Reborn as the abrasive first prince, so I’ll dominate with my game knowledge
Prologue
There is a game called [Augustus – The Supreme Throne].
It’s a so-called simulation game set in a medieval fantasy world, and is a famous eccentric work that has gained some fanatical fans.
Eccentric is not a typo.
Not a masterpiece, but an eccentric work.
This game is kind of all over the place, with loose plot threads left dangling, and is designed to basically always end in bad endings.
The scenario flags are also haphazard, and there are countless minor issues like the disparity in unit combat power – it’s an eccentric work for these reasons.
Yet strangely, this game has received tremendous support from some core fans.
They all say that despite being rough around the edges, it has a certain charm – the fans of [Augustus – The Supreme Throne].
The appeal of this game is, more than anything, the antiquated medieval fantasy tone, and the special armaments called Mobile Armors.
These armors often use the flesh and metal of monsters as material.
Mobile Armors are armors from an era far more advanced than the development level of civilization, created by applying preservation magic to fantasy materials like monster flesh and various metals.
You can probably imagine something like the clunky powered suits that appear in sci-fi movies.
By the way, these Mobile Armors start appearing one after another as the story progresses and the monsters become more vicious.
In the late stages where they use materials from powerful monsters like dragons and griffons, and fantasy world-specific metals like mithril and orichalcum, the equipment appearing looks like it could come from some robot anime, evolving dramatically.
In the fantasy world of powered armor, soldiers who pilot these formidable weapons transcend the ranks of ordinary infantry and become powerful combat units capable of effortlessly defeating their foes.
When ace pilots, embodying specific characters, board these suits, they can perform feats of strength that can only be described as legendary.
Firearms have not yet been developed in this world, and the primary armaments of powered armor are limited to bows and swords.
In this world, the greatest honor is achieved by defeating enemy commanders in one-on-one combat, and chivalry remains alive and well.
Knights, as pilots of powered armor, continue to uphold the code of chivalry with unwavering dedication.
In such a somewhat warped world, the player lives as the protagonist, Second Prince Edward.
Born as the second son of the Rynsgaya royal family, he grows as a person and king while fighting with his brothers over succession and against soldiers from neighboring countries and mountain bandits who raid.
The player has to make use of various units and advance the story.
They learn how to utilize the various military branches like Mobile Knights and enhanced infantry wearing powered suits that are Mobile Armors’ precursors while fighting, in preparation for battles with boss monsters they’ll face later.
By the way, just continually winning battles isn’t enough, which isn’t that different from a typical simulation game. Depending on soldier morale and loyalty, revolts and coups can occur resulting in game over.
So one couldn’t let their guard down even off the battlefield.
War itself also often can’t be won by just winning.
Exploiting defeated nations and colonies too much can result in assassinations the protagonist alone can’t prevent, or powerful Mobile Armors killing them that the imperial guards alone can’t handle…
The fact that you can’t just enjoy flashy battles using Mobile Armors and simply enjoy fun wars may be why this game is called an eccentric work.
With having to pay attention to so many things, it goes without saying that multitasking ability is required to properly advance the story.
Furthermore, this game has a huge minefield where heroines and important characters who influence developments later can die or fall to darkness quite early on.
So if you play through blindly, ending up in a bad ending is practically guaranteed.
And grinding their teeth at their powerlessness in the first playthrough, players steel themselves thinking they’ll get it right next time as they open a game guide site.
By the way, even those who say they won’t look at guides, that boldness doesn’t last very long.
Because there are a lot of times you can only save them in ways that make you want to scream “How are you supposed to know that?!”
To fend off misfortune about to befall characters you like, you have to make use of the hard-won guide information built on the tears and corpses of enthusiasts.
Only by clearing the Grand Route, the final destination, can the protagonist and other main characters not meet misfortune and come together to celebrate succession – the only ending where they can party together with the protagonist’s siblings and all heroines, happily ever after.
Of course, only main characters are saved in the Grand Route. If you try to extend a helping hand to sub characters too, the difficulty rises even further.
