The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

“How high is the possibility that this is a trap?”

“More than enough.”

I reply to Sieg’s question.”

Upon hearing my answer, Seig and Sebas frowned but Leo who was called here by me did not.

“That girl……does Nii-san think that we can trust her?”

“As an individual, yeah.”

No matter how much you trust someone, you might become an enemy or an ally with that person depending on yours and their position.

Even Jurgen had a cooperative relationship with Eric just until recently. No matter how good a person is, if he is in a different faction, he will become your enemy.

However, Sonia is Rebecca’s ally. I didn’t feel any lie from her and there is no merit for her to lie to me. Luring me and Leo out will not benefit any faction. They can’t attack us and even if they try doing anything to Leo right now, they will definitely receive Father’s wrath.

With that line of thinking, I have no doubt that Sonia is Rebecca’s ally.

“She is definitely Rebecca’s ally. That being the case, it isn’t strange for her to decide to entrust Rebecca to us. There’s a limit on how long they can keep escaping and the only one who would warmly welcome her is us after all.”

“Maybe her contact with Nii-san was intentional?”

“It was probably a coincidence. Perhaps the same goes for when she came to trust me.” 

Still, I don’t fully understand Sonia’s intention.

To understand her, we have no choice but to meet her at the appointed location.

“Since we can’t pinpoint their location from the sighting information today, we have no choice but to go.”

I look at the map on the desk.

The sightings from the last few days have been marked on it. It seems to be disorderly at first glance but when I pay close attention I feel that there is some kind of hints or rules to it.

But I don’t know what it is. The only clear cut clue we have now is only Sonia’s words so we can only trust her for now.

“Alright, I will go with you.”

“If it’s already decided then let’s move out shall we.”

“You siblings really know no fear huh? You two are under surveillance you know. If you two go out together then they will definitely try to get in the way right?”

“I know that but we can not accomplish anything unless we go.”

Zandra and the pursuers from the organization are desperately looking for Rebecca.

There’s no doubt that they are monitoring our movement as well. If we go out, it’s safe to say that they will try to stop us.

Right now, only Sieg and Sebas can fight against the assassins in the night battle. Even if we recklessly bring soldiers with us, it will only increase the body count.

There’s no doubt that this is dangerous but this moment is crucial. There’s a big difference between getting Rebecca here and letting her slip through our hand.

Sonia said that she will be forced to use her secret plan if we don’t go. I don’t know what that plan is but I don’t want her to use it. If we don’t go, the trust that we finally earned from Sonia will be wasted too.

“There won’t be an ambush. We already know the location and we are on alert as well. We have to head out at the very last moment possible to make sure of that. That way they can’t read our route and they can’t possibly wait for us outside at all times as well.”

“There is a possibility that we won’t make it in time you know? Shouldn’t we leave early in case of that?”

“That’s a good idea if you only consider that it will only be us. But if we leave early, our enemies might notice our movement. We are like a big landmark for them after all. At worst, if we are late, Rebecca will go into hiding again, that’s a more preferable outcome. We have to make our trip to the clock tower as short as possible.”

“Understood. Then let’s get ready.”

“Yeah, can I ask you two to be our escorts?”

Saying so, I and Leo started to move.

Sieg and Sebas let out a sigh at the same time and follow after us.

—————————————-

“Tsk!”

I clicked my tongue as I ran.

We are almost at the clock tower but there are more enemies than expected. Why are there so many of them?

Sieg and Sebas are defeating the enemies while Leo is protecting me but we don’t have much time left.

It is already past noon. We only have a few minutes.

We can only run and hope we make it.

Still, the enemies keep appearing. Their reinforcements keep coming at us so we have to fend them off each time.

“Nii-san! Go on ahead!”

“I was told to bring you there you know!?”

“Keep them there for me!”

Saying so, Leo pushes my back. At the same time, an assassin attacks Leo but he was able to pull out his sword to defend himself.

With Sebas and Sieg, he should be okay.

I was a little worried but I left them and headed toward the clock tower.

When I arrived near the tower, 12:05 had already passed.

“Haa Haa…..”

While catching my breath, I look around.

Surely, they are not waiting at the top of the tower, right?

While I was thinking so, Sonia appeared from the shadows.

“Sonia……!”

“You are finally here.”

Saying so, a girl with orangish-brown hair appears from behind her.

She looks similar to the portrait so she is probably Rebecca.

While looking at me suspiciously, Rebecca asks Sonia.

“This person is Prince Arnold?”

“Un. you are not here alone right?”

“Leo is stalling the pursuers. He will be here soon so wait a bit.”

“I want to do that but we no longer have time.”

Saying so, Sonia approaches me.

She then looked me in the eyes.

Her magenta(Reddish-purple) eyes keep staring at me as if she wants to look into my heart.

Eventually, Sonia smiles and looks away.

“It doesn’t seem to be an ambush huh. Al-kun really is kind.”

“If I deploy the troops in advance, your location might be exposed to the other factions. I can’t make you bear that risk.”

Hearing my explanation, Sonia repeatedly nods.

