The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character

The Lord’s Manor of Eched.

A place that should have been defined by formality and stern grandeur was, at this very moment, filled with an atmosphere that could only be described as soft, adorable... and fluffy.

Woof!

Kyuuuu.

Blood beasts.

Magical lifeforms created through House Redvell’s secret art—creatures so formidable that even skilled warriors thought twice before facing them.

And yet now, those same terrifying creatures had shrunk to the size of mid-sized dogs and multiplied into the hundreds, completely filling the estate’s courtyard.

“I did what you suggested, but... is this really going to help?”

Claudia looked doubtful as she asked the question.

Cedric, on the other hand, beamed brightly as he answered.

“Of course, my lady! These beasts will be the best civil servants Eched’s ever had!”

“Hm.”

Claudia’s normal capacity allowed her to control five third-grade blood beasts.

But Cedric had asked her to disregard their individual strength and increase the number as much as possible.

The result: the number of blood beasts had multiplied dramatically—but their strength had dropped accordingly, down to that of ordinary medium-sized dogs, just as their appearance suggested.

“Didn’t you say these things were for enhancing public safety? At this level, they couldn’t even take on a pickpocket unless it’s a child. And if the criminal knows how to use magic, they’ll swat them away even if a dozen attack at once.”

“That’s fine. The ones damaging public order in a territory are usually petty criminals anyway. And fighting isn’t even the main role of these blood beasts.”

In Cedric’s view, the true value of House Redvell’s secret lay not in the beasts’ regeneration or raw combat power.

It was the fact that each blood beast possessed a degree of free will—and enough intelligence to understand Claudia’s commands.

They were not only physically dog-like, but also shared many canine traits. With food, they could operate without constant mana supply from their master.

So if you could deploy hundreds of intelligent, communicative medium-sized dogs wherever you wanted—what could they accomplish?

“These blood beasts will be free to roam throughout the city. If they catch anyone committing a crime—whether it’s a thug or a pickpocket—they’ll growl and issue a warning.”

“What if the criminal just ignores them or decides to attack instead?”

“Still fine. The beast can retreat and summon others for backup, or go straight to the guards. The guard force doesn’t need to patrol anymore. Instead, they’ll act as rapid response teams, moving only when the beasts raise the alarm.”

Numbers are power.

If a well-equipped guard unit moves in as a group, there are virtually no criminals who can stand against them head-on.

“Even if the crime isn’t witnessed, or the perpetrator kills the beast to silence it—it won’t work. The remaining scent at the scene will allow for tracking.”

A dog’s ability to track by scent is far beyond anything humans can achieve.

Criminals thrive not because they’re stronger than the guards, but because they can hide and flee. But blood beasts... they’ll hunt them down to the end.

“Still, there could be someone with abilities to erase their presence or scent entirely, right?”

“That’s true. But what really strains a security force isn’t a handful of elite criminals—it’s the constant flood of petty crimes. If we can prevent or immediately resolve ninety-nine out of every hundred incidents, we’ll have the resources to focus on the one that remains.”

A single grotesque murder may shock, but it’s the hundreds and thousands of minor crimes that really erode a city’s safety.

And in a fantasy era where lives are cheap and death is common, a territory with remarkably low crime rates becomes a valuable anomaly.

“This won’t just apply to cities and towns, either. We’ll position the blood beasts at regular intervals along major roads leading into Eched. That way, even if bandits or monsters attack, we can respond just like we do in the city—by concentrating force. It’ll create the perception that the roads to Eched are safe.”

Eched had never lacked potential.

Once it earned a reputation for being safe, people would begin to flock there. From that point on, a virtuous cycle would naturally unfold.

“But... couldn’t anyone in House Redvell do this? If others copy it, doesn’t that make me less special again?”

“That’s why you’ll need to keep improving your control over the blood beasts. The strength of this system depends on how many you can manage at once.”

More importantly, Cedric added:

“In my opinion, your siblings probably won’t try to use this system.”

“Why not?”

“Because—setting aside efficiency—they’d find it demeaning. To them, these beasts are like clones created with their own blood. Letting them scurry around a territory like actual dogs to guard the streets? They’d be disgusted.”

At that, Claudia let out a soft aha of realization.

She’d already thrown away her pride long ago, so she didn’t care—but she could easily imagine those high-and-mighty siblings turning up their noses.

She smirked.

“Then they’ll probably throw a fit soon. Claiming it’s a disgrace to the family, that I’m defiling some sacred legacy.”

Only one person’s reaction was hard to predict.

The Marquess.

Claudia’s father, that cold and calculating political beast—how would he respond to this?

***

The Marquess of Redvell's estate was known throughout the Birka Kingdom for its sheer grandeur and splendor.

A courtyard so vast one could ride a horse at full gallop.

A lake large enough to not only fish from, but to launch boats and enjoy leisure cruises.

And the main mansion itself—though built deliberately a step lower than the royal palace out of a minimal courtesy toward the crown—surpassed even the palace in scale.

In the guest residences surrounding the main building, over a hundred individuals could stay at once, and many of them waited months for even a thirty-minute conversation with the Marquess.

Time spent receiving guests accounted for only a sliver of his schedule, and while it wasn’t rare to spot the Marquess out enjoying a leisurely stroll, not a single guest dared complain.

