WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Arsène
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Romance Fantasy’s Pushover Crown Prince Is No More ◈
Chapter 10: Oh, Is That So?
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The Velos Empire was supposed to be enormous.
There were even stories that many regions remained undiscovered.
It was set up as “a wealthy and incredibly vast country.”
Naturally, it would be difficult for the Emperor to govern all that territory alone.
So, Grand Dukes had inevitably emerged.
‘That was the novel’s setting.’
The North Grand Duke, who ruled over frigid, snow-covered mountains, and the East Grand Duke, who sailed across the vast sea.
Honestly, it was a believable enough setup.
North Grand Dukes were a common fantasy novel cliché, after all.
But.
“Moderation, moderation... The Imperial Prince is a male lead, and the Grand Dukes are male leads too?”
Even for a cliché, this was excessive.
One Imperial Prince and two Grand Dukes.
Everyone in a position to influence the state of the Velos Empire was a male lead.
Up to that point, I could understand it. What could I do about people’s feelings?
But.
‘That means the Empire was supporting a western kingdom from the north, the center, and the eastern region...’
I really couldn’t tolerate every one of those male leads trying to hand over the entire country.
Yeah, now that I seriously thought about it, something had seemed strange.
Even after I had undone all the personnel support and investments the Second Imperial Prince had made and demanded that Macelin repay us for them, the possibility of destruction hadn’t dropped below 70%.
I’d suspected something was going on.
“How much must the Crown Prince have given away for even Grand Dukes to send messenger birds straight to his bedchamber like this?”
Those preparing to sell out the country had been granted the title of Grand Duke.
At least the Second Imperial Prince had sought the Crown Prince’s approval, even when he acted on his own.
The North and East Grand Dukes were likely the final decision-makers in their territories, so they probably sent support without even bothering to read the room.
‘But how did these people become Grand Dukes?’
According to the founding myth, the Great Prophet had supposedly done everything alone.
How were there two Grand Dukes in this country? Was it simply because the land was so large?
‘The Great Prophet doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would divide power just because the land was vast.’
Had something happened during the founding? Or was that just how the fantasy setting had been established?
There was far too much I needed to learn.
I wanted to rest for at least today.
“Hoo.”
After letting out a short sigh, I said,
“Prepare a State Council Meeting.”
I ordered the knight waiting outside to prepare the meeting.
I didn’t particularly enjoy gathering nobles every day either, but there was no helping it.
+++++
The State Council Meeting.
In the past, they had gathered in the Round Table Conference Room, laughing and chatting over refreshments while casually discussing how the country was doing.
They would ask after one another’s daily lives, then say the gathering was simply to see familiar faces.
If a major problem arose, they would all work together, discuss it, and disperse.
It had been a peaceful meeting like that.
It wasn’t held often to begin with.
Even when it was, there had never been any tension.
“Huff... huff... huff...!”
“Y-Your Excellency the Chancellor... Why are you running so hard?”
“You, you... If it were you... would you not run when one wrong word could cost you your knees?”
The Chancellor wiped the beads of sweat from their forehead and sat in the assigned seat.
Every other minister had already taken their place.
It seemed they had arrived in order of precedence, and the Chancellor had barely made it in last.
‘As long as I arrive before His Highness the Crown Prince.’
His Highness always arrived exactly on time, so they had to come early, catch their breath, and enter the meeting prepared.
Because.
“His Highness the Crown Prince is entering.”
Clack, clack, clack, clack.
If they faced the glaring Imperial Guard Knights before catching their breath.
“Cough, huff, hack!”
They might suffer the misfortune of coughing while His Highness slowly walked in.
‘They’re bound to make a mistake.’
Ever since the day the knees of the Second Imperial Prince’s aides had been severed in the Round Table Conference Room.
The State Council Meeting was no longer a comfortable time for refreshments.
“I’m quite pleased that the Empire’s key officials have all answered such a sudden summons today.”
When the Crown Prince, seated at the seat of honor, casually spoke,
“We have only done what is expected of us.”
“Answering Your Highness’s summons is the duty of a subject. How could we refuse?”
“Following Your Highness’s will is my calling.”
As if they had been waiting for it, everyone hurriedly seized on those words and offered their own praise.
What proud central nobles? What noble bloodlines boasting long histories?
‘In the end, none of it means anything.’
At a single word from the Crown Prince, their heads bowed, and their long histories melted away without a trace.
No matter how great nobles thought themselves, they were still nobles. One word from the Crown Prince could erase everything below their knees and strip them of their titles.
