The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

Chapter 584: The Crown Prince's Intentions

By proclaiming their victory of the Imperial Army's thirty thousand with a separate force of ten thousand both domestically and abroad, the voices calling for defection in various cities had subsided.

They could say that they had bounced back from a situation where the Imperial Army had the upper hand to a balanced situation.

Originally, it was parity in an unfavorable battle.

Achieving that was only possible due to Ansem's extraordinary command ability.

However, it had only brought Ansem further trials.

"Count Gracian de Magellan, what is the lapdog of my beautiful older brother doing on such a filthy front line?"

At the kingdom's headquarters, Ansem was greeting a man.

A tall but skinny man, obviously a nobleman in appearance.

One of the Crown Prince's close aides and one of the people Ansem least wanted to see.

"Prince Ansem. The Crown Prince has dispatched me to celebrate the victory. I would appreciate it if you do not treat me rudely."

"I will accept the celebration of victory after we have repelled the Imperial Army. Go home."

"It's unfortunate that I'm not welcomed. However, we are at war. I understand that someone like me wouldn't be welcomed at the front line. Therefore, I will deliver a message from the Crown Prince. He says not to take too much time."

"The enemy is a large force. We can't win without taking time."

"I would like you to somehow manage that with your wisdom, Prince Ansem. If you can defeat thirty thousand soldiers with ten thousand soldiers, can't you defeat one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers with only one hundred thousand soldiers?"

"Don't talk nonsense. If you think it's so easy, why don't you try?"

"I don't mind. But wouldn't that be a problem for you, Your Highness? The Crown Prince was wondering how to use your sister. Don't you want to prevent that?"

Ansem's expression hardened at Magellan's words.

How good it would feel to kill the man in front of him right now.

He couldn't help but think that, but as soon as he remembered his beloved sister's face, that absurd thought vanished.

"..."

"The kingdom is going through a tough time. Your sister might be used for an alliance with another country, or she might be used to retain your subordinates. I heard such a story, so I answered that it would be an honor."

In response to Magellan's smirking, Ansem quietly declared.

"I accepted the position of supreme commander on the condition that I wouldn't interfere with the front line. If you want to win, you'll have to leave it to my methods." ṙᴀ₦օВЁ𐌔

"Yes, we will leave it to you. I just conveyed the Crown Prince's intentions. It's just my job. Please don't be so angry."

With that, Magellan respectfully bowed his head.

And then.

"I look forward to hearing good news. Supreme Commander Ansem."

With that, Magellan left the headquarters.

After Magellan left, Ansem remained silent for a while.

"Your Highness..."

"...It's still okay. As long as they're threatening to use her, my sister's life is assured. We just need to rescue her before then."

"Yes. There is still hope."

His adjutant, Lizette, said that and gently seated Ansem, supporting his body.

It was time for his medication.

"If my sister wasn't in their hands... I wouldn't have to be tamed with this medicine."

"But it is effective, that's for sure."

"That's true...Milene is searching for my sister's whereabouts. It's a close battle, but if the war situation is balanced, the Crown Prince will certainly use my sister to move me. Not with threats like this time, but real action. That's our only chance. If we can get my sister back... you understand, right?"

"Yes. We will invade the royal capital with the entire army, seize the throne."

"That's right.... Being a pawn of those greedy ones only lasts until I get my sister back. Once I get her back, it ends. I'll restore my father to the throne, broker a ceasefire with the Empire through Leticia, and buy some time."

"For that... we can't afford to lose to the Imperial Army in front of us."

"That's where it's good that our opponent is Leonard. He's tough, but that's why the situation is deadlocked. We don't even have to deliberately create a deadlock. But we can't let our guard down."

The Imperial Army, which had been ambushed, gathered for a time and reorganized.

They did not act in haste.

Leonard knew how to minimize damage, and he wouldn't act recklessly to recover from a failure. Ansem had hoped to retaliate strongly if he did, but on the battlefield, there were few opponents more troublesome than Leonard.

No matter how much Ansem moved, Leonardo remained calm. Yet, he wasn't merely hiding. He was steadily walking the path to victory, understanding the importance of moving forward one step at a time.

"I am aware that I am a man blessed with talent," Ansem began.

"Yes, there is no one more blessed with the talent of a king than you, Your Highness," Lizette replied.

"That's true. Not out of arrogance, but I was born to stand above others. However... There was one person I thought I might not be able to defeat. Wilhelm of the Empire. That's why I strove to not lose to Wilhelm. Thanks to him, I never drowned in my talent. I am who I am today probably because the genius Wilhelm was in the neighboring country. But... now, there's another person in the Empire who I think I might not be able to defeat."

"Is Leonard that formidable?"

"I won't lose to Leonard alone. I could probably bring Arnold to a stalemate too. But, the two of them together are truly formidable. They were aptly named the Dual Black Princes. Arnold, who excels at manipulating situations, and Leonard, who is not swayed by them. If I had to face both at the same time, I would surely lose."

"It is natural in a two against one situation. There's no need to be so pessimistic..."

"I had the confidence to not lose even in a two against one situation. No matter who the opponent is. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to compete with Wilhelm. My prediction is hardly off. If those two team up... they would surpass Wilhelm. Neither an Emperor nor a Crown Prince. Now is the time when they can move most freely. Now is not the time to fight."

Ansem was confident, a fact that both he and others recognized. Lizette was surprised at Ansem's words.

They had not yet plunged into direct confrontation. While he had faced off against each of them, it was not at the same time.

Yet, Ansem had already admitted defeat.

That's why he determined that they should avoid a fight.

This was an aspect of Ansem that Lizette, who had served him for a long time, had never seen.

"Your Highness..."

"If Leonard becomes Emperor, the chances of both of them appearing at the same time will decrease. We should not cross swords with the Empire until that happens. That's my conclusion."

That's why he must rescue his sister and restore his father to the throne.

For his own sake, and for the kingdom.

With that determination, Ansem began to contemplate his future strategy.

But things did not go as Ansem expected.

A letter arrived for Ansem from the Crown Prince.

The content was succinct.

If you value your sister's life, go on the offensive.

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