The Scoundrel Prince Sold Out the Empire - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 11: The Price of Excess (2)
“What became of the agent we dispatched to Zion Riobert?”
One of the Liberation Army’s officers answered Aristh’s question with a report.
“The infiltration into Deber was successful. He’s had four days to assess the preparations needed for the operation and said he’d send a final report once complete.”
“I see. It’s bitter indeed that we must sneak into our own homeland, yet there’s no helping it. Now then—having called all of you again in mere days, we must address a matter of grave importance.”
Only days had passed since the last meeting, which had ended in hopeful spirits.
Yet Aristh’s face bore the weight of more than ten years.
It was the strain and worry brought on by the urgent dispatch that had arrived yesterday.
The Liberation Army’s principal tasks at present were two: the assassination of the Ninth Prince, and the Debt Repayment of the Republican Assembly through Foreign Loans.
Strictly speaking, the debt was the more critical matter—yet the envoy sent to request the Foreign Loan had returned with bad tidings.
“As you all know, we petitioned three nations for Foreign Loans, and… sigh. All three refused.”
One of the officers immediately shot to his feet, burning with indignation.
“At the very least, one of those three nations owed Deber a considerable debt before Litania’s invasion, and until that incursion we maintained firm bonds. How could they possibly—!”
The ties ran so deep that the blood of the Deber Royal Family flowed in their royal line.
They had once arranged royal marriages between the two houses to strengthen that bond.
But.
The past was merely the past.
“A Foreign Loan to a Fallen Nation is impossible, or so they said. Moreover, they sent their counsel through the envoy: if you have not reclaimed your nation in fifty years, perhaps it is time to face reality.”
“……”
“……”
Silence fell over the room, broken only by the sound of someone’s heavy breathing.
“Another nation fears Litanian reprisals and finds the Foreign Loan difficult. The amount itself is not large, but beyond the sum, they worry about drawing the Empire’s attention.”
No one could fault such reasoning.
Litania was a great power, after all—one that styled itself an empire.
“And what reason did the third nation give for refusal? The same concern, Deputy Commander?”
“They lack the means, they said. However, they suggested that if we offered the branches of Polaris as collateral, they would consider it.”
The sum the Liberation Army had requested was substantial enough for any individual, but for a nation maintaining its entire apparatus, it was pittance.
Yet they claimed they lacked the means. And if we factor in their demand for collateral…
“Their greed knows no bounds. They would extract the liver from a flea.”
The sorrow of a Fallen Nation pressed down upon them. Merely a century ago, Deber had ranked among the foremost powers in the region by military might.
For all the ruthlessness of international relations, how had it come to this?
Sorrow transformed into fury.
“Has the Republican Assembly raised any funds?”
“You know well enough. Those lot are hopeless at raising money.”
“Incompetent fools.”
The Liberation Army was split into two heads: the Republican Assembly and the Liberation Society.
The reason was straightforward. They pursued the same cause but by different means.
The Republican Assembly sought independence through peace alone, legality, principle, and diplomacy.
In other words, they were dreamers.
That the Republican Assembly Building itself—a symbol of their aspirations—now faced seizure for mere debt was proof enough.
“Five million Ruon… mere pocket change, and yet we must surrender the Republican Assembly Building and its grounds for want of it.”
“That we, Deber, should suffer such humiliation simply for lack of funds—it’s madness. It makes no sense at all.”
Everyone in the Liberation Society had done their utmost. Yet the outcome had spiraled toward catastrophe.
Had it been a mistake to trust that acquiring the branches of Polaris would surely bring the Foreign Loan? Had it been wrong to forbid the comrades from serving as mercenaries under a warlord in Gizkal, unwilling to see their blood spilled in vain?
“Deputy Commander… a decision must be made. What if we eliminated the debtor? We all know the Empire stands behind him.”
“Whichever path you choose, if you mean to involve yourself in the final negotiations, you should depart soon.”
Aristh exhaled heavily, dragged his hand across his face, and rose to his feet.
“For now, for now—let us devise a strategy as we travel.”
Two and a half days later.