They stood on thin ice.
So.
“It makes me laugh to see everyone welcome me so warmly. Let us leave the small talk there. The reason I called you today is that I wish to gain a clearer understanding of the Grand Dukes’ movements.”
The Chancellor met the Crown Prince’s eyes, which were fixed on them despite his words being addressed to everyone.
Gulp.
With years of experience, they forced open a throat tightened by tension.
Then they slowly opened their mouth.
“To begin with the overall situation... the relationship between the center, the north, and the eastern region can be called very good. The north is home to countless Monsters, as well as barbarians seeking to encroach upon it. The North Grand Duke defeats the Monsters, prevents barbarian invasions... and always does his utmost to secure Monster byproducts and rare resources found only in the north.”
“And the eastern region?”
“...The eastern region discovers hidden relics through its vast maritime domain and broadens the Empire’s horizons through exchanges with other countries and continents. Its swift mobility also ensures that it stands ready to serve as the Empire’s feet at any time.”
“So the north is a sturdy wall against barbarians, while the eastern region is an eye that broadens our view.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
The Crown Prince fell into thought for a moment upon hearing that.
‘A wall and an eye.’
The people responsible for those roles had completely fallen for the Crown Princess of another kingdom.
And they were trying to give her everything the country produced, so it was a wonder the Empire had held on this long.
‘It wouldn’t be strange if it collapsed tomorrow. Just how powerful did they make the Empire’s military strength?’
Since it was a country created to “give things away to the Macelin Kingdom.”
Its foundations were incredibly solid.
If the protagonist had been established as the princess of an overpowered country from the beginning, there would have been less enjoyment in watching her grow.
It seemed the story intended to make the Empire a patsy that handed out growth resources.
‘That’s not happening.’
The protagonist of <I’m Full Because Everyone Keeps Giving Me Things> was supposed to be a modern person who had transmigrated.
Her distinctly twenty-first-century way of behaving in a romance fantasy world captured the hearts of the handsome, cool male leads around her. She was the sort of character who received lavish gifts from them and became flustered while accepting them.
“Has any Grand Duke recently been neglecting his role?”
But that would be difficult from now on.
She wouldn’t be receiving much from the Empire anymore.
‘If you’re full, stop eating.’
Why did she insist on maintaining the position of, ‘I’m just standing still, but everyone keeps wanting me and looking for me. I’m so popular. I only want to live an ordinary life,’ from beginning to end?
I truly couldn’t understand it. Sure, it could be like that at the beginning, but wasn’t it strange to maintain that attitude forever?
By the end, weren’t you doing it because you wanted it to some extent too?
Anyway.
“...May I ask what you mean by neglecting his role?”
“There could be cases where the north’s wall and the eastern region’s eye fail to fulfill their roles and do not benefit the Empire.”
The first thing I needed to do was remove the Grand Dukes who were doing their best to destroy the country.
The Crown Prince conveyed that intention to the conference room.
The nobles’ eyes widened as they realized it meant stripping the Grand Dukes of their titles.
Stripping someone of the title of Grand Duke.
That was on an entirely different level from stripping the Second Imperial Prince’s aides of their noble titles.
‘If this goes wrong, it could lead to war...’
‘Is His Highness the Crown Prince considering war...? So suddenly...? Why?’
Among the nobles, who were too shocked to even speak properly, only the Chancellor calmly answered the Crown Prince.
“The title of Grand Duke was originally bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor because the country is vast and the environments of the north, eastern region, and center differ... It was intended to govern them more realistically.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Therefore... if that practical governance is no longer practical... I wished to say that Your Highness the Crown Prince may reclaim it at any time. Even if there are losses from doing so, should you wish it...”
“Hahahahaha!”
The Crown Prince laughed loudly at the Chancellor’s words.
The nobles felt as if they would go mad from fear at the sound of that laughter.
Because after that laugh, nobles’ knees always ended up on the round table.
As soon as the Crown Prince laughed, the Imperial Guard Knights’ hands naturally moved to their sword hilts.
Lower them.
The moment those words were spoken, they would no longer stand on the ground with both legs.
If they wanted to live, they had to crawl.
If they wanted to walk freely upon the ground, they had to swear loyalty.
Do not entertain any other thoughts. Spend the rest of your life solely for His Highness the Crown Prince.
Never fall out of favor.
Countless thoughts ruled the minds of the central nobles, called the pillars of the Empire.
