[My dearest fiancee, his highness, the 2nd Prince, Yello Keith Coloflare,

I have been investigating the empire’s movements in the Corundum Kingdom since then. Although an investigation of a mere 12-to-13-year-old lady might not offer as much significance, I have chanced upon several suspicions.

The inheritance conflict several decades ago, the different factions have several members with connections to foreign powers. While the retainers themselves are from Corundum people, if even the most shallow ties are considered, everyone becomes a target of suspicion. One of the capture targets being a long lost survivor of the royal family was likely as I mentioned above.

I have also heard about the empire’s consecutive purchases of plot lands in the Corundum Kingdom. Of course, these transactions were not done in the name of the empire, but rather in a wealthy individual’s capacity.., but they were deliberately done in territories of nobles that have cooperative relationships with the empire. The mere thought of their invasion progressing smoothly as I write this terrifies me, sir.

The criterion for their purchases are either mountains or desolated countryside, or simply, places that people do not frequent. However, those places will become extraterritoriality upon foreign purchases and pose a risk of being used as invasion points.

Lastly, there’s a new religion that is spreading in the Corundum Kingdom recently. As you may be aware, our kingdom’s protection lies on the whims of our deity, and the ones that received its blessing were not the royal family nor a temple, but rather a family that serves as the knight commander for generations. While it does protect our kingdom, its influential strength as a national religion is rather weak, which allowed the entry of a new faith.

After looking into it, the new religion appears to have been founded in the empire. While the empire is in the region where there are still legends about dragons, not only does it not revere the dragon god, it forbids the practice of faith in its country. Does Sir Keith also feel some sort of ulterior motive in how a religion founded in such a place seems to have spread here?

..That’s what caught my suspicions sir, but in the end, everything will be treated as my needless anxieties. If sir Keith also notices some suspicious movements on his side, please exercise caution.

‘Your fiancee, Canaria Riqum.]

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It was a letter that was formerly a yellow bird called ‘Honey’ that flew all the way from the neighbor kingdom. I threw the letter into the flames after reading it. While it felt rather sacrilegious to burn the letters of my fiancee, its confidential content have prevented me from keeping it. Besides, the letter was written in Coloflare’s tongue; it would’ve been grave if someone were to read it.

Now as for Canaria’s reports, our kingdom was not totally free of such concerns either. It’s also possible that my retainers are under the patronage of the empire. In actuality, we’ve received countless invitations for trade agreements from the empire, and I’ve heard opinions that push for such possibilities too. Furthermore, they came from the 2nd prince faction, who pushes for my coronation as the crown prince.

The 2nd prince faction uses the minister to the left as a medium, places emphasis on diplomacy, and seeks to open the gates of the kingdom. It also pushes for the increase of magic tools importation and the improvement of the labor conditions of magicians and practically, things that are in conflict with the church’s interest, hence, their support from the believers is hopelessly low. It’s also because of them that I’m prudent to interact with my older brother, which is incredibly vexing.

I’ve never thought about the problems of having our lands purchased by foreigners. While I do not believe that the lords who own these territories will allow such purchases, one cannot possibly be certain when money starts doing the talk.

While there’s a possibility that their reason for specifically aiming for mountains is likely to secure the river sources, magic alone reduces the significance of water sources. But as for other natural resources, particularly, lands rich in magicules enough to be designated as magical sources; they would’ve aimed for volcanoes for magic crystals, and forests for magical herbs to use as potion ingredients. Even the living things in such places have a higher chance of giving birth to rare beasts, so they need to be considered too.

When it comes to religion in our kingdom, there’s no fool that would attempt to propagate their fate behind the watchful eye of the church. After all, even the common magic was treated as heresy a couple of generations ago, and even now, are not given a favorable look. Not to mention, there are still believers who find me and my brother hateful for having a mother that came from House Whitey. Rather than calling such people fearless, they show that the sacred church’s influence is still enormous.

But still, a religion founded in the empire, huh? If that dictatorship specifically allowed it, then it’s highly likely that Canaria’s suspicions are well-founded. But why did they desire a saintess after a hundred years?

If Coloflare Kingdom were to fall, the church will likely crumble, making the sacred magic unusable. There would be no point in trying to take ahold of a saintess’ descendants. Was the faith propagated after the princess was wed in the Corundum Kingdom? But even then, they did destroy the Corundum kingdom too anyway so.. Mhm, let’s put the things that we don’t know for sure on the side for now.

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A mere eleven-year-old child could not possibly come up with a way to stop these invasions no matter how much they rack their brains. And even if they do come up with something, nobody’s going to take it seriously either. That’s why I decided to just think of anything that I could do within my means, which was to look for a trustworthy retainer and make them my own.

