Jobless Reincarnation: Live Seriously Even Without Transfer Events

This battle for the throne will be a key element throughout the first part of the "Royal Rule" chapter.

Let's start with Ariel. As a princess, Ariel, according to the original text, has extremely high prestige among the people and has basically controlled the direction of public opinion.

In addition, in my alternate view, the Yerosnek family, who possess financial power, are also openly members of the Princess's faction.

[The defendant's defense will likely be handled by someone from the Notos family, sent by Princess Ariel.]

I looked toward the defendant's dock...

Luke, and... a stranger, but I've heard of him before, the fourth son of the head of the Yerosnek family, Carter Yerosnek.

The Yerosnek family, known as the kingdom's treasury, has controlled the kingdom's finances for generations.

Did Princess Ariel receive the support of the Yerosnek family?

Princess Ariel's chances of winning would then skyrocket.

It can be seen that the Princess Party, led by the Second Princess Ariel, consisted of the Notos family, represented by Piremont, one of the four great lords, and the Yerosnek family, led by Sal Yerosnek.

The most powerful weapon of the Queen's faction is Ariel's own reputation, or popular support, as mentioned in the original text.

Secondly, there was Prince Gravel, whose faction included the powerful minister Darius, who held the position of prime minister, and the Bereas family, who controlled the territory of Fituia.

Because Darius held the power of prime minister, Gravel could be said to have all the power in the court. Gravel also controlled the judicial power of the capital, which was very suitable for suppressing some weak political enemies. For example, in Chapter 51 (Interlude), Gravel found a reason to imprison Ariel's guardian sorcerer Dirich and even tested Ariel by setting up a trial court.

Moreover, Gravel is also trying his best to build the image of a filial and sensible elder brother.

As soon as she left the room, she saw Gravel approaching hurriedly, so she quickly went to greet him and bowed, saying, "Your Highness Gravel, His Majesty is having breakfast. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Gravel ignored the maid and walked right past her.

"Your Highness..."

The maid hurriedly followed to stop her, but before she could even speak, she received a sharp slap on the cheek from Gravel, and her body swayed as she fell to the ground.

Gravel sneered, "Ha, do you think I, as a prince, don't know when my father eats? Who do you think you are to remind me?"

The maid was seeing stars from Gravel's slap, but she vaguely understood what Gravel meant: the son couldn't even remember when his father ate, and needed a servant to remind him, which was clearly mocking Gravel for being unfilial.

Thinking this, she was about to kneel down and admit her mistake when she got up and looked up to find that Gravel had already disappeared from sight and entered the royal chamber.

The scene where Gravel reprimands the maid reveals that Gravel is feigning filial piety. He deliberately disturbs the king during his mealtime to anger him and increase his chances of success. The maid's intervention, on the other hand, makes her appear disrespectful and lacking in decorum.

This characteristic of Gravel is also described later:

Some foul language naturally wouldn't easily reach the king's ears, but when Gravel privately reported this news and solid evidence to the king, the king had already seen through his intentions. However, Gravel didn't attack Halphas or release the evidence to bring him to justice. Instead, he wanted to protect Halphas, treating the matter as if it had never happened, and the matter was thus brought to a close.

The king knew perfectly well that even without solid evidence, the spittle of tens of thousands of people in the capital would be enough to choke Halphas to death. When the real evidence surfaced, it wouldn't be a question of Halphas's fate. He couldn't bear to kill one son, but he also couldn't afford to lose face for the royal family.

Gravel's actions of simply informing the king of the truth and covering it up preserved the royal family's reputation and saved Halphas's life. In any case, it was a very proper course of action for an elder brother.

As for Halfas, they are actually on par with Gravel, but their advantage is not significant.

Those siding with Halphas include the Aiuros family, one of the four major lords, and the Yerosnek family, who are ostensibly part of the Princess's faction but actually help Halphas.

Seeing that the play in the theater had ended, Sal returned to the chair beside him and sat down quietly.

