The Prince Wants to Retire

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The Crown Prince Wants to Retire

The tension had risen to a boiling point as the mana of the Knight Order began to manifest slowly.

Just as it seemed that everyone except Kariel was within range of sensing it, a thunderous sound erupted.

[Boom!]

“Gunfire?”

As Kariel muttered under his breath, the ground shook momentarily before another deafening noise rang out.

“Wait… that’s not just a magic cannon; that’s a cannon!”

In response to his question, Talion nodded slightly.

“It seems so.”

Kariel’s expression crumpled at Talion’s answer.

An old-fashioned cannon.

The reason such weapons, called cannons on Earth, had fallen out of favor here was simple.

They posed no real threat to a knight-level being.

Monsters were no different.

Even if they were hit by a projectile, they wouldn’t be killed unless it struck in just the right spot.

That was why the magic cannon had come about, capable of harnessing immense mana, but it could only be used at fortresses due to its mana consumption.

Cannons of the modern age were mere relics used by local lords during warfare.

Knowing it wouldn’t do any good against Kariel, who had the Imperial Palace Knights and Shadows at his disposal, they fired it anyway…

“To shoot knowing it wouldn’t work means…”

“It seems to be a threat.”

“I take it they want me to flee to the capital like a frightened puppy?”

“It does seem they are threatening you to retreat.”

At Talion’s reluctance to speak, Kariel’s face twisted like a demon.

The thought that the inexperienced Crown Prince might be frightened enough to return to the capital if threatened loomed over him.

A method to eliminate the risks incurred with the Crown Prince’s death while only reaping the benefits.

Kariel’s expression turned colder than ever, knowing that their plan relied on him being disregarded.

A while later, the sound of cannon fire ceased, and Kariel personally opened the wagon door to inquire with a knight.

“Did you catch them?”

“…I’m sorry.”

A knight of the Imperial Palace bowed his head, confessing his failure, the remnants of soot marking his uniform.

“What’s the reason?”

“We were counterattacked with cannon fire when we began to approach through the artillery.”

“That shouldn’t be too big of a problem, right?”

In response to Kariel’s words, the elite knight lowered his head and replied.

“That may be so, but we buried a bomb underground.”

“So, while the hidden bomb exploded, you escaped?”

“My apologies.”

Kariel gritted his teeth at the knight’s words.

“Go and capture them.”

The knight bowed deeply, exclaiming, “Our duty is to ensure Your Highness’s safety!”

“Then you all go.”

Kariel averted his gaze from the knights who seemed ready to risk their necks and looked at Talion instead.

Talion also bowed his head and said nothing.

While it was a threat this time, it might also have been a bait.

After issuing the order for them to capture the threats, there was a chance they could attack when the number of bodyguards decreased.

Thus, neither Talion nor the Imperial Palace Knights could make a hasty move.

As logic gradually returned after being clouded by anger, Kariel gazed in the direction from which the enemy had attacked.

“First, I’ll inform that I was ambushed.”

“Yes!”

“Contact the military to seal off the central area. The Crown Prince has been ambushed, so that should provide ample justification.”

At Kariel’s command, Talion swiftly sent an attendant off to relay the order.

Meanwhile, Kariel asked the Imperial Palace knights.

“What’s the likelihood of an additional attack on me?”

“It seems about fifty-fifty.”

“What’s the reason?”

After a moment of thought, the palace knight who had pursued began to respond to Kariel’s question.

“It seemed as if they intentionally gave me time to catch up.”

“Really?”

Though it was merely the knight’s intuition, the instincts of elite knights trained in actual combat can often be more accurate than any theory.

“What’s the probability that they’re laying an ambush on the path back to the capital?”

“…High.”

“Likewise, the probability that they’ll ambush me on the path as I pursue them?”

“Indeed.”

At Kariel’s questions, the palace knight expressed surprise at his insights. The Crown Prince, who had previously been bedridden, turned out to be more tactically adept than they had thought.

The palace knights wore expressions that hinted at suspicion, as if doubting whether he had truly only studied politics and tactics from the confines of his room.