“Chancellor, anyone listening would think I was preparing for war. What do you mean, losses? You have a talent for making things sound frightening.”
“I-I have overstepped my bounds.”
“Ha ha, no, no... You did not overstep. The Chancellor simply considered the worst-case scenario.”
The conversation between the Crown Prince and the Chancellor continued.
When it became clear that their discussion was not leading to war.
‘Phew.’
‘Of course it isn’t war.’
‘Why would His Highness the Crown Prince and the Grand Dukes suddenly go to war?’
The nobles gathered in the Round Table Conference Room exchanged glances and tried to sigh in relief.
“I am only grateful for Your Highness’s generosity.”
That was, until one noble let out a breath as though coughing after hearing the Crown Prince’s next words.
“Losses for reclaiming a mere title of Grand Duke? They failed to recognize His Majesty the Emperor’s grace, so if I reclaim it, is it not only right that they accept it?”
“Guh-huh-hup!”
“Ha ha, are my words that shocking?”
“N-No! Not at all! Absolutely not!”
“Good, good... I would like to give the key officials, the pillars of our Empire, an assignment.”
“An, an assignment...?”
The Crown Prince continued calmly, as if he did not care about that at all.
“I want every piece of information related to the eastern region. Begin with what exchanges the eastern region has with the Macelin Kingdom and what stance it takes toward them....”
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
The nobles hurriedly began taking notes so they would not miss a single word the Crown Prince said.
Those who had not brought writing tools even used Mana to carve the words into their clothes.
It was a stark contrast to the arrogant mages who usually claimed they could not understand using magic for such trivial matters.
“...In particular, conduct a thorough investigation in your respective fields into whether the East Grand Duke is truly continuing to serve the Empire faithfully.”
When would be good?
The Crown Prince pondered the deadline for a moment.
“I would like to receive a report as soon as I wake tomorrow morning. That concludes the meeting. Those with work to do may leave first.”
He announced the end of the meeting along with the deadline.
Rumble.
The moment they heard those words, the nobles rushed toward the doors of the Round Table Conference Room as if they had been waiting for it.
“Move! Get out of the way!”
“Are you the only one who’s busy? I’m busy too!”
“Didn’t you see His Excellency the Chancellor rush out? Time is gold! Time is gold!”
The Crown Prince watched them with satisfaction.
“It is truly pleasant that our Empire seems to have only loyal subjects. One cannot be a noble without loyalty.”
He casually offered his impression.
“Ah, now that I think of it, I meant to ask a few personal details about the East Grand Duke, but I forgot. Grand General, do you know anything?”
Then came a brief exchange.
“...Hmm, I do not know much either. My apologies.”
“What is there for you to apologize for? It is my fault for asking needlessly.”
“Still, I have heard that the eastern region has extremely low Spirit Affinity. For some unknown reason, there are no Spiritists at all, and spirits cannot be seen unless they reveal their power directly.”
“Oh, is that so?”
The Crown Prince perked up at those words.
A smile appeared on his face as though he had heard very interesting news.
+++++
At the same time, the Empire’s central nobles were moving to investigate conditions in the eastern region.
“Your Highness the Grand Duke! Your Highness the Grand Duke! Why are you abandoning your work to go on another adventure?!”
“Come on, you capable people can handle the work. What difference does one person make?”
“That one person is the Grand Duke. It is nearly time to prepare the goods to send to the Empire as well.”
“That... How about we just send whatever? The Crown Prince will understand. There’s a lot to send to Macelin! They’re having a hard time right now!”
Kailen Marin, the East Grand Duke, swept his hair back and focused his gaze on the ocean view beyond the window.
“The sea. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to look at this sea with Mirne? Hm? Don’t you think so?”
“...Her Highness Crown Princess Mirne does like the sea, but that is not the point. You need to do your work!”
“No, no, I don’t want to. I just... want to explore the Sea Ruins today! If I find something rare, I’ll secretly give it to Mirne!”
“Haah... Then I will handle today’s work as I see fit once again.”
“Sure, sure. You handle it, since you’re so capable.”
Kailen had no interest in managing the eastern region.
All he wanted was Mirne. He wanted to win her heart.
After they had met by chance once in the past, they began meeting often as though guided by fate and stayed in contact.
Whenever he gave her a gift, she would blush as she accepted it. It was unbearably lovely.
“Hmm, someone like her would be perfect as my other half.”
As Kailen dreamed of a rosy future with Mirne, Silphiner, the wind spirit employed as a silent drone, watched him closely.
Footnotes:
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