I Didn't Want to Become the Emperor of This World

Chapter 40

Chirp, chirp.

The sound of birds heralding the morning came through the open window. The time was six in the morning, not yet time for Elly to come and wake me.

Despite the early hour, I was already awake. To be precise, I had stayed up all night.

The reason I stayed up all night was because of the . I opened the diary again, which I had opened tens, hundreds of times throughout the night.

‘The ‘war on crime’ has started, so why isn’t the updating?’

After giving the speech in front of the knights and soldiers at dawn yesterday.

I had checked the as soon as I returned to my room. I was expecting that some kind of change would have occurred.

However, no new content was written in the . Always, whenever I did or decided something, the corresponding changes would appear immediately, but not this time.

‘……Surely the book isn’t broken, right?’

It can’t be. Really, just not that.

A headache and fatigue washed over my mind. The pain had been particularly severe lately.

But greater than such trivial pain was the worry of ‘Is the broken?’ and the curiosity of ‘What happened with the ‘war on crime’?’

Phew—.

My heart burned with anxiety, but I looked at the , which showed no change, and thought.

‘You don't have to give me the details, can't you just tell me how the ‘war on crime’ turned out—.’

It was at that moment I was thinking.

Scribble, scribble—.

“!”

Finally, new content began to be written. Like a student checking exam results or a job seeker checking their acceptance results, I immediately focused on the new content of the .

However, while the content was good, something was unsatisfactory about it.

…….

The ‘war on crime’ that began at two in the morning.

The results were tremendous. The knights and soldiers succeeded in arresting all the thugs and wicked merchants perfectly according to the plan.

I learned this fact through Elly, and thanks to that, I was freed from the worries that had tormented me for a long time.

As I was freed from such worries, the tension completely melted away. I was only human, after all.

And as the tension eased, sleepiness poured over me. It might have been natural, given that I had worried for days and stayed up all night in the body of a sickly twelve-year-old boy.

Just like that, as if shot by a tranquilizer gun, I fell asleep as if I were dead.

…….

I slept a deep and sweet sleep, so much so that I didn't even know how long I had slept.

Until that time when I was sleeping without any worries, I thought the ‘war on crime’ was a complete success. Because I had eliminated the burden the knights and soldiers felt about attacking their fellow countrymen.

Indeed, thanks to that, we had arrested or eliminated all the thugs and wicked merchants who were the targets of this war.

But there was something I had overlooked.

That where there is always a beginning, there is an end, and that the conclusion is as important as the beginning.

I had even given a passionate speech to the knights and soldiers to boost their morale. That start was good.

However, when the knights and soldiers had loyally and splendidly completed their task, I was asleep and did not greet them.

The knights and soldiers were not openly disappointed in me, but they were somewhat disappointed.

Also, even though I had rounded up all the thugs and wicked merchants through the ‘war on crime’, I did not show myself before the people of the kingdom. I had given Jereuth the royal flag and told him to reveal the royal family's presence to the kingdom's people, but that alone was not enough.

That’s right. To make my presence known to the kingdom's people in this ‘war on crime’.

And to officially announce that I had led it, I needed the showmanship to greet the triumphant army myself and show my face before the people of the kingdom.

I suddenly recalled the news from when I was in Korea, where politicians were busy taking pictures wherever they went. It was to show themselves in a good light to the public even once to raise their approval ratings.

So that was the intention.

But...... I had missed that timing because I was asleep.

This was the content of the newly written .

‘First of all, it's very good that the operation succeeded, but...... it seems my future self made another mistake.’

According to the diary, it seemed that my future self fell asleep as if fainting as soon as he heard that the ‘war on crime’ had succeeded. I could understand that action. Even now, as soon as I read that the operation had succeeded through the , the tension eased and my eyes were about to close.

‘But now that I know that sleeping without a proper conclusion is a big mistake, I can't sleep.’

That’s right. Even if I was tired, I had to keep my eyes open. And I had to greet the knights and soldiers and show myself to the people of the kingdom to appeal that ‘I am the Crown Prince who decimated the thugs and wicked merchants for you.’

Just like how politicians frequently show their faces during times when they need to gain popularity—like election season.