A port city in Gizkal, opened to foreign powers beyond its borders.
“Lord Chairman Kinkuon.”
A middle-aged gentleman with a haughty bearing stroked his goat beard as he looked down upon Kinkuon, the chairman of the Deber Republican Assembly.
He was Baron Redsaion, the holder of the debt secured against the Republican Assembly Building and its lands.
“Repayment day has arrived at last! I have held this bond for so long, and now the moment is here. Four hundred seventy thousand and two thousand seven hundred twenty-four Pen, I trust you have prepared it?”
The Pen, currency of the Empire, was worth roughly ten times a Ruon.
Thus the debt amounted to approximately four million seven hundred thousand Ruon.
A sum the Liberation Army could not raise even if they sold everything they possessed.
‘Kinkuon… you too have aged greatly.’
Aristh, wanted by name throughout the Empire, watched from a distance, his entire body concealed beneath a robe, as Baron Redsaion and Chairman Kinkuon faced each other.
Kinkuon’s diminished silhouette. Though they had walked different paths, Aristh and Kinkuon were comrades-in-arms who had devoted their entire lives to the great cause of liberation; seeing his frame so reduced, Aristh’s heart ached.
“Let me be clear from the start: do not expect mercy from me. If you cannot prepare the full amount owed, then as of today, the Assembly Building and its grounds become mine.”
“That is… my lord. Surely there is room for negotiation?”
The moment Kinkuon revealed he hadn’t secured the funds, a contemptible smile spread across the nobleman’s face.
From the nobleman’s perspective, there was not a single reason to accept negotiation.
Whatever gains the remnants of a Fallen Nation might offer were plainly paltry and worthless.
“Nothing more to discuss!”
Clap, clap!
As the nobleman rose and began applauding, the advisors standing at attention rushed out swiftly.
The nobleman followed at a leisurely pace, slipping out past the Assembly Building, and then—
Clang! Bang!
A sudden, deafening crash. Kinkuon’s eyes went wide as he bolted outside, with Aristh close behind him.
“My, my lord! What in heaven’s name are you doing!”
Redsaion’s workers, whom he’d brought along beforehand, were setting up a ladder and climbing up with tools in hand.
At the very top of the ladder sat a placard inscribed with “Republican Assembly.”
“You haven’t even signed the Debt Repayment contract, yet you begin demolishing? The law of Gizkal would never permit such barbarism!”
“But bribes create flexibility—that’s universal custom. Besides, in the first place…”
Redsaion stepped closer, drawing out a contract.
“Answer yes or no. Can you repay the debt by today, or not?”
“…….”
“Silence counts as affirmation. Can you, or cannot you?”
“…….”
“You cannot, then. What is the problem?”
The nobleman forced a pen into Kinkuon’s hand.
“Sign now. The Republican Assembly failed to honor the Debt Repayment contract, and in consequence, the Assembly Building and grounds—collateral as promised—transfer to me. A perfectly lawful procedure. After that, there is nothing whatsoever preventing me from converting the building into a victory monument for the Litania Empire. Hahahaha!”
As the nobleman’s laughter grew louder, Kinkuon’s hand trembled violently.
Aristh stood watching, considering a final option.
Violence. Terrorism. Coercion. Theft. Robbery.
None of it…… was permitted.
The reason was simple.
In the end, it would cost them dearly.
The moment the Liberation Society resorted to its methods to resolve the debt, everything the Republican Assembly stood for would be stripped away.
It would be a greater loss than surrendering the building and grounds, and it would destroy Kinkuon’s life with Aristh’s own hands.
“Sign now, Chairman! Now!”
It was at that very moment.
“Aristh!”
Reyanna came sprinting at full speed, breathless.
“K, Kreyna is reporting—gasp—money, money—gasp—the Ninth Prince……!”
Aristh’s eyes went round as lanterns.
* * *
The Liberation Army was perpetually starved for funds. Their crown prince Zion couldn’t even afford a single set of formal robes, which said everything.
So when Zion saw the five million Ruon that Winter had brought back, his first thought turned to the Liberation Army’s finances.
