Chapter 80: The Second Prince Robert
My elder brother, the first prince Leo, has always been a hard worker.
Whether it was swordsmanship, magic, or studies, he steadily accumulated efforts through persistent hard work. Even if there were things he was not good at, even if it took time, he would relentlessly work to overcome them.
He may have felt ashamed of having weaknesses or flaws.
My elder sister, the first princess Luche, is a natural genius who can quickly master almost anything.
In exchange, her weaknesses are also very clear (although she thinks she’s good at them, like cooking), but she’s the type to forge her own path regardless.
She seems to accept even her weaknesses and flaws as part of her individuality. And she extends this same acceptance to others.
And then there’s my elder brother Robert, the second prince.
One could say he’s a genius hard worker. He doesn’t seem to view effort as effort, nor does he feel it’s a struggle. And he appears unaware of his own talents.
He’s bold, forceful, and unconcerned with minor details. Logic means nothing to him. Luche is also intuitive, but Robert is even more so.
For example, there was this one time long ago.
We had secretly slipped out from the villa we were staying at on a trip and were exploring the woods for fun. Robert and Luche, who were leading the way, happened to discover a cave and excitedly rushed inside with shining eyes. When I caught up and entered the cave, there was a man collapsed deep inside.
Apparently, he was an adventurer who had taken a request to investigate this cave.
“Kids? No…! Run away from here…! There’s a monster…!”
He must have mistaken us for regular kids who had wandered into the cave, not realizing we were royalty.
His warning came too late.
From the darkness in the depths emerged a giant snake monster that must have made this cave its nest. The adventurer had likely been overwhelmed by the monster’s unexpectedly great power.
Yet even so, that man forced his battered body to stand and took up his sword, trying to protect us.
“I’ll hold this thing off… so hurry and get away…!”
At that moment,
Leo was probably thinking about whether to escape and abandon the man before us to protect me and our younger sister, the second princess.
At that time, Luche was probably thinking about…no, definitely considering how to defeat the monster.
She had already made a contract with a spirit and could use the [King’s Garment Ring] by then. Plus, she already possessed formidable magical power rivaling a magic knight, so she likely felt confident.
The two of them were considering how to deal with the [enemy] before them.
But Robert—
“Hmm. A valiant line, but you’re trembling? Could it be you’re afraid, adventurer?”
“—!”
“Hahaha! If you’re scared, just admit it! If you want to run, shout it out! There’s no shame in that. Wanting to live is only natural! Completely understandable! To be honest, I’m scared too!”
Robert was the only one watching the adventurer before us.
“Hey Robert, what are you trying to do scaring this guy right before we take on that big thing? He’s already mustered every last bit of his courage, you know?”
“I suppose you’re right, my apologies! However, I think this man simply wishes to return home alive, even if it means disgracing himself. He probably has a wife and children waiting for him, after all!”
In fact, this adventurer did have a wife and child around our age.
It made sense that he couldn’t bear to die and leave them behind, and Robert’s words struck at that truth with precision.
“…! But, you brats! I can’t just up and abandon you kids! Sure, that monster is quite dangerous, and I can’t let it escape outside, but I’m the only one who can fight it right now… so… so…!”
“Indeed! I don’t quite understand, but well said, adventurer! However, if you’re scared, I think it’s better to just run away!”
“Hey Robert, were you even listening?”
“Of course I was listening! But all that rambling was too confusing for me to follow! It made no sense whatsoever—”
“Because you’re an idiot.”
“Ah, indeed! As expected of you, sister!”
“You really understand?”
“I think so!”
Robert is quite straightforward. Or rather, he struggles with nuances and complexities.
There’s no logic to it. He simply speaks and acts according to his instincts.
“But the gist is, we just need to defeat that huge thing, right?”
“Well, yeah, basically.”
“No, you’re not wrong, but…”
“Hahaha! Very well then! Let’s defeat it! What’s there to worry? If we siblings join forces, we can surely accomplish it!”
In the end, we all cooperated to defeat the monster and made it back safely without a single loss. Although our father did scold us severely afterward.
But the result was optimal – we achieved the best possible outcome without any sacrifices.
Robert even outright calls himself an “idiot” at times.
Yet—he always seems to intuitively grasp the essence and the right answer.
“Oh, there’s Alfred! I heard you had a fight with Leo!”
