The Prince Wants to Retire

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The Crown Prince Wants to Retire

10. Return to the Grand Duke Family’s Capital!

After finishing his conversation with the Chancellor, Kariel returned to the palace and shared the juicy new intel he’d just heard with Talion.

Most of the chatter focused on the Emperor Faction, but the bits about the Emperor and Belphus, though scant, were quite significant.

“…This is serious.”

Talion had suspected the inner workings were rotten, but he never imagined it was this bad.

Kariel thought he had managed a bit of purification, but clearly, that was wishful thinking.

“I will immediately dispatch an intelligence agent to the West.”

“No, don’t provoke the West just yet.”

Talion tilted his head at Kariel’s command. Given his earlier behavior, he thought Kariel would push through with a plan for a swift resolution.

“There’s something we need to do before agitating the West.”

“Eh?”

Talion looked puzzled as Kariel stood up and declared, “We need to summon the Grand Duke family to the capital.”

“…Is that even possible?”

“We won’t know until we try.”

Talion looked at Kariel with concern upon hearing his answer.

“Rather, wouldn’t it be better to mobilize the Inspection Department and Military?”

“That would be pointless if the Emperor stops them midway. It could actually become more dangerous.”

Kariel furrowed his eyebrows as he spoke. In his previous life, he had been smashed by an unexpected genius, but it would be naive to assume their entire force had been dismantled.

While the Empire was embroiled in a massive war, it was highly likely they had retreated into the shadows.

“Come to think of it, pirates suddenly appeared in the West.”

At the time, he had been too overwhelmed by multiple events to pay it much mind.

Since the Count of the West had a firm grip over the sea, he had focused his attention elsewhere.

However, pondering the information he had gathered raised enough suspicion.

“It might not be that they came from the Aisa Archipelago.”

He had initially thought it was the pirates of the southern Aisa Archipelago Alliance expanding their territory, or perhaps rogue merchants and criminal groups transforming into pirates. But now, he started to wonder if that was truly the case.

One thing was for certain: if they weren’t completely wiped out, they could pose a problem.

In his previous life, he had seen nobles occasionally claw their way back up or try their hand at crime—these could all be plans laid out by the surviving remnants of Belphus.

For Kariel to retire and live a peaceful life, at the very least, he had to clean up the mess that was Belphus.

“I worry that bothering His Majesty might cause Your Highness some trouble.”

“There’s no choice. This issue can’t be resolved without persuading His Majesty.”

Kariel stated this, promptly making his way to the Emperor’s Palace by wagon.

Upon arriving, the Attendant Hall immediately guided him to the Emperor.

Gone was the arrogant demeanor of earlier days.

After years of working within the imperial palace, it was clear who held the actual power now.

“…What brings you here?”

As soon as he laid eyes on Kariel, the Emperor made a tired expression.

‘Is it drugs?’

The attendants had cleared away everything that looked like drugs and aired out the place, but remnants still lingered.

In the past, the Emperor would have pretended to be fine, but now he looked rather haggard as he stared at Kariel.

‘What’s got him so exhausted?’

While Kariel thought this, he lowered his head in a show of respect and said, “I came to discuss a matter of importance.”

The Emperor frowned at Kariel’s words.

“What trouble are you trying to stir up this time?”

The Emperor’s lack of even the barest pretense felt oddly refreshing, but that was the end of it.

The previous façade of normalcy had vanished, leaving the Emperor a shell of his former self.

Internally, Kariel clicked his tongue at this transformed Emperor and said, “During an investigation into the Chancellor, we discovered he was personally involved with a drug dealer.”

“….”

The Emperor fell silent, glaring at Kariel.

It seemed he immediately grasped what Kariel was hinting at, just like the sharp-witted Chancellor he was supposed to be.

“…And what do you want from this?”

With a tone that almost sounded like, “Should I hand over the Emperor’s seat?” Kariel quickly replied, “There’s an alarming organization backing the Chancellor.”

“What?”

The Emperor tilted his head, surprised.

“What do you mean by that?”

Having perceived him as someone trying to exert pressure, the Emperor fixated his gaze on Kariel.

Kariel, wanting to correct the Emperor’s misunderstanding, presented himself with the utmost courtesy and bowed.

“Please hand over the attendants.”

Kariel’s request sparked curiosity in the Emperor’s tired eyes.

With a simple gesture, the Emperor cleared the room of all the attendants, using the Shadows to ensure that no one could intrude.

“Very well, what sort of power is standing behind the Chancellor?”

“Indeed.”

“Who exactly?”

“The West.”

At Kariel’s answer, the Emperor’s countenance shifted.

“…Is it the Grand Duke Family that’s the backer?”

The revival of the Grand Duke Family was what the Emperor feared most.

They were entities that could upend the balance he had painstakingly maintained.

With a legacy of heroes who birthed many Masters, they had once wielded power greater than the imperial family.

Though their influence had waned over decades, the Grand Duke Family could rise again at any moment with a few Master swordsmen.

As was typical for tyrants, the Emperor suspiciously distanced himself from anyone who might threaten his position.

Even if they were loyal subjects, he wouldn’t hesitate to dispose of them for speaking out of turn.

Thus, for three generations, the tyrants had kept the Grand Duke family at arm’s length, leading to the current situation.

“No.”

“…Not them?”

The Emperor’s expression hardened at the realization that the Grand Duchy wasn’t behind this.

“Could it be the Count of the West?”

At the Emperor’s words, Kariel sighed internally.

His own insecurities made him suspicious.

Just like previous tyrants, he feared someone might trigger a rebellion, leading him to elevate the weakest to the Crown Prince position, and ultimately, that person became the Emperor.

Now, the current Emperor harbored the same anxiety, always vigilant against potential threats to his reign.

