We came to the luxuriously decorated reception room to welcome the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince and Ryan are sitting opposite each other.
Nike is standing behind as the Crown Prince's escort.
Ryan was grinning from ear to ear after receiving a promise that he would be given another spectacular award ceremony when he left.
I followed my (future) brother-in-law to the reception room in a demure manner to make a good impression, and after greeting him, I was about to leave again...
"Ah, let's sit together."
“...?”
Me? At the Crown Prince's gesture, I stopped in front of the reception room door just as I was about to leave.
While Ryan was bewildered, the Crown Prince spoke to him.
"Have your daughter sit next to you, too."
“Ah... Yes! Vania, come here.”
Ryan was flustered, but since it was the Crown Prince's order, he obeyed for now. I went and sat next to Ryan.
'What?'
The way he stared at me as soon as he arrived, and other things, I had a bad feeling about it.
Is there really a need to sit a clueless thirteen-year-old in a place where adults are talking about all sorts of things?
'Surely you don't know that I don't know anything, do you?!'
I have a history of acting like a child in front of the Crown Prince, squeezing out tears and snot, so I must keep this a secret until I die.
The fact that I have regressed and that the mind of an adult woman is trapped inside this body!
If I get caught, I might die of shame.
"First of all, although it is very late, thank you for your help during the recent campaign to subdue the West."
"You're welcome."
"Please arrange a meeting with the Crown Prince of Farnese before you leave. I want to thank him in person."
"I will do so."
The gentle Crown Prince, as expected, took care of Merchen first. Since Ratan could not be deployed to the battlefield without the Crown Prince's help, we had no choice but to reveal the true identity of the possessing demon to him.
So, excluding the Belzer people, only the Crown Prince and Nike know that Ratan is a Merchen.
“Ratan is already known as a mercenary monster of the Imperial Court, so he must continue to go to the battlefield. However, I ask that you keep it to a minimum. I intend to deploy him only when the monster spawn cycles overlap, and we need to subdue two or more locations simultaneously.”
"We are grateful, but is it really okay? If we don't deploy troops now that we have acquired military strength, the soldiers will likely protest severely."
"Still, I cannot use Ratan frequently. I’ve heard that transformation into a demon beast occurs through self-harm. I don’t want to burden him by demanding such unethical sacrifices."
“...?”
Ryan blinked as he watched the Crown Prince speak straightforwardly.
"What, what! We prepared so much to persuade you!"
The Crown Prince is fundamentally a good person, but at the same time, he is the leader of a country.
It would have been different if he hadn't known of Ratan's existence, but now that he did, the judgment he would make as a leader shouldering the fate of the empire was obvious.
"I will make the most of Ratan."
We were planning to ask him to at least bear with that, out of humanity.
“Um... if you don’t make use of it even though it’s here, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s reputation will be...”
“You are worrying about things you don’t need to worry about. The disapproving looks I’ll get for not using Ratan are my problem to handle.”
The Crown Prince smiled faintly and added.
"Still, to address your concerns, I can sufficiently offset this through a public relations battle with Wassenberg. They will continue to maintain their opposition to Ratan joining the battlefield, so I just need to use that to my advantage."
"Aha?"
“I am in a position where I cannot ignore opposing public opinion. So, I can excuse myself by saying that I am minimizing Ratan’s expeditions due to pressure from Wassenberg.”
“Oh, I see.”
Ryan nodded. He seemed to be admiring it inwardly.
The Crown Prince is no ordinary man, as expected.
The intention is to direct all the arrows of backlash that will inevitably follow when Ratan's expedition is minimized for the sake of the fairy tales toward Wassenberg.
The Crown Prince is saying that he will even use the management of Ratan as a political ploy.
“Let’s move on to the next agenda item.”
...I thought it was a meeting room.
Is there perhaps a reason why Belzer must remain closed?
"Yes?"
"So you mean there is no reason why Belzer shouldn't accept residents? If there isn't a specific reason, I would like to support the initial settlers. Is that okay?"
