The Grand Prince Has Run Away

The empire was so peaceful.

The energy of the civil war disappeared behind the scenes, and there were no mass famines that worried.

In the massacre I committed, powerful men were living a fearsome day, but the people were not.

My blade was only pointed at those in power.

And there was a lot less slander against me in the tribulation.

The large civil works, which had recently begun, had no time to criticize me because the people were having a busy day.

Moreover, a good assessment of me, starting with the merchants, was spreading throughout the empire through floating merchants across the country.

It was because I was making them huge profits and actively expanding the commercial preference policy to suit their tastes.

The group of nomads who got jobs and settled here with the money I invested in the market was also very favorable to me. 'Cause I'm their bitch.

But the group that was spreading false rumors about me was still active. It seemed to be because he wanted to die.

Now the people were generally responding favorably towards me, and the negative ratings were greatly diminished.

This means that it is easier to track down the forces who are adulterous to me. There are fewer negative ratings about me.

It's easier to catch one out of 10 than it is to catch one out of 100.

If my negative opinions continue to shrink, the level of rumors will decrease, and the progress of the Neglect Party will soon become visible to me.

“Hmmm. I wish my assassins were the same. ”

The way back to Hwang Sung on the wagon.

As I speak to myself, Duke Brian reacts.

“Why?”

“You only have to kill once. ”

Duke Brian smiles lightly.

“The Grand Duke must be a celestial man. Well, we've killed a lot of people. ”

I stared at the duc with a sudden look.

“It just means it's less annoying if you finish it at once. ”

“Yes?”

“Remember, man's desires are endless, and the greed of powerful men troubles all nations. If we do not satisfy the powerful, the powerful satisfy the people. So the people in power should always be afraid. Those who are afraid do not play tricks. Look. There are no civil wars, right? ”

“Yes, I do. ”

“Old Cloud's example did. When he had grandparents, those who couldn't even pull out the civil servants showed their teeth as soon as he disappeared and drove blood to this empire. His fear of disappearance caused the liver of powerful men to swell. ”

“Well, I never imagined the last time I had a civil war with the Duke of Cloud. ”

“Regardless, the powerful continue to die until the empire is stable. Until the day we replace the fear of Old Cloud. ”

“Yes.”

I looked at Duke Brian.

“But what happened to the intelligence reform? ”

“We've thinned out the ones we need to thin out, and now we're doing the demolition. ”

“Really? You found a new head of intelligence? ”

“Not yet. If you think of someone you can trust, you're not very capable, and if you're not, you're not very trustworthy. ”

The head of the intelligence agency will be my ears from now on. He had to be reliable, and he had to be capable.

“Are any of the duc's scorpioned Independents? ”

“They were so small, they didn't deserve it. And didn't the Joint Chiefs work for my intelligence division in Karl's territory? ”

I hold my head back.

My father did not give the hardened Independents my principal position in the territory. The scorpion of the Independents was a pain in the ass, and I had to see the Empire.

“Well, look it up. ”

“Yes.”

The wagon had just arrived at the castle. Looking at the time, I hurried to the Oval Office. It's because I had an appointment.

As we get inside, Milton gets up and greets him.

“Did anyone come to see me? ”

“There was.”

“Where are you? ”

“I'm in the reception room. ”

“Then send him straight into my office. ”

“Yes.”

Immediately after me and Duke Brian entered the Oval Office, a blonde young man came inside. He was in his 30s and looked pretty good.

Sitting in front of my work desk, I tilted my head.

"Tsk, why did you call me? ’

This man was the Baron.

He was a defending commander at Hwang Sung Gate. During the attack on Hwang Sung, I took the opinions of the generals who wanted to enter the gate guarded by the Baron and diverted the other way.

because he appeared unusual.

But when I called, I didn't like it.

I'm very sorry to Duke Brian, but I don't leave handsome people by my side.

We have to share the eyes of all the women.

What's clear is that it's not stolen, it's shared. I'm incredibly handsome.

Baron bows and greets you.

“Grand Duke, it's a pleasure to meet you. Baron Leon.”

I had a taste for it.

“Duke Brendel's son-in-law? ”

“Technically, yes. ”

Although Baron is Duke Brendel's son-in-law, there is a limit to the fact that the baron's wife is the daughter of a concubine.

Even in other continental countries, the resurrection of a concubine is not considered a child.

It means that it is not a daughter, and it could also mean that it is not a son-in-law.

“Then your father-in-law must have been very dismissive. You said you were from Merchants. ”

“Still, I'm better off with dogs. It's absurd, but there's also the baron's title. ”

“Anyway.”

“Yes.”

I crouched my chin with arrogant moves.

“By the way, how long ago were you the Northeast Gate Defense Commander? ”

“Yes, how do you know? ”

“I was trying to use the main attack route at Hwang Sung Workshop. ”

“Yes. I heard that from Duke Brendel. Immediately after the battle, my father-in-law was very fortunate with me. ”

I shrugged.

“There was no reason to be sarcastic. I turned my back on him for a reason. ”

Baron stared at me with a sudden look.

“The Grand Duke gave it back? ”

“Yes. Everyone asked me to come to you, but I avoided. ”

“Somehow the intensity of the cultivation is somewhat weak. ”

“Why? You said Duke Brendel risked his political life to save the baron and his daughter? ”

“Well, you didn't say you risked your political life. ”

After all, Duke Brendel was very colorful in front of his son-in-law.

I nodded and fell. That's just a typical classy pretense from everyday life. It's not a big deal.

“Then move on as if you don't know. You don't have to carry your son-in-law's shame around with you, do you? ”

“Yes.”

