The Kingmaker's Gambit

A few days after arriving in the capital, I attended the third prince's banquet.

"Hmm... This is quite different from what I imagined."

"What exactly were you expecting?"

I had pictured the glamorous, standing-room social parties you always see in movies and dramas. I was expecting people to mingle freely, dancing at a ball. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be one of those stiff, seated banquets where everyone is glued to their chairs. Besides, this was my first one since my coming-of-age ceremony not long ago. If it had been the kind of event I was thinking of, I might have found a natural opening to approach the third prince during a dance or something. Haah... Nothing ever goes according to plan. How frustrating.

When I stood up from my seat, Hilt asked,

"Where are you going?"

"Just stepping out for a moment to clear my head."

With a click, I left the banquet hall and strolled through the garden right outside. The cool autumn air at dusk brushed against my forehead, and my pent-up frustration slowly began to unwind.

Now then, what should I do moving forward? I want to get close to the third prince somehow, but is there even a way? As expected, since he's the host, guests kept swarming him nonstop. There wasn't a single gap for me to slip through.

"How frustrating."

"Frustraaating? What's sooo frustrating?"

...What the hell is this guy? Some drunk had wandered up beside me and was picking a fight. His clothes were disheveled from the heat, one hand gripping a wine glass as he staggered. He looked like he'd drunk himself into oblivion and turned into a complete dog.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You're that madman from the Sternfeld family, aren't you? What are you sooo frustrated about?"

With that slurred tongue, he wasn't just a dog—he was a rabid one. The smart move with this type is to avoid them entirely. As I tried to leave,

"Where do you think you're going! Hic!"

He yelled and grabbed my shoulder.

"A mere baron's son? Thanks to your parents, you get to attend fancy events like this and just enjoy yourself without a care in the world! Hic! Right?"

"Excuse me, mister. Let go of my hand."

"I'm not a mister! I'm eighteen, you know!"

I had no idea who was calling who a madman at this point. He looked like nothing but a middle-aged office worker who'd had too much at a company dinner. And eighteen? He should keep his lies believable. With a face like that, if he wrapped his tie around his head he'd look like a department chief heading home after a night out. What a joke. I struggled to peel him off and escape, but he clung like gum and kept making a disgraceful scene.

"Let go, you crazy bastard. Let go!"

"Born as the third son... Hic! Only good for cleaning up after others. Hic. You have no life of your own, while someone else got good parents——."

"You crazy bastard, I can't inherit the family head position either, you know? Don't think you're the only one. Get lost already!"

"U..."

"U?"

"Uweeeek!!!"

"You insane son of a bitch! Why the hell are you puking all over someone else's clothes! Hey! Heyyyyy!"

Ah, I had drawn the absolute worst straw. Picking a fight with a total stranger, then vomiting all over him. Are you a fucking slug zombie? And then, with the most peaceful look on his face, he immediately passed out and started snoring away.

This was seriously pissing me off. The urge to hand him a one-way ticket on the Jordan River Express was overwhelming... but no. Let's hold back. I'm a sensible person from the 21st century, aren't I?

It's a good thing I'm a mage. Otherwise I'd have had to attend the rest of the banquet smelling like vomit. As the magic took effect, the mess on my clothes vanished.

Grind.

Ah, my teeth are grinding. I tried to hold back, but this is unbearable. After all that outrageous behavior, sleeping so peacefully was just too much. I wouldn't kill him, but maybe hitting him with a Water Ball for a little water play wouldn't hurt?

Yeah, let's endure for about three minutes, you damn bastard.

"——?!"

The cold water hitting his face seemed to snap him back to his senses. He tried to escape the Water Ball, but there was no chance. I immediately manipulated my mana to lock the sphere to his face, following his every movement. How does it feel to be on the receiving end?

"Hahaha! So who told you to pick a fight without even checking who the other person was? You acted like a jackass, so it's only fair you get the same treatment back. Understand?"

"Blub blub."

Of course no answer was coming. He was in the middle of forced submersion in real time. Hmm, what a refreshing sight. This isn't violence. It's education. They say water knows the answer, don't they? Maybe it knows the answer about character too. This is the touching lesson I'm giving: don't drink and act like a jerk to bother others—live properly.

"Stop right there!"

"Huh?"

At some point, several knights had formed a tight encirclement around me.

"Suspicious mage! Cease your current actions and surrender immediately! If you do not comply, we will attack!"

"Look, I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding..."

