The Tale of the Nation That Banished the Saint - Chapter 1

Episode 1: The Fate of Ruin

I am a reincarnated individual in a different world.

In my past life, I was a corporate slave in a black company and died from overwork.

Given such circumstances, if I were to reincarnate into another world, I had hoped for a leisurely and slow-paced lifestyle

However, it didn’t turn out as expected, with no scenario of finding myself in the midst of a forest.

My reincarnation tale doesn’t involve leisurely living in the woods with cheat abilities.

Yet, there is no room for disappointment—

As it turns out, I reincarnated as a prince.

A figure of authority.

Could I not lead a laid-back and self-indulgent life?

At that time, that’s what I believed.

I reincarnated into a world seemingly modeled after medieval Europe.

It wasn’t until some time after becoming aware that I recalled memories from my past life.

From then until the present age of ten, my daily needs have been taken care of by immaculate maids, and I have never lacked for sustenance. With manners and social skills ingrained in me from a young age, there was no difficulty in mastering them.

Before my reincarnation, I met with a goddess.

According to a certain goddess named Meldo, this is a world she casually created.

The main world is separate, and this seems to be a practice run.

In essence, I was brought to this trial world by her.

Though I requested to be reincarnated into the main world instead of a trial one, it seems I was brought here because of my compatibility with a certain character.

Apparently, this world is constructed to replicate novel works.

I missed out on which specific work it’s based on.

And for now, I have no clue.

Well, fretting over what I don’t know is pointless, and frankly, irrelevant.

As someone actually living in this world, as long as I don’t face hardships, there’s no issue.

I have received reincarnation perks, but I neither need nor plan to use them.

I am content with my clothing, food, and shelter.

In my chamber, I indulge in a chess-like board game while sipping tea.

My opponent is my favorite maid named Lilim, the third daughter of a baron, a cute girl of my age with a demeanor akin to a small, adorable creature.

“Lilim, you have only three moves left until checkmate…”

“P-Please, have mercy, Ares-sama.”

“No, I cannot relent. The world of competition is unforgiving.”

“Um, well, um… If I lose, I’ll be scolded by the head maid…”

Lilim’s lips are at stake in this game.

Although I unilaterally declared the bet, Lilim, being timid, couldn’t refuse.

Well, considering she’s a maid, I could just order her to kiss me without any wager, but—because I favor Lilim too much, there’s a prohibition on sexual harassment towards her from Zenias, the head maid.

To be precise, it’s an order from my mother, the queen.

While minor touches might be overlooked, if actions escalate further, Lilim would be reassigned from my care.

Having a strong libido itself isn’t a problem, but it seems it requires management.

Zenias has sternly instructed all maids to promptly report any harassment from me.

A management system has been put in place.

Due to such circumstances, my approach towards Lilim has diminished, but I haven’t given up yet.

The key is to not get caught.

First, I tried instructing Lilim to report falsely that no intimate acts had occurred between us, but Lilim’s honest nature led her to report the truth.

If I engage in intimate acts with Lilim, it will inevitably be exposed to Zenias.

And if such actions escalate, Lilim would be transferred elsewhere.

Hence, I devised a plan and framed it as a bet.

Let me kiss you, and don’t report it to the head maid.

Given Lilim’s earnest personality, she would faithfully uphold the terms of the bet.

Now, with just one move left, Lilim is about to be checkmated.

At that moment—

Knock, knock, knock—the sound of knocking reverberated.

“Pardon the intrusion, Ares-sama—”

“What’s the matter? Zenias, it’s unusual for you to come at this hour.”

“My apologies. It’s just… um? Lilim seems different.”

Zenias gazes intently at Lilim.

The content of the bet has been exposed to Zenias.

The kiss with Lilim will have to wait.

“As I mentioned before, if you show too much favoritism towards Lilim, she may be transferred—especially if it involves a prince’s favoritism, it becomes a political matter…”

“You should just keep silent about that, Zenias.”

“I cannot do that. Ares-sama’s favor must be properly understood and managed…”

As Zenias lectures me while walking down the corridor, we head to the reception room.

Apparently, the Minister of State has come to see me.

“So, who would be suitable? Zenias?”

As I inquire, I reach out and touch Zenias’s buttocks.

“Um, well… That… will be decided by Her Majesty—”

Blushing, Zenias stammers, unable to answer immediately.

Touching her butt, she’s quite cute in her reaction—

“So, what do you want from me? That, um, Minister something…”

“Lord Dalforne is at the forefront of national politics—a capable individual. He has never engaged in any misconduct, a sincere person highly trusted by His Majesty the King. Remember his face and name.”

Hmm, what could it be that someone like him has to talk to me about?

As I enter the reception room, there stands a middle-aged man, rigidly upright, exuding an air of alertness.

After I take my seat and urge him to do the same, Dalforne also sits down, and the conversation begins.

“So, what’s the matter?”

“Well… there is a significant matter I wish to inform Ares-sama of…”

I nod silently, and Dalforne proceeds to speak.

“Within our territory, a ‘saint,’ blessed and protected by the fertility goddess Gaia, has appeared—a next-generation ‘saintess.'”

“I see…”

A ‘saintess,’ huh—there should have been a reference work by that Meldo-something goddess who created this world.

If a protagonist like a saintess appears, it might give a clue to the work in question.

Well, there’s also the possibility that it’s from a work I haven’t read—

“I had requested the saintess to bestow divine protection upon our country. One year later, there was a significant improvement in crop yields across various regions.”

“I see.”

He’s comparing the crop yields of recent years to the situation one year earlier to judge whether the saintess is telling the truth or not.

“This individual is deemed genuine, and according to our country’s regulations, I have officially reported her as my daughter and adopted her as a ward. However, at that time, another individual had already been reported as the ‘saintess,’ and she had been formally conferred the title by the church.”

“I see…”

Dalforne, with his earnest personality, seems to have spent considerable time comparing crop yields in various regions over the past few years, only to find out
that another person was reported as the ‘saintess’ while he was at it.

Regardless of whether the saintess is a fake or not, our country is still under the protection of the fertility goddess.

“Presumably, seeing this year’s abundant harvest, someone fabricated a saintess.”

“So, why tell me this?”

“That false saintess, Roselia, has been designated as your fiancee.”

“I see…”

I remembered.

Roselia, the name I heard—

In this world, it starts with the novel where the heroine, condemned as a fake saintess, is banished from the country—

I am Ares, the ‘disfavored prince,’ who banished the saintess and embarks on a downward spiral of life.

What a predicament.

Ruin awaits me and this country.

TL note : A chess-like board game and tea… sounds like the perfect royal pastime. Just missing the monocle and top hat.