“Your Highness Halfas, there is one more thing. James contacted me a few months ago, wanting me to join the First Prince’s ranks.”

Halphas looked at Thrall with a puzzled expression, then sat down opposite Thrall and asked:

"So what did you say?"

“This old minister says that this old minister swears to serve Princess Ariel to the death.”

Hearing this, Halfas couldn't help but laugh.

Halphas himself commands the security forces of the royal capital and wields considerable administrative power in the capital city of Ars.

3. The current trend of the succession struggle

As mentioned above, the king of Asura must have fundamental control over the power of the prime minister, the financial power, and the military power that is outside the central authority.

[For a king to effectively control a country, he must hold supreme military and political power as well as financial power. These are powers that no one, not even the king's own flesh and blood, can touch.]

Military and political power refers to military power and ministerial power, while financial power is literally financial power. These powers are not only necessary for the king to maintain his rule, but also bargaining chips for the successors to the throne.

How to acquire these powers without offending the king has become a popular topic in the struggle for succession among princes throughout history and across the world.

Gravel relied on the powerful minister Darius, which naturally touched upon one of the most feared powers of the king—the power of the prime minister—so he was well aware that he was not favored by the king.

Therefore, he had to do his best to cultivate the image of a filial and sensible older brother, to differentiate himself from Halphas and Ariel, and also to win the king's favor, since what parent doesn't like a filial son?

Therefore, it seems logical for Gravel, as a dutiful son who frequently visited the king's court, to use his knowledge of his father to suppress his brothers and sisters.

The whole story is that the theater owner of the theater that Sal Yerosnek frequented confessed to child trafficking, and Gravel also included the kidnapping of Noren shortly after arriving in the capital, which caused a great uproar in the city.

[Without the king's authorization, even irrefutable evidence would have no impact on the Yerosnek family. However, when the king is also acting on his own initiative, even fabricated charges can have a crucial effect on the Yerosnek family.]

Therefore, Ariel, who had the open support of the Yerosnek family, became the target of this suppression.

As for Ariel, we won't go into too much detail. As the most popular of the three heirs to the throne, she constantly demonstrates her control over public opinion.

[Recently, civilians reported finding five gruesome female corpses on a street corner in the capital. Normally, such trivial matters wouldn't reach the king's ears, but it's obvious someone is deliberately spreading rumors, and these rumors are quite horrifying:]

All five female corpses were pregnant, meaning the killer wanted the lives of the unborn children in these five women's wombs. And these five women were all prostitutes, belonging to a very low social class.

This inevitably brings to mind some perverse thoughts, because the victim's status is like that of an ant, and no one would care if she suddenly disappeared. Therefore, it seems to fit the fetish of someone to kill and dispose of the body after conception.

In Asura, even bandits who block the road know not to rob pregnant women, so this incident can be described as cruel to the point of being inhuman.

When this incident suddenly came to the public's attention, it unexpectedly caused panic among the entire city. It all ended with Prince Halfas coming forward to explain the failure of the city's defenses and apologizing for both the previous child abduction incident on Theater Street and this case.

But the rumors did not stop there. Halfas himself was a regular at the theater and the red-light district, which inevitably made people think of Halfas’s connection with the two cases. However, without solid evidence, no one in the public eye dared to draw any conclusions.

However, this has already severely damaged Halphas's reputation among the people of the capital, and there are even rumors that Halphas was the mastermind behind these two cases.

It can be said that Ariel successfully separated herself from the disgraced Yerosnek family by controlling the rumors circulating in the streets, while also attacking Halphas, which in turn aligned with Gravel's strategy.

Finally, regarding the section on Halphas, considering the parts already written, it's not hard to see that Halphas should be the king's most favored heir to the throne.

