The Prince Wants to Retire

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The Crown Prince Wishes to Retire

14. Let’s Wrap It Up! (2)

Belphus plotted to reduce the army heading toward them.

They moved the pawns they had planted among neighboring countries and recruited local nobles who could act according to their wishes.

In the meantime, perhaps to secure a means of survival, they all disguised themselves as bandits or rogues.

But from their weapons to their numbers, it was clear they were anything but ordinary criminals.

Given the circumstances, the military was in an uproar.

“Your Highness?”

“He is proceeding as is.”

“Ugh…”

Minister of Military Howard let out a deep sigh at his subordinate’s report.

The outcome wasn’t too surprising, but it was still a headache for those who needed to respond.

They had to counter with the insufficient numbers of the Central Army.

The only relief was that the border counts were responding on the borders.

It was a situation where cleaning up the internal mess was all that was needed, but reports trickling in suggested that wouldn’t be easy.

“If I mess up, my neck is on the line.”

Howard wiped his neck with his hand, breaking out into a cold sweat.

“I report! Dark Mages have appeared in the central region!”

“What? This madness! And the Central Army?”

“They’re moving to respond as we speak…”

Just as his subordinate was about to answer, Duke Welch grabbed his shoulder and spoke to Howard.

“We will handle the Dark Mages.”

“What? But…”

“The reason His Highness put me here is precisely because of them, so I must take action.”

With those words, Duke Welch left the scene.

Seeing that, Howard sighed again.

“Request support from the Security Brigade.”

“Yes?”

“We need to allocate some of the Capital Defense Force to the Central Army.”

For the Minister of Military, asking for support from the Security Brigade was a matter of pride.

Yet he had no choice but to bow his head now.

“Ugh, fine. I’ll go myself.”

With that, Howard immediately exited the military building.

Even the prideful Duke Welch was moving like that.

It meant that those deemed useless would likely lose their heads once this situation was over.

To survive, they had to act.

“Earning a living isn’t easy.”

Howard thought of his little daughter, who had begged him just yesterday to buy her a dress, and sighed.

For his beloved daughter, he believed he could set aside his pride anytime as he moved swiftly.

*

As the military hastily moved on Kariel’s decree, the Inspection Department and Security Brigade also quickened their responses.

“It’s a crisis.”

The expression on the Minister of Foreign Affairs was grim.

The movements of the Holy Nation and the Southern Coalition were also concerning.

If the chaotic Empire fell into civil war, they would most likely take advantage of the situation to strike.

If the Empire managed to navigate this chaos safely, they would surely turn their weapons toward them next, preparing to invade whenever victory seemed likely.

“Contact the Holy Nation and the Southern Coalition. If they act rashly, they’ll be the first to be invaded.”

“Will it work?”

“If not, we can negotiate a deal with the Southern Coalition to only attack the Holy Nation.”

“Ugh, I’ll do my best.”

With the Foreign Minister’s orders, a senior diplomat sighed and headed outside.

“If we can get through this crisis, we can leverage our alignment with the Dark Mages as justification for pressure… but it won’t be easy.”

Although he was part of a corrupt bureaucratic system, the Foreign Minister’s experience didn’t just vanish.

Thus, he envisioned immediate counterattack strategies once the situation stabilized.

“I hope the battle in the West ends quickly…”

*

Like the Foreign Minister’s wishes, Kariel was also frantically trying to end this war swiftly.

As they marched out of the capital alongside the princes, gathering the troops in the square—

“Your Highness!”

“What is it?”

At Talion’s urgent call, Kariel halted the march.

“It’s Lady Miriel’s wagon.”

“What?”

Kariel looked shocked, wide-eyed, and hurriedly pulled back the curtain of the wagon.

In the distance, a small wagon was approaching.

“Miriel.”

As the small wagon’s door opened, a girl rushed out and hugged him tightly.

As Miriel sniveled, Kariel comforted her.

“Ugh…”

Looking down at Miriel, who was crying and couldn’t speak, Kariel knelt to meet her eyes.

“Don’t die…”

“I won’t die.”

