Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Not All Prodigals Are the Same (3)
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"Let me take a look outside for once."
Only then did my uncle seem to grasp what I was saying, and his expression hardened.
"Might as well make it somewhere far away."
Uncle's face turned pensive. He'd already gotten burned once guaranteeing for his wastrel nephew, putting him in a tough spot, so it was natural he'd hesitate to do it again.
"How far exactly?"
But since he'd already made the promise himself, he had no choice but to accept my demand.
"We'll see depending on the situation."
In response, Uncle laid out a few conditions.
The schedule had to avoid interfering with the upcoming banquet,
the location within the full reach of royal influence,
and if anything untoward happened, immediate return.
And ideally, follow his instructions.
"What's so hard about that?"
I accepted readily, which only made Uncle look more uneasy. But he'd already broken his word once, so he couldn't refuse this time either.
"It'll take some time to arrange the schedule."
He explained that selecting a place where a royal visit wouldn't stir up political issues, assembling an escort, and preparing everything else would take effort. Plus, he needed the king's permission for my outing, so I couldn't just push him impatiently.
"Sure," I replied, and Uncle turned to leave.
"Uncle."
I called him back.
"Treat me well."
There might be some scraps falling your way.
"I'll repay the debt in full, over time."
That wasn't what I meant at all.
I didn't bother correcting the misunderstanding. Whatever the reason, as long as he treated me well, that was enough.
"I'll send word once the schedule's set."
With that, Uncle departed.
I'd felt eyes on me for a while now. Turning, I saw Kals and the royal knights glancing at me with odd looks.
"What?"
"It's just... unexpected, Your Highness."
Kals stepped forward after gauging the mood.
"What's so unexpected this time?"
"I thought you'd demand something huge."
The royal knights subtly nodded in agreement.
"Count Excellency broke his pre-duel promise, then lost the bet too. It's a rare chance, after all."
In other words,
"You figured I'd shake Uncle down hard, and since I didn't, it's weird?"
They'd expected me to go wild with glee at the opportunity, but my request was just an outing, which surprised them.
"Not exactly that, but I thought you'd push for something more outrageous. It'd be revenge, in its own way."
"I did. An outrageous demand."
A wastrel who'd already thrown a tantrum once now asking for another guarantee.
He'd have a headache figuring out what to tell the king. If the wastrel caused trouble again, he'd pay dearly for vouching so lightly this time.
This wasn't exactly a light request.
Of course, given my past behavior, even more extreme demands wouldn't have been out of place. Just look at how he'd acted like he'd chop off an arm or something.
"Still..."
"Seeing that stubborn old man like this just makes him pitiful."
Kals smiled softly at my words. The royal knights wore similar smiles. But those smiles rubbed me the wrong way for some reason.
They were the kind you'd flash seeing a kid who couldn't control his bowels finally figure out potty training.
"What the hell. How do you all see me?"
I snapped in irritation. But the smiles lingering on the knights' lips didn't fade.
**
The old scholar returned.
He called it study, but there was nothing remarkable about his teaching method. He posed a topic and conducted the lesson through discourse.
It was the same as yesterday.
The theories were quite relatable, and though I'd vowed not to get suckered like before, I lost track of time and dove right in. Everything was identical.
"Then, Your Highness, shall we continue the rest tomorrow?"
"Whatever."
I answered indifferently on purpose.
"And this is a book for you to read in your spare time."
"Treatise on the Iron-Blooded Lord?"
"Everything I mentioned is covered inside."
"Fine. If I've got nothing better to do, I'll give it a read."
For some reason, my rhythm always got thrown off around this old man, making my tone gruff. But he just smiled gently, like indulging a grandchild's sulk.
"Hmph. What's your name, anyway?"
I asked belatedly.
"Nicolò of Marchiadel. Just Nicolò will do."
"Nicolò Marchiadel... Got it. Nicolò it is from now on."
"Now that we've exchanged names, our bond has deepened. So tomorrow, let's delve even further."
It felt like some ritual leading to discourse, but I decided not to mind. Clearly, this old scholar was itching for someone to talk to.
