Callid led the knights and chased after Raul.

Bellia felt somehow empty at the absence of him who had been with her every day.

Even reading in the library like before, her mood kept sinking.

Of course, this was just regret for the disappearance of someone who had been familiarly by her side.

“Haa……”

She just couldn’t concentrate.

Bellia ran both hands through her hair.

But soon she messed up her hair and covered her face.

“……What familiar person.”

Thinking of Callid, who had not wanted to leave her side before departing, making excuses that he wouldn’t see her for a while, kept making her heart flutter.

‘In my previous life, it definitely wasn’t this feeling….’

Although she had never met him, when she heard the rumors, she knew for certain how terrifying a person he was.

When Raul became emperor, he had tried to kill Callid who would be an obstacle to him. But all those attempts ended in failure.

In the end, Raul gave Callid the title of grand duke and granted him territory far away. After that, Callid never returned to the capital again.

So he was a forgotten grand duke, but Bellia knew. That he didn’t come to the capital not for Raul’s sake or to avoid conflict. Just that he was waiting for the right time.

So she had told Raul that he should keep being wary of Callid. Of course, Raul at that time had no intention of listening to Bellia’s words.

‘I wonder what happened after I died……’

Of course, it was all pointless now that she had returned to the past, but she was curious.

Did Callid start a rebellion?

Were Raul and Erzé happy?

How did the Ronica Kingdom fall after all the royals disappeared…….

‘Useless thoughts. I’ve returned to the past, and none of that happened.’

Bellia shook her head vigorously.

Rather, she had to choose the timing to spread word about the gold mine.

No matter how she thought about it…….

“When the engagement date is set by the emperor’s personal letter.”

That would be the optimal time.

When all attention is focused here, she will spread rumors about the gold mine.

Adding the news of the gold mine to the fact that Callid defeated the monster and rescued Raul from crisis will make him shine even more.

‘I need people to spread the rumors.’

Of course the rumors should spread in social circles, but more importantly among the imperial citizens.

She needed to gain their support.

Rumors about Callid were already quite bad in social circles.

That must all be rumors Raul had created over a long period.

Inevitably, targeting social circles right away would be difficult, so she had to shift her focus.

‘I need to gain the support of the imperial citizens and rise from there.’

A prince wiser and warmer-hearted than anyone. Moreover, if such a prince is also talented, he will be the envy of all.

She had to instill in the imperial citizens the perception that Callid was naturally the next emperor.

Since he is the legitimate imperial prince, that shouldn’t be difficult.

Then those stories will naturally spread to social circles as well.

‘The strategy must change according to the situation.’

When putting Raul on the throne as emperor, she had targeted the imperial nobles.

Since his public image was already quite good, she had focused on spreading rumors about his excellent abilities. But for Callid it had to be the opposite.

‘Starting with the imperial citizens, I’ll make even the nobles’ hearts turn towards Callid.’

Thus overturning all the bad rumors about him, she will let the whole world know who among the two princes is worthy of the throne.

‘That would be his specialty.’

Bellia recalled someone she had tried to visit recently, then immediately picked up her pen without hesitation.

Callid continued moving while encouraging the knights. They were moving towards the location Bellia had told them about, not the one written in the report Raul had diverted.

Honestly, he was half-skeptical, but since everything Bellia had said so far was true, he decided to trust her for now.

And when they arrived at the river’s lower reaches, tracking the traces of the first prince and his knights, they found Raul and his knights under attack by an Alarag.

“Wow. What the princess said was really true?”

Acid said, very excited.

“Honestly, I doubted it at first, but now I think I can believe everything Princess Bellia says.”

Acid had disbelieved inwardly when told that Bellia had accurately pinpointed where the Alarag would appear, thinking… what would a princess who only reads books in the castle know? But Princess Bellia’s words were correct. Acid’s eyes sparkled.

At first, he had disliked how she dared to order Prince Callid around without any fear.

But since Callid liked Bellia so much and forbade any bad-mouthing about her, even though he didn’t like it, he could only watch from the side…

Honestly, both the gold mine and the monster subjugation were largely thanks to Princess Bellia. Acid felt his fondness for the princess somehow overflowing.

“Let’s go in watching the situation. It seems manageable so far.”

Callid said calmly while surveying the surroundings.

If they were going to help anyway, they should do it at the most dangerous moment, when everything seemed lost.

If they helped when there was still some leeway, it was obvious they wouldn’t think they received help and would just be wary of them.

“The first team has moved separately to the ravine, so the water flow will be cut off soon.”

Callid looked up at the sky.

The weather was good.

There wouldn’t be variables like rain or sudden gusts of wind.

“Yes. It should be settled in two hours.”

