The Tale of the Nation That Banished the Saint - Chapter 10

Episode 10: Sharing Information

Signs of rebellion from Count Zopondot are evident—

We are holding a meeting to discuss how to deal with this situation.

The location is the conference room in the mansion of my territory.

The participants include the Royal Guard as the main representatives—

Delegates from the Mercenary, Information, and Assassination Guilds.

Warriors who accompany me during monster exterminations.

Bureaucrats, administrators, and researchers specializing in intellectual labor.

In addition, led by the head maid Zenias, maids like Lilim are serving tea.

Everyone gathered here is female.

Only my mistress candidates are allowed into this mansion.

Although not present here, there are also daughters of influential nobles in the capital whom I am on good terms with.

As needed, I ask them to engage in political maneuvers at the palace.

From the moment I realized at the age of ten that I had reincarnated as the villain prince of a novel, I’ve been gathering individuals through trial and error.

Five years have passed since then, and quite a few have gathered.

“First, let’s confirm—is Zopondot really planning a rebellion?”

“No doubt about it.”

The immediate response to my question came from Lina of the Assassination Guild.

“Based on what?”

“He sent Assassins. I’ve taken care of all of them.”

It seems assassins were already sent after me and the king.

With that, it’s confirmed.

The Assassination Guild was established long ago with funding from the royal family.

Of course, it’s not publicly known, and the organization itself is not widely recognized.

If powerful figures or wealthy individuals discover its existence and request its services, information leaks out. Though the lower ranks of the guild might not know this and come to kill upon request, high-level assassins are assigned to protect royalty.

They can handle it without issue.

The success rate of assassinations is not high.

Zopondot probably doesn’t think the assassination will succeed.

He’s likely making the request as a last resort.

Assassination is just one means of attack; the main goal is still the military.

“What’s the enemy army’s movement?”

“According to reports from the Information Guild, the enemy’s advance party is already pressuring neighboring lords to join their forces. The main enemy force is currently gathering troops and organizing.”

Christine reported on behalf of the military department.

“Now, what should we do next?”

“Is it really necessary to do anything?”

In response to my question, Rosalia, a daughter of a high-ranking noble, who became fed up with the stifling social circles and fled her home, replied indifferently.

She’s now staying with me and conducting research on ancient texts.

She’s talented, so I’ve involved her in agricultural research, but she prefers to focus on deciphering ancient texts and historical research.

She probably doesn’t care about Zopondot’s rebellion.

“Besides, isn’t dealing with a rebellion the king’s job?”

Yeah, that’s true.

“Zopondot can go wild on his own; he’ll destroy himself.”

Indeed, that’s a likely possibility.

Even if Zopondot leads an army to attack the capital, the chances of winning are low.

But considering that I’m the “hated prince,” would it really work out that conveniently? I’m not optimistic about my future.

“There are no absolutes in the world. Given the current political situation, some influential nobles might sympathize with Zopondot, and there’s a high possibility that powerful nobles will be reluctant to contribute to a punitive force—”

After Zopondot “goes wild,” I’ll inherit the country.

I don’t want to leave it alone.

Moreover, the concern is not just the rebellion.

We’ve been gathering information and knowledge to advance agricultural improvements in this territory.

Progress has been steady, but there are concerns for the future.

According to Rosalia’s research on ancient history materials, in this country—Leezlagd— one of the seven gods of destruction is sealed.

During the long absence of the Saint, the southern part of the country fell into a state known as the “Land of Death,” where crops didn’t grow at all.

It’s likely due to the influence of the sealed god of destruction.

Areas with a high occurrence of Saints and the land where the god of destruction is sealed almost perfectly overlap.

From this, it’s speculated that the purpose of Gaia, the earth mother goddess, giving birth to Saints is to mitigate the negative effects that the seal of the god of destruction has on the land.

Although successful in the short term, without a Saint—my improvements may not be enough to prevent the land from being destroyed to an irreversible level in the long term.

Therefore, we need to plan for that possibility.

To do that, we need to get through Zopondot’s rebellion with minimal damage.

“Well, if Lord Ares says so, I won’t object. But isn’t it useless to have a meeting when you’re always going solo?”

Rosalia’s words were met with unanimous agreement from everyone present.

“That’s right. I—will go alone to the east. I wanted to share our future plans and information.”

“Even so, you should at least gather your forces—”

Zenias, the head maid, and other worriers expressed their concerns.

“But that takes time and money.”

“But, for the prince himself to take such risks—”

It’s certainly dangerous.

Normally, the crown prince wouldn’t take the lead in such matters.

But I have to do it.

For example—what would the people think if I, the crown prince who broke off the engagement with the true Saint and had her exiled, stayed holed up in the palace while everyone else suffered?

If it were seen that the prince who condemned everyone to suffering lived luxuriously in the safe palace—

It would be like a straight path to a ruined life, just like in the novels.

Although it’s dangerous, I can’t afford to play it safe.

If I don’t take risks now, I don’t think I can change my life.

Besides—

I still have an insurance called reincarnation benifits.

It’s a gamble, but I’m not worried.