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Originally, such a dire situation should not have arisen. Gotrin I had an heir, Telion, born to the king and his queen, who possessed an unquestionable legitimate bloodline, making him the undisputed successor to the throne.

However, the situation turned dire when, not long after King Gotrin’s death, the heir Telion also died within a fortnight, succumbing to an unidentified illness.

The death of an heir was a significant problem.

An even greater problem was that Telion had left no descendants.

Telion, wise as he was, understood the political implications of his marriage. Thus, he had refrained from choosing a queen until his late twenties, using his position to navigate among the noble factions within the country.

This could be considered excellent political acumen for a successor.

However, his untimely death meant that there was no clear heir to follow, posing a major issue.

With both the king and the heir gone within a fortnight, the royal advisors of the Kingdom of Crovence, amidst their grief, conducted the funerals and soon began discussions on who would ascend as the next monarch.

The first candidate to arise was Yubel Ren Crovence, who turned eighteen this year. However, this prince had a significant flaw in his legitimacy.

He was the child of a concubine.

In royal contexts, having concubines or consorts isn’t usually problematic. Even if born to a concubine, bearing the king’s blood would naturally grant one the title of prince.

Although there were a few other concubines, unfortunately, it seemed Gotrin I wasn’t particularly prolific, with only Telion and Yubel as his surviving offspring.

Given the lack of alternatives, it seemed that Yubel’s succession to the throne might proceed without much issue.

However, Yubel faced severe opposition due to his lineage, particularly because his mother was not of royal or noble birth but a humble commoner from a foreign land.

Despite the lack of choices, most nobles found it unacceptable to crown someone of such base bloodline as king.

Thus, another candidate emerged: Carsus from the Fernando ducal family.

Carsus, now 28 years old, was not a son of King Gotrin, but he possessed a significantly royal bloodline.

He was the son of Duke Fernando, the former king’s brother, and his maternal lineage was also of royal descent from the Brozen ducal family.

Many believed that, in terms of lineage, he was more fitting to be a king than Yubel, who had foreign commoner blood mixed in.

Furthermore, Carsus was a knight renowned for his valor and already had a notable reputation. He was deeply trusted by his subordinates, respected for his nobility and bravery, and was overall revered.

On the other hand, Yubel was famous for a different reason, namely, as a libertine.

However, it was not that Yubel was involved in disgusting acts of chasing after every woman. In fact, he was only seen with one woman. The issue was that this woman was not human but a dwarf.

Indeed, being involved with an elf woman was also not something proudly flaunted. While many in power might engage in such relationships discreetly, it was not something to openly parade, especially not with a dwarf.

Despite being an adult by dwarf standards, a dwarf woman’s appearance resembles that of a young human girl. Yubel’s constant association and flirtatious behavior with such a woman did not look good, to say the least.

It was scandalous enough to be the talk of the town.

This situation made things rather ambiguous.

On one side was a man who, though not the son of the former king, was a respected knight and highly suitable for the throne.

On the other side was a man who, aside from being the king’s son, had no noteworthy qualities and was merely a notorious libertine.

It was inevitable that the nobility would be divided in their opinions.

The ducal families of Fernando and Brozen pushed for Carsus to be king, supported by lords from various regions and traditional noble families.

Those supporting Yubel were mostly conservative nobles who valued legitimacy and the newly risen nobility, primarily merchants who had accumulated wealth and earned titles.

Although Yubel’s mother was a commoner, she was not from a poor background. The romantic notion of a poor maiden becoming a concubine to a king was nothing more than a fanciful tale.

In reality, she was the daughter of the largest merchant family in the Crovence Kingdom, the Feonin family, with whom most of the merchant families allied with Yubel had ties.

Despite numerous debates and discussions regarding legitimacy, no conclusion was reached. Both sides had their flaws, making it impossible to resolve through mere words.

Ultimately, not even two months after the king’s death, a civil war broke out.

* * *

In the central region of the Kingdom of Crovence, within the barony of Delphia.

From the second-floor balcony of a pristine mansion built of bricks and coated with lime, a man sat gazing out of the window. He was a handsome young man with clear skin, distinct facial features, golden blond hair shining like gold, and jewel-like green eyes.

The young man looked gloomily at the forest below. The long winter had ended, and the forest was becoming lush with the verdant sprouts of spring.

Suddenly, the young man muttered,

“How much longer can I endure?”

Yubel, the second prince of the Kingdom of Crovence, appeared drained as he was absorbed in thought.

The civil war with the Carsus army initially seemed to favor Yubel.

