The Unexpected Second Prince
The carriage rattled forward, its interior exactly as unrefined as its exterior suggested. Serena sat rigid, visibly distressed by the cheap vehicle’s violent jostling. Across from her, Hwian ran a cloth along the blade resting on his knee, polishing it with smooth, absent strokes while he mentally reviewed the commission.
The base pay is fixed-term, with performance bonuses layered on top…
Simply showing up at the site each day secured the standard wage. The harder and more sincerely one worked, the more the supervisor’s discretion could add in extra pay. On top of that, turning in proof of subjugated monsters earned separate bounties. It was a system that felt more like a festival than proper work, though most large-scale requests operated on similar lines.
By now the mines were probably swarming with adventurers chasing coin. The laborer-assistant and equipment-repair roles in particular would be packed; those jobs offered easy daily wages, and anyone with a sharp eye for opportunity could squeeze out bonuses on top. Popularity was guaranteed.
Hwian, however, had his sights set on one thing only: subjugation.
Clearing out the Cave Mantises still teeming in the deeper tunnels, then pushing further to mine mithril for swift, substantial profit. That was the true objective of this request.
They’re genuinely dangerous monsters, so the subjugation reward itself should be worth expecting.
Greater risk meant fewer competitors. Besides, a Cave Mantis’s exoskeleton made excellent armor material. Selling it separately could net a hefty sum. The forelimbs could even be severed and kept as spare weapons.
His thoughts continued ticking through calculations until a small voice broke the rhythm.
“Hey, Hero.”
“Hm?”
“Um… is there some trick to handling a carriage like this?”
Before him sat a girl in pure white, clutching her small backside and trembling with every jolt. The carriage gave another violent lurch—rattle—and both their bodies were thrown upward in unison.
“Hya?!”
Serena’s rear slammed into the wooden bench with a loud thud. She looked up at him again, tears brimming.
“O-owww… I’ve never ridden anything this rough before…”
She really was a handful. Hwian could only stare in disbelief that this same girl had insisted on following him all the way to the mines.
“Why not cast a recovery spell on yourself?”
Having absorbed the impact with practiced ease, Hwian rested his chin lazily in his hand.
A child who had never tasted true horror. An innocent, snow-white child still lacking experience.
Had bringing her along been a mistake after all?
As he pondered, Serena spoke again.
“Ah, well… using recovery magic feels a little wrong.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have much mana to begin with. I heard there are already injured people at the mine. If I use what little I have on myself, that means someone else might not receive healing when they need it…”
“…Huh.”
Her answer made Hwian scratch his head for no reason at all.
She would rather endure her own discomfort than cause others pain. It seemed she wasn’t entirely without resolve.
He met her golden eyes—eyes swirling with quiet determination—and murmured.
“Don’t press your back against the seat. Lift your hips just a little. Think of it like riding a horse.”
Serena’s eyes sparkled with delight at the offhand advice. While she adjusted her posture, Hwian once again propped his chin on his hand.
Injured people, she says…
Would she truly be all right? The injuries she imagined were probably nothing like the brutal reality awaiting them.
He brooded for a moment, then closed his eyes with a quiet sigh.
Huh…? Why do I follow the Demon King, you ask? Well…♪
…Because the world ruled by the Demon King is just so much more beautiful, don’t you think? Look at that haughty, flowing arterial blood. Isn’t it gorgeous…?♬
Fortunately, the rest of the journey was short.
Roughly five hours by carriage from the royal capital brought them to the mining city of Kellib, a place overflowing with raw, rugged energy.
Adventurers and merchants haggled everywhere. Smoke rose from smelting furnaces across the city, and burly miners carrying pickaxes strolled the streets in loud, cheerful groups.
“So many people… A big city really is a big city.”
Under the late-afternoon sun, Hwian walked with steady steps. Serena trailed half a pace behind, eyes wide with wonder at the bustling atmosphere.
“Where are we going first?”
“Secure lodgings. Just one night to start. After that we head straight to the site. How’s your stamina?”
“Fine. After you taught me that trick halfway through, the ride got much easier.”
