The Lord Just Wants to Have Fun

The Duke of Volzard’s mansion was thrown into chaos by a sudden urgent report.

“What? The Royal Guard Knights are preparing to deploy?!”

“Yes! Our informant inside the palace reports that Prince Karl personally gave the order! He even issued deployment commands to the Central Army…!”

The Duke of Volzard’s expression hardened like stone.

So did Viscount Musette and the rest of his advisors.

Most of their forces were currently engaged in battle against the Princess’s faction—and now Prince Karl was making a move?

No one present was foolish enough not to grasp the implications.

“Your Grace, your estate could be attacked.”
“That’s right! You must evacuate the capital immediately!”
“Aras is essentially Karl’s stronghold. If we fight here, we’ll be at a serious disadvantage.”

Most of the advisors, led by Musette, urged the duke to retreat.

Even Volzard himself rose from his seat, seemingly in agreement.

But then, Count Hessen voiced his opposition.

“Please wait, Your Grace. Our forces are still fighting outside the outer city. If their leader abandons them, their morale will collapse.”

“What are you saying?! If something happens to the duke, will you take responsibility for it?”

Musette glared at Hessen, his tone rising in frustration.

They had failed to kill Baron Brandel and the Saintess, which was unfortunate.

But if Duke Volzard died at this stage, it would be even worse.

For the organization they served, prolonging the chaos in Arteria was critical to their greater ambitions.

That was why Musette had insisted on evacuating the duke.

Yet here was Hessen arguing otherwise.

“Calm yourself, Viscount Musette. We don’t even know for certain that the Prince’s faction will attack us.”

“And how can you guarantee that?”

“I know Prince Karl. He may be young, but he’s not impulsive. The Central Army has maintained neutrality thus far. They might step in to quell urban combat, but they wouldn’t take direct action against us on Karl’s command.”

“Then why is the Royal Guard deploying?”

Musette’s pointed question stunned Hessen into silence.

The Royal Guard was specifically tasked with protecting the royal family and the palace.

They had no reason to mobilize—unless they had received orders to act.

“Count Hessen, are you opposing the duke’s evacuation because you have your own agenda?”

“Agenda?! What do you take me for?!”

Hessen was about to explode in anger when—

BANG!

Volzard slammed his fist on the table.

“Enough. To be safe, I will evacuate the capital.”

Hessen held back his protest at the last moment.

If his judgment was wrong, he would be the one held accountable for convincing the duke to stay.

‘What will the Princess’s faction decide?’

News of Karl’s mobilization had surely reached Princess Amelia as well.

Hessen glanced toward the Vesvallen embassy, where she was staying.

But the situation there was just as chaotic.

*****

Vesvallen Embassy – Princess Amelia’s Temporary Residence

“M-My lady! The Arterian Royal Guard is preparing to deploy! We must flee the capital immediately!”

“There’s no need for that. Karl isn’t stupid enough to recklessly attack a foreign embassy.”

Attacking an embassy was tantamount to declaring war on that nation.

But Gerard, the cowardly prince, was not as composed as Amelia.

“Do you think Karl even cares about that? To him, this is the perfect opportunity to eliminate his competitors!”

“Even so—”

“Enough! What are you all standing around for?! Escort the princess to safety at once!”

At Gerard’s urgent orders, the knights and attendants forcibly escorted Amelia out.

She tried to resist, arguing that they should first assess the situation.

However, soon after, another alarming report came in:

“The private forces of the Central Nobility are also mobilizing!”

At that, even Amelia hesitated.

Reluctantly, she agreed to evacuate alongside Gerard and their inner circle.

There was no telling what might happen.

If they made the wrong call, it could be a mistake they would regret forever.

‘Please let this be the right decision…!’

*****

One Hour Earlier – Prince Karl’s Palace

“What? My aunt and Duke Volzard’s forces are fighting?”

Upon first hearing the report, Prince Karl had assumed a civil war had erupted.

