Chapter 87: A Favor Or Two

Chapter 87: A Favor Or Two

“You punk!”

The crown prince’s appearance was unsightly.

He had a few teeth missing, allowing wind to blow in through the gaps. Even the silk clothes he was wearing had become rags. Much worse, his face was so swollen that it was difficult to recognize its original features.

There was only one person who dared do such a thing to him, even if he was a prisoner.

Ian asked the culprit with a slightly rebuking tone.

“Duke, why did you beat people like dogs? No matter what, he is the crown prince...”

“I couldn’t help it.”

Duke Lavaltor replied with a determined face. Then he took the blood-soaked club from the saddle of his horse.

The duke continued in a calm voice.

“I was just trying to get rid of the miasma in a traditional way.”

“!”

From how Ian saw it, it seemed like the duke tricked him by saying it couldn’t be helped since the plague was serious, while in truth he punished the crown prince in advance.

But Ian tilted his head.

“I recall there was certainly such a cure, but...”

Of course, Nathan and his men shuddered with fear.

‘There’s no way such a cure exists!’

‘What’s with that family... Like father, like daughter...’

‘I have to be really careful. What if I make a mistake and get beaten up like that?’

Everyone was staring at Lavaltor with pale faces. But that wasn’t what mattered now.

Ian smiled at the crown prince.

“Now then, let’s finish the calculation first, shall we?”

Ian snapped his fingers toward his back.

Then the soldiers brought a group of men. The researchers and the noble thrown by Fiosen could be seen among them at a glance.

They were all being dragged like dogs.

Ian took a deep breath, then shouted for the whole village to hear.

“Look! Here are the perpetrators who kidnapped the villagers of Labadom and tested the plague. I, Ian Kaistein, have caught them! And I will bring them to justice!”

“!?”

At first, everyone couldn’t process what he was talking about.

But right after that.

“Woaaaaaahh!”

“Thank you, Prince Ian!”

“Long live the Seventh Prince!”

The villagers, who had barely regained their strength, started cheering. They weren’t the only ones. All of Ian’s soldiers who had fought against Bahara so far shouted.

He knew why they had been fighting all this time.

All of their faces were brimming with pride.

Ian also looked at them with a proud face. But it was for a while.

Immediately upon seeing the crown prince, his face quickly grew cold.

“Our bet was to find the missing villagers and the culprit, right? Now, here’s the ringleader.”

No, it was a cold yet fishy smile.

As soon as Ian finished speaking, the sinners were brought to their knees in front of the crown prince.

This was a complete checkmate for the crown prince.

Now that everyone knew about the bet, they would soon find out what the crown prince had done.

Right at that moment, Duke Lavaltor asked with an uncharacteristically serious face.

“Are you saying they... experimented on their own people?”

“Exactly, Duke. It must have been intended to cause chaos from the outskirts. Not only that, but it seems that they even tried to do business by selling the antidote as well.”

“Heh heh heh.”

What the crown prince of Cantum had done was, of course, wrong. However, it was understandable to some extent since he was an enemy. It was a battle with the fortune of each country on the line, after all.

But those guys were different.

This was an unpardonable sin now that the truth had come to light.

It was no wonder that Duke Lavaltor’s normal countenance instantly turned fierce like a beast.

“How do you plan to deal with them?”

“Well, shouldn’t they be dealt with according to the law?”

Nathan flinched at Ian’s words.

Like their military law, Kaistein’s law was more frightening than it seemed. In particular, an unusual case as these people did now would grant the culprit with the minimum sentence of the death penalty. It was a grave sin that could have the entire family annihilated if they were found guilty. Even more so, what they did could not be pardoned even with their lives.

‘Tsk. In the end, you lot fall into your own tricks and end up killing your families.’

And right then, Ian walked past Duke Lavaltor and calmly strode toward the crown prince.

“Well, I guess I won the bet.”

“...”

“Then, shall I receive the promised reward?”

Ian snapped his fingers again.

Then, this time, not the criminals but the soldiers he had prepared in advance came out. They were carrying a bunch of things.

