The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

“OUR DEEPEST APOLOGIES!”

Duke Kleinert said so and bow his head. On his side, the blond young gatekeeper is also bowing. However, it seems like the duke forcefully brought him here, he looked dissatisfied as he still doesn’t fully understand the situation.

To be able to look like that in this situation, he has quite a nerve.

“Duke. We don’t care about your apologies, tell us what happened.”

“Y, yes……apparently, Silver visited us five days ago but this idiot son of mine turned him away without properly confirming his identity…….”

“You turned him away……?”

“But father! It’s weird that an SS rank adventurer would suddenly show up at our door right? Normally you would think that he is a fake isn’t it?”

“SHUT UP! You idiot! Because you couldn’t do much I left you to guard the mansion gate while I was out subjugating monsters! To think that you couldn’t even that!”

“B, but father said so right…..? To turn away all the men that came to see Finne…….”

“I never told you to turn away an SS rank adventurer! It would be fine if you just confirm Silver’s adventurer card right!? Why couldn’t you do that!?”

“Th, That is……..”

The son’s eyes start swimming. That’s the eyes of someone who is considering to lie his way out.

You can immediately tell when an idiot going to lie. Even if he lied that Silver didn’t show his adventurer card here, we would immediately find out when we directly ask Silver. If it comes to this then the best course of action is to properly apologize and bow your head to keep damage to the minimum.

“Duke. You can leave preaching your son for later. I am sorry that I have to say this but you are also bear his fault.”

“Y, yes, I understand! Can we settle this with a formal written apology for Prince Arnold and Prince Leonard…….”

“Written apology? A written apology for chasing away the SS rank adventurer that a prince dispatched for you!? Let’s hear it! How are you going to apologize? You have thrown mud on Silver’s face, he might not cooperate with us anymore! How are you going to make up for that!?”

“That is…..Please forgive us with this old man’s head!”

“You bastard, I don’t want your head! I don’t want the head of your incompetent son who chased away the SS rank adventurer either!”

Duke Kleinert despaired at my words, his son, on the other hand, exhaled in relief. To think that such an excellent parent can have a son like this.

As long as his life couldn’t make up for it, Duke Kleinert has to offer us something else that can compensate us. 

And that thing has to be something important to the Duke family and something that is valuable for me and Leo.

In other words.

“—–Then I will offer myself. That’s why, please forgive my father and brother, You Highness.”

Finne who is dressed in blue entered the room.

Looking up close, I can’t suppress the admiration I have for her beauty. Even when I am in this kind of situation, I can’t take my eyes off Finne.

Her long blonde hair is swaying lightly and shines by reflecting the light. Her blue eyes looked so deep as the ocean which gives off the light that can wrap you whole with her magnanimity. Although her body is small, I can feel the glamour from the top of her dress.

Her expression is a little tense but it is not to the extent that it would take away her beauty. To be honest, since she said that she wants to come with us herself I want to welcome her with open arms. No matter who you are, if you are a man then you would want to do the same, I almost gave her a reply on instinct. However, this is not the place that I can just follow such an instinct.

Finne showing up here was outside of my expectations. I planned to corner the Duke a bit more and get him to join the succession war to support us.

“—-! Finne!? Please forgive us! You Highness! My daughter is still a child!”

The figure of the Duke desperately prostrating himself transmitted the love for his daughter to me. He offered me his head first instead of his son’s who made the mistake and prostrate himself to save his daughter, he must be a good father.

“Please spare my father and brother! I also saw Silver-sama’s figure when he visited us! If that is a sin then I also bare it!”

“M, my sister did nothing wrong! It is all my fault! Please forgive me!”

The son also prostrates himself this time.

This is that right? That one scenario that I am totally the bad guy.

I never thought that it would turn out like this. And here I thought that I should continue the psychological battle with the duke a little further.

I look at Sebas for help. He let out a sigh and opened his mouth.

“Your Highness. Everyone from the Duke family is willing to do this much already. Isn’t it better to calm your anger as well?”

“You want me to forgive them? They have humiliated both of us you know!? If we just forgive this one case then where can we show our dignity anymore!”

“It is fine as long as this matter is being kept confidential. Let’s make this case never happened.”

“Then what about Silver!?”

