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天才王子の赤字国家再生術~そうだ、売国しよう~ (Light Novel) #3
The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 3
It ain't easy being a foreign guest...
After narrowly dodging a marriage proposal, Prince Wein is accosted by a messenger from the Kingdom of Cavarin, which can only mean bad news...and unfortunately, he's absolutely right! The messenger cordially invites him to the Festival of the Spirit to celebrate the biggest religion in the western side of the the Teachings of Levetia. Oh, and this event just happens to coincide with a gathering for the most influential group in the West, which is also in Cavarin. Either way, it's not an invitation Wein can turn down easily, even though he knows he's just begging for more trouble...!
After narrowly dodging a marriage proposal, Prince Wein is accosted by a messenger from the Kingdom of Cavarin, which can only mean bad news...and unfortunately, he's absolutely right! The messenger cordially invites him to the Festival of the Spirit to celebrate the biggest religion in the western side of the the Teachings of Levetia. Oh, and this event just happens to coincide with a gathering for the most influential group in the West, which is also in Cavarin. Either way, it's not an invitation Wein can turn down easily, even though he knows he's just begging for more trouble...!
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 11, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 11, 2022
why was this volume disappointing😭 i had such high expectations😭 i hope volume 4 is better
June 24, 2020
This was everything I'd been waiting for and more! I was so disappointed when the preorder got pushed back (thanks, corona) but it was worth the wait. This book was chock-full of some really interesting, intriguing, exciting, and surprising stuff. The politics were so fun to watch, and there was some war, too. We got to know the West better, which was fun and interesting. I love Wein. And Ninym. And the whole series! The humor was great as usual, and the last page was hilarious! On our new character: All in all, I really loved this book and greatly look forward to the next one, which releases in September, about three months from now. 5 stars! Check this out if you enjoyed the previous books in the series!
July 19, 2020
For the first time in a long time, the troublesome ethics and disorder surrounding Wein's exploits are not the prince regent's fault. After the prince repeatedly guessed and dared his way to success on the battlefield and at political debate tables, the young man's mettle earns a true test of significantly greater proportion: international diplomacy.
GENIUS PRINCE . . . #3 pulls the prince and his trusty advisor out of the comforts of their own borders and sends them southwest and into the heart of a neighboring territory, the Kingdom of Cavarin. Why? It turns out Wein has been summoned by a cabal of the greedy and gluttonous. Whether this summons is an invitation to one's demise or an enticement into the heart of continental power, remains to be seen. All Wein, Ninym, Raklum, and the others know is to keep up their guard.
This volume is fascinating for how it shows evidence of the reverberations of Wein's political ethos across national borders. One cannot help but wonder if the young man's mischievous exploits are under close and constant surveillance by the powers that be, and one cannot help but suggest there are more than a few jealous interlocutors eager to steal the young man's strategic genius for themselves. Unfortunately for Wein, he's not in any position, as the guiding hand of a poor northern kingdom, to refuse to meet and engage his powerful neighbors in ardent discussion.
At the heart of GENIUS PRINCE . . . #3 are rumors of betrayal and revolt, encounters with chaos-hearted religious zealots, naïve princesses of displaced peoples, regicide, and so much more. Prince Wein must avoid assassination plots, negotiate treaties, and pledge to lift his nation out of debt all within the same breath. This is, without a doubt, the most hectic business trip in world history.
Readers who are fans of Wein and Ninym's knack for twisting free of hairy situations will love this volume. Wein doesn't get out of trouble so much as finagle a way to outlast and outsmart his enemies such that he does as little fighting as possible. It's difficult to explain, but in essence, Wein manages to convince his enemies he's less of a threat than he truly is, which results in various rivals directing their destructive anger elsewhere. Wein saves his skin several times in this manner. Hopefully, he isn't creating more enemies in the process.
Also in this volume, readers again see proof of the prince regent's affection for his royal aide. One of the highlights of this novel series is Wein's unwavering support of the Flahm. And as in previous volumes, Wein will kill anyone who dares badmouth either his dear Ninym or her people. Ethnic persecution is a topic of discussion. The prince faithfully prods the other royals for the opinions on the matter, true, but when it comes to defending the Flahm, Wein doesn't hold back ("without a shred of mercy or hesitation," p. 136). And the result is perhaps the most compelling scene in the whole book.
