The Lord Just Wants to Have Fun

“What does it say, my dear?”

At Gerard’s question, Amelia read aloud the contents of the letter.

“Karl wants me to return to the capital and serve as regent.”

“What? Are you serious?”

“Yes. If I acknowledge him as king and accept the regency, he promises to overlook everything that happened in the past.”

“That can’t be…”

Gerard, still in disbelief, took the letter and read it multiple times before speaking with certainty.

“This is a trap. He’s pretending to be magnanimous, only to lure us into the capital and ambush us.”

“Karl isn’t the type to be that deceitful.”

If he were, he would have marched his army straight to the Vesvallen Embassy rather than dealing with the situation at the outer city walls.

“I’ll accept this offer. With the tide turning, there’s no guarantee the northern nobles will remain loyal to our faction. It’s better to wait for an opportunity while keeping a low profile.”

Karl was still young.

It would be too burdensome for him to turn both factions into enemies at once, so he likely wanted to use her to eliminate the Duke’s faction first.

And besides… he was never one to enjoy bloodshed.

If she took on the role of regent, she would have a say in state affairs as a senior member of the royal family.

With that influence, she could rebuild her power and, eventually, claim the throne for herself.

While Amelia saw this as an opportunity, Gerard had a different opinion.

“I don’t like this. Wouldn’t it be better to head north and rally our forces?”

“Do you want a civil war? Are you trying to make me the queen of a ruined kingdom?”

Amelia had been willing to go to war if necessary, but she wasn’t foolish enough to choose a difficult path when an easier one was available.

“But what if Karl changes his mind…?”

“I don’t care for your opinion.”

She had listened to her husband before and ended up regretting it bitterly.

This time, Amelia was determined to follow her own judgment.

“Order the army to turn back! We’re returning to the capital, Aras.”

“No! If we go, we’ll be walking to our deaths!”

Gerard protested frantically, but no one paid attention to the cowardly prince’s words.

Even the Vesvallen nobles accompanying him ignored his protests.

******

A few days later, Princess Amelia entered the royal capital, Aras.

“Look over there, it’s Princess Amelia’s army.”

“How shameless! How dare they crawl back here?”

“What is His Majesty thinking…?”

Amelia ignored the murmurs of the townspeople and headed straight for the palace.

Her plan was simple—greet Karl, flatter him just enough, and begin her role as regent.

But then…

“Ah… Amelia?!”

“What is he doing here?!”

Inside the grand hall, she came face to face with Duke Volzard and was utterly stunned.

Duke Volzard’s face twisted in equal shock.

“How is a traitor who set fire to the capital standing here?!”

“Traitor? I was merely trying to recover the sacred relic. Things just got out of hand! And Karl—no, His Majesty—agreed to overlook it.”

“What?! That’s absurd!”

“Not only that, but he appointed me as Prime Minister.”

Prime Minister—the head of the cabinet and the highest-ranking official in the administration.

Its authority and prestige were no less than that of a regent.

And knowing Volzard, he would make sure it held even greater power.

“This… this can’t be happening… Then my appointment as regent was just…”

“Regent? You?”

Finally grasping the situation, Duke Volzard turned his disbelieving gaze to Karl, who sat on the throne.

Karl, adjusting the crown on his head, smiled sheepishly.

“As you both said, I’m young. The more experienced people I have by my side, the better.”

“This is ridiculous…”

“The people are suffering from the long drought. If the two of you, who were willing to bear disgrace for the kingdom’s sake, truly care for this nation, I trust you will set aside your differences and work together to rebuild it.”

Karl’s innocent smile felt like a devil’s smirk to both Duke Volzard and Amelia.

‘So, he’s telling us to work together, but what he really means is that we should fight each other.’

Watching from the side, Marquis Marteze scoffed.

At first, when Karl had laid out his plan, even he had been skeptical.

Would those two really accept it so easily?

But the bait of amnesty and high-ranking positions had lured them right into the trap.

Now, they had no way out.

Instead of scheming for the throne, they would be stuck within the palace—watching, suspecting, and battling each other.

‘Heh… Thank you, Baron Brandel. Thanks to your advice, I no longer have to worry about those two.’

The young king, blissfully unaware of how much he had misunderstood, sent his gratitude toward Philip—who was likely heading back west.

And he looked forward to seeing him again.

*****

“Ugh… someone must be talking about me.”

Philip rubbed his ear as he sat inside the carriage.

Suddenly, a loud cheer erupted from outside.

“Waaaah!”

“We’re finally home!”

The sight of Baron Brandel’s flag waving over the front gate sent waves of joy through the forty knights and soldiers accompanying him.

They embraced each other in celebration.

A journey that had begun with the sudden death of the king…

The unexpected battle and sacrifices they had faced in the capital…

And now, the long road home.

It had been a grueling and exhausting time.

“Fifteen days since we left the capital, huh?”

“Yes, much longer than it took to travel there.”

The reason for the delay? Their party had grown significantly.

Along with the mage Myron Phel and his apprentices, and the healer Yordan, over a hundred others had joined them.

Most of them were refugees they had picked up along the way.

Each time they encountered a small group of wanderers, they had taken them in, and before they knew it, the numbers had swelled.

‘Liberta, are you trying to become a philanthropist? Is that why you refuse to go be a saintess in the temple?’

