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Davey had no reason to listen in on the conversation, so he completely blocked it out from his mind.

Thud!!

‘What great timing.’

Other knights had come running into the room after discovering the unconscious knights outside. They had their swords drawn.

Looking at Illyna, who was staring into space, Davey rose from his seat and said, “Your brother.”

“...”

“How can anyone be perfect? Even if you can’t like him, don’t hate him.”

It didn’t matter whether Illyna understood what Davey was saying. Insensitive people were bound to be disliked even when they did good things.

—Prince Sullivan will be heavily criticized by the royal palace… If I was a prince, I would swoop in and wreck her for doing something so ridiculous in public.

“The biggest thing is…some of the nobles who dislike Sullivan are going to start to support Illyna.”

The Pallan Empire had several princes, and only Sullivan silently supported Illyna out of them all. Needless to say, the empire was full of princes who were just waiting for the opportunity to denounce Illyna.

“I was waiting for you. Normally, I should be greeting you at the royal palace with the greatest luxuries and comforts, but…”

“We are both busy. I don’t know how much time it would have taken if I went all the way there.”

“It is safer here. The royal palace is a place where you can’t really trust anyone due to the fight for power.”

Sullivan thought that, from simple servants and maids to people like the ladies-in-waiting, managers, or even knights, it was difficult to determine who was on what side.

“I heard you went to Illyna’s room. How is she?”

“You caused the entire situation, so you asking me the question… I don’t have any empathy for you.”

“Haha, right. Then, let’s get to it.” Sullivan handed Davey a document and said, “It’s a letter from the royal palace.”

The document had a title written in large font: Treaty of Military Alliance Of the Pallan Empire and the Rowane Kingdom.

“You requested for a military alliance between the Rowane and the Pallan Empire.”

“That’s right.”

Sullivan thought for a moment, then said, “But you know that the Rowane Kingdom is already in somewhat of a military alliance with the Lyndis Empire, right? According to the information I have, I know that you and Emperor Deorte of the Lyndis Empire are close. As such, the royal palace of the Pallan Empire has replied quickly.”

Denied.

The Pallan Empire was declaring neutrality.

“We cannot favor or discriminate against any one kingdom. That is the Pallan Empire’s position.”

But unsurprisingly, Prince Sullivan had a different perspective.

Rip!!

“However, this decision was made by the assholes who had sat back and watched from the royal palace when the previous war had taken place. I beg to differ.” Sullivan firmly added, “The Pallan Empire is not a shameless empire that would not acknowledge kindness and grace.”

The Pallan Empire was similar to the Lyndis Empire, because it was also a huge kingdom.

“However, let’s be clear. I must ask, why did you make such a problematic request to the royal palace?”

Davey sipped his tea, then said, “There is no particular reason. If the Pallan Empire has a strong intelligence network, you should already know what I am collecting in the territory.”

Sullivan squinted and mumbled, “The Heins Territory is a place the Pallan Empire is keeping a close eye on, since the territory is able to independently harvest moon grass leaves, something the Pallan Empire had a monopoly on. According to my research…”

The Heins Territory had purchased a large food supply, as well as materials to build a fortress and to repair the palace wall. They had also purchased a large amount of weapons.

“Are you starting a war?”

“We’re actually the ones stopping it, to be exact.”

Sullivan let out a sigh. “It’s a problem with the other species.”

“You’re quick.”

“The ones who are targeting the Crown Prince of a kingdom. If you don’t know this much, you can’t call yourself the Crown Prince of a superpower. Most kingdoms are causing incidents, small and big, but no kingdom has had conflict with the Heins Territory or the Rowane Kingdom.”

Davey nodded for Sullivan to go on.

“The only people left are the ones unknown to us. So, dwarves… Or elves… The forest kind that suddenly just showed up… Or another kind that you have been hiding.”

Davey did not offer an answer.

“It won’t be the dwarves, since I know that the dwarves in the continent are friendly to you. So, then, it would be elves…”

While speaking, Sullivan’s eyes shone.

“I don’t suppose the enemy will be so strong that we can’t handle it. I am not a fool who doesn’t trust you after seeing everything that you have achieved. Then, it means that the Pallan Empire…” Sullivan paused and pointed out something that Davey did not mention. “...is in the way of the power associated with the elves that is after you.”

‘This guy gives me the chills.’

—That is not something you should say.

“I’m in awe.”

Davey could notice some things or patterns because he had been alive for a long time. As for Sullivan, he was a genius in a different way, in terms of politics or showing force to other nations.

—Maybe the reason why he supported Saintess candidate Alice in the beginning was…

‘It’s obvious. He probably saw the opportunity to step on the Holy Empire. Of course, I was probably the unexpected factor.’

No good would come from a prolonged conversation, because Sullivan would just dig deeper into Davey even if Davey tried to hide it.

However, there would be no better power to have as an ally.

“I will tell you the official position of the Pallan Empire–no, the future Crown Prince.” Sullivan, who had straightened his back, pulled out another piece of paper and said, “This is an offer of complete alliance in the future between the Pallan Empire and the Rowane Kingdom.”

“You are going there? That is a different story.”

“To be honest, it is only right that we repay you since we have received your help. This particular offer, however, isn’t bad for either of us.”

“Some of the terms here bother me.”

Sullivan looked a little puzzled. The Pallan Empire was promising to provide the Heins Territory with a large amount of supplies and technological support was good. However…

“The Pallan Empire would be of higher rank than the Rowane Kingdom. If an enemy that poses a threat to either nation appears in the next two hundred years, both parties shall do everything in their power to save the other party.”

Sullivan tilted his head in puzzlement. “Is it about the rank?”

