“Oh, Her Highness the Crown Prince said she’d move the items collected here to the imperial palace.”

“No, follow the regulations.”

At my firm words, the detective looked troubled, glancing at the other detectives.

“Her Highness said that since the prosecution once terminated the Primrose Path investigation, she’d move them to the palace and form a dedicated investigation team.”

‘Oh, come on.’

This bastard’s hilarious. A dedicated investigation team?

She’s making full use of her position where it benefits her.

I stopped walking and stared straight at the detective.

“Do you have so much to say?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked if you have *that* much to say.”

Catching my meaning, the detective quickly replied,

“No, sir.”

“The prosecution’s safety investigation is over. You must know that Prosecutor General Erich Lieb and Head of Criminal Investigation Christina Heringen were sacked over this case. If external personnel are needed, they can be mobilized, but the original evidence must be stored solely with the prosecution and its Investigation Bureau. Send it to the prosecution as per regulations.”

“Yes, we’ll do that.”

The Crown Prince can’t reveal to the Emperor that she’s Abraham—though even if she did, she likely wouldn’t be punished, it’d create unnecessary risks, like the Emperor passing the Crown Prince title to Adelbert. She can’t use the Emperor’s authority to steer this case in her favor. She’s limited to her own power.

Meanwhile, I have the Emperor on my back, who’s grappling with Pleromas and now Abraham.

The Emperor doesn’t want his approval rating to drop further or unnecessary noise before the Pentalon International Conference.

‘That’s why I slammed it into the Imperial Times right away.’

The paper, despite heavy imperial pressure, is still a media outlet hungry for scoops.

If the Emperor had approved it, the Abraham topic would never have been reported, but I pressured them to run it immediately on the front page, threatening to leak it to foreign media otherwise. It was easier since the Pleroma senator appearing in the interview is a staunch pro-Emperor loyalist.

Public concern has exploded over this unprecedented ability to remotely control minds.

With no one else able to provide information or ensure safety on Abraham, the Emperor had no choice but to reluctantly take my hand.

Now, in this investigation, the Crown Prince and I stand on equal footing.

‘To fight the Empire’s second-in-command, you need this much preparation.’

I organized my thoughts and spoke.

“Of the 23 total establishments, 17 were raided. I understand the investigation of the remaining regular taverns is complete.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Arrest warrants have been issued for all employees. Since commands were given directly to their brains, I understand there wasn’t much physical evidence obtained here. We’ll set up a barrier around the entire street, except for the five investigators still inside, so let’s wrap up here and start with employee interrogations.”

“Yes, understood. If you plan to start today, shall we prepare the worst-offending district first? As you were briefed, evidence was found in District 4 that some children brought through human trafficking were used in operations, and some were handed over to Pleromas.”

“Hm…”

Primrose Path is divided into six districts based on business type and location, with about 100 employees per district.

Naturally, interrogating them all in one day is impossible, so it’s best to split it up. But we need to be more careful about how we divide them.

“Don’t divide by severity. From all 23 establishments, three manager-level or higher staff each. We’ll finish by dawn, so exclude frontline prostitutes and the owners listed in the business registrations from the interrogations.”

“Yes, we’ll prepare as you instructed.”

The detective scribbled my words in a notebook, muttering.

Why move so urgently?

The moment these people are detained and reach the prosecution, the Crown Prince will try to spirit them away.

She might already be meddling, but since it could be exposed that she ordered the removal of involved witnesses, it’s more rational for her to claim she’ll investigate with imperial mages as soon as they arrive at the prosecution.

So, we can’t leisurely tackle them by the severity of their violations. We go by priority—managers and above, no exceptions.

Because managers, regardless of business type, likely received Abraham’s revelations.

And it can’t end there.

“Pass this along, too. Today’s investigation findings will be sent to the investigation bureaus of other governments.”

“What?!”

The detective visibly startled, whipping his head toward me.

