The Dignity of the Omega

#6

“I understand that Enrique’s idea is the most efficient way to maximize Shamier’s national interests. However, Enrique, you’re the one who will have to marry three times and bear children. And you’ll have to leave them soon after. You’ll give birth to three of your own children, only to send them away as heirs to other countries, and you might never see them again. Are you willing to endure that pain for the sake of your country’s interests?”

Indeed… the boy before him had an aspect of an old soul.

Enrique couldn’t fully suppress his laughter and let out a small chuckle.

“Prince… You seem to have a soft heart, perhaps due to your youth. Judging by your words alone, you don’t sound like a prince of Ruben, the continent’s strongest military power.”

True to his young age, defiance flashed in the prince’s eyes. Before the boy could protest, Enrique spoke with cold eyes.

“My two older brothers lost their lives on the battlefield. I am now the only legitimate heir to Shamier. Even if my father were to have a late child in his old age, we couldn’t know if that child would be born an alpha or an omega. Of course, even if born an alpha, we wouldn’t know their capabilities until they grow up.”

“…”

“Of course, there’s the option of finding a talented successor from a collateral line. My father probably has that in mind too. But I don’t like it. I don’t need a life without fun or profit, locked away in a foreign palace just to bear and raise children for a superior heir. Children are meant to leave their parents and become independent eventually. Children born to foreign countries will just be sent away a little earlier. Someday, I will inherit Shamier and build it into a strong nation that no one can touch. And I will raise the heir born from my body well and pass it on again. If there are sacrifices to be made for this, I will gladly make them. Because I am Shamier. Just as you are Ruben.”

After finishing his speech, Enrique thought to himself that he had wasted words on a child. But on the other hand, he felt relieved. It’s not often one gets to pour out such words.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

Enrique turned away with an artificial smile, leaving the balcony. It was time to go back early, rest well, and prepare for the second round that would unfold tomorrow.

*

The envoys from the three countries, who had turned away as if they would never see each other again, rushed in as soon as the audience chamber opened. After all, that’s how deals between countries worked. It required the shamelessness to fight as if to kill one moment, and then smile broadly and embrace each other the next if there was profit to be had.

Today, Prince Enrique was standing firmly beside his father from the start. The eyes of the suitors looking at Enrique blazed with passion, and complex glances were exchanged among the envoys.

The gifts initially disclosed were only the minimum offer. The envoy groups tasked with securing the superior omega had been given considerable discretion regarding the scale of the gifts.

The king of Monta, who didn’t need to discuss with his envoys in the first place, spoke first.

“It would be troublesome to have a trading port without merchant ships. I will add my own merchant fleet to the gifts. Of course, this includes experienced captains and crew to lead the fleet.”

For Monta, a maritime trade powerhouse, a merchant fleet was as good as treasure. It wasn’t something easily obtainable even with vast sums of money. With a merchant fleet added to the trading port, Shamier would be able to reap enormous economic benefits.

The expressions of the Baron crown prince and envoys slightly hardened upon hearing the Monta king’s offer. Baron was a wealthy country despite about half of its territory being mountainous. This was due to the abundant mineral resources evenly buried throughout the mountain ranges.

After a brief discussion with his envoys, the Baron crown prince spoke with a slightly stiff face.

“We, Baron, will add 50 million gold coins to our gift.”

The King of Shamier’s eyebrows twitched slightly. It was truly an overwhelming material offensive. However, despite this, a pleased expression did not appear on the King of Shamier’s face. Decades ago, he had lost two grown sons in a war with Baron. Although he had since advocated neutrality for the sake of national security, how could the grudge of losing his children easily fade away?

Everyone’s faces hardened as each additional item was proposed. But Prince Enrique’s expression was full of excitement.

After hearing the proposals from Monta and Baron, Prince Enrique’s gaze turned to the Ruben Empire’s envoys. His eyes seemed to ask what more they would offer. The Ruben Empire’s envoys wore irritated expressions at this impertinent attitude of swaying the continent’s three great powers with just his body. When had envoys of the Ruben Empire, called the continent’s strongest nation, ever received such treatment?

“Lord Theovan.”

The young voice of the Ruben Empire’s prince urged softly. The irritated envoy then exhaled a faint sigh and spoke with a displeased face.

“We will add 500 warhorses and 500 sets of cavalry armor and weapons. Additionally, we will provide cavalry training from the Ruben Empire to Shamier’s knights for the next three years.”

The combat power of the Ruben Empire’s cavalry was famously worth a hundred men. With weapons, armor, warhorses, and training added, Shamier would be able to secure considerable military strength in the future.

The offers from all three countries were incredibly generous. They were willing to make considerable sacrifices to see an heir born from a superior omega. Of course, these sacrifices were well worth it. Superior omegas were extremely rare, and children born to them not only had a high probability of being born superior, but even if not superior, they were significantly more capable than ordinary alphas or omegas.

Of course, these countries had their own calculations.

Prince Enrique’s condition was that he would marry and bear children in order of the highest bid, but no country intended to strictly adhere to this. Clearly, once they won the first order and married, after seeing the first heir, they would try to keep him tied to their country by any means necessary – be it through emotional attachment, love, affection for the child, or physical force. Enrique was not unaware of these intentions.

The three countries had each presented high auction prices. Now the choice remained. Enrique placed his hand on his father’s shoulder, who was rubbing his forehead with his fingers at the unexpectedly large scale of the situation.

“Father, which offer do you think is most beneficial?”

The King of Shamier’s brow furrowed at Enrique’s overly blunt question.

“Enrique. My child. This father…”

Enrique firmly gripped his father’s shoulder as he was about to make another emotional statement. Knowing his son’s personality well, the King of Shamier let out a heavy sigh. Then, waving one hand, he said,

“I’m fine with anything, so do as you please.”

With his father’s permission, Enrique raised his head with a deep smile. Then he made eye contact with each of the three suitors in turn.

The conditions from all three countries were good. Exceptionally good. They were offers that couldn’t be passed up. But the blood of Shamier, which sustained the country through intermediary trade sandwiched between great powers, whispered that they could squeeze out a bit more.

“The offers from Ruben, Baron, and Monta are all satisfactory. First, I thank you for presenting such generous gifts.”

Enrique bowed his head politely. But everyone knew what word would come after that statement. Enrique did not disappoint their expectations and spoke.

“However.”

At this predictable word, the envoys’ eyebrows shot up simultaneously.

“All the offers are so appealing that it’s difficult to rank them. I wonder if you might be willing to make your offers a bit more attractive to clearly establish the priority order.”

“Come now, this isn’t even a promise of sacred marriage, but merely a condition to bear one child, and you’re asking for more than this? There really is no greater merchant than you!”

One of Monta’s envoys cried out, gritting his teeth. People from all countries nodded at this outcry.

“Haggling over the price for a two-year marriage and bearing a child, hmph! Even a woman of the streets wouldn’t be this severe!”

An envoy from an unidentified country hurled abuse. No one nodded at this more extreme statement, but they silently agreed.

Instead of feeling ashamed or embarrassed, Enrique armed himself with an even deeper smile. He didn’t need to force himself to smile. Thinking about the enormous price he would extract from them, he couldn’t help but grin at any insult.

Rather than addressing the envoys, Enrique smiled broadly as he gazed at each suitor in turn. As he subtly released the pheromones he usually kept tightly contained due to strict education, the expressions of the Monta king and Baron crown prince changed dramatically. Enrique raised the corners of his mouth as he observed their tightly clenched fists and tensed jaws, struggling to suppress their primal urges.