‘It’s fortunate Kreyna exists. By acting in character as the Ninth Prince, I can channel funds to the Liberation Army.’
Yet he felt a pang of bitterness alongside it.
Kreyna harbored anger toward Zion even as she deliberately suppressed her feelings.
The habit of wiping the back of her hand was proof of that.
‘Kreyna. If I were to reveal the Liberation Army’s codes and ciphers right now… would you believe that I am Zion Blije, inhabiting the Ninth Prince’s body? Or would you assume the Ninth Prince tortured Zion Blije to extract the passwords?’
The latter was far more likely.
“Your Highness. Why do you wear such a sorrowful expression?”
It was Winter.
“You indulged in five million Ruon worth of luxury just now—you ought to be smiling.”
“Winter. It seems you’re growing far too comfortable with me already. Your tone grows impertinent.”
Despite the warning, Winter didn’t back down. If more situations like this were to arise, they’d be troublesome in countless ways—so extracting at least a basic understanding was Winter’s resolve.
“I come from the slums, so I beg your clemency. Besides, it feels hollow and regrettable. Surely five million Ruon is not a trivial sum for Your Highness as you stand now. Don’t you realize you’ve become penniless again?”
“Ah. Candid counsel born from loyalty—I’ve taken note. But set your mind at ease. This prince still has five million Ruon remaining.”
“……Pardon?”
Seeing a flicker of unease cross Winter’s face, Zion’s lips twisted.
This shopping excursion was also part of breaking Winter in as a retainer.
“I mean the five million Ruon I squirreled away. The fact that you’re already setting aside emergency funds suggests you have real talent as an advisor.”
The five million Ruon hidden away was Winter’s own share, siphoned off.
The sum borrowed in the prince’s name had been ten million Ruon to begin with, and half of it had been set aside as a contingency should things go wrong.
“……How did you find out……?”
Winter, who had spent a long moment composing excuses with a guilty expression, finally abandoned all pretense and let the question spill out.
“I told you. I can use X-ray Vision Magic.”
“…Ah…….”
“There’s no need to apologize as if you’ve committed a capital crime. It’s an emergency fund for the crown prince, after all.”
“Y-yes, that’s correct.”
“We can’t keep that much money stored in gold coins. Tomorrow, go to the bank and deposit it all into my account. Understood?”
“……I accept your orders.”
In the end, he’d managed to pass five million Ruon to the Liberation Army under the guise of luxury spending, while keeping five million Ruon in hand.
‘This is all your lord can offer after being absent for a year.’
Still, he believed it would serve as at least a cup of water to drink while crossing the desert.
* * *
“We’ve received a report from the agent we dispatched to assassinate the Ninth Prince. The Ninth Prince has visited Kreyna’s Madame de Gallery!”
“Kreyna sent funds along with a letter of credit, and the amount is…… over five million Ruon!”
Was this how it felt to discover an oasis while crossing the desert?
Upon hearing Reyanna’s report, Aristh unconsciously clenched his fists.
An irrepressible surge of elation rushed through him from head to toe.
A letter of credit and a bundle of checks, written in Kreyna’s distinctive hand.
He counted the amount several times over. His reading was correct.
‘Kinkuon.’
A foolish and pitiful man.
And yet, righteous beyond all others.
The pen tip trembling on the contract.
Kinkuon was precisely the sort who should never have been placed in such circumstances.
“Reyanna. Wait here.”
Aristh pulled his robe deep over his head and hunched his back. It was the moment when a descendant of the Deber’s most noble family, House Leisial, transformed into a mere errand boy for the Republican Assembly.
Though the Liberation Society, composed mostly of those Wanted by Name, is publicly known to have no connection whatsoever with the Republican Assembly.
It mattered little whether it was Aristh Leisial or an old errand boy stepping forward!
“Sign quickly, Chairman! The patience of this baron ends here!”
Clang. Click-click-click.
The workers tearing out the second fastener of the plaque.
If they removed just one more, the plaque bearing the name Republican Assembly Building would tilt precariously, threatening to fall.
If one more were added, those four characters containing Kinkuon’s entire life would come crashing down.
