pampering of the people around her.
If a situation arose where Mirne requested the Empire’s help, I could use it in reverse.
For example.
“When she asks for something that only the Empire”s power can do… like a Ruin Excavation, I’ll just swallow up the ruins entirely.'
In a way where we only gain information and give no benefits.
And through this, I could also lower the Chance of Annihilation.
While I was thinking to myself like that.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knocking sound was heard.
“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, it is the Grand General. May I enter.”
“Come in.”
The owner of the knock, the Grand General, entered the room and handed me a document with disciplined movements.
Giving me something here that could have been given in the office meant the matter was that urgent.
“It has been decided that hunters will be sent separately for those imitating the Empire’s Nobles who remain in the Maselin Kingdom.”
“Their assets will be confiscated, and, hmm… there certainly are a lot of empty seats.”
Normally, this kind of report wasn’t the Grand General’s duty.
Even so, the fact that the Grand General was reporting this was a warning to the Nobles.
That the sword of the Empire was now intervening in internal affairs, picking out the flesh that needed to be carved away.
Therefore, it could be seen as a bloody threat telling them not to act rashly and to stay quiet.
“Hmm, no matter how many Nobles the Empire has, suddenly having over twenty empty seats will leave a bit of a void.”
Even if Nobles below the rank of Count were sliced away, there must be a system they were maintaining.
Normalizing this again seemed to be another problem.
Why is it that whenever I normalize one thing, another problem bursts out?
While I was having such thoughts.
“H-His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! May I also submit a r-report right now regarding the personnel dispatched to the Maselin Kingdom.”
Perhaps having seen the Grand General enter, the Foreign Affairs Officer expressed his intention to also report here.
“Submit it.”
Thinking I might as well receive everything since it came to this, I just told him to come in.
“Well… given the nature of the matter, the number of personnel initially sent as support to the Maselin Kingdom and the number of personnel scheduled to return are different… so I am informing you.”
“Different? Do you mean they died?”
And the shocking story that followed.
“Not dead… but they requested naturalization into the Maselin Kingdom. Thus, since some of the personnel have become subjects of the Maselin Kingdom, they are not being returned…”
“Hahaha!”
As soon as I heard the Foreign Affairs Officer’s words to the end, I couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.
No, we dispatched all those personnel as free support, and our Empire even provided the Supplies for those dispatched personnel.
After sweating so hard to support them, we asked for them back, and what? They naturalized?
“The Second Prince must have given the final approval? Approving the naturalization?”
“Yes… that is correct.”
How could he sell out the country so meticulously?
I didn’t touch him much during the cleaning time at the Round Table Meeting because he was a core Character, but still.
“It seems I will have to change the plan.”
“…Do you mean a change of plan?”
“Yes, originally I intended to watch the progress a bit more before executing it, but I have to do it right now.”
Realizing he had done crazy things in truly multiple directions, an unbearable anger rose up.
And this was only what happened recently.
If I properly exhumed the past and brought it out, a truly diverse array of crazy acts would overflow.
I couldn’t just catch and beat up the underlings every time that happened.
If I did, I wouldn’t be able to live out my natural lifespan.
“I have a favor to ask of the Grand General.”
I didn’t intend to do this from the start.
Since this guy wasn’t just your average idiot, I had to do it right away.
“There is no need for it to be a favor. Please give the command,”
“I think we need to activate the Bell Hyeong-Uk Project.”
Day 2 of possession.
That was the time it took for me to vow not to see the Second Prince as a Human.
+++++
Maselin Kingdom, Crown Princess Mirne’s bedroom.
There, numerous communication-exclusive Artifacts existed.
And out of all those Artifacts, the one that contacted her first was, all too naturally.
Ring, ring, ring.
“Oh my, Prince Bedin, you’re up early?”
“Something a little sad happened… I contacted you because I wanted to be comforted.”
“What happened to make you have such a drooping face.”
It was the Bellos Empire’s Second Prince, Bedin.
A large dog Male Lead style, should I say he was like a golden retriever.
Since he was actually blonde, there were some similarities to a certain extent.
“Our puppy has been too sullen lately.”
It seemed he had suffered a lot of damage recently due to friction with the Crown Prince.
“Things like this never happened originally.”
Honestly, Mirne was just as bewildered by this part.
