Side Story 3-2: Don’t mess with the crown prince (2)

"…Excuse me?"

'What? Did he say Wyvern Knights Brigade? That legendary Knights Brigade of the North?'

Wetton's pupils were shaking.

"Pffft."

Alberu scoffed.

'Someone who made it up to General by latching onto the third prince's side talking about ability. How laughable.'

General Wetton stuttered as he spoke.

"Umm, were they not coming by s, ships?"

"Wetton. The truth is harsher than you imagine."

'Funny bastard.'

Alberu sneered internally. However, the smile disappeared from his face.

"I like people who are honest. Yes, I tend to cherish those who are being true about what they want."

Alberu headed toward the window.

The sky was cloudy now.

No light was coming into the room. Alberu looked out the window as he asked.

"Wetton, are you truly focused on this war?"

The crown prince was smiling brightly unlike the cloudy sky.

"Isn't your true focus the Commander position and not the war?"

The inside of Wetton's mouth was going dry.

The crown prince with the radiant smile whom people had a positive image of looked completely different from his usual self.

It felt as if a cold blade was right in front of Wetton's neck.

The crown prince's gaze was as sharp as blades as he spoke.

"Cale Henituse has put his everything on the line."

Although Cale Henituse was extremely impudent and treated the crown prince as if he was a neighborhood friend… It allowed Alberu to know something.

Cale Henituse was putting everything he had gathered on the line for this war. He could feel it even without Cale talking about it.

Cale Henituse was going to fight to protect his home, his life, and his family.

Alberu was also fighting to protect the Roan Kingdom.

People who were focused on the same thing… There would be no arguments when you work with people who want the same thing.

"Young master Cale has shown his abilities and has shown that he is focused on saving this land more than anybody else."

Cale Henituse had not shown these things to Alberu because he wanted to do so.

Alberu could simply tell based on everything Cale had done until now.

"Furthermore, whether it is power or fame… He doesn't care nor want any of those things. He simply wants peace."

That was why he was a funny bastard, but one he could trust.

"I am simply raising the hand of someone who is focused on the right thing and has the ability to do so."

Alberu looked at Wetton, who had shown his greed as soon as he heard the information from Teus, and thought about the person behind this guy.

"The Roan Kingdom is currently standing in a fork of destruction or survival."

He then clenched his eyes shut.

The Wyvern Knights Brigade. Now that the enemies could do aerial warfare, they were capable of stealthier, quicker, and more destructive attacks than by ship.

"Go inform the third prince's side."

Wetton felt as if his heart would sink.

He didn't dare to open his eyes.

"There is no king if the kingdom disappears."

Alberu walked over to his office desk and sat down.

He then smiled brightly.

"Shouldn't you hurry?"

Wetton opened his eyes and flinched before heading toward the office door. There was no strength in his steps. Wetton's face was completely pale.

"Wetton. It would have been great if you had not crossed the line."

"Huuuu."

Wetton subconsciously took a deep breath in. Alberu said one more thing to him.

"Deliver those words to the third prince's side as well. It'll be even better if you tell the second prince's side too."

'Don't cross the line.'

It was a warning and an order to the people who had supported the third prince and the second prince.

Click.

Wetton's hand was shaking as he opened the door.

Alberu simply watched Wetton.

He knew that something like this would happen at least once.

The northwest region's Marquis' House of Stan and the southwest region's Duke's House of Gyerre had removed themselves from the factions of the princes they had originally supported.

Furthermore, the second and third princes seemed to give up their greed for the throne once the crown prince gathered powers such as the Mage Brigade.

However, the forces supporting them were unable to throw away their greed.

They were very foolish.

'This is not the time for that.'

Of course, he understood why they were doing it.

They wanted something to show for the time, effort, and money they had spent to support their respective princes until now.

The throne room was a place full of bastards who would rip you to shreds if you put your guard down even a little.

"He'll be an example."

What happened to General Wetton today would be an example to deliver Alberu's will to the respective factions.

"I guess it was worth working hard."

Honestly speaking, he had purposely made it so that General Wetton would hear about this from Teus.

Alberu picked up a document.

Shhhh, shhhh.

The sound of paper flipping filled the silent office.

Plop. Plop.

The crown prince stopped moving after hearing a different noise and looked toward the calendar.

It was now early February.

It was one of the coldest times of the year and gusts of wind as sharp as blades should be blowing, but it was raining instead of snowing.

"I guess the rain is starting."

It always rained for a few days instead of snowing when the anniversary of his mother's death was near.

Amazingly.

* * *

"You're here."

"Yes, your highness."

The lowest ranking record keeper was here to follow Alberu to his morning meeting.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

Alberu smiled brightly at the record keeper who seemed to be warily looking at him.

"The weather is great, your highness."

Alberu flinched for a moment before looking at the record keeper.

The record keeper slightly lowered his head as he continued talking.

"I heard that the weather will be good for a few days, your highness. It is different from past years."

Alberu's eyes opened wide.

The record keeper curled up before continuing to speak.

"…The weather is always left behind as a record, your highness. It is similar to statistics."

'This sharp punk.'

This was the reason Alberu thought highly of this timid-looking yet bold-seeming lowest ranking record keeper by his side.

"I see. The weather is good today. Pffft."

Alberu chuckled with a slightly stoic face.

The rain from yesterday had stopped and the bright sun was shining down on the ground. It should still be cold outside, but it did not seem cold because of the sun.

'Phew. That's a relief.'

The record keeper finally sighed in relief.

