Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Imperial Palace (6)
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I had nothing against the Second Prince.
So I just beat him up a bit. For about half an hour, I showed him what pain felt like.
I couldn't very well leave a scar on his precious body.
I landed punches and kicks whenever I saw an opening.
I meticulously controlled my strength, keeping it just at the level he could endure.
“Cough, hack…”
“…”
He groaned as if the pain had seeped into his very bones.
I started to wonder if this was really okay, but he stubbornly refused to give up.
If nothing else, I had to give him credit for his grit.
At first, I found it somewhat amusing.
When else would I have the honor of beating up a prince?
Well, even that was starting to get old.
After halting my assault, I politely suggested we stop.
Gasping for breath, he hesitated for a long while.
He seemed relieved to have barely survived, yet there was a hint of disappointment in his reaction.
“I can’t let it end like this…”
An incomprehensible mumble.
His body was a mess, covered in bruises, yet he remained stubborn.
“The Hero’s true power… I want to see it.”
“…”
I’d been holding back a lot until now.
The gap between us was so wide I didn't even need to use any skills.
For someone at the Second Prince's level, that was his limit.
He must have felt that fact to his very core.
And yet, it seemed he wanted to confirm for himself just how incredible a Hero was.
Well, I could understand how he felt.
He'd basically just been beaten up, which surely wasn't what he'd wanted.
He was determined to get his money's worth, if only because getting hit felt so unfair.
There was no reason to hide my power, so I had no problem granting his request.
In fact, this was perfect.
I needed to show them something anyway.
The true nature of the Hero, and his strength.
Until now, there had only been wild rumors, but from this moment on, they would understand it concretely.
Then there’d be no chance of me being ignored.
Plus, it would likely reduce the number of annoying situations I'd have to deal with.
After some quick calculations, I unleashed all my abilities.
Multiple Ex-rank skills, including my exclusive ones, activated simultaneously.
A wave of mana gathered around me.
The atmosphere tore and the ground shook under its influence.
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
It felt strange to admit it, but I’d gotten quite strong.
At this point, I wouldn't be pushed back much even if I fought Aruru or Esterize.
It was so hard at first… I was so pathetically weak, I went through all sorts of hardships.
Compared to before, the phrase ‘leaps and bounds’ was a perfect fit.
Though there was still plenty of room to grow stronger.
Though I had only just gotten on the right track.
For today, at least, I felt I could praise myself.
By the time my thoughts concluded…
The full extent of the power I could display slowly took form.
“—!!”
Something that surpassed Sword Aura.
The Second Prince was terrified by the overwhelming power he couldn't hope to face.
“S-Stop… That’s enough!”
He frantically waved his hands as if in terror.
Huh? Now? You're the one who asked to see it. Since we've started, we might as well see it through…
“I-I saw it, so it's fine!”
“…”
He changed his tune completely.
Then again, he never said he wanted to get hit by it, did he?
Seeing him dripping with cold sweat was pitiful, so I slowly reined in my power.
At that, Karl's complexion returned to normal.
As if that weren't enough, he collapsed right where he stood.
He didn't seem to have the energy to maintain the dignity of a noble prince.
“Thank you. It was a good experience…”
His expression still screamed that it had been absolutely dreadful.
Unlike his lip service, his body was being honest.
Anyway.
The way he looked at me had completely changed.
It was beyond admiration, almost reverence; his playful demeanor had vanished.
Hmm, so he's the type who needs a good beating to come to his senses.
The Second Prince's words and actions weren't a problem now, but the issue was that he would later become a legendary troll.
He has the ability, but he ruins everything at the crucial moment.
I needed to tame him in advance to prepare for that.
Now that I'd shown him a world of hurt, he wouldn't just let my words go in one ear and out the other.
“Truly amazing. This has made me realize to my core what a Hero is. I’m so glad you’re the Hero.”
He kept praising me, saying how reassuring it was.
As if to prove he wasn't just saying it, his favorability rose.
