Chapter 18
The recent atmosphere in the Empire has been grim.
Honestly, you could tell right away without even trying to look into it.
For starters, the heads of the Eastern Alliance Nobles were hanging at the entrances of their territories.
The Grand Duke of the East had his Mana Core shattered and was preparing to be kicked out of the Empire.
The nobles who used to laugh and chat in the Imperial Center were also walking around with their heads bowed low, as if dead.
If they made even a single mistake, their knees would be immediately severed.
How could they possibly walk around with their heads held high?
“We can’t live like this! How are we any different from death row inmates quietly waiting to die!”
The Noble who said this died not long after.
It was because he was caught acting as a Parasite, sucking the Empire’s treasury dry.
“We must all gather our strength! Can we really die this pointlessly? We have to at least put up a fight!”
The Noble who said that died too.
It was because he was caught taking bribes from the Eastern Region, making it difficult for The Center to receive information about the Eastern Region.
“I can’t live like this; it’s suffocating. Is it right that we have to attend every State Council with the thought that we might die?”
The Noble who just brought this up lived.
He had looked out for his own self-interest, but he hadn’t committed treason.
And he had done his best in the work he was assigned.
“Hmm?”
Wait, you can live even if you look out for your own self-interest?
Once that realization hit, the atmosphere among the Central Nobles completely changed.
They thought they were being pressured without a moment to breathe and forced into absolute integrity.
But as it turned out, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was a very flexible person.
“If you do everything you’re supposed to do and then play, who’s going to say anything?”
Of course, there was a whole lot to do.
Especially with the recent imperial decree that all imperial citizens must be able to read and write.
As soon as the nobles heard this, they felt a threat to their status.
A world where everyone learns to read?
How easily would the Power Structure collapse in such a system?
He even mentioned plans to step up and actively cultivate talent.
At the same time, he had thoughts of bringing the hidden Heterogeneous Races up to the surface.
And he said he would establish an Academy to employ anyone competent, regardless of status constraints.
[…Isn’t this dangerous?]
[No matter how flexible he is, he’s someone who executes nobles in the middle of a meeting.]
[Will our positions even exist later on? No matter how much we work, in the end…]
[It’s not that we should dream of rebellion, but still… this is clearly dangerous.]
Naturally, from the perspective of the existing power holders, they couldn’t help but be anxious.
Because new water flowing in was a very dangerous thing for the established order.
However, this was also quickly resolved.
“Haha, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince recently praised my hard work and gave me some incredibly expensive liquor.”
“…Did you say Your Highness gives out rewards too?”
“I was quite surprised myself. To think he’d give liquor as a gift! There was even a letter apologizing for not being able to give it in person because he was so busy with Official matters.”
The atmosphere completely reversed when the Crown Prince sent gifts to the nobles who were working hard.
The superior they thought was only terrifying and suffocating.
The superior actually recognizes my hard work, and even gives gifts to show it?
Where else could you find a reward like this?
Furthermore, because of this,
“Are there those who haven’t tasted the liquor given by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Hmm, hmm. Those who haven’t tasted it probably need to work harder, or maybe they have something to hide.”
They started taking sides among themselves on their own.
Those who received liquor from the Crown Prince, and those who didn’t, existed.
Those who received it worked hard to keep getting more gifts.
Those who didn’t receive it reduced their sleeping hours to work, determined to get a gift.
And this was considered a sort of token.
“We who received this liquor can be seen as strictly different from those who will come in later.”
“Stating the obvious, aren’t you? Hahaha.”
“Only those who did wrong get punished in the first place, so I don’t know why we were so scared.”
“My thoughts exactly! That’s exactly what I’m saying!”
Ah, so His Royal Highness the Crown Prince does recognize our hard work after all!
The miracle of a superior who had only been terrifying suddenly feeling approachable.
It wasn’t that the Central Nobles were acting like this because they didn’t have the money to buy expensive liquor.
A gift from an overwhelming authority figure - the figure’s power created a ripple effect far beyond imagination.
That ripple effect even reached the salons, serving to raise the noses of the hostesses who received the gifts all the way to the sky.
