Finding The Traitor (Part 2)

The king leaned forward in his chair. "The General has been lobbying for a Military education instead of an intellectual one since the introduction of the project. He believes that military strength is the only way to secure our borders and expand our territory. He sees the project as a waste of time and resources and has been actively trying to undermine it."

Sig was shocked by the king's revelation. "I had no idea, Your Majesty. This is troubling news indeed."

The king nodded gravely. "Yes, it is. But you must remain vigilant. The General is a powerful and influential figure in our kingdom, and we cannot underestimate him."

Sig nodded in agreement. "I understand, Your Majesty. I will investigate this matter further and see if there are any connections between the General and the recent events in the kingdom."

As he left the throne room, Sig couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not right. He decided to pay a visit to the General to try and gauge his reaction to the project. He found the General in his office, surrounded by maps and battle plans.

"General, may I have a word with you?" Sig asked, trying to keep his tone respectful and professional.

The General turned to face him with a scowl on his face. "What do you want, investigator?"

Sig took a deep breath before continuing. "I wanted to discuss the project for educating commoners. I understand that you are not in favor of it."

The General snorted. "That's putting it mildly. I think it's a waste of resources that could be better spent on the military. Our enemies are always looking for ways to infiltrate and sabotage us. We can't risk educating morons and giving away our chances to strengthen places that truly would make a difference."

Sig furrowed his brow. "But don't you think education can also help our military, General? With a more educated population, we can have a more skilled and efficient workforce to support our troops."

The General scoffed. "That's just idealistic nonsense. The only thing that matters is strength and power. Without that, we are nothing.Thankfully not everyone in this kingdom are a lost cause.""

Sig's interest was piqued by the General's last statement. "What do you mean by that? Who do you consider not a lost cause?" he asked.

The General's expression tightened, and he remained silent for a moment before responding. "I'm not at liberty to say, Investigator. It's a sensitive matter, and I don't want to implicate anyone outside of our political world."

Sig nodded, but he couldn't help but think that the General's statement could refer to one of the princes. He decided to keep his suspicions to himself for now and continued the conversation with the General, trying to gather as much information as possible without raising any red flags.

As he left the General's office, Sig made a mental note to keep a close eye on both the General and the princes. He decided to speak to each of the princes individually to get their thoughts on the education project. He began with the eldest prince.

"Your Highness, I wanted to ask you about your thoughts on the project to educate the commoners," Sig said.

The eldest prince leaned back in his chair, considering the question carefully. "I believe it is a noble endeavor, but ultimately futile. The commoners will never be able to rise above their station in life. I believe its time and effort that could be better spent on other things, such as the military."

Sig nodded, taking note of the prince's opinion. He then moved on to the middle prince. "Your Highness, what are your thoughts on the education project?"

The middle prince furrowed his brow. "I think education is important, but we must be careful not to give our enemies an advantage. We need to ensure that only loyal citizens have access to this education, not spies from other kingdoms."

Sig nodded in understanding before moving on to the youngest prince. "Your Highness, what is your opinion on the project to educate the commoners?"

The youngest prince shrugged indifferently. "I fail to see the point. However, it makes no difference to me as I have no chance of competing with my brothers for the throne. My decisions are usually overlooked."

Sig was surprised to hear the youngest comment on this matter.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry to hear that. But I hope you understand that every citizen's voice matters, regardless of their position or your chances of becoming a ruler," Sig replied.

The youngest prince looked up at Sig with a glint in his eye. "You're right. And I do have my own opinion on the matter. In fact, I know there are two different factions in this kingdom, each supporting a different prince. One faction supports the eldest prince, while the other supports the middle prince."

Sig leaned in closer, intrigued by the youngest prince's words. "Would you perhaps know their goals?"

The youngest prince leaned in closer and whispered conspiratorially, "My eldest brother's faction is focused solely on the idea of raw military power. That's why the military general is adamant that the eldest be the next in line for the throne. The middle prince, on the other hand, takes a more passive approach to life. He believes that a kingdom can truly prosper with the help of its citizens, without the need for bloodshed. But for some reason he still does not approve of the educations project mentioned by the advisor. But I must warn you, investigator, these factions are not to be underestimated. They will stop at nothing to ensure that their chosen prince ascends to the throne."

Sig's mind was racing with possibilities. He had suspected that there were factions, but he had no idea that they were so entrenched in the kingdom's politics. "Thank you for the warning, Your Highness. I will keep it in mind."

As he left the youngest prince's chambers. Sig was beginning to see a pattern emerging. The eldest prince was against the education project altogether, while the middle prince was in favor of it with reservations. The youngest prince seemed to be indifferent to the project, but Sig couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story.