‘Then, should I wait at the entrance of the royal palace where the knights and soldiers will be returning?’

That seemed to be the most standard and best way to greet the triumphant army.

Since it was an official appearance, I thought I needed to show a neat appearance. So, before Elly came, I planned to wash my face in advance and get ready to go out.

As I entered the bathroom and stood in front of the sink—.

‘......My appearance is a mess.’

Was it because I hadn't slept properly for the past few days? My face was utterly steeped in fatigue. My face was already thin due to my weak body, but with dark circles under my eyes, I looked like an office worker who couldn't even leave work properly because they worked for a "black company".

Of course, the face of this guy called ‘Leonardo’ was so mysteriously beautiful that even the sickly appearance had a strange charm...... but that would be a peculiar taste. Anyone who didn't have a taste for such a sickly pretty boy would probably be worried first upon seeing my face.

Even I was worried that my face looked like this.

Hmm—.

I touched my cheek with my hand and looked at ‘Leonardo’s’ face in the mirror and thought.

‘I am the Crown Prince. A politician. And for a politician, appearance is as important as skill.’

No, sometimes appearance is more important than skill.

An anecdote that proves the importance of a politician's appearance—though it might just be a ‘rumor’—is the 1960s US presidential election on Earth.

At that time, there were two candidates in the US presidential election, ‘Richard Nixon’ and ‘John F. Kennedy’. And that election was quite favorable for Richard Nixon.

That is, until the voters, who did not know the faces of the two candidates, had only heard their ‘voices’ on the radio.

When the two candidates appeared on TV and their appearances were revealed, voters began to support John F. Kennedy over Richard Nixon. And in the end, John F. Kennedy won the election and became the president of the United States.

Of course, John F. Kennedy’s victory in the election was not just because of his appearance on TV. There were many more factors than that. However, many scholars evaluate that the ‘event’ of Kennedy appearing on TV with his handsome looks certainly played a big role in his winning the election.

‘Considering that...... I shouldn't go before the people of the kingdom with a face like this.’

I had to appear as a capable and cool Crown Prince who had crushed the thugs and wicked merchants. Because that was the image of ‘Crown Prince Leonardo’ that the people of the kingdom expected.

But with a face of a pretty boy who looked like he was dying, I couldn't fulfill that role.

‘Then what should I do? It seems it would be weirder to go wearing something like a robe...... Hmm?’

As I was contemplating while looking in the mirror, I saw a ‘mask’ reflected in it. The mask attached to the bathroom wall was a decoration I usually didn't even pay attention to.

But now, it was an excellent item that could solve my problem.

‘Yes, let's wear a mask. That would be better.’

To show myself, but hide my weak-looking appearance by wearing a mask. I didn't know what kind of effect that would bring, but at least it seemed better than standing before the crowd with this sickly face exposed.

Just as I was thinking while looking at the mask, I heard a knock from outside the bathroom.

—Your Highness, it's Elly. May I come in?

“Yes, come in.”

When I answered, the bathroom door opened and Elly, wearing a bright smile, came in.

“Your Highness! News just came in that the knights and soldiers have successfully completed your ‘war on crime’—!”

Elly, who was speaking in a bright voice, saw my face and her expression immediately hardened as she asked in a worried voice.

“......Your Highness, did you have trouble sleeping again, by any chance?”

“Yes. I was worried about whether the operation was going well.”

“…….”

“Were you just talking about the ‘war on crime’ being a success?”

I already knew through the , but I asked as if I knew nothing. Before coming to this world, I had hardly ever lied, but after coming here, my lies and acting had increased a lot.

“That is so, but...... Your Highness, you should rest first. Right now, you look too tired—.”

“After I greet the knights and soldiers who worked hard all night. I'll rest after that.”

“…….”

“They are people who worked hard for me, so I should at least show that much reward.”

I finished speaking calmly. Then, I pointed to the mask on the bathroom wall and asked.

“By any chance, is there a mask like that which I could use? I plan to wear it when I greet the knights and soldiers and stand before the people of the kingdom.”

***

Chirp, chirp—.

The sun rises in the east of the royal capital in the early morning. Nature is merciless and always fair, showing a daily scene no different from usual. The birds also chirp.

