Episode 84: The Crown Prince (3)
The Crown Prince sensed something was off, but the alcohol clouded his judgment.
“You better heed my warning! I never speak nonsense!”
As the Crown Prince rambled on, Damian began whittling a club with his dagger.
“I can’t stand anyone meddling in my affairs! So don’t you dare say a word to me!”
The once crude, thick club quickly transformed into a sleek, hexagonal baton.
“Who would ever want to fit into my father’s moldy way of thinking? Not me, that’s for sure!”
Next, Damian carved the handle, ensuring it fit comfortably in his grip.
“I’m telling you one last time! Get out by tomorrow, or else…”
“All done.”
Damian swung the finished baton lightly. It felt perfectly balanced, and the sound it made was satisfying. He admired his handiwork.
“You little… How dare you interrupt me? Do you have a death wish?”
Oliver Apple shouted, his voice booming. Damian looked at him steadily and spoke.
“I understand your feelings well, Your Highness. I was once a rogue myself.”
Oliver Apple flinched at those words. The fierce look in his eyes softened slightly.
“Re… really?”
“Of course. I understand you better than anyone.”
Damian nodded earnestly.
“It feels like the whole world is against you, and you hate being criticized.”
“Y-yeah! How did you know… You were just like me, weren’t you?”
“Only when drinking do you feel free, liberated, like your thirst is quenched.”
“Exactly! That’s exactly it! That’s how I felt!”
“I know. I know it all.”
In the kingdom, no one truly understood Oliver Apple. They were only focused on grooming him to be a flawless future king.
Oliver Apple’s heart had no choice but to close off.
But now, thinking that Damian truly understood him, Oliver Apple’s face was filled with emotion.
“Damn! I’ve been waiting for someone like you!”
Oliver Apple moved to embrace Damian, overwhelmed with gratitude.
At that moment, he realized.
Damian was tapping his palm with the baton.
“Why do you keep doing that?”
“Your Highness, people like us… we can’t change on our own.”
“W-what?”
“Sure, there might be exceptions. But I’ve never seen one. So, based on my experience… we need a shock to change. A big one.”
“Why are you coming closer? And why are you holding that baton?”
“I’ll be that shock for you.”
Damian smiled, but his eyes were cold.
“Let’s start with a light session, shall we?”
“You crazy bastard!”
The Crown Prince’s speech was suddenly clear, as if the alcohol had worn off. He pointed accusingly at Damian.
“You think you can hit me, the Crown Prince? Do you think you’ll get away with this? You and your family will pay!”
“Your Highness, if it weren’t safe, I wouldn’t be doing this.”
Damian’s words left the Crown Prince dumbfounded.
“Y-you mean… my father… gave you permission?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Then how can this be okay? Get out now!”
As Damian slowly approached, the Crown Prince screamed.
“Isn’t anyone out there? Get in here and stop this man!”
“Didn’t you order the servants not to let anyone in, Your Highness?”
“That’s right!”
With no help coming, the Crown Prince sought another way out.
He glanced at Damian, then bolted for the door.
“Oops, something’s in the way.”
Damian swiftly struck the Crown Prince’s shin. The Crown Prince tumbled to the ground, rolling in pain.
“Aaah! He really hit me! He hit the Crown Prince!”
“Please understand, this is all for your own good.”
“How dare you…!”
Damian placed the baton on the Crown Prince’s shoulder, and his face turned pale.
“Your Highness, please repeat after me.”
The first rule of reformation was to make the offender acknowledge their wrongdoing.
“You mustn’t use informal speech with me. As your instructor, I expect respect.”
“What are you talking about? I’m the Crown Prince! I’ve never once…”
Without hesitation, Damian struck the Crown Prince’s head with the baton.
“My head! My head!”
Oliver Apple clutched his head, writhing on the floor.
“Your Highness, no informal speech. Please mind your words.”
“You… lunatic… who would…”
This time, Damian struck twice in succession. Oliver Apple screamed, rolling on the floor.
“Your Highness, next will be four strikes.”
At Damian’s words, Oliver Apple shuddered.
“I-I’ll be careful with my words from now on.”
“Good. I’m pleased to see you’ve corrected one mistake.”
Damian nodded. Oliver Apple looked at him as if he were insane.
“Let’s move on. Repeat after me: Always be respectful to Father.”
“What? Be respectful to that old man? I’d have to be crazy…”
Oliver Apple’s face turned pale.
In his excitement, he realized he had slipped back into informal speech.
”…Sigh, it’s not easy, is it? But don’t worry. I’ve recently reformed someone as troublesome as you.”
Damian tapped his palm with the baton. Oliver Apple’s face turned ghostly white.