Before I could explain the full story, I looked around. All anyone could see was my magically cleaned clothes, the drunkard being water-tortured in real time, and knights slowly closing in with weapons drawn. On top of that, even if I was angry, I had suddenly used magic inside the royal castle. From an outside perspective, I was clearly the one-sided aggressor. I released the magic, thrust both hands into the air, and shouted.

"I surrender!!!!!"

Hilt, I promised I wouldn't cause any accidents, but you'll forgive me for that time I hit someone before, right? I'm counting on you.

After I was arrested and explained the full story, it looked like I wouldn't be receiving any major punishment. Fortunately, multiple witnesses had seen the drunkard ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠staggering drunkenly out to the garden. If there hadn't been any, I would've been labeled as some lunatic who attacked a random person. Hmm... The knights' gazes still aren't exactly friendly, but maybe it's just my imagination?

Anyway, because I caused an incident at the banquet, I ended up getting an audience with the host himself—the third prince. Honestly, even though I did cause trouble, events were unfolding in the exact direction I wanted, so I felt pretty good. When the knights saw me smiling, they whispered about how I really was that madman, but I honestly didn't care. As long as the road leads to Seoul, the direction doesn't matter, right? Reputation? Who cares. Achieving the goal comes first.

"So you used magic on Bruno because he vomited on you?"

"More precisely, he vomited on my clothes."

I was handed over to the knights and gave my report while facing the third prince. The third prince, listening, clutched his forehead like he had a headache and frowned. Why? I only spoke the truth.

"Didn't you say you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cleaned up the vomit with magic as well? Then why did you attack him?"

Well... because I was pissed and wanted to vent? Of course I couldn't say that directly to the prince, so I softened it just a little. Somehow the third prince's sighs only grew deeper. It suddenly reminded me of someone. After sighing like Hilt would, the third prince seemed to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠give up on trying to understand and continued.

"Fine. Let's say that's the case. Don't do that next time. You already saw firsthand what happens when you suddenly use magic inside the royal castle."

I saw it with my own two eyes. It seems there was some kind of artifact that alerts the nearby guards whenever magic is detected inside the castle. That was how the knights were able to rush over the moment I used magic on that drunkard called Bruno. The royal castle that looked so gloomy when I first entered actually paid close attention to these security details, which left no room to worry about appearances. That kind of artifact definitely wasn't cheap.

"I'll be careful from now on."

Hearing that, the third prince gestured for me to leave. Normally this would have been the moment I thanked him for his mercy over such a light reprimand and exited.

"I have something to say."

"Hasn't the discussion about the incident already concluded?"

"It's a different matter. Would you employ me as your vassal?"

"...You're quite the character. To cause an incident like that and immediately follow up with this. Seeing you now, I think the rumors weren't exaggerated at all."

So even the "madman of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sternfeld" label had reached the third prince. Just how badly had my reputation been trashed? I did cause quite a few accidents over the past five years, but I never imagined it had spread this far. It caught me off guard. Still, that was that. I continued.

"So, will you employ me?"

"A real piece of work—ah, never mind. So. Employing you as a vassal."

The third prince seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking again.

"You gave up on succeeding as family head, correct?"

"...Yes, that's right."

I was surprised. How much did he know? No, this was still within the expected range. As one of only three Sword Masters in the kingdom, he might simply know the current state of affairs. I still had plenty of cards left to play.

"I heard you achieved rapid success in magic at a young age, yet you abandoned the Rosfel barony. And now you come to me saying you want to serve as my vassal. Don't you think an explanation is necessary regarding what benefit this would bring me?"

The third prince recited my information without the slightest hesitation. His attitude suggested he knew everything about me, and before I realized it, he had completely seized control of the conversation's flow. Damn it. Wasn't he supposed to be an unremarkable prince? The person sitting before me felt completely different from the rumors. What unremarkable person wielded conversational skills like this? He probably had hundreds of snakes coiled in his stomach. Honestly, this complicated things in many ways. My original calculations had already gone off the rails long ago. I couldn't figure out how much I needed to reveal to convince him. What now?

"...Are you interested in power, Your Highness?"

"Power, you say. Anyone standing above others would naturally crave even more of it. Isn't that obvious?"

"I can raise you even higher."

"Hah, you? By what means would you raise me?"

This might be hitting the third prince's complex... Ah, screw it. When have I ever been the type to measure my courage? Let's just charge straight in. I think I once said I wasn't a magical Pachycephalosaurus, but I need to correct that. I really am a born head-butting dinosaur.

"Become a kingmaker."