The Kingdom of Natra's dalliance on the international stage had the potential to balloon out of proportion, but thankfully, the author managed to keep events within a reasonable scope. There's a festival in the Kingdom of Cavarin; there's an alliance of rebels in the northern part of the territory; an assassin character reappears, after being previously defeated by Wein; the mysterious cabal of powerful rulers amounts to a half-dozen and they each have their own personality quirks, comical and devilish alike -- GENIUS PRINCE . . . #3 could have easily spun out of control, but all in all, is a fairly tight-knit adventure.
GENIUS PRINCE . . . #3 pulls the prince and his trusty advisor out of the comforts of their own borders and sends them southwest and into the heart of a neighboring territory, the Kingdom of Cavarin. Why? It turns out Wein has been summoned by a cabal of the greedy and gluttonous. Whether this summons is an invitation to one's demise or an enticement into the heart of continental power, remains to be seen. All Wein, Ninym, Raklum, and the others know is to keep up their guard.
This volume is fascinating for how it shows evidence of the reverberations of Wein's political ethos across national borders. One cannot help but wonder if the young man's mischievous exploits are under close and constant surveillance by the powers that be, and one cannot help but suggest there are more than a few jealous interlocutors eager to steal the young man's strategic genius for themselves. Unfortunately for Wein, he's not in any position, as the guiding hand of a poor northern kingdom, to refuse to meet and engage his powerful neighbors in ardent discussion.
At the heart of GENIUS PRINCE . . . #3 are rumors of betrayal and revolt, encounters with chaos-hearted religious zealots, naïve princesses of displaced peoples, regicide, and so much more. Prince Wein must avoid assassination plots, negotiate treaties, and pledge to lift his nation out of debt all within the same breath. This is, without a doubt, the most hectic business trip in world history.
Readers who are fans of Wein and Ninym's knack for twisting free of hairy situations will love this volume. Wein doesn't get out of trouble so much as finagle a way to outlast and outsmart his enemies such that he does as little fighting as possible. It's difficult to explain, but in essence, Wein manages to convince his enemies he's less of a threat than he truly is, which results in various rivals directing their destructive anger elsewhere. Wein saves his skin several times in this manner. Hopefully, he isn't creating more enemies in the process.
Also in this volume, readers again see proof of the prince regent's affection for his royal aide. One of the highlights of this novel series is Wein's unwavering support of the Flahm. And as in previous volumes, Wein will kill anyone who dares badmouth either his dear Ninym or her people. Ethnic persecution is a topic of discussion. The prince faithfully prods the other royals for the opinions on the matter, true, but when it comes to defending the Flahm, Wein doesn't hold back ("without a shred of mercy or hesitation," p. 136). And the result is perhaps the most compelling scene in the whole book.
The Kingdom of Natra's dalliance on the international stage had the potential to balloon out of proportion, but thankfully, the author managed to keep events within a reasonable scope. There's a festival in the Kingdom of Cavarin; there's an alliance of rebels in the northern part of the territory; an assassin character reappears, after being previously defeated by Wein; the mysterious cabal of powerful rulers amounts to a half-dozen and they each have their own personality quirks, comical and devilish alike -- GENIUS PRINCE . . . #3 could have easily spun out of control, but all in all, is a fairly tight-knit adventure.
October 17, 2020
In Summary
Wein sets out to Cavarin, the kingdom that conquered the country of Marden. What begins as a trip to establish diplomatic ties with Natra’s new neighbor turns into a bizarre encounter with the most powerful leaders in the West. Toba-sensei does an excellent job of throwing Wein into tactical and strategic quandaries, large and small, that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Review
The third volume is a continuation of troublesome Western affairs that began in Volume 1. To recap, the truly despicable King of Marden ordered an invasion of Natra, and Marden wound up losing its gold mine to Natra and its remaining territory to their southern neighbor.
That southern neighbor (which was “Kavalinu” in Volume 1 and is now spelled “Cavarin” in Volume 3) gets things rolling by sending Wein an invitation to the Festival of the Spirit, a religious celebration in their capital. And this year’s festival also happens to coincide with the gathering of the Holy Elites, the top leaders of Levetia, the West’s most influential religion. Wein has no choice but to go, and unfortunately, the route to the Cavarin capital passes through an area where remnants of the Marden Army are struggling to take their territory back.
