I’m Going to Destroy this Country

Eshua mansion.

“What? Isaac was gambling?!”

Lilai, who had returned home, gaped.

He had been looking for traces of his missing brother and sister-in-law in Delos.

And recently, he was examining the ‘Unresolved Mission List’ for Isaac, who had failed the promotion exam.

There was a way to be promoted through other conditions instead of the exam. It was good that he had found that method and returned home in high spirits, but…

‘Isaaaaac!’

A priest gambling! What nonsense is this!

Seeing Lilai’s expression, Noel smiled triumphantly.

“As soon as he returns to Hella, he does such a rotten thing. And he’s still the junior family head?”

“…!”

Lilai was speechless at his brother’s attack. If it were any other matter, Lilai would have argued, but he couldn’t possibly defend gambling.

Aren’t alcohol, women, and gambling the greatest taboos for priests! More than that, does that guy just go around digging up such petty things?

“Besides, didn’t he fail the promotion exam? If he can’t become a 1st-class priest, Father won’t teach him the Cardinal’s vision either. Is Isaac really okay?”

“Ugh…!”

As Lilai’s face froze, Benjamin walked by. Seeing the appearance of the financial manager known for his integrity in Eshua, Noel sneered as if he had been waiting for this.

“Don’t you think so, Brother? The junior family head gambling, what could he be thinking…”

“Shut up! What’s wrong with gambling!”

…What?

“At least he’s making money! Have you guys earned even a penny recently?!”

“…!!”

Benjamin approached Noel, pointing his finger as if he had been caught red-handed. He looked like he was about to pick up and throw a nearby vase.

“Do you know how much money you took away under the pretext of social gatherings?!”

“Ugh…!”

“At least Isaac multiplies money with his own money and brings it back! You money-wasting parasites! You bastards who are of no help to the family!”

Benjamin threw whatever he could grab at Noel.

“Do you! Know! How much! Money! Isaac! Earns! Who do you! Think! Is earning! The money you use!”

“No… Gah!”

“Moreover, Isaac extorts money from criminals who plundered and returns it to society! Do you know how lovely that is?”

“Ow! All the household items are breaking…”

“You guys have no money now! Get lost!”

At Benjamin’s roar, Noel gritted his teeth and disappeared.

When Noel disappeared, Lilai thanked Benjamin for driving him away.

“I didn’t expect Brother Benjamin to defend Isaac…”

“I like those who earn money well.”

“…It sounds to me like you hate him.”

Benjamin clicked his tongue and pushed up his glasses.

“Protect Isaac well. Those guys, it doesn’t look good.”

“What do you mean it doesn’t look good?”

“They’re not the kind to sit back and watch Isaac become the family head. And for some reason, the Pope has been just watching for years.”

“That’s just your imagination… No, of course it’s a problem if Isaac can’t become the family head if he doesn’t pass the promotion exam, but… Guh!”

Then Benjamin’s intelligent eyes sharpened.

“That’s not it. I hear Kaya will soon reach 9th rank.”

“Kaya?!”

Kaya is Noel’s daughter. And for a woman of the Eshua family to reach 9th rank meant the birth of a Saintess.

“It means she could become the Saintess of this generation.”

“…!”

“What about Leia?”

“She’s still at 8th rank.”

Lilai furrowed his brow with a groan.

The existence of a Saintess has a special meaning in Eshua.

“Could they be planning to use the Saintess to take away the family head position?”

“I don’t know what they’re plotting. Anyway, tell Isaac to become a 1st-class priest quickly. No, before that, a 2nd-class priest first…”

It was right then.

“Bring out the horse!”

As Melissa came out hurriedly while getting dressed, her sons were startled.

“Mother?!”

“Where are you going in such a hurry in that state?”

“I hear the Skeleton King’s body has appeared.”

Lilai was shocked.

“Did Isaac finally excrete it?!”

“That can’t be!”

Benjamin, who shouted, looked at Melissa.

“What do you mean the Skeleton King’s body?”

“I hear Isaak’s body has appeared in Julius. I’ll have to examine it in detail, but it must be the body scattered by the effects of the seal.”

