The Prince Wants to Retire

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The Crown Prince Wants to Retire

11. The Encounter with the Strongest Knight (2)

As Kariel returned to the Crown Prince’s Palace, the thought of retirement looming closer brought a smile to his face right up until he fell asleep.

In truth, Kariel hadn’t intended to plan his retirement this quickly.

However, observing the current situation made it clear that delaying would only lead to hardships ahead, prompting him to act with urgency.

Seizing the opportunity to summon the Grand Duke Family, he decided to stop postponing his retirement plans.

– Faster than planned, huh?

“Lucky me.”

Kariel smiled at Surth’s remark.

Indeed, the current situation felt like a string of fortunate events unfolding all at once.

Everything progressed just as Kariel intended, allowing him to secure his retirement plans much sooner than expected.

– To unravel such a complicated situation… You really are sharp in the head.

Surth exclaimed, shivering at the complexity of the circumstances he had just heard.

Not only did Kariel manage to resolve them, but he also achieved the retirement he had longed for, leaving Surth utterly impressed.

“Absolutely. My intellect is a step above yours.”

Proudly lifting his chin, Kariel declared.

Just a little while ago, he had thought it sufficient to merely untangle the complex situation, but now he felt a sense of pride in having gone beyond that to secure his retirement.

– Hey, I was once a king reigning over giants. I used to excel in politics too.

“Then why are you such a mess now?”

Kariel looked at Surth with a disappointing expression.

The moment even a slight complication arose, Surth would tremble and vanish.

Looking at him now, one could easily imagine his past as a king.

– Ahem! Being sealed for so long has diminished my rank…

“What does thinking hard have to do with rank?”

– My soul has diminished, making it harder to think. It’s true! I swear!

While Surth recounted tales of his past where he ruled Muspelheim, Kariel remained skeptical, his gaze unchanging.

“Stop with the nonsense. How’s Glen? You were whining about missing him.”

Surth paused, scratching his chin with his dainty hand as he thought.

– Not sure. I can’t know anything unless I see him in battle.

Once hailed as the greatest sword of the empire, Glen had risen to high ranks on the continent.

But now, lacking even Master Level skills, he was in an ambiguous position.

To make matters worse, Surth was equally diminished, making it hard for him to gauge the situation.

– Still, he’s not bad at all.

Even though he was still young, Surth felt a hint of immense mana radiating from Glen, causing him to smile softly.

– It’s astounding that he has already mastered mana at such a young age. Isn’t he the same age as your siblings?

“That’s right.”

– What a monster! Becoming a Grand Master at such a young age isn’t unusual for him.

Surth nodded in acknowledgment.

“Well, he’s still unawakened, though.”

Kariel couldn’t forget the spectacle he had witnessed in his previous life.

The moment Glen perfectly restored the First Grand Duke’s artifact and modified it to suit himself.

The clouds that parted as he struck the sky with his sword were still vivid in his memory, sending shivers down his spine whenever he recalled them.

“This time, it might happen even faster.”

As Kariel muttered, a smile crept onto his face.

With three Masters in the current mix, including Glen who had now become a Grand Master?

There’s no doubt that the attacks from the Dark Mages or neighboring countries would struggle to inflict any damage on the Empire.

– Indeed, there’s little to worry about.

Surth nodded, understanding the difference in force levels between a Grand Master and a Master.

“Rather, if the Empire messes up, it could turn into a pretext for expanding its territory.”

Imagining such a scenario made Kariel chuckle.

If he were the Emperor during such a situation, what would happen? He smiled, only to suddenly stiffen his expression.

“What am I thinking…?”

As Kariel shook his head vigorously, Surth narrowed his eyes and said.

– You secretly want to become Emperor…

“Are you saying you want to be rescinded?”

– …I can’t say I haven’t thought about it.

Kariel said seriously, while Surth cleared his throat to change the subject.

– Ahem! But that Grand Duke fellow seemed solid.

“Really?”

Kariel raised an eyebrow in surprise.

The current head of the Grand Duke Family was reportedly lacking in swordsmanship talent compared to the previous Grand Duke.

– Yeah. He seems to have complete control over his mana, unlike that fellow Glen.

“Well, I doubt Talion wouldn’t notice.”

– They’re at a similar level, so probably.

Kariel’s eyes began to tremble violently at Surth’s words.

“Is that really true?”

– Yeah. I initially mistook him for weak, too! The moment he knelt before you, he must have felt some emotions surge, causing his control to falter, and that’s when I finally noticed.

Kariel’s face lit up with surprise at Surth’s words.

“Really at Talion’s level?”

– Devir? Compared to that Duke fellow, he’s nothing special, but he definitely seems to be at a similar level to your attendant when it comes to hiding his strength.

Surth tilted his head in thought at Kariel’s question.

– But there was something odd about him.

“Something odd?”

– Something felt off, maybe? It was so quick that I can’t be certain.

Kariel frowned at Surth’s statement.

But as he had said, the moment passed in the blink of an eye, making it hard to say for sure.

“Well, I suppose I don’t need to worry about it.”

Since he was retiring anyway, it was up to them to figure things out themselves.

Having promised immense support and provided the First Grand Duke’s artifact, Kariel felt he had done all he could.

“Wait a moment, Surth. What about the other knights from the Grand Duke Family?”

– The ones who came along? Well… I don’t know the details. Just from their revealed aura, they seem a bit stronger than the Imperial Palace Knights.

Surth stated while still unsure.

As one ascends to higher levels, the amount of aura one can display can be controlled, allowing a Grand Duke to appear weaker on purpose.

Hearing this, Kariel urgently called Talion for confirmation.

“Hmm, they might be lacking compared to the Shadows, but they seem to be on par with the elite Imperial Palace Knights.”

