The Princes Go To War

Not long after, Ian received a shocking piece of news.

‘…What? I’m being sent to the battlefield? Has Father gone completely mad? I mean, what do I even know about war?’

More than surprised, Ian was dumbfounded. What could princes possibly accomplish by going to the battlefield? Especially when it was highly likely that the war would be fought at sea. That meant he would need to understand naval warfare.

‘I barely know anything.’

All he had were the brief lessons from class about naval warfare and some basic military knowledge. What could he possibly do out there?

‘Time to run.’

In conclusion, the best course of action was to get out of this country as soon as possible. He already had enough money saved up. The most important thing now was to convince his mother. Just as he began thinking that, Ian heard unexpected news from Leni.

“What? You’re leaving this place?”

“Yes, it seems once the war begins, the palace may become dangerous. We’ll be relocating to a royal secret villa deeper inland.”

“Leni, are you going with them?”

“Yes. I have to look after Princess Charlotte, and of course, attend to Her Highness the concubine.”

Leni’s expression was filled with concern for Ian. She had heard too—the news that many of the princes were being sent to the battlefield. While they were heading inland for safety, Prince Ian would be going to war. To her, he still looked far too young for such a fate.

“Where’s Mother now?”

“She’s speaking with the royal guards who came from the main palace.”

“Even the royal guards came?”

“Yes. They’re helping to quickly get everyone out of the palace, along with their belongings.”

“So, they’re already evacuating?”

“It seems so.”

Apparently, the king planned to remain and defend the palace, while sending the concubines and children to a secret location. Ian wondered why—until he realized the answer. They were hostages.

If the princes didn’t want to go to war, the king could use the presence of their mothers and siblings as leverage. Ian briefly considered eliminating the guards and escaping now—but that would only make things worse.

‘I’d have to get my mother and sister to a smuggler’s ship.’

There was even a chance he might end up fighting against the Polia Kingdom’s military forces. Should he try activating the capital defense forces? But that posed another problem: it was uncertain whether the lower-ranking officers would follow such an order.

Secret escape routes were one thing, but taking rebellious action against the state was another—one they likely wouldn’t support.

‘In any plan, you need justification. Moving Count DiMentis without reason could backfire.’

No matter how he looked at it, no viable solution presented itself. He hadn’t even expected to be drafted into war, and certainly never imagined the king would take his mother and sister elsewhere so quickly.

He had underestimated his father.

He briefly considered using mental manipulation to exempt only himself from war—but even that wasn’t easy. As much as he disliked the man, the king was still his father. Tampering with his mind felt like crossing a line. Besides, the names of the princes being sent to war had already been publicly announced—including his.

‘So I really have no choice but to go?’

He decided to talk with his mother first and think things through. Soon after, he was able to meet with her. The royal guards were already standing outside the door.

“Ian, I heard you have to go to war…”

“Indeed. Quite an unexpected development.”

“I’m so sorry, my son. There’s nothing this mother can do to help you.”

“It’s fine. I heard you’re leaving with Charlotte?”

“Yes, I must. Things have become very serious.”

“Well, it is a war with an empire. There’s no telling what will happen.”

Ian debated whether to ask, “Do you want to run away with me?” He hesitated. What would his mother say? Likely, she would refuse. She was too wise not to understand what was coming.

‘And I’m unsure about revealing my ability.’

It wasn’t just explaining it—it was the fear of how she might react. Still, this world had magic, so maybe she would see it differently? Even so, he couldn’t help feeling hesitant.

‘It’s too soon.’

Maybe if he were older, with everything prepared, he could’ve persuaded her. But not now.

“I heard they’re going to begin military training for the princes who are heading to war.”

“Well, that’s a relief. I thought I’d be going without knowing anything.”

“Will you really be okay?”

“I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.”

“Huuuhh…”

Despite his confident tone, his mother broke down crying. Perhaps she could see through the forced bravado. Ian felt flustered. He quickly tried to calm her down.

“Please don’t cry. I’m really okay. I’ll come back safe. Besides, I’m a prince. They won’t put me somewhere truly dangerous, right?”

“…Sniff…sniff… That may be true, but the thought of you going to such a dangerous place terrifies me.”

“Don’t worry so much. While I’m away, stay with Charlotte and rest. That way, I can go with peace of mind.”

“…Charlotte will miss you terribly, I’m afraid.”

“There’s nothing we can do about that.”

She was only six. Right now, she cried for her brother, but by the time the war ended, she might not even remember him clearly. Ian couldn’t imagine this war ending in just a year like the last one. It might drag on for several years.

“So when are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow, apparently.”

“Tomorrow? That’s fast.”

Clearly, the situation was escalating rapidly. He wasn’t sure if there would even be time for proper military training. With his mother departing the next day, Ian figured he’d be heading off to the prince training site just as quickly.

‘Looks like I won’t be going back to school anymore.’

He thought about Armin. The boy would be completely bewildered by Ian’s sudden absence. Still, he trusted Armin would be waiting, watching the situation unfold. Ian might be leaving for war under extraordinary circumstances, but Armin would stay behind, continuing his school life.