“!”

“If we have that, Isaac could pass the 2nd-class priest exam by being recognized for that achievement.”

Passing the 2nd-class priest exam! The eyes of the uncles who knew Isaac’s grades changed.

“I’ll go right away…”

“Actually, a request came directly to Isaac, but the Pope issued a travel ban. He said direct descendants of the Five Great Families are banned from traveling abroad.”

“What?!”

Lilai spoke as if dumbfounded.

“Then what about Julius, the requester? Didn’t they make the request because they’re suffering damage?”

“That’s why they say they’ll send direct descendants of other Five Great Families instead of Isaac.”

Benjamin let out a hollow laugh.

“What the hell. Aren’t they direct descendants too?”

“So they say they’ll temporarily relinquish their family positions and send them as envoys of the Papacy.”

“Huh, it’s just wordplay.”

“They know Isaac can’t give up his position because others will take it immediately if he does. I heard they’ve already given thousand-li horses to the other families.”

“Thousand-li horses?!”

The two cursed, saying the Pope really made up his mind.

“That’s why I’m going to protest. Do they think we’ll let others take Isaak’s body?”

“What about Isaac?”

“I hear he went to the Crown Prince’s palace. He might have gone because of the travel ban.”

“Ah…”

They sighed.

The Crown Prince had already become hostile to priests because of the Pope after the coming-of-age ceremony. In fact, he had become cold to priests since then.

The Cardinals were having trouble because he wouldn’t even show his face no matter what bribes they offered or tricks they tried.

Isaac would probably be turned away by the Crown Prince too.

* * *

Crown Prince’s palace.

Everyone was shocked at the sight of the Crown Prince who had come running in a hurry.

‘What’s going on?’

‘Didn’t he threaten to reject all priests, no matter who they were?’

‘Wasn’t he about to cut ties with the Blue too?’

We thought he was really going to make an enemy of the Papacy this time…

“Y-Your Highness?”

He seems to have come running at Isaac’s letter.

And not just running. He looks like he bumped into something in his haste…

“…Your Highness?”

The Crown Prince subtly avoided the gazes of the maids and servants.

Isaac smiled brightly as if he had been waiting for this. It was a smile that seemed to say ‘Did you think you could beat me?’

“Your Highness. I’m sorry I couldn’t attend your coming-of-age ceremony.”

Realizing the situation, the Crown Prince turned around subtly.

“I just got lost looking for the restroom. I’m leaving.”

The servants were shocked.

No, Your Highness! Getting lost is a problem in itself?!

Amidst the servants’ pupils shaking, Isaac smiled slyly.

“Are you sure you can leave? I thought you came after seeing the letter.”

“!”

At Isaac’s words, the Crown Prince’s head turned fiercely.

Isaac’s letter consisted of just one line.

—I’ll tell you whether I’m the Skeleton King or not.

At the Crown Prince’s expectant gaze, Isaac chuckled. This was something the Crown Prince had been curious about regarding the Skeleton King, but Isaac had never given an answer before.

“Will you really tell me?”

The Crown Prince’s eyes, usually cold and expressionless, were rarely filled with expectation. It was like the gaze of an adult about to achieve a lifelong dream.

Then Isaac tilted his head as if asking what nonsense he was talking about.

“Tell you what?”

“You said you’d tell me!”

“That was just to call you here. It was a lie.”

“…”

The Crown Prince’s face rotted with disgust.

Isaac smiled with crescent-shaped eyes.

“As if I’d be the Skeleton King? Of course not.”

“…I’ve been scammed. I’m leaving.”

As the Crown Prince tried to leave dejectedly, Isaac smiled like a devil as if asking where he was going.

“If you leave, I’ll go to the Magic Empire?”

Huh?

The Crown Prince who was about to leave glared at Isaac. He could ignore it, but unfortunately, he couldn’t ignore it.

-Please send Brother Isaac to the Magic Empire.

That damn prince of the Magic Empire was asking for Isaac to be handed over. No, if only that prince was interested, he could just ignore it.

-The Empress of the Magic Empire asks to see Eshua’s junior family head.

Could it be that they’ve noticed something about the Skeleton King?