‘That’s likely why he clings to maintaining the balance.’

Obsessed with ensuring that no single faction could disrupt his authority, he sought to maintain equilibrium.

“…I suspect it’s Belphus.”

At Kariel’s words, the Emperor’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What did you say?”

“Upon investigating the Chancellor’s connections, I suspect Belphus, Your Majesty.”

Kariel affirmed this yet again, observing the Emperor shake his head in disbelief.

He wore an expression that suggested he found it impossible to believe.

“That cannot be. I’ve checked on numerous occasions.”

The Emperor, afflicted with chronic paranoia, couldn’t sit idly by while his own brother went unchecked.

He had continuously sent Shadows to ascertain Belphus’ activities, thus he was confident that they were innocent.

Caught in the moment, Kariel spoke up, “What about your aunt?”

“What?”

The unexpected mention of an individual caused the Emperor to falter for a moment.

As if his brain had momentarily stalled, he inquired with trembling lips, “My aunt? Are you talking about my father’s sister?”

“Indeed.”

“Why would she…”

A tragic figure who had waited for death in her silence for decades.

A cruel fate had befallen the Emperor’s aunt, who was also the younger sister of the previous Emperor.

She had continuously scrutinized her brother’s ambitions from her perch in the shadows.

“Lady Countess Belphus is presumed to be the leader of the Western Smuggler Alliance.”

The Emperor’s expression grew serious at Kariel’s declaration.

“Do you have confirmation of that?”

“The Chancellor confessed it directly. He mentioned that when he was causing havoc in the imperial palace, she had come to visit.”

At the revelation that even the Chancellor had confessed, the Emperor’s expression hardened further.

“If you suspect, then feel free to verify it yourself.”

With a signal from the Emperor, someone slipped away.

As Kariel waited through the awkward silence for the returning Shadows, he noted the Emperor anxiously gnawing at his nails.

Soon after, a Shadow quietly emerged to whisper in the Emperor’s ear.

“…It’s true.”

Having heard the full report from the Chancellor, the Emperor’s brows furrowed in concern.

‘Looks like he spoke the truth.’

Kariel thought to himself, allowing a smirk to grace his face.

Acknowledging they had no escape route, the Chancellor seemed to have yielded to the Shadow’s interrogation.

“Will you move against Belphus?”

“There is a more certain way.”

At Kariel’s words, the Emperor’s head tilted.

“We summon the Grand Duke Family to the capital.”

“What?”

“And simultaneously lift all the various restrictions imposed on the Grand Duke Family.”

“That…”

The Emperor hesitated at Kariel’s response.

“That isn’t a good idea. The Grand Duke Family is… dangerous.”

“Is it more dangerous than Belphus? The Count of the West already struggles to keep the Iron Alliance in check, and the Grand Duke Family has been weakened. In the West, there is no one to counter Belphus’ clandestine forces.”

Listening to all the reasoning, the Emperor exhaled slowly.

The Iron Alliance, a nation established by merchants, was a formidable force with its own Masters, making it challenging for the Count of the West to manage. With the Grand Duke Family falling apart, countering Belphus had become an impossible feat.

“Is the Grand Duke Family truly necessary? I could simply use my military to sweep away Belphus…”

“That too is necessary. But to continuously check those operating in the shadows, we require the Grand Duke Family.”

To thoroughly eliminate Belphus, it was essential to see it through to the end.

Pressure the visible parts with the Inspection Department and Military, while growing the Grand Duke Family to diminish the influence from the West.

Simultaneously, actions needed to be taken to flush out the clandestine forces.

For that, it was essential to clean out the smugglers and criminal organizations in the West, treating it like an operation to purge the capital.

“They boldly implanted spies in the imperial palace, moving freely. I cannot imagine just how extensive their clandestine forces are, so a massive raid will be required.”

Kariel’s words caused the Emperor’s eyes to waver.

He seemed poised to say something, his lips twitching several times.

“…Is my current state… all due to them?”

In response to the Emperor’s inquiry, Kariel remained silent.

Truth be told, the current Emperor lacked the capability to hold the throne, so it wouldn’t be accurate to attribute his predicament solely to drugs and their schemes.

However, he was confident that the Empire wouldn’t have fallen apart like this in a prior scenario.

“The Grand Duke Family…”

Acknowledging Kariel’s silence as agreement, the Emperor pressed his fingers to his throbbing forehead, drowning in contemplation.

Revitalizing the Grand Duke Family, whom he had long sought to suppress.

This decision appeared to leave him deeply unsettled, going back and forth in his mind many times.

“…Summon the Grand Duke to the palace.”

Ultimately, after receiving the Emperor’s consent, Kariel wore a satisfied smile and said, “They will be able to move. The Military assistance is necessary.”

“I grant you the authority to mobilize both the Count of the West and some of the Central Army.”

With the Emperor’s words, Kariel bowed, expressing his gratitude as if he had secured everything he sought, and exited the Emperor’s room.

As Kariel was about to leave the palace, he halted and turned to the Attendant Hall.

“Attendant Hall.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Those items used by His Majesty.”

At Kariel’s words, the Attendant’s eyes widened in shock.

Kariel, noticing this, spoke in a frigid tone.

“Minimize the quantities or switch to something weaker. The one being used now is absolutely unacceptable.”

“But…”

“You can inform His Majesty. However, whatever happens, just switch it out.”

As Kariel said this, he made his way directly to the wagon.

While the current Emperor wasn’t to his liking, he needed him alive—at least for now.

If it was revealed that the Dark Mages had orchestrated this, they might resort to any means to become a danger.

Who knows, they might even work faster to have the Emperor killed compared to the previous life. At the very least, the drugs concocted by the Dark Mages had to be replaced.

“Ah, once this is all over, I can finally retire.”