Chapter 5

"Your salary?"

"Excuse me?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"I'm sorry."

"So, your salary?"

"I... I only receive about a third of the amount I'm supposed to..."

She bowed her head, sobbing as if she felt guilty even for that much.

She was too naive, almost to the point of being a fool.

That's why, when everyone else abandoned the palace and fled, she stayed behind to protect me.

A strange sense of gratitude made me smile.

"Take all the money that should be in your salary."

"Excuse me?"

"I told you not to make me repeat myself."

"I, I'm sorry! But—"

"Don't you have anything to eat tomorrow?"

"...That's right, Your Highness."

"Call me properly. It sounds too stiff."

"But still—"

"Calling me 'Prince' makes me seem strangely cold."

Every rank has its own responsibilities.

Holding a position is not about boasting of noble blood or oppressing the common people, but rather a kind of medal indicating the heavy duties one has fulfilled.

But, in a country that runs like this, the position of prince is not at all pleasant.

The powerful relatives of the queen and the nobility wield the government as they please.

The king, who shows no interest, and the queen, who is eager to put her son on the throne.

The corrupt nobles who exploit the common people.

If I still had the power I had in the corridors, I might have erased this country called Ral from the map right away.

"I am deeply honored... Prince Dave. Please revoke your order. I am the one who brought the palace to this state—"

"What power do you have to stop them?"

"That is—"

"If I give you the work, I have to pay you. How do I know if the money goes to your stomach or to your prayers?"

Ha! I clicked my tongue and looked at her straight.

"Take all the back pay from the remaining budget."

"...I... I will do as you command."

"And I'll take care of the food, so let's go to the inner palace budget department."

The prince going to the budget department to check the palace budget?

If the ancestors saw this, they would be so shocked they'd click their tongues.

But what can I do? There's a problem with buying food for tomorrow.

With the weather getting cooler, we need to gather firewood, and there are places that need repairs.

In that sense, the current First Prince's Palace is going through the worst of times.

If I had lain here for another 1-2 years, it might have become irreparable.

"Even in this situation, a father who doesn't show his face to his son..."

I chuckled bitterly, and Amy's eyes widened like saucers.

The words I just said were very problematic.

If the queen's side had been waiting for an opportunity, the royal guards might have stormed in tomorrow.

Of course, I had no intention of retracting my words.

I am a person with a light temperament, who easily receives and shows kindness, but when I show mercy to hostile people, I do it my way, so to speak, without any restraint.

"Guide me."

"A... Alright!"

I remember the layout of the inner palace, but there might have been changes, and it's a bit ridiculous for a prince who has just awakened to walk around alone without any support.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but using additional funds from the already allocated budget—"

The noble, bowing his head and showing his refusal, did not seem apologetic at all.

On the contrary, his attitude clearly showed that he found it bothersome that I had come.

A powerless prince.

The perception that has formed as a result is not easily erased.

As I silently watched him, he lifted his head as if he had never been apologetic and looked at me.

Your rat mustache gives a rather despicable impression, doesn't it, kid?

I chuckled, pulled a nearby chair, and sat down, facing him.

My casual, unprincely behavior made him slightly surprised, but he soon showed a subtle disdain.

He seems to think I am still a weak and naive prince because I am easily swayed by emotions.

"Are you joking?"

"Excuse me?"

My words made his face turn red.

"The budget allocated to the palace this month is 500 gold. Is that wrong?"

"That is—"

"But the actual amount received is less than 100 gold—"

"Your Highness! That is!... The amount deducted for the maintenance and upkeep of the palace! The other royal family members also received the king's order to live frugally!..."

"Ha, it's annoying."

I frowned, and a bitter remark slipped out.

"So, is the palace that was supposedly maintained overgrown with weeds and has a broken floor?"

"That is—"

"The garden is overgrown with weeds, and the walls are about to collapse. Even a fool can see that no money has been invested here."

My rapid-fire words made him shut his mouth.

"So, isn't it funny? A high-ranking prince coming to the palace with the allocated budget and arguing about it like this."

He didn't agree with my words, but he didn't say anything more, as if he thought that way inside.

Amy's face, who had been supporting me from behind, was already as pale as it could be.

"Your Highness, the maintenance is handled by the maintenance department, not the budget department. We only allocate the budget—"

His words made me slap my knee.

"Kyaa! I didn't know that."

