I’m Going to Destroy this Country

The Holy Empire of Hella.

Hella, boasting a history of thousands of years, has a name as lofty as its long history.

The ruler of fertile lands and the bloodline of the Sacred Dragon. The Hella Imperial family, which ruled over numerous countries through countless wars, is famous for receiving the blessings of the Sacred Dragon.

And even the Pope who receives the blessings of the gods.

The first Pope was the blood brother of the first Emperor, and he has supported and assisted the Imperial family throughout history.

In a word, it means the Hella Imperial family, who uses the Pope’s support and the power of the Sacred Dragon, has everything.

It wasn’t for nothing that they were called one of the three tyrant kings of the continent, and it was unknown how many heads had been cut off by the hands of the Hella Imperial family.

It wasn’t for nothing that there was a saying that one had to be prepared to enter the Imperial Palace.

Yes… But.

“It seems there’s a spy of the Skeleton King in the Imperial Palace. Find out who it is.”

“Well, that’s fine. So how much will you give me if I find them for you?”

Damn it! This crazy bastard!

Just an apprentice, and you’re already demanding compensation for the Imperial family’s words? Do you think this is a real request because it came to the Papacy!

‘This is clearly not a request, but an ‘order’ from the Imperial family!’

In the end, the priests summoned to the Imperial Palace due to Isaac’s bomb-like words had no choice but to freeze.

Especially the Papacy priest who came as a representative had the blood drain from his face.

‘What kind of crazy bastard is this!’

Even if it’s that Five Major Families! Even the Pope’s family at least pretends to hide their claws in front of the Imperial family!

But this guy, far from hiding his claws, is lying on his belly and has the nerve to tell them to cut some fruit for him!

Eventually, Shuri couldn’t stand it anymore, broke the taboo, and whispered very softly to Isaac.

“You crazy bastard. Can’t you read the situation…?!”

Usually, private chatter in front of the Imperial family is forbidden, but the Imperial servants will overlook this much. No, judging by the trembling eyes of the Imperial servants, he did very well. They have a look begging him to stop that madman.

But as if his very soft words were meaningless, Isaac raised his voice indifferently.

“Ah why. Judging from what you’re saying, it’s obvious. The risk is high, but they just exploit you. Whether you die or not while doing the mission, they’re telling you to figure it out on your own, right? If it’s the Imperial family, they should properly compensate! They’re not just delinquents.”

Hey! Come on!

The apprentices felt dizzy, and the Papacy priest who came together was on the verge of fainting.

‘No wonder the Papacy had such a worried face when sending this guy to the Imperial Palace!’

That expression asking if they really had to take him to the Imperial Palace was still vivid.

And for some reason, they firmly handed him a suicide pill.

‘It was all because of this guy!’

To die before dying at the hands of the Imperial family?!

In fact, at Isaac’s remark that had no manners, the knights and Imperial servants froze.

But Isaac continued with a face asking why they were doing that.

“Why, am I wrong? It seems there’s a spy of the Skeleton King in the Imperial Palace, but you don’t know who it is, and they even took down 6th-rank knights and even 7th-rank knights. Then the difficulty level is at least high. Shouldn’t you give a life compensation? Listening to you, it seems you haven’t prepared that like delinquents.”

“…!”

…Hey! Damn it!

Ah, it’s over now. It’s all wrong!

The apprentices will have their heads rolling at the Imperial Palace before graduation and be buried in Eshua land.

Shuri despaired, but just then, the Empress burst into laughter.

“Are you that famous youngest priest of Eshua?”

Isaac glanced at the Empress. The strong-looking Empress was sitting next to the Crown Prince.

‘But she’s not the Crown Prince’s birth mother.’

In fact, they don’t look alike.

[Wow, so that means the Queen’s son became the Crown Prince instead of the Empress’s son?]

In other words, the Imperial family is quite complicated.

[Is it a problem that it’s complicated? Ha, if I were the Empress, I would want to kill the Crown Prince. Ah, then should I stick to the Empress and get rid of the Crown Prince? She seems interested in you, Master.]

‘The Empress is on the Pope’s side.’

[Hyaak! What are you doing not getting rid of the Empress?!]

But the Empress smiled as if she found Isaac very cute.

“Yes, it was my mistake to have made a request to the Papacy. Certainly, there’s nothing satisfactory compared to the risk. I will give you appropriate compensation. Would this satisfy you? Youngest priest of Eshua?”

Only then did Isaac smile brightly.

Yes, this is how it should have been from the beginning. You bastards.

And as if he had never grumbled, he bowed his head like a merchant.

“I gratefully accept the request. Your Majesty the Empress.”