“Your Excellency, this is strictly handled by the Prussian Investigation Bureau and prosecution. Sharing investigation details with other countries…”

“Sharing is what?”

“…It could pose a security issue…”

No, wrong.

There’s one reason not to share: monopolizing information lets you extort more in return.

Even if they’re different nations, they’re now united under the Empire’s name, so they shouldn’t act so selfishly.

Of course, there’s a more important reason.

I replied expressionlessly,

“A security issue? There’s no restriction. This isn’t just Prussia’s problem—it concerns the safety of all imperial subjects. Sharing in advance ensures we can coordinate with other governments if issues arise. Am I wrong?”

Because it doesn’t end with shaking them down.

The Crown Prince is fully capable of fabricating testimony or destroying evidence.

We need to cut it off at the root.

The detective, looking troubled, eventually complied.

“Your Excellency is right. We’ll follow your orders.”

“Good.”

With that, I walked, listening to the day’s investigation report.

Around 6:30 p.m., I felt a faint electric jolt in my core. Leo’s magic power was rampaging over it.

‘Of all the ways to contact me, this guy picks *this*.’

I tapped the artifact to connect to Leo’s line.

Before the ringtone could even finish, it connected.

“Your Highness.”

[…Sir Ernst.]

When I used the honorific, Leo immediately realized who I was acting as.

[You’re out of your mind.]

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

I said that, but I know why he’s reacting this way.

Because I half-ditched school.

‘Out of my mind for ditching school?’

Such a model student.

Of course, that’s not the whole reason.

Leo had told me at school to meet after training, but I finished the third training session around 2 p.m. and slipped out with Narce’s help. Leo’s team, led by two goody-two-shoes, trained by the book until 6 p.m., so I could escape to the palace without getting caught.

If I’d waited, I’d have had to go to the mansion, and once there, I couldn’t leave without his consent. Ditching school early was the safer bet.

‘How am I supposed to preserve evidence if I’m dawdling?’

I need to clear the Crown Prince’s scene and handle the rest quickly.

If I’d stayed at school until 6 p.m., I’d still be scrambling to secure the investigation chief role. What a waste of time.

I said with a laugh,

“Don’t stress too much, Your Highness. You can’t stop me. If you want to try, you’d better learn to be a bit more flexible and skip class yourself.”

The moment I said that, a sharp pain hit my heart. I doubled over, and the detective walking beside me looked at me in alarm.

“Your Excellency? Are you alright?”

“…”

[I said I’d come find you after training, but I didn’t expect you’d head straight to Primrose Path. When training ended, I saw reports that you’d taken the joint investigation chief position. You left before roll call claiming you were sick—did Narce help you?]

“Yes.”

[Sigh…]

This guy really hates unexpected moves.

He must’ve been monitoring my core’s flow when I met the Crown Prince yesterday, because he insisted I bring someone along whenever I meet her. That’s why he told me to stay at school so he could find me after training.

Sure, promises are meant to be kept, but I never agreed to his request.

Meaning I never promised.

*…I feel a bit bad for acting like a kid…*

But I need to wrap this up fast.

Leo probably wants me to get some healing magic, plan together, and move normally, but with an opponent this formidable, moving ‘normally’ and leisurely could mean missing what I need to seize.

As if reading my thoughts, Leo said calmly,

[The board is already tilted in your favor, Your Excellency. Don’t be too hasty.]

“That’s exactly why we need to finish it quickly. I’ll wrap up all school matters by dawn tomorrow.”

[*…*]

“You must’ve been notified, but a confidential meeting on this case is set for tomorrow morning. Come if you want, Your Highness. There’s a seat for you.”

[Have you forgotten where you’re affiliated? It’s not ‘come if I want’—I have to go.]

Leo hung up before I could respond.

Was going to tell him to bring Adelbert.

Well, he’ll figure it out.

As I thought this and started walking, someone spoke from behind.

