Once again, the day unfolds just like yesterday.
A continuous stream of familiar days. A life as tranquil as can be.

This was the form of life that Renya had grown accustomed to.

With abilities on his side and no more rivals vying for the throne, it was enough for him to gradually expand his influence and diligently handle his duties.

The red carpet was already laid out for him.
Just by treading on the path to guaranteed success, anyone could capture the perfect life they dream of.

Truly, what a lucky time it was.

“I miss those days.”

Life is full of twists and turns, they say. What once seemed like an eternal routine came crashing down quite simply.

That peaceful life suddenly vanished, replaced by a series of turbulent events greeting him every single day.

And, as expected…

“Your Highness! A, a huge problem has arisen!”

This is how things go as soon as he got out of bed.
Upon opening the door, he was immediately surrounded by his attendants.

There were five of them, eyes wide with panic, chattering about significant incidents that occurred overnight. Unfortunately, no overlap in their reports.

Apparently, five major accidents had hit the estate.

He sighed deeply and pressed a hand to his forehead, overwhelmed by a throbbing headache. He wanted nothing more than to throw in the towel, but such things were practically impossible in reality.

“There’s not a single person I can pass my duties to anymore.”

The first prince… Well, he ordered that one to be taken care of, so that at least would be settled. But that cursed younger sibling of his ran off with a red-haired girl!

Now only Renya and the Emperor remain of the royal family.

However, that Emperor has no interest in dealing with such matters. Honestly, one could question whether that person ever paid attention to anything at all.

His negligence, which was already severe, only worsened after that day. It feels like it’s been nearly two years since he last heard his voice.

He did manage to give one instruction, though.

To further strengthen the bizarre structure of the Empire.

That inhuman human emphasized this point with deafening urgency, throwing in terrifying threats to boot, making it impossible to forget.

“I just can’t make heads or tails of this.”

Thinking about it, the Empire’s structure was strange from the start.

A global powerhouse, a massive nation.
Richer than anyone else and more developed than any other country.

Yet, most citizens of the Empire live lives worse than those of the weakest kingdoms.
They spend their lives exploited by someone else, unable to dream of freedom, only to conclude it all in servitude.

But if they had developed technology, even the lower classes could have some quality of life.
No need to look far; with the Empire’s tech, magic stone mining could be handled by machines. Renya had even suggested it himself.

He didn’t intend to do charity; it just seemed incredibly unreasonable to consume people as mere resources in the current way.

“But it was rejected.”

Setting aside personal feelings, economically, it made sense. Plus, it could help suppress the rise of organizations like the Black Fangs and alleviate public sentiment.

Yet, without a second thought, it was flatly denied. Reflecting on what’s happening now…

It seems the Emperor works hard to create a world where one person rules over another, exploiting them as mere expendables.

“…Well, maybe that’s just my over-the-top speculation.”

No matter how hard he thought, he could find no reason to create such a world. Ultimately, it was just baseless conspiracy — devoid of meaning.

Clearing his mind of such distractions, he continued on his way to the office.
Before long, he arrived at a familiar sight. Piles of papers awaited him, ready to welcome him back.

Not long after sitting down, he was met with a barrage of reports. Tales of various incidents rang in his ears. However, all these happenings could be summarized in one word.

Black Fangs. All this chaos was caused by the Black Fangs.

A city where no human dared to step, all because of a crazy girl, or the fact that the capital almost got devoured whole by the Shadow Wolf.

Rumors of elves successfully stealing a small tree that grew where Zion had vanished and invading the royal palace.

And now there’s talk that the current Pope Dominic worships not the god of light but the leader of the Black Fangs.
The list goes on and on.

The Empire seems to be at war with the Black Fangs, which, to an extent, makes sense.

“Thanks to that, I have a headache over here.”

As the person ultimately responsible for all this, it’s incredibly troublesome. Every time he handles one task, another three build up; it feels like his brain might explode.