Quite a few old characters from the Marden conflict return to the story–and some with surprising jobs. But a new country coming onto the scene means new players, backstories, and agendas. While Falanya’s lessons are a blatant information dumping device, they do the trick of quickly laying out key bits of history and introducing Levetia. For the Western nations, there’s definitely no separation between religion and state. Rather the two are deeply intertwined, and much of the first half of the book is Wein trying to figure out the motivations of the Holy Elites and how he can best use them to Natra’s advantage. Toba-sensei keeps things interesting with the varied outlooks of these powerful individuals, but despite their “Holy” title, the group is sadly a corrupt bunch who twists religious texts to further selfish gains.
In addition to navigating that particular political landscape, Wein also winds up unexpectedly indebted to the Liberation Front, the remnants of the Marden Army led by a royal who survived the Cavarin invasion. As such, he agrees to sneak the Marden diplomat Zeno into the Cavarin capital by passing her as part of his retinue. Zeno is interesting and so are her interactions with Wein. However, Zeno’s perspective that the reestablishment of the Marden royal family is a righteous cause feels odd given that the last king was a terrible, incompetent ruler who abused his people, especially those at the gold mine. It’s even odder no one in the Natra contingent calls her out on it, considering MARDEN was the aggressor against Natra just a year ago. Anyway, if you can overlook this odd lack of bitterness between former enemies, all the twists and turns of these elements of international politics, religion, and military are pretty engaging.
The biggest surprise is Wein’s ultimate decision regarding King Ordalasse, the guy who invited him to Cavarin in the first place. I actually stopped to make sure I hadn’t misread the text because I was so stunned by what Wein does. It’s certainly not what you’d expect from a guy who wants to slack off his entire life. However, the treatment of a certain white-haired aide is a significant factor in this scene, and the series has already demonstrated how Wein is when it comes to Ninym. So while Wein’s response is shocking, it is also definitely in character.
The volume closes with a chase and military clashes. Some of the action scenes are difficult to follow, and the tone by which Hagal’s execution is announced immediately made me doubt its veracity. Overall, though, there’s plenty of excitement, close calls, and upsets to keep you eagerly turning the pages till the end.
Extras include the first eight pages printed in color, ten black-and-white illustrations, and afterword. The artwork, by the way, is heavy on the fan service, which, in my opinion, is completely unnecessary.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
Wein sets out to Cavarin, the kingdom that conquered the country of Marden. What begins as a trip to establish diplomatic ties with Natra’s new neighbor turns into a bizarre encounter with the most powerful leaders in the West. Toba-sensei does an excellent job of throwing Wein into tactical and strategic quandaries, large and small, that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Review
The third volume is a continuation of troublesome Western affairs that began in Volume 1. To recap, the truly despicable King of Marden ordered an invasion of Natra, and Marden wound up losing its gold mine to Natra and its remaining territory to their southern neighbor.
That southern neighbor (which was “Kavalinu” in Volume 1 and is now spelled “Cavarin” in Volume 3) gets things rolling by sending Wein an invitation to the Festival of the Spirit, a religious celebration in their capital. And this year’s festival also happens to coincide with the gathering of the Holy Elites, the top leaders of Levetia, the West’s most influential religion. Wein has no choice but to go, and unfortunately, the route to the Cavarin capital passes through an area where remnants of the Marden Army are struggling to take their territory back.
Quite a few old characters from the Marden conflict return to the story–and some with surprising jobs. But a new country coming onto the scene means new players, backstories, and agendas. While Falanya’s lessons are a blatant information dumping device, they do the trick of quickly laying out key bits of history and introducing Levetia. For the Western nations, there’s definitely no separation between religion and state. Rather the two are deeply intertwined, and much of the first half of the book is Wein trying to figure out the motivations of the Holy Elites and how he can best use them to Natra’s advantage. Toba-sensei keeps things interesting with the varied outlooks of these powerful individuals, but despite their “Holy” title, the group is sadly a corrupt bunch who twists religious texts to further selfish gains.
In addition to navigating that particular political landscape, Wein also winds up unexpectedly indebted to the Liberation Front, the remnants of the Marden Army led by a royal who survived the Cavarin invasion. As such, he agrees to sneak the Marden diplomat Zeno into the Cavarin capital by passing her as part of his retinue. Zeno is interesting and so are her interactions with Wein. However, Zeno’s perspective that the reestablishment of the Marden royal family is a righteous cause feels odd given that the last king was a terrible, incompetent ruler who abused his people, especially those at the gold mine. It’s even odder no one in the Natra contingent calls her out on it, considering MARDEN was the aggressor against Natra just a year ago. Anyway, if you can overlook this odd lack of bitterness between former enemies, all the twists and turns of these elements of international politics, religion, and military are pretty engaging.
