On the First Day of My Election, I Possessed the Prince of a Fallen Kingdom Chapter 1 : Chapter 1

The Royal Palace of Yerarian.

Every corner was lavishly decorated with jewels of every imaginable color.

And in the largest office within that palace, Prince Noel sat upon a dazzling golden chair.

With a face that looked like he had just chewed on sothing foul.

“Your Highness, I have brought the materials you requested.”

Prince Noel quietly accepted the stack of docunts handed to him by the servant.

Then he slowly brushed back his golden hair and calmly began to read through the contents.

However, the mont he finished reading the docunts, Prince Noel’s calm composure ended.

BANG!

Prince Noel threw the papers he had been holding aside and began slamming the desk.

He pounded the desk with his fists like a madman.

Seeing this, the servant lowered his head and pretended not to notice.

“Ha.”

But Prince Noel did not allow the servant to pretend he did not see him.

“This country really does need to be completely overturned.”

The servant looked at Prince Noel, who was grinding his teeth tightly, and thought to himself.

So the rumors were true. Our prince has truly gone insane.

***

A dragon rising from a stream!

A dirt-spoon life turned around!

That was the slogan people used to describe —and the one I intended to keep pushing forward with.

“Ah… I am so nervous.”

“Please do not worry. Not even half the votes have been counted yet, and you are already overwhelmingly ahead.”

Throughout my entire life, I had only one dream.

President.

And there had been no obstacles on the path toward that dream.

My final mory was of watching the vote count broadcast as the leading candidate for the mayor of Seoul.

“Haha. I do not think I have ever been this nervous in my life.”

“Hahaha. Neither have I.”

My heart felt as if it might explode, but I forced a calm smile while keeping the broadcasting caras in mind.

Stay calm.

At this point, it would not be an exaggeration to say the election was already decided.

Despite being born poor, I had graduated early my entire life.

I completed military service, beca a judge in my twenties, and naturally entered politics.

I had no family, so there were no family-related risks.

I did not attend aningless drinking gatherings or indulge in hobbies.

Yes. If not , then who else could possibly beco the mayor of Seoul?

— It seems the ti for arguing over which party to support has passed.

— I agree. People are more excited about the ergence of a capable and honest mayor.

Experts. Ordinary citizens.

Everyone wanted .

And I also wished to beco the youngest president and change the world.

As proof, even before the vote counting had finished, the words I had hoped to see appeared on television screens across every broadcasting station.

— Seoul Mayor, Park Gyeongan, Election Confird!

“Waaaah!”

“Congratulations, Mayor!”

“Mayor Park Gyeongan!”

Now it truly begins!

My dream of becoming president was just around the corner!

With that certainty, everyone around and I jumped to our feet, clapping and cheering.

Thump!

But at that mont—At the very mont I had been desperately waiting for, my heart, which felt like it was about to burst, suddenly seed to crumple.

“Ugh…!”

No way.

Surely not?

I had not exactly been keeping up with my health checkups since I had been so busy working, but dying young like this?

Even while writhing in pain, the absurdity of the situation made incredulous.

“Mayor!”

“Mayor!”

“Call an ambulance—!”

That was it.

That was the end of my mory as Park Gyeongan.

End of recollection.

“…Your Highness?”

When I regained my senses, I had beco Prince Noel.

Prince Noel, whom everyone around called “Your Highness.”

“This contract… you only need to stamp your seal on it as usual.”

At first, I was happy.

I had beco a prince living in a palace decorated with gold and jewels?

That ant I could enjoy power far longer than any president ever could.

“Ah.”

Understanding the situation was not difficult.

So this was the so-called “regression-possession-reincarnation” trend in Korean content these days.

I did not know exactly where I had been reincarnated, but I figured I would just live comfortably while enjoying the crumbs of royal politics.

Or so I thought.

“You are telling I have been stamping my seal on contracts like this?”

But my life had never been that smooth.

“Yes. Is sothing troubling you, Your Highness?”

“Troubling?”

I gave a hollow laugh to the servant who asked the question cautiously.

