“Raunel. Thirty-eight days have already passed since Reinhardt disappeared.”
1st Empress Sylvia visited Raunel today as well.
Launel, who was swinging his sword in the gymnasium, couldn’t help but frown.
“Stop it, mother.”
“Didn’t he abandon his duties as chief investigator and run away? Ask His Majesty to take over the position of investigation leader…”
“The crown prince is Reinhardt. The position of the head of the investigation was also given to him. The moment I intercept it, the imperial family’s discipline will collapse.”
“Discipline? Reinhardt is the one who leaves if he wants to leave. Does it make sense that the next emperor would leave the palace at will? How many times has this been already?”
Know. that it doesn’t make sense
If he continues like this even after becoming emperor, the empire will be thrown into great chaos.
Reinhardt, as if not even aware of that, easily left the palace every time and disappeared.
Not once or twice.
There is no promise of where he went or when he will return.
And Launel was being forced to fill that vacancy.
To countless nobles and their mother Sylvia.
“… please stop, stop.”
Launel was fed up.
Once upon a time, I dreamed of becoming a prince and becoming an emperor.
Even when he was pushed aside by Reinhardt, he did not give up on his dream.
But at the Colosseum, Launel was defeated.
that day. Launel’s world has changed.
‘Leave me alone.’
Launel wanted to cover his ears.
Like Reinhardt, I just wanted to go far away.
But you can’t be so irresponsible. If even Launel leaves, the imperial family and the empire will literally collapse.
Launel, who ran away from Sylvia to the office, was buried in a pile of paperwork.
Instead of Reinhardt, he was taking care of his responsibilities and duties.
Izar, the deputy leader of the investigation, was from a periphery, so he did not have the strength to lead the investigation team alone.
If Launel hadn’t stepped forward, the investigation team would have disappeared right away.
‘It’s not just the investigation team’s job. It was also summoned from the peace treaty in the north. Where the hell did you go, Reinhardt?’
Things just pile up.
Launel is taking care of everything Reinhardt has done.
I was annoyed at Reinhardt, who just started working and then disappeared, but on the other hand, I was also envious.
‘… It’s free.’
no ceremony not entangled go the way you want to go
Reinhardt, who had cast off his madness, was unstoppable.
Having everything you don’t have, yet being free and unfettered by it.
envy. so i’m angry
It was then.
“Please, Your Highness, the Crown Prince!”
“······ her.”
The sound of a trumpet from outside awakened Launel.
Reinhardt. The guy is finally back.
Launel rose from his seat.
And walked out at a brisk pace.
*
Until the plenary session of the Dragon Blood Society, there was work to be done in the palace.
That would be the end of his job as the head of the investigation.
Most of the openly corrupt aristocrats were cleaned up, but the corrupt aristocrats pretending not to be corrupt have not been dealt with yet.
“It’s a tough greeting.”
Upon returning to the palace, the first person to greet me was Launel.
It was because he grabbed me by the collar and dragged me to the palace with an angry look.
It couldn’t have been the look of a really friendly brother.
As I tidied up my dressing, Launel raised his voice excitedly.
“Reinhardt. Do you lack a sense of responsibility?”
“What responsibility are you talking about?”
“All!”
For some reason it comes out strong.
It was the first time I had ever seen him so angry.
Launel bit his lip hard.
“Your irresponsible attitude is also a problem. As long as it’s not that he’s not aware of it as the crown prince!”
. . . Awareness as the crown prince.
Although he has awareness as an emperor, in fact, he has little awareness as a crown prince.
It’s not something that can be solved by staying still here, so I just moved myself, and that seemed to upset Launel.
“Ugh. There is awareness.”
“But why!”
“Why are you so angry?”
But I really couldn’t figure out why Launel was angry.
If I disappear, shouldn’t I rather like it?
He could have earned points by expressing himself as an irresponsible prince.
Launel caught his breath and wrinkled his brow.
“······ It has been like that since I was a child. You do the work, but I had to take care of it. Because of you, I had no choice but to walk the prescribed path.”
Since the prince is crazy, you too must grow up properly.
The prince is like that, so you need to be alert.
grow up nice know the honor feel responsible
These are the words I heard that made a scab sit on my ears.
right way. I had no choice but to walk the path. Since Reinhardt was crazy, it was because he had to become an existence to take his place.
In other words, he was a substitute for Reinhardt.
“Even as the crown prince. Even as the head of the investigation. Why aren’t you doing things right? Don’t you know that when you start a job, the people under you have no choice but to take care of it?”
“··· Know.”
“If even that doesn’t work! Do you really not know that people who believe in you and follow you are being harmed? You may die.”
“I know it very well.”
“But why! Why do you always leave when you want to!”
Ahh.
is it.
Was it like that
Now I know why he is so angry.
“I believed.”
“······ What?”
“I believed that if I wasn’t there, you would step up instead.”
That is the work of the investigative team.
If I disappeared after the work had been done, Izar, the deputy leader of the investigation, and the Yellow Dragon Knights had to take care of the aftermath.
Since I, the de facto powerful person, had been away for over thirty days, the nobles must have been eager to prey on the investigation team.
