Chapter 106…………………………………………..
Hearing my words, Baron Cainber stared dumbfounded at Terence.
“Your Highness… the Prince…?”
Then he snorted derisively.
“Idel Wallace, have you lost your mind? The Prince himself in this backwater village!”
As the baron laughed uproariously, his son joined in, and even the soldiers chuckled at us.
‘Well, I suppose it’s hard to believe.’
Terence still carried the air of nobility, but logically, it made no sense for a prince to appear here dressed like a commoner.
Yet for Baron Cainber, this impossible situation was real.
The next moment, there was the crisp sound of a drawn sword, and Terence moved near the baron’s horse, pointing his blade at his throat.
“You—this scoundrel!”
“When did he—!”
The baron’s son and soldiers, realizing the sudden turn of events, aimed their weapons at Terence.
“Treason against the royal family… and now attempted assassination of a royal!”
Terence, still holding the sword to the baron, casually surveyed his surroundings.
“Would anyone here dare complain if everyone were slaughtered right now?”
Though asked with a hint of amusement, tension rippled across the faces of those nearby.
They must have sensed something unusual emanating from Terence.
Then, a voice called out.
“Perhaps you should stop?”
Roland, likely realizing that lingering longer could ruin their plans, turned from the carriage.
“As one of high station, show leniency and forgive these lesser people, Your Highness.”
“Th-then you truly….”
Baron Cainber stammered, eyes pleading at Roland.
“Indeed. Though this is my first time meeting in person, according to my granddaughter, you are undoubtedly the Second Prince.”
The baron’s face went pale in an instant. Flustered, he barked at his son and soldiers.
“Immediately, lay down your weapons before the noble one!”
Even without the order, they had already frozen, dropping their weapons to the ground.
“Forgive us, Your Highness!”
“Spare our lives, we beg you!”
As the soldiers pleaded with Terence, Roland shouted at the frozen baron.
“How dare you! Not immediately restraining those who aimed weapons at His Highness!”
“But—”
“Do you truly wish to be punished for attempted regicide!”
Moments later, a dozen or so of Baron Cainber’s soldiers were tied up with ropes and surrounded by others.
“Father!”
Among them was the baron’s son, but Cainber signaled him to wait a moment, calming him.
“All who dared defy His Highness have been subdued. Their punishment will be carried out by His Highness according to the law in due time.”
Roland, a sly smile on his face, approached Terence.
“Baron Cainber must continue with the territorial war, but it may be dangerous, so it would be wise for you to step back with me.”
“Though this man insulted me…”
“Insult? Baron, all you did was laugh when my granddaughter said that the noble Prince was present here.”
Roland’s eyes narrowed into thin slits.
“Surely you wouldn’t intend to interfere with a territorial war sanctioned by the Emperor?”
He was a cunning man indeed.
As the illegitimate Prince competing for the throne with Mihail, Terence had to be cautious with every action.
Moreover, since Mihail had been deposed for tarnishing the Emperor’s authority, it was dangerous to interfere with matters the Emperor had approved.
“Hmm.”
Yet Terence himself was no pushover.
“And if I intended to?”
Roland’s face stiffened as Terence showed no hesitation.
“Tell me. What would you do if I stopped this territorial war?”
“….”
“You know the power of the royal family. If I chose, I could defeat all of them easily.”
“Indeed, I know that. But I also know that Your Highness would not act so.”
“And why is that?”
“The royal family has always valued the people and led by example.”
“Smooth words… not like the one once called Cassius’ demon.”
“Ha, that was long ago.”
The two engaged in a tense battle of wits.
The baron and others could only stand frozen, hoping the uncomfortable moment would pass.
Then Terence suddenly masked his deadly aura with a gentle smile.
“It’s just a joke. I wouldn’t stop a territorial war approved by His Majesty without reason.”
Everyone blinked at the sudden change, and Terence asked Baron Cainber,
“So, Baron, do you truly intend to proceed with the war?”
