Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Crown Prince Alondre (7) - A Time-Honored Status
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Continental royalty and nobility had two main ways to secure talent.
One was bringing in exceptional individuals from outside, and the other was raising them from the ground up.
Either way, it was no easy feat for smaller nations.
For external recruitment, truly capable talents confident in their skills rarely stuck around in minor countries.
After all, the treatment and rewards offered by great powers were far superior. Why would they settle for less?
No, to be precise, it wasn't impossible.
There were those who stayed out of a sense of belonging to their homeland or the mindset that a snake's head was better than a dragon's tail. But the former were rare, and the latter were tricky to handle.
You couldn't demand overly grueling tasks, had to negotiate fairly if they asked for extra compensation beyond regular pay, and soothe them if they threatened to leave for elsewhere.
At that point, it was less a lord-vassal relationship and more like business partners—or in extreme cases, they were the real bosses.
Raising talent internally was much the same.
Finding exceptional prospects somewhere in the nation, providing systematic education, instilling loyalty and a sense of duty strong enough to resist temptations from other powers—each step demanded money and administrative power.
A place capable of doing that properly wouldn't be called a minor nation to begin with.
In that sense, the existence of Skysong Academy was practically gospel for the myriad mid-sized and small nations in the central continent.
For starters, most of its students were carefully selected elites from various countries, so their loyalty and sense of belonging were far stronger than that of wild talents.
And Skysong graduates typically reached at least rank 5 upon leaving. Rarer still, rank 6 occasionally emerged.
Even better, the academy demanded nothing in return from the nations for nurturing these students—no political debts or physical burdens.
For central nations suffering talent droughts, where else could such sweet nectar be found?
"Skysong Academy... shut down? You're joking, right?"
"Where are we supposed to find talent from now on?!"
"Sh-should we establish a new training institution right away?"
"Damn it, if it were that easy, we'd have done it ages ago!"
Thus, when news of the academy's closure spread, the reactions from minor nations' leaders bordered on panic.
They prayed fervently it was baseless rumor, but that didn't make the event vanish.
Leaders and high officials racked their brains day and night to resolve this unprecedented crisis, while diplomats engaged in endless games of one-upmanship.
Of course, the repercussions weren't limited to minor nations.
"Hmm."
Eisen Empire. Capital city of Calastia.
"Share your thoughts. Will this be a boon or a bane for the Empire?"
The ministers responded to the emperor seated on his jade throne.
"A boon in the short term, but a bane in the long term."
"Why?"
"Skysong Academy was a neutral institution. It produced brilliant talents, true, but those benefits were shared among all central nations. From now on, things will change."
"Continue."
"Nations losing their talent pipeline will scramble for alternatives, but that's impossible without substantial national power. And right now, in the central continent, only the Cardian Republic can pull it off. They've already been running an institution mimicking our Imperial Academy, and they'll seize this chance to replace Skysong."
"If they succeed, all those petty central states will fall under Cardian's influence."
Cardian, already one of the continent's top five powers, would become a hegemon in the center—strong enough to rival the Empire alone.
"When I ascended the throne, they were fools losing even their existing territories to endless civil wars. Now they've grown into a real threat."
The emperor shook his head irritably, then issued a command.
"Propose to the central nations: if they wish, we'll accept their students at the Imperial Academy. We'll cover all costs."
The ministers exchanged glances before one stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, many in the center foolishly resent the Empire based on groundless rumors. I'm concerned they may fail to grasp Your Majesty's benevolence."
The minister's tone was exceedingly cautious.
The Empire's poor image in the central continent made even mild criticism risky.
The emperor noticed but didn't call it out.
"Still, from those kingdoms' perspective, wouldn't we feel more approachable than those electing monarchs by vote? Make good use of that. I trust you."
This was code for: handle it and deliver results.
The ministers felt awkward but didn't argue further.
The order wasn't unreasonable, and more importantly, impatience was creeping into the emperor's expression.
After the meeting, the ministers didn't gripe in small groups.
Only after fully withdrawing from the palace, in private manors where no ears lingered, among utterly trusted allies, did they speak freely.
"It's worrying how His Majesty's enthusiasm for governance wanes by the day."
"Well, compared to past emperors, he's still decent. No shedding ministers' blood on whims, no draining national strength with reckless projects, no holing up in villas ignoring state affairs."
"Anyone hearing that would think every emperor was a tyrant."
