The Grand Banquet (4)
At the very moment when the crown prince was enjoying the banquet to his heart's content.
"How can you so easily abandon our homeland!"
The Agil tribe had begun preparations to leave their longtime home and head north to the Bellos Empire, following their chieftain's orders.
"Is changing your territory really that unbearable?"
Of course, not everyone was convinced. It was only natural that grumbling would arise.
"We won't say no because it's the chieftain's word. But it's hard to believe."
The story was that they were abandoning their lives' foundation on the crown prince's "command" and coming under the empire's wing. They were promised noble titles based on merit and a better life than now. The Agil tribe's warriors couldn't take such tales at face value.
"We've heard we'll be stationed on the front lines to hold the northern front."
"That's right."
"Some say it won't be much different from our current life, and that has a ring of truth... but can we truly trust them—the crown prince—to protect us safely under the empire's shadow?"
The Agil chieftain nodded after hearing the warrior out.
"I understand."
Honestly, even he couldn't swallow it easily. When they were told that barbarians like them would become northerners holding the front lines, he couldn't shake the thought that they'd be used as expendables and discarded.
But.
"We have no choice."
Rejecting the crown prince's "invitation" wasn't even an option.
"The crown prince gave us a choice: be enemies or allies."
If they became allies, at least they wouldn't die by his hand. That much, he could believe.
Because.
"If we become enemies..."
The massive beast's corpse right before their eyes told them exactly what would happen if they refused to abandon their home. A great beast—Bigfoot. The Agil tribe's longtime nemesis and one of the north's disasters. Easily over 10 meters tall, with absurdly enormous feet. Countless warriors had been crushed to death under those feet. How many attempts had the tribe made to hunt this Bigfoot? Every time, they suffered one-sided losses.
To earn our trust... he hunted a great beast as proof of his power.
That monstrous great beast lay cold and dead in the heart of the Agil tribe's territory. Its feet were missing—likely taken to show other tribes as proof—but even without them, the creature before them was unmistakably Bigfoot.
"...We'll all die. They know they can kill us wanderers without consequence, no matter where we are."
"..."
Everyone pictured the tribe uniting against the empire. Scattered tribes coming together as one to defy it?
No, they wouldn't even need to march to the empire's borders.
The Agil chieftain envisioned the crown prince drawing his sword. The future for tribes that distrusted him and chose death over submission. When countless tribes, spewing the greatest bluffs of their lives, tried to break through the northern front.
"If you reject the empire's shadow, behold the empire's sun!"
Unimaginable forms of death in the north.
"Save me! Save me!"
"My body—it's too hot—"
"Ah, aaaaaah..."
Tribesmen dying from scorching agony.
"To survive, we must enter the shadow. And the sooner, the better."
The Agil chieftain gazed at his tribespeople packing their belongings. He prayed the other tribes would realize this soon and migrate under the shadow as well. He prayed over and over.
***
The two main reasons I proposed marriage to Mirne were these.
One was to find the "Juice Bar" male leads whose whereabouts I couldn't pinpoint.
Just how many guys is she playing with? I can't get a read on it.
You need to clearly identify your enemies to make precise judgments. That's why I wanted to root out those head-over-heels for Mirne. And the method? A public engagement proposal.
A weak kingdom like Maselin couldn't refuse the empire's proposal. This would let me clearly identify the fish swimming in Mirne's pond.
The ones glaring at me when the crown prince of the empire proposed publicly? They'd surely be her pond dwellers.
The other reason? Keep your enemies closer.
In the end, Mirne would receive massive support from surrounding kingdoms to strengthen Maselin. I couldn't just watch that happen, nor could I unilaterally demand they stop aiding another country.
So the ideal solution was to bring her under the empire's umbrella.
In truth,
The Juice Bar male leads aren't supporting Maselin—they're supporting Mirne.
The moment I pulled Mirne into the empire, the Juice Bar plot would shake massively.
Or... maybe they'll turn against the empire because she belongs to someone?
The problem was not knowing the direction it'd take. So the first reason was the core for playing the public proposal card, more than the second.
But even as I did it, I wondered if it'd work.
Originally, the goal was to pressure a healthy Mirne. But now she was covered in blood, so I figured no one would step up.
But.
Stares are pouring in.
Those who stayed silent until the proposal erupted the moment I forcibly held Mirne.
Whoosh.
I felt them suppressing their auras as much as possible while glaring at me.
The saint definitely fell for her.
Not just the saint—princes from decent mid-tier kingdoms were eyeing me too, faces twisted as if forcing themselves to hold back given the situation.
Interesting.
I couldn't drag Mirne to the empire right now, but at least from now on, every time she fished her pond, my presence would be etched in those guys' minds.
I'd stirred the pot enough. Had my fun.
As I thought that,
"Release her at once!"
A reckless fool bellowed, catching my ear.