Yet contrary to their thoughts, Kariel’s tactics hadn’t come from study.

After all, why would he bother to learn something he wouldn’t have the opportunity to apply directly in battle?

He had unwittingly learned through the instinct of fleeing while his life was under threat in his previous life.

As the palace knights’ misunderstandings deepened, Kariel opened his mouth again.

“So the conclusion is that it’s better to wait for the army here?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s do that. Arshuna!”

At Kariel’s call, Arshuna hurriedly came forth.

“Can you establish a barrier?”

“It’s not my specialty, but I can manage.”

“Set up a barrier, and the Imperial Palace Knights must maintain defensive formation until the army arrives.”

“Yes!”

After issuing commands to the knights, Kariel turned to Talion and ordered.

“Tell the military to maintain the encirclement and focus on capturing the intruders.”

“However, Your Highness’s safety…”

“By now, the Imperial Palace Knights must be rushing over like their feet are on fire, so it should be fine.”

With the Empire’s finest knight order present, concerns about safety were all but secured.

The military’s troops needed to capture those who had dared to insult the Crown Prince and ensure they paid for it.

“I will stay inside the wagon.”

After calmly issuing the command, as Kariel stepped inside, the knights’ expressions became increasingly strange.

Despite this being their first experience with such a situation, his composed orders and demeanor hinted at someone who had navigated life-and-death situations more times than they could count.

Once the oddball helpers had been sent out, Kariel called out to Surth with a chilling expression.

“Surth, can you protect me in case of an emergency?”

– For about a minute, maybe?

Surth, who resembled a small fireball, answered with confidence.

“To what extent?”

– Hm, I could probably stop two hits from your attendant.

Kariel was surprised by Surth’s reply.

But soon, a smile broke out and he settled back into thought.

Even if an emergency situation arises, the thought that he could survive at least once imbued him with a sense of relaxation.

As long as the Imperial Palace Knights and Shadows were around, the only scenario in which he could die would be a sneak attack, and if he could defend against that, his chances of survival were effectively nonexistent.

Moreover, he couldn’t ignore the capabilities of his oddball companions.

“Your Highness, the abilities of the oddballs seem quite impressive.”

Talion had secretly mentioned to him some time ago.

The oddballs displayed skills that were on par with elite knights.

Yet Talion had mentioned that they appeared even stronger than what was known.

That was why he could dare to take them out despite knowing it would be dangerous beyond the capital’s threshold.

“Now, what will you do?”

Passing the ball back into their court, he prepared for the next move.

He would stay still, waiting for the Imperial Palace Knights while exerting pressure on the military from all angles.

If the enemies had brains and an information network, they would certainly realize their plan had been spotted.

If it was merely a simple threat, it would end here, but if they were genuinely planning another move, they would have to decide whether to attack him or retreat while throwing a bait to the military.

“Who will take the bait?”

– Whoever it is won’t go down without a fight.

As Surth trembled at Kariel’s expression, which, under normal circumstances, would be filled with amusement, now appeared colder than ever.

The waiting in such unpleasant circumstances felt akin to torture.

Perhaps that’s why, while Kariel frowned and awaited the enemy, Talion slightly opened the wagon door and spoke.

“Your Highness.”

“Is it the enemy?”

“…Yes. It seems you need to prepare for movement.”

Talion’s warning to prepare to escape if the situation arose made Kariel grimace.

“What about the Imperial Palace Knights?”

“They say they have left the capital, but they will need more time.”

Kariel nodded slightly at Talion’s words.

As he activated the mana located at the center of the wagon, the sound of power reverberated as it prepared to move.

Just then, a massive beam of light struck the barrier created by Arshuna.

[Kabang!]

“Ambush! It seems to be high-tier magic!”

At the palace knight’s shout, all knights prepared their weapons and assumed a defensive stance.

The attendants also surrounded the wagon, channeling their mana.

At that moment, magic began to rain from all directions.

“Light magic?”

Kariel gazed out the wagon’s window at the light spells with an incredulous expression.

“To use light magic so openly…”

An attack employing light magic, typically used by priests of the Holy Nation.

