Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: I Became the Prodigal Prince (3)
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"Hey! Wait a second! What the hell are you?!"
And it didn't even bother responding to me.
The messages just kept blabbering on. Just like I used to in my old life.
"What the hell is this..."
A long time passed after the messages cut off abruptly. I still couldn't make sense of this bizarre "phenomenon."
But understanding the "results" wasn't hard at all.
[From inside... sounds... words... don't go in...?]
[...doesn't know his personality... go in there... won't come out alive...]
The faint whispers of the maids outside the door were thanks to [Third Eye], and the unusually sharp clarity of the world around me was due to [Third Eye] as well.
For some reason, my authorities were recovering. That was all that mattered right now.
"Heh."
The unexpected stroke of luck left me dazed. And I quickly got excited by the "possibilities" it hinted at.
[That guy... ...billions in debt...]
[...so irresponsible... ...people he screwed over... can't sleep...?]
[...even if he doesn't know... loses face... apoplexy... several people...]
"Ugh."
I clutched my head as I mindlessly eavesdropped on the maids' chatter outside the door.
Only then did I understand what the messages meant by "extremely limited."
The absolute senses of a swordsman who caught everything without fail from all directions were gone.
With my current abilities, all I could do was perceive my surroundings in a truly limited way.
For example, eavesdropping on sounds outside the door, or appreciating the details of a painting on the wall without getting too close.
But even that required squeezing out every last drop of my scant mana, leaving me with nothing afterward.
"First things first, I need to expand my mana capacity."
The changes that happened right after creating the Mana Heart convinced me that increasing my mana reserves would trigger more shifts.
Gurgle.
But right now, fueling this gas-guzzling body took priority. I couldn't ignore the hunger anymore and belatedly called for the maid outside.
"Your Highness?"
"I'm hungry."
The maid's gaze flicked toward the window for a moment. The moon hung high in the sky. It wasn't exactly an ideal time for a meal.
"I'll bring something right away."
But she followed my order without complaint.
"This bastard was a night-snacker, huh."
For the first time, I was glad for the wastrel's old habits.
**
From the next day, I devoted myself to filling the Mana Heart with mana. This body had such abysmal aptitude that I wasn't even getting a fraction of the efficiency I'd planned for—a quarter of a quarter of a quarter, really—but I didn't give up.
I was in the middle of this all-day tug-of-war with mana when a visitor arrived.
"Your Highness. I've been assigned as your guard starting today."
The visitor was a strikingly handsome young man. The golden armor and the royal crest emblazoned on his chest revealed his status. He was a Royal Knight from the Royal Knight Order.
"What happened to the previous one?"
"They've all been dismissed."
I shut my mouth. I instantly knew why his predecessors had been fired.
One wastrel had ruined several lives.
These young men, who must have joined the Royal Knight Order full of dreams, were chased out of the palace before they could even spread their wings. All because of the stupid blunders of their idiot charge.
I could picture exactly how they felt. They were probably grinding their teeth at the wastrel right now.
It stung that I was that wastrel. But there was no helping it—this was the price of my new flesh.
"Then call for me anytime if you need anything."
The new guard finished his brief greeting and rose. His straightforward demeanor marked him as an upright, diligent sort.
"Hold on."
I stopped him just as he was about to leave the room and tested the Appraisal authority. Since he'd be guarding me up close from now on, I figured I'd check his aptitude.
Unfortunately, all I could see was his name and age. Probably due to the "limited" clause again.
"Your Highness. Did you have something to say?"
"No. Nothing."
I waved him off dismissively, sending Kals Yulihi away.
I was about to resume expanding my mana capacity as usual when another visitor arrived. The Queen.
"I'm told you faithfully took all the medicine your mother sent, without leaving a single bit behind."
She was immensely pleased that I hadn't thrown out the tonics she'd prepared.
"You've finally come of age, it seems. You've learned to value your own body."
She rattled off what hardly sounded like praise, then called for someone. The door opened as if they'd been waiting, and an elderly man entered.
"Do you recognize him?"
I shook my head. The Queen sighed.
"See? This is what he's become."
"The rumors are true—he's really lost his memories."
"That's why I need your help with him, brother. He has nothing left."
It was the Queen's brother, her older brother.
"You're talking like he lost something precious. It wasn't a great past anyway."
But this so-called uncle—my maternal uncle—spoke in a harsh tone. It was obvious from a glance that he didn't like me one bit.
"He's still your only nephew."
"I'm here because I couldn't refuse my sister's request, but first, let me make one thing clear."
