WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Arsène
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Romance Fantasy’s Pushover Crown Prince Is No More ◈
Chapter 22: The Great Cleanup (2)
──────
Screeeech!
When Pirande arrived at the Imperial Palace carrying a messenger bird.
“Hmm?”
The Grand General was taken aback by the messenger bird openly glaring at him.
“What kind of messenger bird is this vicious...?”
Upon closer inspection, he noticed a white bird clutched in Pirande’s talons, its throat torn open.
No, had it killed the bird while delivering the letter? To hunt it for food?
But that thought only lasted a moment.
“Isn’t this the North Grand Duke’s messenger bird?”
Grand General Arkham Velos recognized the bird Pirande had killed.
‘So while flying to the Imperial Palace... it saw the North Grand Duke’s messenger bird and just killed it?’
But that question, too, lasted only a moment.
Screeeech!
Pirande, famous for its vicious temper, cried out again.
“Ah, right. I should check that first.”
Arkham collected both Pirande’s letter and the white bird’s letter.
Screeeech!
As soon as he was done, Arkham silently watched Pirande fly away without looking back, as though it had no further business here.
“...!”
Grand General Arkham Velos was shocked the instant he read the letter.
“What in the world is this?”
[North Grand Duke, Rebellion, Great Cleanup, Executioners, Select Elite Force]
Five terms.
Short and simple, but that alone was enough for Arkham to immediately understand the situation in the North.
‘Rebellion? He’s rebelling?’
How dare he?
He had accepted the Empire’s support without an ounce of gratitude.
And now, having forgotten that grace, he dreamed of rebellion.
Boom!
The force bursting from Arkham’s anger left spiderweb-like cracks beneath his feet.
“How can he make such a grave decision, one that could spill the blood of Imperial citizens in the North, so easily?”
If he had at least made the absurdly arrogant demand that he wanted independence, he might have shown him some leniency.
It was true that he had defended the North well and silently taken on unpleasant work.
Of course, even that could not have been allowed, but it would have led to a far better outcome than this.
Rebellion was the worst choice he could have possibly made.
“Summon every Imperial Guard Knight and inform the Executioners as well.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Grand General’s order spread swiftly and discreetly.
Before long, it reached the Executioners as well.
“We’ve been gathering a lot lately.”
“....”
“Damn it, without Tin Can here, I’m the only one talking.”
At the center of the five palaces where the Executioners stayed, Arveda scratched her head and looked around at the others.
“Will it kill you to talk? Why isn’t anyone saying anything?”
“....”
“Ugh, forget it. What’s the point of me talking? Anyway, His Highness the Crown Prince summoned all of us, so we need to go.”
“....”
“It’s a pain to use magic in the North, so Fairy, help us out.”
Fairy.
The moment she said that word, Arveda looked as though she had slipped up and turned her gaze to the side.
The Executioner beside her opened their mouth.
“IfyoucallmeafairyonemoretimeI’lltearoffyourlimbsandthrowyouintoalivestockpenandwatchyoueverysingledayugh.”
A barrage of abuse fired so rapidly that it was hard to understand how they had held it in for so long.
Arveda looked sickened and hurriedly covered the Executioner’s mouth.
“Okay, okay! Damn it, you fucking pufferfish! You’re seriously throwing a fit. Just help us. It’s His Highness the Crown Prince’s order.”
“....”
What a complete pain in the ass.
Arveda could not understand how people with such poor social skills listened so well whenever the Crown Prince spoke.
More precisely, they obeyed the master of the Empire, but that was practically the same thing now.
“I’llhelpbutthetimeoftheCovenantisnotfaroffandifthere’sstillnoprogressbythenIwillugh.”
“Stop. Stop it, my ears are killing me. Arveda, why did you make Half open their mouth in the first place?”
“...It’s been so long since I had a conversation that I forgot what sets them off.”
“Anyway, judging by that, they’re willing to cooperate.”
“Old man, you’re coming too, right?”
“The master of the Empire has spoken. How could I refuse?”
After the Executioner called Old Man spoke, even the Executioner who had not said a single word until the end nodded.
Everyone had agreed.
As soon as Arveda confirmed their intentions, she headed straight for the Grand General.
Finding the Grand General was extremely easy.
All she had to do was locate the person emitting the fiercest presence in the Imperial Palace.
“...The Executioners are all here too. Then let’s go at once.”
“Don’t tell me we’re riding horses all the way to the North?”
“The North is an environment where magic is difficult to use. Isn’t that unavoidable? I understand Teleportation carries considerable risk.”
Grand General Arkham Velos had already summoned every Imperial Guard Knight and mounted a horse.
He looked ready to race to the North immediately.
Arveda shook her head when she saw him.
“It’ll take too long. This looks like something that needs to be dealt with right away.”
“Do you have a method?”
“Of course. We’ll use the power of Mystery.”
Mystery.
At that word, the one Arveda had called Fairy stepped forward.
