THE TRASH PRINCE'S BLUEPRINTS

CHAPTER 4: WEEDED OUT

Prince Cain Vailtair Thaloria enters the Feast Hall of Winterkeep after kicking the door down, fully armed with his rifle, pistol, and combat knives after kicking the lightweight wooden door out of its hinges, which results in the door crashing down to the tiled floor.

Jack Baxter, the inept Frostmark Province Finance Secretary, who seems half-drunk, looks up from his wine goblet to see what the fuss was all about the moment he heard the noise.

“ Your Highness, what did you kick the door down for? Why did you have to destroy it? Do you know how much that door cost? You’ll have to pay for the repairs. What are you getting so riled up on, anyway? Come, sit. Eat and drink, like you always do. Enjoy our company, as you did since you first came here to Winterkeep. “

Jack sees Prince Cain enter the Feast Hall, glances at the broken wooden door, and gestures at the lavish spread of foods and drinks placed on the table, and beckons for Prince Cain to sit down and eat, his words slightly slurring.

“ Yes, Jack is right, Your Highness. It will be our honor if you graced us with your presence, and enjoyed our company, as always. “

Another inept and corrupt official named Isaac Bristol, the Frostmark Province Defense Secretary chimes in cheerfully.

“ Do you think I'm still one of you, you b****y useless, corrupt, inept and cowardly fools who hide behind your knights? Do you still think of me as an inept and useless trashy third prince who is so useless that he can't even govern the province he got himself banished to, let alone himself? “

Prince Cain only laughs at them, his words glinting with malice and mockery, every single word a sharp blade that slices through their thoughts, if they have the wits to comprehend it.

Every single knight and Secretary stationed in Winterkeep laughs at Prince Cain’s words, thinking he will never change, and he will never turn over a new leaf. Why should they? They have heard his fervent yet drunken declarations before that he wasn't trash anymore, only to eat his own words later on when he proved himself even more inept and useless than them since the day he first arrived in Winterkeep. More often than not they find him punch drunk and senseless, with tankards of mead still on the table.

Prince Cain laughs along with them, to disarm their suspicions until it is too late. Jack made a joke at Prince Cain’s expense on how Prince Cain first arrived in Winter-keep looking disoriented, and every one in the Feast Hall laughs.along.

Prince Cain suddenly aims at Jack Baxter’s head, with his illegally modified 50 caliber rifle with a scope, automatic rapid fire mechanism, and automatic reloading mechanism which shoots.exploding bullets and pulls the trigger.

Prince Cain’s laughter becomes sharp as a whip, wilder, and more menacing.

“ Don't you get it yet, you slow witted morons? The joke’s on all of you. I’m not one of you anymore. For Frostmark Province to prosper, all of you corrupt, inept and cowardly fools must die. “

Prince Cain says his voice now sharp, calculating, wild, menacing and full of mockery.

Prince Cain fires again, this time hitting a lowly former hedge knight straight in the eyes, which causes the knight, who stands up and holds a wine goblet to crumple on the floor, causing the wine goblet to clank and clatter noisily as the wine splatters on the tiled floor.

“ What, no one of you has the balls to stop me? You all are pathetic excuses of an official, same as your masters, The Holy Church. Come at me one at a time, or together, it matters not. “

Prince Cain taunts.

“ Oh f**k. The Third Prince is serious. Might as well make an end to him before he ends us. Help me, boys. This is for the honor of Frostmark Province! ”

Isaac Bristol pulls out his staff, and starts chanting Holy Attack spells, which are all aimed straight at Prince Cain, but all of his spells pings harmlessly off Prince Cain’s dark military uniform.

“ Honor? What do you know of honor, my lord? During your time as defense secretary here, what have you done while plenty of people fled during raids from shadow beasts and pirate raiders? All you did is hide and cower behind your walls and your knights, like a coward. What does the Holy Church know of honor? The Holy Church caused Lady Blackmoor to kill my mother. I know the Holy Church took control of this place, to make sure the Umbralith Ores which is the natural nemesis of you Holy Mages, won't be put to good use. So you lot let this place decay, my lord, and neglected the needs of the residents here. I know you lot are spies inserted here by the Holy Church. Now tell me where is the honor in that? “

Prince Cain taunts as the Holy Magic attacks ping harmlessly off his uniform.

“ Oh f**k, why aren't my attacks working on him? Shut up, Trash Prince. “

Isaac Bristol starts chanting his ultimate spell, which will summon the wrath of the Archangel Seraphiel on Prince Cain.

“ Why? Haven't you figured it out yet, my lord? My clothes, and my weapons, are imbued with Umbralith Ore, which basically negates all Holy Magic attacks. Now die. “

Prince Cain aims again with his rifle straight at the chest of Isaac Bristol, pulls the trigger, and fires thrice, causing Isaac, who is actually a Holy Mage, to slump lifelessly against the ceiling.