“Ah, sadly, there is a certain liquor we’ve been completely obsessed with lately.”
“O-Oh my… Is this the one His Royal Highness the Crown Prince bestowed recently…?”
“Yes, once you drink it, well… should I say you can’t escape its luxurious taste? My husband brought it, and I wanted everyone to experience it.”
The sense of superiority from being the first to taste the liquor bestowed by the Crown Prince.
That alone was enough to determine one’s status in the salon.
Of course.
“Hah.”
The Crown Prince hadn’t expected that simply gifting liquor would snowball like this at all.
No, it was just that everyone seemed too tense every time they had a State Council.
He had just handed out a bottle to each of them so they would come in a more relaxed mood, but he was surprised to think it would have such a huge impact on the Central Nobles.
[I should make good use of this later.]
He was having such thoughts.
“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Oh, Chancellor.”
“The personnel whom Your Highness has been waiting for, dispatched to the Maselin Kingdom… have returned.”
“All of them?”
The Chancellor delivered welcome news to the Crown Prince.
However
“Those dispatched from The Center have all returned, the Eastern Region is on its way, and there is still no news from the Northern Region.”
“…No news from the Northern Region?”
It came with some interesting news as well.
+++++
“The personnel dispatched from The Center have suffered a lot, so treat them with utmost respect.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Also, have them recall and report everything they saw and heard while staying in the Maselin Kingdom.”
“I shall follow your command.”
The return of the personnel sent as free support from The Center.
First, I ordered that they be allowed to rest, as travel fatigue must have built up.
And at the same time, I told them to submit all the information they obtained in the Maselin Kingdom.
[The ones dispatched for free from the Eastern Region will probably bring the gifts in return for the support.]
I briefly thought about those who would return next.
The Eastern Region should be slowly getting ready to depart by now.
And the Northern Region should be preparing on its own if it has any sense.
[I personally ordered them all to come, yet there’s still no news from the Northern Region.]
I don’t know if their loyalty to the Grand Duke of the North is just that strong, or if they dispatched only crazy people.
But trying to move based on the Grand Duke of the North’s words rather than mine was incredibly arrogant.
There’s no chance they didn’t hear the news.
I mean, the imperial citizens are moving right next to them.
It would be ridiculous for them not to know.
[What if they don’t know? What if they’re in a truly remote place?]
It was still arrogant.
I mean, they were quick to send carrier pigeons whenever something happened to Mirne.
But when it comes to pulling their people out, they just stay quiet without a word?
If they wanted to maintain a stoic front, they shouldn’t have sent carrier pigeons in the first place.
“They’re failing to keep up with the rapidly changing Imperial Affairs.”
The Empire had been changing drastically lately.
Yet it’s just sitting there with its arms crossed.
[The Northern Region’s job was to block the demonic beasts crossing over from the north.]
demonic beasts or monsters.
Whatever you called them, the meaning was the same.
Some took the form of beasts, while others had forms never seen before.
Why a significant number of them inhabited the Northern Region, and why they crossed over into the Northern Region.
The reason for that had never been revealed. It just felt like it was set up that way from the start.
If it weren’t for us, the Empire would be completely destroyed by demonic beasts, starting from the Northern Region!
Therefore, we can act tough! Were they throwing a tantrum with that kind of mindset?
This curiosity arose, so during the State Council, I asked if anyone knew anything about the Northern Region.
“Your Highness, the Northern Region is an isolated place.”
“What?”
I ended up hearing a shocking story.
“In the past, the Grand Duke of the North stated that to defend the Northern Region more firmly, information must not leak out… so the Northern Region has kept communication with the Empire to a minimum.”
“Did I permit that?”
“I recall that the Grand Duke of the North was extremely stubborn about it, so you had no choice but to turn a blind eye.”
The fact that the Northern Region was isolated from The Center.
[What in the blazes does that mean?]
[How can there be isolation within the same Empire?]
[According to the reports I received, The Center has been steadily providing aid to the Northern Region.]
[So the Northern Region just sits there quietly without a word while receiving this aid?]
[And we don’t even receive the resources produced there, or the byproducts from hunting demonic beasts?]
