The Prince Wants to Retire

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Crown Prince’s Desire to Retire

8. The Crown Prince’s Imperial Guard? (7)

The Emperor furrowed his brow as he spoke to Kariel, who had once again plunged the Chancellor and the Emperor Faction into despair after a brief moment of hope.

“Huh, Prince, do you really think it’s right for someone other than the very person who was attacked to handle this matter?”

“Of course, it wouldn’t make sense for my younger brothers to take on my responsibilities.”

Kariel honestly acknowledged the Emperor’s statement. After all, it was the Crown Prince who had been attacked. Only the victim should take action, or the Emperor should lead the way.

“However, I find myself without anyone to take charge.”

“What?”

In response to the Emperor’s query, Kariel calmly replied.

“You must firmly guard the Throne and quell the confusion, and monitor foreign nations and the Holy Nation.”

“Hmm…”

“I also have my own tasks to attend to, so it would be difficult to take on another.”

“We can tackle this first.”

Suppressing his anger, the Emperor spoke, and Kariel bowed his head.

“This is the first task you have entrusted to me. It may be insufficient, but I wish to carry it out with all my might and retire from the Crown Prince position. Please accept my humble request.”

The Emperor fell silent at Kariel’s pleading.

‘What is he trying to get at?’

Kariel thought with a smirk, subtly thwarting the Emperor’s attempt to maintain his faction.

While focused on the assailants, he might conveniently postpone investigating the High Nobles of the Emperor Faction, who could potentially erase evidence.

Having preemptively blocked that, Kariel resolved with a determined expression.

‘I will see this through to the end.’

Steeling himself once more, Kariel awaited the Emperor’s response.

Finally, after a moment of uncomfortable silence, the hesitant Emperor spoke.

“…The princes are still young.”

Kariel couldn’t help but chuckle at the Emperor’s reasoning after such deliberation; the excuse was simply that the princes were young.

“I am young too. However, the Inspection Department has been diligently fulfilling its duties and has excised a significant amount of rot from the Empire.”

The Emperor frowned at Kariel’s words.

Seeing the Emperor’s displeasure at his prideful self-praise, Kariel quickly added, “Honestly, what I’ve done is merely to lend my authority so that matters can be handled smoothly and to bring in those who complicate the work of the Inspection Department using my power.”

What he was saying wasn’t flattery.

That was literally all Kariel had accomplished.

All the specialized work had been done by the subordinates below him.

Gathering information, dealing with criminals, stabilizing order during chaotic times—these were all tasks undertaken by the bureaucrats.

Kariel’s role had merely been to create an environment for them to perform well.

“I believe the reason His Majesty gave a heavy responsibility to someone as young as myself was simply to watch whether authority is being applied appropriately.”

While saying this, Kariel looked up as if he respected the Emperor.

“Since you have difficulty moving directly to maintain balance, you entrusted me with authority to accomplish your goals, did you not?”

“Cough!”

“My younger siblings are sharper than I am, so they will likely perform better. Please have faith in them.”

Giving flattery to the Emperor resulted in hesitation as he reconsidered his attempt to delegate work to the princes.

1. Even I, at this young age, can monitor and lend power when needed.
2. You’re too busy trying to maintain whatever balance to deal with them, so leave it to the princes. I should start preparing to hand over the Crown Prince title.
3. The dukes will do the work anyway; just adorn the clever princes with titles.

The Emperor’s face contorted at the underlying implications of Kariel’s words.

“Huh, granting the princes authority is one thing… but isn’t it reckless for the prince to act so soon after the attack?”

“Luckily, I did not suffer any severe injuries.”

“Still, it must have been an immense shock. Wouldn’t it be better for you to take a break?”

In response to the Emperor’s question, Kariel replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“I believe we must act quickly as the situation is pressing. We must immediately summon my younger brothers to assign them duties.”

“Isn’t that a bit hasty? In a rush, one must keep a calm mind or risk making mistakes.”

The Emperor spoke with concern, and Kariel lowered his head.

“I worry that the rats may escape. Even if issues arise, it is unavoidable if we are to prevent larger problems.”

When Kariel spoke decisively, the Emperor’s brow furrowed.

The resolute stance Kariel took with a moral edge was quite difficult for the Emperor to counter.

“The Crown Prince has been attacked. There’s no telling who will be next. To stamp out the arrogance of those rats who could kill anyone, and for the sake of royal honor and the Empire’s safety, we must move swiftly.”

“Your Majesty, please heed this!”

