Surviving As the 5th Prince of the Ruined Kingdom

026

At the very moment when Evan met Pran.

After finishing processing the mountain of documents, Miloa, the Baroness and Chief Secretary of the Royal Intelligence Department, was enjoying a short break.

*sip* *puff* *exhale*

A sip of tobacco and a cup of black tea.

Life was returning to her clouded eyes, dulled by fatigue.

– “Your Highness the First Prince has contacted the members of the Royal Council.”

That was the report her assistant had just delivered.

‘Should I stop worrying about the Fifth Prince’s matter now?’

Miloa’s workload was beyond imagination.

Not only the sheer amount but also the importance was considerable.

Grasping the movements of the Hamil Empire that had occupied the northwestern region was basic. Recently, a massive pirate gang formed by small pirate groups had emerged in the east, giving her a headache. On top of that, there was a silent war with the Second Prince’s faction behind the scenes.

If there was a magician developing magic to split one’s body for work distribution, she would have invested her entire fortune.

For her, overwhelmed by the excessive workload, the matter of the Fifth Prince was merely entertainment for stress relief.

Privilege of non-arrest?

Seeing him going to such lengths to save even one of his beloved servants was almost pitiful.

Poor guy, I’ll let it slide this time.

She could have been magnanimous and let it go. It would hurt her dignity a little, but it would be far more profitable to enjoy the leisure time instead of worrying about the Fifth Prince.

‘Was I too harsh? After all, the Fifth Prince was just a tool used by the Second Prince to undermine the Fourth Prince.’

Yet, somehow, she found herself holding a hearing to invalidate his privilege of non-arrest without realizing it.

Well, it’s done now.

Out of the 30 royal family members on the Royal Council, 13 support the First Prince.

‘With the Second Queen regaining her senses, the councilors on the Second Prince’s side will try to avoid matters related to the Fifth Prince as much as possible. And the stubborn old fools haunted by the past will definitely attend…’

No matter how she calculated it, a majority attendance and majority vote to invalidate the privilege of non-arrest exercised by Evan was inevitable.

*Knock, knock.*

“Lord Miloa! An urgent message has arrived from the south.”

Miloa frowned at the half-smoked cigarette.

“Damn it.”

*Sip-puff-*

She took a quick drag and exhaled the smoke.

“Come in.”

Grinding the cigarette roughly into the ashtray, she opened her mouth irritably.

***

Pran roared with laughter at Evan’s words.

Seeing Evan’s unwavering expression, she straightened her relaxed posture.

“Alright, tell me. This absurd plan where the Northern Liberation Army clears the suspicion of assassinating the 4th Prince, proves to the kingdom’s people that they’re not a gang of ruffians, and satisfies the hardliners within the army by taking down the royals involved in the North’s downfall.”

I didn’t think it sounded so ridiculous when I said it, but hearing it from someone else, it does seem preposterous.

But it’s a task that must be done.

That way, I can keep my first vow and forge a good relationship with the Northern Liberation Army.

“First, to clear the suspicion that the Northern Liberation Army killed the 4th Prince is simple. The real culprit just needs to appear.”

“The real culprit? How? Do you happen to know who it is? The rumor going around is that the 2nd Prince took care of his good-for-nothing brother, but is that true?”

The rumor has only spread on the surface, but the prevailing opinion among people is still that the 2nd Prince assassinated Akard.

“Yes. The 2nd Prince did it. Or rather, ordered it.”

“Ho, you must have some evidence.”

“No. I have no evidence. But I’m certain. **······** However, the 2nd Prince can’t be the culprit.”

Pran tilted her head.

“I don’t understand what you mean. If the real culprit appears, that’s fine, and that culprit is the 2nd Prince. But you’re saying he can’t be the culprit?”

“Yes, the 2nd Prince can’t be the culprit. I advised him to take care of the 4th Prince. The 2nd Prince followed my advice.”

Her expression changed amusingly.

“So, you told the 2nd Prince to assassinate the 4th Prince? And that actually happened?”