“I didn’t expect you to keep a promise like this.”

The same serene voice from yesterday.

A hollow voice, matching its owner, flowed with a measured rhythm.

I hadn’t noticed my surroundings while talking to Leo, but now they came into focus. Everyone around stood at attention, facing me.

The detective beside me straightened and saluted.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

I turned to confirm her face.

She looked at me with an unruffled, tranquil expression.

“I clearly said yesterday we’d meet here at this time.”

“Didn’t expect it to be like this.”

She tilted her head and smiled. Her lemon-colored hair glinted in the sunset.

“Since Your Highness seemed too busy to take on the investigation chief role alone, I had no choice. How busy must you have been to plan moving all the collected evidence to the palace and forming a dedicated team? I’ll handle it from the start according to regulations.”

“Haha…”

The Crown Prince let out a genuine, amused laugh and leaned closer.

Her golden irises seemed to burn red.

“As expected, you’re the only one who thinks of me, Sir.”

“…”

I glanced at her and looked away. The investigators scattered across the street were still staring at her.

I nearly told her to go make friends instead, but I couldn’t provoke her overtly.

“An honor.”

“Indeed.”

She lightly patted my shoulder as if encouraging me.

“Work hard. I’m looking forward to the meeting you’ve prepared.”

With that, she gave a brief farewell and walked past us with her entourage.

Seeing it end without much talk, she likely has no intention of doing anything to me in such a crowded place.

Of course, saying she’s looking forward to the meeting isn’t something to brush off.

Looking forward to it? So am I.

I mulled over her words and left.

* * *

At 3 a.m. the next morning, I left the interrogation room provided by the prosecution and headed to the conference hall for the confidential meeting.

Despite being called a meeting, I’d be the only one speaking, so the setup resembled a small auditorium more than a conference.

“Let’s begin.”

The Emperor’s aide, setting up magic in the hall, drew attention as 3 a.m. struck.

I stepped to the front and faced the seats. In the center sat the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Hohenzollern family. On the right were the Prussian prosecution, Investigation Bureau, and Police Bureau investigators.

The left had far fewer people—all from the Kingdom of Bavaria.

I scanned the seats to see which politicians I recognized and locked eyes with Leo, dressed in Bavarian royal attire. Perhaps because I didn’t keep the promise—though not technically made, morally implied—his pale blue eyes glinted unkindly in the darkness.

I turned away from his accusing stare, observing others and thinking.

Bavaria’s slipping into Prussian affairs so naturally.

This is why the Emperor dislikes me, and why Bavaria welcomes my existence.

Prussia and Bavaria, once equal nations, developed a subtle hierarchy when Prussia formed the Empire. Bavaria believes they, not the upstart Hohenzollerns, should be the Empire’s hegemon and reclaim their former glory. Though now just the view of some extremists, the general Bavarian populace’s rivalry with Prussia is undeniable.

Anyway, regional tensions aren’t the focus now.

I propped my chin and casually looked at the Crown Prince, sitting naturally, waiting for me to speak.

The Abraham case was publicized, but this incident—royals attacked at an imperially backed school—can’t be announced, leaving no chance to clear the professors’ names.

That’s why I proposed this meeting to the Emperor alongside taking the investigation chief role. It’s a rare opportunity, so there’s no time to waste on other thoughts.

I organized my materials and stood at the podium.

Then, I said what investigators typically declare before government announcements.

“First, I swear as a loyal subject of the Empire and a guardian of justice to speak only the truth in this meeting.”

Next would normally be a ceremonial praise of the Empire and imperial family, but I had no desire or intention to embellish. Nor was this the situation for pleasantries.

I spoke immediately.

“Regarding the suspects, Professor Johannes Ron of the Imperial Second Academy and one other, it has been clearly confirmed that the perpetrator is someone else, and I strongly assert that the prosecution’s inability to indict warrants a non-prosecution ruling.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep