“Second Prince!”
The sheriff let out a startled cry, his heart plummeting from heaven to hell in an instant. He could never have imagined that the savior he had prayed for day and night would turn out to be the harbinger of his doom.
Utterly humbled and full of confusion, he called out in a loud voice, “You, you must be mistaken, right? We’ve served you faithfully for so many years…”
“Served?”
The Second Prince’s face twisted in disgust as he stroked his chin and turned away, as if the sheriff before him were nothing more than filthy, discarded trash.
“You two, mere lowborns without a scrap of noble blood—do you think yourselves fit to serve this Prince?”
The Second Prince clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Then again, lowborns will always be lowborns. With a bit of luck, you gain a little capital and start to believe you can actually blend into the lives of the elite, never understanding a shred of etiquette.”
The Prince’s voice was cutting. Faced with these two trusted subordinates, who had served him loyally for years and handled countless dirty deeds, he showed not a hint of guilt, nor the slightest hesitation.
“To die for a dignified Prince like me is your honor.”
The Second Prince sighed languidly.
“Your Highness, I—I won’t say a word, I swear!”
After all, he had once been the de facto ruler of the town. Calming himself slightly, the sheriff immediately realized why the Second Prince was now casting them aside like worn shoes.
Treating human subjects as slaves and secretly gifting them through barbarian tribes to the high ranks of the Beastman Kingdom—all just to gain outside support for the fight for the throne…
No matter how you looked at it, it was the vilest kind of scandal.
If anyone got hold of such evidence, what awaited the Second Prince would surely be an onslaught from the other throne contenders.
“Keep a secret?”
The Second Prince snorted disdainfully. “In this world, only the dead can keep secrets.”
“That’s enough. Princess, didn’t you just say you wanted to uphold justice, to follow the example of the founding Emperor? These two—deal with them as you wish.”
He gave the two discarded subordinates a casual glance and then turned back to negotiating with Theresa. “Otherwise… the Governor of the Western Region is my maternal grandfather’s old subordinate. He will support me with all his heart.”
“If I give the order, sealing off the entire region is no joke. With your border area having no resources at all, once you lose all commercial ties with the Empire, there’ll be nothing but famine and war…”
Bang.
Theresa could bear her brother’s shameless words no longer. “Enough, Second Brother, you—you weren’t always like this!”
“When we were children, you were a boy who loved playing with dolls, reading fairy tales, pestering Father to play house—why, why have you become like this now?”
Theresa’s voice was torn with anguish, disbelief, and on the verge of tears.
Faced with his sister’s heartfelt question, Prince Andrei was silent for a long moment.
“People…change.” He sighed helplessly. “Even naïve children grow up, Theresa.”
For once, Prince Andrei called the Seventh Princess by her name.
“Don’t you also wish to fight for the throne? As Emperor, as ruler of millions, how can your vision and magnanimity be so narrow?”
It seemed he was touched by the memories of childhood Theresa had invoked. The usual affected tone was gone, replaced by sincerity from the heart.
“Theresa, you’re still the same as always, seeing the world in black and white, believing in absolute justice.”
There was a trace of mockery in Andrei’s eyes. “But in politics, in the battle for the throne, on the international stage, the ideals you call justice are nothing but castles in the air—nice to look at, but utterly useless.”
“To become ruler, I am willing to sacrifice anything. Let alone a couple of dogs?”
Not giving Theresa a chance to argue, the Second Prince leisurely picked up a document. “Oh, before you refuse my proposal again, let me give you a piece of information for free.”
“Elder Brother is already aware of your great achievements and is planning to give you some extra responsibilities.”
Elder Brother?
There was only one person in the world whom Second Prince Andrei would call “Elder Brother.”
The Imperial Regent, the First Prince.
“The one who brought the female Magician into the court?”
Standing silently by the side, Green’s eyes flickered.
Magician, Puppeteer—these two possessed unfathomable power, far beyond ordinary Legends. Even a peak Legend in their domain would not stand a chance against them.
The Power of Chaos.
Green felt a chill in his heart.
As the former “God of Justice,” he understood better than anyone how terrifying that source of corruption from beyond the stars truly was.
The Puppeteer was right. Even the gods, when faced with that ancient and enduring horror, had no choice but to hide away in the Divine Kingdom.
Leaving that twisted power to spread unchecked throughout the world.
Only the divine light of the God of Justice himself could purify that force.
“I only have three opportunities left in my Chosen One form.”
Green sighed gloomily. Yet, even with a long road ahead, there was not the slightest wavering in his heart.
He must assist Theresa to the throne.
Even if not for the Simulation mission, he had to ensure the female Magician and her companions’ sinister schemes did not succeed.
“This isn’t about personal grudges. It’s just for…” Green murmured, “my own conscience.”
“Extra responsibility?” Theresa was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t expected the First Prince to get involved in this clash with her Second Brother.