I didn't dislike it, but I had no intention of leaving it at that.
“It seems you’re misunderstanding something… I’ve only just become a Hero.”
“Does that mean…”
“Yes. I still have a long way to go. I will continue to grow even stronger.”
“—!!”
This wasn't some wishful thinking.
I would strive to make it a reality.
Only by reaching the next stage after S-rank, the Ex-rank, would I meet the minimum requirement to face the Demon King.
I was only stating a fact, but the Second Prince couldn't hide his astonishment.
It seemed he was only now truly grasping how incredible the Hero was.
“Is the Demon King really that strong?”
“I don't know for sure, but as I am now, I'd probably be defeated in an instant.”
“…”
“That's exactly why I need everyone's help. Especially…”
I stared intently at the Second Prince.
He seemed to understand my unspoken message for him to step up, and he nodded.
“Supporting the Hero is a given… I'll do everything in my power. I swear it on my honor as a prince.”
He said to tell him if I needed anything.
He even staked his honor on it.
He seemed to have gotten a bit carried away in his excitement, but hey, this was great!
The effort I put into roughing him up was really paying off.
For the time being, he would accommodate my every need.
When the effect wears off, I'll just have to show him something again.
“I'll be going for today.”
He said he'd see me next time and that it had been enjoyable enough.
Really? I don't think so. You're just saying that, right?
His body was a wreck from the rough treatment.
He seemed to have trouble walking after my beating disguised as a spar.
Did I beat him up too much without realizing it?
When I asked if he needed help, he flinched and took a step back.
It was a fearful reaction; it seemed he'd developed a trauma.
Well, it probably wasn't anything to worry about.
A single healing spell would fix him right up.
After the Second Prince left, my companions gathered around me.
“That was amazing again!”
The fox beastkin clung to me as always.
Her tail wagged furiously, showing how excited she was.
My little cutie.
The Second Prince is an ally, not an enemy.
Isn't it a bit weird to be so excited, as if you've just taken down an enemy general?
“Hmm, you think so?”
She grinned bashfully, as if to say, ‘who cares?’.
It was a moment that highlighted the girl's pure innocence.
“It seemed a bit excessive… but I suppose it doesn't matter. You must have your reasons.”
The elf girl murmured, staring at me intently.
She seemed to believe that whatever I did was justified.
“Will it really be okay? He’s still a prince…”
Ceria was slightly worried.
She was concerned it might cause friction with the imperial family.
Looking at the situation in isolation, it was a bit concerning.
But the Second Prince had an easygoing personality, so it was a needless worry.
Just as I was about to explain this, Esterize made a fuss.
“How could it be okay? He’s a prince!”
“…”
“No, this is a seriously big deal! I don’t know how you can be so calm.”
She herself came from royalty, no less.
Of course she would know all about it.
That messing with royalty, especially a prince, would lead to severe punishment.
“It was just a spar. And he was the one who requested it.”
“Ugh, that’s true, but…”
The princess ended up looking miserable.
What if something goes wrong? I'm worried sick!
She expressed her anxiety like that, but she was overlooking a few things.
First, the Second Prince doesn't hold grudges.
Of course, having just met him, it was natural she wouldn't know that.
Second, the Hero's authority is considerable.
In some cases, it was unparalleled, enough to surpass a prince's.
The one and only existence of their kind in the world.
This time there happened to be two, but that hardly diminished their value.
To put it bluntly, a Hero was far more important than a prince.
With a huge battle against the Demon King's Army on the horizon, would they really mistreat a Hero?
In other words, this was nothing more than a minor incident.
I looked the princess straight in the eye and said,
“Actually, it was all a calculated move.”
“Calculated?”
“In the end, the Second Prince promised to help us, didn't he?”
It wasn't because I got lucky. It went better than expected, but it was still the intended result.
When I showed such confidence, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh, so that’s what it was. And here I was…”
Why is our princess such a scaredy-cat?