Wealthy merchants did not hesitate to spend their fortunes for Yubel’s victory. They wished for Yubel to ascend the throne, hoping that the Kingdom of Crovence would become a nation supportive of commerce like the Duchy of Chatan.

Despite being the continent’s largest granary, Crovence’s rigid policies largely ignored merchants, letting most of its wealth be snatched away by Chatan.

Utilizing his original forces and hiring mercenaries from across the continent, Yubel’s side pressed the Carsus army. Numbers usually triumph over even the bravest knights.

Outnumbered by more than three to one, even the renowned knight of knights, Carsus, found himself overwhelmed. Victory had seemed imminent at that point.

But the situation reversed thereafter.

“Sigh…”

Yubel turned his gaze away from the forest, and his eyes landed on a vast barley field beyond. Normally, it would be swaying with golden hues, ripe with bountiful grains, but now only the parched, dying leaves of barley were visible.

Yubel lamented in a tone of despair,

“Why must such a severe famine strike now?”

A tremendous drought had struck the entire Kingdom of Crovence.

Once blessed by Redanti to never dry up, this land of abundance was now suffering an extreme famine.

The already prolonged civil war had worsened law and order, with deserters and mercenaries across the kingdom committing murder, rape, and pillage.

With the famine on top, Crovence had truly become a hellish reality. Stories of parents consuming their own children were merely one of the many horrific rumors circulating around.

And this was an event akin to a bolt from the blue for Yubel’s side. Most of the merchants dealt with grain.

One by one, their trading companies went bankrupt, and in their place, as if knowing exactly when to appear, the Chatan Duchy’s Taoban Trading Company emerged with their grains.

When funds ran out, the mercenaries quickly betrayed them, and the tide of the battle reversed.

Thanks to this, Yubel now found himself taking refuge as far as the Baronial lands of Delphia in the eastern wilderness of the Crovence Kingdom.

Of course, even this place was not safe.

Due to the famine, even the Carsus side found it hard to continue the war, temporarily leading to a ceasefire. Nevertheless, diplomatic pressure continued, demanding the head of a usurper who coveted the throne.

The Baron of Delphia, still respecting the merchant’s honor, had so far ignored this, but if the famine continued, it was uncertain how things would turn out. Every day was like sitting on pins and needles.

After stretching, Yubel pursed his lips and grumbled.

“Who asked to be made a king? They’re forcing me into this, and look what a mess it’s become.”

Neither he nor his mother had any interest in the throne. It was his maternal grandfather, the head of the Feonin Trading Company, who had been greedy.

Behind a grumbling Yubel, a girl walked up softly. She was a dainty girl with neatly braided black hair and a cute face. Her pointed ears and unnaturally full chest proved she was not human. She was Finia, the dwarf woman who had caused Yubel’s bad reputation.

As Finia approached Yubel, she gently stroked his hair. Being quite tall, Yubel sat down, and Finia stood behind him, reaching a suitable height. She tenderly ran her fingers through his hair and asked softly.

“Yubel, do you really hate being king that much?”

“Yeah, I really hate it. But it seems like the mood is either I become king or I become a head on the block.”

“That seems likely.”

As she caressed Yubel’s cheek, Finia replied nonchalantly. Yubel leaned his head back to look at Finia’s face and grumbled.

“Hey, don’t talk about it like it’s someone else’s problem, Finia. If I lose my head, you’re next.”

Surely, they wouldn’t spare a wicked dwarf witch who had enchanted royalty. Finia smirked and then turned around to sit lightly on Yubel’s lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and murmured in a playful voice.

“Just how did I end up falling in love with a man like this?”

“Sorry for being such a man.”

With a sullen expression, Yubel turned his head away. Finia laughed heartily, grabbed his face, and kissed him on the lips. As Yubel’s expression softened, Finia spoke soothingly.

“It’s okay. We’re safe for the time being. Even wars must fill their bellies, right?”

Due to a severe famine, the Kingdom of Crovence was in chaos. Although the merchants were hit hard, the Carsus territory was also busy managing their own lands.

“They won’t be able to move until they secure their food supplies.”

“And the moment they do move, I’m done for. My life has an expiry date now.”

Finia playfully tapped Yubel’s cheek as he grumbled.

“If it comes to that, we’ll just have to run away smartly, Yubel.”

“Just the two of us, running away in love?”

“It’s too late for a love escape; this is simply exile. If we hide our identities and flee to another country, surely they won’t chase after us, right?”

“Finia, I was raised too gently to handle harsh situations.”