“Ah…well, yeah.”
“Hahaha! Glad to see you’ve been energetic, mischievous and rambunctious as always! You and Leo had been feeling some sort of wall between you and the family. It’s great that you broke through that wall with your own fists!”
Utterly forgetting how he had blasted huge holes and sent shockwaves around, Robert flashed a bright, hearty laugh.
“I heard you admirably accomplished the great task of purifying the [Land God] too! Well done!”
“Ah, thanks…but it wasn’t just me, it was…”
“I know, I know! You achieved it by joining forces with Charlotte and everyone else, right? Good job! Well done, everyone! Hahaha!”
This strange feeling of him seeming to understand while seeming clueless is nostalgic.
“…Robert, let me ask you one thing.”
“Ask as many as you want – one, three, four, a hundred, two hundred, I’ll answer them all!”
“No, I don’t have that many…or rather!”
Damn. I’m not doing a good job. I always get like this when talking to Robert.
It’s not that I dislike him, in fact I love him dearly. But I can’t deny I feel a bit uncomfortable around him.
“Was it you who ordered Clifford there to capture Nenel?”
At my question, Robert’s previously bright, hearty laughter abruptly stops as his mouth shuts tightly.
He then closes his eyes, avoiding my gaze, as a heavy silence passes.
“…Alfred, let me ask you something in turn.”
“—!”
This oppressive feeling. Were Clifford’s actions toward Nenel really on Robert’s orders?
“…Who is Nenel?”
So that’s where this is going.
“Hah…didn’t I explain already? A child who turned against the royals using something called the [Chaos Ring]. Unfortunately, we had to let that situation go for now.”
“Oh, yes, I do recall hearing about that!”
From Robert’s reaction, it seems Nenel’s attempted capture was Clifford’s own judgment as his aide.
“Allow me to ask as well, Prince Alfred…Why do you seek to shelter such a child? I’ve read the reports, you know. That person used this [Chaos Ring] and was once tainted as one of the [Children of the Six Emotions] – a dangerous existence. It’s questionable to let them wander around like that.”
During the battle involving the purification of the [Land God]…Nenel had turned enemy at one point and stood against us using the [Chaos Ring]. We managed to free her heart afterward, but her disposition was left unresolved amidst the appearances of [Orchestra] and other factors since I had collapsed then with no chance to make a judgment. Now that things have settled, I need to bring closure to that matter.
“…Though, it was already decided from the beginning, so to speak.
“That’s a fair point, but Nenel is still the victim here. It was Lucille who tricked her into this and gave her the [Chaos Ring]. She herself hasn’t actually hurt anyone.”
“If such sophistry were to…”
Clifford’s mouth closed as if suddenly remembering something.
As expected of the chancellor’s son, the heir to the Dulle Duchy. I may not know him well, but his mind seems sharp.
“…No, indeed. You were the only one who engaged that girl in combat. And you don’t have a scratch on you. Any harm caused by this supposed ‘Chaos Ring’ would amount to nothing more than numbers on paper, if we’re looking at actual damage.”
The truth is, Nenel hasn’t hurt a single soul. She didn’t even kill the [Land God] she claims to despise. There is no damage to speak of caused by her actions.
“Since the [Chaos Ring] is an unknown power, we should consider it in relation to similar existing cases. On paper there is no damage, and considering Nenel’s circumstances…it may not warrant complete innocence, but placing her under supervision for observation seems reasonable.”
“The [Special Measures Regarding Magical Technology Development]…how do you know of that?”
“Of course I know, that much is obvious. Want me to recite the rest of the laws too?”
“You’ve memorized them all?”
“I commit to memory whatever is necessary.”
“…!?”
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“Indeed, this [Special Measures] provision was originally proposed by the Dulle Duchy family, was it not? How fortunate. Thanks to the family’s proposal, a victim’s child can be spared. That must be gratifying for you.”
“It was originally introduced to promote important magical technology and Ring development for our nation’s interests…I never imagined it would be exploited in such a manner…”
“Exploited is a poor choice of words.”
…Just one more push ought to do it.
“…In all seriousness, don’t you think Nenel could provide a valuable sample?”
“A sample?”
“The [Chaos Ring] and a [Child of the Six Emotions]…we know nothing about them. We lack information. But by studying the [Chaos Ring] Nenel brought back, and Nenel herself, we may glean some insight. Considering what lies ahead, having a cooperative sample at hand could be advantageous.”
