WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Arsène
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Romance Fantasy’s Pushover Crown Prince Is No More ◈
Chapter 36: Saint Candidate (1)
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There were no gold mines in the south of the Velos Empire.
There were no rare resources either, nor was it especially rich in other resources.
The south was a region largely made up of desert.
Since it could not compete through resources, its entertainment industry had developed tremendously.
Most mysterious and unusual things were supposedly found in the south.
It was kind of like Las Vegas.
On top of that, I occasionally spotted members of the Nonhuman Races I had not seen much of before.
“So there are a lot of members of the Nonhuman Races in the west and south too.”
Though most of them were beastfolk.
Even then, there were so few that calling them numerous felt like a stretch.
‘Why are there so few? It’s not as if the Velos Empire persecutes the Nonhuman Races or has ever enslaved them.’
The Velos Empire did not actively maintain a slave system.
In fact, recent education reforms had been doing away with even the few slaves that remained.
‘But the Executioners are all members of the Nonhuman Races...’
Then were the rest concentrated in the west? Toward Macelin?
What did that have to do with the story?
There was one worst-case possibility that came to mind.
But surely they would not go that far, so I decided not to think too deeply about it.
That was not what mattered right now.
Rumble!
The golden statue, sliced diagonally in half, crashed to the ground.
A symbol of faith in a place completely unrelated to that faith?
And not just any symbol, but a sacred image of Romper, something that could be called the very symbol of the Romper Holy Kingdom?
Its meaning was painfully clear.
“They’ve been taking money from the Romper Holy Kingdom.”
Why would the Romper Holy Kingdom support the south of the Velos Empire? There was no need to think too deeply about that.
‘Because the Velos Empire doesn’t have an official state religion.’
The Velos Empire did not persecute any particular religion.
People were free to practice their faith as they pleased, as long as they did not get excessively pushy about it.
As far as I remembered, they had always stayed within those boundaries.
But this golden statue had crossed the line by a long shot.
There was not even a statue of the Great Prophet.
Yet the symbol of a foreign church was already sitting brazenly in the south.
‘The clergy sent to the North to clear themselves of suspicion over the rebellion brought people and materials to establish several parishes. Had they already been working in the south?’
The Romper Church clergy, dispatched to dispel suspicions that they had participated in the rebellion, had been trying to spread their faith in the North.
I had stopped that attempt by telling them I would kill them the moment they tried.
They were supposed to be clearing themselves of suspicion, yet they had boldly planned to proselytize. I had wondered where they got that nerve.
“So they already had a place where things were going well.”
Why had the south not reported this?
The answer was simple.
They had taken a lot of money.
“Pant, pant, pant. Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince...!”
After the golden statue was smashed in half, the lord came running over in a panic.
Duke Odrick’s body was plump with fat.
The extravagant jewelry draped across Duke Odrick was another sign.
No matter how unfamiliar someone was with etiquette, I had not expected the Duke to come greet me in such an unpresentable state.
It showed just how rotten the south had become.
“Pant... Cough... Pant... Huff...”
Duke Odrick was so out of breath from running over that the Duke could barely speak.
“You look busy selling out your country.”
The moment I casually tossed out that remark.
“T-That is absolutely not true, Your Highness! I swore loyalty to the Velos Empire!”
“Duke Odrick, then what is this golden statue? Didn’t you take money from the Romper Holy Kingdom?”
“T-That is! The Romper Holy Kingdom sent it as a gift, so I was troubled over what to do with it myself. But Your Highness the Crown Prince has removed it for me, so this is an honor for my family...”
Excuses immediately came pouring out.
Perhaps Duke Odrick, who managed the south as a whole, had heard what had happened in the North, eastern region, and imperial center.
Duke Odrick trembled all over.
No matter how much money and power someone possessed, they knew better than anyone that it all ended when they died.
The sight reminded me of someone.
And the moment that thought crossed my mind.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, please forgive my presumption, but I don’t think you need to waste your precious time dealing with someone like this. May I handle the matter?”
Theo quietly made his presence known behind me and cautiously offered his opinion.
“You want to do it?”