Kariel’s insistence was backed by the perceptive dukes and the head of the Inspection Department, with other nobles echoing his sentiments, thereby applying pressure on the Emperor.

Given the assertions of the very party affected and the support from the Aristocratic and Neutral Factions, there was little the Emperor could do to resist it.

Still, lingering doubts remained, and he posed one last question to Kariel.

“Can you handle two matters simultaneously? First, locating those involved in your assassination…”

“My siblings will handle that.”

“The problem is that the Empire’s power is divided into two! It’s insufficient to focus on one matter! Are you trying to set things awry?”

“Just grant me the Inspection Department and the Security Brigade. I’ll capture the remaining rats with just them.”

As Kariel spoke, the Emperor squinted at him, glancing at the Chancellor before exhaling heavily.

In that instant, Kariel realized that something unusual was being concealed between the Chancellor and the Emperor.

‘There must be something between the Chancellor and His Majesty.’

Having spent years together, the Chancellor would likely know a considerable number of the Emperor’s secrets.

While he couldn’t pinpoint what it was, one thing was sure: the Chancellor must not be allowed to live.

If the Chancellor escaped this time, it was unlikely he would ever be captured again, especially with the Emperor’s secrets in his possession.

“Your Majesty, with the possibility of war with the Holy Nation on the horizon, we cannot afford to leave the rats at large.”

“Huh, if this drags on any longer, the confusion will become utterly uncontainable.”

“I will put an end to it before that chaos arrives.”

Kariel spoke defiantly, his gaze fierce as he stared at the Emperor.

“I will burn them all to death before the rats can escape. Trust me, as I have done until now.”

As Kariel spoke with a murderous glint in his eyes, the Emperorの表情は、恐怖に見えました.

The Crown Prince held the moral high ground.

Moreover, he had the backing of the Aristocratic and Neutral Factions.

Spying an opportunity, the Emperor, who had attempted to preserve the Chancellor one last time, ultimately conceded.

“Do as you wish. But! The priests must not be harmed. We can only act against the Holy Nation once everything has been made completely clear.”

“I shall do so.”

Kariel bowed his head obediently to the Emperor’s words and quickly exited the Grand Council Meeting.

As he turned his back, the nobles of the Aristocratic and Neutral Factions lowered their heads, while the Emperor’s faction wore expressions of shock.

When the Emperor had sided with them, they had felt a glimmer of hope.

But Kariel had effectively severed the lifeline they had to survive.

Ultimately, they could only reaffirm that unless a change of circumstances occurred, the future of the Emperor’s faction lay solely in death.

*

Meanwhile, Kariel headed immediately towards the location where his younger brothers might be found.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

As soon as he hopped into the wagon, Kariel commanded for it to move quickly, a smile playing on his lips.

‘It won’t be long now.’

Kariel thought as he resolved to complete this task flawlessly.

‘After I send my siblings, I need to act fast.’

This mission was a race against time.

For that reason, Kariel urged the wagon towards Miriel’s palace more swiftly than ever.

“I knew you’d be here.”

Upon arriving at Miriel’s palace, Kariel smiled at the sight of two opulent wagons in front of the palace.

He nodded knowingly and hurried inside to where he expected Miriel and his two younger siblings to be.

In an instant, he found his brothers and smiled wickedly.

Seeing him, the two princes trembled with an odd feeling.

“It’s time to get to work.”

At Kariel’s sudden declaration, the two princes wore puzzled expressions.

“Yes?”

“What do you mean all of a sudden…?”

The two princes wore incredulous faces at Kariel’s abrupt demand for them to work.

Seeing their baffled expressions, Talion cleared his throat and began explaining what transpired in the Grand Council Meeting.

“We made a promise not long ago.”

At Kariel’s words, the memories of what occurred in the Crown Prince’s Palace surfaced in the minds of the two princes.

The Second Prince recalled how he would prove who was suitable for the Crown Prince title by using magic, and the Third Prince remembered being given military authority to compete.

“Prove who among you is worthy of the Crown Prince.”

Kariel’s statement elicited an incredulous reaction from Rufiel.

“Is this sudden?”

“Most matters come about suddenly. You’ll get used to it as you go along.”

“But brother, this is just not right! We can’t do anything without at least a minimum preparation time!”

This time, the Third Prince, Seriel, tried to put up a fight, but his resistance fell flat against Kariel.

“Regardless, your maternal side will assist you, and the actual work will be handled by the people below you.”

“Well, that’s…”

“Those who attacked me may also target you. If we let this opportunity pass, it could be disastrous. We must capture them without fail.”

