The Prince Wants to Retire

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The Crown Prince Wishes to Retire

0. Prologue

“Damn it.”

A hoarse curse erupted from the thin, emaciated man lying in bed.

Next to the elegantly furnished bed stood an elderly man with white hair, wiping away tears, while a knight clad in magnificent armor wore a look of concern.

Yet, despite their worries, the man lying on the bed instinctively understood that his time was short.

“Life… really sucks.”

At the man’s words, those present in the ornate room bowed their heads in silence.

Nobody could bear to look at the frail man’s final moments.

This man, who had lived a life full of hardships, was the Emperor of this Empire.

「Kariel Friedrich von Blazer, the 128th Emperor of Estoria」

This was the name of the man destined to be forever recorded as a tyrant in the history of the Empire.

“When I die… will I be remembered as a tyrant?”

The Emperor spoke to the attendant beside him, who could not bear to meet his gaze.

“That will not be the case.”

The knight, whose expression was stern, replied.

A knight who had achieved one of the greatest feats in the history of the Empire.

The Grand Master and the commander of the Imperial Palace Knights spoke, but the Emperor merely smirked.

‘What nonsense.’

Even now, if he were to step outside, he would be met only with curses directed at him.

Perhaps when the Emperor died, the epitaph might read something like this:

The worst Emperor

Died young at the age of 31

‘Ah… so unfair.’

The Emperor gazed out the window with a frustrated expression.

It felt as if the God beyond the blue sky was mocking him.

Why had it turned out this way when he had worked himself to the bone?

If he died like this, the cause of death would undoubtedly be noted as:

Cause of death: Incurable Disease 20%, Complex Poison 10%, Overwork 70%

He had worked so hard that Overwork accounted for 70%.

Exposed to assassination threats from a young age, he had lived in a precarious environment.

On top of that, he had a congenital disease.

Despite such unfortunate circumstances, he had worked tirelessly to the point of bending his back.

And yet, this was the result.

“Cough!”

As the Emperor coughed up black blood, he felt his breath becoming shallower, reflecting on his past.

At the age of 21, he ascended to the throne in a hurry after the previous Emperor’s death, working diligently for ten years.

「Two years suppressing rebellions across the Empire」

「One year fighting wars against neighboring countries looking for opportunities」

「Two years battling the Northern Monster Wave」

「Three years waging the Second Human-Demon War caused by Dark Mages opening the Demon Gate」

「In the remaining time, he had to fend off the armies from the East Continent that invaded the Empire, which had collapsed under continuous wars」

Despite such a series of hardships, he had managed to protect the Empire.

‘And yet, I am remembered as the Empire’s worst tyrant.’

The Emperor ground his teeth, furious at his evaluation.

After working like a dog for ten years, the citizens did not like him.

There had been four major wars since he became Emperor, and he had beheaded countless nobles just to put a stop to their corruption.

To the citizens of the Empire, he was a tyrant who had become Emperor by luck, without the merit to back it up.

In fact, his younger brothers were far more capable, while he, being the firstborn, was simply a useless man who had ascended from Crown Prince to Emperor.

The Second Prince, talented in magic.

The Third Prince, one of the few Masters on the continent.

The citizens believed that if any of his younger brothers had become Emperor instead, the Empire would not have fallen to such a state.

Once the continent’s strongest Empire was now reduced to ruins because of a single tyrant.

Once a land of freedom, it had transformed into a nation trembling in fear due to a single despot.

The once glorious history of the Empire was speeding towards its end, marked by incompetence.

Because of this, the citizens of the Empire resented him.

When he died, it was likely they would rejoice.

“Uagh! It’s so unfair!”

Despite working like a dog, the Empire had weakened to the point where it couldn’t even be compared to before. If anything, he was just relieved that he hadn’t become the last Emperor of the Empire.

“I… just wanted to live! It’s not even my fault! Hah… those bastards, Hah… Hah….”

“Your Majesty, please conserve your strength.”

Feeling breathless, the physician hurriedly tried to calm him down.

But the voices of the citizens, eternally labeling him as a tyrant in the annals of history, drove him to madness.

“Dammit! I said I wouldn’t be Emperor, but here I am, being called a tyrant? Cough! Cough!”

“Your Majesty, please steady yourself.”

Seeing him cough up blood in frustration, the physician spoke urgently, though the Emperor, already knowing his time was near, could only shout out in anguish.

After a long while of bitterly screaming, the Emperor asked the physician with a weary expression,

“If I hadn’t become Emperor, would I have lived a bit longer?”

Seeing the Emperor’s pained face, the physician turned away, struggling to answer.

“You probably would have. If only you hadn’t worked yourself to the bone…”

The physician’s voice trailed off, and the Emperor grimaced.

“Ah… this is so damn frustrating.”

At first, he had hoped that once he became Emperor, taking various potions for returnees would improve his health, but that was wishful thinking.

He was in a frenzy due to the rebellions from his brothers and was attacked by countless assassins. Going outside the palace had become a rare event, happening just once a year. After ascending the throne, amidst the countless threats of assassination and the wars that drained the national treasury, he had lived a life worse than that of the nobles.

Having overcome several crises for the Empire, it was only when things began to settle down that his health went irreparably downhill.

“Life really sucks, doesn’t it?”

He turned to the knight standing next to him, who was the reason he had managed to survive until now and the commander of the strongest Imperial Palace Knights on the continent, wearing a sorrowful expression.

Although he was only in his thirties, he possessed overwhelming strength.

A genius worthy of leaving a mark in history.

Yet, he looked at the Emperor with pity.

“I should have served you better… I’m sorry.”

“Ha… Ha… Next… the throne will be passed on to the Crown… Princess…”

Having never even married, he had made his little sister, ten years younger than him, the Crown Princess. No matter how talented she was, it would take her a lifetime to revive this Empire.

Nevertheless, he was relieved that despite how broken the Empire had become to the point where he felt sorry to leave it behind, he had managed to clean up the pests.

Now, feeling the last moments approaching, he took one last look out the window.

“What a… miserable… life.”

“Thank you for your hard work. May you rest in peace there…”

As he heard the knight commander’s final words, the thin thread of life he had been holding onto finally slipped away.

Believing he would enter eternal rest after such a weary life,

But at the moment consciousness faded, he was engulfed by a sea of light and found himself in a pristine white space.

“Where is this…?”

-Hello?

A mischievous-looking boy waved eagerly at him.

The Emperor asked the boy as he approached,
“Who are you?”

-Me? I’m God.

Pointing at himself, the child-like God said with a bright smile.

Seeing this cheerful face, the Emperor clenched his fists with teeth grinding.

“You little punk. This is quite the meeting.”

Determined to deliver a smack to this God he vowed to hit if they ever met, the Emperor charged forward, yelling.

In response to the Emperor’s rush, the boy smiled mischievously and dodged easily.

-Isn’t it a bit much for a God to do that?

The playful God grinned as he watched the Emperor, who had suffered all his life.

The sight of the Emperor cursing up until his last moment was a source of amusement for the ancient God.

Thus, he could barely contain his laughter at the Emperor’s rudeness.

“Ah…”

Worn out, the Emperor fell to the ground.

The mischievous God approached him ever so slightly.

-Are you feeling wronged? You worked your tail off, and yet the evaluation is trash.

Veins bulged on the Emperor’s forehead at God’s mocking.

As the Emperor glared at him through gritted teeth, God whispered an enticing proposal.

-Do you want to do it again? I can send you back.

At God’s mild allure, the Emperor’s eyes shifted from anger to calm.

His furious gaze deepened, as if sinking into a tranquil sea, and he quietly regarded the God.

“No.”

-…Huh?

God was taken aback by the unexpected reaction.

-Are you not feeling wronged?

“I’m not.”

Having barely extended the lifespan of the Empire through his relentless toil, yet receiving the worst evaluation—how could he not feel wronged?

-Then why refuse?

The Emperor silently observed God.

“If you were me, would you want to go through all that again?”

At the Emperor’s question, God fell silent.

Even to himself, the Emperor had endured unimaginable hardship.

Having lived a life of nothing but struggle until the very end, even the playful God had no words.

-Are you really just going to die like this? Isn’t it a shame?

“Yeah. Not a bit.”

The Emperor’s firm response made God ponder for a moment before revealing a secret.

-What about your family back on Earth? Aren’t you curious?

“…What?”

The moment the Emperor asked in confusion, his family appeared before him.

His mother, who had become a single parent after his father died, laboriously raised her children.

His sister, who wanted to attend medical school but nearly gave up due to family circumstances.

His brother, who was barely twenty and had to settle for a job in a factory due to financial troubles.

They were living lives completely different from what he had known.

“Um…”

The Emperor gazed at his family with unfamiliar appearances, bewildered.

His mother, dressed head to toe in luxury.

His sister, now a successful doctor, owned a gigantic private hospital.

His brother had become a prominent YouTuber, driving a sports car.

All of them seemed to live happily.

-This was your wish right before you died. How does it feel?

The sight of his family living happily felt incredibly strange.

Yet it was the exact scene he had longed to see before his death, and he nodded in satisfaction.

Seeing the Emperor pleased, God smiled brightly.

-The Earth’s God lost a bet, so as a reward, you had your wish granted.

“A bet?”

-Yeah. The Earth’s God said you wouldn’t be able to protect the Empire. I bet against it, and look—a total jackpot! Life really does have its surprises!

As God beamed with delight, the Emperor clenched his fists in fury.

-Are you mad? Huh? I’m sorry. Hahaha! But I granted your wish, didn’t I? Lighten up!

Bam!

The Emperor, who felt compelled to strike back, landed a punch on God’s cheek, causing the God to chuckle.

Thanks to the Emperor, God received quite a bit of amusement and said with a grin.

-I’ve gained a lot thanks to you, so I’ll give you an extra reward.

“An extra reward?”

-Yeah, but there’s a condition.

“…What is it?”

At the Emperor’s question, God smiled brightly.

-You have to go back in time.

Upon hearing God’s words, the Emperor raised a finger, signaling an abrupt stop.

-Too much!

Seeing God try to act cute, the Emperor raised his other finger in response, causing God to chuckle.

-Are you really not feeling even a little regret?

“What?”

-If your body was okay, you could have achieved so much more.

The Emperor grimaced at God’s words.

If his body had been fine, he could have seized control of the Empire far more easily, which could have drastically changed the outcome.

-I know a way to recover your body. I’ll tell you.

“I’m not interested.”

-And I’ll throw in an extra ability as a special bonus!

“Get lost!”

The Emperor waved his hands dismissively, declaring that he was not about to fall for this God’s tricks again.

Seeing the Emperor’s resolute refusal, God cautiously approached and whispered.

-Just go back. You’ll naturally get a special ability along with it.

“……”

-There are no conditions. Just going back is enough. Don’t you wonder what you could do with a normal body?

“Hmm…”

-Honestly, aren’t you a bit regretful? How about going back to enjoy a YOLO life?

Tempted by God’s insistent persuasion, the Emperor briefly imagined enjoying a YOLO life and thought, ‘Wouldn’t that be okay?’

At that moment, God’s lips curled into a mischievous grin as he snapped his fingers.

-Registration complete!

“What?”

As the Emperor stared at God in shock, a dark hole appeared behind him and began to pull him in.

-You’ve worked hard. This time, try to live well. I don’t know if you can.

God chuckled as the Emperor’s consciousness faded along with his last words.