It would be nice if I could find a talented subordinate though. I would want each one for the three components of war that Sand talked about earlier. In regards to ‘Diplomacy’, the head of the 2nd prince faction and the minister-to-the-left, Duke Bruno would be suitable. While he is still sitting on the fence as far as politics are concerned, I think he is unexpectedly stubborn on things that he does not want to yield. As for ‘Economics—’

After several days, I headed towards the harbor, overlooking a large ship unloading its cargo. The ship is Corundum Kingdom’s trading vessel. All the magic stones that the Coloflare Kingdom uses are imported from its neighbor. If possible, I would like for the country to have an independent source of energy too though. Which reminds me; wasn’t the sacred stones used for the capital’s barrier made from the advanced dungeon’s magic crystals? That’s too risky though.

‘Well if it isn’t his highness, Prince Yello. I didn’t expect that his highness would trouble himself to go to a place like this.’

As I turned my attention to the one who called me out, Viscount Walter was walking towards me. House Walter has been a mercantile house for generations, only became a noble house by buying their court rank generations ago. They still continued their business afterward and proactively expanded the range of their trade. Criticized for money-mongering, they have protected their rank as the number one mercantile house of the kingdom. In other words, when it comes to specialists in’ economics, it’s them who reigns on the top.

‘I was thinking that you are busy too. Besides, I’ve been wanting to meet you personally for a long time. My fiancee’s birthday is drawing near too..’

‘Hahahaha, well most unusual things of foreign origins can all be found here, after all! Not to mention, I have a daughter who could help you when it comes to that, sir.’

—As we talked about such things, I asked him some questions as he guided me around.

‘The secret to making a profit, sir? That would be to not create any enemies. If you get too envious of others’ success and seek to hog all the profits to yourself, you’ll eventually lead each other to ruin. The secret is for both of you to profit together.’

‘Profiting together..’

Thump!

The sudden explosive sound has thrown all my thoughts into orbit. A ship over the sea’s horizon with a black skull flag was aiming its cannons in our direction.

‘A-A Pirate!?’

‘They do appear sometimes, sir. Well, a trading vessel is a floating mountain of treasure.., but still, they’re nothing but a mere band of thugs.’

As the protective magic deflected the cannon shell fired by the ship, the soldiers immediately poised to return fire with magic cannons. The magic soldiers who came from House Whitey, was likewise, casting their fire magic, concentrating all the fire power to the pirate ship.

‘Gyaaaaaaaa!’

‘Run to the seas!’

The people who reduced themselves to sea bandits lived in an environment that left them with no other way of making a living. Although they might be able to fight with magic tools to a certain extent, our number is still overwhelming high.

‘D-Damn it! Using magic is cheating!’

‘Just how anarchic are the countries you lot came from?’

The pirates who jumped to the sea in an attempt to flee were arrested one after another. I was surprised to see someone among them close to my age. No, just how old is he, really? He’s way too skinny and bones, his eyes are caved in with a severe shade underneath.

‘You even forced life of piracy on a kid as young as this? Just how shameless are you all?’

‘That kid came on his own! When he heard that we’re coming to Coloflare Kingdom, he said that he’d tag along, even with a pirate ship.’

‘Please, I don’t have money so I’ll just pay with my body.. please let me buy some!’

Suddenly being grabbed by the shoulder, I inadvertently shivered. Although I couldn’t see them clearly as they hide behind his chestnut-colored hair, his pair of eyes were unmistakably vivid yellow. Even with such disparity in circumstances, our eye colors were the same.

‘Get away from his highness, you brat!!’

‘I can’t hold it anymore.. I need it, please sell me some! I’ll do anything!’

‘Sell? Sell what?’

Now torn away from and me and pressed down by my escorts, I peered into the young pirate’s face. A stow-away on a pirate ship, what did he yearn for so much that would make him voluntarily put himself into such a dangerous situation? So much that he’d do anything to obtain it. I don’t know why, but this young buy whom I just met is piquing my interest.

‘Himemomobana.. this country has some, right?’

‘Highness, this brat is.. a magic herb addict!’

‘Huh?... What do you mean ‘magic herbs’?’

My question was buried by the curious onlookers who swarmed to what looked like an apprehension drama. The young stow-away was taken away together with the sound of the soldier’s footsteps.

‘Himemomobana; it’s flower was the main ingredient of the confectionaries that the heroine baked in the Coloflare Kingdom game. They were also sold in candied and salted form in the city’s confectionery shops, and their use increases the favorability of the capture targets. A herb that grows in the heroine’s hometown, or so I’m told but—

‘Looks like this was no ordinary romance game either, Canaria.’

As the pirate ship sunk to the bottom of the seas, I muttered to myself as I watched the smokes rise to the skies.