Thus, the daily scenery presented by nature was the same as yesterday. However, on the streets of the royal capital, an ‘event’ was occurring that had never been seen before, not yesterday, and not ever.

That ‘event’ was the merciless arrest of all the thugs and wicked merchants in the royal capital by the knights and soldiers at dawn.

“Keep your heads down, you bastards!”

“Walk faster, faster!”

“Oh, not bowing your head, are you?!”

“Lower your eyes, you bastard!”

“This thug bastard!”

The thugs were being dragged away by soldiers, tied up in a line like candy. The fearsome thugs who, under the protection of the nobles, had lorded over the royal capital and toyed with and controlled people as they pleased, those vicious bastards who had killed and spared people at their whim, were now bowing their heads.

It was a scene akin to the arrest of traitors.

They weren't the only ones. The wicked merchants who had colluded with the thugs to make exorbitant profits were also following behind them looking shabby. Occasionally, there were merchants wearing dazzling ornaments, but that only made them look even more shabby.

At the head of the thugs and wicked merchants was their leader, ‘Diego’, and a large sign was hung around his neck. A sign that read, 「I am a thug. I will gladly accept the judgment of His Highness Leonardo.」.

Seeing that, the people of the royal capital began to stir.

“......What is all this about?”

“I-I know, right?”

“I saw the knights and soldiers coming out of the palace at dawn......”

“The knights?”

“Yes. The ones with three feathers in their helmets...... aren't they the 3rd Knight Order?”

The good people of the royal capital, with faces full of grime and looking as if they could collapse at any moment, murmured. They were all watching the knights and soldiers dragging the thugs away from a reasonable distance.

The 3rd Knight Order was the knight order that received the most support from the kingdom's commoners. This was because it was entirely composed of commoners, and many people had seen with their own eyes how they fought harder than anyone else in the war against the demons. They were the ones who had raised the name of the Plank Kingdom, which had been a small kingdom on the frontier.

At that moment, a knight on horseback was seen at the end of the procession dragging the thugs. It was the knight with three particularly large feathers stuck in his helmet, more than the other knights.

The knight's face was covered by his helmet. But because his face was covered by the helmet, people could be more certain of his identity. It was Jereuth.

“I-it's Commander Jereuth!”

“The hero's horse, 'Kartum'!”

At someone's words in the crowd, the gazes of the royal capital's citizens all turned to Jereuth.

People also recognized his beloved horse, ‘Kartum’, which was as famous as Jereuth himself.

The pride of the Plank Kingdom, a hero who received overwhelming support from the commoners as a commoner-born knight commander, and who was called ‘A single ray of light illuminating the battlefield’ for his great performance in the war against the demons with the military power of the weak nation of Plank Kingdom.

When he appeared holding the royal flag high, the crowd approached him and asked.

“C-Commander! What is all this about?”

“Did you capture all those thugs, Commander?!”

“You did it, didn't you, Commander?!”

“The Commander has purged the thugs for us!”

Should it be called crowd psychology? The people who had at first asked Jereuth ‘what is this all about’ were now convinced that ‘Jereuth had purged the thugs’.

—Our hero, Jereuth!

—Blessings to the commoner-born knight commander!

—Waaaaaaah!!

From somewhere, shouts praising Jereuth began to be heard, and the sound grew louder and louder.

Still on his horse, Jereuth took off his helmet. And he shouted.

“Today! A ‘war on crime’ has been declared in the Plank Kingdom! A war to purge the thugs and cowardly merchants who encroach on the lives of the kingdom's people!”

—Waaaaaaah!

—Jereuth! Jereuth!

—Jereuth for king!

—Let's make him king!!

It was a grateful thing for the crowd to call out his name energetically. However, in the middle of it, he heard dangerous words that should not have been there, so Jereuth judged that he had to correct them quickly.

‘Make me king...... Such words are not acceptable.’

Jereuth vigorously flapped the royal flag in his arms. It was the flag given to him by Leonardo.

Flap—!

“The one who led this ‘war on crime’ was not me! It was His Highness Crown Prince Leonardo, the one and only Crown Prince of the Plank Kingdom and the master I have sworn to serve!”

