Side Story 3-3: Don’t mess with the crown prince (3)

The crown prince did not smile with the war ahead of him. He calmly spoke while looking at the silver shield glowing through the video communication device.

"The House of Henituse was originally the barrier to protect the Forest of Darkness and the family laid their roots in that spot to be the vanguard against the north."

Although the family was famous for their money…

"Their start was as a martial arts family."

The start of this household was based on protecting and persisting.

"Your highness, still-"

It was at that moment.

– Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

– Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing- Wiiiiiiiiiiiiing-

They could hear the alarms going off in the Henituse territory through the video communication device.

– Your highness! The enemies have started their invasion!

Basen Henituse, who had been looking outside, urgently came over to report.

"...!"

Alberu clenched his fists.

Numerous black dots were quickly approaching from beyond the silver shield that was covering the sky.

Those dots slowly started to reveal their figures.

They were wyverns.

The Wyvern Knights Brigade of legends had revealed itself.

Alberu immediately started speaking.

"Open the door!"

Screeech- Bang!

The meeting room doors opened with loud noises.

There were multiple doors to this room.

Bang, bang, bang!

In this octagon shaped meeting room…

A total of eight doors opened.

A lot of people were silently observing the crown prince from beyond the doors.

Strategy, finance, diplomacy, administration, capital defense, etc.

Mid-level administrators for each field were focused and waiting for their orders.

"I will head out now, your highness!"

"I as well, your highness!"

A few of the top-level administrators immediately stood up. They each had a video communication device connected to the Henituse territory in their hand.

They all headed for different doors.

Scribble scribble.

The lowest ranking record keeper was seated next to Alberu as he quickly started recording.

"Mm."

He couldn't help but gulp.

He was not the only one.

The top-level administrators for finance, administration, diplomacy, etc who were still by Alberu's side could not close their dropped jaws.

"Ah!"

The pen almost slipped out of the lowest ranking record keeper's hand. He looked down at his hand. It was full of sweat.

– Baaaaaang—!

– Bang! Baaaaang! Baaaaang—!

The wyverns that were visible on the video communication device screen were launching attacks after attacks to destroy the shield protecting the Henituse territory.

"…The Bear tribe!"

The Minister of Foreign Affairs shouted those words before getting up and running toward an exit.

He was headed toward the communication mage in charge of video communication devices connected to different parts of the Western continent along with some diplomats.

"Damn it, fuck!"

The Minister of Finance, the oldest person in the room, subconsciously swore and the lowest ranking record keeper was working hard to record everything but his hand started shaking even more.

It was at that moment.

"Not yet."

Alberu Crossman finally started speaking.

"Excuse me?"

Somebody asked in confusion.

However, Alberu spoke to himself instead of responding.

"This is not the end yet."

'Yes, I'm sure that Cale Henituse has prepared something.

I know this bastard and he has yet to reveal his weapons.'

Alberu suppressed his anxiety and waited.

He soon got a response to respond to his waiting.

"Hahaha, my goodness."

A Bone Dragon and numerous skeleton monsters. This was the start to the Henituse territory's counterattack against the Paerun Kingdom's Wyvern Knights Brigade.

"N, necromancer-!"

"We're receiving calls from the temples!"

Whether they were covering their mouth or shouting in shock… Whether they were frantic from the calls coming from all over…

Alberu looked around him.

He had made a promise to Cale.

'Your highness, the Henituse territory will ignore all communication from the temple starting this moment.'

'I will take responsibility for it.'

The promise made regarding the necromancer…

"I guess I have no choice but to take responsibility."

One of the vassals urgently spoke to the calm Alberu.

"Your highness! It is a necromancer! This, this-"

"What about it?"

"Excuse me?"

"What is the problem?"

The vassal, who had been raising his voice, could not say anything and simply opened and closed his mouth a few times after seeing Alberu's now cold and sunken demeanor.

"Your highness!"

Alberu nodded his head after seeing the Minister of Foreign Affairs' gaze.

"As we prepared."

Alberu had made preparations in advance as he said that he would take responsibility.

"Yes, your highness!"

The Minister of Foreign Affairs knew about it as well.

One of the vassals who had been watching opened his mouth as if he could not hold it in any longer.

"Your highness, even if this is war, a necromancer-"

Alberu cut him off and asked.

"Do you want to die?"

"Excuse me?"

"Or do you need to see our people die?"

"E, excuse me?"

The vassal could finally see that Alberu's eyes were now bloodshot.

The face that had been radiant and gentle was no longer smiling and colder than anything he had seen.

No, he looked vicious.

"This is not the time for the Roan Kingdom to be cautious about what other people think. This is the time to do anything and everything in order to survive. That is the same for the Henituse territory."

He sternly spoke to the people looking at him.

"The necromancer currently participating in the Battle at the Henituse territory is a precious individual. That power is being used to protect us. That is enough."

"But the other nations and temples-"

"None of that is useful if the kingdom is destroyed. It is only a problem if we lose the war and the kingdom loses power. You should know more about world affairs than me, don't you?"

The vassal who had spoken up closed his mouth.

As the crown prince stated, nothing was useful if the kingdom was destroyed.

Alberu looked at the vassal before recalling what Cale Henituse had told him.

'The entire kingdom will become heroes.'

Yes, the Henituse territory will not simply resist.

They will be victorious.

Alberu had hope as he immediately gave orders to the people in charge of the different fields.

"Deliver information to the northeast region without any delays!"

"Ignore all contact from the temples except from the Temple of the Sun God!"

"Have the northwest region and southeast region increase the urgency level for the troops on standby by one!"

Scribble. Scribble.