He glared at me as he spoke.
"All I'll do is trim off some of that fat. Don't expect anything more—I can't provide it."
The Queen bit her lip. She must have had some expectations after all.
"Even that much is a blessing."
"Don't forget that gratitude."
With that, the uncle strode out again, acting as if I were beneath notice.
"Don't take your uncle's words to heart. He's never been good with words."
No, that's not a lack of eloquence—that's just plain dislike for me. I had plenty I wanted to say, but I held back. Dealing with the Queen was still tricky for me.
"Work hard and turn your uncle's heart. He's blood, after all—he won't treat you like an outsider forever."
The Queen rose from her seat. I bowed my head to see her off.
Bang!
No sooner had she left than the uncle burst back through the door.
"If you expect princely treatment from me, give up now."
His face drew close. Close enough to feel his breath.
"I'm here to kick my worthless nephew's ass, not to prop up some prodigal prince."
It wasn't just a tired metaphor.
"Urk!"
A dull pain shot through my rear, and I toppled over ungracefully. The uncle had actually kicked my ass.
"From now on, everything—eating, drinking, even breathing—requires my permission."
At first, it happened so fast I just froze. Later, he manhandled my body so casually that I ended up complying with a dazed "uh, okay."
When I came to my senses, I was already in a training ground set up in one corner of the 1st Prince's Palace.
"Let's see you give it your best shot."
The uncle bared his teeth in a grin. A wolfish, savage smile.
"Who knows? I might even change my mind and teach you a scrap of our family's secret swordsmanship."
What he dangled as a carrot was utterly ridiculous.
I'd been instructed by the undefeated knight and served as master to the founding king of this kingdom. And he thinks a scrap of swordsmanship impresses me? I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
"Looks like you're pissed, judging by all that jiggling."
Unfortunately, my face wasn't great at expressing subtle emotions. The uncle misinterpreted my expression and smirked mockingly.
God, that face was infuriating.
Hoo. Calm down.
I forcibly settled my emotions and organized my thoughts.
I did need the training, after all. This bloated body was definitely a headache.
Even slight movement filled my lungs to bursting, and my own heavy breathing was starting to annoy me. Sweat poured out endlessly—no matter how often I changed, my clothes soaked through immediately. And the chafing flesh added endless discomforts.
Thinking about it that way, starting body conditioning now wasn't so bad. The problem was my pride.
Ha. What to do about that.
I hated the way this uncle looked down at me. I didn't want to start training like I was being forced into it.
So I motivated myself.
"Uncle."
Damn. Such an awkward tone. Shaking off the self-loathing, I pressed on.
"Let's make a bet."
The uncle tilted his chin up instead of answering. Like he was saying, Go on, spit it out.
"I'll make you acknowledge me within half a year."
"And if you fail?"
"I'll do whatever you say."
"Anything?"
"Anything."
The uncle burst into booming laughter. The first time I'd seen him pleased. The problem was that pleasure came from wanting to mess with me.
"And if you win?"
"Then you'll grant me one wish in return."
I grinned, and he flashed that signature savage smile back.
"Fine. This'll be fun. Even I need some entertainment."
We'll see if you say that later. Just watch.
Thud, thud.
I started running. Mobilizing even my pitiful scraps of mana to burn every bit of flesh on my body. Clutching the wobbling fat, I dashed around the training ground for dear life.
"Hold up."
As I ran laps, the uncle grabbed my wrist. A faint energy flowed from his hand into my body.
I didn't resist. Instead, I deliberately activated my second heart for him to see.
"Did you... create a Mana Heart?"
Pffft, laughter bubbled out.
His wastrel nephew, whom he thought incapable of anything, had gone and made a Mana Heart. How must that feel? He'd regret making the bet.
"I succeeded just a few days ago."
I looked him straight in the eye. I couldn't wait to see his face.
"Where the hell did you learn the Mana Heart synthesis method?"
But his expression was nothing like I'd hoped. No shock at his wastrel nephew's minor achievement, no worry about the bet.
He just looked at me with utter pity.
"No, before that—why would you even make a Mana Heart? I can't fathom it."
His tone felt like outright scolding, leaving me genuinely flustered.
"Judging by your face, you don't even know what you did wrong."
Creating a Mana Heart was something to celebrate, not rebuke. That was common sense—at least, as I knew it, and by this world's standards.
"A Mana Heart,
that common knowledge of mine,
"is a low-grade technique that only lowly mercenaries bother with."
was utterly shattered by the uncle's words.