"Lonely, huh."
They say as you age, you crave conversation. I figured Nicolò Marchiadel was no different.
"Hm."
Alone now, I glanced at the book he'd left.
For an old man to carry, it was excessively heavy and thick. The cover bore simple script: Treatise on the Iron-Blooded Lord.
"Huh?"
But the name below it looked familiar.
By Nicolò Marchiadel
Seeing that, I was dumbfounded.
"Kept saying 'the Treatise says this, the Treatise says that,' and it was his own damn book?"
What a brazen guy.
Still, credit for hauling this beast here. Might as well read it.
I opened the book. Flipped the pages.
Slowly, but steadily. I kept reading.
Thud.
Before I knew it, I'd reached the end.
"Hm."
It treated the lord-vassal bond like a merchant's contract, dismissing noble loyalty as mere diligence for political stability.
How a lord could package himself as the most appealing partner, and maintain the deal flawlessly long-term. That was the core.
"Nobles and lords are gonna hate this."
It was like he'd cherry-picked every phrase those self-proclaimed nobles would loathe.
Not me, though.
The book suited me perfectly.
"Yeah. That's how you handle people."
I agreed wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, I wasn't a lord.
My only people were Adelia and Arwen. Arwen hadn't shown her face since swearing loyalty, and even that wasn't from true heartfelt devotion, so calling her mine felt awkward.
Really, only Adelia was truly mine.
"Your Highness."
Speak of the devil, Adelia appeared.
"Adelia. What do you want from me?"
"I've already received more than enough. Now I just follow."
I shook my head at her firm reply.
The Treatise's theories had no place for a woman who chose servitude. The book was useless to me.
I wasn't a lord—just a prince out of the king's sight.
"Your Highness, a letter for you."
Lost in thought, Adelia handed me an envelope. From my first knight, training hard at Iron Lion Castle.
I've achieved a small accomplishment lately. I should be able to visit soon. Stay safe until then.
Straightforward prose matching her candid nature—pure Arwen Kirguyen.
"For a 'small accomplishment,' the handwriting's awfully conscious of others' eyes."
The deliberate emphasis screamed it: a woman wanting to be seen as a knight.
"An accomplishment..."
She might've reached Double Chain by now. She'd return once she was a proper knight worthy of commissioning. Her homecoming was near.
"Perfect practice before facing that 3rd Prince bastard."
Beating a Double Chain knight would render my bet with Uncle moot—he'd promised to be my guardian if I won.
It wasn't especially appealing anyway. Just initial motivation for training.
What meaning would beating a Double Chain knight hold now?
Of course, I had no intention of canceling or throwing the duel.
The 3rd Prince's face flashed in my mind—that smug prick who just wanted to step on me for fame.
"If we're doing it, do it right."
"Your Highness?"
Adelia looked puzzled at my mutter.
"Nah, nothing. How was training today?"
I'd missed supervising due to discourse with the scholar. Her talent was real, but I checked anyway.
"Just striving to meet Your Highness's expectations."
"Good. I expect great things."
I really did. Her growth, having offered Poem of Subjugation, would strengthen me directly.
But worry gnawed too.
Her latent Slaughterer and War Maniac traits could erupt anytime.
"Later."
"Your Highness?"
"If an unbearable impulse hits, tell me right away."
Just in case, I warned her. And reminded her multiple times that I was her master.
**
Days passed. My damaged soul stabilized enough for me to feel my mind and body recovering fully.
Another day later, mana began filling my empty heart. I stopped what I was doing and gathered it frantically.
Like dry cotton soaking water, my Mana Heart gulped it down voraciously.
But the amount exceeded my expectations. My Mana Heart, which should've filled long ago, was still half empty.
Mana kept surging in.
Belatedly, I realized: the overexerted Poem of the Dragon Restraint hadn't just left aftereffects.
Finally saturated, the mana triggered messages in my ear.
Sword Expert—the realm commonly called Sword Master.
I'd grown again.
But the messages continued.
New power settled within me.
Powers that were originally mine but unusable—now unlocked in this moment.