This is a prime example of poor plot handling. They had you on the fence of who to trust. Is it the prince and commander or the princess? They could of kept the suspense going until the final show down. They even handled the part where he didn't join the search squad to keep the suspense going but then, BAM, suspense ruined at the last few pages. Classic amateur move. Ruined at the height of it all, just before the chapter ended.
It's frustrating how Japanese literature changes perspective so much instead of just focusing on the MC to keep you in the dark of the true goals and objectives of the real enemies. Constant spoilers inside their own works.