Originally, the Crown Prince was the kind of character who just listened to everything the Second Prince asked for and laughed heartily.
She couldn’t understand why he was suddenly taking care of the Empire like this.
“At this stage, the Empire needs to help so I can develop the Kingdom more easily.”
Of course, she had succeeded in naturalizing several of the Empire’s personnel.
Even if they retrieved everything overall, starting from the personnel to the investments.
She had some leeway to hold out, but looking at the Crown Prince’s suddenly changed actions.
“It doesn”t seem like he’ll stop here… It feels like he’ll really take everything back, but honestly, that would be too much, right? The Crown Prince isn’t that kind of character.'
She couldn’t predict at all how he would come out in the future.
So.
Before talking with the Second Prince, Bedin, in earnest.
“Silphiner, please. By the Crown Prince”s side… can you watch him from as far away as possible without getting caught?'
“Yeah, don”t worry!'
She asked Silphiner, who had the potential to become the Wind Spirit King, to observe the Crown Prince’s movements.
“…Lately, my brother hasn’t been treating me like he used to… I wonder what happened? Does he not like that I’m getting along with the Maselin Kingdom?”
“That wouldn’t be it. Why would His Royal Highness the Crown Prince hate you getting along with the Maselin Kingdom? There’s absolutely no reason for that.”
“Right? Then, um… honestly, I’m also worried that something bad might have happened to my brother recently… If not, there’s absolutely no reason for him to act like this to me… Of course! Even I can’t forgive my aides for deceiving me and committing corruption, but still, I’m worried there might be a big change in our exchanges with the Maselin Kingdom in the future.”
“For example?”
“First of all, it’s sad that I won’t be able to chat affectionately with Mirne like this and discuss state affairs anymore…”
The moment Bedin and Mirne’s conversation had been continuing for a while like that.
Thud!
“U-uncle?!”
“It is the command of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. You shall be punished for daring to arbitrarily decide the whereabouts of the Empire’s subjects.”
At the same time a loud noise suddenly came from Bedin’s side.
Like yesterday, the voice of the Bellos Empire’s Grand General briefly crossed over the Artifact before.
Click.
The communication was cut off.
“…Decide the whereabouts? Could it be… he means the naturalized personnel? He’s trying to… touch them too…?”
Just what in the world is going on.
With the Empire’s attitude changing rapidly every single day, not even with a month’s gap.
“At this rate, I”ll need to actively contact other places too…, but is it okay to do that right now?'
Mirne couldn’t even properly grasp the situation.
+++++
Smack!
“Ugh!”
Crash!
As soon as a foot planted itself in his abdomen, the Second Prince’s body was thrown out the window like unsightly old clothes.
Under the effects of expensive elixirs and Sol Bellos’s Cultivation Method since childhood.
Even though he plummeted from the Imperial Palace to the Ground in a defenseless state.
“Ugh… U-uncle… why, why violence all of a sudden…”
Far from fainting, the Second Prince raised his body perfectly fine.
And was throwing a question at his uncle, who was suddenly standing in front of him.
“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince stated he could no longer tolerate your state, so I, as the Grand General and your uncle, have come to discipline you.”
The Grand General, Akam Bellos, looked around and realized he had perfectly adjusted the location.
The Imperial Family Training Ground, where only those of Noble blood had the right to enter.
If it was here, there would be no problem disciplining him to his heart’s content.
“D-Discipline? What on earth are you talking about?! Didn’t we conclude yesterday that all the rest of the matters were the fault of my aides.”
“Managing one’s subordinates is also the duty of a superior, yet did you not forsake that duty and only contact the Princess of the Maselin Kingdom.”
“T-That’s true, but! It’s correct, but…”
“Yes, it is correct.”
Smack!
Once again, an unseen kick struck his head.
Exactly one revolution.
The sky and Ground flipped, and as if he had never been hit in the head.
His posture was restored to its original state.
“…S-Suddenly! Like this! I am also the Second Prince! Is it okay for you to treat a member of the Imperial Family like this!”
“If you were not of the Imperial Family, you would have committed a crime worthy of immediate execution for treason. The very fact that you are not dead and are receiving this level of punishment is a privilege of the Imperial Family.”
Whack!