He thought they had launched attacks on each other’s estates in a bid for the throne.

But as time passed, it became clear that wasn’t the case.

“So, they’re fighting in the southwestern district of the outer city?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Not near Duke Volzard’s mansion or the Vesvallen embassy, but there?

Why that location?

What was so important there?

Karl didn’t have an immediate answer, but one thing was certain—he couldn’t afford to remain idle.

His advisors shared the same sentiment.

“Your Highness, this is an opportunity like no other!”
“That’s right! We must move our forces and crush both factions immediately!”
“If we try to defeat them through direct confrontation, we’ll be at a disadvantage since we are the weakest of the three factions. But right now, while they are distracted fighting each other, we can take out one of them with minimal losses!”
“If we let this chance slip away, we’ll regret it for the rest of our lives!”

As his advisors clamored for war, Prince Karl quietly listened.

After a moment, he made his decision.

“Issue orders for the Royal Guard Knights to prepare for deployment. Mobilize the Central Army, and send messengers to our noble allies.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

At last, the moment they had been waiting for had arrived.

The prince’s supporters, long suppressed by the power of the two major factions, clenched their fists in triumph.

“Tonight will be drenched in blood.”
“But a new future for Arteria will be born.”

Soon after, as the deployment preparations were completed, Prince Karl himself took the lead, riding at the forefront of the Royal Guard Knights as they departed the palace.

However, contrary to everyone’s expectations, Karl did not head toward Duke Volzard’s mansion or the Vesvallen embassy.

Instead, he rode directly toward the outer city.

“Your Highness, where are you going?!”
“You must attack the duke and the princess!”

Karl shook his head.

“There’s something more important right now. We must go to where the factions are fighting and protect the people. Without the people, there is no capital. Without the capital, there is no kingdom.”

“Ah…!”

Only then did his advisors realize the prince’s true intent.

Karl was seizing the ultimate justification for his claim to the throne.

What is a king?

Not just a ruler who commands from above, but a leader who cares for his people like a father.

And if a father does not protect his children, why would those children follow him?

Despite his young age, Karl understood this better than anyone.

“Hah… I feel ashamed. I nearly led His Highness down the wrong path.”
“Now I understand why the late king chose him as his successor.”

If news of Karl’s actions spread, the people’s support would shift in his favor.

And with public sentiment on his side, the neutral nobles and the Central Army—who had been waiting to see how things played out—would surely align with him.

“Hurry! We must arrive before the damage worsens!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”

As Karl’s forces entered the outer city, they linked up with the private troops of the central nobility before rushing toward the battlefield.

At last, they arrived at the war-torn streets—where the battle had turned the district into a living hell.

*****

“Cease this fighting at once!”

A resonant, youthful voice, amplified by a magical device, boomed across the battlefield.

“I will not forgive anyone who continues to bring harm to the people!”

The soldiers of both factions, who had been desperately clashing their weapons, froze upon seeing the prince’s forces.

“Damn it, that brat of a prince came to stab us in the back!”

“Commander, our men are exhausted! We should retreat before we’re wiped out!”

Believing Karl had arrived to finish them off, the Red Scorpion Knights and Duke Volzard’s troops quickly withdrew.

Seeing them retreat, Commander Hilda of the Black Rose Knights also issued a retreat order.

“All troops, fall back! The prince’s faction is surely attacking our headquarters as well!”

Having received no word from her superiors, Hilda assumed that Karl’s faction had launched a simultaneous assault on their main base.

Panicked, she led her troops into full retreat.

And the people—who had lost their homes and suffered because of the battle—witnessed everything with their own eyes.

“Waaaah! Long live Prince Karl!”
“He’s the only rightful king of this land!”

The citizens, who had been too terrified to speak up just moments ago, now cheered in relief.

Their city had become a warzone, and the soldiers of both factions had only brought them suffering.

But Karl?

