Chapter 6: Even a joke is like that

The crown prince trembled and smiled awkwardly.

Anyone could see he was trying to read my mood; one might think he was facing a heinous criminal.

‘Is someone going to eat him alive?’

All I did was commit airship terrorism in a city and kidnap the crown prince.

Is there really a need to be this scared?

“Your Highness, please calm down a little.”

“I-I will.”

“Let’s continue our conversation. You asked what to do about the nobles who are remaining neutral, right?”

“Yes. You said to kill them all.”

“Actually, that was a joke.”

“A joke?!”

The crown prince shot up in alarm.

I ignored his reaction and made a gesture of slicing my palm in half.

“Just about half. Kill those who need to be killed, and save those who can be saved. You can use the rest as you see fit.”

The crown prince’s face suddenly turned strange.

It was a look that said, ‘How is that easy?’

“Is my explanation still insufficient?”

“…I don’t think the explanation is what’s lacking. Let’s hear the reasons first.”

“Reasons, there are plenty of those.”

I searched my memory for a moment.

Was it Lore Book Volume 2, Character Biographies, page 121?

There are so many who need to be killed.

I mentioned the names that came to mind and pointed out their crimes one by one.

“First, Count Alconte. This man must be killed.”

“Why?”

“He’s been smuggling the country’s weapons and selling them on the side. There’s no room for rehabilitation.”

That madman Alconte is the very incarnation of corruption.

It was so bad that soldiers were training with sticks because they had no spears.

Later, he even sold off gunpowder, reaching a point where they had cannons but couldn’t fire them.

‘That’s why the front line collapsed so meaninglessly.’

Out of 300 cannons, only 12 were operational.

At this point, his very birth is a sin.

There’s a limit to how much you can overlook; trash like this couldn’t be left alone.

“Is there any evidence to pressure him?”

“Use the steward in his territory as a witness. That man is resentful for not receiving proper compensation for his work. If you say you’ll stab his master, he’ll cooperate willingly.”

“Trash begets trash. I see.”

The crown prince nodded.

It seemed Alconte’s name had been added to his mental hit list.

Good. That’s one down.

“Next is Count Anais. This one is particularly vicious.”

“Vicious? What’s his crime?”

“Human trafficking. He has people kidnapped in a secret warehouse in his mansion’s basement.”

“…A noble did such a thing?”

“I wish it were a lie.”

Slice. I made a gesture of slitting a throat with my hand.

“This one doesn’t even need any prep work. Just raid him without warning, and the evidence will be right there at the scene.”

“Is it that serious?”

“The scale is by no means small. Sometimes it even includes other races. Watch for the right moment and expose it yourself.”

Exposing it right away is a bad move.

You have to deliberately create a clear confrontational structure, and then expose it when the atmosphere is heightened to get the best result.

It’s rare to see such a mix of joy and sorrow as when good and evil become clear on the political stage.

From the protagonist’s point of view, it would feel exhilarating. Right?

“Alright, I see. Who’s next?”

The crown prince’s eyes gleamed as he urged me on.

It’s nice that he’s not prying about the source of the information, but he seems strangely excited.

This man.

Does he think he’s watching some true crime YouTube channel?

“Next is… hmm.”

“What is it?”

“The next person is Baron Berta.”

“Berta? Berta of the Demolo family?”

“Yes.”

“Damn it, I know him.”

The crown prince openly clicked his tongue.

Regardless, I held my tongue.

This person’s crime was a bit ambiguous.

“Your expression is strange. Is there a problem?”

“The crime is a little ambiguous.”

“Ambiguous? What did he do?”

“Adultery.”

“…? Adultery?”

The crown prince’s expression turned foolish.

“Did you just say adultery?”

“Yes.”

“Berta? My friend?”

“Yes.”

YES.

“Baron Berta’s crime is adultery. He has a very long history of sleeping with the wives of other nobles at banquets.”

The number was a staggering 82.

That’s why he earned the nickname, the Rasputin of Old Tales.

He was just a bastard obsessed with tits who cried out for MILFs until the moment he died.

“So it’s a little ambiguous. Whether that’s a crime punishable by death, that’s a bit…”

“What do you mean by that.”

“Pardon?”

The crown prince’s eyes suddenly widened.

What, why is he so worked up?

“Listen well.”

“To what.”

“Adultery is an unforgivable sin. I-“

I am the living proof of that.

I couldn’t hear the rest, but I could somehow guess what he was going to say.

It seems he’s projecting himself onto the victims.

‘But, your case is a little different.’

You’re not the victim of NTR.

To be precise, aren’t you the role of the tanned baby born from the belly of a cheating woman?

‘Hmm, I should stop.’

I hurriedly stopped my delusion. I was about to cross a very dangerous line.

‘If I had said that out loud, one of us would have died here.’

So scary.

---

Time passed, and Wyrcana prepared for landing.

The location was near the mansion.

I planned to just drop the crown prince off on the way.

“Your Highness.”

“What is it?”

“We’re about to arrive, are you feeling any better?”

After deciding the fate of the nobles, the crown prince’s expression had not been good.

He looked like something was weighing on his mind.

“I’m fine. I’m feeling a bit better now.”

“That’s a relief.”

“The thought of tearing that bastard Berta limb from limb cheered me up a bit.”

“……”

So that’s what it was, he was still thinking about that.

“That guy Berta is about the same age as me. We grew up playing together. He was even held by my mother when he was young.”

“I-I see.”

“Thinking about it, his reaction back then was unusual. Even considering he was five, he was particularly reluctant to be separated. He was rotten from the start.”

The crown prince, for some reason, mentioned a past I didn’t even ask about.