“Let’s see if we can make dust fly on a rainy day.”
The next day at noon, the King headed to the Crown Prince’s residence with Sir Liam.
Damian had sent a message, asking them to visit at this time to see something.
“Sir Liam, what do you think Damian wants to show us?”
“I can’t imagine. What could have happened in just one day…”
The two entered the Crown Prince’s residence, puzzled.
What they saw was astonishing.
“To care for the people, one must first understand their daily lives. What do they eat? What is their livelihood? What challenges do they face…”
Crown Prince Oliver Apple was diligently studying at his desk.
The King covered his mouth with his hand, overwhelmed with joy.
“Sir Damian… I’ve finished reading…”
“Then please read Thomas Apple’s 258 Rules for Advancing to a Future Society.”
“I’ve already read over 50 books since yesterday…”
“I believe I asked you to obey your instructor. It seems another lesson is in order.”
“N-no! I’ll read it! Right away!”
He was even using formal speech with Damian, who had become his swordsmanship instructor.
It was a stark contrast to how he had treated other scholars with harsh words.
“Sir Damian!”
The King couldn’t hold back any longer and entered the room. Both Damian and Oliver Apple turned their attention to him.
“W-what on earth happened? How has the Crown Prince changed so much?”
In response to the King’s question, Damian smiled.
“We had an honest conversation, sharing our similar pasts. Fortunately, His Highness understood well.”
Oliver Apple looked at Damian incredulously, but the King didn’t notice.
He was too busy wiping away tears of joy.
“Sir Damian, you are a savior… not just to me, but to this kingdom!”
“No, I simply did what was necessary.”
Damian laughed heartily. The King took his hand.
“Could you spare a moment? We need to discuss your reward!”
“Of course.”
Damian left the room with the King. This left Oliver Apple and Liam Bluegreen alone.
“What are you plotting this time?”
Once alone, Liam Bluegreen spoke in a cold tone.
“You’ve done something similar before. Pretending to change, to get what you want, only to betray His Majesty.”
His expression was one of utter disdain.
“If you pull such a stunt again, I won’t stand by…”
“Sir Liam! Please help me!”
Suddenly, Oliver Apple clung to Liam Bluegreen’s leg.
“W-why are you doing this?”
“Do you know what that Damian Haxen did to me? He… he beat me with a club… all night long!”
Liam Bluegreen’s jaw dropped.
But unlike the panicked Oliver, Liam Bluegreen remained calm and rational.
“Are you saying Sir Damian beat you with a club all night?”
“Yes! We must arrest him and execute him as a traitor!”
“For someone who was supposedly beaten, you seem quite well.”
”…What?”
Liam Bluegreen looked Oliver Apple over.
“Someone as untrained as you would be seriously injured from even one hit. Yet you have no bruises, no swelling, and you’re moving just fine.”
“Well… that’s… that’s because…”
When Oliver Apple found himself at a loss for words, Liam Bluegreen spoke with a disdainful edge.
“Your Highness, no matter how much you dislike Sir Damian, to resort to such slander? I never expected to be disappointed by you in such a novel way.”
“Sir Liam! No, that’s not it! Truly, I mean it…”
Liam Bluegreen, unwilling to hear more, left the room.
Left alone, Oliver Apple stood there, looking utterly bewildered.
“Here’s the other bottle I promised you!”
The moment they reached the drawing room downstairs, the king handed Damian a stone vial.
“You have no idea how happy I am right now! I’ve never been this joyful in my entire life!”
The king’s face was lit with a smile that seemed unshakeable. It reminded Damian so much of his own father that he couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
“Speaking of which… if we dig through the royal archives, we might find another bottle. So…”
“Your Majesty, please don’t worry. I have no intention of leaving the Crown Prince’s side just yet.”
At Damian’s words, the king’s expression brightened even more.
“I understand well, having a similar past myself. Things have changed, but there will still be many temptations to face.”
“Indeed… it must be so.”
“So until His Highness can completely overcome those temptations, I plan to stay by his side and… well, lend a hand.”
Damian said with a smile, and the king was moved beyond words.
‘It would be a shame to end things like this.’
While forcing Oliver Apple to study, Damian discovered something intriguing.
Oliver Apple’s genius was genuine. No matter how difficult the book, he could quickly understand and memorize it.
‘He definitely has talent. But in his past life, he ascended the throne unprepared and led the country into hardship.’
Damian had to stay until the kingdom’s impending attack occurred anyway.
So, he decided to transform Oliver Apple during his stay.
He wasn’t confident he could mold him into a wise or great king, but at least he could make him a decent person.
‘And maybe snag another bottle of royal jelly while I’m at it.’
Everyone seemed happy with the situation.
Everyone except one person, that is.