At that response, the Empress laughed again as if he was cute.

Those who thought their heads would fly off at that laughter sighed with relief.

‘I thought I was going to die.’

‘Since the Empress looked favorably upon him, he won’t die…’

Shuri had a face like he was about to cry at any moment, but Isaac was actually relaxed.

His guts are out? That was actually the biggest reason, but Isaac knew his head wouldn’t fly off anyway.

‘I heard good things through my subordinate.’

The information about the Empress that Shabnak told him was none other than this.

-It seems the Empress is showing great interest in the news that Master has made a contract with the Supreme God.

Yes, the Supreme God.

The Empress wants to make me her person no matter what.

Of course, it was for a different purpose than the Emperor and the Crown Prince, who kept the Papacy in check.

‘She wants to use me to bring down the Crown Prince.’

The Empress’s power was stronger than expected.

Why, you ask?

Why else, not only is she a powerful in-law, but it’s because of that great Pope.

‘That black hair is still the same.’

The Crown Prince, who was approaching his coming-of-age, looked almost the same as when he saw him as a baby. The expressionless face and the black hair that would be considered disrespectful in the Holy Empire.

Anyway, the Pope, who wouldn’t leave such a good thing alone, would be thinking of joining hands with the Empress to bring down the Crown Prince.

If the current Crown Prince becomes the Emperor, it wouldn’t be strange for him to sweep away the Pope’s faction.

‘If the Crown Prince wasn’t chosen by the Sacred Dragon and wasn’t at the level of a Sword Master, there would have been endless noise.’

No? Even now, seeing how they pick fights over every little thing, it’s not peaceful.

However, the Crown Prince actually seemed displeased that the Empress had called the priests.

“In the first place, it was strange to call apprentices for this kind of thing. No, there’s no need to mobilize priests either.”

No, to be precise, he seemed displeased that Isaac was called out for this kind of thing. Perhaps he didn’t want to meet with uncomfortable people like this.

However, the Empress smiled.

“But it’s true that the Skeleton King’s spy is targeting Imperial family members. Perhaps it could be a matter of targeting your life, no?”

Others agreed with the Empress’s words.

“That’s right. It’s certain there’s a spy of the Skeleton King in the Imperial Palace.”

“Yes! Weren’t magical tools and summoning items cursed by the Skeleton King found near the Imperial Palace? They’re definitely trying to summon the Skeleton King and kill Imperial family members.”

“The Skeleton King would also want to get rid of the Imperial family of Hella, the core of the holy faction.”

At those words, Isaac raised his eyebrows.

Damn bastards. Why would I.

I need to suck up to them, why!

But there was some truth to their words.

[It’s good to destroy the Imperial family to break the Sacred Dragon’s barrier.]

Yes, the Sacred Dragon is in charge of the barrier of the Holy Empire.

“Even the Skeleton King couldn’t break through the Sacred Dragon’s barrier.”

No, it wasn’t like that! He just left it alone because it was troublesome!

He left it alone because it would be a headache to get involved with the dragons who had a warrant out for him!

Then, an Imperial servant handed a document to Isaac.

“This is a list of suspicious Imperial Palace servants. We hope you can find the culprit based on this.”

The Empress smiled expectantly.

“Aren’t you the genius who made a contract with the Supreme God? We will pay you sufficiently, so please catch the culprit who is trying to harm the Imperial family.”

“Yes!”

The priests bowed their heads and left their seats. As soon as they went outside, they grabbed Isaac as if catching a mouse.

“You really! I really thought your head was going to fall off!”

“If you act so senseless one more time…!”

But Isaac grabbed Shuri and the priests seriously as if asking what nonsense they were talking about now.

“Hey, is that important now? It’s the Empress! Do you know how much money you can extort if the Empress is the other party in the deal?!”

“You…!!”

This crazy bastard, really!

“Haha! I know well that the Empress is interested in me. If we don’t take advantage of this, we’re dumb bastards!”

…Are these really the eyes of a priest?

“Since it’s like this, I’ll get close to the Empress and leech off her.”

…Why did the Supreme God choose this kind of guy?

‘Is it a trial?’

Is the Supreme God stepping up to distinguish a demon wearing the mask of an angel?

While everyone’s mentality was crumbling like that-

“Don’t trust the Empress too much.”

“!”

The Crown Prince appeared to Isaac’s group, who were huddled in the Imperial garden to scold Isaac.

“Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

The Blue priests were startled and knelt down, bowing their heads. Isaac stood upright, but reluctantly bowed his head because of Shuri.

That alone was disrespectful enough, but the Crown Prince didn’t seem to mind much and spoke to the priests.

