Chapter 4: The Knight Who Fell from Grace

For the Crown Prince to personally come forward and make a suggestion about the education of the princes…

“What in the world could this be about?”

For the department in charge, this was nothing short of a major incident.

“That’s what I’m saying. Isn’t the Department Head personally overseeing the princes’ education? There must be some problem for sure.”

The officials of the Imperial Household Management Department whispered among themselves as they stared at the tightly closed door of the Department Head’s office.

“Um… but, hey, this. The teaching materials look kind of strange.”

At that moment, someone spoke up, picking up papers scattered on the floor.

“Why? What is it?”

“Let me see.”

They gathered together, organizing the papers, and as they checked the contents, soon fell silent.

“So… hmm.”

“This is really bad.”

Everyone’s faces went pale.

Once they saw the contents, they realized this was no ordinary suggestion—if things went wrong, it could even cost them their jobs.

Meanwhile.

In the Department Head’s office, Rohan and Hobbs were in conversation.

“I am deeply sorry. I have no excuse, even if I had ten mouths, Your Highness…”

Department Head Hobbs was on his knees, earnestly begging for forgiveness before him.

When they first met alone.

Trying to feign ignorance, Hobbs had been presented with two options: “Go to His Majesty the Emperor together right now,” or “Go to Her Majesty the Empress together.” This was the result.

Both were the worst-case scenario for him.

At worst, he could lose his position as department head, and in the worst case, even end up in prison.

Rohan crossed his legs and lifted his chin.

“So, worried I wouldn’t understand, Lady Emilia, the Imperial Consort herself, personally recommended a teacher?”

“Yes, that’s right. I believed her because she said he was the most outstanding teacher in Fabian Territory. Normally, we don’t accept outside teacher recommendations, but in Your Highness’s case, I judged it was a bit special and made a mistake. I am truly sorry, Your Highness!”

Hobbs knocked his forehead to the floor, pleading for mercy.

‘There’s no way Lady Emilia recommended that teacher out of genuine concern for me.’

Lady Emilia was the mother of the Third Prince, Elliot, and the daughter of the Marquis of Fabian.

Rohan had known that the Marquis of Fabian was involved, but he hadn’t realized it was being handled through the Imperial Consort.

“So, what’s your plan going forward?”

At Rohan’s question, Hobbs quickly raised his head.

“I’ll immediately dismiss the teacher and appoint a new one!”

“Dismiss the teacher. That’s all.”

“…Pardon?”

Hobbs’s eyes grew wide.

“No replacement is necessary. I don’t intend to take lessons for a while. Just make sure the teaching materials are delivered properly.”

“But still…”

“In exchange, just as I’m overlooking your mistake this time, I expect you to keep quiet about the fact that I’m not attending lessons.”

“…!”

At Rohan’s words, Hobbs looked incredulous.

“A-are you serious? You’re really going to overlook this?”

Hobbs stood up, bowing repeatedly.

Rohan approached him and whispered softly.

“Hmm, it would be best to throw out the professor who was in charge with nothing but the clothes on his back. Quietly, so no one notices would be even better.”

“…!”

Hobbs immediately understood the deeper meaning behind Rohan’s words.

‘He means not to let this reach Lady Emilia’s ears!’

Since Lady Emilia was involved, openly dismissing and expelling the teacher could spark a conflict.

At the same time, he was puzzled.

Wasn’t the Second Prince, Rohan Schubert, originally a commoner, completely ignorant of such power structures and politics?

But just listening to him now, he sounded like someone born and raised in the Imperial City, thoroughly versed in such matters.

“Ah, right. That teacher, I’ve detained him.”

“D-detained…?”

At Rohan’s words, Hobbs flinched in surprise.

Rohan flashed a gentle smile.

“Go fetch him.”

With those words, Rohan left the Imperial Household Management Department without delay.

Hobbs, left alone in the office, snapped back to his senses and rushed outside.

“Department Head!”