Saying this, Kariel wiped away Miriel’s tears.

With all three princes heading off to battle, it was no wonder that the young girl, still innocent, felt anxious.

Soon, the Second and Third Princes joined them, wiping Miriel’s tears and comforting her.

“Brothers won’t die.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

The three princes soothed the crying Miriel.

After a while, once Miriel managed to calm down a bit, she was sent back to the palace.

“Let’s get moving quickly.”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

In response to Kariel’s words, the two princes nodded.

The wagon that had paused because of his little sister began to move again, soon reaching the main gates of the capital.

There, a multitude of people bowed their heads in prayer, hoping for the troops to return safely.

People prayed with both hands clasped until all soldiers passed by, drawing admiration even from nobles watching from afar.

With the wishes of the Empire’s citizens for victory and safe return in mind, all troops quickly left the capital.

Perhaps because the elite troops had been selected from the Central Army, the soldiers displayed no significant complaints even during the arduous march, and it didn’t take long to exit the central region.

“Are you not tired?”

“How could it be tiring in a wagon?”

In response to Talion’s question, Kariel scoffed.

He had done worse even in his weaker days.

Moreover, this was no ordinary wagon; it was equipped with various magical devices.

Not as comfortable as the palace, but indulging in such luxury while marching was still a treat.

“We’re nearing the border.”

“Got it.”

As Kariel nodded and opened the window to gaze at the distant western border, everything was just about to begin.

As the border approached, a portion of the Imperial Palace Knights began forming up to protect the princes, while the previously unorganized troops also prepared to respond and marched in formation.

At that moment, as they fully geared up and crossed into the western border—

[The fragments of the Fire Spirit King have reacted.]

“What?”

Kariel murmured, tilting his head in confusion.

[Lapla Volcano and Kapur Volcano are about to forcibly erupt due to something.

Stop it. If you fail, a terrible disaster will occur in the Empire. Successfully stopping it will imprint the fragments of the first Spirit King onto your soul. (0/2)

※ If you completely stop it, you may learn some of the secrets behind something.]

Staring intently at the long-awaited translucent window appearing before him, Kariel bore a serious expression.

‘Something?’

He didn’t know what that “something” was, but he knew for sure that volcanic eruptions were anything but normal.

‘Lapla is in the western region and… if it’s Kapur Volcano…’

“Talion.”

“Yes?”

“Where exactly is Kapur Volcano?”

“It’s in the southeastern region of the Empire, near the Giant Mountain Range.”

Talion’s words made Kariel’s expression harden.

‘Is it where the Monster Wave began in my previous life?’

Thinking this, Kariel wore a serious look.

“What’s going on…?”

“Just give me a minute to be alone.”

Hearing Kariel’s words, Talion, worried, quietly stepped outside.

Then, ‘poof!’ Surth appeared, addressing Kariel.

“Fragments of the Spirit King have appeared.”

– Is that the cause of the volcanic eruptions?

Surth nodded, instantly grasping the situation.

“It seems they’re about to erupt forcibly due to something.”

– It seems your return was no mere whim of a god.

“…Really?”

Kariel’s words caused Surth to mumble seriously.

– Forcing the Spirit King’s fragments to cause volcanic eruptions? Accomplishing that the normal way is nearly impossible.

“That means…”

Kariel looked at Surth with a ‘no way?’ expression.

– A god’s scheme. Or perhaps there are circumstances above us that we can’t perceive.

At Surth’s words, Kariel’s expression contorted.

If the Monster Wave in his previous life had begun in this way, that meant he was starting in an incredibly unfavorable situation.

“Is there a reason for the two remaining fragments as well?”

– It’s quite possible.

Sighing at Surth’s response, Kariel pondered.

Although he didn’t know about the Gatekeeper of Hell, he could somewhat guess that the Behemoth who swallowed the sun might involve the Holy Nation.

Some of the priests were already linked to the Dark Mages, and the Holy Nation was likely to play tricks using the Behemoth that had been sealed for so long.

– The fact that the god is putting you through this trial likely means it’s something only you can resolve.