“That’s right. The official messenger should arrive within a few months.”
Andrei clapped his hands.
“Congratulations, Theresa! You and your subordinates are about to be promoted. The only little problem is…”
He paused and unfolded a letter bearing the Royal Seal.
“You’ve been assigned a new Divine Mission by the Empire—completely occupy the Buffer Zone between our country and the Beastman Kingdom and establish a solid defensive line.”
The mocking smile on Andrei’s face grew even more obvious.
“Oh, and by the way, for your feats in defeating the barbarians, our esteemed Regent has raised your salary and position. Congratulations—you’re now the Commanding Officer of the Western Theater. Though your military rank remains Major General, in theory, you can command over fifty thousand troops.”
Putting away the letter, Andrei was completely at ease, as if waiting for Theresa to beg for mercy at any moment. “Of course, to avoid alerting the enemy, the central government won’t send reinforcements, nor will your military stipend be increased.”
“According to the General Staff Department, they hope you can absorb those barbarians well… After all, they have long admired our Empire, and now that you’ve defeated their king, it should be easy, right?”
As if remembering something, Andrei stroked his chin and asked curiously, “By the way, Theresa, you always loved reciting the Empire’s military code. Can you tell your foolish brother, what is the punishment for a commander who fails to carry out orders from the General Staff Department?”
“Dereliction of duty. Depending on the severity, anything from dismissal to Execution by Law.”
Theresa answered instinctively.
“Wow, as expected of my imperial sister with the bearing of a Grand Emperor!”
Andrei applauded enthusiastically. “Father will surely be proud of you… er, if only that female Magician hadn’t come to court, perhaps.”
“In any case, Theresa, won’t you reconsider my proposal?”
Andrei folded his arms and asked amiably, “I hear you want to compete for the succession as well? If so, shouldn’t the weak unite to fight the stronger?”
“Besides, I never said you couldn’t punish traitors. Those two main culprits, deal with them as you wish—just don’t ruin my reputation.”
Andrei tapped his desk with a finger. “If you obediently do as I say, never mind a trade blockade—even a little private funding for my imperial sister would be possible. I’ll definitely support you in expanding the Empire’s territory.”
“What do you think? Isn’t this a good deal?” Andrei asked with certainty, as if just waiting for Theresa to bow her head.
What answered the Second Prince was silence.
“A deal.”
Theresa slowly lifted her head. “In your mind, are those girls, sold as slaves to be butchered by foreigners, and all the countless other innocent victims—are they all just bargaining chips?”
She recalled the women abused by the barbarians, the hollow-eyed girls in the dungeon, her father lured by the female Magician into thoughts of sacrifice, Tom who once colluded with his superiors but ultimately died bravely…
Clang.
Theresa drew her sword once again.
“Justice is not for sale.”
She spoke resolutely.
“Heh.” Andrei’s expression darkened. “Still with that same old justice-versus-evil nonsense? How old are you? If you don’t care about your life, fine, but must you drag your subordinates down with you?”
Subordinates?
Theresa’s firm resolve wavered.
She stared blankly at Green, Martin, and Reyn beside her, and all at once, hesitated.
Theresa was not afraid to fail.
After leaving the palace and witnessing countless tragedies born of upper-class corruption, she had long since resolved to change everything.
And to bring change, she needed power—supreme power, the throne.
So, for the sake of the Emperor’s seat, even if she had to risk everything, she would do so willingly.
But the others—her subordinates…
“If you won’t consider your subordinates, what about the rest of the people?” Andrei pressed on, cold and merciless. “Didn’t you say it was for the common people, for their safety? Are you going to let them suffer famine and blockade?”
“So, in the end, you’re just like the ones you condemn…”
“No.”
Green cut off their argument.
“Your Highness, you are utterly mistaken.” He counted on his fingers. “First, if famine occurs in the borderlands, it’s entirely because of your blockade policy. You are the real culprit.”
“Second, you just said that even Legendary powerhouses can’t conjure food from thin air?”
Green chuckled. “True, an ordinary Legendary can’t. But as a Bard, I just happen to know a thing or two about acquiring resources.”
“Princess Theresa.”
He turned back to the hesitant Princess. “You’re absolutely right.”
“This world may not be just black and white, justice and evil so simple, but…”
Green stared at the Second Prince with unwavering eyes.
“That doesn’t mean black can ever become white!” he declared.
“You—fine, fine, fine, Theresa.” The Second Prince gave Green a long look, then sneered coldly at Theresa. “Let’s see how long you can hold out.”
Crackle.
The image in the communication crystal disappeared.
“Mr. Green…” A trace of worry appeared on Theresa’s face.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness.” Green spoke softly, “Do you remember the story I told you before? Upholding the law is the only way for the weak to win.”
“So, what we must do now—” Green glanced at the sheriff and his companion, who were sitting with eyes closed, awaiting their fate, “is Execution by Law.”
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