Firstly, in the struggle for power over the prime minister, finances, and military forces, Halfas did not openly participate. He commanded the capital's security forces, appointed by the king, but unlike the Qing Dynasty's Nine Gates Commander, these forces were not part of the Silver Palace's royal guard. In other words, Halfas participated in the succession struggle without offending the king, a move that was undoubtedly refreshing, unlike the actions of the princess's faction and the first prince's faction.

Secondly, there was the king's favor towards Halphas himself:

The king smiled slightly, bent down, and lifted Lilith's chin with his finger. "I want you to assist Halphas and guide him on the path to becoming king. Do everything in your power, even sacrifice yourself."

"Let me see the realm of Halfas."

When Halphas lost his mother at a young age, the king had already set his sights on him and instructed Lilith to assist him. The phrase "Let me see, Halphas's empire!" implicitly designated Halphas as the true heir to the throne. This favor was something Gravel and Ariel could only dream of. A comparison of conversations with Gravel abroad clearly reveals the difference in the king's treatment of Halphas compared to his other princes:

The king coughed twice and said:

"Ahem, so tell me, what brings you here today?"

Gravel put down his napkin, poured a glass of water for the king, and then slowly said:

“Father, it’s nothing serious. There are some rumors going around lately, and people in the capital are in a state of panic. I’m sure you’re worried about that too. I’m concerned for your health, so I’ve come to visit you.”

"Is that so..." The king stared blankly out the window. "It's rare that you still think of me, a lonely man. Tell me, what do you think?"

"Since you are in charge of the judicial system for judging crimes in the capital, then you should investigate to the end."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

The king picked up the "confession," glanced at it, slowly rose, and leaned against the window, his eyes gleaming with a silvery-gray light. "Alright, I'm tired. You may go back."

While both sides are talking about the prince, the difference in tone between their conversations reveals a stark contrast. In the latest chapter, with Halphas facing a serious charge, the king's actions further demonstrate his affection for Halphas.

[In contrast, Halphas seems to have no sense of royal responsibility whatsoever, and appears to be even more debauched and immoral than the most dissolute sons of noble families or even the most deposed rulers in the history of Asura.]

The king collapsed onto the cold, hard floor. A scene flashed through his mind: a five- or six-year-old boy playing in a garden with two identical-looking girls. The woman who had just appeared was now sitting under a parasol in the center of the garden, savoring a steaming cup of black tea. At that moment, a man appeared behind the woman. He stared at the boy playing in the garden and said:

"Is this the future king of Asura?" the king murmured.

"Is this the future king of Asura?" This question shows that the king was very disappointed in Halfas, and even fainted from anger. If there was no extreme favor, where would the disappointment come from?

If the loss of his mother at a young age was one of the reasons for the king's doting affection for him, it's like the king's hallucinations in the palace:

The king sat on his throne in the center of the hall, his arms outstretched. His deep-set eyes, narrowed to slits, gazed into the distance, as if a young woman was slowly walking toward him.

"Is this how you discipline Halphas?"

Faced with the woman's question, the king remained silent, closed his eyes, and nodded silently as if acknowledging her statement.

“Say something!” she rambled on and on, “How much suffering has Halfas endured these past few years? I don’t think you’ve cared about him at all. Otherwise, why would he do such a thing!”

Seeing that the king still did not respond, the woman flew into a rage. For the next period of time, she spat at the king, making him bleed profusely, completely disregarding any royal decorum.

"What right do you have to criticize me!"

The death of Halfas's mother has already been explained:

"As a princess, she disregarded palace rules, cultivated relationships with nobles, formed cliques, and engaged in corrupt practices. Her fall into the water was the best possible end for her."

In other words, as king, he had to kill the queen who had usurped power, but as father, he also felt guilty towards Halphas.

