Chapter 68: No Mercy (1)

In the backyard stood Raion and Caldein.

When Shtefan arrived there, he couldn’t help but question them.

“Your Highness! How could you go to Sellios after leaving behind nothing but a letter! I told you that place was absolutely off-limits!”

Even though the letter only mentioned a “hunting trip,” the destination—Sellios—had already been confirmed in Shtefan’s mind.

Of course, Raion didn’t deny it.

“You found out rather quickly.”

“If you left through the western gate of the castle, the destination is obvious. More importantly, how did you get there without a boat?”

“I made one and went.”

“You made it yourself? How?”

“I’ll explain later. More importantly, the reason I went there was because of Caldein. He reached the 5th Circle and went for magical training.”

At those words, both Shtefan and Jade were taken aback.

“You mean his magic reached the 5th Circle?”

In fact, among Raion’s subordinates, Shtefan found Caldein the hardest to understand.

He was a middle-aged mage whose magic had stagnated at the 2nd Circle.

Rumor had it that he was delving into ancient magical knowledge, but Shtefan had hardly seen him leave the annex.

So hearing he had suddenly reached the 5th Circle was nothing short of astonishing.

“That’s right. His mana capacity has also greatly increased. With a bit of practice, he’ll be able to use most spells without issue.”

A 5th Circle Mage was treated on the level of a Marquis or Count among nobles.

Such mages were rare and powerful, and every kingdom honored them accordingly.

“Congratulations, Sir Caldein!”

Jade stepped closer and sincerely offered his congratulations.

“Thank you, Sir Jade. It’s all thanks to Master. Without his support, the magic knowledge I researched would’ve amounted to nothing.”

As he said this, Caldein’s voice trembled with emotion.

He had never regretted joining the 13th Mage Division, but there had always been some shame in being over forty and still unable to surpass the 2nd Circle.

Now, not only had he washed away that disgrace, but he had also reached a level—5th Circle—that few mages could ever dream of approaching.

Naturally, Raion, who had supported him wholeheartedly, became a lifelong benefactor to him.

“It’s not a good look to cry at your age.”

“Kh…! N-no, I’m fine.”

“You’re definitely crying.”

“Your Highness, Sir Caldein has every reason to be emotional. Why are you teasing him like that? He’s not a child.”

Monica, who had come into the backyard at some point, scolded him sharply after seeing the scene.

“Sorry. Anyway, what about the dismantlers I asked for?”

“I gave the order to Conrad, so they should arrive soon. But… why do you need dismantlers?”

That part had been bothering Shtefan since earlier as well.

“Because we need to dismantle monsters. Warehouse!”

A storage space opened in midair, and a massive amount of Sea Serpent and Steel Lizard corpses, along with Steeloud trunks neatly cut at the base, poured out and piled up in the backyard.

The sheer amount overflowed into the training ground.

“……Gasp!”

Everyone was left speechless at the sight.

Only Caldein, who had seen them being stored firsthand, remained relatively composed.

“The meat will be sold to nearby villages as food at half the standard price. The hides will be sold externally at fifty percent, and the rest will be used within the territory to make armor.”

“T-that’s fine, but… is that really Steeloud?”

Shtefan stammered as he spoke.

Steeloud timber, which sold for an enormous price, was extremely rare to find.

Even before processing, the raw material itself was worth a fortune.

“Yes. There were plenty of Steeloud growing densely in Sellios.”

“Truly? Then that island is…”

“It wasn’t a cursed island—it was a treasure island. Of course, it’s also a place where you risk your life. There’s a reason people never returned.”

“What reason?”

Now that he thought about it, Raion and Caldein had gone to such a dangerous place and returned unscathed.

Shtefan assumed they must have discovered some sort of method.

“It was because of the Steeloud colony. Since there were more of them than usual, they created a phenomenon that absorbed mana. It was fine because Caldein and I both have large mana reserves, but if anyone else had gone, they would’ve collapsed and been attacked by Steel Lizards.”

That explained why no one who went to Sellios had ever returned.

Hearing the explanation, Shtefan’s face turned pale.

It sounded simple enough, but the thought of it was horrifying.

“How could such a thing happen…”

“The Steeloud must’ve possessed that trait from the start. As I said earlier, since they usually don’t form such large colonies, it had simply gone unnoticed.”

Raion continued speaking to the now-silent Shtefan.

“In any case, Sellios will now become an important asset of Kanas. I plan to return soon and survey the entire island.”

As Shtefan listened to Raion’s determined tone and meticulous planning, he couldn’t help but admire him deeply.

Since Raion’s arrival in Kanas, far too many things had changed.

He had uncovered Administrator Conrad’s corruption and swiftly resolved the darker, lacking areas of the territory.