“Are you alright?”

Leaving behind the curious and worried faces of his subordinates, Hobbs called out urgently.

“All the strongest men here, come with me! We have to go to Boronia Palace right now!”

“Department Head, what do you mean, all of a sudden?”

“Unless you all want to die, get moving, now!”

Hobbs’s face was so red it looked like it might burst at any moment.

---

“Ah, power really is a wonderful thing at times like this.”

Sipping warm tea, Rohan leisurely gazed out at the sunset.

Having heard the whole story, Martin asked cautiously.

“…How did you do it, exactly?”

“I threatened him. Using my position as a prince.”

“……”

Martin shivered slightly at Rohan’s noticeably changed demeanor.

‘To think that teacher would be dragged off in such a miserable state…’

Rohan had ordered the teacher to be detained in the study, and not long after Rohan returned, a crowd of officials in court uniforms had rushed in.

They threw a black cloth over the bewildered teacher’s head, tied his hands and feet tightly, and swiftly dragged him away—it was a sight to behold.

“You should have told me in advance, Your Highness. There was no need for you to go in person.”

“Ah, I had another favor to ask, so I took care of it all at once. Don’t worry about it.”

Rohan smiled quietly, setting down his teacup.

As for the teacher, Hobbs would surely handle it properly.

Before long, Lady Emilia would hear of her teacher’s disappearance, but Hobbs would surely come up with a convincing excuse.

Department Head Hobbs Brizner of the Imperial Household Management Department, as far as Rohan knew, was someone who cared above all else for his own safety.

“You seem different somehow.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you, Your Highness.”

At Martin’s words, Rohan laughed heartily.

Of course, he must look odd.

Just a few days ago, he was the prince who shut himself in his room, depressed over the rumors about being scratched by a cat.

“Shouldn’t I be different?”

Rohan sipped the fragrant tea, gazing at the setting sun.

“If I don’t change, nothing else will.”

He said it to Martin, but in truth, Rohan was speaking to himself as a vow.

---

The next morning.

As Rohan dressed early and was about to head out, Martin stood before him.

“Where are you going?”

“I have an appointment.”

“I was under the impression you had nothing scheduled this morning…?”

As his escort knight, Martin knew Rohan’s entire schedule by heart.

“Want to come with me?”

“You needn’t even ask, Your Highness.”

Martin immediately took his place at Rohan’s side.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Their destination was the Imperial Archive.

“Come to think of it, didn’t you visit here before…? Do you have an acquaintance here?”

“Rather than knowing someone, there’s someone I need to get to know.”

“…?”

Martin tilted his head curiously.

As the two stood before the archive entrance, the guards recognized Rohan and stepped aside at once.

“Greetings, Your Highness!”

“Carry on.”

Once inside, they heard snoring from a far corner of the archive.

“Zenon?”

There, Zenon was slumped over his desk, lost in dreamland.

“Zenon!”

“Wha—!”

Startled by Rohan’s voice, Zenon sprang to his feet.

“Wh-what is it?”

“It’s me.”

“Ah… Y-Your Highness!”

Zenon hurriedly wiped away drool and straightened up.

Rohan clicked his tongue with a look of disappointment.

“You must be the only one in the world who sleeps so soundly at work first thing in the morning.”

“That’s not true.”

Zenon felt wronged.

He’d spent the last two nights searching for all the documents the Second Prince requested.

He had only dozed off for a moment from exhaustion, yet to hear such words!

But considering who he was dealing with, there was nothing he could say, even though he wanted to complain, so his lips stuck out in a pout.

Rohan, holding back a smile, spoke up.

“So, did you find everything I requested?”

“Huh? Ah, yes, right here.”

Zenon, still a bit dazed, handed the bundle of documents to the prince.

“I didn’t miss anything. I checked several times.”

“I’m sure you did.”

Rohan glanced over the documents, nodding in satisfaction.

If it was Zenon, he could be trusted to handle any task perfectly.