The record keeper's hand started moving faster. He needed to hurry to record the endless flow of information and could not rest despite using a magic device to help him.

The record keeper could see that Alberu was extremely determined.

"…Ho-"

However, the meeting room, no, the entire palace soon had a moment of silence.

– H, hyung-nim-!

Alberu could hear Basen Henituse's scream-like shout through the video communication device screen.

Everybody had seen it.

'Baaaaaaaang!'

They heard a loud explosion and saw the aftershock of the explosion cover the video communication device screen.

Then they saw Cale Henituse barely standing after stopping the enemy's intense attack.

'T, this is not a battle between humans!'

The record keeper next to Alberu felt suffocated.

The enemy's immense strength…

Cale Henituse, who had stopped it…

'This is beyond the scale of war I had imagined!'

The record keeper was certain that he was not the only one who was having this thought. This moment of silence was proof of it.

'Will they be able to protect the Henituse territory-'

And…

'Will they be able to protect the Roan Kingdom? Will they be able to hold on?'

Young master Cale had persisted through the enemy's attack, but the war was not over. Furthermore, more enemies would come in the future.

'Will the Roan Kingdom be able to survive?'

The record keeper's body was getting stiff and he had even stopped recording.

It was at that moment.

"Basen Henituse."

He heard a calm voice breaking the silence.

The voice was dry but calm. It was Alberu Crossman.

"What did your hyung-nim order you to do?"

He was speaking to Basen Henituse.

However, everybody heard him clearly.

"If you do not want to be embarrassed, no, if you do not want to regret this in the future, do not forget your task."

The record keeper's shoulders flinched.

He subconsciously turned to look at Alberu.

Red bloodshot eyes, dry expression, stiff face…

However, his eyes were still alive.

The record keeper subconsciously clenched the hand holding the pen.

"The First Brigade of the Royal Knights and the First Mage Brigade are to head to the Henituse territory."

Of the eight open doors…

At the only door leading outside…

A Commander was standing beyond that door.

"As you command, your highness!"

The Commander bowed despite Alberu not directly giving him an order or even looking at him.

The First Brigade of Royal Knights and First Mage Brigade will soon move efficiently to the Henituse territory.

– Accurately relay how we win this battle.

Basen's voice came through the video communication device and everybody turned toward Alberu.

Alberu nodded his head and shared his will.

"Don't stop. Everybody do the things we have prepared."

The record keeper's hand moved faster and people started to quickly move.

And finally…

– The shield did not break.

The moment Cale Henituse's single comment echoed through the meeting room…

'We did it! The Roan Kingdom has won!'

The lowest ranking record keeper couldn't hide his emotions and stopped recording to look at Alberu.

'Ah.'

However, those rising emotions sank as soon as he saw the look on Alberu's face.

"This is just the beginning."

They had just received news that enemy ships had passed through the first boundary of the northeast region.

There would be another battle in the waters outside the Ubarr territory.

Everybody looked at the crown prince.

"As we prepared."

The crown prince made that single comment.

He then spoke again a few moments later.

"Then we will be victorious. It will be just as Cale Henituse just proved to us."

Alberu held the video communication device and headed toward the only spot with just one individual.

It was the area currently being used as the crown prince's office.

The lowest ranking record keeper had to follow behind the crown prince as his dedicated record keeper, but he picked up his pen first.

He added one more sentence to everything he had recorded so far.

< Crown prince Alberu Crossman will also prove it. >

* * *

Once a moment of peace finally seemed to arrive after numerous large and small battles…

"The coronation..."

Alberu looked out the window after even Tasha left the room and he was alone.

Puzzle City was a mess from the aftershock of the large battle.

However, the footsteps of the people around the city seemed to be light, potentially because they had taken care of both the White Star and the sealed god.

Alberu closed his eyes.

'Alberu Crossman. How about stepping up to this position now?'

'By the way. Have your coronation in the spring.'

'Spring…'

"Pffft." Alberu scoffed.

Knock knock knock-

"Your highness. It is me."

Alberu opened his mouth.

"Come in."

Click.

The door opened and Alberu could see the lowest ranking record keeper standing behind his attendant.

"Chester."

"Yes, your highness."

The lowest ranking record keeper approached Alberu with a magic pen in his hand.

Chester, the lowest ranking record keeper, could see Alberu smiling as if he was a bit happy but a bit flabbergasted.

"Chester. It looks like I will ascend the throne come spring."

The attendant and Chester flinched on their way in and stopped walking.

Chester soon resumed walking and bowed once he was in front of Alberu.

"May I record that moment?"

"You may."

Alberu then smiled brightly once more.

"Now then, shall I take care of my next task?"

The eyes that were looking forward once again toward the future were brimming with energy.

Chester heard what the attendant cautiously said at that moment.

"I know it is early in the spring, but… What do you think about preparing for the coronation to be before your birthday, your highness?"

Alberu stared at the attendant and then mischievously responded.

"Well, that sounds childish, but… I like it."

He had a cynical yet mischievous smile.

Chester and the attendant smiled gently.

It only happened once every so often, but the crown prince now showed his true smile to the people around him instead of that fake radiant smile.

The record keeper picked up his pen.

He thought about a decent phrase to put as the starting line for the book he was personally recording which was not an official document.

< The Roan Kingdom survived and Alberu Crossman, who was one of the main characters who made it happen, will become the true sun of the Roan Kingdom come spring. >

'No.'

The record keeper wrote a new statement.

< Alberu Crossman is already the sun of the Roan Kingdom. >

< Everybody is looking forward to the moment when the sun will rise. >

– Side Story 3. Don't mess with the crown prince. End –

– The next side story is, 'It's snowing? That's right! The flowers are also blooming!' –

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]