At this rate, there was no doubt—the next king of the Canel Kingdom would be Raion.

“Truly remarkable, Your Highness. You managed to resolve the Sellios matter… and even addressed both the food and profit issues with the Sea Serpent and Steel Lizard meat. I will make sure to report every single detail of this achievement to the Royal Capital.”

Lords of the territories where the princes resided were ordered to submit reports quarterly.

Over the course of two years, they would submit a total of eight reports.

It had been about one quarter since Raion had arrived in Kanas, which meant it was time to send in his report.

“No. Do not make any report to the Royal Capital.”

“Pardon? Why not, Your Highness! This is crucial for the royal succession! Why would you hide such accomplishments?”

“Let’s go inside. I’ll explain. Jade.”

At the call, Jade, who had been standing blankly, stepped forward.

“Yes, Master.”

“When the dismantlers arrive, proceed as I instructed earlier. Caldein will assist you.”

“Understood, Master.”

After issuing those orders, Raion headed toward the office with Shtefan.

The atmosphere inside the office was heavy.

Amidst the silence, Shtefan was the first to speak.

“I wondered before, but I must ask again. What exactly is Your Highness’s true goal?”

Raion paused for a moment, then asked in return,

“Before I answer that, allow me one question.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“How long do you think the Canel Kingdom will last in its current state?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Shtefan’s face showed confusion.

“I mean the balance among the royal faction, the queen’s faction, and the chancellor’s faction—it’s already broken.”

“Are you saying that the right to succession has already passed to Prince Ashuran?”

“You can tell just by looking at where I was sent.”

Raion, the third prince, was the legitimate son born of the king’s lawful wife.

Moreover, the nobles knew well how dearly King Laskan cherished his queen, Sierra.

However, because Raion had been frail and lacking in dignity since childhood, the royal family had begun to see him as a liability.

From then on, the power balance had tilted toward the queen and the chancellor.

“Then what is it that you wish to do, Your Highness? You could still turn things around! From what I’ve seen, you have more than enough ability to do so!”

“Do you think you can eat a fruit that’s already rotten just by cutting away the spoiled parts? Even if you do, you’ll get sick. And if the fruit has no seed, you can’t plant it to grow another, can you?”

Raion wasn’t looking at the present—he was looking far beyond it.

Even Shtefan, who hadn’t understood a moment ago, could feel that now.

“Then… may I ask—just possibly—are you thinking of… overthrowing the royal family?”

“No. I intend to build a new nation.”

“A n-nation!? That’s… that’s treason!”

Shtefan’s voice trembled at Raion’s shocking declaration.

Raion turned his gaze briefly toward the window, then back to him.

“Why is founding a nation considered treason? Of course, since it would mean declaring Kanas independent from the Canel Kingdom, I can see how it might sound similar.”

“You mean to say… you’ll make the Kanas Territory independent?”

“Not yet, of course. There’s much preparation needed within the territory first, and we’ll need plenty of time to do so.”

Raion had already abandoned any thought of inheriting the throne.

Even if he became king, he wouldn’t be able to touch the power held by the queen and the chancellor’s ministers.

That throne would be nothing but a shell.

“That’s a dangerous idea, Your Highness. Wouldn’t it be better to find a way to deal with the queen’s and chancellor’s factions first?”

“When nearly all of Canel’s nobles share their sentiment, what more can I do? It would be easier to either make them kneel with proper justification—or simply cut off their heads.”

In that instant, a chilling killing intent emanated from Raion’s entire body.

Shtefan swallowed hard, startled by the sudden change in atmosphere.

Until now, he had thought of Raion as a spirited, somewhat carefree prince—but now he saw his ruthless, cold side.

“I… I understand. If that is Your Highness’s will, then I will think carefully on it as well.”

“In return, do not speak of this matter to anyone.”

“Of course.”

Their discussion concluded, Shtefan left the office, cold sweat running down his back.

Night deepened further.

A black shadow swiftly moved across the roof of the Kanas lord’s castle, dashing away into the darkness.

It moved so fast and quietly that even the guards patrolling the grounds didn’t notice.

‘I must return quickly and report this to the Chancellor!’

The shadow’s identity was Harman, a senior knight of the Dagger of Darkness under the queen’s command.

Harman had been sent by Duke Alito to spy on the Kanas Territory.

His main target was the third prince, Raion.

However, what he discovered was far beyond expectation—Raion had not only uncovered the truth about Sellios, the so-called Cursed Island, but had also brought back vast quantities of rare materials and monster corpses.

Moreover, he showed no interest in the royal succession and was instead planning the independence of the territory.

Harman had almost gasped aloud upon hearing that in secret.

‘And he’s even a 5th Circle mage! If this continues, not only the independence of the territory but even the Chancellor’s plan for the succession itself will be in jeopardy!’

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