Secret Police (Mauter)

Ian’s declaration caused a stir within the noble society of the Polia Kingdom. It restricted the extravagance they had long indulged in, something that to them was utterly unreasonable. Naturally, complaints were bound to arise, but there was little they could actually do.

So much was already in Ian’s hands. To complain now and act according to their own will would essentially be a sign of rebellion against Ian, so everyone had no choice but to tread carefully.

Of course, the ones who most welcomed this decision were the common citizens. They had long looked upon the nobles’ lavish parties and indulgences with envy and resentment. Their own inability to live well wasn’t just about taxes—it was also due to the factories owned by the nobles.

To maintain their luxury, money was needed, and they’d been extracting it from the laborers. Excessive labor paired with low wages meant they couldn’t make a decent living. Still, they had to work to survive and barely managed to get by on their meager pay.

Given these circumstances, Ian’s decision was naturally met with widespread support among the kingdom’s people. His popularity had grown to a level incomparable to the past—especially among the commoners.

The biggest reason was probably his announcement of tax cuts. Under the previous King Hugo, taxes had been excessively raised, making life burdensome. But now, with Ian—soon to be crowned—promising tax reductions, there was little not to like.

Meanwhile, the administrative officials who heard Ian’s declaration were thrown into panic. He had announced he would track and apprehend the corrupt. This could only be taken to mean he intended to catch those who had taken bribes or embezzled part of the tax funds for personal use.

They had merely been continuing long-standing practices over the past few decades, but now with such a declaration, they had no choice but to scramble—manipulating ledgers and taking hurried action. They were thinking, “Surely not us?”

Perhaps, since he was about to become king, he was trying to assert his presence through these acts. Maybe after a year, all his proclamations would fade into nothing.

As many bureaucrats clung to that hope, someone entered the king’s office where Ian was. The man with thick brows, piercing eyes, and orange hair with full lips was none other than Viscount Rubingston.

‘Head of the Mauter, the Secret Police.’

It was, as the name implied, a covert organization responsible for counterintelligence and eliminating rebellion threats within the kingdom. Ian, already aware of its existence, looked intently at the Mauter’s head, now meeting him for the first time.

Likely in his late 30s, the man’s gaze wasn’t exactly warm. But the emotion Ian sensed from him was loyalty. Of course, he hadn’t used Mental Manipulation. It appeared to be genuine, self-generated loyalty.

“Viscount Rubingston?”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“‘Your Highness’? I haven’t even had my coronation yet. Just call me Prince Ian.”

“Still, it’s only a matter of time. To me, you are already His Majesty the King.”

He seemed a bit obsequious. Still, Ian thought the man passed the first test. From the way he bowed immediately, he appeared to be a keen observer. What mattered now was making him a loyal subordinate.

‘To rule a country going forward, the unseen will be far more important than the visible.’

It was people like him that Ian planned to fully bring under his control through Mental Manipulation. Naturally, he had already started doing so—subtly, without letting the other party sense a thing.

The more time he spent with Ian, the more Rubingston would inevitably become his man. And he wouldn’t even realize it.

“Very well. But I have a task for you.”

“Whatever it is, command me, Your Highness!”

“No need to raise your voice so. Anyway, I plan to track down those secretly eating away at this kingdom.”

“You speak of corrupt bureaucrats, Your Highness?”

‘He understood at once. Convenient. I can make good use of him going forward.’

“Exactly. I want you to gather as much information on them as possible. I plan to eradicate corruption at its roots—even uncover hidden slush funds.”

“Ah, no need to worry about that. We in the Secret Police already have ample evidence on such individuals.”

“You mean it already exists?”

“Yes, we’ve been compiling it for some time.”

“Who gave the order?”

“No one. I simply thought it might be useful someday, so I began preparing in advance.”

‘This one’s going to be very useful. I might be able to clean up corruption faster than expected.’

Realizing things might go smoother than he thought, Ian felt quite pleased.

“Also, keep an eye on the nobles’ movements. They may show signs of impure intent.”

Everything Ian had declared was disadvantageous to the nobles. Naturally, they harbored discontent. Some would vent it, and instead of brooding alone, they’d speak to fellow nobles to find support. That would form a faction of dissent.

“Of course. I’ll monitor the nobles closely.”

With Viscount Rubingston’s answer, Ian gave further instructions. Watching the man listen, Ian checked to see if he was remembering everything—and he was. Clearly, his intelligence was above average.

‘Well, that explains why he leads the Secret Police. And at such a young age—late thirties.’

Having given all the orders, Ian watched as Viscount Rubingston, with a serious expression, received them solemnly. Eventually, they had nothing more to say, and Ian dismissed him.

“I’ll summon you again.”

“Yes, until next time, Your Highness.”

Still calling him ‘Your Highness,’ he withdrew. Watching him go, Ian had a thought—men like him always seemed to be the type who bowed to the strong and trampled on the weak.

Just then, as Rubingston exited the office, he saw two uniformed officers waiting for him, including his aide.

Seeing them, his eyes lit up.

‘Colonel Derian Paco and Major Mardin Zeco.’

Both were known as Prince Ian’s closest aides for quite some time. It occurred to Rubingston that they could one day rise to great heights. Knowing it wouldn’t hurt to grow closer, he gave them a slight nod of greeting.

They also bowed lightly in return.

‘Alright, I’ve made my impression. Time to get moving.’