The Second Prince focused his eyesight to try and dodge this time, but.
There was no way the Second Prince, who had been training half-heartedly while busy dating, could dodge a kick the Grand General threw in earnest.
Thud!
With the sound of a cannonball being fired, the Second Prince was slammed straight into the wall.
Looking at the Second Prince in that state, the Grand General pulled out a single iron chain from his chest as if he had remembered it belatedly.
And as soon as he pulled it out, his conversation with the Crown Prince naturally replayed in his mind.
“From now on, you must discipline the Second Prince periodically. At least an hour a day, violence - no, discipline - is needed to the extent that his endurance doesn”t increase.'
“How much should I do it? What is the standard for periodically?”
'I’d like it to be to the point where… he automatically shuts his mouth whenever he sees this. His body remembering it, you see.'
'…Isn’t this an iron chain?'
“Yes, from now on, when you beat - no, discipline him, please always take out the iron chain. You don”t need to beat him with the iron chain, just think of it as a sort of… signal, I suppose. Like, the moment the Grand General shows the iron chain, the discipline begins, something like that.'
“Ooh… I understand. But why is the name Bell Hyeong-Uk?”
“Because a highly respectable person is an authority on correcting this kind of, um… bad behavior. I borrowed it from that.”
'Understood.'
The Bell Hyeong Ooh… I understand. But why is the name Bell Hyeong-Uk?'
“Because a highly respectable person is an authority on correcting this kind of, um… bad behavior. I borrowed it from that.”
'Understood.'
The Bell Hyeong-Uk Project.
Until his body remembered that he would receive discipline the moment he saw the iron chain.
For about an hour every day, as the Grand General, as his uncle.
A plan to discipline him wit-Uk Project.
Until his body remembered that he would receive discipline the moment he saw the iron chain.
For about an hour every day, as the Grand General, as his uncle.
A plan to discipline him with the hope that his nephew would turn out well.
And.
“For the time being, the Second Prince, Bedin, will not be able to have any involvement in Imperial Affairs.”
“Y-Yes? H-How… No, that authority is my own authority!”
“It is an authority granted by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince… Anyway, this is not asking for your opinion. It is a notification.”
Lastly, completely blocking the Second Prince’s intervention in the Empire during that period.
These days, with no war and only peace.
The Grand General, who thought he would slowly become an old man in the back room while watching things eat away at the country.
“This is enjoyable, to be able to slice up corrupt Nobles so energetically and discipline my nephew as well.”
Felt alive for the first time in a very long while.
+++++
Smack! Pow! Thud! Bam!
“As expected, the Grand General”s discipline is on a different level from normal discipline.'
Raise your calves! Whip, smack, smack, smack!
Hold out your palms! You’ll get hit on the bone, stretch them out! Smack, smack, smack!
It wasn’t simply on this level.
For example, if you were playing soccer.
Should I call it a high-class discipline on the level of making the Second Prince’s position the soccer ball.
“The Second Prince, what kind of funny words is he hearing during his discipline that he”s spinning round and round.'
Just how funny is it.
While watching that sight.
Ring, ring, ring.
I touched the Artifact that was neatly stored in the Second Prince’s Private Quarters.
Without even needing to worry about things like, “How do I use this to connect to the Maselin Kingdom?”
As soon as I just touched it, the dial tone rang on its own.
Click.
The sound of the other party answering the call was heard.
“Hello? Bedin? What’s up all of a sudden at this hour?”
The owner of the voice was the Maselin Kingdom’s Crown Princess, Mirne.
Originally, I had no intention of calling like this right now.
Because I was going to do my best to normalize the domestic situation for the time being.
But.
“Princess Mirne, you’ve done something truly amusing.”
“…His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Just how insignificantly did you view the Spirit Affinity possessed by the Crown Prince of the Bellos Empire to pull this kind of prank.”
I never thought she would step up so directly first.
“Kieeeeeeek!”
As soon as I gripped my hand, the sound of something translucent vomiting out pain was heard.
No matter if it was a Spirit, it could not endure the burning pain of Sol Bellos.
“S-Silphiner?!”
“So it has that kind of name, this Spirit… Well, anyway, that’s not what’s important… You’re prepared to pay the price for pulling this kind of trick, right?”
Hey, do I still look like a pushover to you?