Still, today seemed relatively less busy compared to yesterday. If he quickly handled things, he could at least secure… thirty minutes for himself to relax.

“Th-the Black Fangs have attacked the Empire’s Second Technology Development Department!”

Just as he thought he may finally get that break.
Of course, an attendant rushed in, shouting urgently.

Every time he thought things were a little calmer, chaos erupted, so he decided to keep those hopeful words to himself and just think them quietly, yet here they are!
He made a firm resolution not to entertain such pessimistic thoughts again as he took a deep breath.

Either way, he had to handle the work properly.
He wasn’t incompetent enough to abandon his duties just because he was tired.

He brainstormed dozens of effective ways to deal with the Black Fangs, vivid plans ready to strike back at those dastardly rebels… but none were issued.

Eradicating the Black Fangs was not his ultimate goal. It seems rather obvious when you think about it.

“That day…”

The moment when his life changed completely. Renya could never forget what happened in that secret chamber.
The moment that brought the stars of the sky down to earth through that powerful magic. It was undeniably remarkable.

Not a trace of admiration or pride for the Emperor’s might existed inside him. Feeling like that would be even stranger.
“If not for Zion… or rather, Ian’s intervention, I would surely be dead.”

The Emperor’s power surely had other ways to tackle enemies without personal harm. There were mountains of better means at his disposal.

Yet the Emperor did not do that.
With seemingly little care, he unleashed such an attack. And such a thing… is never something that a parent should do to their child.

– I know this is a weird question, but is he really my father?

That was a comment made by his older sister, the first princess, once.

Not long after she brought up that strange topic, she ended up dead. The Emperor never explained why.

Furthermore, there was the attitude of that younger sister. For some reason, she looked just like a girl with black hair. Eventually, he found himself casting a disguise removal spell on himself…

And then, he learned everything.

Finding himself in a situation where he had to choose after gaining all that knowledge.
Should he stand with the Black Fangs, just like that impudent younger sister of his, or pretend he didn’t know anything and stay on the Emperor’s side?

On one side, there’s a terrorist group with no leader left.
A crowd of people he wouldn’t be warmly welcomed by even if he tried to join.

On the other side, there’s the Emperor of the Empire.
A being who wields overwhelming might and power, essentially the ruler of this world.

It’s painfully obvious which choice he should make.

– …You must be the temporary leader. I have a message to convey.

A matter that doesn’t require any contemplation from the start, right?
The Emperor is indeed powerful, and he has no clue how to topple that man.

On the other side stands the leader of the Black Fangs.
His one true rival.
A genius who toyed with him to the very last, hiding his identity. The only one he could confront… No, the one who surpasses him beyond measure.

That guy can’t possibly be dead.
Someone who so carelessly disregards the oath of mana is undoubtedly hiding and preparing for battle somewhere.
So, Renya had only one thing to do.

“I will not send any support or supplies.”

His words caused the eyes of the subordinate, who had come to relay the news of the attack, to widen in shock. No wonder; it was an order that made no sense at all.

“The Second Technology Development Department is a crucial facility. Moreover, if it falls into the hands of dwarves among the enemies, it will be irreversible!”
Of course.
Though those words tumbled out of his mouth…

There was no need to care all that much.
He was completely accustomed to solving problems like this now.

“Don’t worry. I have everything planned out regarding supplies.”

“Plan… Is that what you’re saying?”

His subordinate’s face lit up.
Surely, they thought the prince was finally coming to his senses.

“The citizens of the Empire are basically herbivores, right? Just graze on some nearby grass to fill their bellies.”

Unfortunately, Renya didn’t have any intention of winning.
His subordinate’s face morphed to a ridiculous expression, like a goat being declared an herbivore. Looking at that, Renya couldn’t help but smile a little.

“I believe in you, Ian.”
When it comes to time, I’ll handle that.
You just need to do what you have to do.

—

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On the Street with Only You Missing (2)