“Yes. Your Highness is the Velos Empire’s Little Sun. How can you personally deal with some insignificant duke while investigating the Romper Holy Kingdom’s connection to this? Leave such matters to Staff No. 1.”
“...”
A boy who knew better than anyone how precious life was.
At the words of Theo, the mage called the wisest of all, I nodded.
‘He’s trying to act like my hands and feet.’
Was that really what he wanted? Just how productively did he want to live?
His loyalty was startling, but I set it aside and answered.
“I’ll leave it to you.”
“It is an honor!”
After telling Theo I would leave the matter to him.
‘They sent the golden statue as a gift. Then they really were trying to set up a forward base in our backyard.’
I laughed at the Romper Holy Kingdom’s bold investment.
“Ha.”
How many people would refuse a golden sacred statue?
The Velos Empire guaranteed religious freedom in the first place, so they must have thought having a single sacred statue would not be a problem.
But if they kept accepting gifts one by one, by the time they came to their senses, all traces of the Velos Empire would have been erased.
“There’s even a temple bigger than the Duke’s estate. They probably just left it alone because it was supposedly free.”
Their intentions were so obvious that it was absurd.
Come to think of it, the south’s clothing was subtly different from the rest of the Velos Empire’s as well.
It had always been a place with all kinds of entertainment, so it had a reputation for leading fashion.
But unlike before, the current clothing clearly had religious elements woven into it.
A star set between flowing valleys.
It was decorated so extravagantly that I had thought it might simply be a pattern.
But that was unmistakably the symbol of the Romper Church.
“I said there was religious freedom, not that you were allowed to actively proselytize.”
If they had failed to stay within the line, they naturally had to be punished according to how far they had crossed it.
“Remove every religious symbol in the south that has crossed the line. I will take full responsibility.”
First, I needed to clear out the forward base in our backyard.
+++++
Romper Grand Holy Temple.
“The items gifted to the south of the Velos Empire by the Romper Church are currently being removed one by one.”
“...What?”
The Pope, who had been praying there, received shocking news.
“In the south? Why? Wasn’t the south welcoming toward the Romper Church?”
The south of the Velos Empire.
The Romper Holy Kingdom had invested heavily there.
It was the first place where groundwork had been laid to make the Romper Church the Velos Empire’s state religion, their first outpost.
And now the Romper Church’s belongings were suddenly being removed?
“Since they were gifts, the south of the Velos Empire can decide what to do with them, of course, but this is baffling. Didn’t they welcome our things?”
“Yes, they did. Starting with Holy Water... They actively purchased goods from the Romper Holy Kingdom and even dressed in clothing similar to ours.”
Calling them close was not enough.
The south of the Velos Empire and the Romper Holy Kingdom were extremely close geographically.
The Velos Empire as a whole might have been a different matter, but the south alone could practically have been called an ally of the Romper Holy Kingdom.
“Yes, that’s right... They were so familiar with us. What could have caused them to change so abruptly... Could it be the Crown Prince?”
If the situation had changed so abruptly, there was only one possible variable.
“Yes.”
The Crown Prince.
They had said he had changed, but no one had expected him to change this much.
Still, to think he would remove the Romper Holy Kingdom’s gifts so easily.
“We should at least send word that we find this regrettable.”
“Will sending word alone be enough? Shouldn’t we put pressure on them as well...?”
“When you think about it, our gifts were excessive. Wasn’t the intention obvious? We acted as though we were going to swallow up the south in plain sight.”
“Even so, can’t we raise the issue? They were gifts. Gifts they were free to do whatever they wanted with.”
“Yes, and because they have removed gifts they were free to do whatever they wanted with, all we can do is tell them we are disappointed and regret it.”
The Pope looked at Valerian, who had brought this news.
“I know what happened at the Velos Empire’s banquet. But escalating this matter would be too dangerous.”
“Why is that?”
“Because they have justification on their side.”
It was certainly shameful that Valerian had groveled before the woman he liked.
But they could not throw the Romper Holy Kingdom into the flames of war just to cover up that shame.
“But he destroyed a symbol of the Romper Holy Kingdom! The Crown Prince himself did it! Isn’t that an invitation to war?!”
“Starting a war over that would make no sense. Do not let love cloud your judgment.”