"Of course not. If so, the Empire wouldn't thrive as it does. But it's true their 'eccentricities' grew in their later reigns. Compared to others' flashy deviations, His Majesty is reliably moderate."
"Heh."
The bureaucrat could only chuckle, unable to deny it. Another murmured slyly.
"That's why I'm honestly uneasy about Crown Prince Alondre too."
"What? Where else is there timber like him since his debut?"
"I know. No one doubts His Highness's brilliance. But he started too early."
"Predecessors handled duties as crown prince too."
"Not to his extent. Naturally—he's swamped with heir training and ceremonies. How could he manage heavy workloads? Yet he does, and I'm worried it might fester later."
"Mm."
Even the crown prince admirer groaned thoughtfully, but no ready solution emerged.
It stemmed from the Empire's sheer size and might.
As imperial subjects, who could advocate "splitting the Empire or ceding territory to lighten the emperor's burden"?
Reducing the emperor's decision weight risked weakening imperial authority too.
Such was the throne of a superpower.
All they could do was fret over the crown prince grinding away for the nation without even minor diversions.
"Splendid! Truly splendid! Aiding your master without fearing your own destruction, ultimately seizing the greatest victory—what a model demon sword!"
Moreover, having grasped the events through the fragments of Forte that Lucidra had secretly retrieved, the crown prince couldn't stop marveling and applauding.
Those worrying over him would feel inexplicably betrayed by his bright, lively face.
Lucidra's expression mixed disbelief.
"No way does a 'demon sword' like that exist. If you wanted that plot, why not make it a holy sword from the start?"
But the crown prince wagged a finger as if she were clueless.
"Think about it. Suppose there's a tool of utmost sanctity, purity, and goodness from its origins. Its owner falls into peril, and to save him, the holy tool sacrifices itself. What would you think?"
"Uh... it lived up to its name?"
"Now reverse it: the owner dies, but the tool survives unscathed. How would that look? All shine and backstory, no substance—disappointment or scorn, right?"
"Probably?"
"Conversely, if a wicked, ominous, curse-spewing demon sword ignores its master, that's unremarkable. But if it aids him against all odds? Astonishing and wondrous. So naturally, a demon sword outshines a holy one."
What? Why does that make sense?
As Lucidra felt inexplicable defeat, the crown prince smoothly shifted topics.
"How are those two faring?"
"I've changed their appearances and names, and they're working at the Brown Merchant Company for now."
"The contract with Deception?"
"Swallowed and done. Deception probably got the signal they're dead."
"No side effects?"
"Since the soul was ingested once but spat out before full absorption, it'll be weakened overall. Roughly down to its contractor's level—maybe rank 4?"
"If so, no issue."
Lucidra smirked at his casual dismissal of "no problem."
Having seen his empathy, sorrow, and rage like a hero's over others' pain, she felt she understood him better.
If a hero acted righteously "because it's right," the crown prince did so "because he liked it"—crassly, by personal taste.
Transcendent, almost inhuman in a way.
—And utterly captivating in Lucidra's eyes.
Fueling her desire to corrupt and claim him even more.
'No idea how yet, but plenty of time.'
With that thought, Lucidra changed the subject.
"So, what's the next clone? Solo transcendent slaying this time?"
"Nonsense. This win hinged on Pina's efforts and the transcendent's self-restraint. Even peak Librarian Ernst there would've been crushed."
"Just teasing. So, what's the real plan? Foiling another grand conspiracy?"
The crown prince shook his head.
"Failed to recover the demon king's remains, lost minions too—even Deception will lie low for a while."
No worries of it targeting Pina in revenge either.
Touching the now-spotlit Pina would openly advertise its existence to humanity, forcing Deception to tread carefully.
"Meaning this time, no grand mission or purpose—just crafting a clone for my hobbies!"
"Demon sword wasn't a hobby?"
"Hahaha, what to try next? It's exciting!"
"Don't dismiss it. That screams hobby."
"Librarian and demon sword wielded rank 6 power but with finicky conditions. This time, drop to rank 5 for more autonomy."
"Not listening, this guy..."
After much deliberation, the crown prince declared his decision.
"Alright, name's set. Gritz works."
"Sure, sure. So, what's the job?"
"Beggar."
"...What?"
"A prince's alternate identity with deep history. Sure, I'm crown prince, but categorically, it fits."
"......"
Lucidra felt a twinge of doubt about corrupting this madman, seeing his innocently resolute eyes.