WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Arsène
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Romance Fantasy’s Pushover Crown Prince Is No More ◈
Chapter 98: Loyalty
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To be honest, the current Empire seemed far removed from the image of the Great Empire.
The current Empire was the very picture of a standard fantasy setting.
'This is like introducing actual future technology.'
The Great Empire, on the other hand, was a nation built by cramming in every image of a truly powerful empire imaginable.
'Without a Status Window, this would have been impossible to even dream of.'
It was enough to make me wonder whether the Great Empire had truly existed at all.
The sheer impact of the phrase "knights carrying cannons" was beyond imagination.
The Great Empire was supposedly what the Empire had once been.
If that was true, I could not even begin to gauge how much weaker the current Empire had become.
What could have happened for it to weaken this much?
And how had such incredible technologies vanished without leaving behind even the slightest trace, remaining only in the Status Window?
'Shouldn't there at least be something like a vestigial organ left behind? How is it that I have to raise the Tech Tree before things like the Mana Stone Train and Magitech even appear?'
If things that had never existed were being created, I could at least understand it as an enhancement through the System's power.
Yet the Empire was merely reclaiming its former state, and it was strange that none of it could be found through ordinary means.
'As if someone deliberately erased it...'
For a moment, I suspected the Imperial Crown Prince, but quickly dismissed the thought.
The timing did not fit.
Even if the Imperial Crown Prince had regressed, these were not technologies whose traces could be erased in only a few decades.
Intentionally erasing the old Empire's legacy would require at least several centuries.
Two figures came to mind.
One was the Great Prophet, and the other, naturally enough, was Mirne.
'Either the Great Prophet erased it, or Mirne deliberately erased it with a mod.'
If the novel I'm Full Because Everyone Keeps Giving Me Things was based on a world Mirne had created by installing various mods...
It made sense to think Mirne had deliberately weakened the Empire through one of them.
If she had used a mod to erase every trace of how powerful the Great Empire had been...
Then the Empire's current state could be explained to some degree.
Still, one thing did not sit right with me.
'Why would a country loved enough to be showered with everything by those around it... deliberately weaken the Empire?'
Even assuming the Empire gave so much that it risked its own ruin...
There was no reason for Mirne to weaken the Empire.
She could have inherited the Great Empire's civilization as it was, so why weaken it on purpose?
Did she simply have a hardcore streak and want to make the game more difficult for herself?
'Mirne? No, there's no way.'
The Mirne I had seen so far was absolutely not that kind of person.
'Then is it right to assume the Great Prophet cleanly erased the Great Empire's traces... so Mirne couldn't take them?'
That made the order of events strange again.
Had the Great Prophet, who could be considered the Empire's founder, known everything that would happen in the future and arranged it all in advance?
Enough to erase the Great Empire's legacy because the Great Prophet knew the Empire would give everything away?
'If that's true, I'll need to learn exactly who the Great Prophet was.'
If that hypothesis was correct, the Great Prophet possessed foresight beyond even the Prophecy Book held by the Merfolk.
The Great Prophet founded the Empire while knowing how it would fall, then prepared for all of it?
That was nearly impossible without having experienced the future.
My thoughts continued until...
"Your Highness, you have worked hard."
"I feel refreshed thanks to you. Thank you."
"I only did what was expected of me."
Saintess Rowena's words brought me back to myself.
After everything involving the Kingdom of Corallia had been resolved...
I had headed to my bedchamber to keep myself in peak condition.
There, I had met Rowena, who had been waiting outside my door.
She had offered me a blessing, and that had happened just moments ago.
"I feel as refreshed as if I'd slept well."
"...You did sleep well."
"I slept? Me?"
"Yes. You slept very soundly."
"..."
I had shown her an embarrassing sight.
To think I had fallen asleep while she was praying for me.
But if I had slept well, it must have been for at least twelve hours.
Had she continued praying for me the whole time?
'I'm grateful, but I also feel bad.'
Just as I was about to say something...
Swish.
I heard something being hurriedly pulled away.
"Th-then I'll be going now. Because of the prayer..."
"Uh, yeah. All right."
I wanted to thank her properly.
Yet before I had the chance, Rowena hurried away.
Watching her leave, I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten.