In a situation like this, she should be someone who doesn't even bat an eye.
“From now on, I’ll just have to assume that’s how it is and move on.”
She smiled brightly, as if she'd never been on the verge of tears.
She said she'd trust me unconditionally, but that wasn't enough.
The dignity befitting a Hero. When would I get to see her take the initiative and solve problems herself?
I couldn't wait any longer.
It seemed I had to give her some homework.
I summoned the Holy Sword and handed it to her.
“Huh? Why the Holy Sword?”
“Keep it with you. Even when you sleep, keep it by your side.”
“—??”
“Because you need to get used to it.”
“All of a sudden?”
“It's not sudden. You'll be using it soon.”
The ace of the Imperial Knights.
Soon, you'll have to face someone stronger than an S-rank.
You needed to demonstrate the Hero's strength in front of everyone at least once.
“Me?”
She pointed to herself with an innocent expression.
Come on, really? No way, right? Isn't that a bit much?
It makes for a better picture if you step up instead of me, right?
I returned her look of protest with a firm one of my own.
“You're a Hero, too. And right now, you're stronger.”
“There's barely any difference…”
“You want the Empire's support, don't you? Then you have to show them what you can do.”
“…”
The princess's lifelong wish was to rebuild her fallen kingdom.
As her greatest goal, the Empire's cooperation was essential.
Looked at coolly, the fact that she was a princess held little value.
They might show some surprise at her circumstances, but at most, they would pity her. Or just ignore her.
To overturn people's reactions…
Her best bet was to present herself as a Hero.
She was in a position where she had to show them something.
She must have been worrying constantly about how to do that.
In other words, it made no sense to miss this opportunity.
She could leave a powerful impression in many ways.
“I understand… but is it really okay?”
“Is there a problem?”
“If I get too much attention… your presence might feel diminished in comparison, right?”
This girl worries about the strangest things.
What's wrong with that? That's what I'm hoping for!
I want to just blend in like a sidekick.
To put it simply, I wanted to ride the bus.
A polite passenger who doesn't assault the driver.
The key is to trail obediently behind the strongest person in the party.
If a passenger tries to do something on their own, the bus will overturn.
A difficult ordeal lies ahead.
The princess was the only one who could overcome that arduous journey.
“I don't care about what others think. It's more important that you feel at ease.”
My position is extremely stable.
As the heir to the Crodain family, there was no room for me to be shaken.
The princess, on the other hand, faced an uncertain future.
I was already in a position with nothing to lose, so it was absolutely right to look out for her.
Of course.
My biggest motive was to push the annoying work onto her.
I couldn't very well reveal such inner thoughts.
The girl, knowing nothing, was simply grateful.
“Okay. If you put it that way… I’ll do my best!”
She steeled her resolve, her face slightly flushed.
The look in her eyes felt increasingly burdensome… but, well, it was probably just my imagination.
After that, time passed uneventfully.
Was it because the rumor that I'd beaten up the Second Prince had spread?
The imperial family's favorability fluctuated up and down.
There were no major changes; they seemed to perceive it as a minor incident.
Around sunset, Erich appeared and shared his thoughts from a royal's perspective.
“Wow, you're really… I’m at a loss for words other than ‘amazing’…”
“It's not like it's going to be a problem, is it?”
“That may be true, but the fact that you did it at all is still… you know.”
He clicked his tongue, looking dumbfounded.
It seemed to have been quite a shock from his point of view.
That was because he was a member of the royal family who had no choice but to be mindful of the princes.
The moment he fell out of their favor, his fate would be sealed.
It was only natural for him to overreact.
“Well, anyway… there's something I need to tell you.”
He explained the upcoming schedule more clearly.
As important figures, we were to be treated as distinguished guests.
There were a few changes, but it was mostly within the expected range.
The event of having an audience with the Emperor.
Grand ceremonies, a ball, and so on.
I pictured all of it in my head.
And drew up the optimal scenario to handle any unexpected variables.