"Yes?"
Is this person broken? All they can do is keep saying 'Huh?'
But... that made sense!
Because it was a proposal I never even thought of.
“I will ensure a thorough background check before sending them. I will closely examine their financial status and criminal records, and grant immigration permits only to those who have been selected.”
“No, no. Just a moment...”
Ryan narrowed his eyebrows.
“Who comes to a land where monsters appear?”
"There’s no reason not to come. Isn’t it the land of opportunity?"
The Crown Prince added composedly.
“Belzer is a good place to live, provided there aren't any monster incidents. But now, even that isn't a problem. It has become a territory where Ratan is always on standby.”
"Will people come when the safety of Ratan hasn't even been verified yet?"
The Crown Prince paused for a moment, lifted his teacup to moisten his throat, and added.
“The very existence of the first settlers will prove that the clutches of Ratan and the land of Belzer are safe. If we succeed in the initial migration, we will naturally be able to ride the wave of population growth in the territory thereafter.”
"I see. I understand what you mean. However, I have a question..."
"Tell me."
“Is there a reason why Your Highness must raise Belzer to such an extent?”
“Ah, I see. That is because, under Imperial law, titles starting from the countship cannot be bestowed upon someone who does not meet the requirements to become a lord.”
“...?”
The requirements for a lord. In addition to land, there had to be a certain number of economically engaged residents.
“Generally, it is more customary to grant both the land and the title together once the requirements for a lord are already met. However, you cannot leave Belzer, especially because of Ratan. Therefore, I am telling you to fulfill the requirements for a lord within Belzer.”
“Wait, wait, just a moment!”
Ryan got excited.
"So, is it okay if I interpret the reason you told me to bring residents into Belzer as meaning that you intend to keep, keep raising my noble rank?"
"That's true, but was this really something that needed to be interpreted?"
“Hup!”
“Eek!”
Ryan and I covered our mouths at the same time.
“...You look alike.”
The Crown Prince said something to us as we looked at him.
“Why?!”
Seriously, why? I was so curious.
It was as if the Crown Prince had seen right through everything we were going to do.
Do you remember? My plan is to put Wassenberg to justice.
In that plan, the title Ryan had to obtain was the Count.
Because under imperial law, one must hold a title of Count or higher to bring nobles to trial.
It is such welcome news for us, though!
Being glad to see him was one thing, but I had to know the Crown Prince's intentions.
The Crown Prince I know is a seasoned politician who acts based on practical interests.
The titles of Baron and Viscount were both granted to him because they were beneficial to him as well.
But what about anything beyond that?
Why would they promise a countship while even personally sending immigrants?
It means there is something to gain by pushing us like this...
Ryan cautiously asked if I had the same thought.
"Is there something you are hoping for from me?"
“...”
The Crown Prince remained silent.
Silent, as if choosing his words.
A quick glance.
The Crown Prince and Ryan are sitting opposite each other.
Nike is standing behind as the Crown Prince's escort.
Ryan was grinning from ear to ear after receiving a promise that he would be given another spectacular award ceremony when he left.
I followed my (future) brother-in-law to the reception room in a demure manner to make a good impression, and after greeting him, I was about to leave again...
"Ah, let's sit together."
“...?”
Me? At the Crown Prince's gesture, I stopped in front of the reception room door just as I was about to leave.
While Ryan was bewildered, the Crown Prince spoke to him.
"Have your daughter sit next to you, too."
“Ah... Yes! Vania, come here.”
Ryan was flustered, but since it was the Crown Prince's order, he obeyed for now. I went and sat next to Ryan.
'What?'
The way he stared at me as soon as he arrived, and other things, I had a bad feeling about it.
Is there really a need to sit a clueless thirteen-year-old in a place where adults are talking about all sorts of things?
'Surely you don't know that I don't know anything, do you?!'
I have a history of acting like a child in front of the Crown Prince, squeezing out tears and snot, so I must keep this a secret until I die.
The fact that I have regressed and that the mind of an adult woman is trapped inside this body!
