The Extra Prince Sets Out To Conquer The World

“To conclude, it’s not impossible.”

At my answer, the reactions of the commanders present here were mixed.

Some were expectant, wondering if my words were true, while others had negative gazes, thinking how the likes of me could do it.

Most were closer to the latter.

It was a natural reaction for a suddenly appearing outsider, and a ‘knight’ at that, to say he would handle magic dolls and fill Demiway’s absence in place of Horazon.

Demiway heard my answer and looked at me with serious eyes.

“Not impossible… Does that not sound to me like it could also be possible?”

At his question, I nodded with a playful smile.

“You heard correctly.”

At my affirmation, an elderly man who looked older than Demiway scoffed.

“Hah! Of course!”

When I glanced at him, the Special Forces Captain informed me of his identity.

“This is General Jemilian. As a Chiliarch and Division Commander, he has been in charge of the penal unit since the time of the previous commander.”

Blantzbarg’s penal unit was a single division composed of a total of 4 Centurion units.

A Division Commander would be one of the top five influential figures present here.

At a glance, he looked like a stiff old man.

I smiled brightly at Division Commander Jemilian.

“No matter how much I handle dolls, how could I perfectly substitute Commander or Sword Guard Sir Horazon’s place? I don’t have such an ability.”

At my words, Jemilian slapped his knee.

“That’s right! If you thought that way, it’s disrespecting the Commander!”

At the veteran’s shout, everyone seated here nodded their heads.

To them, the Sword Demon Demiway was like a living legend, so it was an understandable reaction.

“In fact, it’s impossible even for the Sword Guard Horazon, one of the Ten Swords Under Heaven, to ‘perfectly’ substitute the Commander.”

At my words, the commanders nodded vigorously.

No matter how strong and excellent Horazon’s leadership was, no one could replace him if he couldn’t gain the trust of those willing to give their lives for him.

By the way, it was a good thing I left Precia behind.

Considering she reveres her teacher, she wouldn’t be pleased with their reactions, so a dispute could have occurred, making me break out in a cold sweat thinking about it.

I took a step closer to them. Then, even those who had ignored me naturally looked at me.

“However, the question the Commander intended was not demanding me to perfectly fill the Commander’s place.”

I adjusted the strength of my voice and made eye contact with the audience present.

I adjusted even small movements so they could concentrate on me.

“The Commander asked if I could reduce the damage that might occur to you here, the soldiers you lead, and the people of this territory due to the vacancy created by him going to suppress the Red Eyes. The Commander loves and cherishes you all, the soldiers, and the people more than anyone else in the world, so he willingly asked for opinions even on a small possibility like me.”

And I added credibility to my words by selling Demiway’s authority.

These words were not only to gain the trust of the commanders present, but also a burden to Demiway.

“The Commander will ask me to do just a part, perhaps an insignificant part, of what he has been doing, so I said it’s not impossible if I have the Commander’s ‘help’.”

At my words, Demiway looked at me as if I was impudent.

He would know well that if he refuses the ‘help’ I ask for here, the words spoken earlier would be denied.

Moreover, even if I originally ask for help, he had no choice but to comply.

Because the one asking was clearly their side, not me.

Demiway looked at me and pondered for a moment, then smiled.

“Fine. I hope your words are not false. If you raise expectations like this and it’s false, I think I’ll be a little angry.”

Judging by that smile, it seemed he intended to cut the amount I billed, using it as an excuse if I wasn’t helpful.

To calculate that far in a short time, he’s certainly not an easy person.

I confidently stood in front of him and smiled back.

“It seems there will be no reason to be angry, so that’s fortunate. I have weak courage, so if Commander, Your Excellency gets angry, I’ll be so scared I might have a heart attack.”

Demiway and I looked at each other and smiled. Underneath those smiles, fierce gazes were exchanged.

“Then let’s start the strategy meeting. First, since there’s no confidence in the strength of the combat dolls Sir Yuan will control, let’s make plans based on the doll strength in the existing records. No problem, right?”

Demiway asked me, and I nodded.

“Of course. Before a war, optimism is no better than pessimism, so Commander, Your Excellency is right.”

Originally, assuming the worst-case scenario was the way to reduce damage.

“Sir Yuan, when do you expect the doll repairs to be completed?”

“If there are no unusual circumstances, five days, and if we consider test operation and additional inspections, a week will suffice.”

“Faster than I thought.”

Hearing my answer, Demiway continued the military meeting.

The process of establishing the strategy proceeded swiftly without room for me to intervene.

The fairly long military meeting ended, and the other commanders returned to their respective positions to attend to their duties.

Although the meeting was convened urgently due to news from the capital, it seemed nothing would change significantly right away.

Only Demiway and I remained in the commander’s office to have a conversation we couldn’t have during the meeting.

“May I see the answer that came from the royal capital?”

“It’s not a secret letter, so it should be fine.”

At my request, Demiway handed over a letter stamped with the royal family’s emblem.

Clang clang clang clang-!

I was about to read it right away, but the sound of a bell noisily rang outside the commander’s office, alerting an enemy attack, so I looked out the window.

