Chapter 430 – Prince Dick

(This is actually Chapter 428, apologies for the numbering error again~)

The young man entering through the doorway wore the most prestigious “Three-Colored” robe in the Raging Wave Desert. The colorful silk patterns were even adorned with numerous tiny gemstones that reflected multicolored brilliance in the sunlight. The beautiful halo made the robe appear extraordinarily noble – in terms of sheer splendor, the decorations on this young man’s attire surpassed the combined ornaments of everyone else’s clothing in the hall.

However, this young man was clearly not a professional, so he didn’t perceive what level of powerhouse Ovakain, who had newly appeared in the hall, represented. Appearing quite delighted, his gaze remained fixed on King Tandak, looking exactly like a child seeking praise after doing something good.

Yes, seeking!

Next, the young man completely ignored Ovakain and others still standing in the hall, then began reporting to the distracted King Tandak in an extremely solemn and proud voice:

“Respected Great-Grandfather, through cooperative negotiations with the Batani Chamber of Commerce and the Dandelion Merchant Alliance, our Breeze Royal Family has finally successfully invested in next year’s bulk salt trade. We are projected to earn several thousand Gold Coins in net profit from this trade.

Moreover, by manipulating the competition and cooperation between the two merchant groups, I have successfully controlled sixty percent of the economic share in Modifen Territory. Baron Modifen has once again sworn allegiance to the royal family, while twelve influential Nobles including the Modifen family have expressed willingness to issue statements supporting the Breeze Royal Family…………As he spoke incessantly about his achievements, the young man’s face brimmed with joyful expression, appearing immensely proud of his accomplishments.

However… it was quite evident that Tandak, who had just had his wounds reopened and finished venting his anger, was growing impatient. Even from a distance, professionals like Ovakain and Aisha could clearly see the slight trembling of Tandak’s index finger. Aisha, who knew her great-grandfather well, immediately realized – this King renowned as a tyrant was growing very impatient.

“Hey, Brother Dick, please, stop talking!”

Aisha quietly turned her head to warn the man she called “Brother Dick.” It appeared this man who had just entered the Royal Palace was Aisha’s brother.

Though Aisha, as a professional, could discern King Tandak’s subtle movements and thus recognize his impatience, Dick, being merely an ordinary person, couldn’t see anything clearly. Naturally, because of this, he failed to notice the signs that his great-grandfather was about to lose his temper.

Dick, having his proud achievement report interrupted, became quite displeased. Turning to face Aisha as gracefully as possible, he immediately began criticizing his sister:

“Aisha Breeze, I was just about to report your matters to Great-Grandfather. According to intelligence from the Mercenary Guild branch, you actually disguised yourself as a mercenary to travel with merchant caravans? Do you even remember you’re a princess of a Kingdom? You’ve completely disgraced the royal family’s dignity. What would happen if others learned of such things? People would question how a princess of the Breeze family could mingle with vulgar mercenaries?”Dick seemed to grow more impassioned as he spoke, eventually pointing his finger at Aisha and shouting angrily, clearly using the situation as an excuse to vent:

“How could someone like you become the next queen of the Kingdom? You can’t even recite the family histories of all the lords in our Kingdom, and you even went out to have fun when the Kingdom was in crisis…”

Though Dick’s criticism was sharp and cutting, Aisha, who was on the receiving end of the scolding, merely looked at her elder brother with a somewhat pitying expression. Ovakain, who had initially intended to mediate, quietly pretended not to see anything.

It was obvious that Prince Dick’s intention to correct Aisha’s mistakes was merely a pretext. His true goal was to showcase his own excellence and… highlight Aisha’s flaws in front of King Tandak. As for why Dick was doing this… what else could it be? Matters of succession to the throne were always an unspoken understanding among everyone.

Seeing that Aisha didn’t even offer a single rebuttal, Dick’s face couldn’t help but show a hint of pride. It must be said that, as a prince, Dick’s accomplishments were something Aisha couldn’t compare to. From his earlier report, it was clear that he had successfully managed the economy, manipulated politics, and won over the Nobles. Ovakain, who had once been King, understood the difficulty of such tasks better than anyone, and Dick’s ability to achieve them was undoubtedly proof of his capability.

But… unfortunately, he had encountered a King whose mind was full of muscle.

Before Dick could point out Aisha’s mistakes word for word using the family rules, Tandak’s roar erupted from the throne:

“Enough, Dick!”

“……”

Seeing his great-grandfather angry with him, Dick’s face showed a mix of disbelief and inevitability.

But Tandak’s outburst wasn’t over:

“Dick Breeze, look at what you’ve become! What’s the use of scheming with merchants and Nobles every day? Only the lowest of trash would waste time and energy on such things. In comparison, your sister may be a bit willful, but at least she has become a professional and has reached the peak of the Apprentice-Level as a Stalker, with considerable hope of advancing to the Formal-Level in the future. And look at you—after all these years, you’re still as weak as a kitten. What right do you have to criticize Aisha, who is far more capable than you?”

“But… but Great-Grandfather, you were the one who told me that uniting the two merchant alliances and securing the allegiance of the Modifen Territory again was necessary… Didn’t you say you’d look at me differently if I accomplished these two things within five years……”

Staring at his great-grandfather in shock and disappointment, Dick’s entire body seemed to lose strength, his face as pale as a sheet of paper.

Aisha, however, understood Dick’s reaction well. She knew how much effort her brother had put into the two tasks their great-grandfather had casually mentioned. Now, all Dick’s efforts had earned him was a scolding, and even Aisha found it hard to watch.

Taking a cautious step forward, Aisha seemed about to say something, but… what Tandak said next left her at a loss for words.”Looking at you with special regard? Yes, I certainly have been looking at you with special regard—after all this time, you’re still just an ordinary person. I’ve never seen such a useless member of the Breeze Family. And then look at your younger sister, nearly ten years your junior—she’s already managed to find a powerful ally for the Kingdom… Oh, enough of this. Stop embarrassing yourself in front of Mr. Ovakain. Get out of here, and go fiddle with your worthless politics and economics.”

After this ear-splitting tirade, Tandak leaned back on his throne and closed his eyes again, making it clear that he was completely ignoring his own great-grandson.

Seeing Tandak like this, Ovakain couldn’t help but frown slightly. As a black dragon, he didn’t agree with Tandak’s power-worshipping mindset—at the very least, such thinking was unbecoming of a king.

But… glancing at Dick, who was lowering his head lost in thought, Ovakain could only sigh quietly to himself.

After all, this was someone else’s family affair. It would be impolite to intervene abruptly, and more importantly… Tandak’s mindset wasn’t something that could be changed with just a few words from him.

(End of chapter)