Avoiding the death danger brought by a certain individual to capable and powerful characters like Knight Lyenbarh who would have greatly distinguished himself as a mobile knight, is quite difficult indeed.
In large-scale events such as expeditions and foreign campaigns, characters who have a high probability of dying are recruited into the party at an early stage.
Precautions are taken in advance to avoid the tragedies that would occur when they join the party and further attack, and the instigators behind those tragedies are eliminated before any further harm can be done.
Clearing all of these conditions is not an easy feat and is considered nearly impossible.
Unofficially, achieving this state where all the characters survive and the game is cleared is called the “True Grand End,” and very few players are believed to have achieved it.
—There is no happier ending than this, the “True Grand End.”
However, in this route, there is one character who is deeply involved in the story and is, moreover, blood-related to the protagonist but is not saved from their tragic fate.
That character’s name is—Todd Al-Rynsgaya.
He is the older brother of the protagonist, Edward, and should have inherited the throne from their father as the first prince of the Rynsgaya royal family.
Among fans, Todd was often nicknamed the “Fool King.”
This naming, a play on words derived from the incompetent King John, perfectly encapsulated Todd’s personality.
He is short-tempered and, as the Crown Prince, often behaves recklessly.
He does not regard anyone other than the kingdom’s nobility as equals, and even the commoners living in the kingdom are no different from roadside pebbles in his eyes.
Until the appearance of fully mechanized powered armor excavated from ancient ruins towards the end, Todd would dismiss powered armor and similar technology as nothing more than the garbage from monsters and continued to belittle the pilots.
Rynsgaya Royal Family’s third son, Takeru Hun Rynsgaya, lost his mother due to stress, and it was Todd who not only caused Takeru to become a vengeful spirit but also led to his transformation into a revenge-driven demon. In this scenario, Takeru harbors resentment not only towards Todd but also towards the entire Rynsgaya Kingdom, where Todd later assumes the throne, leading to his conflict with Edward, who is set to inherit the throne.
The antagonist in this scenario is the awakened Takeru, who is the strongest mobile suit pilot in the story. He is a formidable combatant, and facing him in battle requires assembling a team of the most powerful mobile suit pilots, including Rose, as regular combatants stand no chance against him.
In the foreign campaigns ordered by his father, Todd’s incompetence is on full display, resulting in the deaths of individuals like Rienbach, the captain of the Kingdom’s Royal Guard, and Soel, a earth magic user who should have been assigned to rear-echelon duties.
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His disdain for non-native ethnic groups was passed down to his eldest daughter, Eneshia, and her colonial rule became more severe, resulting in many tragedies.
In the midst of these tragedies, there are prominent characters such as Rose, the strongest powered armor pilot in the story, who resides in the neighboring country of Lynfelt, and Iijima Haruto, a viscount who created prototypes of powered armor in Akitsushima, Todd’s mother’s hometown.
It is difficult for players to help them progress unless they intentionally advance the story.
To achieve the True Grand End, it is essential to eliminate Todd, who spreads unhappiness to those around him.
On the internet, phrases like “A kinder world without Todd” and “Just kill Todd in his childhood and then proceed with the story” are frequently mentioned, revealing the extent of the player’s hatred towards him.
In other words, the true Grand Ending has an ending where all the major characters except Todd become happy.
A happy ending where everyone except Todd becomes happy.
“A kind world without Todd, huh…”
The boy grasping a wooden sword muttered softly, then firmed his grip.
Sharply slanted eyes, neat eyebrows, flowing golden hair down to his shoulders.
His clothes were high-quality tailoring, and a glossy red cape fluttered over his shoulder.
But from rolling on the ground so much, his clothes were covered in mud, and he was scraped all over.
The wooden sword he was gripping tightly was tattered, probably from the training so far.
The cloth wrapped securely so it wouldn’t come off had turned completely brown with grime and dirt.