I straightened my expression prior to a full-fledged conversation.

“By the way, I heard the baron was still in the Imperial Army, pleading with me that he would never die. ”

“Yes.”

“Why did you decide not to die? ”

Baron gives you a strange look.

“All I have is money. Powerful people don't just kill people with money. ”

“But it can be used as a scapegoat. In the event of a catastrophic natural disaster, the capitalists are the most suitable sacrificial offerings to calm people's anger. ”

A capitalist has no power, instead of having a lot of money. That is why it is mainly these capitalists who make sacrifices.

When there is a big natural disaster, people are overwhelmed by famine.

At that time, the lord or king of the territory began hunting witches, working with religious leaders to calm this feverish people, primarily capitalists.

Why? I usually get jealous of everyone for having a lot of money, but I have a lot of wealth in my house.

It's a very tacky way, but it works really well.

Hunting the capitalists can calm the crowd's complaints, as well as robbing their warehouses of money and grain can be used as resources to deal with natural disasters.

Baron protests immediately.

“But the last civil war was different. It's not about money, it's about power. So the target of the scapegoat is not a capitalist like me, but a powerful man. ”

I laughed bloody.

“Sounds reasonable. Is that the only reason? ”

“And I trusted the Grand Duke. I didn't think the Grand Duke would kill me. ”

“Why?”

“You were walking like a rumored person. I mean, the strategy of war itself is very different from that of conventional electricians. ”

“In what way? ”

“A strategy for avoiding unnecessary combat and taking advantage of cutting-edge weapons when you need to fight. ”

I wiped my smile from my mouth and looked at Baron with thin eyes.

“So who is he? ”

“Is there only one other person who could do that? No one else can. First of all, Kara's state-of-the-art weapons cannot be deployed on a large scale. Mara in Kara Kingdom can't buy weapons with money. ”

“But he's in Kara's kingdom now. ”

“So I've been thinking a lot recently, and I think I found a way to do that. ”

I scratched my nose. Under Duke Brendel, there is an unnecessarily clever man.

“I knew you weren't an idiot. ”

“I've been doing business for a long time, and I'm only noticing faster. ”

“Hmm. I know how to hide myself. ”

“Yes?”

“It's no big deal. But what kind of business did you make? ”

“It's a commodity investment. to buy when it's cheap, to sell when it's expensive. ”

“You were a storyteller.”

“If you say it badly, yes. ”

I looked up and down at Baron's movements.

“Anyway, it's been a huge loss lately. Despite the civil war, the price of food fell, didn't it? ”

Baron shakes his hand firmly.

“No, not at all. My list of stalls does not include food.

“No, why? ”

“I have a minimum imagination. ”

“What imagination? ”

“Let's not play with people's lives. When I play with people's lives, my life flies away like a joke. ”

“But if you have power, it's a different story. ”

“But I'm not an authority figure. A powerless capitalist.”

“You know how to spot a topic. ”

“Yes?”

“No, I'm just saying. Baron, how are you going to live? ”

Baron tilts his head.

“I don't know. I was fired from office in return for my loyalty to the former emperor until the end, so I should focus on my work. ”

“You mean the barbershop business? ”

“Yes.”

“I don't know. Will it work? ”

“I'm confident. I've only done this after eating. ”

“That's not what I meant. ”

“Yes?”

I waved my hand.

“Anyway, go now. I'm done talking to you. ”

Baron Leon hesitated even in my banquet order.

“But I have a question. May I? ”

“Yes, go ahead. ”

“I happened to see the development plan that you just announced, and there's something strange about it. ”

“What?"

“Why, are you preparing for war? ”

I made a sneaky face.

Obviously I was preparing for war. I was fortifying Hwang Seong as well as the newly constructed city, ignoring its functionality.

“Well, maybe he's going to conquer the world. ”

Baron tilts his head.

“But it was a defense. It's a waste of resources to conquer the world. ”

I stared at Baron sharply.

“Is there anything you'd prefer not to pay attention to the baron's imagination? That could be life and death, too. ”

“I do.”

“Goodbye, then. ”

“Yes.”

Baron leaves the Oval Office coldly. Then I looked around at Duke Brian.

“Duke Brian. Baron has good military strategic skills. ”

“Yes, he studied strategy when he was in Imperial Noble School. Meanwhile, I was connected to the Duke of Brendel. ”

“You're a noble otherwise, so you must attend Imperial Noble School. ”

“Yes. It is the duty of the Imperial nobles to attend Imperial Academy. ”

I said it as though it were a recital.

“Tell Duke Brendel to get a seat at that Human Intelligence Service." Right under the head of intelligence, if you can. Raise it and use it heavily. ”

“Yes?”

“It is well-informed, noticeable, quoteable and bright in the world. Then use it.”

“But he was loyal to the Emperor to the end. ”

“No. I only made the best choices for survival. I would have been the baron. The order of the Empire is too great to be successful in riding the current, so we need to make sure we survive. ”

“Oh, yeah. ”

“Then go deal with it. ”

“Yes.”

As Duke Brian departs, I get up from my seat and stand by a window overlooking the distant mountains.

Surprisingly good talent. Even though I have a wife who is a nobleman of rank, the assessment around me may not be that good, but I'm good at it.

Since I have business knowledge, I could use it to develop commercial industry, and I thought I could work well with intelligence agencies because I was quick to see and good at gathering information. I also see a strategic sense, so I can use it as a chief of staff.

I mean, he's a brilliant, versatile talent. Anyway, I thought it would be a great greeting for me.

< Accommodates Baron Leon. > End