It was because he realized that Alberu's mood had gotten a bit better.

He had heard rumors about the incident with General Wetton yesterday.

The attendants and record keepers were always the first to hear the rumors about things that happened in the palace.

'They truly are foolish people.'

The nobles who followed the second and third princes…

He thought that the people who were still trying to maintain their power were foolish.

Looking past the war and power…

'There is a right time to mess with him, a right time!'

It was soon the anniversary of the death of the crown prince's mother.

The crown prince's birthday was coming up in early spring after that.

The imperial family did not do anything for the crown prince's mother on the anniversary of her death.

Even the king seemed to be ignoring the anniversary of her death. He seemed to be doing it on purpose.

Crown prince was said to go to where his mother was buried and spend a few hours alone on the anniversary of her death.

Furthermore, he took no record keepers nor attendants with him when he went there.

As for the crown prince's birthday, the King's Palace sent presents and cake, but the day passed by quietly without any celebrations nor events.

'According to what I heard, the second and third princes' sides prepared the nobles.'

Neither the second prince nor the third prince messed with Alberu around this time. Although they didn't like each other, the siblings knew where to draw the line.

The problems were the nobles and administrators who couldn't see anything because they were worried about their shrinking power and future.

"Hmm. I feel a bit better thanks to you."

The record keeper was slightly shocked and looked at Alberu.

The crown prince, whose expression seemed dry yet relaxed instead of radiant, looked around.

Only the crown prince and his true subordinates were in this domain right now.

Well, other than this record keeper that is…

"Should I tell you one of my secrets?"

"Excuse me?"

'A secret?'

The record keeper's eyes opened wide at Alberu's sudden comment.

"It is information a record keeper would like a lot."

The record keeper clenched the parchments on his side since the crown prince was not one to say things he did not mean.

Gulp.

He couldn't help but gulp.

Alberu chuckled and quietly whispered because he knew that record keepers were second to none when it came to liking rumors and information.

"I plan on looking after the anniversary of my mother's death and my birthday when I become king."

"...!"

The record keeper's shoulders sank.

That timid-looking appearance made Alberu chuckle again.

The eyes of the record keeper with an extremely small physique were shaking.

"What do you think?"

Alberu mischievously spoke.

"Isn't it kind of immature for the crown prince to do this? You can put it in the unofficial history. I heard that record keepers used unofficial things and secret things to make some money?"

"Your highness-"

The record keeper bowed deeply at that moment. He calmly bowed before raising his head and looking straight at Alberu.

"I will record it in the records when you become king, your highness."

An odd smile appeared on Alberu's face.

"…I like what you just said."

It was at that moment.

Knock knock knock-

Alberu's confidant Teus's voice could be heard after the urgent knocks.

"Your highness! It is me!"

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing-

Alberu's video communication device started shining at the same time to let him know that it was an emergency situation.

Click.

The attendant urgently opened the door after receiving a look from Alberu and the administrator, Teus, shouted as soon as he entered the room.

"The North is about to make their declaration of war, your highness!"

'Already?'

The record keeper's heart sank.

The war really was starting.

The time of peace had continued for so long that war only felt like distant history.

An indescribable chaos filled the office.

Anxiety and uncertainty started to rise.

These emotions were caused by the word, war.

They heard a gentle voice at that moment.

"There is no need to be shocked."

Crown prince Alberu Crossman was famous for his radiant smile and an appearance that suited it.

Yet he was not smiling.

However, his gaze was that of a determined person.

He spoke to his subordinates.

"Just do as we have prepared."

The record keeper blankly looked at Alberu, who was surrounded by the sunlight that was coming in through the window.

"The sun will shine down on Roan."

The record keeper was certain of it at that moment.

This moment would definitely be recorded as the starting point of change in history.

He was also certain that the history of Roan would continue without stopping.

* * *

None of them could say anything.

The Indomitable Alliance had declared war against the Roan Kingdom and the Roan Kingdom had also made their declaration on the Western continent.

'The Roan Kingdom is the kingdom with the longest history in the Western continent.'

'We will show them the strength of the survivors.'

It would not be weird if the war started at any moment.

Nervousness was suppressing the entire meeting room.

"…Waiting sure is difficult."

Someone spoke as they could not handle the silence. He peeked toward the head of the table.

Alberu Crossman was silently seated there.

The palace located at the center of the royal palace… That palace was completely emptied.

It was filled only with things for wartime.

At the center of it was Alberu Crossman, who had received full authority from King Zed Crossman during the Roan Kingdom's proclamation not too long ago.

"Your highness. Will it really be okay not to send any troops to the Henituse territory?"

Alberu looked forward after hearing the person in charge of information ask that question.

Finance, military, capital defense, border defense, diplomacy, and administration.

The best individuals of each category were all gathered in this meeting room.

Alberu was looking at the video communication device in front of him.

The silver shield surrounding the skies of Western City where the Lord's Castle was located…

"Not yet. The Henituse territory has not requested anything yet."

The Minister of Finance, the eldest of the people here, started to speak.

"The House of Henituse is probably extremely wealthy. They had been building their wealth for generations."

'Something amazing might happen if the Henituse territory used that money to prepare for war.'

"However, they did not have enough time to use that wealth to prepare for war."

She looked concerned as she said that. It was more anxiety than concern.

"I'm sure that they have prepared in advance as young master Cale Henituse gave them information about it, but for a territory to handle everything alone-"

"Stop."

Alberu's stern voice descended on the meeting room.

***

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]