“It’s more than half of the kingdom’s annual expenditure. It is true that the income tax Prince Davey has paid has rescued the Rowane Kingdom out of a financial crisis and brought hope for our recovery. You all seem to be getting ahead of yourselves. Shouldn’t we discuss the root of this matter first?” Duke Bariatta maintained a tone that made it seem like he had no other intentions, and spoke as if he was trying to help Davey.

“Discuss the root of the matter?”

“That’s right. What you are debating about is how to make the moon grass business beneficial to the kingdom, isn’t that right?”

“Yes. This is a revolutionary business. If we utilize it well…”

“However, why are you trying to give the business rights to the kingdom and make decisions about it without the opinion of Prince Davey, the biggest contributor?” Everyone went silent as Duke Bariatta spoke, and so he went on. “Are your statuses greater than the royalty of this kingdom?”

No one seemed to be thinking clearly because of the sudden success of this business; in reality, there was really no reason to nationalize the moon grass business.

“Also, isn’t Prince Davey already independent from the palace?” Duke Bariatta pointed out.

“B—But…”

“Marquis Farondis.”

“Y… Yes.”

“If you were told to give all your wealth to the kingdom for its well being, would you do it?”

“Th… That is…”

Everyone remained silent.

-Why do you think he is helping you?

‘Does it look like he’s helping me? To me, it looks like he’s playing a trivial trick.’

Perserque nodded. Unfortunately, Davey could already sort of see what Duke Bariatta was trying to do.

“Ahem!” The conference room was filled with silence and a few awkward coughs. Most of the people were trying to gain some profit from the business by not allowing it to be monopolized. Some were probably trying to find a way to use the money earned by the territory to fill their own pockets.

“As such, everything is up to Prince Davey. This is not something for you people to argue about.”

“Ahem… Of… Of course.”

“I wasn’t thinking straight.”

The atmosphere started to settle down, and it seemed like the end of the conversation. However, there was no reason for Duke Bariatta to take Davey’s side without any insidious intentions.

“Let the Heins Territory take care of their own business. That’s what is beneficial to the kingdom, is that not right, Your Majesty? If this business were forced to be nationalized, that would be oppression. Then, no one would want to start a business in the future.” Duke Bariatta stared at Davey with indifference.

Davey just silently nodded. Then, he commented with such sarcasm, “There’s an old saying: give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.”

The faces of the nobility and royalists turned red with embarrassment.

“So, Duke. That’s not all you had to say, am I wrong?” Davey spoke to Duke Bariatta.

“Did it seem that way? But yes, there’s something more important. I just felt that the situation needed some intervention.”

If anyone else saw this, it would seem like Duke Bariatta was looking out for Davey despite being aloof. As Duke Bariatta spoke, he pulled out a small bunch of papers from his chest pocket. It was a properly wrapped parchment, which looked like a command paper from an emperor. “It is correspondence from the High Priest of the Valchas Empire.”

“Correspondence?” King Krianes asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Duke Bariatta handed the letter to King Krianes. He continued, “They are asking to examine the stigmata of Prince Davey, and if it is confirmed, they are proposing that he be moved to the empire so that he could be given the title of a saint.”

Duke Bariatta had checked the correspondence from another country’s High Senate, the people right under the Pope, who was the commander of the entire empire, without the king’s permission.

-What a selfish man. And this kingdom is a mess.

From just this act alone, Davey could tell how unbelievably powerful the duke was, and how weak the authority of royalty had become. Perhaps this was how powerful the Kim family had been near the end of Joseon.[1]

‘No matter what world I’m in, it’s obvious what would happen when the country’s situation becomes difficult.’

“Prince Davey has been given a stigmata at an early age. However, no one is asking for the saint’s title to be given to His Highness. This cannot happen,” Duke Bariatta said.

“That’s nonsense! Prince Davey is the First Prince of this kingdom! We cannot send him to the Holy Empire because of a stigmata!” A young count, who was silently frowning, quickly shouted.

"Haha. Count Rhonda. It is the Valchas Empire. Do you not know of them?”

“Of course, I do! I know them too well! The Valchas Empire! Their national power is greater than any kingdom and is clearly that of an empire! The country that serves Freyja, the Goddess of Wine!”

“Ha… How can you act like this when you know about them?!”

“But this is unfair treatment! It is not just anyone, but the First Prince! How is this different from paying tribute to the empire?!”

“Ahem! Watch your words! Someone might hear!”

“This is the Rowane Kingdom, not the Valchas Empire! Since when did the Rowane Kingdom become a vassal state of the empire?!”

“Haha! Have you ever seen a man so blind to the vision of the future?!”

Even as Count Rhonda shouted, most of the nobility seemed to be hushing one another and staying quiet.

“Okay, you are going to send me off after checking the existence of my stigmata?” Davey, who was fed up with the situation, finally asked Duke Bariatta in a slow and calm voice.