Thinking that, he began walking down the corridor with his aide. Once they had gotten far enough from the office, the aide cautiously asked a question. Of course, he’d made sure no one else was around before speaking.

“What kind of person is Prince Ian, the soon-to-be king?”

“Oh ho, call him ‘Your Highness.’ And what kind of person? He’s truly an extraordinary and admirable figure. Haha.”

“Pardon?”

The aide looked slightly bewildered. Just before they had entered the office, this same man had referred to Prince Ian as some “young brat,” yet now he was speaking of him with sincere reverence. What on earth had happened in the office to cause this change?

“I was completely mistaken. His Highness is a great man who will elevate this kingdom to new heights.”

“I… I see.”

“His Highness has given me tasks. We’ll be quite busy, so prepare yourself.”

“What kind of tasks?”

“We’ll be recovering slush funds and arresting every corrupt bureaucrat using the documents we have.”

“You’re going to use those? Before, you said you’d use them for—”

“Shh! How careless of you. That’s not what I meant. How could I possibly use them for blackmail? Don’t say such things again. Anyway, this must all be destiny—actions guided by fate to meet His Highness.”

The aide could only grow more suspicious of Viscount Rubingston’s behavior. Still, doubts had to remain just that—doubts. That was how one survived.

“Come in. It’s been only a few days, yet it feels longer.”

“We came at your summons, Captain—no, Prince Ian.”

“Just call me Captain. I’m still officially captain of the battleship Mythos, am I not?”

“Understood, Captain.”

With a smile, Ian gestured toward the sofa. At his invitation, the two men sat on the luxurious sofa in the royal office—somewhere they never expected to step foot in their lives. As they sat, they couldn’t help but glance around at the room’s decor. Seeing this, Ian spoke.

“I imagine you were quite surprised.”

“To be honest… yes, very surprised. We never expected Your Highness would carry out such an act.”

“Same here.”

“You must be disappointed in me.”

“N-no! How could we feel disappointed? We’ve never harbored such a sentiment.”

“Yes. How could men like us feel disappointment in you?”

Though both the deputy captain and Mardin, his aide, said otherwise, Ian could sense their disappointment. After all, they had been excluded from the recent events. From their perspective, it likely felt like he didn’t trust them.

‘Well, I can’t say I didn’t have that thought.’

The entire operation had been launched through people under his control, and that was how he’d succeeded flawlessly. The airtight information control had also been possible because of that. Still, Ian couldn’t fully trust these two—or any of the other officers aboard the ship.

In Ian’s eyes, there were two kinds of people: those under his Mental Manipulation, and those who weren’t. Naturally, dealing with the latter was easier—but they couldn’t be fully trusted.

‘It’s not that I don’t trust these two. But if I told them and not the others, it could lead to division.’

There’s nothing more inefficient than broken trust. Soon, the deputy captain would take command of the Mythos. If he lost the trust of his subordinates, Ian would have no choice but to replace the officers entirely.

“I value you both dearly. That’s why I couldn’t involve you.”

Ian then explained why he had done things that way. Though he trusted them, he couldn’t trust everyone else yet, and had to act for the future. The two nodded in understanding.

“Inevitably, I must become king. And so, I’ll have to relinquish the captaincy of the Mythos. That said, I’d like you, Deputy Captain, to take command of the ship.”

“You mean me?”

“Who knows the ship better than you? You’re the best choice.”

“If… if you entrust it to me, I’ll carry out the mission with everything I have.”

“Thank you. Ah, and Major Mardin Zeco—I have a request for you as well.”

“A request, sir?”

“I need you by my side.”

“In what capacity?”

“Running a nation involves countless details. Among them, a person is needed to assist the king directly, conveying commands and aiding with duties.”

In essence, he would be like a royal secretary. And such a role could wield considerable power. Ian wouldn’t make such an offer unless the man had both competence and trustworthiness. Especially since Mardin had shown loyalty without even being manipulated.

Ian remembered how Mardin had been the first to throw himself in front of Ian during the staged assassination. To do that, knowing a second bullet could come, was no easy feat.

‘What matters most is that he can help sustain my mind. If everyone around me is a puppet, I’ll go mad.’

“I’m not sure I can fulfill such a role.”

“Do you lack confidence?”

“No. I’m confident. I’m just worried I won’t be of help.”

“If you have confidence, that’s enough. Just stay by my side and support me.”

“…Yes. I’ll devote everything I have to serve you.”

Seeing Mardin speak so earnestly, Ian smiled. The two were now fully his, and they would have many missions ahead. In any case, the final step in all this would be the coronation.

‘Let’s hold the coronation a month from now.’

To be precise, he was aiming for July 1. It might seem soon, but it wasn’t good to leave the throne vacant for long. To govern properly, he needed to be king. So, he intended to move swiftly.

And truly, a month wasn’t much time. With everything happening at once, time passed quickly, and before he knew it, the end of June had arrived. Coronation preparations were steadily progressing.

Amidst this, foreign guests began arriving to attend the coronation—more than expected, in fact. Those from nearby regions came by ship, while those farther away arrived by airship.

Though public opinion of airships had soured due to the recent near-accident, private airships were still in use. And surprisingly, one unexpected guest arrived by such a vessel.

It was none other than Prince Alexei, the Fourth Prince of the Noma Empire. It had been a while since their last encounter—back when they hunted the Kraken.