Chapter 83
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
Chapter 83: The Crown Prince (2)
***
“You are the crown prince! How long do you plan to live so recklessly when someday you’ll have to take responsibility for this kingdom!”
“Reckless, you say? The only one who would see a brief moment of relaxation with such disdain is none other than my father!”
“How is drinking and frolicking with women a way to relax? It’s only ruining your life!”
As the confrontation between the two continued, Damien felt a terrible sense of discomfort.
It was because the crown prince’s attitude and speech reminded him of his past self.
“I won’t tolerate this anymore! Starting today, you’ll receive the education necessary as the crown prince!”
“Is reading books with old men considered education? Even passing dogs would laugh at that!”
“Are you going to say that in front of your father?”
“Instead of such old-fashioned methods, I have my own way!”
After shouting like that, the Crown Prince closed the door and walked away.
As Oliver Apple was gone, the king lowered his head d and covered his face with his palm.
“….Sir Damien, I must admit, I’ve displayed a regrettable aspect of my character.”
Damien didn’t say a word. Sometimes silence was the best answer.
“As you can see, the crown prince’s behavior is not good. He wasn’t always like that… I don’t know where things went wrong.”
The king sighed with a puzzled expression on his face.
“What I want to ask of you is to guide the crown prince onto the right path.”
Once again, the king had called Damien to ask for help with his spoiled son.
The fact that Damien’s reputation had reached the king was evidence of that.
“I already know about your past. I’ve heard that you’ve settled your life and changed so splendidly… Can’t you use that experience to change the crown prince?”
The king looked at Damien with pleading eyes. Damien felt tired under that gaze.
‘Ah, this is getting annoying.’
From Damien’s perspective, it was a request he didn’t particularly want to accept.
Seeing the crown prince’s actions felt like looking at his past self, which made him feel terrible.
While trying to rehabilitate the crown prince, he would have to endure watching that scene unfold, and he couldn’t bear the stress.
When Damien didn’t respond, the king hastily spoke.
“Of course, I’m not asking you to do this for nothing. If you guide the crown prince properly, there will be rewards beyond just the title of Earl.”
Opening a drawer on his desk, the king took something out and placed it on the table.
There were two vials that looked like they were made of carved stone.
“This is Allecto’s Royal Jelly.”
Cough!
Damien coughed without even realizing it. Despite coughing several times, he couldn’t calm down.
“Your Majesty! That’s too much!”
Liam was also shocked. He shouted in surprise.
It was natural for Liam to react like this. It was a product that even caused a stir among the Master class.
Allecto was a bug-like monster resembling a giant hornet’s nest.
Even one of them was more dangerous than most large monsters and when they went hunting, dozens would swarm together, posing an even greater threat.
Despite this danger, Allecto was not well known to people because it was a very rare monster.
The reason Allecto became famous was that a certain adventurer accidentally fell into an Allecto’s nest and ended up eating the royal jelly contained within.
Originally, royal jelly was used to give birth to queen bees. However, when humans ate it, they gained very unusual effects.
Immunity to poison and regeneration.
The adventurer who ate the royal jelly remained unharmed even after being bitten by venomous insects, and even if parts of his body were cut off, they would regenerate quickly.
Of course, it was hard to see such effects from the offering the king had made. The adventurer reportedly drank the royal jelly until his stomach burst.
Nevertheless, Damien couldn’t help but show great interest in the royal jelly.
‘It should go well with the Art of Sacrificial Raging Demon Manifestation.’
The Art of Sacrificial Raging Demon Manifestation was a very useful mana cultivation technique, but it placed a heavy burden on the body.
So Damien had only used the Art of Sacrificial Raging Demon Manifestation when necessary.
But by consuming the Royal Jelly, he could greatly reduce such burdens.
No, it wasn’t just reducing the burden. He could unleash the potential of the Art of Sacrificial Raging Demon Manifestation to a different level than now.
“Your Majesty! Please reconsider!”
“If it can change the crown prince, it’s worth more than anything.”
Liam looked at the king with a pitiful expression.
“Sir Damien, if you accept this task, I’ll provide you with one bottle first. If the crown prince changes, I’ll provide the remaining bottle as well.”
It would be foolish to miss out on something that even tempted a master.
Damien dropped to his knees and shouted.
“Though I may be lacking, I will do my best to fulfill your command!”
The king’s face brightened at Damien’s response.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
The king personally lifted Damien up and expressed his gratitude.
*** The king held onto Damien and expressed his gratitude repeatedly.
A few moments later, Damien, having barely managed to extricate himself from the king’s presence, took a deep breath and stepped out of the study.
In his pocket was a bottle of Royal Jelly given by the king.
“Sir Damien.”
At that moment, Liam Bluegreen walked out.
“What’s your plan from now on? Are you going back to your quarters to unpack?”
“No. I plan to first meet with the Crown Prince and greet him properly.”
Liam’s eyes widened slightly at Damien’s response.