“Chairman.”
Just as the trembling pen tip was about to touch the signature line.
Kinkuon turned around, and his eyes widened.
“What you have been awaiting has arrived.”
How could he not recognize the voice of one who had fought beside him for half a century?
And yet…….
“Gasp!”
Kinkuon’s eyes darted rapidly between the documents and the old errand boy.
The errand boy gave a slow, deliberate nod.
“Stop dawdling! Do you think money will appear out of nowhere if you hesitate?”
“Indeed.”
“What did you just say?”
Kinkuon’s shoulders began to tremble violently.
Fifty years of buried rage.
“That’s what I said!”
When the small, aged frame straightened, it became apparent that he had once been of considerable stature.
A thunderous roar, and then.
Crack!
Baron Redsaion landed hard on his backside.
His cheek was marked with a vivid handprint, his expression one of utter bewilderment.
“Y-you, what insolence! Chairman!”
“Insolence? A wretch devoid of propriety speaks of insolence?”
“And you don’t fear the consequences…….”
The document folder fell before the baron.
“472,724 pen. Debt Repayment, in full, is hereby completed this very day, in this very place.”
The baron’s face flushed scarlet, then drained to white.
“This, this is absurd……! A remnant of a Fallen Nation dares……!”
The moment the baron raised his fist.
The stooped errand boy lifted his head quietly.
A glint of murderous intent shot from beneath the hood of his robe.
A blade-like pressure pierced the baron’s nape.
“Eeek…….”
His raised fist dropped of its own accord.
The fact that he hadn’t soiled himself was an achievement worthy of a lifetime’s pride—such was the killing intent radiating from that small figure.
“Y-yes! I’ve confirmed the debt repayment!”
The baron, clutching the check, fled without so much as a backward glance.
“B-but the plaque, what shall we do with it…….”
A laborer atop the ladder, who’d been watching anxiously, called out. Kinkuon answered him.
“Back in its place. Secure it well.”
A roar erupted.
The front of the Assembly Building seemed to burst with life.
The Republican Assembly. Four characters preserved with pride.
As the plaque slid back into its rightful place and was hammered home, the elderly clerk collapsed to the ground weeping, while the younger assembly members threw their arms around one another and danced for joy.
Cheers pierced through the briny smell of the harbor and soared toward the sky.
A short while later, in the courtyard behind the Assembly Building, away from the commotion.
“Aristh. How on earth did you obtain the funds……?”
Kinkuon’s question was colored equally by guilt and gratitude.
Aristh answered with evident satisfaction.
“It’s thanks to a wastrel who squandered five million Ruon in a single night’s shopping spree.”
The extravagance of the Ninth Prince, Zion, had preserved the symbol of the Deber Republican Assembly in its finest hour.
‘Now that I think of it, today is the scheduled date for the Ninth Prince’s assassination.’
Aristh brooded for quite some time before Kinkuon, sensing something amiss, pressed him further.
And at last, he reached a decision.
“Reyanna. Go and tell them we need to convene an additional session. The agenda is…….”
Moments later, Reyanna gripped a sealed letter and kicked off the ground.
The contents of the letter Reyanna carried were as follows:
「Comrades, it is our duty in the Liberation Society to carry out the task that has brought suffering to our sovereign, the Crown Prince, and to exact our vengeance. That task is the assassination of the Ninth Prince, Zion.
Yet simultaneously, we bear the duty to shed no blood in vain.
Therefore, we must exploit, investigate, and acquire by every means available, and arrive at decisions of optimal wisdom. To avoid the mistake of stumbling into the same trap, and ultimately for the liberation of our homeland.」
「The Ninth Prince may be the worst wastrel in the Empire, yet I find myself wondering—could he not become our trump card? On this matter, I wish to gather the collective wisdom of all comrades.」
Postpone the assassination of the Ninth Prince, Zion. Instead, utilize him as a card in the game for Deber’s liberation.
Exploit him to the maximum for Deber’s independence, and assassinate him at the optimal moment when the greatest impact can be drawn forth.
It was the Liberation Army’s new decision.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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