The biggest surprise is Wein’s ultimate decision regarding King Ordalasse, the guy who invited him to Cavarin in the first place. I actually stopped to make sure I hadn’t misread the text because I was so stunned by what Wein does. It’s certainly not what you’d expect from a guy who wants to slack off his entire life. However, the treatment of a certain white-haired aide is a significant factor in this scene, and the series has already demonstrated how Wein is when it comes to Ninym. So while Wein’s response is shocking, it is also definitely in character.
The volume closes with a chase and military clashes. Some of the action scenes are difficult to follow, and the tone by which Hagal’s execution is announced immediately made me doubt its veracity. Overall, though, there’s plenty of excitement, close calls, and upsets to keep you eagerly turning the pages till the end.
Extras include the first eight pages printed in color, ten black-and-white illustrations, and afterword. The artwork, by the way, is heavy on the fan service, which, in my opinion, is completely unnecessary.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2022
Light novel series lacks unity (has no cohesion), first volume war, second volume help out a school friend, third assassination attempt (without logical cause). It's as if the author has made a supermarket to buy list, without any relation from item to item, from volume to volume. This revolution/assassination attempt volume has no real cause, it is not tied down to the second or first volume.
Illustrations look still half done, I do not understand if it is a specific art style or the illustrator is just sloppy.
The banter between Wein (main character) and Nynim (his friend, aide) is childish and pointless (is it to fill the writing space?)
I think author should change name of main character from Wein to Whyne, cause all the character is good for, is complaining and not wanting to be where he is. The only problem is that he is the "most important person" reigning king of his small kingdom. Author should just be honest and stop writing other volumes. If the main character has no desire, ambition for his life and his kingdom, then what is the point to everything he does? Where is the "genius" in his actions and achievements? is his land cursed to disappear by having him as their king?
This light novel is about governance,but main characters really do very little governance and Kingdom growth, development, improvement, etc. Not once has main character talked about creating new jobs, new industries, improve trade or improve the nutrition, state of his inhabitants.
Light novel has few characters, three-four-five per volume. Slow or flat action. I feel light novel isn't really completing main arcs or developing secondary plot arcs.
A "genius" that doesn't come up with new ideas, new solutions, new improvements, is just a person that is swindling his people and not really going anywhere. Wein has no fighting prowess or skills, no special abilities other than always trying to be a fool, clown, etc. If this "genius" is better than his neighbors, this fictional world has no hope for improvement or development. I think the author should just make Wein abdicate and end this light novel that is not going anywhere.
The objective of this third volume is to become a "holy elite", the only problem is that Wein is not really religious nor magical nor have any theological inclinations for this to be something important or relevant to his small kingdom.
Illustrations look still half done, I do not understand if it is a specific art style or the illustrator is just sloppy.
The banter between Wein (main character) and Nynim (his friend, aide) is childish and pointless (is it to fill the writing space?)
I think author should change name of main character from Wein to Whyne, cause all the character is good for, is complaining and not wanting to be where he is. The only problem is that he is the "most important person" reigning king of his small kingdom. Author should just be honest and stop writing other volumes. If the main character has no desire, ambition for his life and his kingdom, then what is the point to everything he does? Where is the "genius" in his actions and achievements? is his land cursed to disappear by having him as their king?
This light novel is about governance,but main characters really do very little governance and Kingdom growth, development, improvement, etc. Not once has main character talked about creating new jobs, new industries, improve trade or improve the nutrition, state of his inhabitants.
Light novel has few characters, three-four-five per volume. Slow or flat action. I feel light novel isn't really completing main arcs or developing secondary plot arcs.
A "genius" that doesn't come up with new ideas, new solutions, new improvements, is just a person that is swindling his people and not really going anywhere. Wein has no fighting prowess or skills, no special abilities other than always trying to be a fool, clown, etc. If this "genius" is better than his neighbors, this fictional world has no hope for improvement or development. I think the author should just make Wein abdicate and end this light novel that is not going anywhere.
The objective of this third volume is to become a "holy elite", the only problem is that Wein is not really religious nor magical nor have any theological inclinations for this to be something important or relevant to his small kingdom.
April 13, 2021
It has been a year since Wein defeated Marden and the conquest of Marden by the opportunistic neighbouring kingdom of Cavarin. When Wein is invited to join the Spring Fest in Cavarin's capital and the conference of religious leaders of the dominant faith in the West by the king of Cavarin he cannot refuse. Something is afoot, but Wein has difficulties guessing what. He has to keep his wits about and find the right allies to deal with both external and internal threats.
