I Reincarnated as a Prince Who Revolutionized the Kingdom

The sound of hurried footsteps and clanging weapons filled the air as royalist soldiers spread out across the docks. Captain Vallier's elite battalion led the charge, swiftly cutting down any pockets of resistance. Royalist sharpshooters continued to provide cover from elevated positions, ensuring the retreating Republic soldiers had no opportunity to regroup.

"Take the docks!" Vallier barked. "Secure every vessel and destroy any remaining artillery!"

Republic soldiers stumbled over crates and supplies in their desperate attempt to reach the anchored ships. A few managed to board a frigate and tried to cast off, but royalist cannon crews wheeled a heavy gun into position near the pier.

"Target that frigate!" a royalist officer commanded.

With a deafening roar, the cannon fired, striking the side of the vessel. The explosion ripped through the hull, sending splinters and debris flying into the air. The frigate listed heavily to one side, its crew abandoning ship in a panic. Several soldiers leapt into the water, surrendering to royalist forces waiting on the docks.

"Hold your fire!" Vallier ordered as the last of the enemy resistance crumbled. "We've secured the area."

Prince Bruno arrived at the scene moments later, his eyes scanning the battlefield. The docks were littered with the wreckage of the Republic's failed defense. Captured soldiers knelt in long rows, their hands tied behind their backs. Royalist officers moved through the ranks, collecting weapons and issuing orders.

"Captain Vallier," Bruno called out as he dismounted his horse. "Status report."

"We've secured the entire port, Your Highness," Vallier replied. "All enemy vessels have been grounded, and their artillery positions are neutralized. The remaining Republic forces have surrendered."

Bruno nodded. "Good. Keep the prisoners under close watch. I have an enemy commander rounded up earlier, I am going to interrogate him."

***

At the Estate.

Prince Bruno stepped into the dimly lit room, his boots echoing ominously against the stone floor. Captain Vallier and General Berthold followed close behind, standing guard at the entrance. Renoux sat in the center of the room, his hands still bound, though his posture remained defiant despite his injuries. Two guards flanked him, ensuring he had no chance of escape.

Bruno pulled up a wooden chair and sat directly across from the Republic officer.

"Captain Renoux," Bruno began. "Let's not waste time. Your army is broken. The port is under my control. I need information, and you will give it to me."

Renoux chuckled bitterly. "You're dreaming if you think I'll betray the Republic."

Bruno leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "A republic? What are you talking about, Renoux? The last I heard, Elysea was still under the rule of my father. Now you invade my land, fire upon Elysean soldiers, and speak of a republic. Explain yourself."

Renoux's smirk faded as he stared into Bruno's cold, unrelenting gaze. For a moment, he hesitated, but he seemed to realize the futility of withholding the truth any longer. He sighed heavily, the defiance in his voice waning.

"There is no King anymore," Renoux muttered. "Your father… the entire royal family… they're gone."

Bruno froze for a moment, the words not fully registering. He leaned closer, his voice dangerously low. "Gone? What do you mean by 'gone'?"

"There was a revolution," Renoux explained, locking eyes with Bruno. "It started nearly two years ago. The people of Elysea were fed up with the monarchy, with the endless social stratification and the corruption of the aristocracy. The nation boiled over in riots and uprisings. Your father, didn't do anything and we had enough."

Renoux paused, gauging Bruno's reaction. When the prince didn't speak, he continued.

"The Revolutionary Council seized power. They executed the King and Queen, along with most of the royal family. Nobles who resisted were also purged. The Council proclaimed a new Republic of Elysea. They rewrote the laws, redistributed land, and declared an end to the old system of privilege and exploitation."

"And I suppose you believe that murdering my family and tearing apart the country brought freedom?"

Renoux met his gaze without flinching. "I believe it brought justice. The old order needed to be broken. The aristocracy hoarded power and wealth while the common people starved. Your father's inaction sealed his fate. The revolution wasn't just anger—it was survival."

Bruno stood abruptly, pacing across the room. His mind reeled as Renoux's words echoed in his ears. His father… his family… gone, executed like criminals. He had expected betrayal on this island, but not this—a full-scale upheaval of everything he had ever known.

"You call it survival, yet here you are—invading Corse, killing your fellow countrymen. If your Republic is so righteous, why resort to this?"

Renoux straightened, his expression sharp. "Corse is a threat to the Republic as long as you live. You're a rallying point for every royalist sympathizer. The Council ordered this invasion to prevent a resurgence of monarchy. If you fall, the Republic's authority is secure."

"I see…I understand now. It is all starting to make sense."

Renoux furrowed his brow at Bruno's calm and detached response. He had expected anger, perhaps even despair. Yet the prince's reaction was strangely measured, almost indifferent, as if the death of his entire family meant nothing.

"You understand?" Renoux asked cautiously. "Your father and the rest of your family are dead. Executed. And you... you don't seem to care."

Bruno halted his pacing and turned slowly toward Renoux, his expression unreadable. He tilted his head slightly, his sharp gaze locking onto the captain.

"Why should I?" he said softly.

Renoux blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean? They were your family. Your bloodline. Don't you feel any rage, any grief? Even now, you should—"

"You assume too much," Bruno interrupted coldly. His eyes gleamed with a chilling intensity that made Renoux instinctively shift in his chair. "Perhaps you think I mourn their loss. But the truth is far more complicated."

Renoux stared at him, confusion deepening. "You... don't care? You're their son, their heir. I thought you'd be—"

"I am not the man you think I am," Bruno said firmly. A subtle smirk formed on his lips as he crossed his arms. He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "The royal family you speak of—those ties mean nothing to me. What I do care about is this island and what it represents. If the Republic thinks it can claim what's mine, then they are gravely mistaken."

Renoux frowned, struggling to piece together what he had just heard. He could sense something... off about the prince. There was a dispassionate air to Bruno that didn't match the stories he had heard about the young noble years ago.

"What are you talking about?" Renoux demanded. "If you're not driven by vengeance for your family, then why are you fighting to restore the monarchy?"

Bruno chuckled softly, his eyes narrowing with a cold fire. "Restore it? No, Renoux. I have no interest in being a puppet figurehead like my predecessors. This Republic of yours thought it could erase me from history, but it made one critical mistake: leaving me alive."

He stepped closer to the bound captain. "I'm not fighting to preserve the monarchy. I'm fighting to take what's rightfully mine. Corse is only the beginning. Once I retake the throne, I will crush the Council that betrayed us and reshape the nation as I see fit. I will build a new order—an empire that neither your revolutionaries nor your corrupt aristocrats could have dreamed of."