“Good to hear. …Hm?”
While they chatted, an unusually thick crowd caught their attention. People were packed so tightly that nothing at the center was visible. Serena voiced her confusion first.
“Was this city always this crowded…?”
“No. It’s large, but not usually to this degree. Even with the adventurer influx, this seems excessive.”
More importantly, this wasn’t merely a crowd—it was a ring of spectators. Their eager jostling to catch a glimpse of whatever lay at the center made it obvious.
What were they watching? Had a famous bard come to perform?
Slightly curious, Hwian took a few steps closer.
“—Oh? Look who it is.”
The moment the voice reached him, Hwian froze. Every muscle in his body snapped taut.
The crowd parted with a rumble. At the center stood a nobleman radiating an entirely different aura from everyone around him. He offered them a sweet, flawless smile.
“It’s been a while, Princess Serena. What brings you all the way to a place like this?”
Silver-white armor drank in the sunlight and gleamed. Golden hair framed features as perfect as a statue, and the surrounding crowd gazed at him with open adoration.
“…Ah, Prince Ernest!”
The Second Prince of the Michael Empire—Ernest Rubelion.
Serena, recognizing him a beat late, offered a small, polite bow.
At her side, Hwian gathered every ounce of tension he possessed and clenched the hilt of his sword until his knuckles whitened.
“It has been a while. I stopped by Kellib for a personal matter. And you, Your Highness?”
“As you know, I’ve only recently come of age. I’m traveling the world to broaden my horizons. I heard monsters were running rampant here and came to lend my aid… I never expected to encounter the princess.”
Serena and the prince continued their friendly exchange, seemingly oblivious to Hwian’s rigid stance.
Noticing the man beside her, Ernest narrowed his eyes.
“…And the gentleman next to you? A guard knight, perhaps?”
“Ah, no! He is the hero of our kingdom. Recently summoned… Hero?”
Serena turned to look at Hwian and flinched at the expression she found.
He was radiating tension. His hand gripped the sword hilt so tightly it looked ready to draw at any second, a low, sharp killing intent rolling off him.
“Hoo. How truly… admirable. Protecting one’s lord before strangers is the very duty of a knight.”
“No, the hero isn’t actually a knight…”
Serena was utterly confused. The man who had always seemed cool, even indifferent, was now so tense she couldn’t begin to guess why.
Was he nervous in front of foreign royalty? Yet the Michael Empire and its imperial family were famous for their goodwill toward others. The relationship between Adonia Kingdom and the Empire had always been warm, filled with exchanged gifts and mutual goodwill.
The atmosphere between Hwian and Ernest felt like sitting on a bed of thorns. Serena shifted uncomfortably.
After a brief, heavy silence, Ernest spoke first, offering a small laugh.
“Then I’ll take my leave. I plan to stay in this city a few days, so I hope we meet again.”
“Huh? Um…”
“…Let’s go, Serena.”
“Eh? Ehh?”
The instant the prince finished his polite farewell, Hwian spun on his heel without hesitation. He seized Serena’s small hand and strode away from the prince at a brisk pace.
“Hero…?”
Serena’s puzzled voice called after him, but Hwian ignored it. His face remained locked in a deep frown as he quickened his steps.
Of all the rotten luck… that bastard is here right now.
His already razor-sharp nerves felt as though they had been scraped raw.
The Second Prince of the Michael Empire. Ernest Rubelion.
—One of the Demon King worshippers who had earned infamy in the world before Hwian’s regression.
“…Tsk.”
The madman’s frenzied swordplay from that previous life still burned vividly behind his eyes.
Hwian’s side throbbed. The memories made his head pound.
A madman. A villain standing at the complete opposite pole from any hero.
The Michael Empire was the largest nation on the continent. Its current emperor was praised far and wide as a sage king. Hwian had never understood how such a monster could have sprung from that man’s blood.
Was the madness innate? Acquired?
Was he still concealing his true nature? Or had he simply not fallen yet?
Either conclusion led to the same outcome.
This just became very, very troublesome.
It seemed this request would not end as simply as he had hoped.