Although it was a slightly different concern than what she had anticipated, Addis nodded quietly.
Returning her gaze, he solemnly observed the proceedings of the funeral.
Perhaps because he usually lived in the Empire, Addis keenly felt the sense of the extraordinary, and he became aware of the gazes directed towards him.
(What’s this? Am I imagining things…?)
He thought so, but it was certain that the eyes were not on Vanessa, but on himself.
Slightly troubled by the stares, Addis stepped back, almost hiding himself behind his father, Wellrain, who was on the opposite side of Vanessa. Except for himself, most of those present were adults clad in black. Sensing an indescribable pressure, he tightly sealed his lips.
The death of King Arianne.
His sudden demise had shaken the kingdom.
The succession was contested between Vanessa’s two brothers, the First Prince and the Second Prince. There was a deep divide between the two factions, and the issue of who held the first right of succession was still undecided.
In Arianne Kingdom, succession was not based on birth order but on who garnered more support from the people. In other words, it was an electoral monarchy.
Both princes were already adults and possessed the ability to rule the country.
That was the root of the conflict.
The First Prince advocated for strengthening military power to defend the kingdom.
The Second Prince advocated for diplomatic efforts to promote the country’s prosperity. They held completely opposite visions for internal and external affairs.
The two princes didn’t have a bad relationship.
In fact, they were said to be quite compatible, to the extent that with both of them, there would be no enemies.
However, their opposing ideologies and equal support bases posed a problem in determining the throne. Neither of their ideas was wrong, but it became a spark for conflict.
With the princes set aside, their supporters began to maneuver behind the scenes, casting a shadow over the succession crisis.
Until then, the presence of the king had prevented major conflicts, but with his loss, the situation deteriorated.
And the impact extended to Addis, the son of Vanessa, known as the “Indomitable Warrior Princess.”
In the kingdom, women were given equal rights to ascend to the throne, but Vanessa’s marriage to the Empire was, in effect, relinquishing her claim to the throne. While there were opinions suggesting that she herself should become queen, the public’s attention turned to Addis, her son who still bore the blood of the royal family and was yet a child.
Placing Addis on the throne, and governing the country as before with the combined wisdom of the two princes, could put an end to this futile strife.
Someone somewhere suggested such a thing, and as a result, the succession issue spread to Addis, a citizen of the Empire who would not normally have been involved.
For Addis, the term “prince” referred to Ruben, Matters concerning royalty were of no concern to him.
So, while he had been raised to be the head of the country from birth, he felt some sympathy for Ruben.
The Empress and Vanessa were very close, and Addis had been frequently taken to the Imperial Palace since he was a child. It was a friendship that had started naturally before he even realized it, and Ruben was his first friend.
However, it wasn’t until much later that he understood that Ruben was special. As he grew older, he realized that being the oldest friend was quite burdensome.
A boy who was no different from himself studied difficult textbooks and practiced magic every day.
Although Addis had also been trained in martial arts, Vanessa had been strict with him since he was young, so he had been forced to wield a sword. However, Ruben put in even more effort.
He really wanted to play a lot with Ruben, but he was too busy. So, he decided to study himself, and it must have been around the age of six when he started rummaging through Werlain’s study.
Although he was not of royal blood, Addis was also the son of the Prime Minister.
Opportunities to make friends who understood him were few, so Ruben was in the same situation.
–Ruben is a prince, so it can’t be helped that he’s busy.
Thinking like that, when he learned wind magic, he went to see him and played, without getting scolded to the extent that it couldn’t be avoided.
While sympathizing with Ruben, who even had permission to go outside, he thought that if that was the case, he could just go and see him, even though he only held a noble title.
That’s why he never imagined for a moment that he would become the one who could claim the right to be the leader of the country, just like Ruben.
“Uh…?”
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The body of the butler, who had been taking care of his surroundings, collapsed before his eyes.
