“Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince. If you hadn’t trusted our opinion, we truly wouldn’t have known what to do.”

Yustaf was sincerely grateful. He had thought there was a high possibility that their opinions would be dismissed due to the lack of concrete evidence.

But thanks to the Empire’s Crown Prince taking a risk and supporting them, despite the danger it posed to his own position, they were able to secure the cooperation of the royal family.

• Your Majesty, Yustaf and Harun’s claims might be hard to believe at first glance. However, considering the reputation they’ve built up over the years, they aren’t the type to speak recklessly.

At the moment when the Emperor was hesitating, the Crown Prince unexpectedly stood up to support them.

‘This is not your place to intervene. This could be a matter of the Empire’s safety, so we must be cautious.’

‘If we delay making a decision, that delay could end up threatening the safety of the Empire!’

The Crown Prince’s firm statement left the Emperor with an expression he had never shown before.

Surprise, admiration, concern.

Despite the Emperor’s mixed emotions, the Crown Prince didn’t back down and insisted even more strongly.

‘I will personally investigate this matter with them. Please grant me permission.’

‘Alex, do you even understand what those words mean?’

Indeed, the Crown Prince’s words carried a weight that made one question whether he truly understood the gravity of his declaration.

‘Personally…’

It was clear that the Crown Prince’s direct involvement would lend significant weight and importance to this issue.

However, it also meant that if the investigation failed, the burden of responsibility would fall heavily on the Crown Prince.

In other words, success could enhance the Crown Prince’s achievements, but failure could lead to severe consequences, possibly even his dethronement.

Considering the Crown Prince’s already precarious position, a mistake could lead to his being stripped of his title.

‘How can you be so reckless? Do you even understand the meaning of your words?’

The Emperor had every right to be angry.

For a statement made by the heir to the Empire, it was indeed reckless. There was a reason why the royal family often put others at the forefront when planning something.

The royal family was not infallible, and in the event of failure, they needed someone to serve as a shield. This was the usual method.

Of course, if the matter was certain, it was good for the Emperor and the royal family to step forward, as it would enhance the prestige of the royal house.

But this matter seemed so fragile, with the likelihood of failure appearing higher due to the lack of evidence.

For the Crown Prince to risk his position on such a matter, it was not surprising that the Emperor was furious.

‘If I were to ignore this matter because it seems uncertain, and it truly turns out to be a threat to the Empire, that would be the real disgrace.’

The Crown Prince’s response left not only the Emperor but also the ministers astonished.

Yustaf was equally stunned. The Crown Prince he knew was someone who couldn’t control his temper, and the title of "wastrel" suited him well.

For him to suddenly make such a statement was hard to believe.

“Sir Yustaf, I know the person who created the manga you brought as evidence.”

“You know the second son of Count Somerset?”

The Crown Prince nodded at Yustaf’s words.

“There’s probably no one who understands that man as deeply as I do.”

This was surprising. Who would have thought Rupert had a connection with the Crown Prince of the Empire?

And judging by the Crown Prince’s words, they seemed to be quite close.

“While others might not know, I’m aware that he incorporates his own life experiences into his books.”

This was something Yustaf hadn’t known, making it even more intriguing.

“This work is no different. So, Sir Yustaf, tell me what you’ve discovered.”

“Your Highness, I believe that somehow, Rupert has uncovered the dark wizards’ plot before anyone else.”

Although it was still just a theory, Yustaf’s instincts told him it was true.

“I think he included hints in his book to alert those who could notice the threat.”

“Then why didn’t he report it directly? If it involved dark wizards, wouldn’t it have been better to inform the royal family and seek their help?”

Yustaf recalled Rupert’s condition when they met.

His pale complexion, deep shadows under his eyes, and frail body that trembled as he held a cup.

He had clearly looked like someone suffering from an illness.

“This is just my guess, but I think he might have been cursed.”

“Cursed? You mean by those dark wizards or witches?”

“Yes. Those tainted by evil are known for threatening people with curses and using their families as hostages.”

Indeed, Yustaf had determined that the Somerset family was likely cursed by dark wizards, making it impossible for them to alert others to the danger.

That’s why Rupert may have discreetly embedded a message in his book, hoping that someone would notice and come to their aid.