Rebecca seems to be on alert but it should be fine once Leo comes. Getting people to trust his is Leo’s specialty after all.

If we can earn Rebecca’s trust here, it will be our victory.

I thought.

At that moment, Sonia said something that made my spine froze over.

“You haven’t won yet……..thinking that the victory is already in your hand is bad you know. Al-kun.”

“What……?”

Saying so, Sonia pushed Rebecca’s back and her body stumbled toward me.

I hurriedly caught Rebecca. It seems that Rebecca was also surprised at Sonia’s sudden action.

“Sonia!? What are you doing!?”

“Sorry. For Rebecca’s safety, this is the only way. Al-kun……you ran out of time. I have to use my hidden plan now.”

The moment she said that, men dressed in black uniforms silently appeared.

To add to the surprise, they are all equipped with the state-of-the-art crossbow that had just been adopted into the army recently.

These guys are…….

“The covert unit under Gordon huh………”

“Un, that’s right. Major, don’t move your men. I will handle the negotiation.”

“……..Understood.”

The leader-like man who Sonia called Major raised his hand and the other men in black took a distance away from me and Rebecca.

Sonia then takes out a letter.

Seeing that, Rebecca hurriedly took out a letter from her pocket.

They look exactly the same.

“That’s one is a fake, Rebecca.”

“No way…….you betrayed me!?”

“It’s not betrayal. I originally belong to this side from the start. I actually wanted to hand you over to Prince Leonard before the Major arrived, of course, along with the letter as well. But since he has arrived, we need to give him something. It’s a shame……..”

Saying so, Sonia looked down.

Her expression looked really disappointed. That was probably not an act.

Perhaps Sonia tried to fulfill Rebecca’s wish to the extent that she could. She gave us those five minutes and we couldn’t make it in time.

That’s how it is.

A little later, Sebas, Sieg, and Leo arrived.

The three who don’t know the situation are preparing for battle but I signal them to stand down with my hand.

The other side doesn’t have any intention to attack us. In the first place, Sonia wouldn’t be stupid enough to fight us here.

That being the case, the best course of action is to gain some information.

“Sonia……who are you exactly?”

“……I am Sonia Laspade. A half-elf recruited by Prince Gordon as a strategist.”

“Gordon’s strategist……?”

“Un, it’s just that I wasn’t bound by that position until now so I was acting on Rebecca’s side. But now that the Major is here, it is a different story. I told you before right? Only five minutes. The time before Major arrived was the last chance I gave you Al-kun.”

Sonia looks at me with a sad expression.

I have regret. I should have done this, I should have done that. I have too many regrets 

However, what overwhelming me right now is this apologetic feeling.

Sonia probably didn’t want to hand Rebecca to Gordon immediately because she knows that he will never treat her well.

Sonia cooperated with her and put Rebecca’s safety at the top of her priority. If that wasn’t the case then she wouldn’t do something like this.

The one who called Gordon’s covert unit here is her. Since she can’t help Rebecca escape forever, it is better to call for help. At that time she met me by chance so she used me to contact Leo. her reason is that at the very least she wants to hand Rebecca to us.

Should I have used transfer or should I just blow them all away with magic? I can’t come up with an answer.

The only thing I can say is that there’s nothing I can do here.

“Personally, I can give you the letter as well but………His Highness Gordon will not be satisfied with that and Her Highness Zandra will keep on targeting you. The letter and Rebecca, if you considered the safest choice, it would be to separate them right?”

You can take her by force but it is going to cost you, you know.

That was probably what she tried to say. And I agree with her.

The darkness of the imperial capital right now is full of Zandra’s assassins and the pursuers from the organization. If they attack us while we are fighting here, both of us will risk collapsing together.

In that case, it is better to split the target in two and withdraw here.

If we meet up and withdraw without any incident, they will send the pursuers toward Sonia and her unit. It will be clear to our enemies that some kind of negotiation took place here.

“…..what is your demand?”

“We will contact you about that in the future. I think our side will reach out to yours first. Rest assured, I won’t do anything bad.”

Her words are not comforting at all.

Even if it doesn’t directly hurt us, it’s clear that nothing good will come out as long as Gordon is the one who decides the flow of future development.

However, they’ve got the key. Rebecca alone won’t serve as sufficient evidence.

Now we are forced to negotiate with Gordon.

Sonia showed her ability and obtained her desired result. She managed to leave Rebecca with the safest place possible and brought results to Gordon’s faction.

“I have been dancing on your palm huh……”

“Sorry. I thought that this is for the best…..goodbye. Al-kun. Take care of Rebecca okay……from now on I am your enemy.”

Saying so, Sonia turns back.

She then disappeared into the darkness along with the covert unit.

Her back somehow looked sad. Still, there is nothing I can do. It will render all her effort meaningless if I do it.

“Arnold-sama…..we should withdraw as well.”

“…….Right.”

While replying to Sebas, we also leave the place.

That day was the first crushing defeat we had after we joined the succession war.

And the strategist who orchestrated that defeat went to Gordon’s side. With the letter in Gordon’s hand, he will be the one who will decide how things will develop from now on.

Thus, the power structure of the succession war has completely changed.

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