The King’s Next Move

I groaned as I stared at the letter that had arrived from Tia.

"What the hell is the meaning of this? I thought Yuri wanted Independence!"

"My Lord, he has mentioned it many times; there's no mistaking his intent," the soldier replied.

"Then why is he refusing?! I've heard a nearly identical letter arrived from the boy himself!"

"The explanation is simple, Your Majesty." The soldier spoke with a measured, slow cadence. "Lord Yuri still considers himself a citizen of this kingdom."

"And? What of it?"

"In other words, he likely cannot gauge your true intentions behind the previous order."

"…I see. You mean he’s afraid that if he accepts too quickly, it’ll look like he’s planning a Rebellion."

"Precisely, sire."

"…As if he’s the one who should be worried. I’m the one who’d be in trouble if he actually revolted."

The military might already stationed in Yuri’s city far surpassed my own. Furthermore, rumors suggested he had the support of three nations… no, my internal spies claimed he could even secure the cooperation of a Four-Country Alliance. Facing him would be tantamount to my country taking on the entire world. It was an impossible prospect.

"If once isn't enough, then send it twice, three times… I don't care! Keep sending Messengers until he acknowledges it! That land is already beyond our control, and every other nation knows it. We need to grant them Independence immediately. Do you understand!?"

"Yes, sire!"

I watched the soldier scramble out of the room, then let out a heavy, exhausted sigh. I’d never faced a crisis of this magnitude before. But this year? Troubles were crashing over me like a tsunami.

Is it so wrong to wish they’d go a little easier on me?

But the gears were already turning. If I sat on my hands now, the only thing waiting for me was the total collapse of the state. As King, I couldn't let that happen. I had already made massive concessions toward his territory. Sending Tia to him as a Concubine was proof of that. I was doing everything in my power to ensure Yuri got what he wanted… at least, that was the plan.

The problem was that I didn’t actually know much about the boy. Being a member of the Lousouth House, he’d surely undergone rigorous training from Balan, but…

"Worrying in isolation won't solve anything. Balan is his father; he has to know Yuri better than anyone. I’ll hear what he has to say before deciding on my next move. After all, Balan was the one who sent Yuri to that land in the first place… Wait."

A cold shiver of dread crawled down my spine.

On the surface, Yuri had simply demonstrated enough power to force my hand toward Independence. But if this was the outcome Balan had planned from the start? It could be interpreted as a calculated move to hollow out the kingdom’s strength. Could the Lousouth House itself be planning a Rebellion?

"No, this won't do. I have to investigate that land—and Yuri—personally. It’s the only way to find the truth."

Of course, a king couldn't just wander off whenever he pleased. Which was exactly why I decided to call upon a certain individual.

Report from the Author

Thanks to everyone's support, Reincarnated as a Mastermind Family, but I'll Ignore the Original Game and Become Independent has been approved for both light novel publication and a manga adaptation!

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