Karl had chased away the wolves—without even drawing his sword.

This…

This was the kind of king they needed.

“Your Highness, the troops from both factions are retreating. Shall we pursue?”

“Leave them be. Firefighting and rescuing the victims take priority.”

The flames Pelican had started were still spreading rapidly.

If left unchecked, the entire capital could be reduced to ashes.

Seeing the situation, Prince Karl grabbed a bucket of water with his own hands and began helping to extinguish the fire.

His Royal Guard Knights and the central noble troops immediately followed suit.

“Has the Central Army arrived yet? Tell them to deploy at once—the fire must be contained immediately!”

“Understood, Your Highness!”

Even the citizens started joining in, and not long after, the Central Army also arrived to aid in firefighting efforts.

Covered in soot and ashes, the young prince worked alongside them, sweat dripping from his brow.

The people, witnessing this sight, couldn’t help but smile.

Dawn had not yet broken, yet somehow, everything around them seemed brighter.

******

Philip had spent the entire night awake.

He was too curious to see how the battle between Princess Amelia’s faction and Duke Volzard’s faction, followed by Prince Karl’s intervention, would unfold.

He had sent his subordinates to gather information continuously.

“So Karl didn’t attack either faction but instead focused on fire suppression and disaster relief?”

“Yes, my lord. As a result, the citizens are praising him immensely.”

Until now, Karl had been perceived as a legitimate heir, appointed by the late king.

But people didn’t see him as particularly reliable, given his youth.

However, after last night’s events, that perception had changed completely.

“It seems even the Central Army is beginning to lean toward Karl’s side.”

“Oh? Then Karl’s position is becoming truly solid.”

Power comes from military strength.

If the Central Army, the backbone of Arteria’s military force, sided with Karl, the power and influence of both Duke Volzard and Princess Amelia would inevitably decline.

Even if they resisted, they wouldn’t be able to stop Karl from ascending the throne.

The power balance had already shifted in Karl’s favor.

‘Unless Volzard and Amelia join forces… but after fighting a battle like that, there’s no way they’d trust each other.’

Even if they attempted reconciliation, it would take time.

For now, they would likely blame each other for Karl’s sudden rise to prominence.

Perhaps, eventually, the two factions might mend their relationship.

But by then, Karl would have firmly secured his position as king.

“It’s unfortunate, my lord.”

“What is?”

Philip looked at Midas, his secretary, who wore a regretful expression.

“If you think about it, Karl only had this opportunity because of your scheme, my lord.”

“Hah, I suppose that’s true. My plan did get them to fight.”

“By that logic, you should be recognized as the top contributor in this entire affair. But alas, they have no idea.”

If Philip were properly credited, he would likely receive vast rewards—lands, titles, and wealth.

But even if he now stepped forward to claim the credit, who would believe him?

Even if they did believe him, it would cause problems.

Duke Volzard and Princess Amelia would see him as their mortal enemy.

“It’s fine. I never intended to get on Karl’s good side anyway.”

“Really? But you could become one of the new king’s top advisors.”

“That sounds like a pain. I’d rather focus on my lands and my people.”

“Ahh… my lord…!”

Philip’s knights and retainers gazed at him with eyes full of admiration.

But they had no idea what Philip was actually thinking.

‘Do I look like an idiot? Why would I want to be a central bureaucrat, working day and night under the king?’

Being a close royal advisor sounded nice, sure.

But Philip’s goal was to enjoy life, indulging in his hobbies without a care in the world.

A government position would only bring endless work and stress.

Instead, he was simply relieved that the threat of civil war had subsided, allowing him to return to his peaceful lifestyle.

‘That said, I still need money. Lots of it. My hobbies aren’t cheap, after all.’

He had brought various goods with him to the capital, intending to promote and sell them.

And now, thanks to this unexpected turn of events, he had the perfect marketing opportunity.

Philip’s eyes gleamed gold with excitement as he smirked.