The boy took a proper stance while gritting his teeth, and across from him, a man a size larger had loosened his stance and was limply lowering his hands.
At his current level, he could deal with it even without bracing himself.
Though it went unsaid, frustration welled up from the depths of his heart for being clearly told that.
“Your Highness, is something the matter?”
“No…it’s nothing. I’ll win next time.”
“Don’t try too hard. If you keep ending up covered in wounds, it may earn you your father’s disfavor.”
“I’ll convince Father. So don’t hold back…here I come!”
The boy charged at the man──and was completely countered, sent flying backwards.
Rolling on the ground, he forced his scraped body up and caught his breath roughly.
His lack of skill was obvious…and his opponent Royal Guard Knights Captain Lyenbarh was far too superior.
“Reaching your back is far away…”
“I’ve lived thirty years with a single sword. For you, Your Highness, who hasn’t lived a third of that, to surpass me is impossible.”
“Haha…if it’s years lived then I’m not losing.”
“What…do you mean by that?”
“Nothing. Anyway, once more.”
“Yes, as many times as you wish.”
The eight year old boy──Todd Al Rynsgaya.
From the moment he was born into this world, he held memories of his past life.
As one of the peculiar fans who loved [Augustus – The Supreme Throne] endlessly, when he realized what world he was born into, he was elated.
And when he realized who he had transmigrated as, Todd, he despaired.
Because Todd is a character who always dies in the end, in every ending including the true Grand Ending.
Why did he become Todd who was mocked as [The Fool King] instead of the protagonist Edward.
Questions were endless, and he cried until dawn countless times, but while still dejected, his body grew rapidly.
What changed his everyday wallowing in grief was realizing something.
Obviously, Todd in this world is his present self.
In other words, just being careful with his actions is enough to avoid the many tragedies that should have happened.
With his knowledge from his past life, he roughly knew the timing of major events happening and when tragedies occur.
He might be able to save and guide everyone to a happy ending like the true Grand Ending.
If he makes use of the advantage of knowing the possible futures, changing even his own fate of certain death shouldn’t be impossible.
Since thinking that way, he stopped looking backwards.
An ideal future where Todd can live together with everyone.
He might be able to get there.
And so he steeled his resolve with no hesitation.
In his past life, he was a man who did nothing but play games and work, practically not knowing if he was alive or dead. But this life couldn’t be like that.
He had to live actively and diligently, not neglecting self-cultivation.
He would use all his power and knowledge to save everyone from tragedy, overcoming even his fate of death.
That’s why he was currently receiving swordsmanship guidance from Lyenbarh.
He could do little while still young.
But Todd didn’t have much time left.
(I have to hurry and make Mobile Armors to become able to defeat that guy…Tottila. For that, scouting Iijima Halto, the father of Mobile Armors is essential…With nothing I can do, this frustration is unbearable!)
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scene transition
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Todd already saw several paths to ruin for the kingdom.
To avoid those bad ends, he was already widely focusing his attention domestically and abroad.
And not only that, he was ceaselessly honing his body and mind.
Mobile Armor performance depends on the pilot’s physical abilities. For Todd to save everyone with his own hands, he couldn’t cut corners on anything.
He was already unsatisfied with the academy level he’d enroll in after turning ten, bringing scholars to his home and sharpening the blade of wisdom.
Whenever he had time, he’d punish his body, proudly gaining guts that none his age could match in toughness and endurance.
However, Todd was still only eight years old.
No matter how lofty his aspirations, his body still couldn’t keep up with his mind.
After being beaten who knows how many times, Todd was blasted away by Lyenbarh again.
Perhaps using his mind to the limit in study sessions then further straining his body had been too much. Todd, whose spirit was on the verge of exhaustion, began losing consciousness.
“Gah…”
“Y-Your Highness!? Quick, someone go get Slime right now!”
Seeing Todd collapse, Lyenbarh panicked and had the top imperial sorcerer Slime urgently called.
Todd had started walking to guide everyone including himself to the happy ending.
Without even considering how his actions looked to others…
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