“I don’t care about small details like that. However, I refuse such a contract of proposed slavery.”

Rip!!

This time, it was Davey who ripped up the contract.

‘Threat to our nation? How is this any different from explicitly stating that you will use me for my powers?’

Davey was never going to accept a contract that wanted to exploit him.

“Other regular kingdoms would do anything to have the Pallan Empire support them.”

“Unfortunately, fear of the Pallan Empire’s power is not why I am offering a treaty of allegiance.”

Davey was trying to decrease the number of innocent lives that would be lost if the elves had managed to cooperate with an empire to attack him.

“You do understand what I mean, right?”

“...” Sullivan glanced at Davey with a sharp gaze, trying to discern whether Davey was lying or not.

“We just have to keep a good distance. Help should be given when either of us are in danger. However, it becomes a problem if help being given has to be forced,” Davey said.

Sullivan nodded. “Illyna has said something before. She said that I could mess with whatever I wanted, but that I should never mess with you, saying that that was for the sake of the Pallan Empire. To be honest, I just thought she was speaking nonsense, but…”

Sullivan hummed, then stepped back. “Are you human, Prince Davey?”

“I am as human as you can see right now. I also do not have any negative feelings towards the Pallan Empire, either.”

“That is good. We will leave this as our hidden card. However, I hope that there will not be a situation where we ignore each other’s request for help with some ridiculous excuse.”

“There’s another problem.”

Sullivan tilted his head in curiosity.

“This part.” Davey pointed to a term on the ripped contract and said, “I am not going to enter a marriage where neither the man nor woman have feelings for each other. And…”

“...”

“You have a tendency to overprotect your younger sister.”

‘You want me to be her nanny? No way.’

The term stated an offer about an official wedding between Illyna and Davey.

* * *

“May I ask you something?”

Sullivan nodded with a pale face. According to the information on Sullivan’s status window, he was in a more fragile state than Davey thought.

[Wants to end the conversation as there is too much psychological stress.]

Sullivan was feeling a little drained from conversing with Davey. However, he had a pretty good poker face; he showed none of his true feelings.

“Why did you lie?”

Sullivan wasn’t one to be clueless as to what Davey was asking about. He stated, “Illyna should not know about the dirty things that happen in politics.”

“If you head back like this, you will be heavily criticized and denounced by the royal palace.”

Unless a person was a fool, no one would hold a simple ceremony for the former Crown Prince with a baseless excuse that the next Crown Prince had given an order. Did Sullivan not know about that?

‘No way.’

Sullivan squinted at Davey.

“To all the nobles and royals in the empire…” Sullivan’s voice trailed off as he rose from his seat. Then, he slowly approached Davey and stared into his eyes. “They must not get the idea that the relationship between Illyna and I has gotten better. If that were to happen…”

Sullivan smiled bitterly. “I can no longer guarantee her safety, nor can I protect her way of life, which is like a free bird.”

It wouldn’t take long to get dirtied by mud. Even a person in clean clothes would become dirty as soon as the people in the mud splashed around here and there.

“The request to be cremated here was just Big Brother’s childishness. It was a childish request to comfort the souls of the soldiers who had fought with him. Ha! It wasn’t even worth listening to.”

“It’s clear that the deceased Crown Prince was a respectable person.”

The Crown Prince of an empire was the one to inherit everything. Yet, the former Crown Prince had not backed away from battle even though he had known that he would die.

“Before the last march… Big Brother sent me a letter. Yes, it was a stupid letter that everyone calls the death note. He said that his body had been overcome with death energy and that he did not have long.

—No way…

‘That’s why he had no heart.’

It was neither the Undead nor an unknown being that had ripped the former Crown Prince’s heart out. It appeared that one of his subordinates had done so.

The heart was a mana user’s source of power. The former Crown Prince had made the greatest decision to destroy most of his power, which was almost at an advanced level of Expert, so that he would not be able to kill his subjects with it.

“Of course, I would not have listened if that was all of it.”

[The only person to protect our younger sister is you.]

Illyna de Pallan was the only princess of the Pallan Empire still alive. What was a way to protect her and have the nobility and royalty of society accept her?

“For the last war… Do you know the army that normally protects this region? It is the White Bird.”

Illyna was in charge of the White Bird.

“Even an unwilling party will be dragged into the abyss in the blink of an eye if the other side decides to cause problems. Illyna is brilliant, but she lacks the ability to deal with cunning people.”

As Davey nodded, Sullivan reached out and asked for a handshake. He said, “So, we need a strong shield. The nobility and other princes will bring about Illyna’s responsibility in this war and drag it out. They will try to take the authority over White Bird, which is protecting my sister.”

“Hm…” Davey stood there, not accepting Sullivan’s hand.

Sullivan went on. “So, I must step up.”

“Step up, you say…”

“Since I have held Big Brother’s official funeral here and publicly announced that I am the next official Crown Prince, they will think that I have buried his influence and that I am showing my true self. Of course, no one would cause problems with Illyna, who is somewhat trivial, when they have a strong enemy right in front of their eyes.”

By stating that he was the next Crown Prince, Sullivan was trying to get the other princes to attack him instead of looking at Illyna unnecessarily. He was being so ridiculous that he had held the funeral of his older brother, his opponent, in the outskirts of the kingdom. As no one else knew the context of the letter, Sullivan’s actions just became a political declaration of his power.

People forgot trivial problems in the face of a strong, threatening opponent. It was simple politics to divert attention away from something, but Sullivan would lose a lot to do this: honor, pride, or the potential smile of his younger sister. He would lose all of that for the period of time the truth of the letter would be buried for.