“……….”
“Either way, the number of people capable of handling any incidents will be limited, given the miasma’s involvement. Even Magic Knights would likely be overwhelmed if trouble arises.”
Clifford should be well aware that personnel capable of dealing with this matter are limited.
“I’ve rambled, but the long and short of it is this – I’ll take responsibility for her. Any objections?”
Having answered his question, I return another in kind.
Clifford looked as if he wanted to say something, but a hearty laugh interjected before he could.
“Hahaha! Give it up, Clifford. You’ve lost this one.”
“I wasn’t competing for a victory, though I’ll admit there are still points to pursue.”
“I supposed so. But drop it. I don’t know the details, but Alfred has already deployed layer upon layer of sophistry to uphold his sense of responsibility. No matter how you press him, he won’t relent. And he’s my brother – he’s tenacious, I’ll give him that.”
“…Very well. If you insist, then I have no choice. The merits aren’t bad, so I’ll leave Nenel’s disposition up to you.”
“There, you see.”
I place my hand on Nenel’s head, unexpectedly tense, and ruffle her chestnut hair.
“…Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. This is my responsibility.”
“You’re such a poser…for a perverted guy.”
“Shut it.”
Even I can tell this is just Nenel’s way of playing coy by now.
“Since that matter seems settled, might I ask a question of my own?”
“By all means, Princess Marietta.”
“Oh, so you knew about me too. What an interesting hobby you have, peeking with your familiars.”
Princess Marietta smiles cheerfully on the surface, but there’s an undercurrent of chill to it.
“Well, putting that aside…why have you come to this place?”
“What a foolish question, Princess Marietta. Surely the reason is obvious.”
“Is that so? Then enlighten me, Prince Robert.”
“It’s……”
“It’s?”
“……..”
“……?”
“………………….Say, Clifford, why did we come to this place?”
Brother Robert…you really do have trouble remembering little details, don’t you?
“Lord Alfred, we siblings do seem to suffer from that particular trial, don’t we?”
“Hey Marietta, what’s that supposed to mean?”
Though her brother protested next to her, Princess Marietta elegantly ignored him.
“We came here to scout the area, you see.”
“……? To look for clues about reaching that flying castle?”
“While those are your words, I wouldn’t call searching for clues ‘scouting,’ Princess Marietta.”
“………………….Oh my, you do have a way with words.”
I’m enduring it. Suppressing the urge to get annoyed right now.
“So in other words, you have some means of reaching that flying castle?”
“Yes. Hence the need to scout this area first, as a certain personage mentioned the leylines around here would be required.”
“A certain personage…?”
“Our nation’s proud genius magical technician…[The Steel Prodigy], our second princess, Lady Sophie.”
???
As I watched Al-kun’s back, having protected Nenel, I clenched my teeth over my own powerlessness.
“………”
Truth be told, I had a slight doubt.
Why Al-kun had left the choice to Nenel herself.
I thought he should have told her to give up on revenge. Stopped her. Taken her hand and guided her in the right direction.
But Al-kun didn’t do that. He allowed Nenel to decide her own path according to her own will.
…From the start, Al-kun must have intended to take responsibility no matter what.
No matter what choice Nenel made. Even if she became an enemy.
Al-kun was prepared to shoulder the full weight of her resentment himself.
If he took it all upon himself, if he alone endured it, then no uninvolved party would be hurt. No irreversible situation would occur.
So that after venting all her hatred – Nenel could find her way back.
It’s something I never even considered.
I could only line up pretty sentiments in my head that I had no ability to put into practice.
(I…couldn’t do anything.)
The purification only succeeded because Al-kun lent me his [Transcendence]. It wasn’t something I could have done alone. If Al-kun had [Fifth Element] magic power…he probably wouldn’t have needed my help at all.
I was utterly powerless against Lucille, with no opportunity to make any meaningful effort.
Always being saved by Al-kun, forever just…watching his back as he walks on ahead without me.
(……I’m weak.)
A burning feeling churns within me like searing flames.
(So…I have to get stronger…..)
These eyes that can only see his back when I want to see the same things he does fill me with resentment.
(I have to get stronger…so Al-kun doesn’t have to shoulder it all alone…)
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