"Found you."
The words slipped out automatically upon hearing him.
Beyond the two big reasons for the public proposal.
A third reason I hadn't banked on, wondering if it'd even happen.
Less a reason, more a hypothesis.
I was deeply curious: if Mirne's safety was threatened, how would the world protect her?
So I deliberately created a situation for someone to intervene.
Objectively fragile Mirne couldn't withstand my pressure, and as she collapsed, I propped her up by force.
Who would barge in?
Would anyone really play the hero here?
"How dare you ruin the empire's banquet."
"I-I'm not the one ruining it! It's you, Crown Prince...!"
"Me, the crown prince?"
He really exists.
Still just a hypothesis, but this hothead gave it legs for further testing.
"I merely supported the falling Princess Mirne... yet you misinterpret my intent, raise mana in the banquet hall... and address me informally."
The empire was creaking internally on a massive scale right now. Other kingdoms naturally knew.
Yet they all attended the banquet to judge the empire's state firsthand.
And here was a guy flipping the bird like he'd been waiting.
"You must know what it means to unleash mana in a banquet hall..."
"..."
Pressing further here would look bad. A crown prince nitpicking a monkey like this was laughable.
So.
"What do you all make of this?"
I tossed the judgment to the crowd.
And as if they'd been waiting,
"Crown Prince of Sendra! I never imagined you'd stoop to such disgrace!"
"Not content with twisting His Imperial Highness's intent, you unleash mana...!"
"How do you plan to make amends? Unthinkable!"
"You've ruined the banquet's mood! What were you thinking!"
Mid-tier kingdoms hurriedly piled on, pressuring Sendra's crown prince.
"...Princess Mirne, are you alright?"
"Y-yes... I was just startled by His Imperial Highness's support... I'm truly fine. If anything, I'm grateful he helped me."
Through the saint of Romper Holy Kingdom and Mirne's exchange, Sendra's crown prince was cornered perfectly.
Is the worldview dragging him out forcibly, or is 21st-century Mirne just that silver-tongued? Can't tell.
Not verifiable now, so I'd table it.
"Ah, ahh..."
Sendra's crown prince shuddered, realizing everyone was his enemy. Too late.
"I, my wrong..."
"You knew it was wrong and did it anyway!"
"Realizing it now is ridiculous! Just how great is Sendra to twist the empire's will!"
"Lucky for you His Imperial Highness is merciful—otherwise, I'd judge you myself!"
The royals, thinking they shared the empire's views, united to pressure Sendra's crown prince.
I'll watch a bit, then say he shows remorse.
The imperial treasury was empty. Perfect mark to refill it.
In conclusion.
Mirne's current position to me was... hit her, and money falls out?
Like a money tree.
***
Despite the rude interruption midway, the empire's banquet continued uninterrupted.
It went without saying. A mere crown prince stopping an imperial banquet was absurd.
But why... did the crown prince propose to me?
As the banquet proceeded, Mirne slipped out to the balcony for a breather.
Lucky there was that interruption, or I'd have had to clarify my stance on the engagement.
To others, a foolhardy act—but to her, a lifesaver. Answering the crown prince there would've twisted countless relationships.
"Whew."
As she sighed in relief,
"Why hide here, Princess Mirne?"
Saint Valerian approached.
"Hiding? I just... need fresh air sometimes."
"Haha, not burdened by His Imperial Highness's proposal?"
"...Who wouldn't be? It's the crown prince of the empire."
"Would you accept?"
"What do you think?"
"Answering questions with questions is a bad habit."
"Just coquetry toward you, Saint Valerian."
"...I like that."
They chatted idly for a while. Noticing no one approached even after time passed,
"Normally we'd exchange letters, but since we're here, better to say it now."
"About what?"
"...Princess Mirne, I want you to become the saintess."
Saint Valerian broached carefully.
Here it comes.
Mirne realized she'd entered the main story. A major branching point.
But spilling this here...?
Even on a secluded balcony, wasn't this careless?
"It's fine. I've used divinity to block anyone from hearing."
"Ah, got it."
Relieved by his words,
"Saintess... how could I take such an undeserved role."
She began building up for the main story progression.
And at the same time.
"Jealousy is a fascinating emotion—it drives you to do unnecessary things."
The crown prince had slipped out under the pretense of washing blood off and was eavesdropping on Mirne and the saint with his executioner using stealth magic.
Normally, the saint wouldn't need to discuss this on a balcony. But the crown prince's proposal stirred his desire to draw Mirne's attention more.
So he brought up the saintess topic—stronger than marriage—to shift her gaze.
Mirne... becoming saintess too?
He'd half-expected it. Protagonists snag everything.
But Crown Prince Bellon hadn't anticipated one thing.
Holy Kingdom: Villainess present.
"What?"
The Villainess Ring's message that a villainess existed in the Holy Kingdom.