“The Empress is only trying to use Eshua’s name. Be careful as you may lose your life.”

“…!”

Then, as the Empress showed signs of approaching Isaac from afar, the Crown Prince sighed and said:

“Still, from the Imperial family’s perspective, it would be good to catch the Skeleton King’s spy who is cursing the Imperial family. The Papacy’s priests should be able to do it.”

“Yes! Don’t worry! We can’t just watch the resurrection of that evil Skeleton King! We will definitely catch them!”

The apprentices bowed their heads while trembling, but Isaac made a shitty expression.

No, I mean. That guy has already been resurrected.

He’s right here, damn it.

* * *

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen His Highness the Crown Prince up close!”

In the dark night of the Imperial Palace.

The apprentices waiting for the spy with traps laid out had excited faces. Of course, Isaac looked at the side as if dumbfounded.

“So. Why are you here? Didn’t you say you already formed a team?”

At Isaac’s words, Shuri shouted, pointing at Shabnak.

“Why else! You think I’ll let you two be alone!”

Isaac moved his steps as if telling him to stop.

“Anyway, it’s certain there’s a follower of the Skeleton King trying to summon the Skeleton King.”

Isaac also agreed with Shuri’s words.

That was because Isaac had also found it inside the Imperial Palace. A warehouse full of items related to the Skeleton King.

And from cursed items imbued with demonic power to summoning tools.

“They seemed like a hardcore follower.”

“Well, those bastards who use the dirty and dog-like power of the Skeleton King. What they’re trying to do is obvious… Ugh!!”

Shuri looked at Isaac in surprise at the rattle attack that fell under his legs.

“Why all of a sudden!! What did I do wrong?!”

“…No. There was a cockroach on the floor.”

“…In the Imperial Palace?”

Shuri was startled, but soon grabbed Isaac in the direction he was trying to go.

“But where have you been going since earlier? The place where the Skeleton King’s follower will appear isn’t there.”

It wasn’t for nothing that they were priests of the Papacy.

Most of the apprentices noticed the follower’s purpose through the items found in the Imperial Palace. Because knowledge related to demons was the basics of the basics for Papacy priests.

“The Skeleton King’s follower is trying to summon the Skeleton King. And today is the perfect day for that summoning. Judging from the summoning circle set up and the traces left behind, it’s the Imperial Palace’s 2nd warehouse. We’ll ambush there and…”

“No, it’s not there.”

“What? The other seniors all went there to ambush.”

At those words, Isaac, who had snuck into the Imperial Palace’s garden, snorted.

“That’s a trick.”

“!”

“The real summoning place is separate.”

Seeing the installed magical tools, Isaac noticed right away. If that guy was really summoning the Skeleton King, he would use a high-ranking demon summoning circle.

“That’s in the opposite direction. It’s a trick to avoid the eyes of the priests. The Skeleton King? Judging from the installed items, it’s a one-shot.”

Then Shuri looked at him suspiciously.

‘What the hell, what is this guy and how does he know so much about the Skeleton King?’

At that face, Isaac smiled.

“How much have I investigated the Skeleton King? For the honor of the family! I will definitely finish off the Skeleton King!”

…Really? Not because of the bounty?

And then.

Someone walked into the dark garden.

“Oh, someone is really coming!”

A hooded figure headed somewhere and disappeared.

So he wondered who the culprit was, but-

“Well, the culprit is obvious.”

“What? Who is it?”

“It’s the Empress, the Empress.”

“What?! But it was the Empress who asked us to find the Skeleton King’s spy?”

“She wants to draw a line that she has nothing to do with the Skeleton King’s spy. Well, she’s confident enough to push away the priests. If we find the follower, she’ll score points with the Crown Prince or the Emperor!”

Then Whisper, who had deciphered the summoning ritual installed in the Imperial Palace, said,

[Will it really be okay? If it’s really that summoning technique, Master’s soul can be summoned.]

‘Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine. There’s no one among humans who can properly use that anyway.’

“Anyway, let’s follow them.”

But right then.

Swoosh!

Huh?

Suddenly, Isaac’s figure disappeared.

“Isaac?!”

Shuri looked around in surprise, but Isaac was nowhere to be seen.

And the place where the disappeared Isaac appeared was none other than on top of a certain summoning circle.

Uh…?

Uh uh uh uh uh?

There was no mistake.

The place Isaac was summoned to was none other than on the Skeleton King’s summoning circle.

‘Damn it, I’m screwed.’

But the person who summoned him was even more unexpected.

“…Eshua’s young master?”

“…Your Highness the Crown Prince?”

…The Skeleton King’s spy, this guy was the culprit?