If the Skeleton King goes to the Magic Empire, it’s a national crisis. No, before that, would he send the Skeleton King to those enemies?

At the Crown Prince’s gaze, Isaac laughed, puheh.

“Is it okay if I go to the Magic Empire?”

At those words, the Crown Prince sat down as if he had never tried to leave.

Isaac grinned.

“That’s right, that’s right. As the one who will become Emperor, you should listen to your subjects.”

“…”

The Imperial Princess looked at Isaac in amazement.

This was the first time she had seen someone handle her brother like that. And the Skeleton King? Her eyes sparkled.

But Isaac smiled mischievously.

“Now then, please listen to the request details.”

The Crown Prince raised his eyebrows as if dumbfounded.

“You’re just using me. You didn’t even come when it was important.”

“If you listen to the request details, you’ll be interested. Is it okay if you don’t hear it?”

He sighed.

He realized it clearly on the day of the coming-of-age ceremony.

-Do you really think Your Highness can become Emperor? A cursed black-haired bastard who even killed his own mother.

-!

-It would be better for this country if you yielded to a much better candidate.

-A better candidate, do you mean the 3rd Prince?

-Yes. Unlike someone, he’s recognized by God and won’t ruin the country.

The Crown Prince gritted his teeth, recalling the Pope’s words.

That damn divine recognition. In the first place, it was the priests who killed his mother.

The Crown Prince’s eyes grew cold. He spoke as if he had made some decision.

“Let this be the last time I show favor to the Blue. From now on, I’ll cut off interest in you or the Blue. No matter what deal you bring, I’m not interested…”

“The Skeleton King’s body has been discovered.”

At those words, the Crown Prince who was speaking froze.

“What…? What appeared?”

Isaac grinned.

“I thought you weren’t interested?”

“…I just became interested.”

“I thought you were cutting off interest in the Blue??”

“…I’ll have it again.”

“I need to bring the Skeleton King’s body anyway? They say I can substitute the promotion exam if I solve an ‘unresolved mission’.”

I need to become a 1st-class priest to receive the family head’s vision from Grandpa.

“Unresolved mission? Ah, you mean the list of historical unsolved missions that the Holy Empire’s ancestors couldn’t solve.”

There certainly seemed to be something like that.

A mission to find the Skeleton King’s body.

“I hear the Skeleton King’s body has appeared in Julius? If I bring that, I can be promoted, but the Pope has damn well issued a travel ban? Isn’t that mean? If I get it, I could show it to Your Highness too, but oh my. I can’t leave! Oh my! If others take it, Your Highness won’t even be able to see it. Oh my!”

“I’ll… appoint you as a special envoy of the Imperial Family.”

At those words, the head maid was startled.

Not just an envoy, but a special envoy of the Imperial Family means having proxy authority comparable to the Holy Empire’s Imperial Family while dispatched!

The special envoy could handle Imperial-owned institutions, objects, and even the military. Of course, there are permitted ranges, but they could practically swallow a whole kingdom. They could even ignore the Pope’s orders.

“Since Father has delegated certain authority to me, my appointment alone is virtually equivalent to an Imperial proxy. There should be nothing that can stop you.”

“!”

An Imperial proxy!

…No, is it okay to do this?!

“So make sure to bring it.”

Your Highness!

The head maid and servants looked at the Crown Prince in bewilderment, but Isaac chuckled, puhuhuhuuu.

‘It seems you’ve had a hard time mentally because of what happened at the coming-of-age ceremony. Don’t worry. This brother will put you on the Emperor’s throne.’

It seemed clear that the Pope intended to put another prince on the throne and make a Saint from Gold’s bloodline, not Eshua. I’ll smash that plan first.

“Oh, and-“

The servants flinched.

No, stop!

Whatever it is, that’s enough now!

“I need a thousand-li horse too.”

“A thousand-li horse?”

“Yes. The others will receive thousand-li horses from the Pope and go to Julius first.”

“The Imperial Family doesn’t have things like thousand-li horses.”

Damn. Was that too much to ask after all?

“We have something better.”

At that answer, Isaac laughed.