The palace was filled with gold and jewels?

Surprisingly, that did not an the national treasury was overflowing.

“I am thinking about whether I should fire you for asking to stamp my seal on a contract like this.”

“…Pardon?”

“What is so surprising? I should be the one shocked after seeing a contract suggesting we sell diamonds to another country for pennies.”

Yerarian was a dood nation.

A country on the brink of collapse despite having enormous capital.

In modern terms, it would be called a resource curse.

That was only one of the many problems I had identified within a single day.

And this servant had the audacity to bring such a contract for approval.

“B-But, Your Highness, after His Majesty the Emperor collapsed, you have been stamping your seal on this contract…”

I raised one hand to signal the servant to stop talking.

I roughly understood the situation.

Yerarian was experiencing every single example I had seen while studying African nations in the past.

“Hey.”

Exporting resources—including jewels—to rapidly make money.

The governnt becoming corrupt.

Money being poured into showy welfare policies to deceive the masses.

Money lost due to civil wars and foreign invasions.

The currency collapsing.

Selling resources cheaply because there was no money.

And even the current ruler collapsing from stress.

“…Yes?”

So I was supposed to simply watch all of this unfold just because I had reincarnated here?

That was impossible.

I had heard that neighboring countries were eyeing this nation because of its poorly managed resources.

And in the dieval era, if a kingdom like this was conquered, the royal family—especially the princes—would at best beco slaves.

At worst, they would be executed.

“Leave while I am still being polite.”

The docunt the servant had brought was a trade contract.

More precisely, an unfair trade contract.

It was essentially demanding a diamond for every single brick.

“Excuse ? But you must stamp your seal—”

“I will absolutely not stamp it. So leave.”

I did not even know how many bricks Yerarian currently needed.

There was no way I would approve a contract like this.

This was not a child’s ga being played with the national treasury.

“Instead of wasting ti reading garbage like this, I would rather read another line of docunts related to the treasury.”

There was a lot I wanted to say, but I held it back.

What was the point of arguing with a servant who brought such contracts?

“But then Baron Horn will be in trouble! Baron Horn has been maintaining relations with rnia through this trade!”

While I had been patiently enduring, the servant suddenly shouted at .

Wow.

They teach rank here but not proper etiquette?

“Baron Horn will be in trouble?”

And why was this idiot raising his voice like he had done sothing right?

“Hey. Was I not the prince here?”

I imdiately stood up from the chair in the office.

The servant flinched and stepped back.

A man who trembled this much had dared to challenge the prince of a kingdom?

“You shouted at the prince because a baron might be inconvenienced?”

“N-No, that is not it.”

As I approached him, the servant panicked and ran toward the door.

“What do you an it is not?! Are my ears just decorations?!”

At my shout, everyone in the office squeezed their eyes shut in shock.

Ah. This Prince Noel.

The king was in a coma, and he was acting as the regent of the nation.

With this height and build, how had he lived such a pushover life?

“You will be dealt with later. For now, bring the man called Horn here.”

“…Pardon?”

“What? Do you want to raise my voice again?”

“N-No!”

Only then did the servant who had been nagging about the contract rush out of the office.

Complete silence fell over the room.

Everyone looked at as if they were seeing a stranger.

“You there.”

“Yes?!”

I imdiately issued an order to the man who looked like a butler.

“Gather every contract Yerarian has made with rnia through Baron Horn and place them on my desk imdiately.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Watching him run out imdiately made feel a little better.

Yes. This was how it should be.

Yesterday everyone dragged their feet whenever I spoke, and it was infuriating.

“You there, on the far left.”

“Yes!”

“Find out how many bricks Yerarian currently possesses and whether there are any plans for their use. If there is a usage plan docunt or sothing similar, bring it.”

At my words, the servant looked around in confusion.

Then soone nearby timidly raised a hand.

“I-I will retrieve that! It is part of my duties!”

Ah.

So this nation actually had a sowhat detailed division of labor?

Fine.

“Good. You bring it.”

“Yes!”