I exaggerated my reaction and picked up the cane next to me.

His face turned pale at the sight.

No matter what happens tomorrow, I am a prince, so I can kill this damn rat mustache right in front of me.

Of course, I would receive some punishment, but not as severe as others.

But I didn't do it.

Killing this one guy now is easy, but it would only make the roots run deeper.

"Here or there, it's the same. Tsk, passing the buck."

I said briefly and stood up.

"Alright. Use the money you've stashed in your pocket to visit the red-light district at night and fiddle with things."

The harsh words, which should never come from a prince's mouth, or the fact that I, who used to be weak and kind, now speak without hesitation, made him look up at me hesitantly.

"Still, let's take a look."

I said calmly and turned around.

The guys who pass the buck always have a way out.

Even if I go to the maintenance department, they will pass the buck, and digging into it will only lead to frustration.

Not to mention, all the servants working in the First Prince's Palace have fled to other places and are stealing salaries.

Amy, who is actually working, knows the situation and has been running the palace by reducing her own salary.

The ones who don't even show their faces are actually getting raises.

I turned around without hesitation and glanced at Amy, who was following me cautiously, frightened.

"Amy."

"Y-Yes?"

"Can you bring a sword from the warehouse?"

At the word "sword," Amy's face turned pale.

She must be worried that I might start a fight.

"Don't worry, I don't plan to kill anyone."

I said, unconsciously trying to reassure her with her cute actions.

No, I don't plan to kill people. I just plan to cut down those who are less than human.

How long I can maintain that standard... I'm not sure myself.

* * *

What would happen if I, who am in a precarious position, suddenly start killing servants and nobles working in the inner palace without any reason?

The answer is simple.

The prince has gone mad. He should be confined to the tower in the outer palace immediately.

With no backing, I am a fish in a position to be cut easily in a state where nobles wield most of the power.

The sword, though old, is not unusable.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness... That's all the swords left..."

As expected, even the minimum number of guards protecting the palace are in a mess.

Does she have a habit of saying sorry every time?

I chuckled, and she bowed deeply.

"A craftsman does not blame his tools."

Saying that, I silently pulled the sword halfway out of its scabbard.

It's a sword used by the knights who protect the inner palace.

The equipment of the knights who protect the palace is one of the faces of the palace.

The fact that such items are managed so poorly and are lacking in materials already shows that the situation is dire.

The sword, which had lost its luster, was covered in dust from lack of use.

"The management is—"

"I'm very sorry—"

It's a really dirty sword. If a proud craftsman saw it, they would foam at the mouth.

But someone once said,

A great craftsman does not blame his tools.

"Amy, how many animals are running around in the royal hunting grounds?"

"Excuse me? That... is—"

"Forget it. There should be enough to maintain."

Thinking that, I put the sword back in its scabbard.

* * *

The next day, Amy looked at the wild boar carcass in front of me with a shocked expression.

"Good to see you."

"Your Highness? That... that is—"

"Someone brought it to the inner palace, so I brought it. I was wondering what to do with it. It seems a righteous person left it."

"What do you mean—"

It's a lie.

I caught it myself, but I confidently lied.

Amy, who didn't understand my words, looked at the wild boar carcass I brought without any hesitation and her eyes widened in shock, trembling.

"Go to the warehouse and bring more bowls and waterproof cloths. There should be some left, right?"

"D-Dave, Your Highness! Rather, kill me instead!"

"Why not."

"Your Highness cannot get your hands dirty with animal blood! Besides, to butcher and cook an animal caught in the inner palace! You might get seriously hurt!"

I chuckled at her desperate plea.

"There's no one to see, so it's fine."

The king, who refuses to meet me, citing busy state affairs.

Can I suddenly meet the king, who doesn't even show his face when his son is sick?

Of course not, so that's a pass.

There's no way to resolve this situation from other departments, so that's a pass.

Queen Liness seems to be setting up an ambush to bleed me dry, but I am a specialist who has received survival training from Hercules for decades.

"It's a wild boar. But now it's my dinner."

I muttered, skillfully using the heated hot water and the sword to skin the beast and remove its entrails.

It looks like it requires a lot of strength, but the skin and flesh came off smoothly.

With mana infused into the blade, it would be strange if it didn't.

A prince who secretly catches a wild boar from the royal hunting grounds and butchers and cooks it in the inner palace is ridiculous.