It was a clear provocation to suspect the Holy Nation.

“Who could it be?”

Kariel was curious about who would play such a trick on him.

To be honest, the list was so long that it felt impossible to decipher.

Among the nobles, every faction was suspect, and foreign countries could be implicated as well.

Perhaps the Holy Nation had orchestrated this.

They might have pulled off such a blatant maneuver while claiming to be disguised as someone else.

One thing for sure was that with the Imperial Palace Knights and Shadows prioritizing his safety, capturing them wouldn’t be an easy task.

“I guess I’ll have a tough time.”

The Imperial Palace knights, along with Talion and the attendants, seemed to calculate the strength of their attacks.

[Pak! Pak!]

The magic projectiles slammed into the wagon.

Although the magic barrier protecting the wagon, still filled with the Crown Prince, managed to defend against most projectiles, there was always the chance of danger, making it impossible for Kariel to utilize his ultimate guard, the attendants, against the attackers.

Moreover, the knights found it exhausting to fend off the unrelenting barrage of spells.

In this situation, there was only one option available.

“Toto.”

“Yes!”

“Summon the oddballs.”

In response to Kariel’s orders, Toto hurriedly summoned the oddballs.

“Brion, you’re also quite skilled, huh?”

As Kariel opened the window to speak to Brion, he cleared his throat and replied.

“I won’t be ashamed to fight.”

Brion, although a healer, possessed skills surpassing that of average warriors.

Additionally, Arshuna and Iris were renowned figures within the Empire due to their skills.

Toto, an elite knight, was a force to be reckoned with, of course.

“You all have to act now. Capture the strongest among those attacking.”

At Kariel’s command, the oddballs hesitated slightly.

“Your Highness, your safety is our top priority.”

At Toto’s words, others nodded in agreement.

“I have at least one means to protect myself. Moreover, the Imperial Palace knights and Shadows aren’t just for show.”

“However…”

“Toto, you can feel it too. They’re toying with us right now.”

They were not attempting to kill Kariel.

Realizing the attackers were employing magic from a safe distance, Toto understood that they intended something different.

“Capture them. The one who brings back the strongest will receive double of the current budget.”

Kariel’s words made the oddballs’ eyes light up with excitement.

But under Toto’s glare, everyone merely coughed awkwardly.

“Are you unsure?”

As Kariel egged them on, the oddballs’ expressions stiffened a bit.

“Is it possible to retrieve the Old Book of the Mercenary King?”

Iris’s question prompted a nod from Kariel.

“I’ll retrieve it by any means necessary.”

As soon as Kariel’s answer fell, Iris was the first to rush out.

Brion and Arshuna quickly followed suit.

“Do you want anything?”

“I need some special exercise equipment.”

“Name it; I’ll get you everything you need.”

At that moment, Toto launched himself like a cannonball towards the magical attackers, channeling light magic.

Seeing Toto fly out from the wagon, Kariel suddenly felt that even a simple head-on collision might squash him to death.

As Toto joined in, four oddballs geared up to capture the strongest mage among the attackers, just as Talion rushed over to the side of the wagon.

“Your Highness, sending them out like that…”

“You know it’s a prank. How dare they play tricks on me; it’s only right to capture them, isn’t it?”

“Still, it’s far too dangerous.”

“Then stay close! I think the oddballs will have enough strength to handle this.”

Kariel gazed forward.

A mage wielding what looked like a staff or spear expelled flames.

A doctor unleashing all sorts of bizarre gadgets to slice down his enemies.

A fighter, fighting in such a strange manner that it made them seem neither human nor animal.

A massive knight, brute force personified.

Each one was eccentric, yet their abilities were genuine.

“You were right, Talion.”

“…Yes.”

Each of them manifested their unique traits in battle.

As Kariel observed the oddballs, who were displaying unique properties that only those at level five could exhibit, he found himself chuckling.

They possessed powers similar to those likely to lead the Imperial Military’s knight orders.

Seeing them all flinging themselves to capture the strongest mage was truly a sight to behold.