'Come to think of it, I can visit the Fairy Realm now.'
Among the rewards for resolving Lumynix's Covenant...
I remembered that the Fairy Realm had been added to the Empire Map alongside Fairy Tail.
At the time, I had only thought, ‘So that's there’.
Things were different now that I knew about the title of Noble.
'I should visit the Fairy Kingdom.'
Being recognized by a race was one thing, but I could be betrayed without realizing it, just like with the Merfolk kingdom.
It seemed necessary to check in advance.
Before that, though...
"I should look further into the history related to the Great Prophet."
Information about the Great Prophet came first.
I also needed to examine the Eastern Continent relic I had obtained while handling the incident involving the Merfolk kingdom and find out what was inside that jar.
+++++++
Tap tap tap tap.
Rowena fled Bellon's bedchamber as if running for her life.
She desperately kept her head lowered to hide her flushed face.
Then she hurried toward the Divine Palace, the Detached Palace assigned to her.
'W-was it too obvious? Was I too bold? No, it was part of the... prayer, but what if it made His Highness uncomfortable? I know he finally slept well after so long.'
Or rather, she had been about to head there.
"Please stop for a moment, Saintess."
If Theo, the Imperial Crown Prince's Staff No. 1, had not blocked her path.
Theo pushed up a monocle of unknown origin with the ulnar side of his palm and continued.
"Pure love is a deeply noble emotion, but do you not know that emotions are useless unless they are expressed?"
"E-excuse me?"
"I, Theo, regrettably have no romantic experience, but to make up for that lack, I have read every romance-related book in the Imperial Library."
"W-what does that have to do with...?"
"It has been roughly thirteen hours since His Highness finished his work on rebuilding the Kingdom of Corallia and fell asleep. An extraordinarily deep sleep."
Rowena instinctively realized what Theo was about to say.
"...W-wait a moment."
"Lady Arveda is catching up with the members of the Dragon Legion to commemorate summoning them. Therefore, the only people in the bedchamber were His Highness the Imperial Crown Prince and the Saintess."
"T-Theo?"
"Of course, I would never do anything as irreverent as using magic to peep into His Highness the Imperial Crown Prince's bedchamber. Such a thing would be unthinkably disrespectful."
"Staff No. 1?"
She could not let that mouth keep going.
Perhaps because he was a mage, he spoke as though chanting an incantation.
Rowena slowly approached Theo, wondering how she could silence him.
What topic could she bring up? What method would work?
As Rowena stepped closer with those thoughts in mind...
Theo noticed her intention and smiled to himself.
"Now that Lady Arveda, who always visits the bedchamber, is absent... now that His Highness the Imperial Crown Prince is enjoying such deep sleep... you must have gathered your courage to look at His Highness's face up close, or even hold his hand while praying... This is the result of my deduction!"
"...!"
Theo's eyes widened as he continued.
The moment Rowena heard those words, she collapsed onto the floor like a criminal whose guilt had been exposed.
"S-stop... Please stop talking!"
"Judging by the slight mark on your cheek left by your hair, it appears you did not spend all thirteen hours praying... You even fell asleep with your head resting on His Highness the Imperial Crown Prince's bed."
"N-no, that's..."
"I understand. Lady Rowena, you have an extremely busy schedule as well. I understand you have recently been enduring a grueling schedule to consecrate the entire Empire."
"R-right! I-I'm very tired right now, so I'll be going first!"
"Hehe. I have kept you here far too long. My apologies."
Theo took a step back and moved aside.
With a precise half-turn.
As he watched Saintess Rowena pass him, Theo spoke one last time.
"I believe it would be better to hold His Highness's hand while expressing your feelings directly, rather than using the power of prayer as an excuse."
"Lady Arveda is even planning to move her own bed right beside His Highness the Imperial Crown Prince's bed."
After hearing that, Rowena could not possibly grow any redder.
She stared at Theo with a face as red as an apple.
"I... I won't lose either!"
With those words, as if she had steeled herself, she quickly headed for the Divine Palace.
Watching her leave, Theo thought...
'Hehehehe. The bloodline of the great Imperial Crown Prince must endure forever!'
Today, too, he diligently strengthened his loyalty to the Imperial Crown Prince.
Footnotes:
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