The Crown Prince Who Raises Alt Characters

#Chapter 156 Crown Prince Alondre (9) - An Uninteresting Human Decades ago. The flames of revolution that once seemed like they would overturn the entire world did not last very long. It was not a thoroughly prepared and planned seizure of power, but merely a bloodbath that arose from accumulated anger finally exploding. Those who had been the main actors of the revolution fought over who would take the initiative of the new nation, and those who lost in the disputes swung their swords at former comrades instead of obediently bowing their heads. The country became a complete mess, and public welfare and security regressed even worse than during the old kingdom era. It was a time when many people on the continent, even the republic itself, believed without doubt that this country would soon collapse. However, now that a long time has passed, the republic still has not collapsed. This was the reason why Jacques de Montblanc, the intelligence minister of the Cardian Republic, did not spare his reverence for the Premier. How could he not respect the superhuman who had beaten down all the neighboring countries that denied the republic's existence and posed military threats, leading the Revolutionary War to victory and turning the republic, which was no different from rags, into one of the Five Great Powers. There were some who called the Premier a dictator for turning Parliament into a training dummy and eliminating his own term limits, but in Montblanc's opinion, this was all due to short thinking and lack of education, so it was a problem that could be solved by teaching them the answer with 'water'. Knowing the answer with a 'bathtub' is enough, and if they still don't know, isn't there the wonderful alternative of the sea? Of course, unlike the bathtub, the sea had the minor flaw of making it impossible to confirm whether the other party had learned the answer or not, but anyway, the problem would be solved... '...Oops, my thoughts wandered elsewhere for a moment.' It wouldn't do to have idle thoughts when meeting the revered Premier. Montblanc once again humbly composed his body and mind, then carefully knocked on the Premier's office door. "Your Excellency, it's Montblanc." -Come in. When he opened the door and entered the room, the republic's one and only ruler welcomed him. Rock-like muscles that could not hide their strength despite being impeccably dressed in uniform, and a height that was a head taller than ordinary people. His bold and distinct facial features exuded masculinity, and his intense gaze was filled with a dignity that naturally overwhelmed those who looked at him. Feeling admiration once again at his perfect appearance as if crafted by a god, Montblanc began his report. Papers rustled, and after Montblanc's explanation continued for some time. The Premier, who had been silently listening to the story, opened his mouth. "So in other words, Misthaven's organization has essentially collapsed due to internal strife. The remnants are currently trying to come into the light using the mayor as a stepping stone." "Anyway, since their numbers have greatly decreased, it would be impossible for them to wield power like before, so isn't this just a shallow trick to pretend to be clean even now?" "There are plenty of stupid fools who can't even do that much. Well, if they're willing to submit on their own, there's no need to refuse them." From the beginning, the current government led by the Premier had no intention of leaving the criminals entrenched in each region as they were. If there were many who regarded even the mayor sent by the government as a training dummy, how could that be called a proper regime? "The first ones we need to catch are those drug dealers. That stuff only benefits those who sell it, and is nothing but harm to the nation." Of course, if the country itself became a supplier and sold it to foreign countries, that would also be an excellent 'product', but the Premier had no intention of going that far. Common sense dictated that if you ran a country by selling drugs, how could that be a proper nation? It would be more like a demon tribe. The conversation between the two men, who had been talking for a while about internal cleanup, somehow moved on to foreign matters. The Liu Empire ruled by an emperor believed to be the Dragon Incarnate. The Hasht Divine Kingdom, called the last sanctuary of the gods. The Beastkin Alliance that exists beyond the red lands. And even the Eizern Empire, the long-standing power of the northwest and effectively considered the strongest among all the great powers. "...By the way, is this all the information about the empire's Crown Prince?" "Yes, Your Excellency. Is there something problematic about it?" To Montblanc, who showed a slightly nervous expression, the Premier thought and carefully examined the materials investigated about the Crown Prince with a subtly unsatisfied face. And he evaluated it as: "...Colorless and odorless." "Is that so? It seems he receives extremely excellent evaluations within his own country." "That might be true in terms of ability. What I'm trying to say is about his personality or ideological aspects. I can barely feel any personal character from this Crown Prince." He doesn't neglect his studies, excels in martial arts, and has never committed any problematic statements or actions. He is merciful to his subordinates while maintaining appropriate distance relationships with various people without favoring any particular class. Despite already handling practical affairs at a young age, he has never made mistakes in his work or shown signs of