But why is his own mother appearing in his delusion?

Why does the story seem unable to escape from the MILF-lover theme?

“Cheer up.”

“That man will pay the price for betraying my friendship.”

“……”

In the meantime, the airship landed on the ground.

The side door opened, revealing the ground outside.

“We’ve arrived.”

At my words, the crown prince called for Marina who was behind him.

“Alright. …Marina!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“Let’s go. It looks like we’re going to be very busy.”

“Yes!”

Marina answered the call and then bowed her head to me as well.

“Noah, thank you for everything.”

“It’s fine. It was nothing.”

“Even if you say that, I know how much you’ve gone through.”

I threw a curveball of pleasantries, and it came back as a fastball.

She’s truly a woman who can’t hide anything.

No, perhaps that’s why the crown prince keeps her even closer.

A person whose inside and outside are the same is just that precious.

“By the way, Noah.”

“What is it?”

“If it’s alright with you, why don’t you stop by my mansion now?”

“?”

Suddenly?

“That’s a bit out of the blue. Why?”

“Why, you ask? Since we’ve met like this, won’t I save face if I treat you to a meal?”

The crown prince forced a smile and showed off.

Saying he wouldn’t treat me poorly, how great the facilities are, and so on and so forth…

‘It’s obvious he’s trying to hold onto me a little longer.’

I quickly saw through the crown prince’s intentions.

If we part like this, there’s no telling when we’ll see each other again.

To be blunt, if I don’t go looking for him, he’ll never find me.

The crown prince is afraid of that.

‘Is he trying to establish a line of communication?’

Whatever it is, it’s not a bad offer.

It would be even better if I could do some house-cleaning at the same time.

Are there really no people who need to be cleaned out in the crown prince’s mansion?

“Alright. Let’s go together.”

“! Good thinking!”

“Not at all. I was wanting to have a proper meal myself.”

I had only had water since boarding the airship.

I was starting to want to eat some real food.

‘Wyrcana, did you hear that?’

-I heard.

‘Come inside my body in a little bit.’

-Understood.

Fortunately, Wyrcana passed over it without any particular comment.

It seems it was secretly worried that I wasn’t eating.

‘I’m sorry. But I’d rather die than eat that nutrient solution.’

The nutrient solution was the same kind as the culture fluid in the facility where I woke up.

Metaphorically, it felt like drinking bathwater.

Maybe if you’re someone who treats this kind of thing as a reward.

Psychologically, it was something I just couldn’t eat.

“By the way, Your Highness.”

“Why?”

“I’ll say it again, but please don’t have any unnecessary expectations of me.”

Right before getting off, I reiterated just in case.

“Still on about that?”

“I’m telling you because it seems you still don’t get it. I don’t know everything.”

The trust the crown prince has in me is slightly twisted.

You can tell just by looking at when we were discussing the nobles’ punishments; he treats me like some kind of Akashic Records.

‘Getting his hopes up on his own, getting disappointed on his own. I hate that kind of thing.’

I don’t know what might happen later if I create a misunderstanding.

It was more comfortable to be clear about this.

“I’ll say it again. I only know what I know. I can’t solve all of Your Highness’s problems. Do you understand?”

“I understand. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“I’m begging you, please.”

“Honestly. You seem to be worrying unnecessarily.”

The crown prince sighed softly after hearing my words.

This man.

“Is that really so?”

“Enough. I’ve heard what you have to say many times. I understand that you’re worried about yourself. We’ll only know the exact circumstances after some time has passed. But, just with what you’ve shown me so far, isn’t it enough for me to build some goodwill in advance?”

The crown prince speaks clearly, unlike before.

Since he was right about everything, it was hard to argue back.

‘It’s a relief if it’s a relief. But it’s strangely pissing me off.’

Is it because I think I lost a battle of wits to the crown prince?

Why is this man making so much sense right now?

“…Well, if that’s the case, I’ll trust you.”

“Good. I had no intention of asking strange questions in the first place.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. What do you take me for? Am I going to ask what’s for dinner tonight? There’s a limit to excessive worrying-“

The crown prince’s words stopped midway.

“What’s wrong?”

“……”

“…Wait, don’t tell me…”

Horror gradually spreads across his face.

It’s a look that says, ‘Don’t tell me this b*stard knows?’

Unfortunately, my expression was similar to his.

‘Damn it, failed to control my expression.’

What’s for dinner tonight?

Of course, I know. It was mentioned in detail that after the crown prince died, his subordinates ate the cold dishes in the ownerless mansion.

Why did this man have to use that as an example of all things…

“…What did you say just a moment ago?”

“……”

“You don’t know everything?”

Somehow the crown prince’s gaze is strange.

Let’s put other things aside. What the hell are you that you know what’s for dinner at my house?

You b*stard. That level of feigning ignorance is top-notch.

It’s as if he’s saying that.

‘This is impossible to explain away.’

Perhaps because I was flustered, my mind started to work quickly.

There are times in life when excuses work and times when they don’t, and now is clearly the latter.

I quietly averted my gaze.

As expected, it was of little use.

Even after getting off the airship, the crown prince’s questioning gaze remained fixed on me and never left.

“……”

“……”

‘Stop staring. You’re going to burn a hole through me.’

I can feel it.

A gaze as if looking at something bizarre.

Is this why they say just staring can be sexual assault? I think I kind of understand what a ‘gaze r*pe’ is.

-Should I just kill him?

In the midst of that, Wyrcana speaks to me.

I quickly stopped her.

‘Hold on for now.’

Let’s watch a little longer and then decide.

If it continues for more than 5 minutes, poke his eye or something.