- 3- Behind the Scenes with the Newcomers and the News Announcement, Part 5
“Wait, please!
What do you mean, one person is to decipher this entire text within a month?
Weren’t we supposed to work on it together with His Highness in the research chamber?
And these clauses about treaty amendments in the event of violations—this is outrageous!
Do you really think such treatment of our nation is acceptable?!”
It wasn’t the sixth-generation granddaughter, as Ren had anticipated, but a noble daughter from a minor kingdom—one held in high regard nonetheless—who broke the silence with a cry that straddled indignation and despair.
And in that moment, Ren thought to himself:
Ah, as I feared… they never even read the contract before signing.
Whether to be exasperated or simply detached, he couldn’t decide.
It felt as though he were facing beings from another world, and in just a few minutes, he felt more exhausted than after an all-night shift.
Soon, the other girls began voicing their complaints as well—grievances, protests, confusion.
…Am I really the one who has to explain all of this?
“Do your briefing before sending them,” he muttered internally, cursing the officials and ambassadors of each country while forcing his face into a neutral mask, free of expression or emotion.
Then, with deliberate calmness, he began:
“Let me clarify three things.
First—your nations have already submitted sworn reports on sacred paper, incapable of bearing lies, affirming that you were given full explanation of the terms prior to signing.
So the notion that you ‘didn’t know’ simply doesn’t hold.
Second—the translation tasks are individually assigned.
Each assistant is paired with a different primary researcher.
There is no such thing as ‘working together’ on the same task.
That is not what an assistant does here.
Third—I explicitly said moments ago that any questions must be addressed via your nation’s ambassador through the royal translation liaison office.
So why are you asking me here?
And while we’re at it, let me add this: none of the contract clauses were unilaterally imposed by our nation.
As for your complaint about whether ‘such treatment of a small nation’ should be allowed—again, please refer to the contract. It’s all there.
Also, the researchers you’ll be assisting here hold higher noble ranks than you do.
This is not your home country, and the systems do not mirror your own.
And finally, if you’re thinking of shifting your attention from the prince to someone else—don’t bother. Everyone here is married and bound by sacred contracts. No one can be forced to divorce and take you as a diplomatic bride. Get that into your head.
Now then—see you in a month.”
Before the stunned daughters could recover from their shock, Ren turned and strode out.
His pace was calm, but his exit bore the air of retreat.
He didn’t stop until he reached the archives.
Oliver was waiting with coffee in hand.
“Welcome back. That bad, huh?
You weren’t even gone thirty minutes, but you look like your soul left your body.”
Ren relayed the entire ordeal. Oliver burst into laughter, holding his stomach.
“This isn’t funny,” Ren said, grimacing. “I’m exhausted. What’s going on with their countries?
That text was elementary—barely more than something out of a first-year textbook.
We deliberately chose a simple passage to avoid diplomatic friction at the outset, and they still couldn’t manage it.”
“They probably didn’t want to send actual researchers,” Oliver said, still chuckling.
“Figured they could cozy up to the prince, secure a marriage, and use it to strengthen their alliances while snagging some hand-me-down research results.”
Ren groaned but didn’t argue. He could see the truth in Oliver’s words.
The logic was simple: sending competent people might earn prestige, but given the power balance, most countries had judged it more beneficial to keep their top researchers at home.
Still, they couldn’t ignore the risk of falling behind if Ren’s nation made progress with the restoration work. So they sent a kind of insurance—just in case.
It wasn’t just about knowledge—it was political positioning.
That’s why even countries that had initially declined participation were now trying to insert themselves, in any form they could.
Which made it all the more essential not to set any dangerous precedents.
“Anyway, I need that chili-braised meat and a beer. Can I be done for the day?”
“I get the sentiment,” Oliver replied, “but no can do. Take a look at this first.”
He handed Ren two shallow crystal basins, each containing a restored fragment of ancient text.
“These came from the isolated singles team during the commotion. Looks like the magical waveform is different from the last one.”
Ren stared at the new texts, sighing through the fatigue.
And so, the work went on.