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

– It seems so.

Surth nodded in agreement.

“Ugh, this situation is turning out to be quite complex.”

– Look on the bright side. After all, you promised me you’d search for those two remaining pieces as well.

At Surth’s words, Kariel sighed and nodded.

“It’s like they’re determined not to die easily.”

Kariel muttered while considering Belphus.

It was evident that those associated with the Dark Mages were trying to spread out their attacking forces as much as possible.

Feeling a strong will to not die easily, Kariel bit his lips.

“In the end, I’m being asked to go….”

– Don’t be scared. Even if the worst happens, we can save at least you.

“Just a few seconds of delay?”

Surth shook his head resolutely at that, denying it.

– I can now deliver a big blow.

“…Are you sure?”

– Yes. I can hit them with something big that rivals a Mage.

At Surth’s statement, Kariel let out a small laugh.

“If that’s a lie, I’m done for.”

– If you die, I die too.

With that, the fates of the two intertwined, Surth waved his tiny arms as if to prove his point.

Seeing this, Kariel smiled and nodded, as if to say he would trust him.

– By the way, is retirement now out of the question?

“No, I’ll retire after the western situation is resolved.”

– …Is it really possible?

Surth questioned, tilting his head, while Kariel replied firmly.

“Dealing with those two left is something I can still do after retirement.”

As Kariel resolved to make sure he would retire, Talion urgently called out from outside.

“Your Highness!”

“Is there trouble in the Northwest?”

“…Yes.”

At Talion’s words, Kariel finally realized that the time for choice had come.

“What’s the situation?”

“The volcano is on the verge of erupting, and it appears a Monster Wave is about to begin.”

“That’s not all, is it?”

At Kariel’s question, Talion hesitated before nodding.

“…Yes. Reports say Dark Mages have been spotted in that area.”

“And?”

“The Undead Legion has emerged. It appears behind the front line in the Northwest…”

“So, they plan to strike from behind amid the war.”

The size of the troops didn’t matter.

It would be tough enough to battle the monsters without worrying about a rear attack causing their formation to disintegrate.

“You requested to send troops?”

“…That’s right.”

“Gather the commanders.”

At Kariel’s command, the march halted, and key figures gathered around the wagon.

“As you’ve all heard, the situation in the Northwest is serious.”

“What will you do?”

In response to the Third Prince’s question, Kariel answered succinctly.

“We’ll split the forces.”

“Ultimately….”

The Third Prince sighed at Kariel’s declaration.

“The main force will continue attacking Belphus.”

“Wait? Then…?”

“I, along with my Imperial Guard and a portion of the Knights Order, will head to the Northwest.”

“That’s too dangerous!”

The Second Prince spoke anxiously.

“I’ll also assist in dealing with the Dark Mages alongside the Welch Magic Battalion.”

“There’s no way there won’t be Dark Mages on Belphus’s side. You and Welch must deal with them.”

This was the perfect opportunity to uproot their influence.

“I’ll be the bait.”

Kariel’s statement silenced everyone.

Seeing Kariel willing to sacrifice himself, they all frowned, but Kariel felt assured.

‘If Surth’s words are true, there’s no great danger.’

As Kariel contemplated this, the Grand Duke cautiously spoke.

“Your Highness, in that case, please take at least some knights from the Grand Duke’s battalion with you.”

“You mean the Young Duke?”

“Yes, he may still be young, but he’ll be useful.”

At Ducal’s suggestion, Glen stepped forward.

Feeling the intense presence radiating from him, those surrounding him flinched.

Even Master Duke Devir’s expression tightened at the weight of his aura.

“Well done.”

“I apologize for being rude in front of the Master.”

At Devir’s commendation, Glen bowed his head and spoke.

“I wish to protect Your Highness. Will you accept me?”

Kariel, momentarily taken aback, soon smiled faintly.

‘Is this fate as well?’

Glen, who had served as his guard in his previous life, now wished to do the same in this life.

As he smiled at the seemingly orchestrated situation, Kariel nodded subtly.