—......His Highness Crown Prince Leonardo?

—Who's that?

—Was there such a person?

—Didn't all the princes die in the war against the demons?

—Come to think of it, I think the sign Diego is wearing around his neck said something like that…….

Unlike the princes who died in the war against the demons, not many commoners knew the identity of ‘Crown Prince Leonardo’. It couldn't be helped, as he had been weak since he was young and had only stayed in his room.

The weak Leonardo had never appeared at official events, and because the power of the royal family had weakened rapidly right after he was born, the King had not been able to properly announce the birth of his youngest prince.

Jereuth frowned slightly as he observed the bewildered atmosphere of the crowd.

‘I wish the people of the kingdom knew that it was His Highness, not me, who carried out this ‘war on crime’...... That way, it will be helpful when His Highness rules this kingdom in the future.’

However, unfortunately, Leonardo was not here. If he were here now, he could have been hailed as a hero by the people of the kingdom.

‘The reason His Highness gave me the royal flag must have been to announce that this ‘war on crime’ was carried out under the royal family's command. But because I'm holding the royal flag, they are trying to make me king...... If this goes wrong, His Highness might distance himself from me because of this.’

No matter how great a person Leonardo was, he had to be wary of anyone who threatened the throne. That was only natural.

‘Should I go and bring His Highness now?’

As Jereuth looked at the gate of the royal castle about 50m away and pondered whether he should bring Leonardo, in his line of sight, he saw the familiar silhouettes of a man and a woman on the castle wall above the gate. One was the boy Jereuth himself respected—Crown Prince Leonardo, and the other was the maid that the boy cherished.

But what was strange was that Leonardo was wearing a mask. It was a mask modeled after the face of the hero ‘Gavs’ from Plank Kingdom mythology, a traditional mask commonly seen in the Plank Kingdom, known to ward off bad luck.

‘Why is His Highness wearing that mask?’

Even Jereuth could not figure out Leonardo's intention for wearing the mask. But it didn't matter. What was important now was that Leonardo had shown himself directly to the people of the kingdom, just as Jereuth had wished.

Tat-tat-tat-tat—!

Jereuth dismounted from his horse and ran quickly towards the castle wall. Then he turned around and shouted to the knights and soldiers, and the crowd.

“Look up at the castle wall! That person is His Highness Leonardo, who commanded this ‘war on crime’! He has come to greet us!”

—……!

At those words, the knights and soldiers all assumed an attention posture and looked up at the castle wall. The sight of over 2,000 troops acting in unison in an instant was intimidating in itself, so the crowd also became tense and looked up at the castle wall.

—Is that His Highness Crown Prince Leonardo?

—He's wearing a mask.

—That mask is...... ‘Gavs,’ isn't it?

—Is His Highness young? He seems a bit short and his body is small too?

—Isn't it because he's on the castle wall that he looks small? The aura he gives off doesn't seem like that of a young person.

—Isn't it because he's royalty? He must be different from us from birth!

A lofty being wearing a mask and a cloak on the castle wall.

At the appearance of the ‘mysterious Crown Prince’ who showed himself for the first time, a strange sense of anticipation spread through the crowd. Moreover, since he was a strong Crown Prince who had destroyed the thugs and wicked merchants overnight in the ‘war on crime’, the favorability and anticipation towards him were tremendous.

―…….

―…….

―…….

―…….

―…….

Although many people had gathered, not even a small whisper could be heard. It seemed as if there was no sound of breathing. The only sounds were the chirping of birds and the crying of insects from somewhere far away.

At that moment.

Swoosh—.

Crown Prince Leonardo lightly raised his hand. It was a trivial action, similar to raising a hand to greet someone.

However, as the saying goes, the position makes the man, and the impact of the small hand gesture from the mysterious Crown Prince standing on the high castle wall was tremendous.

—Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!!

—Long live His Highness Leonardo!!

—Glory to His Highness!!

—Forever! Forever!

—The great Crown Prince whom the hero Jereuth follows!!

Crowd psychology is a frightening and foolish thing, and in an instant, praise for Leonardo filled the royal capital.

That frightening and foolish thing, however, was a good thing for Leonardo.