Chapter 83: The Return of the Doom-Grade Death Knight

Chapter 83: The Crown Prince (2)

"You are the Crown Prince! How long do you plan to live such a dissolute life, when you will one day have to take responsibility for this country!"

"Dissolute? I doubt anyone but Father would see my taking a break to clear my head as something so harsh!"

"How is drinking and fooling around with women a way to clear your head! You are simply ruining your own life!"

As the argument between the two continued, Damian felt an overwhelming sense of disgust.

The Crown Prince's attitude and tone reminded him of his own past.

"I won't tolerate this any longer! From today, you will receive the necessary education as the Crown Prince!"

"Bringing in old men to make me read books is what you call education? Even a passing dog would laugh at that!"

"Is that what you say in front of your father!"

"There are other, more conservative methods, but I have my own way of doing things!"

With that, Crown Prince Oliver Apple shouted and slammed the door shut, disappearing.

After Oliver Apple left, the King bowed his head deeply and covered his face with his palms.

"…Sir Damian, I have shown you a terrible sight."

Damian said nothing. Sometimes, silence is the best response.

"As you can see, the Crown Prince's conduct is not good. He wasn't always like this… I don't know where it all went wrong."

The King sighed with a troubled expression.

"What I ask of you is to guide the Crown Prince onto the right path."

Indeed, the King had summoned Damian to entrust him with the task of reforming his unruly son.

This was evidence that Damian's reputation had reached the King's ears.

"I am already aware of your past. I heard that you cleared up your life and transformed into such an excellent person… Can you not use that experience to change the Crown Prince?"

The King looked at Damian with a pleading gaze. Damian felt a sense of fatigue from that look.

'Ah, this is going to be troublesome.'

From Damian's perspective, it was a request he did not particularly want to accept.

The Crown Prince's behavior reminded him too much of his own past, making him feel very uncomfortable.

He would have to endure watching this behavior while trying to reform the Crown Prince, and he was not sure if he could handle the stress.

Seeing that Damian was not responding, the King hurriedly said,

"Of course, I am not asking you to do this for nothing. If you can guide the Crown Prince properly, I will reward you with more than just a barony."

The King opened a drawer in his desk and took something out.

There were two vials that looked as if they were carved from stone.

"This is Alekto's Royal Jelly."

Cough.

Damian coughed involuntarily. He coughed several times but could not calm down.

"Your Majesty! That item is too much!"

Liam Blugreen was equally shocked and exclaimed in surprise.

It was natural for Liam Blugreen to react this way. Even Master-class individuals coveted such an item.

Alekto was an insect-type monster that resembled a house-sized hornet.

Even a single Alekto was more dangerous than most large monsters, and they usually hunted in groups of dozens.

Despite this danger, Alekto was not a well-known monster.

It was extremely rare, and people rarely encountered it. In fact, those who specifically sought out Alekto might only see one or two in their lifetime.

However, Alekto became famous due to an incident. An adventurer accidentally fell into an Alekto hive and consumed the Royal Jelly inside.

Royal Jelly is used to create queen bees. When a human consumed it, they gained some very unique effects.

Immunity to poisons and regenerative abilities.

After consuming the Royal Jelly, the adventurer became immune to any venom and could regenerate lost body parts in a short time.

Of course, the amount offered by the King would not provide such significant effects. The adventurer had drunk the Royal Jelly until his stomach was full.

Still, Damian could not help but be greatly interested in the Royal Jelly.

'It would pair well with the Bee Essence Pill.'

The Bee Essence Pill was a very useful mana cultivation technique, but it had the drawback of putting a significant strain on the body.

Therefore, Damian only used the Bee Essence Pill briefly when necessary.

However, consuming Royal Jelly would greatly reduce this strain.

In fact, it would not just reduce the strain; it would allow the Bee Essence Pill to function at a different level.

"Your Majesty! Please reconsider!"

"If you can change the Crown Prince, even more would not be too much."

Liam Blugreen looked at the King with a regretful expression.

"Sir Damian, if you agree to this, I will give you one vial first. If the Crown Prince changes, I will give you the other vial as well."

It would be foolish to let such a valuable item slip away when it was right in front of him.

Damian quickly knelt on the floor and shouted,

"Though I am unworthy, I will do my best to fulfill Your Majesty's command!"

The King's face brightened at Damian's response.

"Thank you! Truly, thank you!"

The King personally helped Damian to his feet and expressed his gratitude.

* * *

The King repeatedly thanked Damian, holding him by the arm.

After a while, Damian, finally freed from the King, stepped out of the study.

In his pocket was one vial of Royal Jelly given by the King.

"Sir Damian."

At that moment, Liam Blugreen walked out.

"What do you plan to do now? Are you going to your quarters to unpack?"

"No. I plan to meet His Highness the Crown Prince and properly introduce myself."

Liam Blugreen's eyes widened slightly at Damian's response.