“They’re using his family as hostages? Then…”

The Crown Prince’s face suddenly darkened at Yustaf’s words.

“Your Highness, is something the matter? Is there a problem?”

“Could it be that the entire work was created to save his sister…?”

The Crown Prince’s reaction was difficult to interpret.

However, his expression was more serious than ever.

“We must visit the Somerset estate immediately to free them from danger and hear the truth!”

“Please calm down, Your Highness! If we approach Somerset recklessly, the dark wizards might notice and harm the hostages before fleeing.”

That was true. When Yustaf met Rupert, he had suspected something was wrong but had refrained from acting, fearing that premature action could cause more harm.

“Then what should we do?”

“Thanks to Your Highness’s intervention, we can now receive assistance from the Imperial Intelligence Service and the guards, so we must begin by conducting an investigation.”

The Imperial Intelligence Service was a truly formidable organization. Rumor had it that they even knew the breakfast menus of remote provincial noble families.

They would ask the Intelligence Service to identify any recent suspicious rumors and, together with the guards, investigate areas around the capital, Chaldea, where there have been reports of missing persons.

“While it’s likely that they would target the capital, Chaldea, given its size, isn’t it too early to jump to conclusions?”

“We don’t know their exact method yet, but the location is definitely Chaldea. They need at least tens of thousands of lives for the sacrifice, and any other region would be too vast.”

“In other words, the only place with a population of over hundreds of thousands in a relatively confined area is Chaldea.”

As the Crown Prince nodded in agreement with his reasoning, Yustaf wondered if the Crown Prince might have the qualities of an Emperor.

A brilliant princess or the third prince might have suggested investigating Chaldea first, even without Yustaf’s prompting.

But such people would also be less likely to accept the investigation so easily.

Those with sharp minds usually don’t act without evidence.

But the Crown Prince, although not particularly intelligent, seemed genuinely open to accepting advice rather than simply being swayed by others.

After all, the Empire cannot be managed by one person alone. It’s crucial to trust the ministers and support them, as well as to accept the opinions of others.

The Crown Prince seemed to possess those qualities.

“This… This is horrible…”

Words failed him.

No, this couldn’t be reality—this had to be a dream.

“There are more useful things among human-made items than I expected.”

Krunn examined the items in front of the new workshop being built on the remaining grounds of the estate.

“More than expected?”

“Yes! We dwarves are quite distant from magic, so I didn’t realize there were such amazing and convenient things.”

Krunn exclaimed as he showed off a furnace. It was a magical furnace powered by mana stones, and he was excited.

“You can freely control the temperature without needing bellows. I really like this.”

“Do you know the price of that furnace?”

“Huh? No, I don’t.”

You should know that, you shopping-crazed maniac.

Krunn’s voice gradually softened as he seemed to realize something was off.

“You said I could buy the tools I needed under the Somerset name, so…”

I had let my guard down without realizing it. Since we’d been earning quite a bit recently, I had carelessly told him to buy whatever he wanted, and that was a mistake.

The magical furnace alone cost over 100 gold, not to mention the absurdly priced tools, the creation of which I couldn’t even comprehend.

And then there were the materials, the ores, and the wood.

When the receipt for an enormous sum that could drain the family’s resources arrived,

I nearly strangled Krunn on the spot.

Ugh… Calm down. The damage is already done.

If I think positively, I could consider it an investment, considering the items and skills Krunn will create in the future.

Krunn had shown great skill even in subpar conditions, so despite the high price, I had provided him with a satisfactory environment.

I had high hopes.

‘But maybe I could hold off on paying his salary for a year?’

That’s a more reasonable thought.

Given this dwarf’s expensive habits, I’ll have to speed up the work.

The response to The Iron-Blooded Alchemist Volume 2 was explosive, so if we release Volume 3 as soon as possible, we can ride this wave of success.

I remember the guild master’s excitement when the Imperial Alchemist Guild pocket watch became a hit as merchandise.

People who used to buy just one copy of the book started purchasing multiple copies to get the lottery ticket, so the 24-hour magic printing press was working nonstop, and the books were selling out as soon as they were printed.

Some people even started buying the lottery tickets separately.

And since the content of Volume 3 is filled with dopamine-inducing scenes even I enjoyed creating, I’m looking forward to seeing the readers’ reactions.