[How on earth is the Empire holding up? What kind of structure is this?]
[Just how well was the foundation laid for it to still be functioning perfectly?]
Amidst these complex and varied thoughts
I continued the meeting.
Because there were many other problems to solve besides the Northern Region right now.
“I want the Academy completed quickly, especially since the talent from The Center has arrived.”
“May I ask what scale you are considering?”
“To the point where nowhere else can compare. Our Empire’s Academy must be the greatest on the Continent.”
Even while handling the agenda items one by one like that.
My mind was gradually swelling with a single thought.
[Northern Excursion.]
Grand Duke of the North, let’s make sure to meet soon.
+++++
The news of the Crown Prince’s Northern Excursion immediately reached the Executioners.
Once again, the Executioners left their respective palaces and gathered in The Center.
“Okay! I can go this time too, right?”
“…Even so, is it right for you, Arveda, to go again when you already went the first time?”
“Hey, Tin Can, you got a problem with that? Wanna go a round? Should we head somewhere with no people?”
“I wonder how such an arrogant attitude gets corrected in front of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
“I know how to keep up appearances, you know?”
The “2nd Who Will Tag Along Context: Should we head somewhere with no people?”
“I wonder how such an arrogant attitude gets corrected in front of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
“I know how to keep up appearances, you know?”
The”2nd Who Will Tag Along' summit began immediately.
“But why do you guys even come out when you’re never going to say anything?”
Arveda turned her gaze toward the three who were still silent.
The one called Tin Can summit began immediately.
“But why do you guys even come out when you’re never going to say anything?”
Arveda turned her gaze toward the three who were still silent.
Since the one called Tin Can seemed absolutely determined to go this time.
She intended to eliminate the other competitors.
At that moment, the large one among the silent ones opened his mouth.
“Does Bellos remember the covenant?”
This is a topic somewhat unrelated to the current subject.
However, the remaining two who had kept their mouths shut reacted to those words.
“Does the bloodline of Bellos remember the covenant made with us?”
“It is not yet time. But the time will come.”
The talk was cryptic.
Yet no one present raised any objections to this conversation.
“…I plan to confirm it this time. That is why I will go.”
“Hah! I’m the one going, you know?”
“Among the Executioners, I am the most free from the covenant.”
“…”
At Tin Can’s words, Arveda clamped her mouth shut.
It was a look of reluctant acknowledgment.
Receiving that look, Tin Can nodded and directed his steps toward the Imperial Palace instead of his own palace.
It was finally time to Check out the Protagonist everyone had been talking about lately, the Crown Prince.
+++++
I decided to bring along one Executioner for this Northern Excursion as well.
The tasks to be done were similar to last time.
They were executing all the nobles showing signs of rebellious movements.
And at the same time, they were finding out what the Grand Duke of the North was up to.
[It’s a shame his Spirit Affinity isn’t low like the Grand Duke of the East’s.]
If he had been at a level where he couldn’t even see spirits at all, I would have dispatched Silphiner.
The environment of the Northern Region itself was quite threatening to Spirits, too.
Since the Grand Duke of the North was said to be sensitive to that sort of thing anyway, I needed to confirm it with my own eyes.
“I look forward to working with you. I am Bellon.”
“I am called Pavan. It is an honor to join you.”
They had an androgynous voice and a height that looked to be around ten feet.
They were heavily armed from head to toe, with a massive mace, a greatsword, and a spear on their back.
Their appearance would remind anyone of a weapon of war.
It’s going to be hard to move around stealthily like this.
[Isn’t this unsuitable for an excursion?]
But that thought only lasted a moment.
“To others, I will be perceived as an ordinary young girl. Please do not worry.”
Pavan gave an answer as if reading my mind.
“Understood.”
Well, that settles it then.
The very moment I directed my steps straight toward the Northern Region without a single worry.
[The Villainess Ring is reacting.]
[A Villainess exists in the Northern Region.]
[A fateful encounter awaits.]
The Villainess Ring, which hadn’t reacted once since I received it, poured out messages as if finally ready to show me something.
[Villainess ahead.]
Yeah, thanks for letting me know.