All of the other Secretaries for Frostmark Province tries to charge at Prince Cain with their swords, spears, daggers, and battle-axes, or even calls on their knights to flank Prince Cain, to no avail. He shoots them all in rapid succession with his rifle and pistols, with the speed and precision of an elite soldier, each of his shots hitting their targets with deadly accuracy, until he uses up all of the spare bullets stored on his bullet pouch, and what’s left of his weapons are the two combat knives with tips smeared in poison.

When all of the Secretaries have been killed, all the bullets on musket and flintlock spent, with only Prince Cain’s poisoned combat knives left as a weapon, Prince Cain shoots the surviving knights of the Secretaries a deadly, angry look with his strikingly sharp viper eyes, daring them all to make a move against him, with the barrels of his rifle & pistols smoking from the bullets discharged.

“ As you have witnessed just now, your masters, the Secretaries here who are actually spies of the Holy Church, are all killed by me. Oppose me now, and you will end up dead. Or better yet, surrender to me, and serve me as faithfully as you served these corrupt thieving, and cowardly spies, and I shall let you live. I will count down from 5 to 1. “

“5,4,3,2”

“ Your Highness, we surrender. Have mercy on us. From now on, Winterkeep Province is yours. “

The surviving knights, seeing that it is pointless fighting on for their dead superiors, seeing how efficiently and ruthlessly Prince Cain killed all of the Secretaries, throws down their weapons and holds their hands up high in the air as a sign of surrender.

“ Have no fear, boys. I accept your surrender. Starting today, we shall usher in a new era for this Province. Now leave me, and get back to your barracks. As for these bodies, throw them to the beasts near the southern border with Shadowvale Kingdom. I have much work to do. Sir Lucas Saville, come forth and attend to me. “

“ But Your Highness, these are still the Provincial Secretaries. Perhaps we should at least honor them with a decent and proper burial? “

A knight named Sir Barnaby Spencer who was once in the employ of Isaac Bristol asks.

“ Proper and decent, honored Sir Barnaby Spencer? Do you think that what these corrupt and cowardly spies inserted by the Church did to the place and to the residents here was proper and decent? By neglecting the needs of the residents here, and enriching themselves at the expense of the residents? No. They shall get the proper and decent honor they deserve, deep in the bellies of the dangerous shadow beasts after the beasts ravage them for meat. “

Prince Cain laughs.

“ I am no decent and honored knight, Your Highness. I have done things I’m ashamed of. But your command shall be fulfilled. “

Sir Barnaby Spencer replies.

Prince Cain motions to the Commander of the knights named Sir Lucas Saville, tasked with the security of Winterkeep to follow him back to his private solar.

“ As you command, Your Highness. Let me point out that the Holy Church, the Crown Prince, and the House of Blackmoor won't take this sitting down when they hear the news. They will definitely make a move. You must set a plan into motion. “

Sir Lucas Saville says when they are now seated inside the Crown Prince’s private solar inside Winterkeep.

“ I already have a plan, Sir Lucas, and I intend to set it into motion immediately. For that, I need you and those men who survived. I must act now, and consolidate my power in this province, before it is too late. “

The Crown Prince quickly types a few copies of an official Summons, and Mages Wanted Posters on the typewriter, stamps his official seal, encloses them in envelopes, and gives them to Sir Lucas Saville.

“ These are summons to residents of the fortified outposts to do fealty to their Lord Protector, and these are hiring posters for mages, blacksmiths, wood smiths, and master stonemasons. Choose only the best of the best. Make sure they are delivered in the middle of the night, to catch the Holy Church, the Crown Prince, and House Blackmoor unawares. Do it quickly, and choose your swiftest horses. Make sure the men you choose for this task are well fed and well rested. “

The Crown Prince hands over the letters to Sir Lucas Saville.

“ As you command, Your Grace. Let me point it out that these people won't do fealty when they have no incentives and rewards from you. “

“ Easily remedied, Sir Lucas. Take as many chests of Thalorian gold coins as you need, and give them to the residents. Tell them it is a gift from their Lord Protector, to help alleviate the hardships of daily living. I wish you the best of luck. Now be on your way. It is still morning. You have enough time to prepare. Time is of the essence. “

Third Prince Cain ushers the knight out of his private solar, after the knight summons men to help him lift the heavy chests of gold to the waiting carriages.

A pity I didn't take the time to craft steam powered carriages in advance. It would have made their task much faster. Oh, well, I must make do with what I have right now. I must also prepare the blueprints and the items shown on these blueprints that I need to show these mages, and master craftsmen, the moment they arrive so I can convince them of my plans.

Third Prince Cain thinks as he begins to access the System, making copies of Blueprints materialize, and items he needed to show to the mages appear out of thin air. He also prepares the blueprints and items shown in the blueprints for the Secretaries he has a mind to appoint from among the surviving knights.

“ System Online. Materializing Blueprints for electric power plants. Progress: 80 %. “

Third Prince Cain glances impatiently at the sleek, holographic interface of his System, wishing he can somehow speed up the progress of printing the blueprints, cursing and muttering vile obscenities at the speed.