‘War, huh. Looks like my carefully planned life just took a new direction.’

The next day.

After waking and waiting, the royal guards arrived, telling him it was time to go. Ian had already said goodbye to his mother and younger sister the previous day. When he told little Charlotte that they wouldn’t see each other for a while, she threw a tantrum, insisting he stay. It took all his effort to calm her down.

So, with Leni the maid having departed early, Ian too left the place he had lived for nearly 17 years. As he walked down the hallway, he noticed they were heading toward the main palace. He considered asking where they were going, but the guard walking ahead of him, with an impassive expression, didn’t seem likely to answer.

They moved deep into the palace until they reached a room guarded by stationed soldiers. When the guards opened the large doors, Ian stepped inside. It was quiet. Seeing that no one else was there, he realized he was the first to arrive.

‘Well, I am the Ninth Prince, so I guess the youngest got called first.’

In a way, the Tenth Prince, Dian, was quite lucky. Being younger than Ian, he had avoided being sent to the frontlines. Of course, Ian himself wasn’t sure why sixteen-year-olds were being dispatched to war either, but what could he do now that it had been decided?

In the room stood a long table surrounded by bookshelves filled with various manuals. Ian approached and skimmed the covers—they all seemed to be about naval tactics and command strategy.

‘So we’ll be studying this?’

He wondered if he could actually learn all this in such a short time. Still, if war didn’t break out right away, they might have a few months to absorb the material. As Ian was flipping through the books and killing time, the door opened and more people entered.

“You’re already here, huh, Ian?”

“Ian, come here and take this.”

The newcomers were two blond twins—the Seventh and Eighth Princes, sons of the Sixth Concubine. Both were handsome, just a year older than Ian. Like him, they had probably been pulled out of school for this. One of them handed Ian his luggage to carry.

‘What am I supposed to do, take it with my forehead? Ugh… fine, I’ll let it slide.’

No point wasting energy over nothing. He would keep a low profile here and just make it through the war. With that in mind, he took the luggage and placed it on the table. The twins exchanged sly smirks. Ian found them incredibly irritating.

‘Looks like I’ll be stuck playing the baby brother role.’

Soon after, the Sixth Prince arrived. Like Ian, he had red hair and was the son of the Fifth Concubine. He didn’t have any particularly noticeable traits—similar to Ian in that way.

Then came the Fifth Prince. With blue hair, he ignored not just Ian but also the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Princes. This sparked irritation from the twins.

After that, the Fourth Prince entered. He also had red hair and was tall and well-built—obviously someone who trained his body. His maternal family was the Marquisate of Belloster.

That name stood out—just recently, the third son of that house had hurled insults at Ian. Unsurprisingly, the Fourth Prince’s gaze toward Ian wasn’t exactly friendly. Ian merely kept a blank expression as if he knew nothing.

Next came the Third Prince. With silver hair and a delicate-looking face, he appeared weak—but Ian knew how dark-hearted he was from a young age. He was also one of the strongest contenders for the throne.

Then the Second Prince appeared—also red-haired, with a sharp, fierce look in his eyes. Another dangerous one to watch out for.

Finally, the First Prince entered—the son of the queen. He was broad-bodied, boisterous, and exuded confidence, considered by many the most likely heir to the throne. With his arrival, everyone took their seats, each prince watching the others with veiled hostility.

Naturally, Ian sat at the farthest end, simply observing this spectacle of rivalries over succession. He had no interest in becoming king. His mind was entirely focused on cramming as much military knowledge as he could before being sent to the battlefield.

Just then, someone new entered the room. With a stern expression and upright posture, he walked in and bowed respectfully.

“My name is Baron Gray. I will be in charge of your military education for the time being.”

The princes responded with dull, uninterested expressions. Clearly, none of them cared much. But Baron Gray continued, unfazed.

“You will be learning military knowledge required for naval warfare. We begin today. I ask for your full attention.”

Even then, the princes didn’t change their attitudes. They had no desire to learn. To them, military strategy was for soldiers. They were princes—meant to command, not study complicated military theory.

Seeing their reactions, Baron Gray wasn’t surprised. He continued on regardless, lecturing from the textbooks on naval combat in great detail.

Ian couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the baron. That said, he had no intention of standing out by showing any particular enthusiasm either.

‘I should avoid drawing too much attention.’

He would quietly listen and pretend to study while absorbing whatever useful information he could. Baron Gray, excessively diligent, pressed on with his lectures while most of the princes either dozed off or outright slept.

And so the days of education went by without much incident. This crash course lasted about two months. Though Ian didn’t learn everything perfectly, he had at least mastered the basics—which brought a small sense of relief.

‘It’s about to begin, isn’t it?’

Living in the palace meant news reached him quickly. Piecing together what he’d heard, it seemed war was imminent. That thought had barely crossed his mind when news broke:

The official declaration of war had been made.

The war with the Doicheun Empire had begun—for real this time.