Afterward, Absolute and Uru were led away by the King to a different room from before.
“Absolute Ark… I’ve heard the gist of it from your maid, but I’d like to hear it from you as well. The circumstances of the matter…”
(The King probably doesn't want to hear this, does he?)
“Then please watch this recording. I made sure to record it, just in case.”
The King looked up at the ceiling, as if he had given up on everything. In that place, there were no witnesses, and it was a space only for those involved, so he thought that he could use his power to cover it up at worst. However, Absolute foresaw this and left a magical recording device as evidence, eliminating any escape route.
(There's no way I'm letting him get away with it! Prince Michael will join the Hero’s side in the future, use his power to gather troops, and kill me, Absolute Ark. I have to drag Michael down now!)
The King finished watching the recording and called out to Absolute.
“Absolute Ark… I am sorry about this time. I apologize…”
The King lowered his head. If this were just another high-ranking noble and not the Ark House, he wouldn’t have lowered his head that far. But the Ark House was secretly in charge of national defense, and they were contributors who took on dishonor for the sake of the country. They were not an opponent to be trifled with.
“We of the Ark House have strived to support the royal family so that they can manage the country in a sound manner, even if it means getting our hands dirty. However, I never expected to be repaid in such a way.”
Even if the King lowered his head, Absolute couldn't back down. He pressed on.
“Was that a decision made by the royal family? If so, we of the Ark House have something to consider as well, you know?”
Absolute used his skill 【King's Rule】 to intimidate the King, but the King endured the pressure without showing it on his face.
(...As expected of the King, he’s been ruling the country for many years.)
Absolute revised his evaluation of the King.
“No, it was Michael's recklessness. I doubt you'll believe me… I never thought he would do something like this. But, Absolute, wasn’t cutting off the arms of the guards a bit much? Wouldn't you have been able to handle it more gently?”
The King counterattacked, but Absolute didn’t flinch.
“Even if he is a son, he attacked a high-ranking noble, you know? It was self-defense. Besides, it was the Royal Guards who didn't listen to the warning. If they were Royal Guards, they should have corrected Prince Michael's mistake, even if it cost them their lives. It is misdirected to blame me. So, how does the royal family intend to take responsibility this time?”
(I want to strip Michael of his power at the very least, but is deposing him too difficult? The victim is unharmed, after all.)
“I will pay compensation to Absolute and his maid… In addition to that, Michael will be placed under house arrest. How about that?”
(...That’s too lenient.)
“He called out a member of the high nobility and tried to take my slave with power and violence, and in the end, it was attempted murder, you know? Isn't that too lenient? If he were to be judged for his crimes, he'd be in the dungeon forever. At the very least, Prince Michael should be removed from his position as Crown Prince.”
“Can’t you do something about that? Michael is my only son. If there is no successor, the royal family will be finished.”
The King pleaded, but Absolute continued.
“Isn't there Princess Haniel? Wouldn't it be possible to solve the problem by having Princess Haniel take a husband? Isn't that better than making the current Prince Michael the Crown Prince?”
The King hesitated... Certainly, Haniel was more capable than Michael, but there was a problem.
“Haniel is blind. It would be difficult for her to perform her official duties in that state…”
“Yes, I suppose so. But that is something for His Majesty the King and those around him to consider. My demand is compensation for me and my maid Uru, and for Prince Michael to step down from the position of Crown Prince. Your Majesty, please make a decision.”
The King thought for a while. Even the King loves his own child. The King made up his mind.
“I understand. I will remove Michael from the position of Crown Prince. However, if Michael reflects on his actions and repents, will you allow him to return to the position of Crown Prince?”
He was still saying something lenient, but Absolute brushed him off.
“That will be when this recording is shown to all the nobles, and then he apologizes to me in front of everyone.”
“I see… I was wrong. I will accept all of your demands. I apologize for today… I will pay the compensation when you leave.”
With this, the settlement with the royal family was completed, and Absolute and Uru returned home while splurging on the compensation money.
◇King's Perspective
The first time I met Absolute Ark was when he was five years old. It was when the Ark House and my son Michael were having a meet-and-greet.
The Absolute I saw at the first meeting had features very similar to Villain in his youth, and he was a child with an aversion to the red eyes that were a symbol of that hideous family. I heard that it was the effect of the 【Absolute Evil】 skill, but if I had remained ignorant, I might have sent him back as is.
The aversion remained, and he was a dangerous being in terms of bloodline, but more than that, I was interested in his overwhelming talent. I thought that his father, Villain, was boasting about it because he was his parent, but it seemed that I was wrong.
If he could build a good relationship with my son, I had hoped for the future that the Rainana Kingdom would develop further.
But that will probably never happen. That's because my son, Michael, drew his sword to take Absolute's slave.
After Absolute left, I summoned Michael to the audience chamber to punish him.
This was a judgment as a king, not as a father.
I spoke to Michael, who was kneeling.
"Michael… do you know what you have done?"
"Absolute is to blame. He attacked me out of nowhere, so I had no choice but to engage him."
Michael was feigning ignorance. He assumed that he could conceal it because there were no third parties present at the scene.
"...Is that so? Can you say the same thing after watching this video?"
"W-Why?! Why is there such a thing?!"
"It's from Absolute. You've done something irreversible."
"That bastard! He played a dirty trick! Absolute is the one who's at fault. He ruined my tenth birthday party, so I was going to teach him a lesson!"
The King looked at Michael with dismay.
Michael had done something like this, but he wasn't stupid. However, he was still mentally immature. He couldn't pretend to like someone he disliked, and he couldn't be friendly even as an act.
He was still a child, so I was looking at him with a long-term perspective, but I never thought he would be so reckless.
"I told you that it was the Kako Duke House's faction, not the Ark House, that caused it... The Ark House is the victim. Well, anyway, you have committed a crime. Michael, you will have to step down as Crown Prince. You should be grateful that you're not being imprisoned, okay?"
"I'm stepping down as Crown Prince?! That's ridiculous!"
"By the way, if you show this video to all the nobles and apologize to Absolute, you will be allowed to return to the position of Crown Prince... Well, if you do that, the royal family will be finished. Reflect on your actions and use them to your advantage next time. That's all, step down."
After dismissing Michael, the King held his head in his hands.
"Michael is still a child. I hope he will learn from this. The problem is making Haniel the Crown Princess. She's not stupid, but in her case, her blindness is clearly a handicap."
The country, his daughter. There was no end to his worries.
Then, a great idea came to him.
"Should I betroth Haniel to Absolute...?"
It wasn't a bad idea.
Duke Zen, who was supporting Michael, would become an enemy, but making the Ark Duke House and Absolute enemies would be more dangerous for the country. They were secretly working behind the scenes to protect the country, but more than that, he considered Absolute's bloodline to be dangerous.
The Ark House's bloodline, blessed by the spirits.
His mother's bloodline, which secretly controls a major power in another country.
If Absolute wished, he had the power to turn the world against him.
"By putting royal blood into the Ark House, we can repay them. Should I try to broach the subject in this direction?"
And so, the King began to take action.