“You’re not aware of the royal court’s ruling. The 2nd Prince and I have a closer relationship than you’d think. The details would make this a long story, so I’ll tell you another time. In any case, it would be troublesome if the 2nd Prince is revealed as the culprit. I’d also be in grave danger.”

Frowning slightly in thought, Pran spoke.

“So you’re saying, instead of the 2nd Prince who’s the real culprit, we should pin it on someone else? The 2nd Prince is the one blaming the Northern Liberation Army for assassinating the 4th Prince, but you want us to help him instead?”

“If there’s someone more hateful than the hateful one, shouldn’t we strike that person instead?”

I may be able to prove that the Second Prince ordered the assassination of the Fourth Prince if I pour all my efforts with the Northern Liberation Army.

But then, what do I gain from that?

‘Nothing at all.’

It’s not that I gain absolutely nothing. The problem is that I have more to lose.

Above all, that would only benefit the First Prince’s faction. Would it be a joyous occasion for those who handed me this bomb? I absolutely cannot do that.

“A worse scoundrel than the hateful one……”

Fran was lost in thought, tapping the table with her fingers. After a while, she nodded her head.

“Are you referring to the members of the Royal Council who support the First Prince?”

“Correct. If we make the rotten-to-the-core person who fiercely opposed the northern deployment the culprit, even the hardliners would be quite satisfied.”

“I get the gist of it. But you know, a member of the royal family supporting the First Prince has no reason to assassinate the Fourth Prince. Most people would rather lament the death of the good-for-nothing son.”

“Do they need to understand?”

“What do you mean?”

Even with suspicion but no evidence, one cannot arrest the culprit, but the opposite is possible.

“If there is ‘evidence,’ the culprit can be arrested. Didn’t we recently have a case where an ordinary-looking woman committed a series of murders, causing an uproar in the capital city? Did the security force arrest the culprit based on suspicion or evidence?”

And once the culprit is arrested, the motive for the crime will naturally emerge as people discuss it.

“……..”

Fran fell silent, deep in thought.

After a brief pause, I spoke again.

“Can’t the Northern Liberation Army create evidence if they put all their efforts into it? They haven’t been idle for the past five years.”

At this point, their assistance was crucial. It was nearly impossible for me, bound to the palace, to accomplish such a feat. Outside help was necessary.

If there was any concern, it was…

‘Whether the Northern Liberation Army had that capability.’

I carefully concealed any hint of this thought from showing on my face.

“…… Tell me one more thing you left out. That you will make the citizens of the kingdom see the Northern Liberation Army as more than just a band of ruffians.”

“From there, I can only elaborate if the Northern Liberation Army confirms their cooperation with me. It’s a rather, no, quite sensitive matter. Once you hear it, you’ll understand why I’m saying this.”

In response to my answer, Fran closed her eyes, deep in contemplation. I waited with a trembling heart for her to speak.

Every minute and second felt like an eternity.

And finally, she opened her eyes.

“It was quite an interesting story. But the process doesn’t seem so simple, even if the idea sounds easy.”

I acknowledge.

If the world went as planned, there would be no reason for me to be diligently casting [Evan’s Gab Technique] here right now.

I utilized the [Library] to help the Northern Liberation Army with all my might, and I thought they had the exact level of ability I had in mind.

‘The success rate is probably around 30%?’

That was the reason I tried to nod at the Second Prince before finding Pran. Debts are a bit incurred, but that’s 100%. In contrast, the ones I’ve turned my snout to Pran now are truly high-risk, high-return.

“What do you think the success rate is?”

“It will definitely work.”

Fortunately, my inner thoughts didn’t spill out of my mouth.

“Even if it’s impossible, I’ll make it happen. I’ve already done something similar. Have you ever imagined that I might be behind the assassination of the Fourth Prince?”

The thought of making it a success was sincere.

***

Pran tilted her head as she watched Evan, who was confident in the success of the plan.

‘Why does Richard’s face overlap?’

In Evan, in whom she could hardly find any resemblance to her unseen friend, his face kept appearing.

– Pran, watch. Someday, our Baron Bairn will become the center that unites the power of this barren North. I, Richard Bairn, will make it so.

