Cleaning Time (1)

Empire downfall doesn't just mean the empire vanishing into thin air. 'Even if the empire stops being an empire, that's still downfall.' Just looking at the original story, the empire keeps pouring free aid into neighboring countries nonstop. If that continues, the empire won't stay prosperous much longer—and that alone qualifies ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as downfall.

So, to prevent this kind of collapse, the first thing I had to do was...

"Hyung, right? You'll send them, yeah? The Executioners? I know sending all of them doesn't make sense, so... how about half? Just half, on the sly! What do you think? Genius idea, huh?"

Put down this lovesick lunatic.

'By the way, the emperor wasn't at the council meeting. Probably.' Him too—I'd have to deal with him, and figure out why the emperor vanished. But first priority, no question, was handling Second Prince Bedin.

"Hyung?"

I ignored the second prince's words, lost in thoughts of how to dispose of him, when he must've sensed something off. Bedin tilted his head at me, looking puzzled.

"Silence means yes, they say, so I'll take that as a yes and send half the Executioners?"

He monologued to himself, drew his own conclusion, and turned to leave my room again.

"I've realized the biggest problem first."

I grabbed the second prince by the nape of his neck and slammed him to the floor.

Thud!

I'd only meant to grab him lightly and stop him, but...

'Why is my strength like this?'

My physical specs were beyond ridiculous. It moved exactly as I wanted, but with performance several times higher than intended, like it adjusted automatically.

"The problem is you looking down on me."

Even with a clear decision-maker in place, he tiptoes around, trying to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠handle things himself like some subordinate employee. This usually happens when a senior gets eaten by their junior. Who'd have thought an incompetent junior would try to devour a competent senior? The senior had issues too.

'You can't just let a junior walk all over you forever. Cut it off at some point—keep indulging him, and he assumes no answer means yes and just leaves.'

If this were the original crown prince, he'd have cheered on his little brother and sent the Executioners without question. But no more of that.

"H-Hyung?! W-When did I ever look down on you...?"

"How else would you draw your own conclusions and walk out without an answer from me?"

The second prince lay sprawled on the floor, too shocked to even register it. He seemed thrown off because his formerly kind brother had changed overnight.

'Better adapt quick.'

The good times were over.

"From now on, the empire won't support the Maselin Kingdom. And we'll reclaim every bit of aid we've given without reason or gotten nothing back for."

"...But hyung! Then the Maselin Kingdom will suffer! They're barely hanging on thanks to our help!"

Watching the second prince still defend Maselin without snapping out of it...

"Then give up your second prince title and go live there yourself... Why keep giving away the empire's resources?"

I continued in disbelief.

"Right, you can't do that... because you're powerless, just a weakling... so you leech off the prince title by handing out the empire's stuff, huh?"

"H-Hyung?"

"I'm sick of hearing 'hyung' every time you open your mouth. I've made my will clear, so get out. And no more council meetings hosted by you on Maselin support."

I nailed down the no-support stance and kicked the second prince out of the room. Even if we're close, barging into the crown prince's chambers like that is ridiculous.

"...So, first step toward normalcy."

Reclaiming the aid we'd given Maselin.

+++++

"W-What...? What do you mean? Say that again."

"The Bellos Empire... has strongly conveyed they won't send the Executioners. They've also strongly urged us to return all empire personnel currently stationed in the Maselin Kingdom immediately."

"H-Huh..."

King Dir Maselin of the Maselin Kingdom staggered at his vassal's words.

"Call the princess. Right now."

"Yes, sire!"

The empire's military not coming was bad enough, but losing all their personnel was catastrophic. It sounded absurd, but the empire's talent was what kept Maselin's economy running. The best minds—called the pinnacle of knowledge—worked for free. It saved money and let them glimpse the empire's wisdom constantly.

Now that vanishing overnight? That could shake the kingdom to its core. And "all personnel" included the empire's knight orders safeguarding Maselin. Security and national strength would take a massive hit.

They were barely surviving in the harsh western lands, and now the empire flips like this?

'This can't happen. It mustn't.'

At least it wasn't all doom. Maselin had a way to turn this around.

The door burst open.

"Is it true? The empire suddenly changed their mind and demands all personnel back?"

"Princess, you're here! Yes, that's exactly it."

The kingdom's—no, the continent's—most beautiful woman stepped in. His irreplaceable daughter.

"Mirne, do you have a way?"

She was the strategist who'd grown this weak western kingdom to its current state. Born brilliant, she'd always stunned with novel solutions that brought massive gains. Maselin's bag of wisdom, you could say.

So the king trusted she'd have something this time too.

"Leave it to me."

Mirne declared confidently and headed straight to her room, activating her artifact immediately.

Riiing.

A cheat item that connected anywhere with minimal mana, no distance limits. It linked Maselin to the Bellos Empire effortlessly.

Click.

The connection tone sounded.

"Bedin, what the hell happened? You said you'd send the Executioners... and now pull all personnel?"

Recipient: Bedin, the empire's second prince and Maselin's main backer.

'He's never done this before. Isn't he head over heels for me?'

Mirne demanded an explanation, confused.

"I-I was going to, of course... but my brother flat-out refused... I think it's really impossible this time. They're already prepping to recall everyone on our side..."

"What? The crown prince himself intervened? And said no?"

Shocking reply.

'This wasn't in the original story.'

The crown prince blocking empire support to Maselin? With the second prince sounding this scared on the call? Unthinkable. She'd read the original over 50 times—no such variable.

Mirne reeled in confusion.

Unaware, the second prince continued.

"Yeah... he got really mad, honestly... first time I've seen him like that. I'll try to hold it off as much as I can, but... probably won't work."

First time seeing the crown prince's wrath, the deflated second prince gloomily explained.

"But the investments we committed to are proceeding steadily, so don't worry! I'm handling that discreetly."

"...Got it. But don't push yourself too hard—I hate seeing you suffer."

"Mirne...!!!"

Mwah mwah mwah.

The call ended with the second prince's kissing sounds.

'Is the empire changing? Or was mentioning the Executioners too much?'

Temporary glitch, or the empire's first step toward drastic change? The altered future unnerved Mirne.

But soon...

'It's just a phase. The pushover crown prince I know will prevail.'

She shelved her worries. After all, this world existed to hand everything to the protagonist.

+++++

"List everything the second prince sent to Maselin without reason... and all investments too. Bring it all."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"The sooner, the better. Ideally, I'd see it first thing when I wake up."

"Understood."

The foreign affairs officer bolted from the office at my words. Tight deadline, unavoidable.

We had to grasp this fast. Free aid could be reclaimed freely, but investments were trickier.

"Investments should multiply returns... but this was just pouring water into a bottomless bucket."

The existing investment plans only drew bitter laughs. "Investment"? More like free labor.

'Started disguised as investments, but once the crown prince indulged him, they got lazy and just gave without plans?'

Absurd. And no dividends despite investments—just endless funding. Until when? Maselin was satisfied.

'Gotta normalize it all.'

With that resolve...

The empire's Doom Probability dropped 5% in a flash.

'Cutting free aid was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right.'

The summary even softened from "will collapse in 5 years" to "very high chance."

Confirms we're on track—

"Empire Status Window?"

I muttered the reward name, curious.

Ding!

"Huh."

The Empire Status Window popped up, summarizing the current state. But one thing stood out.

Diplomacy at worst made sense—we'd been total pushovers.

"What's this about corruption?"

Turns out the second prince wasn't the only problem.