I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 435 Not quite used to it
What's the difference between a king and a prince?
For Chris, there was no difference; his status remained unchanged, and his days continued as busy as ever.

However, it's not entirely true that there's no difference.

At least now, Chris has a wife, and people address him differently, from His Highness to His Majesty.

So, besides the changes mentioned above, are there any others?

Chris thought no.

Living in the palace, where he couldn't easily leave, he began to feel bored and particularly dull.

Chris even started to envy the players.

He envied the players who could roam freely, accept and complete quests without any worries, as if life were a grand adventure that never ended.

Their world has no heavy crowns, no impenetrable gates, only endless possibilities and the next new vista.

Chris sat at the large desk piled with parchment scrolls and stamps, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the cold surface.

Outside the window was the royal garden, meticulously manicured even in autumn. Further away were the rooftops of the capital. He knew that beyond that lay forests, rivers, and towns and villages he had only ever seen in reports and maps—places where players now roamed freely.

"Your Majesty, this is the last border tax proposal that requires your approval today."

The new attendant's deep, respectful voice broke the silence of the study and Chris's contemplation at just the right moment. He bowed and presented the documents with impeccable posture.

Chris took the heavy scroll, his gaze sweeping over the familiar title... To His Majesty Chris.

He picked up the heavy royal seal, dipped it in the special silver ink, and stamped the clear emblem at the end of the scroll.

Chris's signature was fluid, something he had done hundreds of times when he was a prince. He used to be a little rusty, but now it carried a lingering numbness.

"I have read it. You may leave."

His voice was calm, devoid of emotion.

The attendants retreated silently, and the heavy, carved wooden door closed gently, shutting out the last sound from the outside world.

The study was once again plunged into a vast, suffocating emptiness.

The electric light hanging on the wall emitted a steady white light, which reflected on the polished oak wall, distorting the shadows of some ornaments, making them look like capitalists hanging from streetlights.

Chris put down the seal, leaned back in his chair, and looked up at the pale ceiling, feeling somewhat hesitant.

Boring. Dull.

Players... they're so great. If they fail a quest, they can try again; if they get tired of a town, they can just leave. They don't have any eternal responsibilities weighing them down.

If you're not happy with the game, you can quit.

He just can't do it.

"Ugh……"

Chris sighed, picked up his pen again, and continued working on the documents.

He first looked at the reports from the Holy Expeditionary Army at the front.

Yes, the progress is good.

Then, did the Minisians really not react?
Not only were the land-based Holy Crusade forces unattacked, but even the fleet at sea that supplied them with provisions and supplies did not encounter any obstruction from the Minisian fleet.

This was somewhat unexpected for Chris. Knowing Charles as he did, he was surprised that the kid hadn't caused any trouble?

When Chris sent the Holy Expeditionary Force out of the country, he had in fact prepared for this army to fight on two fronts. In fact, for Chris, the expedition to exterminate the snake people was not the only purpose.

Chris was using the Holy Army to draw the Minesians' attention so that the second fleet could find Guano Island and then develop and defend it.

In fact, you could say that this is the most important thing.

Chris would not regret the defeat of the Holy Expeditionary Army as long as this goal could be achieved.

The Serpent Swamp, this cesspool, has exploded, and the first victim will definitely not be the Kingdom of Bagnia.

So what's there to be afraid of?
Chris is finding it rather unusual that Charles is being so obedient now.

With that thought in mind, Chris continued reading the reports about the Holy Crusade.

As he looked at it, a look of doubt appeared on his face. Chris had noticed something suspicious.

Why is the Holy Expeditionary Army's food consumption showing a continuous upward trend?

Chris quickly took out the previous supply request documents for the Holy Expedition and compared them with the current one. He found that his feeling was not an illusion.

He flipped back to the beginning of the report and read it again.

This time, Chris discovered a problem in a certain passage on a certain page: "The number of local Miniese civilians who have joined the Holy Expeditionary Force to serve us is increasing, and there are currently over a thousand..."

A thousand people?

He scratched his head, looking somewhat puzzled.

Are there really that many survivors in Suvana?
A thousand people may not seem like much, but in reality, it is quite a lot. Moreover, according to the reports, this number will increase over time, with predictions that there will be more than two thousand refugees in the military camp after winter arrives.

More than two thousand refugees?
Didn't they say that the snake people were carrying out a mass sacrifice, killing all the locals, and that they had to travel over mountains and seas to other parts of Minicia to capture people?
Or is it that there are corrupt officials in the Holy Expeditionary Force's logistics system, and they are setting up projects to embezzle logistical supplies?

Chris immediately became more alert.

This is something we must be wary of; a special investigation is necessary to find out exactly what's going on.

Chris entered the player forum and focused his search on the keywords "Sacred Crusade," "Logistics," "Suvano," and "Locals." He browsed through some chat posts by Sacred Crusade players and successfully found some relevant content after a while.

Today I was helping a transport team catch a truck. On the way, I came across a small village where the NPC villagers had been slaughtered by snake people, leaving only a handful. I brought them all back, hoping they could survive a little better. Sigh…
The game is so realistic! Today I went to the cafeteria and saw a group of locals queuing for food. [Image attached] I chatted with them, and their feedback made me feel like I had been transported to another world.

Some of them were locals from Suwano, while others seemed to be from out of town. The snake people are truly despicable.
Damn, there are so many local NPCs now, and my tent got burgled... It took a lot of effort for my friend and me to find the thief, then we reported him to the military judge, and he was kicked out of the camp to fend for himself.
Chris closed the forum thoughtfully.

Judging from the players' chat, there are indeed a lot of Minieses in the military camp.

But why did they come here?
Chris thought for a moment.

"Secretary!"

"I am here, Your Majesty."

"Organize an investigation team and have them go to the Holy Crusade tomorrow to investigate the situation of the Minieses in the Holy Crusade's camp. Make sure the investigation is thorough; I need to know their thoughts."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

(End of this chapter)