As though they had some kind of obsession with cleanliness, they trembled their index finger before poking one of Arveda’s horns.
“Gather close. We have to go all at once. By the way, you’ll all be fine falling from a high place, right? Oh, but don’t get too close to that one because...”
“Youinsanetrashfilthyrevoltinghumandareapproachmyterritory?Iwanttocutyourheadsoffrightnowanduseitasanalarmclocktowakemeeverymorningugh.”
“They’re ready, then. Let’s begin at once.”
Old Man covered Fairy’s mouth and immediately signaled Arveda.
The moment Arveda and Fairy finished coordinating magic and Mystery.
“Teleportation.”
“Kylum.”
They used their respective powers to instantly transport everyone to the North Grand Duke’s castle.
Determining the coordinates was extremely easy.
The Covenant.
It strongly bound the master of the Empire and the Executioners together.
+++++
“W-What in the world...?”
Swoooosh!
The North was the North Grand Duke’s domain.
That was why the North Grand Duke immediately recognized what was falling from the sky.
“The Imperial Guard Knights.”
The Empire’s greatest fighting force.
A monstrous group where every member was a Swordmaster.
They existed solely for the Imperial family and swung their swords solely for the Imperial family.
Their loyalty did not fall behind that of the Romper Church in the slightest.
“The Grand General.”
The being called the Empire’s finest.
The strongest blade.
A superhuman who knew no defeat.
That alone would have been an enormous burden.
“Has the North changed this much? I seem to remember it being warmer a thousand years ago.”
“...You remember that time?”
“What a foolish question.”
There were even the Executioners, descending leisurely.
‘The North’s forces are gathering quickly even now.’
Could they truly defeat them?
If the battle dragged on, did they have any chance of victory?
All sorts of thoughts filled Preon, the North Grand Duke’s mind.
The more urgent the situation became, the faster his mind worked, and it found the optimal answer.
‘Subdue the Crown Prince before this fully begins.’
The Crown Prince was simply standing still and assessing the situation.
If they could capture him, the course of the battle would surely change dramatically.
“Everyone! Attack the Crown Prince!”
A short, concise order.
Support from the Imperial Palace had not arrived yet.
It was an order meant to produce the best possible result in this brief window.
“Yes, sir!”
Following Preon’s command, the knights immediately charged at the Crown Prince, drawing their ominous Aura.
Swoooosh!
As the knights’ charge shattered the floor beneath them, the Crown Prince calmly watched the scene.
“Everyone, Turtle.”
He lightly uttered words that no one except Pavan could understand.
Then, immediately afterward.
Clank, clank.
An enormous amount of steam suddenly burst from Pavan’s armor.
“Commence.”
Slash!
The legs of those called Swordmasters, the ideal of all knights, were severed in an instant.
“Arghhh!”
“W-What? What just happened?!”
“A sword? Someone swung a greatsword!”
“Did it extend...? I didn’t see it. How...?”
Even as their legs were cut off, the Northern knights remained calm.
The loss of a body part awakened humanity’s most primal fear.
But they had been prepared for this much from the moment they considered rebellion.
If they had no teeth, they would use their gums. Using their severed limbs as supports, they charged toward the Crown Prince.
‘If we capture him, if we secure the Crown Prince!’
‘No matter how strong they are, they won’t be able to do anything if we take the Crown Prince hostage.’
‘His Highness the Grand Duke is behind us! We only need to open a path!’
They completely ignored the Executioner beside the Crown Prince.
The Executioner was not someone they could do anything about, even if they paid attention.
Besides, attacking the Crown Prince would naturally force the Executioner to focus on protecting him.
That would make it easier for the North Grand Duke to target the Crown Prince.
It was, in fact, an excellent plan.
Tap.
Pavan could sever their legs in an instant.
But their torsos got in the way, so Pavan could not cut off their arms in one strike.
To carry out the Turtle order, Pavan blocked the knights’ path.
Boom!
At that exact moment, Preon, who had been waiting for an opening, moved.
With a powerful step that shattered the floor, he entered striking range in an instant.
The sight of the Crown Prince staring into empty space with a hardened expression filled him with rage.
‘He can’t even react? Crown Prince, you know nothing about battle. You, who only smile like an idiot inside the Imperial Palace...!’
Just before he could slash the Crown Prince’s body diagonally with his sword to make controlling the situation easier before taking him hostage.
“You’ve lost your mind, daring to do this.”
Boom!
Right before Preon’s sword could touch the Crown Prince, the Grand General dropped between them and knocked the blade away.
“Arveda, this place is going to be wiped out today. Evacuate the civilians who know nothing.”
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, could you assign one more person to me?”
“...Yes, do that.”
“My deepest thanks, Your Highness. Fair... no, hey, kid! Come over here!”
“....”
Even then, as though Preon was not worth his attention, the Crown Prince remained as relaxed as he had been from the start.
“Crown Prince!”