"You truly intend to change His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Of course, it's a promise I made to His Majesty the King, so I must keep it."

Liam Blugreen's lips curved into a faint smile, seemingly pleased with Damian's answer.

"Then I will guide you. We can have a conversation on the way."

Damian was still unfamiliar with the structure of the palace. He silently accepted Liam Blugreen's offer.

"Forget what I said. I was not shocked because of the Royal Jelly."

On the way, Liam Blugreen spoke. He seemed to still be bothered by his earlier reaction when the King offered the Royal Jelly.

"I have already forgotten it. And I would have acted the same way as you. It is such an extraordinary item, after all."

Liam Blugreen laughed heartily at Damian's response.

"Haha! That could have been the case. However, what bothered me was that His Majesty offered such an item for the Crown Prince's sake."

Suddenly, Liam Blugreen said,

"His Majesty seems to believe that the Crown Prince can change… but I think differently."

Damian looked at Liam Blugreen silently.

"Many people have tried before you. They tried persuasion, intimidation, and various methods. But he did not change at all."

A deep sense of fatigue appeared in Liam Blugreen's eyes.

He himself might have been one of those who tried to change the Crown Prince.

"I have changed, haven't I?"

"You can say that because you have changed. Are you telling me to have hope for the Crown Prince by looking at you? I cannot do that."

Liam Blugreen spoke coldly, seemingly having given up all hope for the Crown Prince.

"All we can do… is to continuously cover up to prevent the Crown Prince from disgracing the royal family's honor."

It was indeed strange. If the Crown Prince of a country was such a troublemaker, rumors would have spread quickly. Yet, Damian had never heard anything.

This explained why Damian had never heard any rumors about the Crown Prince.

"This is the residence where His Highness the Crown Prince stays."

Liam Blugreen stopped and pointed to a large building.

"He may not be inside. He often goes out of the palace."

"I will look for him separately if he is not here."

"I will give you one more piece of advice. Giving up early is also an option."

Liam Blugreen patted Damian's shoulder a few times and left.

It seemed as if he did not want to meet the Crown Prince.

"That's where he is, huh."

Damian looked up at the mansion. It was large and spacious, befitting the Crown Prince's residence.

Damian walked into the mansion.

"Wait a moment. Who are you to enter so casually?"

A servant blocked Damian's way as he entered. Damian spoke nonchalantly.

"I am Damian Haxsen, appointed to teach swordsmanship to His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Excuse me? Excuse me?"

"I have come to meet His Highness. Will you come out for a moment?"

Damian bypassed the servant and entered. The servant, flustered, followed behind.

"Wait a moment. You cannot go up. His Highness ordered that no one be allowed in…"

"I understand. Just follow his orders. Do not let anyone in."

"But… you are going in…"

Damian's pace was not something an ordinary person could keep up with.

The servant could only watch helplessly as Damian Haxsen disappeared in an instant.

* * *

After shaking off the servant, Damian walked to the top floor. He could sense the Crown Prince's presence from that direction.

Without knocking, he pushed the door open and entered.

"Who is it! I said no one is to enter!"

As soon as he opened the door, a shout greeted him. The pungent smell of alcohol was an added bonus.

Crown Prince Oliver Apple glared at Damian, holding a bottle of alcohol.

By this point, he had clearly drunk a lot. His face was as red as a beet.

"You…?"

Crown Prince Oliver Apple frowned deeply upon recognizing Damian.

"Are you the one Liam brought earlier?"

"Yes, that's me."

Damian slightly bowed his head and said,

"I come to greet you. My name is Damian Haxsen. I will be responsible for teaching swordsmanship to His Highness the Crown Prince for a while."

Upon hearing Damian's name, a brief flicker of interest appeared in Oliver Apple's eyes.

"Damian Haxsen? Weren't you a troublemaker originally?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"I wondered who Father had called… Ha! I didn't expect it to be you."

The Crown Prince chuckled and drank from the bottle.

"I was curious about what kind of person you were. To meet you like this? What a great honor, huh? Huh?"

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness."

"Where did you learn to bark like a dog!"

The Crown Prince suddenly threw the bottle in his hand. Damian simply tilted his head to avoid it.

"Do you know how much trouble you've caused me by coming with Sir Liam!"

The Crown Prince shouted angrily. Damian listened to his words with one ear and let them pass.

"The Haxsen Viscount? I don't even know where you're from! You must have been curious about the capital, living in some rural backwater. So, you followed Sir Liam when he persuaded you, didn't you!"

The longer the conversation went on, the more agitated the Crown Prince became.

"Go tell Father! I will quit and leave right away! If you don't, I will! I will! I will make you regret coming here… Wait, what are you pulling out?"

Damian opened a subspace and slowly pulled out a large cudgel.

To the Crown Prince's question, Damian replied nonchalantly,

"Nothing. Let's continue our conversation."