Much like Book 2, this is mostly about the plotting of the political leaders, this time in the West. We get to see a bit more of the world and Wein's motivations and goals, only a bit though. It lacks the personal touches of Book 2 though, no flashbacks or childhood friends beyond his loyal aide. I thoroughly enjoyed the story for the same reasons as the first two books: a smart protagonist, but one whose plans do not always succeed, a complete story and an interesting world of which we slowly see more off.
Character revelations are slow though, and at times there the exposition is a bit too long especially considering other things (such as Wein's true motivations) are kept secret on purpose. I also find the number of villainous insane rulers a bit on the high side. It makes for a good story, entertaining villains and there are ample of examples in real life of similarly insane rulers, but so many at the same time in a position of power?
Still, if you enjoy a solid kingdom building story that is more about political manoeuvring with the occasional large scale battle with a slowly revealed mystery surround the motivations of the people involved with a smart protagonist than this is a great light novel. It is a great addition to the story and I am looking forward how the Natra's journey towards greatness continues in the next books.
Much like Book 2, this is mostly about the plotting of the political leaders, this time in the West. We get to see a bit more of the world and Wein's motivations and goals, only a bit though. It lacks the personal touches of Book 2 though, no flashbacks or childhood friends beyond his loyal aide. I thoroughly enjoyed the story for the same reasons as the first two books: a smart protagonist, but one whose plans do not always succeed, a complete story and an interesting world of which we slowly see more off.
Character revelations are slow though, and at times there the exposition is a bit too long especially considering other things (such as Wein's true motivations) are kept secret on purpose. I also find the number of villainous insane rulers a bit on the high side. It makes for a good story, entertaining villains and there are ample of examples in real life of similarly insane rulers, but so many at the same time in a position of power?
Still, if you enjoy a solid kingdom building story that is more about political manoeuvring with the occasional large scale battle with a slowly revealed mystery surround the motivations of the people involved with a smart protagonist than this is a great light novel. It is a great addition to the story and I am looking forward how the Natra's journey towards greatness continues in the next books.
January 6, 2026
การเมืองก็คือการดีลกับผู้คน.... อุดมการณ์ ผลประโยชน์ และอำนาจ
ตอนต้นเรื่องคุณนักเขียนพาเราไปรู้จักกับอาณาจักรใหม่ ศาสนาใหม่ และเหล่าคนบ้าผู้มีอำนาจ อ่านแล้วอึดอัดมาก ผู้มีอำนาจแต่ละคนมีแต่คนตรรกะประหลาด แต่ในระหว่างที่กำลังเบื่อๆ เนื้อเรื่องก็หักมุมด้วยลูกเตะเพียงครั้งเดียว หลังจากนั้นเนื้อเรื่องก็สนุกและลุ้นระทึกไปจนจบเลย
ว่าแต่..สรุปแล้วเรื่องแม่ทัพฮากาลนี่ยังไงนะ?
ปล. ขอหักดาวเพราะเนื้อเรื่องตอนต้น
ตอนต้นเรื่องคุณนักเขียนพาเราไปรู้จักกับอาณาจักรใหม่ ศาสนาใหม่ และเหล่าคนบ้าผู้มีอำนาจ อ่านแล้วอึดอัดมาก ผู้มีอำนาจแต่ละคนมีแต่คนตรรกะประหลาด แต่ในระหว่างที่กำลังเบื่อๆ เนื้อเรื่องก็หักมุมด้วยลูกเตะเพียงครั้งเดียว หลังจากนั้นเนื้อเรื่องก็สนุกและลุ้นระทึกไปจนจบเลย
ว่าแต่..สรุปแล้วเรื่องแม่ทัพฮากาลนี่ยังไงนะ?
ปล. ขอหักดาวเพราะเนื้อเรื่องตอนต้น
June 29, 2020
A lot of fun
Like always gorgeous story. And even when I guessed how to the relationship with Zeno will end, reading it was no less fun.
Like always gorgeous story. And even when I guessed how to the relationship with Zeno will end, reading it was no less fun.
February 11, 2022
I really like the way this series switches from comedy to ruthlessness. And Wein’s reactions are the best! Another great volume!
December 30, 2022
回顾过去，就是黑丝 + 大。当然年底总结的年前的“手纸”文学，大衹如此。
January 3, 2023
This series continues to be excellent with political discourse that continues to be multi-layered and interesting.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews