Chapter 263
Forgiving You
Seeing Prince Joseph put on such airs, his younger brother could only chuckle. He didn’t intend to stop there, as everyone assumed...
"Indeed, asking for cooperation from many nobles is the right thing to do. However...there are some matters that only the Fernal family can handle, isn’t that right? Perhaps...it’s something that only they can do for you, brother." Jason’s gaze fixed on the head of the Fernal family, causing him to feel a surge of surprise.
Jason’s words suggested that he knew something, but how could that be? This prince was known to be naive and easily influenced, not one to suspect that the Fernal family was behind anything. However... the changes in Prince Jason today were too significant to ignore.
"Prince Jason, you overestimate the Fernal family, haha."
"Overestimate? I think I’ve underestimated you. I didn’t expect you to dare do so much."
"Hmm? You speak as if I’ve done something to displease you. If I’ve made a mistake, I beg for your mercy."
"Is that so? You still want mercy from me? Then perhaps you should ask Father about it yourself."
"What do you mean, Your Highness?" The head of the Fernal family began to sense something was amiss, but it was too late to backtrack. Prince Jason stepped forward with a mocking smile and addressed the Emperor.
"Father, before we proceed with other important matters, may I report something of great significance first!?" Jason said as he knelt down. The Fernal family head’s eyes trembled with fear as he reviewed all his past wrongdoings, making him look quite suspicious. However, the most surprised person was Prince Joseph.
"Speak," the Emperor frowned. He had no idea what his son was up to, but if it was baseless, he would punish this clueless son of his instead!
Prince Jason glanced at the Jarlon family and then at the Fernal family, who were in a tense situation. The thing they feared most was the accusation of treason. If the Emperor heard of it, severe punishment would follow, perhaps immediate execution would not be an exaggeration. However, Jason’s next words left everyone in shock.
"Father, after investigating the significant loss of resources that left our stores insufficient, I found irregularities in the Fernal family’s accounts!"
"It was they who embezzled more than 50 out of 100 of the total resources. As a result, no matter how hard the students from the institute work, the soldiers don’t receive the meat and food they should. Nowadays, soldiers on missions only get dried meat, while the soldiers guarding the Fernal family’s territories live in excessive luxury."
"In the Fernal family’s mansion, they even sell meat in front of their residence. I initially thought it was meat they had hunted themselves, but it turns out it was from the kingdom’s supplies!"
When Prince Jason said this, everyone fell silent. Ellie, who had feared the prince would accuse the Fernal family of treason in this opportunity, sighed in relief. She knew that announcing that there were rebels joining the enemy during this critical time would be highly dangerous for the Ares Kingdom. It could create a vulnerability that other kingdoms might exploit. However, it seemed this prince was not so foolish.
Perhaps it was the plan of the Jarlon family head, who appeared more dignified than even his daughter. Beneath his cold exterior lay a keen, sharp mind. He truly fitted the real power behind the throne.
To control the Fernal family’s actions, it wasn’t necessary to reveal their treasonous activities now. Using the current accusations and having all families monitor the Fernal family would ensure they wouldn’t act rashly.
Additionally, accusations of stealing food supplies were plausible. The punishment for this crime could be somewhat lenient, allowing the kingdom to turn a blind eye when convenient. Hence, the punishment this time wouldn’t be execution and apply appropriate penalties that would benefit the kingdom and a better way out for him without displeasing the emperor.
“W-What are you saying, Your Highness? I haven’t...” The Fernal family head began to defend himself, but Prince Jason had the Jarlon family soldiers bring out documents. These documents had been obtained by infiltrating the Fernal family mansion.
The Fernal family head looked at the missing accounts in shock. In fact, they knew the accounts had been stolen, but they had been trying to recover them quietly. Who would have thought that the one behind this was Prince Jason himself?
“Your Highness! Did you enter my mansion and steal these documents? Even though we are mere nobles, such actions...”
“Oh, you don’t need to try to accuse me to save yourself. I didn’t acquire these accounts myself, nor did I expect to get them. It was only when the Jarlon family was hunting beasts for my “punishment mission from Father” that they “coincidentally” encountered the thief. He was delivering this information to another buyer, but after a long chase, he escaped, leaving only these accounts.”
“When we found it was information from the Fernal family, we intended to return it. However... someone noticed odd movements within the Fernal family. To ensure everything was proper, we took the liberty of inspecting the accounts and discovered that you were stealing the kingdom’s supplies for your own benefit. Taking advantage of the kingdom’s hard work for personal gain...I can’t believe you continue to act ignorant!”
When the prince finished speaking, the Fernal family, who had been slapped in the face multiple times, fell silent. It wasn’t just the Fernal family that felt wronged; even Prince Joseph could sense his brother was exacting revenge on him.
The one who claimed that the other party was punished by their father was none other than himself. And what was this about coincidentally running into the thief but failing to capture them!? Heh, heh, heh, even a fool could see that it was all fabricated.
Before the Fernal family could argue, Prince Jason insinuated that their suspicious activities were being monitored. If they didn’t admit to stealing supplies for their own benefit, they would be scrutinized for other matters, which could be disastrous for their family. Therefore, they had no choice but to take responsibility for this matter to avoid further suspicion!
The family head gritted his teeth. He never thought that his former victim would come back and stab him with such precision and cruelty!
“Y-Your Highness, please have mercy. I had no knowledge of this. Perhaps it was the action of a greedy individual within my family. I will find the culprit and ensure they are held accountable,” the head of the family knelt down, accepting blame but still seeking a way to save himself. He was indeed a clever man.
“How could the Fernal family commit such a disgraceful act!” The Emperor reprimanded.
“As the head of the family, I failed to manage my household properly. Please allow me to atone. However...in these times of war, I believe my life can be of greater service to the kingdom than ending it. Let me repay your mercy and the kingdom with my efforts!!”
The head of the Fernal family kowtowed for mercy. Despite his admission of guilt, his words painted him in a noble light. The Emperor looked at his son. If Jason was wise, he would stop here. The Fernal family was still needed for the ongoing war. Surprisingly, Jason responded as desired.
The young man seemed different from his former straightforward self. The Emperor sighed in relief. Perhaps now...he had someone he could truly rely on.
“Good. Then go and find the person in your family responsible for this act and ensure they are punished appropriately. Additionally, as the head of the Fernal family, I order you to do your best to compensate. Since you’re skilled in potion concocting, then you must provide Invincibility Potions for the kingdom without charge during this war. If you do this, I will consider the matter of the stolen supplies closed!”
“Thank you for your mercy,” the family head gritted his teeth but bowed in gratitude for the severe punishment.
Compared to selling beast meat, their potions were far more valuable. The Emperor’s decree was akin to bleeding their family dry. With the Setter family already dominating the Invincibility Potion market, this only increased their burden.
Prince Joseph clenched his fists in anger. So, his younger brother was capable of such moves too? Wasn’t he supposed to be the honest, upright one like before? This was clearly a targeted attack against the nobles who supported him!!
"Good. As for you...for your contribution to the kingdom, I will overlook your previous weakness that caused so much trouble for many descendants from noble families here. If not for the intervention of the eldest young lord of the Setter family, you might cause the Ares Kingdom to lose many talented young people.”
“But because of your merit this time, I believe the nobles will not blame my useless son anymore. Thus, the punishment I previously gave you is no longer necessary. The missions the Ares Institute had received will now be handled personally by my guards.”
“And you...from now on, you will be responsible for guarding the supply convoy to the frontlines of the battlefield. As a capable prince, I trust you will not disappoint me.”
Upon hearing his father’s orders, Prince Jason immediately knelt to accept the command. A small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, signaling his victory over the Fernal family for the first time, even if it wasn’t what he initially aimed for.
Originally, this duty belonged to Prince Joseph. Yes! He had assigned it to the Fernal family for supervision, which explained their ability to embezzle so much from the military supplies. The unit in charge of this task stood to gain the most from any deceit.
The Emperor, by assigning this task to Prince Jason, knew he couldn’t handle it alone. It was almost like handing this responsibility to the Jarlon family.
“Father! It was my mistake to trust the wrong family. However, if you assign this task to someone else, what will people say about me?”
“I was the one responsible from the beginning. I only made one mistake. Can’t I ask for one last chance to redeem myself? Let me rectify this, and I won’t let such an incident happen again. I will personally oversee the task. Please reconsider, Father,” Prince Joseph wasn’t a fool. He knew that his father intended to grant benefits to the family sided with his younger brother the moment he faltered.
In his mind, which thought the same as his father, Joseph understood that in this game, there were only winners and losers. The losers would gain nothing, while the winners would benefit. His father had already shown how easily benefits could be shifted. He didn’t have favorites among his children; he only valued those he could use...
Joseph wasn’t just worried about the Jarlon family gaining from this. After the war, his side would be at a disadvantage. He also feared that his father would no longer trust him and might assign future tasks to Jason instead.
But unfortunately, Jason wasn’t foolish enough to let this opportunity slip either. Even though he and the Jarlon family didn’t care about the petty gains from cheating, they knew this was a chance to prove themselves. Over the years, despite the two princes being close in age, Joseph had handled numerous tasks for the palace, while the straightforward Jason had not been given any significant responsibilities. It wasn’t surprising that Jason would choose a more challenging path to prove himself.
However, they had changed. If they didn’t seize this opportunity, they couldn’t hope for the emperor’s position!
"Brother, aren’t you busy with the investigation into the Rhea Kingdom’s invasion? In that case, I think you should focus your time there. Let your younger brother handle other tasks."
Jason smiled with satisfaction. Previously, he was uneasy about this matter falling into his brother’s hands. However, he was no longer the same as before.
He knew what his brother’s outcome would be. Even if he discovered the truth, he would likely try to cover it up and find a scapegoat. This was what Jason feared the most. But now, with all the evidence falling into his hands, it meant that no matter how much time his brother wasted...the result would be that Jason himself would expose the Fernal family’s wickedness!
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