“W-well…”
The baron swallowed nervously, glancing between the prince and the former Duke Cassius.
He seemed unsure whom to side with. One side meant defying the other.
The illegitimate prince, the Cassius family, and the legitimate prince supporting Cassius—Cainber’s choice was obvious.
“Yes. I will proceed with the territorial war.”
With the baron’s grave declaration, Terence replied calmly.
“Then so be it.”
“Eh?”
“Exactly so.”
“R-really…?”
“If not now, there will be no other chance.”
“I will! I will begin now!”
The baron hastily commanded his remaining soldiers.
“Commence the attack! Charge! Seize that mine!”
The soldiers advanced cautiously, gauging the baron, Roland, and Terence alike.
The villagers had cleared the path, so they moved toward the abandoned mine unimpeded.
“Stop!”
Until that shout, everyone had been moving as if the battle had begun.
But the real chaos had not yet started. All paused, looking toward the source of the shout.
A knight on a white horse was charging toward the village.
He was not alone; dozens of knights followed him.
“The Imperial Knights!”
Baron Cainber recognized them from their uniforms.
The Imperial Knights reached the village entrance, surrounding Baron Cainber.
“Why… why is this happening?”
The knight atop the white horse addressed the protesting baron.
“Baron Cainber, you are under arrest for attempting to unlawfully seize imperial property.”
The baron was stunned.
“Imperial property? The mine I sought to seize belongs to Idel Wallace!”
“The Empire has contracted with her, the owner of the Andala Mine. In exchange for guarding the mine, they receive part of the mana stones produced there.”
“Wh-what? Mana stones? Weren’t the stones in that mine already depleted?”
The baron clearly did not know the truth of the mine and had attempted this war under Roland’s instigation.
“Contracted with the Empire? Impossible! I never heard of such a thing!”
I was slightly exasperated.
‘I told him when I introduced Terence…’
Whether out of arrogance or focusing only on Terence’s status as a prince, the baron had conveniently erased my explanation from his mind.
Yet he wasn’t the only one denying reality.
“Wait!”
Liena, waiting by the carriage, ran out.
“Do you think mana stones could come from an abandoned mine? There must be some mistake.”
Of course, the stones couldn’t already exist. That was likely what she truly wanted to say.
In Liena’s first life, the Wallace family discovered stones much later, so this situation differed from her memory.
And knowing her, she may have regularly sent people to the mine secretly to check for changes.
‘Sorry, but the goddess dropped the meteor a few months early as a gift to me.’
So it was bound to differ from what she remembered.
“Oh, it’s Lady Cassius!”
The knight glanced at Liena and replied to her query.
“The mineral from this mine has been analyzed.”
He revealed a stone emanating a faint glow—mana stone sent by Terence through Vineta.
“This mineral is indeed a mana stone.”
Of course. Naturally a mana stone.
“Moreover, it’s top-grade.”
Top-grade? Not just high-grade?
“This is impossible! Top-grade mana stones!”
Liena exclaimed what I wanted to say, but the knight spoke calmly.
“Imperial mages confirmed it multiple times. It is indeed top-grade.”
The reality before us differed even from the second life Liena had read about in the books.
“…”
The knight turned from the stunned Liena to Baron Cainber.
“Some of the mana stones from this mine belong to the Empire. You attempted to seize imperial property, a grave crime.”
Terence added,
“The baron’s soldiers even threatened me.”
The Imperial Knights’ gaze sharpened further at the baron.
“You delayed for the express purpose of waiting for us, Your Highness.”
Roland muttered through gritted teeth, and Terence shrugged.
“I said I wouldn’t stop a territorial war approved by His Majesty without reason.”
There was a reason, and that was all.
“Release me! I’ve done nothing wrong!”
Baron Cainber struggled as he was bound by the Imperial Knights.
He had attempted to steal imperial property—top-grade mana stones, rarer than diamonds—so no one could guarantee his survival.
Desperate, he naturally pointed fingers next.
“Everyone did as I ordered!”
He accused Roland Cassius.