“Looks like spring is really starting now.”

At my words, Demiway nodded indifferently as if familiar.

“When it’s severe, monsters swarm in 10-minute intervals. At that time, it becomes easier to face the enemies. Most of the ones coming down the mountains mutually slaughter each other in front of the fortress because they hate cannibalism.”

Although called monsters, they were closer to beasts, to be exact.

Since they came down due to hunger, not particularly due to malice towards humans, ironically, the more diverse types swarmed, the safer the fortress became.

“Now, let’s stop the small talk and finish the remaining business. What is the help you want from me? Seeing you keep unnecessarily beating around the bush, it doesn’t seem to be an easy help.”

At his sharp point, I paused for a moment and answered.

“I’ll be straightforward. Commander, please give me some of your family’s secret elixir. Isn’t there something called Silverbloom?”

As if my words were unexpected, Demiway asked back.

“You want Silverbloom? Why?”

“It’s because my magic power is a bit lacking. To properly operate the dolls, I need to expand my magic power vessel.”

According to my calculations, I could properly handle all the dolls even now.

But that time would be extremely short.

To reach the level Demiway wanted, I needed at least about three times my current magic power.

Of course, my current magic power was so measly that even tripling it would be far from the average mage’s level.

When I spilled the truth, Demiway looked at me as if it was absurd.

“So you’ll eat our family’s secret elixir to expand your magic power vessel?”

“That’s right.”

“Right now, forget the level I want, you’re at a level that’s neither here nor there as a dollmaster?”

“That’s right. It’s because I started learning magic not long ago.”

I smiled brightly and nodded.

At my smile, Demiway’s face began to redden.

“Are you saying you scammed me?”

“Hey, it’s not a scam. I told you everything as is. I said it’s not impossible if I have Commander’s help, I didn’t say it’s not impossible even without Commander’s help.”

At my cheeky answer, Demiway shouted angrily as if truly angry.

“How is that not a scam! Shamelessly saying you can do it with an ability you don’t have, how is that different!”

Stinging magic waves poured out of Demiway’s body, seeming to pierce my whole body.

The intense fighting spirit made me dizzy and cold sweat poured down, but I didn’t lose composure.

“You’re saying strange things. I told you of my shortcomings and said I need help. Didn’t you say okay and hope it’s not false words?”

“Are you trying to play word games with me now! You’ll eat the elixir to expand your magic power vessel and then handle the dolls? Do you know how much a mage’s magic power will increase from eating the knight elixir Silverbloom! If that’s not false words, then what is!”

His family’s secret elixir, Silverbloom, was ultimately a medicine to aid knights’ training, not a medicine that helps develop a mage’s magic circuits.

It was common sense in this world that knight elixirs don’t greatly help in developing magic circuits.

The reason Demiway was so angry was because he thought I had deceived him, not because he was stingy about the elixir.

Despite his murderous fighting spirit, I smiled without losing my smile while breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Of course not. For my words to be false, I must fail to reach the minimum level even after Commander gives me Silverbloom. Only in that case would it be false words.”

At my words, Demiway glared at me as if he would kill me. But there was nothing wrong with my words.

“First, calm down. Isn’t there no loss for Commander?”

“No loss?”

“Yes, even if I become a liar, Commander can just deduct the amount of the invoice I gave you by the price of the elixir. Wouldn’t that be more pleasing to Commander?”

At my words, he flinched for a moment.

There was no way someone with such quick calculations wouldn’t know how much he could deduct using the elixir price as an excuse.

His fighting spirit faltered and gradually diminished.

“…I’ll charge you very expensively, including the crime of deceiving me.”

At his words, I confidently demanded.

“Then, if it turns out I didn’t deceive you, give me a big reward. A very, very big reward.”

At my demand, Demiway burst into a laugh as if it were absurd.

“Hah! Impudent fellow. Alright, if you didn’t deceive me, it will greatly help the territory, so I’ll have to give a reward accordingly. But are you confident you’ll really reach the desired level with a knight elixir?”

At his question, I smiled ambiguously.

“Well, if you ask if I’m confident, I’m not, but I’ll have to answer that I should believe for now.”

“For now?”

Looking at the suspicious Demiway, I wiped my sweat with my sleeve.

“Since the teacher says he’ll teach, as a disciple, I have to believe him. Well, that cranky old man might have tried to give me a hard time on his final path though.”

I was planning to apply my teacher’s final research theory, which had not yet been proven, to my body.

Of course, to prove it, I needed a few more ingredients, but since there was a magic combat unit here, I was planning to get them there.

“Then I’ll get going now.”

I got up from my seat and left the commander’s office.

“Ah, it was good that you tested me with fighting spirit while my companions weren’t here, but your angry expression acting was really bad. You should practice acting.”

As I said that and closed the commander’s office door, Demiway’s voice flowed out softly.

“…Impudent fellow.”

Is it my imagination that I hear a hint of laughter in that voice?

I left the closed door behind and walked on.

But Precia might nag again if she finds out about this.