Duke Bariatta nodded. “This will be helpful to you as well, Your Highness. And this is something that should be fulfilled as royalty…”

“Sure, you all know that I was given a stigmata, right?”

“Your Highness, look at the entire forest and not the individual trees. The Valchas Empire is the Rowane Kingdom’s brother nation and a friendly ally.”

“So, you think the empire will better protect this kingdom if I go and receive the title of the saint?”

Duke Bariatta paused for a second, then said, “Royalty all bear that much responsibility. Remember, no good comes from ruffling the feathers of the Holy Empire.” Duke Bariatta seemingly spoke of an inevitable outcome.

Davey remained silent for a moment. Then, one of the nobles, who couldn’t read the room, shouted with frustration, “Then!! What happens to the territory?! I’m talking about the Heins Territory that Prince Davey is the seigneur of! And what happens to the moon grass business?!”

“Unfortunately, according to the law, the prince can no longer manage the territory after receiving the saint’s title and becoming part of the empire.”

As if the nobles realized what Duke Bariatta was getting at, their eyes shone with greed. Before, the Heins Territory was a cursed land that no one had paid any attention to, but now, they could be swimming in a pool of gold upon possessing it.

-They’re trying to play a dirty trick.

‘Wow, this is getting interesting.’

Davey chuckled, feeling intrigued by how the situation was progressing. He stared at the nobles as they began to debate once again, like it had already been decided that he was going to go.

“Then we must quickly appoint a new seigneur!”

“That’s right. If he receives the title of the saint, we have no choice but to find and appoint a capable person as seigneur.”

“Ahem! My son happens to have reached adulthood recently…”

It seemed that everyone was trying to involve themselves, their family, or their associates. However, Duke Bariatta wasn’t one to just watch from the sidelines since this was why he had been so adamant about the business remaining independent.

“About that matter, I dare speak a word.” Duke Bariatta spoke directly to King Krianes. “Currently, the Heins Territory has become the most important territory in the kingdom. The seigneur of that kind of place cannot be filled just by anyone.”

“Go on,” King Krianes said.

“Since Prince Davey will not be able to manage the territory after he goes to the Valchas Empire and receives the title of the saint, someone else must do it in his place. God knows that the only person capable of that is the Second Prince Carlus.”

Duke Bariatta was simply saying that they should make the Second Prince Carlus, Queen Lynesse’s son, the seigneur. His suggestion was to leave the business independent, then hand it over to Carlus so that his family could take all the profit. He had just spun it differently, but he was also getting ahead of himself and bullshitting exactly like the others.

As soon as Duke Bariatta stopped speaking, a boy who kept silent until now finally stood up. It was as if he had been waiting for this very moment.

It was the Second Prince Carlus; he attracted even more attention because he was wearing a weird hat unlike before. He gave Davey a big smirk, then stood up. He bowed to King Krianes and confidently opened his mouth. As everyone was waiting for his speech….

“Ribbit!” A strange frog-like croak came out of Carlus’ mouth.

-Giggle!

At the same time, Davey shook as he held in his laughter and Perserque, who couldn’t hold it in, covered her mouth with her small hands. It was only right for a present to be opened at an important place, right?

24. How to Get in Touch with Dwarves. 

“Th… This is…” As if even he was bewildered by the sound coming from his mouth, Carlus frowned. However, unlike his intentions, his voice just kept proudly boasting its presence. “Caw! Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

When the nobles saw Carlus making all kinds of weird bird noises, their jaws dropped. This was even enough for the composed Duke Bariatta to lose his cool. He asked, “Carlus. What are you doing?”

“Th… That is… Squeak!” Carlus stuttered. He looked so confused by how he couldn’t control the sounds from his mouth, even though he was making them. “Y—Your Majesty! Growl… Woof woof!”

It just seemed like Carlus was goofing off.

-Y… You. This is a little… Hup! Ahahahaha!!!

Perserque, the former Demon Lord, couldn’t hold it in and burst out in laughter.

“Snicker!” In fact, it wasn’t just Perserque who couldn’t hold in her laughter. Everyone else was in the same situation. Some of the nobles laughed at how ridiculous Carlus looked, then covered their mouths and tried to keep their composure. Among them, Davey was barely holding it in too.

“How dare you try and joke around in the royal court! Get out!”

As King Krianes shouted angrily, Carlus tried to express how this wasn’t his doing. “Your Majesty, please believe me! Quack quack!”

“Guard! Lock him up in a room! Leave him there to think about his wrongdoings, and don’t let him out until I say so!”

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doo!” As the guard pulled him out of the room, Carlus, who was desperately shouting, began to flail so hard that his hat was tipped off of his head.

1. The Andong Kim family was a family of nobility that had become extremely powerful near the end of Joseon, the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, and had been the ones who held the power in the country. ☜