Headache

I rub my forehead as I can feel a headache begin to attack my brain.

"Look. The only reason why I agree to meet you is that you are the son of a king in the eastern kingdom. That is the only respect I can give you, and right now, that respect is already gone. Take him away."

My guard takes the arrogant bastard while he is shouting something to me.

"You bastard! You did not know who you were dealing with! I'm the crown prince of Variks empire! I will have your head in pike! I will r*pe your woman! I will make them my slave!"

I hold myself from summoning my spear and stab that little shit right in his heart. I did not want another war.

I released a relieved breath when the little shit voice disappeared, finally.

"Richard, How much do you know about the Variks empire?"

"Variks empire is closer to us than any other empire and kingdom in the eastern continent. They are richer than us because they have many gold mines inside their territory in terms of economy. This is the reason why their empire is strong. They have too many gold mines."

"In terms of Army?"

"They still win in numbers. As for might… I cannot say. There is a rumor they have a powerful individual working for the empire. However, there is no evidence of this rumor. In the last war they participated ten years ago, they lost almost ten thousand men. If they have a powerful individual, they will win with fewer casualties. I also hear there is a distrust between nobles in the empire. While they have the number, they cannot march their full force as each noble in the empire wants to sit on the throne."

"I see. Their stability?"

"Getting worse. Like all of the kingdoms in the world, they experienced the harshest famine in their generation. With the nobles keeping the food for themselves, the commoner became unrest, and many people died. I already hear a whisper of revolution going on."

"I see. While I hate doing this, that little shit really presses the button he should not press. Richard, I was hoping you could order all of our merchants to increase the price of their goods that go to the Variks empire. Make it thirty times its original price. I also want the same treatment for all merchants coming from the said empire. Sell them the goods at that price. When they ask the reason why, tell them what that little shit said to me."

Let it not be said that Isaac Lionheart is too weak to retaliate against someone saying something bad to his face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

|Jafariun Veltur, Duke of Variks Empire POV|

"You did what?!?"

"Hmph! That little king should kneel in front of me and kiss my feet! Does he not know who I am?!? I'm the son of the emperor!"

"You idiot!"

*BAM*

I punched my nephew hard enough to send him flying and destroy the bookshelf.

"Do you know what you have done?!?"

I glare at my nephew, Padur, with all the hate I can give him.

"I show him how to treat a royalty! He is nothing but a small king from a small kingdom! I showed him his place! Under my feet! I show him I can r*pe his women if I want to! That is what I do! You are a duke of the mighty Variks Empire! You should do the same! Instead, you decide to wait here and prepare a gift for him! What kind of duke are you!"

*BAM*

Once again, I punched him right in the face and threw him away from my room. I walk toward him and look at the guard in front of my room.

"Take him away. Make sure he did not get away from his room. Seal off his window and lock his door. If he tries to get away, I permit you to break his leg."

The guard did not say anything and only took the little bastard to his room.

"Why are you doing this, uncle?!? I'm doing what the royal family should do!"

I ignore that little bastard and decide to sit down on the couch inside my room. That little shit has caused the empire's downfall. This is the reason why I hate all my brother's family. All of them do not deserve the royal title. All of them think with their crotch.

Variks empire is not what it used to be. They still think the empire is like the empire in the past. Full of gold, full of food, and an army that can beat anyone. Sadly it was all in the past. Even before the famine swept the land with its curse, the Variks empire already started breaking.

There is already news of the gold mines beginning to be depleted and how there is no more gold source to be found. There are at least twenty gold mines already depleted this year, and it is starting to spread.

We are lucky that the Prime Minister and I successfully created a false rumor covering up the news of the depleted gold mines, but I know it will not last long.

However, instead of starting to save some money, the emperor decided to hold more parties. A useless kind of party. His son can read simple sentences? Party. The emperor and his hunting party successfully hunt some rabbit? Party.

What made matters worse, it was not a cheap kind of party—the most expensive wine, expensive food, and even new expensive clothing.

The Prime Minister and I had a hard time saving as much money as possible, but it was all for naught as the king spent more money than we can save.

And right now, my brother's son decided to insult the only king that can give us food right in his palace. Oh, it was not a small insult, no... That little shit has a gal to say he wants to r*pe his wife. That little shit wants to r*pe a woman that can kill him with a flick of her finger.

"My lord…"

I snap from my thoughts when I see a young man walk inside my room.

"Tahruin. Please tell me you have good news."

"Sadly, no."

I release a tired sigh before getting up to take a bottle of Northern Whiskey from the drawer and pour a little of it into the glass before giving it to my most trusted man.

"Here. Tell me what news you bring?"

"Lorian people begin to change their behavior toward our merchant, my lord."

"So, the news already spread out? That is fast. It only has been what? Three hours?"

"Yes."

"So. What do they do? Will they kick us out?"

"Fortunately, no."

"Then what? Spit it out already"

Tahruin takes a deep breath before saying.

"They increase the price of goods."

"By how much?"

"Thirty times, my lord."

"Dammit!"

I want to kill that little shit with my own hand, but he is still my nephew and the son of the emperor. I drink the whiskey in a single breath and say.

"Let's get out of here. I did not want that little shit presence making the relationship with the Lorian kingdom even worse."

"Ah! Before you go, there is another piece of news I need to tell you, my lord."

"What is it?"

"I hear the rumor that anyone that gets caught selling Lorian goods to the Variks empire will be banned from buying any goods from the Lorian kingdom."

I rub my head as another headache hits me.

"Usually, this tactic will fail as the other merchant can buy the goods from other countries, but because of the famine, Lorian can monopolize this trade as they are the largest supplier of food in the Western Continent or even the world."

"What should we do now, my lord?"

"For now, we should go back and report back to the Prime Minister. After that? We will come back here and kneel in front of King Lionheart. I did not want the stupidity of one person to kill the other and even my family."

Even if the Lion King wants my right hand, I will give it to him. We really need this food. My people already suffer enough from this famine and the monster in my territory. I did not want my people to suffer even more. I will take the risk by making illegal trade with the Lorian Kingdom if I have to.