One of them was a red carpet.

Seeing that, Ian said as if he was truly sorry.

“I’m sorry if this is too humble. Still, since you’re the crown prince of the empire, I will try to prepare this as formally as I can.”

“!?”

The crown prince couldn’t even tell whether Ian was making fun of him or not.

It was understandable.

“Now, Crown Prince, please dress neatly.”

“I brought a ceremonial sword here.”

“Your Highness, the ground here is very hard. Should I put something over it?”

It was because the soldiers came to help the crown prince. But it wasn’t just helping him to get up. They practically dressed him so he would look his best to take the pledge of allegiance.

But just at that moment.

Ian shook his head as if he couldn’t help it.

“Ah! Since I’m so nice, if you really don’t like it, I’ll change it to something else.”

“Seriously?!”

“Come again?”

“Are you serious?”

The crown prince became impatient. Actually, nothing else mattered to him.

As long as it wasn’t this fucking humiliating pledge of allegiance.

However, Ian’s words seemed to surprise everyone around him.

“Your Highness?”

Duke Lavaltor’s gaze was also full of questions, wondering why Ian suddenly did this.

It was because he couldn’t believe Ian would do this after coming this far and turning the tables. No, there was no way he would do something that nice.

However...

“What I want is...”

After listening to Ian’s following words.

Nod.

“I knew it. I was surprised to think our prince has changed.”

“He truly is cruel...”

Everyone nodded. After all, Ian was Ian.

They couldn’t help thinking so.

What Ian asked for was none other than this.

“Please write a letter to His Majesty the emperor. Tell him to start the Northern Expedition right now.”

“!?”

“Ah! Of course, Kaistein’s supreme commander asked me to do it. Please write it down.”

That wasn’t all.

Ian even said that he would like to be in charge of supplies and resources necessary for the Northern Expedition and to give him the occupied territory.

At those words, the crown prince broke into a cold sweat.

‘This bastard. He is trying to take it all.’

That was Ian’s ulterior motive.

But it was fine. Even if the empire suffered a loss, it was not his loss.

‘Fine. Better than taking the pledge of allegiance.’

But his thoughts did not last long.

“That’s right! Wasn’t there such a thing as the loser being polite and addressing the victor as the older brother? How about doing that now?”

“...”

The crown prince was so dumbfounded that his stomach churned.

“No!”

However, Ian cut his words with a bright smile.

“It’s settled, then, I am the older brother. Can you do me a favor or two? Now, this is the first order.”

At that moment, the crown prince nearly spat blood.

When did he ever agree to such a thing!

But Ian’s words were just the beginning.

***

“Hurry up! It’s urgent!”

Heinley was riding his horse. It was because of the order given by his father.

He was in a hurry to convey this letter to the crown prince.

However, Heinley’s expression was not good.

‘If I deliver this... it’s definitely the same as treason.’

To sell information to the crown prince of another country. Moreover, if it was information about one of the heirs to the throne, he could never avoid treason.

But he had no other choice.

‘Before Ian does anything else, I have to tell the crown prince.’

And the only way to cover this problem was to knock Ian out of his position.

He just needed to support the crown prince.

No, that was definitely the plan.

However.

“What? Aren’t you Young Master Heinley? What are you doing here?”

Waiting for him was not the crown prince.

It was Ian Kaistein.

The very person he and his family were after.

Not to mention, Ian wasn’t alone.

“D... Duke Lavaltor?”

More serious was the current situation.

The crown prince he trusted was taking a submissive attitude toward Ian. And he was gnashing his teeth from whatever order he got.

It was just then. Duke Lavaltor opened his mouth intimidatingly.

“The fact that Heinley came here. It must be Duke Garcia’s idea.”

“W... what are you talking about? I was just passing by because I had something else to do...”

“Why don’t you drop your lies and hand it over?”

Heinley broke into a cold sweat at the duke’s words. No, he shook his head violently.

“What do you mean? I have nothing!”

But Ian said with a smile.

“Do you really have nothing to give me?”

He was smiling confidently.