Becoming a Prince
Becoming a Prince
"I just miss my mom."
It wasn't like I could say that.
Sincerity is one thing, but that would just be an insult to the Emperor, who had already declared that he wouldn't even ask who my mother was or if I even knew her.
What kind of answer would be best? I had fallen into this world, but it didn't feel entirely alien. It was a modern society, and there were even Gallery apps and smartphones.
But family, friends, the home I was fond of... The fact that I could no longer see everything I had taken for granted kept pricking at a corner of my heart.
Still, there were many people I had met here.
Katerina, who treated me warmly without caring about the surrounding gazes, despite being a princess.
The princess I saw at Mt. Manosan didn't treat me badly either, even though I had acted rudely.
Veronica, who, even if a bit eccentric, had prepared clothes for me out of consideration when I arrived at the [Drevo] River.
Nina, who seemed to treat me kindly while wearing a mask at first, but now looked at me with genuinely gentle eyes.
Victoria... hmm, she didn't say a word, so I don't know. Anyway,
Even the Emperor, who I worried might treat me as a dangerous individual because I was a water ability user with a compatible element, now looked at me like a grandfather looking at his grandson.
It was a situation with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Except for the one thing weighing on my conscience: the fact that I was deceiving them about being their blood relative.
"At first, well, I kind of wanted to die."
At my words, Katerina's expressionless face broke. She glared at me as if angry. I quickly continued.
"But! Since Katerina first came to find me and up until now, those feelings have melted away like snow."
I answered with all my heart.
"I am truly, deeply grateful for this occasion today. I mean it. It feels like I've returned to the home I missed and met my family."
"Saklasi..."
"Since you don't consider it rude, I'll say it! I'm truly happy to have gained a cute grandmother and 15 beautiful aunts!"
"What are you going to do about King Albrecht and Captain Adolf? Saklasi."
Katerina said, feeding Saklasi the fruit served for dessert.
She wasn't satisfied with the punishment for King Albrecht being merely the return of the Minos territory that the [Raigen] Kingdom had purchased.
Because the Assistant Manager Manneric was still broken, he couldn't report to Katerina coherently. Therefore, Katerina didn't know that Saklasi's head had been cut off. If she had known, she would have rushed to the [Raigen] Kingdom right then and there.
She would have shown the true value of another broken [Wish] of a high-ranking fire ability user, 'Like a Heart That Never Extinguishes'.
The effect was that the wielder of this [Wish] would not get tired. The three [Wish]es of a high-ranking fire ability user that come as a set.
First, 'Like a Wildfire' burns everything around the wielder, then 'Like the Wildfire in My Eyes' burns everything within their field of vision. Finally, with 'Like a Heart That Never Extinguishes', they do all of this without tiring.
Without eating, drinking, or sleeping, a high-ranking fire ability user High Elf could burn the [Raigen] Kingdom day and night for an entire month.
It wouldn't just be Katerina. The princesses who were Offensers scattered throughout the empire outside would also join in if they heard the story of King Albrecht and Saklasi. The first, Gelya, and the sixth, Marina, would rain down 'Fire Spear', the representative [Wish] of a Seongwi fire ability user, all over the [Raigen] Kingdom.
If it were the princesses, they could turn the [Raigen] Kingdom into a living hell.
However, Saklasi was the type to just brush off the fact that his head had been cut off, thinking, "I guess I'm super strong." King Albrecht should be sincerely grateful for that optimistic personality. If it had reached Katerina's ears, the [Raigen] Kingdom would have vanished no matter how much Saklasi tried to stop her. It might have even led to the Emperor's 'So-taeyang' being summoned for the first time in 80 years.
Saklasi, knowing absolutely nothing of this,
Munch, munch.
He answered while accepting the fruit Katerina was feeding him.
"King Albrecht is the King of Raigen, right?"
Seeing that Saklasi didn't even know his name, Katerina's heart softened a little.
"To Saklasi, he's an opponent not even worth remembering the name of."
"Yeah, he wasn't any threat, but you mean the return of the Minos territory isn't enough, right? But if we kill the King of Raigen, why do we have to destroy the [Raigen] Kingdom itself?"
"Killing King Albrecht, who has achieved Mythic Awakening, is like iconoclasm to the people of that country. Killing a king who ascended to a Seongwi ability user through the white weasel myth 'Laiju' awakening is equivalent to killing the manifestation of the myth they believe in."
Katerina continued with her characteristic expressionless face.
"The citizens of the [Raigen] Kingdom might feel aggrieved, but even so, a king is a position that takes responsibility for everything. His mistake is the same as the mistake of the entire [Raigen] Kingdom."
Katerina still spoke as if it were no big deal.
"Quite a few citizens of the [Raigen] Kingdom would protest, I suppose. But what does that matter? We could just erase the very fact that the white weasel race existed from history."
Saklasi heard Katerina's explanation, but it was hard for him to accept the values of this world. A modern society, yet a world with kings and emperors. Saklasi was just an ordinary twenty-year-old man from his original world.
"What should I do? Katerina?"
"I want to respect Saklasi's opinion as much as possible. An ordinary Duke of the Empire might generously let it slide with just the Minos territory."