struggling. "Isn't this something closer to a golem? It even feels like he's put up a nameplate saying 'excellent Crown Prince' and completely restrained all other unnecessary aspects." "Since he's royalty in name, isn't he probably putting effort into maintaining his external reputation and dignity?" "For that kind of thing, other members of the royal family seem quite human." Even the current Emperor had a bad reputation regarding women, and other princes and princesses were causing various incidents large and small, while the Crown Prince alone had no problems at all, which rather made him feel alien. "He might be excellent as a ruler, but as a person, he's surely an uninteresting fellow." *** "Through this incident, I keenly realized my own shortcomings. I thought I had given heartfelt encouragement, but it seems it didn't really reach her heart." Kalastia, the capital of the Eizern Empire. The Golden Cloud Palace. The former Greater Demon Lucidra, who was nibbling on the finest sweets and black tea prepared for the Crown Prince, almost choked for a moment. She stiffly turned her head like a wooden puppet to look at the Crown Prince's face. Seeing the other party's expression that seemed genuinely unable to hide his disappointment, she asked creakily. "Um, excuse me? Your Highness?" "Why are you suddenly using formal language you've never used before?" "No, I mean. The heartfelt encouragement you just mentioned—are you talking about that thing where you played the flute while doing group cliff diving?" "Timing-wise, that's correct. The real core part was the musical empathy I had built up before and the message comforting her... Hmm. Did the communication through music not work well? Maybe she couldn't hear it properly because she lost consciousness." For a moment, Lucidra began to see the human in front of her as a senior in the industry - a true demon! So right now, he's saying that while the person she loves was jumping off a cliff because of her, he delivered the line "I forgive you," and thought that would be mental comfort to the other party? "When demons reach the realm of Transcendence, they often transcend the limits of their original species and are more frequently called by epithets rather than their real names, you know? By any chance, don't people around you call you 'Indifference'?" "Hahaha, that's too much of a joke. I'm not a demon. If we're being strict about it, I haven't truly reached Transcendence yet either." "The fact that you're not even a demon but still like that seems more problematic..." In other words, doesn't that mean he's in that state without even racial correction(?)? Lucidra, who tried to imagine what it would be like if the Crown Prince had been born as a demon, immediately stopped thinking due to pain that felt like her brain was melting. It was certain that a scene would unfold that even a Greater Demon could not easily imagine. "Well, what's past is past. The ending of 'musician Hamel' was completed the moment he jumped off the cliff, and I do think the intervention afterward was somewhat forced, but no matter what, I couldn't just let someone die because of role-playing." "Usually you don't really care whether criminals live or die, right? Is it because the other party is pretty after all?" "Well. If you're asking about Hamel's position, I can only say it's the result of having grown somewhat attached." "What about Crown Prince Alondre's position?" "I would evaluate positively that even in harsh circumstances, she didn't cross her own lines to the end. It would have been better if she had seriously attempted reform or acted with her own convictions, but well, where can you find a completely perfect person?" It was quite an ironic thing for a man who constantly receives evaluations of being 'perfect' from those around him to say. "By the way, you haven't forgotten the promise, have you?" "I don't speak with two tongues from one mouth." "Ahaha!" Lucidra let out a purely clear laugh. It was impossible to stop Hystia's suicide attempt with Hamel's body that had already vanished, and for the final intervention, the Crown Prince had to make a contract with Lucidra. What Lucidra proposed as the price for her help was "let me interfere with the Crown Prince's dreams." Of course, there were not no restrictions at all. Although she could set the location as she pleased, time was synchronized with reality and couldn't be touched, it was also impossible to interfere with the Crown Prince's abilities or mind within the dream, and the Crown Prince could fully recognize the dream as a dream. At this point it was closer to a virtual reality experience rather than a dream, but Lucidra wasn't disappointed. Originally, even a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step. Even if it was impossible to conquer him right now, she could make steady progress this way. "So, are you planning to start right away?" "I'd like to, but I also have some preparations to make. It'll probably be ready around the time your next or the story after next clone ends." "Hmm. Well, it's your right, so handle that part as you see fit." "I would do that without you telling me. By the way, what concept is it this time? Or rather, what's the name?" "The concept is still a secret for now. More precisely, I should say it depends on the situation." "...? What do you mean?" "While working as a minstrel, I heard quite an interesting rumor. They say 'that' is in the southern Cardian Republic. Depending on what kind of person that opponent is, this clone's role will also change." "That?" To Lucidra's question, the Crown Prince answered with a grin. "—A master detective."