I Became King by Following My Little Sister's Advice. Now the Princess I Forced to Marry Is Giving Me Death Stares, What Should I Do? - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Hated by the Neighbors

The Aidron Kingdom, now renamed the Arlengs Kingdom, lay to the north of the Zelos Kingdom. 

Spanning from the central part of the continent to the north, the Zelos Kingdom had a cold climate typical of northern countries.

More than half the year, it was covered in snow, and most of its land was tundra.

Despite the harsh conditions for growing crops, the kingdom had numerous mines and advanced blacksmithing techniques. 

This allowed them to produce powerful weapons, establishing them as a leading military power.

“…Hah!”

In the capital of the Zelos Kingdom, someone suddenly bolted upright from their bed in a room within the royal castle. 

It was still dark, indicating it was the middle of the night.

“Hah, hah… it was just a dream…”

They noticed their face was drenched in sweat, realizing they had a nightmare.

It was a dream of what might have been the worst day of their life.

“…Van Arlengs.”

Clutching the sheets, the person murmured in the darkness. 

The young man had an androgynous, handsome face. 

His name was Lott Zelos, the crown prince of the Zelos Kingdom.

“Van Arlengs… I will never forget you. Until the day I kill you… I will never forget you…”

Lott muttered bitterly.

Lott had once fought the Aidron Kingdom’s army at the Roicardan Plains.

He was on the brink of victory when a single man’s intervention led to his defeat. 

The person who thwarted the Zelos Kingdom’s victory was Van Arlengs, feared as the “Ogre of the Roicardan Plains.”

Once, Lott lived in glory as the crown prince. 

He was recognized by his father and his subjects as excellent and brave, and he was sure to be the next king.

However, the defeat at the Roicardan Plains cast a shadow over his life. 

The defeat stirred previously hidden rebellious factions into action, aiming to dethrone Lott.

Influential figures within the kingdom were rallying around the second and third princes.

A fierce power struggle was brewing beneath the surface in the Zelos Kingdom, threatening to escalate into a civil war.

(If I hadn’t lost, if I had won, this wouldn’t have happened… Those who support the other princes wouldn’t have acted. I would have become king, and the other princes would have been relegated to lesser positions…)

The defeat at the Roicardan Plains created an opportunity for the other princes to think, “Maybe I can become king.” 

Since then, Lott had harbored intense hatred toward Van Arlengs, the hero of the enemy country.

Recently, Lott received news that further fueled his anger: Van had staged a coup in the Aidron Kingdom and taken over the country.

(No surprise… for a man like him, it’s natural. Someone who can change the tide of battle with so few soldiers wouldn’t serve under a foolish king or prince…)

This news should have been shocking, but strangely, Lott found it understandable. 

Most of the Aidron royal family was corrupt, with few exceptions.

Van was not the type to remain loyal to a doomed Aidron Kingdom. 

Though Lott had never met Van, he somehow understood this about him.

(Because of you, this country has been thrown into chaos… I will repay this debt…)

Ideally, Lott wanted to invade the former Aidron Kingdom immediately after the coup. 

However, the losses from their previous defeat had made it difficult to prepare for another battle.

(But… finally, the preparations are complete! Van Arlengs, I will destroy your kingdom with my own hands!)

If Lott could bring down the Aidron Kingdom—no, the Arlengs Kingdom—he would regain his authority through that achievement. 

He could unite the chaotic Zelos Kingdom and dismiss the other princes.

“Just wait, Van Arlengs! Your reign won’t last long…”

And so, Crown Prince Lott Zelos took action. 

For vengeance and retribution, he aimed his spear at the Arlengs Kingdom.

A few days later, a letter from Lott, which could only be seen as a declaration of war, arrived in Van’s hands.