If I get caught, I might die of shame.
"First of all, although it is very late, thank you for your help during the recent campaign to subdue the West."
"You're welcome."
"Please arrange a meeting with the Crown Prince of Farnese before you leave. I want to thank him in person."
"I will do so."
The gentle Crown Prince, as expected, took care of Merchen first. Since Ratan could not be deployed to the battlefield without the Crown Prince's help, we had no choice but to reveal the true identity of the possessing demon to him.
So, excluding the Belzer people, only the Crown Prince and Nike know that Ratan is a Merchen.
“Ratan is already known as a mercenary monster of the Imperial Court, so he must continue to go to the battlefield. However, I ask that you keep it to a minimum. I intend to deploy him only when the monster spawn cycles overlap, and we need to subdue two or more locations simultaneously.”
"We are grateful, but is it really okay? If we don't deploy troops now that we have acquired military strength, the soldiers will likely protest severely."
"Still, I cannot use Ratan frequently. I’ve heard that transformation into a demon beast occurs through self-harm. I don’t want to burden him by demanding such unethical sacrifices."
“...?”
Ryan blinked as he watched the Crown Prince speak straightforwardly.
"What, what! We prepared so much to persuade you!"
The Crown Prince is fundamentally a good person, but at the same time, he is the leader of a country.
It would have been different if he hadn't known of Ratan's existence, but now that he did, the judgment he would make as a leader shouldering the fate of the empire was obvious.
"I will make the most of Ratan."
We were planning to ask him to at least bear with that, out of humanity.
“Um... if you don’t make use of it even though it’s here, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s reputation will be...”
“You are worrying about things you don’t need to worry about. The disapproving looks I’ll get for not using Ratan are my problem to handle.”
The Crown Prince smiled faintly and added.
"Still, to address your concerns, I can sufficiently offset this through a public relations battle with Wassenberg. They will continue to maintain their opposition to Ratan joining the battlefield, so I just need to use that to my advantage."
"Aha?"
“I am in a position where I cannot ignore opposing public opinion. So, I can excuse myself by saying that I am minimizing Ratan’s expeditions due to pressure from Wassenberg.”
“Oh, I see.”
Ryan nodded. He seemed to be admiring it inwardly.
The Crown Prince is no ordinary man, as expected.
The intention is to direct all the arrows of backlash that will inevitably follow when Ratan's expedition is minimized for the sake of the fairy tales toward Wassenberg.
The Crown Prince is saying that he will even use the management of Ratan as a political ploy.
“Let’s move on to the next agenda item.”
...I thought it was a meeting room.
Is there perhaps a reason why Belzer must remain closed?
"Yes?"
"So you mean there is no reason why Belzer shouldn't accept residents? If there isn't a specific reason, I would like to support the initial settlers. Is that okay?"
"Yes?"
Is this person broken? All they can do is keep saying 'Huh?'
But... that made sense!
Because it was a proposal I never even thought of.
“I will ensure a thorough background check before sending them. I will closely examine their financial status and criminal records, and grant immigration permits only to those who have been selected.”
“No, no. Just a moment...”
Ryan narrowed his eyebrows.
“Who comes to a land where monsters appear?”
"There’s no reason not to come. Isn’t it the land of opportunity?"
The Crown Prince added composedly.
“Belzer is a good place to live, provided there aren't any monster incidents. But now, even that isn't a problem. It has become a territory where Ratan is always on standby.”
"Will people come when the safety of Ratan hasn't even been verified yet?"
“So you’re saying you’ll take responsibility for resolving this. All we need to do is secure the initial group of immigrants by offering exceptional support.”
“The very existence of the first settlers will prove that the clutches of Ratan and the land of Belzer are safe. If we succeed in the initial migration, we will naturally be able to ride the wave of population growth in the territory thereafter.”
"I see. I understand what you mean. However, I have a question..."
"Tell me."
“Is there a reason why Your Highness must raise Belzer to such an extent?”
