Chapter Chapter 28: RATH 28 TL: Eevee (2/2)

“So, my little brother, how far in were we? Your last will and testament.”

“You were still listening to my story, noonim! Not my will!”

“That is your will.”

I’d waited ten years for this. For this day, I’d personally dispatched people to the organization named Howling, I’d negotiated and cooperated with people sent there indirectly, and I also managed to turn his disciples.

And naturally, the organization named Howling was destroyed. But.

“My little brother, as Crown Prince you did a great job. The organization is destroyed, we’ve gotten a considerable amount of results and research material that the evil organization had been working on, we’ve confiscated a considerable amount of resources so that we’ll be able to invest quite a bit of money into next year’s budget, and we’ve even got a list of names of those that were cooperating with Howling so the imperial court’s going to reek of blood once again. Since we had to clean out the trash anyway, a perfect job! And since you managed to capture the organization’s head alive, His Majesty will be very pleased as well.”

The capital’s citizens were already in full festivities praising my little brother and Father.

Hm. That’s good. That’s a good thing. My little brother was indeed useful. But.

“But if that Crown Prince was found as a corpse the next day, that would be really amusing, no?”

“I’m sorry, noonim! Just my life?!”

As I kicked my little brother’s chin who was all but ready to dive for my legs he flew all the way back to Reia.

But, my little brother crawled back again to cling to my legs. Ast said this in the past.

There’s a small fraction of perverts that love being the crap beaten out of by women, was my little brother one of them?

Well, so what. He’s dead soon anyway.

“But, why was the task I assigned you the only thing that wasn’t completed? How strange?”

“We, we’re still in pursuit.”

Pursuit…

You’re chasing him? Ast? Do you really think that’s Ast?”

“According to the reports from the chasing group, he defeated the Sword Star in a single hit and is on the run. Aside from Ast, there’s no person in the organization with that skill.”

“really?”

The Sword Star that old man Nermia negotiated with lost.

The Sword Star’s skills are already well-known far and wide. Moreover, that seemingly endless magic power, if she had chosen not the sword but magic, she could have been the strongest magician in history.

If it’s that Sword Star’s defeat then of course it could only be Ast.

Since the daughter of the Nermia family was one of his disciples he’d sent her along, but an unexpected result.

“Right now, your direct subordinates as well as all of mine that I can mobilize are moving right now and narrowing the encirclement, so please wait, noonim.

Perhaps he’d realised my anger had abated slightly, my little brother slowly approached. Alright, so I’ll put killing my little brother on hold for now.

“Tell me why you failed, first.”

According to predictions, there was no way he could have escaped from the organization.

But he escaped. So I need to find out why. One time is enough for mistakes. I can’t lose him again to another one.

“Approaching the main base was harder than we expected. There were so many civilians near the main base we couldn’t even tell who was an organization agent and who was a civilian.”

“Civilian? Civilians were living next to an evil organization?”

“Yes, more accurately they were being domesticated. They gave land and money to refugees and slaves, and helped them out until they could become self-sufficient. Plus since the city’s lord was also an organization member he also took less taxes from the local civilians. Because of that praises were sung far and wide about how good the city was to live in, even the soldiers were surprised.”

Ahh, I didn’t see it myself but I can clearly see how it unfolded.

Since slaves that didn’t know when they’d die, or refugees who had abandoned their homes because of despot lords and taxes, were given a place that they’d only ever dreamed of and were allowed to live there by someone unknown, of course their heads would be filled with flowers.

“The name was called the Utopia Plan. There were also apparently dozens of cases where heroes or braves came along, thought they were mistaken and just left. Because of that, there was fierce resistance when we moved to subdue Howling. Thanks to that, we made all of them sleep by either knocking them out or with sleep magic, and thanks to that it was a bit dangerous, but perhaps there was a terrorist on the inside or something, the majority of the important buildings were on fire. Perhaps it was noonim who ordered that?”

“Hm… I don’t know. I did have people on the inside, but I never said anything other than to get Ast?”

Well, although someone could have started to cause an internal confusion.

But the Utopia Plan. Even the name sounds amusing. Well, he was always doing weird things and was very good at spinning them the right way.

Utopia… a nice-sounding yet a perfectly dystopic plan. But since the people themselves don’t realize they were domesticated, could you call it a utopia?

“Could I use this?”

“Eh? Noonim?”

“No, it’s just a passing thought.”

Humans must be free.

That is how their individual personalities are expressed, and their true worth is shown. That’s what he said.

And since he’s never been wrong up till now, I need to respect that.

Of course he’s an exception. Since there’s no personality that stands out more than him, nor is there a person of more worth.

That’s why, it’s alright even if he doesn’t have his freedom.

“Reia, tea.”

“Yes!”

Reia hurriedly ran from her corner and poured me tea.

Very well, not yet. There are still chances remaining. It’s too early to give up. If it’s ten years I’ve waited long enough.

I don’t need any more patience. For this moment I gathered up competent subordinates, made contact with countless nobles.

This was the moment to trust in those ten years of effort. But just as I thought that, I remembered an old conversation with that person.

‘Your Highness, there’s a favourite saying of mine.’

‘What is it?’

‘To get your foot cut by your trusted axe.'(1)

‘… You really are weird.’

‘Your Highness, I wish you would take this to heart. My words right now are the truth. When the thing Your Highness trusted the most, comes back to stab you in the back at the decisive moment could come in any situation.’

Why is his quaint smile as he said those words coming to mind right now?

“Milord Crown Prince! Emergency report!”

And the answer came quicker than I expected.

“The person suspected to be Sir Ast that defeated the Sword Star was a different individual! We currently have no leads on the whereabouts of Sir Ast’s location!”

“Wai, wait! If you say that now then?!”

Ah. Yes. That’s right.

Ast. Your words were always correct at the most exquisite moments?

I prepared for ten years. I believed.

And this is how I get my feet cut open.

Shatter!

“Hiik! You, Your Highness! Y, your hand?!”

“Reia. I think this knight is tired because of his run here. Lead him away to rest up.”

“Wai, wait a second! Sir Reia! Don’t leave me alone!”

“I accept Your Highness’s command!”

“Sir Reia? Sir Reia? Sir, Sir Reiaaaa!”(2)

As expected from my long-time bodyguard, Reia quickly led the knight outside. She has good sense in shutting the door behind her.

Now, then.

“Noo, noonim? Th, that could get dangerous so treating your hand should be…”

My dear little brother’s eyes are shaking.

Ah, I unconsciously broke my teacup with my hand. It’s dripping blood. Well… does it matter? Even if I clean it up it’s going to get blood on it anyway.

“Noonim? Noonim? I, I say there! Is there anyone there! The, the Crown Prince is about to die! He, help me!”

Ahh, looking at my dear little brother like that, another memory with that person is surfacing.

-Your Highness, it’s not good for you if you always make an angry expression.

-Smile. Smile even when nothing is happening, and when you’re angry, then smile, smile even brighter. Sometimes, smiling can be a more effective way to convey Your Highness’s anger then simple rage.

-Yes, like that. See there. Isn’t Sir Reia shaking in the corner over there?

Ah. Right. That’s right, wasn’t it?

Then now. In this moment. Let’s make the biggest smile in my life.