After all, before the most powerful man in the kingdom—a man whom even the king must negotiate with instead of issuing commands—any fool who dared say, “Why are you out taking a walk while I wait?” would never even be invited through these gates to begin with.

This applied equally to the retainers of House Redvell.

Even though they were all referred to collectively as “retainers,” there were countless ranks and positions within that group. And among them, only a tiny handful were permitted to speak directly with the Marquess.

Which, in a sense, was natural.

No CEO of a massive company receives reports directly from interns or middle managers.

That said, just as a CEO might whimsically summon a random employee out of interest, the Marquess could do the same.

“So... you're telling me my daughter declared war on me. That’s the gist of it?”

The acting lord of Eched, bowing deeply before the Marquess, rushed to respond.

“N-not exactly, my lord! She said she would change Eched with her own hands, and asked that you evaluate her purpose only after seeing the results.”

“Which is a declaration of war. She’s essentially saying she intends to overturn my will.”

The Marquess’s voice was level, almost mild. Yet the acting lord swallowed hard.

Claudia had threatened him not to twist her words, and in truth, he hadn’t. He’d relayed everything just as she said.

That the Marquess chose to interpret it this way wasn’t his fault... right?

Thus, the acting lord quickly aligned himself with the Marquess’s conclusion.

“I believe the Young Lady is simply acting rashly, my lord. She’s... always had a tendency toward emotional outbursts.”

“Yes, I suppose she’s always been like that.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

When the Marquess gave even a hint of agreement, the acting lord visibly relaxed.

The Marquess asked with a friendly tone,

“Then what do you suggest I do?”

“The Young Lady is currently using the blood beasts to forcibly seize control of the territory. If someone unfamiliar with administration tries to govern by sheer force, there will inevitably be discord. I believe it would be best to discreetly dispatch skilled knights to suppress her.”

“That all?”

“Discretion is key, I believe, to avoid unnecessary complications.”

“I see.”

The Marquess nodded, then looked the acting lord in the eye.

“Very well. That will be all. You may go.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The acting lord gave another hasty bow and scurried out.

Once he was gone, the Marquess spoke again.

“You there.”

One of his guards, who had [N O V E L I G H T] been standing nearby like an emotionless statue, stepped forward and bowed.

“Yes, my lord.”

“I’m beginning to think I’ve been far too lenient with my vassals. That fool lost an entire domain and yet didn’t ask to be punished, didn’t offer to take responsibility.”

“I will handle it appropriately.”

“Make him a proper example. Let the others learn.”

In that moment, the fate of the acting lord—no, former acting lord—was sealed.

He would never live to see the next morning.

The Marquess stroked his beard and fell into thought.

He was contemplating how to interpret Claudia’s boldness.

“So, that idiot’s report is all we have on Eched?”

A different retainer stepped forward to answer.

“The Young Lady has already removed about thirty percent of the previous officials and replaced them with new personnel.”

The Marquess nodded.

“Indeed. A seat means nothing until it’s backed by real authority. To wield power, you need your own people in the field. But now I’m curious—where did she even find people she could call her own?”

“She brought over the servants who had been attending her at the villa.”

“...Hah.”

A soft laugh escaped the Marquess’s lips.

“Makes sense. With no support from her mother’s family and no personal network of her own, I suppose that’s all she could do. But still, running a territory with only that?”

There’s a difference between a servant who assists with noble life and a retainer who supports noble administration.

In some households, the lines blurred. But to the Marquess’s knowledge, the only one among Claudia’s attendants with administrative capability was her head butler, Bestian.

“And yet... there don’t seem to be any administrative issues. In fact, thanks to a new system implemented in Eched, there are signs that people are beginning to flock to the region.”

“A new system?”

“This, my lord.”

The retainer handed over a report, which the Marquess scanned through.

He murmured,

“She’s gone mad.”

For a moment, the expressionless retainer flinched.

But it wasn’t an unreasonable reaction from the Marquess.

Even he had reread the investigator’s report several times, suspecting it might be a mistake.

“I’ll take immediate action—”

“No. Leave it be.”

“...Are you sure?”

A slight smile tugged at the Marquess’s lips.

“Have you ever grown flowers?”

“No, my lord.”

“I have.”

He plucked a bloom from the nearby flowerbed.

“They’re useless, really. Can’t eat them. No medicinal value. Barely any purpose other than being pretty. And yet, people pay dozens, even hundreds of gold coins for a single flower. I never understood that. But I still grew them. Because I knew there were fools who’d buy them. It’s out of fashion now, but I made good money back then.”

“...”

“If I interfere now, the flower will remain just a flower. Worthless to me, perhaps—but priceless to someone else. But if I’m patient... it might turn into something valuable to both me and others. Isn’t that more profitable?”

The retainer hesitated.

“But if we wait too long, we may lose even the small value we initially expected...”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll simply extract that value some other way.”

The Marquess’s voice was casual—but the meaning beneath it was chilling.

Just then, a bee flew toward the flower in his hand.

Before even the guards could move, a beast’s jaw shot out from the Marquess’s sleeve, snapped the insect out of the air, and vanished like a mirage.

The Marquess chuckled.

“...Though I suppose it’s too much to expect it to keep the pests away, too.”