“Ah, I see. That is because, under Imperial law, titles starting from the countship cannot be bestowed upon someone who does not meet the requirements to become a lord.”
“...?”
The requirements for a lord. In addition to land, there had to be a certain number of economically engaged residents.
“Generally, it is more customary to grant both the land and the title together once the requirements for a lord are already met. However, you cannot leave Belzer, especially because of Ratan. Therefore, I am telling you to fulfill the requirements for a lord within Belzer.”
“Wait, wait, just a moment!”
Ryan got excited.
"So, is it okay if I interpret the reason you told me to bring residents into Belzer as meaning that you intend to keep, keep raising my noble rank?"
"That's true, but was this really something that needed to be interpreted?"
“Hup!”
“Eek!”
Ryan and I covered our mouths at the same time.
“...You look alike.”
The Crown Prince said something to us as we looked at him.
“Why?!”
Seriously, why? I was so curious.
It was as if the Crown Prince had seen right through everything we were going to do.
Do you remember? My plan is to put Wassenberg to justice.
In that plan, the title Ryan had to obtain was the Count.
Because under imperial law, one must hold a title of Count or higher to bring nobles to trial.
It is such welcome news for us, though!
Being glad to see him was one thing, but I had to know the Crown Prince's intentions.
The Crown Prince I know is a seasoned politician who acts based on practical interests.
The titles of Baron and Viscount were both granted to him because they were beneficial to him as well.
But what about anything beyond that?
Why would they promise a countship while even personally sending immigrants?
It means there is something to gain by pushing us like this...
Ryan cautiously asked if I had the same thought.
"Is there something you are hoping for from me?"
“...”
The Crown Prince remained silent.
Silent, as if choosing his words.
A quick glance.
“...?!”
“...!”
He stared at me for about a second!
It was a glance that slipped away in an instant, but we weren't the type to fail to recognize each other. Ryan pulled me into a tight hug, as if hiding me.
“S-Surely His Highness the Third Prince wouldn’t have demanded an engagement with my daughter?! Given the vast gap between our families, is Your Highness the Crown Prince trying to match my level in advance...!”
"Excuse me. That can't be true."
"What!"
Naturally, Nike got angry.
He, who was standing behind the Crown Prince, flinched and, unable to say a word, just glared at Ryan with a bright red face.
“Ah! That’s right. That’s exactly it.”
"?!"
However, the Crown Prince affirmed!
Nike looked down at the crown of the Crown Prince's head with wide eyes. It was the first time he had seen him look so surprised.
“He is of marriageable age, so I tried to find him a fiancée, but you asked him to wait three years. I wondered why on earth it had to be three years, but I heard he is waiting for your daughter, Ryan, to come of age.”
"Really?!"
"Your Highness!"
Nike could no longer bear it and called out to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince turned around.
“Why? You told me so.”
“...”
Nike's pupils shook as if there had been an earthquake. Hia lips could not deny it and merely parted.
That expression...
I guess he did say something like that?!
Surprisingly, Nike said such things to his brother, but it is even more surprising that the Crown Prince readily accepts it and is even willing to elevate the status of the daughter of a mere Viscount who has nothing yet.
My cheeks flushed involuntarily.
“He’s really pulling ahead on his own...?”
Ryan spoke to Nike. He covered his cheek with the back of his hand and turned his head away, as if embarrassed.
"I, I must be crazy. This is unbelievable."
I looked at my brother-in-law, covering my cheeks, which were as red as Nike's. He gave me a very benevolent smile.
Well, for now... at least that's a relief.
He helped me like he saw right through everything, so I actually thought he knew I had regressed!
***
Vania's relief was clearly wrong.
Her brother-in-law knows that Vania has regressed!
The reason for elevating Ryan's rank is also a push inserted under a meticulous plan, based on the assumption that he is the key to capturing Wassenberg.
Inside the carriage, returning to the Capital.
The Crown Prince looked back at his silent younger brother.
"Nike, are you angry?"
"...No."
You're angry!
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