“He is a man with a great sense of responsibility. He wouldn’t give up after only being turned away once and he might be still nearby as well. Let’s deploy someone to look for him. If we apologize in good faith, he should be able to understand our circumstances as well.”

“So, if Silver can resolve the problem in this territory, you are telling me that the fact which Duke Kleinert has soiled our dignity would also disappear?”

I think we can finally settle this with a good feeling.

After that, if Sebas points out my arbitrary judgment then I can withdraw as well.

Well, I would look like a man who borrowed the power from his brother to the Duke family though. But that is exactly what I want.

The one who is competing for the throne here is only Leo, not me.

“It will be fine as I will consult with His Highness Leonard about this at a later date.”

“It’s no use consulting with him! He would forgive anything anyway right!?”

“Because His Highness is like that that people are gathering around him. Moreover, Your Highness Arnold. You are certainly the elder brother of Prince Leonard but the place that people are attracted to is still Prince Leonard’s. Even if you are His Highness’s elder brother if you further worsen the relationship between His Highness and the Duke without telling him you would worsen your position as well.”

“Tsk…Got it. It is as you said. Duke, deploy some of your men to look for Silver. If you found him then I will talk to him for you. Sebas, you go and help too.”

I put everything together while acting reluctantly.

The rest is to act as Silver and help this territory solve its crisis. If I do that then Duke Kleinert will become Leo’s ally.

You could say that this is the very first step into the battle for the throne. 

With that in mind, I start planning how I should act out my double roles.

———————-

“So you are still remaining in the duchy. This is unexpected.”

“I thought that you would dispatch someone to find me sooner or later. I am more surprised that the Dull Prince came out here himself though.”

Silver is staying at an ordinary inn. To be precise, it was made to be seen that way.

I used ancient magic on the innkeeper to make him think that there was a weird customer who has been staying in the inn since five days ago and arranged that Sebas would find this place then I would meet with Silver myself.

“Then? Who is that lady?”

“A pleasure to meet you for the first time, Silver-sama. I am called Finne von Kleinert.”

“This is not our first meeting. Our eyes met five days ago.”

Hearing what I said, Finne slightly faltered.

As she is still only sixteen years old, talking with an SS rank adventurer is no easy matter. Even more so when you are trying to make him forgive you for the thing rudeness you committed.

Duke Kleinert has to deal with the monster in the territory so he can’t come himself. That’s why I told him that it’s fine to leave the talk with Silver to me alone. However, Finne said that a representative of the Duke family should be present as well.

Thanks to that, I have to create Silver with illusion magic and play double roles in front of Finne. The reason why I chose to create the illusion of Silver is even if she noticed that Silver in front of her is an illusion, I can give an excuse that he is being on guard against us. On the contrary, if I chose to make an illusion of myself as the prince then I will have to create one with super-advanced illusion magic that can reproduce not just my appearance but my voice as well. 

By the way, it is impossible that the truth would be found out by Silver’s voice. The silver mask Silver is wearing is an extremely powerful magic tool. It can be used to change my voice at will, it can also manipulate Silver’s perceived characteristic and the impression he leaves behind. Even if we are together at the same place, there’s absolutely no way that people would think that we are the same person.

“….Our house has been rude towards you…I am sincerely sorry for our rudeness…..”

“Enough with the apologies. My evaluation of your house is already driven down to the ground. I heard that your house was a wise one that took good care of its people but it seems like that is just a reputation after all.”

“That is……”

“It is normal for adventurers to visit the land that monsters are running rampant. If your house really thought about your people then you would have prepared yourselves to receive any kind of adventurer that comes your way. The fact that your elder brother turned me away was enough as a proof that the Duke never did such preparation at all.”

This is an important point.

This is not just a matter of his son’s negligence but the responsibility of the entire Ducal House. As such, it wouldn’t be enough even if the Duke passes judgment on his son. Well, if it is that Duke then he would never do such a thing.

“That is true……it was an oversight from our Kleinert house……”

Looking at the depressed Finne, this should be about the right time for me to start negotiating with Silver.

If I show them that I can somehow able to persuade Silver then my goal would be achieved.

The reason I didn’t bring Sebas with me to this room was that I don’t know what he would say to me if he saw such a third-rate play like this. Anyway, now I will have to persuade myself.