Talion’s words made Kariel’s expression harden.

‘Did they just annihilate a place with this kind of power?’

In his previous life, the Grand Duke Family had been wiped out except for Glen.

This suggested that Belphus’s power might exceed expectations.

If what Kariel had imagined about Belphus’s potential held true, it would make little sense for them to be behaving so quietly.

Even if the Count of the Border and the Central Army were surrounding them, awaiting a predetermined downfall made no sense.

Unlike when he had brought down the Grand Duke Family before, they might have accelerated the timeline, but they still possessed strength—so why the calm demeanor?

“Something feels off.”

“Is there something troubling you?”

“Belphus is being too docile.”

As Kariel considered, it was apparent he was deep in thought.

“Could it be due to the siege?”

Although Talion suggested this, Kariel wished it were so, but his instincts told him otherwise.

“I need to stir things up before leaving.”

“Do you have a plan?”

Talion asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Having already mobilized the Central Army and the Count of the West, there was little left to do militarily.

The North was too busy keeping watch over the Holy Nation, and the Southern Army needed to monitor the Southern Alliance and neighboring nations.

The Eastern Army was also busy dealing with pirates coming from the strait and the criminal organization infiltrating from the East Continent.

The remaining option was to deal with the Aristocratic Faction, but they were also occupied following the two Crown Princes.

“I’ll call Belphus to the Imperial Palace.”

“Is that possible?”

“I’ll have them come to explain themselves. They need to clarify that they have nothing to do with the underworld merchants and Dark Mages.”

“That’s a tough position to take.”

At Talion’s words, Kariel smiled.

“If they don’t come, I’ll immediately gather the troops.”

At Kariel’s insistence, Talion nodded.

Although there was a hint of urgency, it was not a bad decision.

“Even they would find it difficult to handle both the Western Allied Forces and the Central Army at the same time.”

“What are you saying? We should involve both Duke families as well.”

Talion’s eyes widened at Kariel’s suggestion.

“Even them?”

“If the Dark Mages and the underworld merchants are related to those who ambushed me, it provides the justification to mobilize the two Duke families.”

“Do we really need to go that far?”

Talion seemed to think it excessive, but Kariel shook his head.

“It needs to be thorough. If we let things slide, it could lead to trouble.”

Having experienced the consequences of handling things too casually in his previous life, he aimed for a thorough resolution.

If Belphus was left unchecked, he, even in retirement, could find himself in danger; thus, they needed to be completely annihilated.

Moreover, before finalizing his retirement, he had to label the Dark Mages as the Common Enemy, making sure to drive them out completely from this Western Continent.

Only then could he enjoy his YOLO life safely.

“With Masters around, I should be ready for any unforeseen circumstances.”

With the remarkable Duke Devir around, any plan would undoubtedly be manageable.

That’s the essence of a Master.

*

Suddenly busy with tasks he needed to complete before retiring as Crown Prince, Kariel made a quick plan.

1. Persuade the Emperor to give copies of the First Grand Duke’s artifact and one of the Grand Duke Family’s treasures from the Imperial Palace report to enhance their strength.

2. Summon Belphus to the Imperial Palace. Prepare to move the two Duke families to the west for contingency plans against refusal.

3. Utilize the suspicion of connections with the Dark Mages to pressure the Holy Nation and Southern Alliance into sending messengers to the Empire.

4. Convene a Continental Conference to label the Dark Mages as the Common Enemy and drive them out from the Western Continent.

With a swift outline of tasks, Kariel jumped into action.

The first two tasks could be pursued immediately, leading him into preparatory work.

As for the third and fourth tasks, he would lay the groundwork, leaving the follow-through to his siblings.

Most likely, how they dealt with the Dark Mages would determine whether he would secure the Crown Prince position.

“Future matters are for my siblings! I’ll do my part and slip away.”

Firm in his resolve, he promptly headed to the Emperor’s Palace.

“Your Majesty.”

“Ugh, do as you please.”

The Emperor waved his hand dismissively, showing clear signs of fatigue with Kariel.

Noticing his reaction, Kariel inwardly smiled in triumph, bowing deeply before gingerly exiting.

“Did you hear that? Deliver this to the Imperial Palace library.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The attendant from the Emperor’s Palace humbly bowed and quickly departed.

Pleased with himself, Kariel envisioned Glen’s reaction and couldn’t help but smile.

Having worked hard to gain the Emperor’s permission, he felt pure joy upon receiving the result.

What he had done for Glen involved consistently visiting the Emperor.

Under the guise of morning greetings, he would arrive early to subtly explain the necessity of supporting the Grand Duke Family.

Then around dinner, he would ask to join him, insisting on casual dinner outings.

If he was told it was not possible due to busyness, he would return the next morning and, after lingering through lunch, finally leave after enjoying a meal.

All the while, he would naturally bring up the support for the Grand Duke Family until, at last, the Emperor, visibly bored, told him to shut up.

Ultimately, the Emperor could bear it for only a few days before exasperatedly granting permission.

“Talion!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At Kariel’s call, Talion hurriedly ran over.

“Go to the Ministry of Justice and summon Count Belphus and the former Countess. Inform the Ministry of Internal Affairs to get the proper authorization from the Emperor. Also, notify the Noble Assembly.”

“Understood.”

“Inform the Inspection Department to assemble an investigation team to look into Belphus. Once we get legal approval from the Ministry of Justice, proceed with the enforcement.”

“Yes!”

With Talion’s fast response, Kariel smiled with satisfaction.

“That wraps up task two. Now, just task one, right?”

As he muttered to himself, Kariel rushed to find Glen.

With a lightness in his step today, he felt a sense of impending good fortune coming his way.

“I feel like good things are ahead.”