Furthermore, Halphas also demonstrated remarkable talent before the King. In Chapters 114 and 115, facing the trade dispute between the Holy Kingdom of Milis and the Kingdom of Asra, Halphas and Ariel's advisors offered drastically different solutions:

Sal Yerosnek offered Halfas a strategy similar to isolationism:

"The trade route along the entire Asra coast will be changed to trade only in the ports of Hera in the Donadi territory, Dominic in the Milbots territory, Lindo in the Usl territory, and Lilin and Aisha in the Royal Territory. At the same time, tariffs will be increased by 50%. Thus, goods from all over the world arriving in Asra by sea must pass through the upper and lower jaws of the Crimson Dragon and these five ports. By stockpiling large quantities of goods, one can obtain high prices at low prices and thus reap huge profits."

Dirich offered Ariel a strategy similar to learning from the West:

"Asura is now inferior to the three great magic nations in terms of magic and to the Kingdom of Dragon Kings in terms of technology. You may not have noticed, but most of the magical items on the market now are from the three great magic nations, and weapons and clothing from the Kingdom of Dragon Kings and Milis. Asura's national strength is not what it used to be. Milis dares to raise tariffs because they have also noticed the decline of Asura's national strength. This is a provocation."

"Then what do you think I should do at the court meeting ten days from now to make plans for Asura's eternal life?"

Dilik's face darkened. What he was about to say would even affect the fate of the Asura Kingdom a hundred years from now.

"study."

"study?"

"Yes, let's set aside the arrogant attitude of the Asura Kingdom, learn magic and techniques from the three great magic nations and the Dragon King Kingdom, and adapt them for our own use, so that the Asura Kingdom can become great again!"

The king ultimately adopted Halphas's suggestion, which can be compared to the description of the blackboard factory's operations in Chapter 163:

[Barton, pen in his mouth, frowning and looking displeased, turned and saw Rudius, then hurriedly ushered him into his office:]

"Lord Rudius, this is yesterday's bill. The Mulgore withdrew five thousand gold coins (referring to Lanoa gold coins) from the account. Now the tariffs on Asura have increased, and the market has already been bad these past two months. You're letting an outsider like the Mulgore withdraw money; I'm afraid this business is going to go out of business."

Because the king adopted the "closed-door" policy suggested by Halfas, tariffs soared, which was directly reflected in the blackboard factory's operations.

In conclusion, Halphas's succession was chosen because, firstly, he hadn't offended the king during the succession struggle; secondly, the king felt ashamed towards Halphas as a father; and thirdly, Halphas's talent was recognized by the king, making him the king's most favored heir. Meanwhile, Gravel was actively attacking both Halphas's and Ariel's factions, while Ariel was in the process of choosing sides.

III. Partially buried fuses

This aspect is one where there are already clues but they haven't been fully uncovered yet; here we will only list a few of the more obvious ones.

1. The Death of Salos

2. The Hilfi family was attacked.

3. Buy a blackboard

4. The Death of Merlin

5. Luo Qixi's romantic trajectory

6. Philip's blueprint

7. The ending of Halphas and Lilith

8. Noren and Albert, and Izzalutti and Alice

9. Paul's family

……

These local clues are not listed in their entirety, but they will all be revealed in the later plot.

. Summary

Since the end of the Rude Academy arc, with Rudeus and Sylphie's relationship evolving from one-sided reliance to mutual bond and then back to one-sided bond, Lilith's unexpected intervention played a significant role. Meanwhile, the succession struggle in the Kingdom of Asura entered Gravel's offensive phase, with Halphas on the defensive and Ariel seeking opportunities, the three sides remaining evenly matched. In the current transitional arc, the main storylines of these two sides are beginning to converge, forming the current plot along with some foreshadowed side stories.

Chapter 182: The Future King? (Part 2.5)

Jobless Reincarnation Fanfic: Live Seriously Even Without a Transfer Event [Chapter 182] The Future King? (Part 2.5)

Chapter 182: The Future King? (Part 2.5)

……

Watching Alice and Norren walk away one after the other, Izuru bit her lip, feeling a mix of emotions she couldn't quite describe.

"You're forbidden to eat for the next three days, Izuru."