Chapter 119: Prince Maxim’s Grand Speech

While I silently listened, it seemed Prince Maxim thought I was deeply moved by his words and was absorbed in them. His speech continued.

By the time my head felt stuffed full and my ears had stopped registering anything, one of his aides said,

"Prince Maxim, is it time for the next appointment?"

"Oh? Is that so? Robin, I’ll be fine even if I stay by my side," he said with a bright smile, patting my shoulder.

"Yes...,"

My reply was barely audible. My entire body had gone stiff. I even wondered if Prince Maxim had cast Petrification on me. Someone, please cast Heal!

I dragged my heavy feet back to my room. I couldn’t face going to the accounting bureau in the afternoon. Besides, even if I didn’t go, I’d still hear about this event. Prime Minister Richelieu would definitely send for me to ask what I talked about with Prince Maxim.

While waiting in my room, a sealed letter from Prime Minister Richelieu arrived right after lunch, as expected. It said he wanted to meet today. He would send someone later. Since I had nothing to discuss, I just lay around in bed.

The messenger from Prime Minister Richelieu arrived in the evening. I hurried over, thinking he must have taken time out of his busy schedule.

From the outside, which faction am I aligned with? Prime Minister Richelieu’s? Prince Alan’s? Or rather, the Queen’s faction? If I keep getting along so well with the Queen, Prince Maxim’s faction might twist that relationship and try to erase me. If I keep going like this, I’ll keep taking the Queen around the delicious restaurants in the capital and end up one step from that kind of relationship. I want someone to stop her. Who can stop the Queen? Probably only the King or her parents in her ducal family. Sneaking into the Queen’s bedchamber at night and saying something like "It’s too dangerous, let’s stop" sounds like it could make things even worse. But I want to try it. Sneaking into the Queen’s room and surprising her... even though I know it would cost me my life, my heart is racing. No! I can’t raise that flag here!

While I was lost in those thoughts, I arrived at Prime Minister Richelieu’s room.

Instead of his usual private office, I was taken to his public one. It was spacious, with several office staff sitting at desks working.

"Lord Robin, thank you for coming on such short notice. I assume you already know the purpose of this meeting."

His expression was much stricter than usual. Is this what the Prime Minister looks like to everyone who fears him?

I didn’t dare show it, but I reported every detail of my conversation with Prince Maxim. In reality, my share was only about 1%, and the remaining 99% was what Prince Maxim had said. Since he says similar things to everyone, Prime Minister Richelieu had probably heard it all before.

Prime Minister Richelieu listened without changing his expression and without interrupting. Even after I finished, he stayed silent for a long time, his face unchanged. Since there was nothing else for me to say, I waited quietly for him to speak.

"What a troublesome matter. As expected, but it is troublesome."

I waited for the next words.

"Both Prince Maxim and Prince Alan are moving this quickly and openly. Neither of them seems willing to yield."

"Is that so?"

Things were probably moving behind the scenes in places I didn’t know. Prime Minister Richelieu had the information.

"Lord Robin, have you decided which prince’s faction to join?"

He asked suddenly. Don’t ask something so delicate. Either way, something bad will happen, right?

"I haven’t decided yet. Or rather, do I have to join one of the princes’ factions? Can’t I stay neutral? Prime Minister Richelieu, which side do you support?"

His sudden question made me panic. Don’t ask that! But when I asked back, Richelieu snorted.

"I don’t push either side. If the Prime Minister shows a preference, it becomes the official decision. In other words, it reflects His Majesty the King’s wishes. Until His Majesty says something, I will not make any statements. That said, Lord Robin wants to remain neutral. Neutral is, if you want to be blunt, a stance of watching and seeing."

"Indeed. But I don’t feel like I can say which one I’ll join."

"Why?"

"I cannot say that."

Because both of them are completely useless. I couldn’t say that out loud, but the walls have ears, and Prime Minister Richelieu’s aides probably have spies from both factions anyway.

"Hmm, wise even at this point. Lord Robin, you are wise. I understand what you want to say. But you cannot stay neutral forever."

Prime Minister Richelieu nodded.

"Actions have already begun, so the most important thing is to be careful."

I didn’t know what "actions" he meant, but it was probably the worst thing I’d imagined happening behind the scenes. The fact that I had been summoned by both princes was probably the surface-level version. I knew from experience that thinking about the worst-case scenario ahead of time was smart. History, especially royal family disputes and sibling rivalries, is unforgiving.

"I will definitely have to join one of them, won’t I?"

I asked again. I don’t want to end my life at ten years old. I thought Prime Minister Richelieu might be able to find a way. It was my gut feeling that I should cling to him and get him to protect me.

"Hmm, I have an idea. Please come here."

When I approached, he whispered right into my ear,

"People who cannot hear clearly will be standing here. There are some who can read the shape of your mouth, so please speak in this way."

After his words, two burly aides stood with their backs to us, forming a wall around me and the Queen’s advisor.

"My thoughts are that if we let Lord Robin stay involved in these political struggles, the worst could happen. Lord Robin still has much room to grow. Losing him in such a struggle would be a loss to the nation as well." (Why is it phrased as if I’m the one who will be lost? Does Prime Minister Richelieu think I’m in that dangerous a position?) "If that’s the case, I believe it would be best for Lord Robin to avoid these struggles until the succession issue is settled outside the country."

"Eh!?"

I couldn’t help but exclaim. Outside the country?

"Quietly now. This is my plan. It must be carried out smoothly. If anyone gets in the way, it may not be possible. In my plan, I want to send Lord Robin to the western country, the Kingdom of Mainz, as an ambassador. You may worry that a ten-year-old prince cannot serve as ambassador, but there is no problem. An ambassador is, in name, a real hostage."

Prime Minister Richelieu said it so casually, but was this a good idea? How would it be received if I became a hostage? What would Prince Maxim and Prince Alan think if I left the country? How would I be treated in that country? And could this be a trap by Prime Minister Richelieu?

Prime Minister Richelieu continued without noticing my thoughts.

"This would not be a bad deal for the Kingdom of Mainz either. If the succession in this country becomes entangled and ends in civil war at worst, the Kingdom of Mainz can use Prince Robin as a pretext to intervene in our domestic affairs under the name of calming the country. Once Prince Robin becomes king, they can further strengthen their influence. Furthermore, they could turn this country into a duchy and make it a vassal state of the Kingdom of Mainz. Expanding territory is not a bad thing for the Kingdom of Mainz."

Hmmm, they’re willing to go that far? I had heard similar stories in my previous world, but I don’t recall many examples of one country intervening in another’s internal affairs and winning something sweet from it. There were plenty of cases where sending an army to swallow a neighbor caused the economy to collapse and the country to shake.

"Is it really that advantageous for the Kingdom of Mainz to turn this country into a duchy and make it a vassal? Isn’t it like picking chestnuts from the fire? It would be quite difficult, wouldn’t it?"

Even I could think of that.

"Oh? Prince Robin, you know a good example. It is indeed difficult to place an entirely different nation under one’s umbrella, but from the Kingdom of Mainz’s perspective, there is sufficient gain for our country."

"What kind of gain?"

"Hmm, even Prince Robin doesn’t know? There is one — the salt fields along our southern coast. The Kingdom of Mainz produces rock salt, but it is not as high quality as the salt produced in our salt fields. The salt fields in our country were founded over a hundred years ago when a transmigrator brought us the technology. Thanks to that, salt became an important industry in our country, and today we export salt to the Kingdom of Mainz and the Holy Roman Empire. Being able to produce high-quality salt is now what supports the backbone of this country."

Ohhh! So there really was a transfer of salt-making technology!