“Then what can you bring?”

“Uh… um… I can bring docunts related to the treasury you ntioned earlier.”

“Bring at least ten years’ worth.”

“Yes!”

Looking around the now empty office, I let out a long sigh.

I had been wondering where to begin fixing things, and now the starting point had practically rolled into my lap.

“A contract that reeks of corruption.”

As soon as my anger cooled slightly, I recalled the contract I had read earlier.

There were countless strange aspects, but the most suspicious part was the na of the country ntioned in it.

rnia.

“rnia…”

“I have heard that na sowhere before.”

Knock knock knock.

While I was trying to recall where I had heard it, a knock echoed through the office.

“I have brought Baron Horn.”

The man I had been waiting for had arrived.

“Enter.”

The door opened the mont I gave permission.

Baron Horn walked calmly and confidently toward .

The servant who had been scolded earlier stood awkwardly far behind him.

“I heard that Your Highness summoned .”

“Yes. I did.”

I looked him over carefully.

Sothing felt off.

The political instincts I had developed throughout my career were warning .

This man was suspicious.

“Your Highness! I have brought the docunts!”

“I-I have brought them as well!”

“I also brought the materials!”

While I was examining Baron Horn, the servants I had sent out rushed back into the office carrying piles of docunts.

Good.

Perfect timing.

“Baron Horn.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Stand there quietly and wait.”

My words visibly unsettled the servants.

They were not used to soone summoning a noble only to read docunts instead of imdiately speaking.

But this was not the ti for refined manners.

“I have other appointnts afterward, so I do not have much ti. May I ask why you summoned ?”

“I am a busy man as well. If I say wait, then wait.”

“Th-That…”

“Quietly. Wait.”

Only after I glared at him firmly did Baron Horn fall silent.

Taking advantage of the silence, I quickly skimd through the docunts.

Between the crudely handwritten information, I marked only the parts I needed.

“Hm.”

All of the docunts were a ss, but the contracts Baron Horn had made with rnia over the past three years were the most ridiculous of all.

For three years, bricks and diamonds had been traded at nearly a one-to-one ratio.

“Why has Yerarian been exchanging diamonds for bricks?”

“Because we are constructing walls in areas frequently invaded by external forces.”

Walls.

Perhaps a special military barrier?

“To mark the borders?”

“Yes.”

No?

Then there was absolutely no reason to pour diamonds into bricks like this.

“Can our country not produce bricks? You only need clay.”

“As I have explained before, producing bricks requires advanced techniques and skilled craftsn.”

“Then sell the diamonds and buy bricks. Why are you benefiting another country as a diplomat?”

Sothing slled rotten.

“This contract is simply a form of purchasing bricks with diamonds, is it not?”

Baron Horn spoke confidently, as if he were so wise scholar.

If I had never made bricks during my military service, I might have believed him.

But numbers written in docunts were far more convincing than words.

“Ah. So rnia suddenly beca extrely good at making bricks exactly three years ago—right when my father collapsed?”

At my words, Baron Horn stopped talking.

Naturally.

The contracts had been fairly normal until three years ago, and then suddenly they beca brick-exchange contracts.

“And the national asset list does not contain those precious bricks?”

“They are all being used for a special barrier to block goblins.”

“That is a lie. The resource list includes bricks.”

“Yes. They are considered such valuable resources that we trade them for diamonds—”

“That is also a lie. They are not listed.”

Baron Horn’s expression darkened.

What was this brat trying to do?

That was clearly the look on his face.

And honestly, I wanted to say the sa thing to him.

“I checked how inconsistent your explanations about these ‘precious bricks’ would beco.”

“…What?”

“What do you an ‘what’?”

A truth I did not want to face kept circling through my mind.

Yerarian.

No matter how I looked at it, this nation was dood.

The king who should be fixing this country was in a coma.

And if the nation collapsed?

The safety of a prince like ?

Naturally, it would not be guaranteed.

“Ha… my life really is set to hard mode.”

Alright.

First, I should deal with the corrupt official standing right in front of .