I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 466 Mess

The following day, the massive army of the Holy Expeditionary Force, like a steel tide, finally halted at its pre-arranged position two kilometers in front of Treasure Island City.

Sunlight pierced through the morning mist, illuminating the gleaming armor of the NPC soldiers and players, the forest of spears and halberds, the dense barrage of gunfire at the front lines, and the pervasive atmosphere of impending doom; the final attack seemed imminent.

However, the anticipated scene of the city gates being tightly shut and a stubborn resistance not occurring did not materialize.

Conversely, the massive city gates of Taiwan slowly opened, and a procession emerged from them.

They did not raise any battle flags, nor did they adopt any defensive or offensive formations. Leading them was a group of Minisian Guard officers, whose uniforms were relatively neat, but whose expressions were complex, carrying both weariness and a certain sense of relief.

Among their ranks were even some people dressed in civil official attire.

What was even more surprising was their attitude. They moved slowly, and their posture even seemed somewhat...respectful?
It was as if they had come not to deal with a mortal enemy besieging the city, but to welcome an ally who had come from afar to uphold justice.

Surrounded by numerous generals and elite guards, Diu Ni Rem stood before the army formation, calmly observing this bizarre scene.

His gaze quickly swept across the opposing team, finally settling on the small, heavily protected figure in the very center of the group.

It was a boy of about ten to twelve years old, dressed in a black royal robe. He was pale and had red, swollen eyes, clearly having just cried. He tried to appear calm on his young face, but could not hide his immense sorrow and fear.

His appearance bore a striking resemblance to a portrait of King Charles in his youth that Diu Ni Rem had seen.

"Prince Charles, the sole rightful heir to the Kingdom of Minicia, is here!"

An elderly officer of the Imperial Guard stepped forward, his voice loud but trembling slightly, and bowed in the direction of Diu Ni Rem.

“We, representing all the soldiers and civilians of Taiwan who are still loyal to the monarchy, have come to welcome the Holy Expeditionary Army.”

Rem's brow furrowed completely.

prince?

The heir should come out and surrender?
And what about Charles himself?
Before he could ask a question, the old officer stepped aside, and Prince Charles seemed to have mustered his courage and took a small step forward.

He raised his head and looked at Diu Ni Rem with his tear-filled, sorrowful, and helpless eyes. His voice was childish yet clear, tinged with sobs.

"Your Excellency... I... my father... he..."

The boy's lips trembled as he tried hard not to let the tears fall.

"He was poisoned by those wicked nobles! They betrayed the kingdom and killed my father!"

These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, causing a low commotion in front of the Holy Expeditionary Army. The players were all discussing and shocked by the news... Wait, when did the main storyline of Treasure Island City develop to this point?
Even someone as seasoned as Rem had a slight twitch in his pupils.

Charles is dead?
Poisoned by nobles? This news is too sudden and bizarre, is it true or false?

Charles Jr. continued, his voice growing increasingly sorrowful.

“Now, only His Majesty Chris… only my cousin Chris… can avenge my father and protect Minicia from traitors… I, on behalf of the Minisian royal family, implore… I implore the Kingdom of Bagnia for protection!”

Diu Ni Rem felt a chill run down his spine and thought to himself, "This is a huge problem!"
He had calculated everything, including various military deployments and negotiation strategies, but he never expected the other side to play such a "family card" and "victim card"!
His Majesty Chris and Charles are indeed cousins. This kinship is no secret among the upper echelons of both countries. However, the situation is very complicated and messy, and cannot be explained in a short time.

So much so that players didn't take it seriously. When Home Alone shot Charles, they didn't hesitate for a second. This was partly due to the players' audacity, and partly because the relationship was useless.

But now, a ten-year-old prince, orphaned and claiming his father was poisoned by his subjects, is crying in front of both armies, begging to seek refuge with his "Uncle Chris" for protection and revenge...

The situation is different. After all, players come from a civilized place. They won't have any psychological barriers to killing a despicable adult, but it's a different story when it comes to an innocent child.

Rem suddenly felt restricted.

His prepared terms of surrender and tough stance were completely rendered ineffective in the face of the little prince's sad and helpless eyes.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart. His face quickly switched to an expression appropriate for the occasion, one that was slightly sorrowful and solemn. Then, Diu Ni Rem dismounted, took a few steps forward, bowed slightly to Prince Charles, and performed a standard aristocratic salute. His tone also became gentle and solemn.

"Your Highness, please accept our condolences. On behalf of the Holy Army and the Kingdom of Bagnia, I express our deepest condolences for His Majesty King Charles's unfortunate passing. Your situation is deeply saddening."

He used extremely careful wording.

"Please rest assured, the Holy Army is also responsible for eliminating rebellion and restoring order on this mission. I am aware of your request, but this matter concerns the diplomatic relations between the two countries and the royal protocol, and it is not something I can decide alone."

I will immediately and fully report Your Highness's situation and wishes to His Majesty Chris in the most urgent manner. The final decision on how to properly settle Your Highness and how to handle the matters in Minicia rests with His Majesty Chris.

His words expressed appropriate sympathy and respect, while cleverly passing the buck to King Chris, who was far behind, and avoiding making any potentially wrong promises when the situation was unclear.

After saying that, he immediately turned around and gave a hurried, low-voiced order to the staff behind him.

"Prepare a detailed report as quickly as possible, recording everything that happened here, especially what His Highness Prince Charles said, and send it to His Majesty immediately to ask for his instructions on how to receive His Highness and what the subsequent procedures should be!"

The staff officer also realized the seriousness and special nature of the matter, and immediately accepted the order and left.

Diu Ni Rem looked again at the sad little prince and the group of Minesians behind him with complicated expressions, and felt a sense of helplessness.

The military victory that was within reach suddenly turned into a hot potato of diplomatic and political problems.

This expedition seems to be far more complicated than he had anticipated. All he can do now is to "protect" the little prince with the highest level of etiquette and then patiently await Chris's instructions.

(End of this chapter)