“Silver. Do you still willing to continue with our request?”

“If I don’t, then I would not be here. However, there is one thing that I have to confirm before that.”

“What is it?”

“Did you managed to recruit the Duke as your ally? Dull Prince.”

“…..They haven’t given me their word yet.”

“As expected of the Dull Prince. You are a far cry from your little brother.”

Silver exaggeratedly sigh.

It feels weird that I have to speak ill of myself but if Silver himself is the one who said so then we will almost certainly gain the Duke’s cooperation.

“I will definitely get them to give us their full cooperation. Rest assured.”

“You will get their full cooperation huh. If you can do that then I will fulfill your request. I have my reason to make your little brother into the emperor no matter what. The reason I went out of my way to leave the imperial capital and come to this place was to recruit the Duke as an ally for Leonard after all. If he is like what the rumor says he is then he will surely be grateful for the help and support Leonard. However, it seems like everything is not as the rumor says. If you don’t have him write a written oath then he might betray you in the future you know?”

“My father will never do something like that!”

“Your words are useless against me. Miss Finne. You have already lost my trust.”

Silver told her indifferently.

There is a reason that I said it like that. 

I want to convince her that Silver is not eager to do this. This will surely get to the Duke’s ear through’s Finne’s words. Naturally, I am talking about Silver’s goal as well.

If we have already come this far then the Duke will surely come to Leo’s side. This might be a roundabout method but the cooperation of Duke Kleinert is that important for us in the battle for the throne.

“Silver. You are saying that you have no plan to help him unless he promised us his full cooperation right?”

“Of course.”

“……I want you to compromise there and help him subjugate the monsters. I will definitely make sure to get his cooperation myself.”

“……You are asking me to put my trust in the Dull Prince? Do you know that you are making me an unreasonable request?”

“Of course. But still, I will ask. Please understand.”

I said so and lower my head.

I can bow down to anyone because I have no pride whatsoever. Moreover, there’s nothing to lose for bowing down to an illusion I created anyway.

“To think that you would immediately lower your head, it seems like you don’t have any pride as an imperial family huh.”

“If Leo is here he would do the same…… I know that you can’t trust me. But even looking like this I am still Leo’s elder brother. At least I will show you that I can do my job. That’s why I want you to deal with those monsters. I don’t want this issue to last longer than this.”

“…..Fine. As an adventurer, I can’t let the monsters keep rampaging like this. I will accept your request. However, Miss Finne. I am expecting a lot from the Duke. Don’t forget about the matter of our cooperation.”

“Th, thank you very much! I will make sure that we meet your expectations!”

Thus we finished persuading Silver and let the inn.

We entered the carriage that Sebas prepared outside and took a deep breath.

Seeing me like that, Finne apologetically lowers her head.

“Thank you very much…….”

“…..? what are you thanking me for?”

“Your Highness lowered your head for us……Even though the fault lies on our side, you were able to persuade Silver to help our people. My gratitude is a matter of course.”

It seems like there’s some big misunderstanding here huh.

Is this child the same type as Leo that sees everyone as a good person?

I have to correct her. If she misunderstands that I am a good person then it would be difficult for me to move from now on.

“I lowered my head for myself. It is not for the reason you think. You are just misunderstanding.”

“Is that so….. Then I will keep misunderstanding you on my own. I have…slightly misunderstood you, Your Highness. I thought that Your Highness was a scary person but that is not actually the case.”

“No, like I said…..”

“Yes. It is my misunderstanding. Your highness lowered your head for your own sake, right? Not for our people, Not for us. But……will you allow me to keep misunderstanding so?”

Saying so, Finne shows a soft smile.

That smile is much more beautiful than the smile that captivated the people of the capital when the emperor bestowed her the blue seagull hair ornament.

Should I say that I am moved? Her smile moved me like the time my mother brought me to see the meteor show that only occurs once every decade. The shooting stars that fill up the clear night sky, that scene was simply beautiful. The happiness of being able to witness them. That is the feeling I had when I saw Finne’s smile.

Unexpectedly admiring her smile, I turn my gaze outside to hide my red face.

Thanks to that, I lost my chance to correct her misunderstanding.

I ended up thinking that being misunderstood as a good person by Finne might not be a bad thing. 

In the end, I couldn’t correct her misunderstanding.