“...”
Valerian frowned at the Pope’s words, but realized his own mistake.
“I apologize.”
“Good. As long as you understand.”
If the Velos Empire and the Romper Holy Kingdom went to war, what were the chances that the Romper Holy Kingdom would win?
‘Half and half?’
The Velos Empire was falling apart, while the Romper Holy Kingdom was growing stronger every day.
Even so, their chances would probably be only about half.
‘Even if I keep the Crown Prince occupied...’
It was complicated.
Did they have no choice but to back down?
While the Pope was considering that.
“Saint! A letter from the Velos Empire has arrived for you.”
“What? A letter? Did an envoy come?”
“No. It came by messenger bird... But the bird was so fierce that before we could do anything, it dropped the letter on the ground and flew away.”
“Ha.”
A letter had arrived from the Velos Empire.
“How can they behave with such a lack of courtesy?”
Even as he said that, Valerian did not have the courage to tear up the letter from the Velos Empire.
He took the letter the priest brought and opened it.
It was full of elegant, beautifully written sentences.
But it could be easily summarized as follows.
[ Don’t overstep. ]
It said that sending gifts was fine, but they should stay within their limits.
Just imagining what it would have been like if the message had arrived through an envoy instead of a letter was terrifying.
‘Did the Crown Prince deliberately send a letter so as not to humiliate us?’
Was this the Crown Prince’s consideration?
While Valerian was confused, the Pope also read the letter.
“...They are making it clear that we are at fault.”
“Must we just accept this?”
“They still suspect us of participating in the northern rebellion, so what would you have us do?”
“Then how about sending a special gift that conveys our deepest apology?”
The moment Valerian heard the Pope’s words, he seemed to come up with a clever idea.
“There is, after all... one unusual Saint Candidate within the Romper Holy Kingdom.”
“...Rather than unusual, she is currently the leading Saint Candidate.”
“How can she be the leading candidate? Mirne will become the Saintess!”
“So you are saying we should send the Saint Candidate to the Velos Empire? As an apology? What meaning would there be in sending a Saint Candidate?”
The Pope was dumbfounded by Valerian’s words.
At a time when Saint Candidates were competing to become the Saintess.
Sending the leading Saint Candidate to the Velos Empire?
It was far too transparent a move.
‘Valerian used to be so clever. Just how much has love clouded his sight?’
Valerian only wanted to remove the leading Saint Candidate so that Mirne could become the Saintess.
The Pope wanted to say that, but could not bring themself to do so.
Valerian was not a blood relative, but Valerian was still the Pope’s child at heart.
The Pope could not be cruel.
So, rather than dismissing the idea outright, the Pope asked what Valerian had in mind.
“If they dislike a barrage of gifts as an apology, can’t we send a person instead? We continue to be suspected of treason, so we can send someone important from our side as well...”
“So you are saying we should send the Saint Candidate as a hostage?”
“I am saying we should make a strong move. If we are suspected of treason forever, we will have no choice but to remain in a disadvantaged position.”
“...”
The Pope thought there had been no need to ask, but could not deny that it sounded plausible.
‘Supporting the rebellion... Honestly, it is difficult to say we had absolutely nothing to do with it.’
Still, if they were asked whether they had truly done it, they could always pull back.
At the same time, the situation was not one where they could easily pull away.
But what if, at a time like this, they gave generous support and agreed to let the matter go?
‘It is not a bad idea.’
They could not remain in a submissive position forever.
‘If I or the Saint went, there would be a high chance of making things worse.’
But wouldn’t sending a Saint Candidate be acceptable?
Just as that conclusion was beginning to form.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince received a sudden message.
“Hmm?”
[ A villainess approaches you. ]
“What? All of a sudden?”
I received an unexpected message from the Villainess Ring.
“Theo, what did you find out?”
“Yes! I confirmed that they had genuinely accepted them only as gifts! There was some minor embezzlement by the Duke, and I would like to hear your opinion on how to handle it!”
“Leave the minor embezzlement alone. There are plenty of people who sold out their country. That much is almost cute.”
“Understood!”
This was shortly before I received the message that a Saint Candidate was coming to the Velos Empire.
Footnotes:
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