He’d always been an extreme perfectionist.

Rohan picked up one document.

It was a report about the tense standoff on the northern border of the Empire.

“Hm, so there’s friction between the northern Malta territory and the Prana Union… What do you think about this?”

“…Excuse me?”

Zenon rolled his eyes at the sudden question.

Why is he asking me this?

Zenon looked puzzled, then fell into deep thought.

“I haven’t given it much thought, but in truth, most of the residents in the northern Malta territory are originally from the barbarian country, the Turka Kingdom. It seems unlikely that deep-seated emotions between the two sides can be resolved in an instant.”

“So your conclusion is, time will solve it?”

Rohan raised his eyebrows, and Zenon nodded.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“What if, over there, they tried to start a war over Lord Guntar of Malta’s attitude?”

“A war? Absolutely not.”

Zenon’s eyes widened.

“I don’t think that would ever happen. Even if nowhere else, if trade with the Prana Union’s other races were cut off, not only would our Schubert Empire suffer, but the Prana Union would also take a serious blow.”

“Haha, right.”

Smart guy.

“But, as a scribe for the archive, don’t you have a lot to do?”

At Rohan’s question, Zenon nodded.

“Yes, a lot. All sorts of information flows into this place, so the stack of documents I have to process each day is like a mountain.”

Just as he said, documents were piled like towers on his desk and the floor beside it.

“That must be tough.”

“It is, but… um, Your Highness. If you don’t mind my asking, why do you want to know all this?”

Zenon pushed up his glasses.

He had a mountain of work, and idle chit-chat like this was a waste of time—even if it was with a prince.

“Sounds like you wish I’d disappear quickly.”

“Perish the thought. How could I tell Your Highness to leave? You misunderstand, Your Highness.”

His face was obviously showing he wanted him gone, but the words rolled off his tongue smoothly.

Rohan gave a silent snort, then whispered slyly.

“I was thinking of giving you a gift for organizing all these documents so well despite being so busy, but I suppose it’s a shame.”

“…A gift?”

Zenon’s eyes narrowed.

A gift or whatever.

His eyes were sending the clear message to leave now, but Rohan shrugged.

“In the royal library that only the imperial family can access, there are countless rare ancient books you’ll never find anywhere else.”

“…!”

“So, if I wanted, it would be nothing to slip one out.”

“…!”

Zenon’s previously exhausted eyes grew round.

“Wait, don’t tell me… the gift is an ancient book?”

“That’s right.”

Gulp.

Zenon visibly swallowed hard.

Good, he’d taken the bait.

“If you don’t want it, that’s fine. It’s just, seeing all these ‘treasured’ ‘ancient books’ piled up here, I thought you might like that sort of thing. Well, let’s consider the gift ‘cancelled’ then…”

As Rohan emphasized each word, Zenon’s pupils trembled.

“No! Not at all! There’s no way I’d refuse!”

He shouted before clapping his hand over his mouth.

“S-sorry, Your Highness. I just… it wouldn’t be proper as a subject to refuse a gift personally bestowed by a prince, that’s all.”

“Is that so?”

A broad smile appeared on Rohan’s lips.

“Good. Then I’ll bring your gift soon, so wait for it.”

“Yes, Your Highness. And if you need any other materials, just come by and order me—I’ll organize them quickly for you.”

There was already a crazed gleam in Zenon’s eyes.

‘No matter when or now, he’s still obsessed with collecting ancient books.’

This was a proposal Rohan could only make because he knew Zenon’s tastes so well.

In his previous life, he’d gone through a long detour to get close to him, but now, with no time to spare, he planned to break through directly.

Rohan smiled and gave Zenon’s now extremely courteous shoulder a pat.

“Alright, I’m counting on you from now on.”

Rohan needed to get close to Zenon quickly, as he would be essential for what he planned to do.

“Take care, Your Highness!”

Receiving Zenon’s send-off,

Rohan left the archive with a smile on his face.