When Kariel spoke earnestly, the two princes lowered their heads, understanding the gravity of the situation.

“The Emperor is looking for you, so hurry to the Grand Council Meeting.”

At Kariel’s urging, the two princes reluctantly shifted their glances toward Miriel before moving.

With a wicked smile, Kariel observed as they left for the meeting, then approached Miriel.

“Big brother is here.”

“Ugh…”

“Your Highness, I shall entertain Princess Miriel.”

As Kariel stepped closer, he found Miriel making a pitiful face, prompting Talion to speak up.

“No, I want to play as well…”

“Ugh…”

However, Kariel was forced to halt his advance as Miriel began to tremble even more as he drew nearer.

Though accustomed to seeing her often, she had always been beside his two younger brothers.

Now that they had left, it was only Kariel remaining, and it was only natural that Miriel felt frightened.

“Uh-huh! Please take your time to become acquainted.”

Talion’s expression was filled with sympathy as he tried to console Kariel, but his own expression remained tight.

Instead, Miriel only drew closer to Talion, seeking refuge in him.

“Let’s finish our work first, then get to know each other slowly. Tsk! It’s all because of those rats.”

Kariel spoke with fiery anger.

Had there been sufficient time like with the two princes, he would have already built a rapport with Miriel.

With his voice simmering with rage aimed at the nobles, Kariel flashed a smile at Miriel before stepping out.

“Rats! I’ll kill them all!”

Hearing the furious voice from outside, Talion sighed.

“Will you be able to get close to her?”

Looking into Miriel’s clear eyes, Talion realized he was the opposite of Kariel, whose eyes were clouded with all sorts of burdens.

A fact that would drive Kariel mad if he ever found out.

But Talion chose to ignore it, playing with Miriel for a while until he confirmed she had fallen asleep, and then quietly slipped away.

Moments ago, he had taken on a gentle, fatherly role, but now he exuded an aura as cold as that of a reaper.

“Your Majesty?”

“He is in the Inspection Department.”

A servant quietly approached in response to Talion’s query.

“Let’s hurry.”

“Yes!”

*

Rushing to the Inspection Department, Talion sought out Kariel.

There, he found Kariel coldly observing the noblemen who had been dragged in, drenched in blood.

Next to him stood the bloody oddballs lined up.

“What on earth… have you done?”

“I just had some fun interrogating the captured ones.”

“You did that yourself?”

Talion gasped in shock and questioned, to which Kariel shook his head.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I stain my hands with their blood?”

“Phew…”

Relieved that it hadn’t been Kariel himself, he exhaled deeply, and Kariel added.

“I did oversee it. Once I threw them a bait, they spilled everything.”

With that, Kariel stood up.

“Now that we’ve gotten confessions, we must act in earnest.”

He wore a smile more fearsome than any he had shown before, and it was time to commence for real.

Based on confessions, he began to raid the hidden bases of the Emperor Faction one by one.

During this process, some attempted to escape with evidence of their corruption, but each time, the oddballs and Talion took care of it themselves.

As their appearances began to look increasingly savage due to the bloodshed, Kariel gifted them bright red uniforms.

Thanks to that, splatters of blood were less noticeable, though they could never entirely erase the infamous reputation they had already accumulated.

The quickly growing notoriety made the oddballs try to rebel against it.

“I’ll increase the budget.”

With just that one sentence, Kariel easily quelled their rebellion, allowing him to swiftly shake down the Emperor Faction without a care, and as he did so, their fame grew.

Unlike the Inspection Department and Security Brigade, which worked cautiously and methodically, Kariel moved rapidly under the banner of the Emperor, cleanly flushing out the hidden powers of the Emperor Faction.

As a result, for a while, the crime rate in the capital dropped to a shocking low.

However, the speed and brutality of his actions led the people of the capital to coin a nickname for the Crown Prince and his oddballs.

“Blood Prince and Red Security Brigade?”

Kariel found the nickname amusing as he watched the oddballs and Talion, who were busily raiding another hidden base of the Emperor Faction in their lively red uniforms.

Satisfied, he nodded in approval.

“It suits them.”

Thinking the title of Red Security Brigade was quite fitting, Kariel had initially gifted the red uniforms only to the oddballs.

Seeing Talion covetously eying them each time, he decided to give him one as well.

Before long, those uniforms became the symbol of Kariel’s Imperial Guard.

Kariel, always accompanied by Talion and four oddballs, had become some of the most renowned existences in the Empire.