He coldly watched Raul and his knights attacking hard to destroy the Alarag from afar.

He wouldn’t be able to save all of them. Nor should he.

Even if criticized as unethical, Callid intended to appear pretending coincidence after watching their failure. So that anyone who saw would think Raul had failed, and Callid had saved him.

‘I must fulfill what Bellia wants.’

That’s how he could win her heart, right?

Callid coldly surveyed the situation.

‘Right side… Back…’

It’s a good position to attack the Alarag.

The reason Raul and his knights were struggling was also because they hadn’t properly taken their positions.

Of course, the slime making weapons unable to reach the body was also a problem, but what the hell were they doing floundering around unable to even take positions like that.

‘To use such manpower so poorly. What a fool.’

The knights led by the first prince were actually quite high-level.

The emperor wouldn’t have assigned just anyone to him.

But Raul was careless, underestimated the situation, and overestimated himself. That resulted in this current situation.

Raul isn’t particularly lacking in ability. If his abilities were very lacking, even if he was the emperor’s beloved son, there wouldn’t be so many people around him.

“The monster’s power seems stronger than expected.”

Indeed, it was completely different from the power of a typical Alarag, as Bellia had told him.

Callid closely examined the area near the monster’s tail. Of course, nothing would be visible to the naked eye, but he was somehow concerned about that area.

‘Is there really a magic stone….’

The unusual power of the monster and the location where it appeared. Not one piece of information was worthless. If Bellia had chosen Raul instead of himself, all this information would have flowed to that guy.

Callid felt very bad at the thought of an assumption he didn’t even want to consider.

Who knew it would be this fortunate that Bellia chose him to reject Raul’s proposal.

Perhaps she could have chosen a noble from the Ronica Kingdom instead of himself whom she had never met. Then she might never have met him.

‘Is it luck…?’

Callid felt good again.

Bellia sent a letter to Callid, no one else.

Even Callid, who would normally have ignored it, came to the Ronica Kingdom in person after seeing the letter.

It started from a very small whim, but these small things gathered to create their current relationship.

“Your Highness. The first prince has been injured. Shall we go in now?”

At Acid’s words, Callid surveyed the battlefield again.

Raul was wounded and the knights were barely holding on.

Should he wait a little longer, or…

‘Should I go in now.’

Raul, with an injured shoulder, retreated to the rear while bleeding.

There were casualties among the knights as well.

There were no fatalities yet. Callid silently watched them for a moment.

“If we leave them, they’ll be annihilated.”

…The knights are innocent.

It would be unfair for them to face death, caught up in the princes’ power struggle.

Callid nodded.

“Everyone, prepare for battle.”

Shing.

The sound of swords being drawn was heard.

The knights’ eyes shone at the long-awaited battle.

An Alarag would be quickly dealt with if the first team blocks the water flow well.

“From now on, we save Prince Raul and the knights. We start subjugating the Alarag after rescuing them all.”

“Yes!”

Callid looked at Raul with coldly sunken eyes.

“Then we begin the operation.”

The knights from the 2nd Prince’s side who joined the battlefield instantly drew the Alarag’s attention and rescued the knights and 1st Prince Raul, retreating to the rear.

To prevent the monster from moving, Acid and several knights remained by the river to confront the Alarag, while the rest of the knights and Callid began treating those who were severely injured from the battle with the monster in the rear.

It was only emergency treatment, but it was a valuable response that could save lives.

“How did you…”

Raul, with a severely injured shoulder, discovered Callid’s face in his hazy consciousness.

Callid did not answer Raul’s question. Soon Raul lost consciousness, and Callid, who had been quietly looking at his unconscious brother, turned around without hesitation and approached the monster.

The 1st Prince’s knights watched with admiring eyes as Callid drew his sword from his waist.

Although his personality was nasty and his conduct was bad, as expected of Duke Tessa’s grandson, his skills were real.

Eventually, as the knights sent upstream succeeded in blocking the water flow, the water flowing in the river gradually decreased and finally revealed the bottom.

“Everyone surround and attack the monster. Don’t waste time! Cut off its breath in one go!”

“Yes!”

The Alarag’s arm was severed by Callid’s swinging sword.

The knights stabbed their swords into the monster from all directions.

Without water, the monster collapsed unable to exert any strength.

“Waaah!”

Both the watching 1st Prince’s knights and those who fought together couldn’t hide their surprise at the scene subdued in an instant and shouted.

Callid walked towards the monster’s tail, ignoring the noise behind him. Then he stabbed his sword in without hesitation.

With a click, there was a sound of metal hitting metal.

“Ha…!”

There, just as Bellia had said, a magic stone really existed.