“So you were genuinely intending to change the Crown Prince.”
“It’s a promise I made to His Majesty himself, so naturally, I must keep it.”
Seemingly pleased with Damien’s response, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Liam’s mouth.
“Then let me guide you. We can have a chat on the way.”
Damien still needed to learn more about the workings of the court, but he decided to accept Liam’s offer.
“Forget what I said earlier. It wasn’t because I was surprised by the Royal Jelly, you know.”
Liam said on the way. It seemed he was still concerned about something that had been bothering him since the king offered the Royal Jelly.
“I’ve already forgotten. And even I would have acted like you did. It’s quite an impressive item, isn’t it?”
He laughed loudly at Damien’s response.
“Haha! It might have seemed that way. But what I didn’t like was that His Majesty offered such a thing regarding the Crown Prince.”
Suddenly, Liam said.
“It seems His Majesty believes that the Crown Prince can change… but my thoughts are different.”
Damien looked silently at him.
“Many people have tried to change him before. They’ve tried persuasion, intimidation, and various methods. But he hasn’t changed one bit.”
A deep weariness flickered in Liam’s eyes.
Perhaps he was among those who had tried to change the Crown Prince.
“He hasn’t changed a bit.”
“You believe you can change the Crown Prince because you’ve transformed yourself. You expect me to look at you and have hope for the Crown Prince? I’m sorry, I simply can’t.”
Liam said with a bitter look on his face. It seemed he had already given up hope on the Crown Prince.
“All we could do… was constantly watch the Crown prince to prevent him from tarnishing the honor of the royal family.”
It was strange to think about. If the crown prince of a kingdom was such a wastrel, rumors would spread quickly. Damien hadn’t heard anything at all.
Perhaps that’s why Damien hadn’t heard any rumors about the Crown Prince due to these circumstances.
“That’s the mansion where the Crown Prince stays.”
Liam stopped and pointed at a large building.
“I believe he’s in there. He rarely leaves the palace.”
“Thank you for guiding me, I’ll look for him myself.”
“Here’s one last piece of advice: it’s better to give up sooner rather than later.”
After tapping Damien’s shoulder a few times, Liam left, as if he didn’t want to encounter the Crown Prince.
“He’s in there.”
Damien looked up at the palace. It was incredibly large and spacious, fitting for where the Crown Prince stayed.
Damien stepped into the mansion.
“Wait a minute. Who are you to barge in like this?”
As he entered, a guard blocked Damien’s way. He replied nonchalantly.
“I’m Damien Haksen, who has been appointed as the Crown Prince’s swordsmanship instructor.”
“What? What?”
“I’ve come to see His Highness. Would you kindly let me in for a moment?”
Dodging the guard, Damien entered. The guard who seemed to be confused started to follow him.
“Wait, hold on! You’re not supposed to go up there. His Highness has ordered not to let anyone in…”
“Understood. Just follow that order. Don’t let anyone in.”
“Um, excuse me? But he’s already entered…”
It was impossible for the guard to catch up with Damien’s pace.
The guard could only watch as Damien disappeared in an instant.
***
Having brushed off the guard, Damien walked to the top floor. He could sense the Crown Prince’s presence there.
He promptly entered the room without knocking.
“Who’s there? I told everyone not to come in!”
Upon opening the door, the room was immediately filled with shouts and accompanied by the nauseating smell of alcohol.
Prince Oliver fixed a glare on Damien while clutching a bottle of liquor in his hand.
“How…?”
The Prince frowned as he examined Damien’s face.
“Are you the one Sir Liam brought?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Damien slightly bowed his head.
“I’ll introduce myself. I’m Damien Haksen. I’ve been entrusted with instructing His Highness in swordsmanship for a while.”
Upon hearing Damien’s name, a brief spark of interest flickered in Oliver Apple’s eyes.
“Damien Haksen? The one who used to be an asshole?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“I wonder who my father called… Ha! I didn’t realize that person was you.”
The Prince laughed heartily as he gulped down liquor from the bottle.
“I was already curious about what kind of person you were—seeing you like this? Quite an honor, huh? Huh?”
“It’s an honor for me to meet His Highness.”
“What nonsense!”
Suddenly, the Prince threw the bottle of liquor he was holding. Damien dodged it with just a tilt of his head.
“Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me by following Liam?”
The Crown Prince shouted at Damien but he listened to the prince’s words with one ear and waved them away.
“Viscountcy of Haksen? I don’t even know where you live! You must have been curious about the capital because you’re in such a countryside, right?”
The Prince shouted vehemently, becoming increasingly agitated.
“Go tell my father that you’re going to quit right now and get the fuck out of here, or I – I – will make you regret ever coming here…… Wait, what are you pulling out?”
Damien was slowly pulling out a large club from his spatial ring.
Damien responded casually to the Crown Prince’s question.
“It’s nothing. Let’s continue our conversation.”
***
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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