Preon flew into a rage at the sight.
The Crown Prince smiled as though Preon’s furious expression amused him.
“You don’t need to shout like that. And don’t worry. You’ll definitely die.”
A chilling smile.
Preon was briefly distracted by it.
“Looking away from me?”
Thud!
The Grand General’s kick struck him directly and sent him crashing into a wall.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, this humble servant will surely punish that man.”
“Grand General, thank you. But before he is punished, I’d like him made into a Turtle first.”
The Crown Prince said that and looked around.
The Imperial Guard Knights, who had landed later, were slowly butchering the Northern knights.
They should not kill them right away, though. That was a problem.
“Today is the day we watch Northern Turtles, so take it easy, everyone.”
Otherwise, my aquarium will be ruined.
++++++
[ You have summoned all the Executioners. ]
[ The possibility of the Empire’s destruction increases. ]
[ Current possibility of the Empire’s destruction: 90% ]
[ Status Summary: There is an extremely high possibility that the Empire will be destroyed within five years. ]
[ The possibility of the Empire’s destruction has surpassed 90%. ]
[ The possibility of destruction caused by the Covenant will not bring forward the time of destruction. ]
[ Since the possibility of destruction has surpassed 90% due to the Covenant, a clue about the Covenant will be provided. ]
“....”
Wait, summoning all the Executioners increased the possibility of destruction by ten percent outright?
‘There really is a penalty for using all of them.’
They were not called living nuclear weapons for nothing.
‘It’s like using a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken.’
Still, it was good that I had been able to confirm it through this opportunity.
The possibility of destruction had even risen, allowing me to receive a clue about the Covenant.
‘The battle is... overwhelmingly in our favor.’
Even with two Executioners absent, the Northern forces gathering in real time could not stand against the forces from the imperial center.
The North Grand Duke, who had revealed himself to be a Grandmaster, could not overwhelm the Grand General.
And while he failed to do so, the Northern knights were becoming Turtles one by one.
“Tin Can, no, Pavan. What exactly is a Turtle?”
“Cutting off the arms and legs is a Turtle. Cutting off the neck makes a Kettle, so only the arms and legs must be cut off.”
“Hoho... I see.”
Boom! Crash!
The Executioner with the old man’s voice swung two enormous hammers.
With each swing, the Northern soldiers’ limbs were crushed even though the hammers never touched them.
And the Executioner standing silently.
“....”
I did not know what they were doing, but they were steadily reducing the knights’ numbers.
Although I did not know how much preparation had gone into it, the rebellion the North Grand Duke had prepared so confidently was wavering like a candle in the wind.
He had prepared a rebellion with only this?
Just how lightly had he taken the Empire’s center?
As I was thinking that.
Slash!
“Ghk!”
After a brief exchange, Preon’s knee was finally severed.
He could not even overwhelm the Grand General, and then an Executioner intervened.
In a way, Preon being made into a Turtle was an extremely simple outcome.
Step. Step.
I slowly walked toward Preon, whose eyes still burned with life.
“Preon, judging by the state of things, it doesn’t look like you’ve been preparing this rebellion for very long.”
“...What do you mean by that?”
“Tell me. Who the hell encouraged you?”
“You are speaking nonsense.”
“Was it Mirne, the whore from the Macelin Kingdom?”
“She is not a whore, ghk!”
How unfortunate.
He could not properly answer what he was asked.
Only beasts needed to be hit before their ears opened.
How could the North Grand Duke, no…
The former North Grand Duke be doing that?
As I was about to extract information from Preon before killing him and punish him for rebellion.
“Ah, Your Highness the Crown Prince, this...”
The Grand General took a letter from his coat and handed it to me.
“This is...?”
“It is the letter the Northern messenger bird had intended to deliver.”
“That white bird?”
Whom had the North been trying to contact?
I desperately hoped it was Macelin.
Then I would have a pretext for war. As soon as I lowered the possibility of destruction, I could immediately deploy the Executioners against Macelin.
But unfortunately.
“The Romper Holy Kingdom... Haha, so you tried to borrow foreign power for your rebellion.”
It was not Macelin.
The Romper Holy Kingdom in the South.
There was probably a male lead from I’m Full Because Everyone Keeps Giving Me Things there as well.
And he had given me such a convenient excuse to contact them.
In some ways, the former North Grand Duke could be said to have performed a patriotic act for the Empire.
‘Preon will probably refuse to say a word about Macelin.’
Then I could torture him appropriately before killing him here.
So.
“Grand General.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Let us begin the Empire’s tradition.”
“If I may put Your Highness’s words figuratively, it is Turtle and Human.”
“Yes, we will begin Turtle and Human.”
The punishment for rebellion, he should receive it in earnest now, should he not?
Besides, the Northern nobles who had joined the rebellion would still be alive.
‘Things have been busy lately.’
I had to keep carrying out the great cleanup as well.
But a great cleanup inevitably took a lot of time.
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
