Starting the Strategy from Frieren

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"Father, please don't joke about the succession to the throne. I'm still young and don't want to suffer a heart attack because of this. Why are you so lenient with an outsider but so strict with me?"

The old king did not answer directly but instead asked, "Do you understand why I treat that boy with such kindness? You should know that the backup plan is for you to play the role of this fake sword-drawing hero, even though the probability of you pulling it off is… hmm, only eight percent."

"But you said there was an eighty percent chance at the beginning!"

"Of course! If I didn't say it was higher, you would be reluctant due to fear of losing face. I have never liked forcing others—so, have you figured it out?"

"Because…" Prince Charle cautiously speculated, "he has a nice smile?"

The old king looked up and coldly replied, "While I can't make you smile beautifully, I can make you cry horribly."

"Father… I truly don't understand. We've never even met him; he's just an ordinary commoner. Why… huh?"

An ordinary commoner wouldn't know how to extract the sword's shell without triggering the goddess's world permissions.

"The answer lies with Flamme. That boy named Evan's relationship with Flamme… While it's merely speculation, it's highly likely they are in a romantic relationship. Flamme's teacher is Celia, who has lived since the mythological era. Therefore, it's quite normal for that boy to know how to draw the sword."

"Eh—Flamme is almost twenty-seven; isn't that old grass eating tender cows?!" Charle asked in surprise. "And how do you know about their relationship?"

"Didn't you notice? Flamme has a ring with a mirror lotus engraved on her middle finger, and she clearly could see something strange about the holy sword but chose not to mention it. The way she looks at him shows their relationship. With so many unusual signs, didn't you observe any of them?"

"I didn't pay attention. Although you told me before to build a good relationship with her, I tried pursuing Flamme, but she really isn't my type. She even rejected my invitation to dance. I think there's no chance with her, so I didn't pay much attention."

Upon hearing Charle's outrageous statement, the old king fell silent and took another spoonful of bitter herbal soup sweetened with sugar.

He needed to survive for a few more years; otherwise, this broken kingdom would truly perish under Charle's leadership.

"Flamme's value to our country is greater than that of a fully equipped army. That's why I told you to build a good relationship with her. Even if marriage isn't possible, at least maintain a harmonious rapport; this point you must remember."

"Yes…"

Although Charle verbally agreed, he still felt unconvinced and thought the old king was exaggerating.

The old king understood his son's character well and spoke earnestly: "Do you know? Yesterday afternoon, Flamme showed me a scale."

"What's so special about a scale? Could it be a pure gold artifact?"

"That scale belonged to Marth, a great demon of absolute obedience who once annihilated an entire fully equipped army of ours—a terrifying existence. Yet yesterday afternoon, Flamme killed him. Do you still think her value isn't high enough?"

At this point, Charle was completely speechless. Flamme locked the door from inside her room and gathered her long hair into a bun while unbuttoning her top delicately. Her movements were always exceptionally graceful, exuding the charm of a mature woman as she slowly and enticingly removed her dress and leggings, revealing large areas of her smooth and delicate skin.

She casually kicked off her shoes and stepped into the temporary bath Evan had built for her. The steam rose as white mist enveloped the space, revealing a large wooden tub spacious enough for two people to comfortably bathe together.

As she lifted her long legs and stepped into the water, ripples spread out as the oversized tub filled up around her. Flamme let out soft sounds of pleasure through her nose.

"You really know how to enjoy yourself, Evan; all this effort just for a bath," she remarked.

"The key point is enjoying it with you," Evan replied while soaking comfortably in the large tub filled with hot water in an open and honest manner. "After all, thanks to having a spatial ring, doing all this is actually quite simple. Magic is essentially just a tool; it can be used for battle or to improve life."

"That's what I admire about you—and also what makes me feel guilty. Until now, whether it was the Magic Association or the Royal Mage Corps or even Frieren herself, all I've taught them are combat spells."

"Well, that's fine," Evan affirmed her teaching approach. "After all, only those who survive battles can enjoy life."

"Wait a minute! I think I overlooked something; you're also my student! Why are you affirming my teaching?"

"What does that matter? At this point in time… will you still care about such trivial matters? Should I whisper 'Flamme-sensei' in your ear at that moment?"

"…" Flamme momentarily didn't know how to respond and kicked Evan lightly.

As the water rippled around them, her fair shoulders became partially visible now and then—her delicate collarbone and half-exposed skin swayed alluringly as she moved her arms. Whether it was due to the steam or shyness, her face flushed slightly while her gaze flickered with allure.

Compared to being completely exposed, this half-covered appearance was even more irresistible.

"How does it feel to become a noble?" Flamme changed the subject.

"Ordinary; it doesn't feel like much—just that I'm one step closer to cutting down the demon king," Evan replied.

In his heart, he had a well-thought-out plan. Although it was hard to imagine defeating the demon king solely by his own strength, achieving victory through righteous teamwork still seemed possible.

However, unlike typical light novels or anime where characters charge forward shouting about "friendship bonds," Evan preferred a more realistic approach—he wanted to rely on humanity's collective strength to crush their enemies.

"By the way… can you really manage such a large territory? The Hicks family might not easily agree to move to the capital; such a vast estate cannot simply be abandoned overnight. Those loyal to their former lord might set traps for you."

"I've prepared for these things in my mind; we'll deal with whatever comes our way when it happens. As for management… often less management is better management. For a city, having too many officials isn't necessary."

As long as they ensured their subjects had enough food to eat, many problems troubling feudal lords could be easily resolved.

Of course, this required lords willing to part with some of their wealth.