The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt

And now, if it pleases Your Highness,

I will give my report.

We have received word that the Emperor of Earthwold

has suddenly passed away. This has resulted

in a power struggle within the imperial palace.

Ah. The emperor's charisma was the light that guided

the empire forward. But the brighter the light,

the deeper the darkness when it's extinguished.

And if no successor has been named,

rest assured it will get even darker.

At the present time, there is unrest throughout

the empire and in our neighbor kingdoms as well.

But not here! For Natra possesses a unique asset.

Our beacon of hope!

Of course, I mean you. Your Highness, Prince Wein.

Hmph. It's not just me, you know.

You liegemen who supported my father

all these years are every bit as much a beacon of hope as I am.

Your Highness.

Please, we are not worthy of such praise.

As long as we stand united in pursuit of a common goal,

there is no limit to what we can achieve.

That business with the imperial ambassador

ought to stand as evidence of that.

Wise words as always, Your Highness.

Quite so. What a magnificent man you've become.

Anything else to report?

No sir.

Then you're dismissed, with my gratitude.

Highness!

I gotta sell this kingdom, now!

Ugh. "You're as much a beacon of hope as me."

Ah! "As long as all of us stand united

in pursuit of a common goal."

Man, what a load! There's no way in hell I can possibly

get us out of this mess, you know!

Sorry! Guess the whole kingdom is screwed!

Please give it a rest, Wein.

You shouldn't say things like that, even in jest, all right?

Who ever said I was joking?

I have never been more serious, Ninym!

You know that's worse, yeah? I swear, you're such a lazy brat

when no one's watching.

You should really put more effort in.

Thanks. And while you're at it, why don't you

give me a homework assignment to do, Teach?

Don't play dumb, you know just as well as I do

how much there is wrong with this little kingdom of ours.

For starters, we've got 500,000 subjects at best.

And here in the northern part of the continent,

the springs are short, and the winters are long.

Our territory's basically a bunch of worthless rocks

and mountains. We've got no money for domestic development.

No resources with which to raise capital.

And no industry to speak of.

I could keep going, but I think I've clearly made my point.

We're a puny little kingdom

that could be wiped out in a snap.

And now with my old man being sick and all,

I gotta run the place.

I don't wanna have to deal with any of this!

Man, I can't wait to sell this kingdom.

But if I wanna unload the kingdom of Natra,

then I gotta build it up first.

If I increase its value, then it'll fetch a higher price

when I pawn it off on the highest bidder.

And then, my retirement will be all the more luxurious!

Yeah. You've told me that harebrained plan

about a million times. Could you please

try thinking about something important for once,

--just to see what it's like? --

Hm?

Brother dear? I'm sorry, I know you're busy,

but do you think you could spare a moment for me?

Why, certainly.

So, what brings you here, Falanya dear?

I thought you might like to know how Father's doing.

I've just had a chance to see him.

Yes, please.

I'm glad to say he's looking ever so much better now.

He even wanted to go for a short walk today.

I'm so relieved to hear it. That said,

I think we'd better hold off on that walk for now.

Why is that?

The neighboring kingdom of Marden

is poised to invade Natra at any moment.

You mean...?

Mm. Looks like war.

It wasn't long ago that Marden and Natra

were on pretty even footing.

Then Marden struck gold and expanded rapidly.

And yet their king is quite unpopular with his people,

as you may already know.

Ah, yes. I've heard tale that his inner circle is corrupt.

Always covering up his failures and praising him

as a great leader to feed his ego.

It's clear that if this pattern continues,

Marden's king is going to drive his country

right into the ground.

Understandably, he's looking to give his people

an easy win to distract them from the situation.

And it just so happens we're the perfect target now that

the imperial forces previously stationed here have withdrawn.

Yes, but... you've already thought of a plan

to stop them, haven't you?

Huh?

I overheard the military officers

talking about it in the inner courtyard.

Do tell.

"The time has arrived for the swords of Natra

to fulfill their destiny!" Oh, and: "As liegemen,

it's our duty to live up to the prince's expectations of us."

Like that!

Well, what do you know.

Nanaki heard them, too. Didn't you?

Yeah. They wouldn't shut up about it.

Oh great, now those idiots are getting themselves

all worked up with lofty ideas about heading off to battle!

I don't suppose they've given any thought

to the practical aspects of war, like for instance the cost!

Brother?

There's not much I can do to support you,

but I can at least pray for your victory.

Good luck, I believe in you!

Right, thanks.

We'll launch a half-hearted attack,

then sue for peace.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

Natra's forces number 6,000. Marden's, 7,000.

Your Highness.

Both of the armies are on the field and ready to go.

Nothing left to do now but wait for the battle to start.

Well, there is one more thing, Your Highness.

I was hoping you'd be willing to address the troops.

Going into battle wears on a soldier.

They feel it not only in their body,

but in their soul as well.

That being the case,

won't you offer them a few words to boost their morale?

Though they have received training from the empire,

this is their first real campaign,

and the tension is thick in the air.

Torace of Heinoy. Your spear, it's upside down.

Oh, sorry! Oh please. Your Highness, forgive me!

Karlmann, Patess, Livi, Logli, it's not that funny.

Understood, Your Highness!

That cut through the tension a bit, at least.

In the past, there have been many who have

looked down on the Natran army and judged us as weak.

There may have been a time when that assessment was correct.

Right now, Marden's army is operating

on the belief that we still are.

But I know otherwise. I know of the grueling training

every one of you has endured.

I know of the noble courage you possess

on a level that is far beyond compare.

And I know of the imperishable flame

that burns steadfastly in your hearts

as you prepare to face these invaders.

And that's why I know beyond a doubt

that there is absolutely nothing weak about any of you!

Now prove it to them in battle!

Show them what it means to be the dragons of the north!

And let it resound across the land!

We are the most formidable fighting force in all existence!

Hear me! Today will be the day when we rewrite history!

You were magnificent, Highness.

That should at least calm their nerves enough

that they'll be able to hold on to their weapons.

Addressing those soldiers by name was a very effective touch.

Did you plant them there in advance?

Of course not. That was on the fly.

It's not like we have hundreds of thousands of troops

or anything. More like, less than 10,000?

Easy enough to keep track of all of them.

Now! Warriors of Marden, listen well to me!

It seems the lowly soldiers of Natra

confuse recklessness for bravery!

What's more, they're foolish enough

to think they can thwart our advance!

Nonsense! Make no mistake, there's no way in hell

some northern peasants could ever hope to defeat

an elite army like ours!

So! Go and crush them all!

See this gray, barren wasteland stained red with their blood!

All right, ready?

Get ready!

Charge!

Highness! I have a report!

Marden's troops are in a center-heavy formation!

After we've broken through their center,

we'll turn around and crush them from behind!

If that's their game, then we'll stand our ground!

Our defensive line will surely break them.

The Mardenian army won't know what hit them!

Whoa. Whoa-whoa- whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!

Hey! Hold on a second! What's happening?

General Urgio!

Our left flank is requesting reinforcements!

Sir! We've lost Sanse Company.