Liberta had insisted on taking in every refugee they met.

Since she had kept her promise of making top-quality potions, Philip had no complaints and allowed her to do as she pleased.

‘So what? I never said I didn’t want them.’

With a shameless grin, Philip led the procession forward.

Before long, they arrived at the gates of his keep.

“My lord, welcome back!”

“It is truly a joy to see you return safely!”

The retainers waiting at the castle gate greeted him warmly.

Philip exchanged pleasantries before asking:

“Has there been any trouble in the territory?”

“Fortunately, nothing major has occurred. We’ll provide a full report once inside.”

“Good. Make sure these people get settled in and get some rest.”

After entrusting the newly arrived recruits and refugees to his retainers, Philip finally entered his manor.

There, he soaked in hot spring water brought from Silon Village, washing away the fatigue of the journey.

Refreshed, he then summoned his retainers for a meeting.

Seated at the head of the table for the first time in a while, he was immediately questioned by Carpenter.

“My lord, were you able to attend the late king’s funeral properly?”

“Yes. I even stayed to witness the coronation of the new king.”

Philip recounted the events that had transpired in Aras, though he omitted the details of his ordeal at the Temple of Water—there was no benefit in spreading that story.

Instead, he spoke about how Duke Volzard’s men had attacked them at the inn…

And the subsequent street battle between the Duke’s faction and the Princess’s faction.

“What?! The Duke of Volzard attacked us?!”

“Our territory is at the farthest western edge, with no reason for enmity!”

“Enmity? We’ve never even interacted with them before!”

When the retainers heard that five of their soldiers had died and a dozen were injured, their anger erupted.

Regardless of rank or title, Grand Dukes were technically considered equals under the king.

‘If people found out that the Duke was involved with demon worshippers, they’d be horrified.’

But Philip had no intention of exposing that fact.

Aside from the divine mission he had received, there was no solid evidence.

That’s why he hadn’t even told Karl.

If he used it to attack the Duke’s faction now, they would just deny everything or sacrifice scapegoats to cover their tracks.

Instead, he focused on more immediate matters.

“In any case, compensate the families of the five fallen soldiers generously.”

“Yes, my lord. We will also remain vigilant against the Duke’s faction from now on.”

“And we will do our best to gather information on the Duchy of Volzard.”

Once the initial outrage had settled, the retainers began reporting on the past month’s affairs in the domain.

Everything from the foundry and fortress construction, the settlement and training of the newly arrived refugees, and the management of workshops and mines was covered in detail.

By the end of the hour-long briefing, Philip leaned back in satisfaction.

‘Everything ran smoothly even without me.’

Daron, Buchini, and Boris were all capable administrators.

Their only flaw had been a lack of initiative and creativity.

But with Jude and the Socra College scholars filling that gap, the domain’s administrative efficiency had practically doubled.

‘Good job, work slaves. Keep this up so I can enjoy my hobbies in peace.’

Of course, he kept these thoughts to himself. Instead, he gave a rare word of praise:

“Ahem. You’ve all done well in my absence. Expect a reward.”

“Thank you, my lord!”

The moment Philip mentioned rewards, his retainers’ faces lit up with joy.

He planned to distribute some of the gifts he had received from Karl—including gems like amber and ruby, as well as rare eastern goods like lapis lazuli, silk, and coral.

‘Karl must have really taken a liking to me.’

Philip appreciated the sentiment, but he had no intention of becoming a central government official anytime soon.

Just as he was about to move on, he remembered something important.

“Oh, right. How’s the magic research institute coming along?”

“The building has been completed as per your orders. But have you secured a mage?”

Carpenter’s question made Philip grin.

“I brought four mages from the Royal Magic Tower. Myron Phel and his apprentices.”

“What?! Myron Phel?”

Jude and the Socra College scribes gasped in shock.

“Why? Who is he?”

Seeing the confusion on the older officials’ faces, Jude quickly explained:

“He’s a legendary artifact master, known as the greatest enchanter of the Royal Magic Tower. He created his first magic circle at the age of seven. His apprentices are also rumored to be exceptionally talented.”

“What?! A genius of that level agreed to come here?”

“Someone like that wouldn’t leave the Tower for mere gold…”

The retainers stared at Philip in awe.

Feeling a bit awkward, Philip scratched his head.

The notorious troublemaker reputation of Phel’s group wasn’t well-known outside the Magic Tower.

Once they started working in the Brandel Barony, everyone would realize the truth soon enough.

‘Well, as long as they produce results, their messes can be cleaned up.’

On the way back, Philip had spoken extensively with Dr. Phel about various research topics.

Some of them were already well-developed and could yield results relatively quickly.

“I also brought a healer named Yordan, but you don’t need to worry about him. I have my own plans for him.”

“Understood.”

Philip had kept a close eye on Yordan throughout the journey.

The man hadn’t done anything overtly suspicious, but Philip couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

So, he had already devised a way to test him.

“But, my lord… who is the apprentice priestess who accompanied you in the carriage?”

At Buchini’s question, all the retainers turned their attention to Philip.

To be honest, this was what they were most curious about.

‘Why is everyone staring at me so intensely?’

Had they sensed something unusual about Liberta?

Perhaps they had detected her immense divine power.

Philip hesitated, considering how much he should reveal.

After a moment, he finally spoke.

“Well… she is…”