Launel came forward and covered it up.
I believed it would. Because Launel was a guy with a strong sense of responsibility.
Launel repeated as if he had heard it wrong for a moment.
“You believed me…? you?”
“Ever since you were young, you had a particularly strong sense of responsibility. Especially when it comes to family matters.”
This is why Launel can never leave the imperial family here.
Unlike me, Launel is all about this imperial family.
He considered the emperor, the empress, and all the princes as family.
Perhaps… even I would have entered that area.
Launel was such a guy.
“Raunel. If he didn’t care about me, he wouldn’t have to be angry. Isn’t it?”
Anger is something you give out only when you acknowledge the other person.
If you don’t admit it, just ignore it.
But Launel was genuinely angry with me for the first time in his life.
What this means is that he acknowledged me.
“······ dog sound.”
I hate to admit it, but I do.
said with a smile.
“Go north.”
“What nonsense again…”
“It is a call to come and finish the peace agreement on behalf of the agreement group.”
“…!”
Launel flinched.
As if it was no big deal, I added it.
“If you do what Archduke Carlos could not finish, everyone in the empire will praise you.”
“Do you know what that means?”
“Well. I know that if I go and succeed, the position of emperor will be solidified.”
Launel’s expression hardened.
I don’t know how he knew that the behind-the-scenes work of the negotiation team had begun, but Reinhardt is already drawing attention as the representative.
If this succeeds, it is tantamount to being chosen as the next emperor in name and reality.
It means to give it up to yourself.
“You know that, but you’re going to give up that position to me?”
“I have no lingering feelings for the position of emperor.”
“That… what…?”
Launel stopped. It’s like he’s thinking about what he’s been saying.
However, it was true.
I have a bigger goal.
Getting rid of those damn gods who rule this world.
So, on the contrary, this position of emperor could hold me back.
Moreover, it is a situation where the future is unknown.
There was a clear possibility that he would die from being discovered at the plenary session, die from being discovered by the gods, or die in the Demon Realm.
Numerous other variables tighten my neck.
No matter how strong you become, you cannot guarantee survival.
Even if you have been lucky so far, there is no guarantee that you will be lucky in the future.
so.
“Call me brother. Then this seat could be yours.”
“…”
Silence lingered.
I laughed.
That’s not going to happen. Because I’ve lived my whole life as an enemy.
It was something I did half as a joke.
Imagine being good brothers with Launel?
I’ve never done it before.
Both have come too far for that.
Even though the present Launel did not suffer, I killed Launel and Empress Sylvia with my own hands.
It’s a miracle that I’m living like this now.
“Hmm. Then it’s something that didn’t happen…”
“······ brother.”
“…”
······ What did I just hear?
‘The chicken meat is sprouting.’
The skin has risen. The chicken meat really grew.
I knew you wouldn’t want to treat me like an older brother even if I died.
Clearly, Launel is talented.
A talent for attracting people.
This was a devil’s talent that could be poisonous, but could make the empire even more prosperous if used well.
Launel’s desire was well known.
I thought that desire could stab my back at any time.
So, I killed him in the past, but I want to face a different result in this life.
“Raunel. Did you really want to become emperor…?”
“Because I can’t watch the empire fall…”
“hahahaha. Are you saying that the empire will collapse if I become emperor?”
“…”
It is the affirmation of silence.
It was written inside the mouth.
I’ve already had a history of crushing it once, so I didn’t have anything to say.
I patted Launel on the shoulder.
“If you successfully conclude a peace agreement, this place will be yours.”
*
It was as if a typhoon had passed.
Launel still couldn’t believe what had just happened.
‘This must also be a whim.’
However, I don’t believe it 100%.
Reinhardt’s whims were a day or two.
I could have been oblivious to this time as well.
Because he was the one who would stay.
still······.
‘It’s the first time I’ve said such a thing.’
The saying that there is no regret in the position of emperor.
It wasn’t something the crown prince would say, but it was the first time he had expressed such intentions directly.
I can’t believe it, but it’s also hard not to believe it.
So I called him brother. That too is a first.
I wonder if I should have left it at least as a document.
no. If you insist that it is also forged, the answer is no.
‘Emperor.’
If you don’t want to be, you will be lying.
However, I hit a wall several times and got frustrated.
Rather, if Reinhardt hadn’t been crazy from the start, he wouldn’t have had such a dream.
I let him dream, but Reinhardt actually built a wall to block it, so a tantrum broke out.
But I’ll give it up
the place. I will make your dreams come true
“Hmm.”
Launel’s lips twitched.
For the first time in months, I felt like I was smiling.
I don’t know what Reinhardt is thinking.
‘If Reinhardt really keeps his promise.’
To present oneself as the representative of the peace treaty group.
that was the promise
If he really kept his promise, then it seemed that Reinhardt’s words could be completely trusted.
‘······ I should keep my promise too.’
promised each other
Recalling the contents of the promise, Launel trembled.
Because just imagining it gave me goosebumps.
If there was a mouse hole, I wanted to hide.
That will be too.
– Call me brother from now on.
······ How the hell am I supposed to keep this promise?
＜type＞ end