Soon, she knew the reason.

For Pran, she is half, but she has the blood of an elf fairy running through her veins. She can faintly sense the emotions of the person she is conversing with.

Belief in oneself, conviction.

The two resembled each other in that.

And Richard had made the promise he made to her a reality. He had made the declining Baron Bairn the Frontier Lord of the North, and he himself was called the Sword of the North.

‘What about you?’

Pran inwardly asked Evan, who looked at her with unwavering, upright eyes.

After waiting for a moment for an answer that did not come, she smiled and opened her mouth.

“It was a bit too interesting a story for me to just listen and move on. But you know this. I have no intention of forcing any decision on those Northern Liberation Army guys. That’s why I can’t be in the front, just standing a step behind.”

“Thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for? I’m just relaying a story that was told.”

“That’s what I’m thankful for.”

Evan’s smile, as if he were raising thousands of snakes inside.

‘Indeed, not like Richard at all.’

She shook her head and got up from her seat.

“Now that you’ve said all you need to say, go ahead. Alfonso will be contacted.”

“Understood.”

“Ah, wait a moment.”

As Evan was about to stand up, Fran stopped him for a moment and began rummaging around the workshop.

“Where did I put it? I’m sure it was here.”

Fran took out every drawer and turned them upside down on the floor. The already messy workshop instantly turned into a dumpsite.

“I found it!”

After a long search, she finally found an old book.

“Take it.”

“What’s this?”

“The Beiern Mana Cultivation Method left by Richard. The recipient has finally appeared. What’s with that expression? Don’t want to take it?”

“That’s…not it. I’ll gratefully accept it.”

Fran frowned and scanned Evan up and down.

She noticed he was holding the crumpled paper she had thrown at him earlier. It seemed he had been reading it while she was looking for the Mana Cultivation Method left by Richard.

‘Read it?’

Geometrical information that only mages could understand, mere scribbles to ordinary people.

Only fellow mages would be interested in such things. There were also eccentrics obsessed with magic studies despite being unable to become mages. But they were easily recognizable, so they didn’t count.

She recalled her recent disciple who had lost a magic book and was scolded harshly, crying that Alfonso had definitely stolen it.

‘Was he trying to give it to him?’

Alfonso, who had stolen the magic book.

Rumors of the 5th Prince beating up the 4th Prince with swordsmanship.

Evan’s unhappy expression upon receiving the Beiern Mana Cultivation Method.

Fran thought she knew the reason.

“You’ve undergone Core Solidification, haven’t you?”

That was the only explanation.

He couldn’t cultivate the Mana Cultivation Method, so he had no choice but to be unhappy.

“Ah, yes, well…”

Evan nodded glumly, having his Core Solidification revealed for the first time.

“Ack! Core? No, Your Highness. You have swordsmanship talents that would shock even knights! Coooore?”

Alfonso was dumbfounded.

Of course. He believed that Evan possessed swordsmanship talent no less than that of Reina Janne, who was called a monster.

“Shut up, I’ll tell you later.”

Evan, who made Alfonso shut his mouth, looked at Fran.

“There were circumstances. I don’t particularly regret it.”

“Tsk, it’s not my business anyway. Go on.”

“Understood. Let’s go, Alfonso.”

As the two left, Fran could hear her disciple and Alfonso loudly arguing.

A while later.

Her disciple came back, grumbling.

“Master! As expected, it was Alfonso’s doing! That prince just now said he had read it for a moment and returned it!”

“Whether someone stole it or not, if you lose another magic book, I’ll kick you out.”

“Hmph. You’re too much!”

The disciple, who had made a sullen expression at Fran’s stern gaze, spoke first, as if the ensuing silence had become stifling.

“By the way, that prince just now asked me if I had shouted ‘Beautiful magic lady, please accept me as your disciple’ and bowed nine times to you. That prince is strange.”

“What?”

“That prince just now asked me if I had shouted ‘Beautiful magic lady, please accept me as your disciple’ and bowed nine times to you!”

Fran’s eyes twitched at Evan’s appearance, who had solved the problem she had given him not to solve.