His thoughts halted, taking time to comprehend what had happened.
The sound of the body hitting the ground echoed, causing Addis’s shoulders to tremble.
It was a few days before they returned to the Cyan Empire, after the funeral and farewell ceremony.
Concerned for the still young Addis, they decided not to end the somber memories and instead take a walk around the naturally rich recuperation area in the kingdom before returning. With that in mind, they stayed at a villa overlooking the sea with their family.
And now, while taking a break outside and interacting with animals at a nearby ranch.
Suddenly, a man appeared and attacked, and the butler, who had been standing by, was torn apart while protecting him.
“Addis!”
Called by Wellrain, who had been talking with the owner behind him, but his body wouldn’t move in the sudden situation.
The barking of the sheepdog, which had been playing until then, sounded distant.
Standing about five meters ahead, a man wielding a sword.
Heading towards him was a water slash that wounded the butler.
— Inevitable.
Thinking so, the only thing he could do was close his eyes to prepare for the impact that might kill him if it hit.
Faced with overwhelming danger, he realized his own death for the first time.
“…………?”
However, the pain didn’t come no matter how long passed.
In fear that he might already be dead, Addis gently opened his eyes.
What met his gaze was Vanessa, holding a pitchfork aimed at the man’s neck from behind.
“What are you doing to my child? You!”
The water slash had disappeared, and the enemy man fell to the ground, being trampled by his mother.
“Is Addis safe?”
Welrain, who arrived a little late, grabbed his shoulder, and he nodded slightly.
“Don’t worry about me! Garudra!”
Surprised by his trembling voice, Addis grabbed Welrain’s clothes, asking him to help the butler who had taken care of him since he was a child.
“I know.”
Though Welrain said so, he lifted Addis and moved away from the scene.
“Dad! Garudra!!”
Reaching out to the fallen butler who was getting farther away, but then heard a light sound.
Looking at the ground, an arrow was stuck.
“Others will help Garudra. Be quiet so you don’t bite your tongue.”
Hearing Welrain’s unusually cold voice nearby, Addis fell silent.
Unable to do anything, he could only watch Vanessa wield her magic.
The pitchfork, clearly belonging to the ranch, behaved like a sturdy weapon, handling the enemies. His mother’s back, which he was familiar with, seemed completely different, filled with killing intent, making him realize how much he had been spared and trained.
Such things were just play compared to real combat.
The exchange of lives between people.
Vanessa excelled in poison magic, a rare type of magic. The tip of the pitchfork emitted a purple sheen, enveloping it in poisonous blades. Skilled in martial arts and adept at manipulating various poisons, Vanessa’s abilities not only matched but surpassed those physically advantaged men on the battlefield, leaving them with superior records.
“The Invincible Battle Maiden.” Her beautiful appearance embodied the saying “even beautiful flowers have poison.” Addis clenched his fists as he watched her easily dispatch the assassins emerging from the forest.
He had often heard stories from Welrain about Vanessa’s strength, but he had never understood.
“Your Highness! Hey, call for backup immediately!”
The guards, alerted by the commotion, reinforced their defenses to protect him.
Afterward, Vanessa almost settled the fight, and the situation quickly calmed down, but the butler Garudra did not survive. He had suffered fatal injuries and died instantly.
(Idiot. Why didn’t I try harder?)
He couldn’t forgive himself for acting nonchalant and indifferent.
Until the next king was decided, Addis was targeted several times. Each time, someone risked their life for him. It was agonizing to know someone was in danger because of him.
“I want to become stronger.”
He no longer wanted to hear that someone had been hurt because of him–
“I… I want to become a knight.”
That was why Addis, the boy, aspired to be a knight.
TLNOTE : There’s still one chapter left.
Also Volume 3 The Female Soldier Has Been Told to Infiltrate the Imperial Magic Academy. What Otome Game? I Didn’t Hear About That? English Translation will start once the bar reaches 100%
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