Katerina caught her breath for a moment and then said firmly.
"But since Mother has decided to accept you as a member of the Imperial family, that won't do. Even our benevolent Mother does not forgive those who don't know their place."
"I see..."
"Do you know the personality of the animal weasel? Generosity doesn't work on them."
"I've never thought about it. I only like dogs."
"Heh. Saklasi, you're funny. To continue the explanation, beastkin follow the tendencies of their base animal. Like the animal weasel, they are fierce and will pounce if given the chance. As long as Albrecht is a white weasel beastkin, if we don't make it clear that we are superior, he'll crawl back up again. Next time, he might even do it to me."
"That absolutely cannot happen!"
"I cannot defeat Albrecht, Saklasi."
"Should I just kill him then? Katerina?"
"Are you convinced now about erasing the [Raigen] Kingdom? Saklasi won't even need to step in personally."
When Saklasi still couldn't answer immediately, Katerina took a detour.
"I don't intend to force you. Then, let's do this. Make them take responsibility."
"Responsibility? What would be good?"
"If it's difficult to cleanly purge the related parties, then it should be something the entire [Raigen] Kingdom takes responsibility for. So that white weasels who don't know their place don't appear again."
"Katerina, then how about this?"
"Anything. It will be done as you wish."
"The [Raigen] Kingdom and the Empire must have tariffs between them, right? Let's eliminate the tariffs on goods exported to Raigen. [Raigen] will be able to import Koopong's logistics duty-free."
"Is that all?"
"Hmm~ And also, let's make the airports and ports of the [Raigen] Kingdom Koopong's overseas logistics hubs. We'll make those places extraterritorial. All disputes occurring there will follow the Empire's laws."
Katerina looked at Saklasi with a surprised expression. She thought, 'How does someone who didn't even know what year it was according to the report know about things like this?', but since the Emperor had decided to let everything slide, she let it pass.
"Since that period is Albrecht's fault, how about setting it until the day his lifespan ends, and for Adolf, a life sentence?"
Saklasi thought, 'Now that I say it, the progression is similar to what I learned in history class, is this okay?', but,
"Good, that can be considered the entire citizenry taking responsibility. But what if they don't accept it?"
"Then I will actively accept Katerina's opinion."
"Understood. Mother, what do you think?"
"Saklasi, my grandson, I will soon officially proclaim you from a Duke to an Archduke. Afterward, make Albrecht kneel publicly. This much is worth letting slide. The territory you will rule as an Archduke shall start with [Raigen]."
"Yes? Archduke?"
"Saklasi? This is the most generous punishment possible."
'I keep getting the feeling that I'm unintentionally acquiring land.'
"Yes! Thank you for actively accepting my opinion! Your Majesty the Emperor, Katerina."
"Shall we go see Count Bruno, who was supplying Koopong logistics for the [Busanosk] branch? We have him locked up in prison right now."
"Ah!"
There was still one more guy left to kill.
"That guy, really. He was a very bold fellow."
Veronica returned to her post as the Southern Defender Captain after contacting the Emperor.
"Who are you talking about?"
"Saklasi Stan."
"No way, it can't be... That can't be... There's no way you went to see him alone, leaving me behind while I train all day!"
"Calm down, Clara. As your older sister, I needed to check him out first."
"There's no way you went off by yourself, leaving me behind when I wanted to see him so much..."
"Having gone, it was a good decision. That is my judgment after seeing him in person. Clara, a fledgling like you might fall right into his clutches at any moment."
"What are you saying again!"
"That guy, he invited me to his house from our first meeting. Since Mother was going to personally inform him that he was our blood relative, he wouldn't have known I was his aunt yet, so who knows what might have happened!"
"What on earth are you imagining!"
"As a high-ranking person, wouldn't I be unable to resist him! Alone in a closed room! Just thinking about it makes my heart pound... no, that's not it! I almost had a major incident!"
"Sister! You're an idiot!"
"What did you say!? Clara! For insubordination, your newly received vacation is all confiscated!"
"You can't do that! I barely got it after training so hard!"
The Imperial Southern Defender unit was peaceful again today.
Scales shimmering faintly on her neckline and around her eyes.
A tail as long as her height, extending thickly from her waist.
She was seething with rage, her golden pupils, split vertically, glowing.
"Fools!"
She couldn't understand those who still dreamed of revenge even after 2,000 years had passed.
Above all, it was truly a futile endeavor. How was it any different from a suicide squad? As a moderate, she thought it was right to prostrate themselves and beg for forgiveness even now.
Among the beastkin races, they were called the Phantasmal Beast race, a race guaranteed a lifespan of 2,000 years just by being born.
In this land of snow where the north wind raged, they could no longer seek the prosperity of their race. Furthermore, as time passed, the fact that opinions were increasingly leaning toward the moderates played a part. The hardliners began to feel anxious. They finally made a decision.
They just needed to make it so the Emperor couldn't use 'So-taeyang'.
If they launched a surprise invasion of the Empire and turned the Imperial mainland into a battlefield, the Emperor wouldn't be able to blow away his own citizens with 'So-taeyang', so they would have a chance of winning.
Those who had been lying low for over 2,000 years began to move.