The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

“This is bad, This is real bad……!”

It was a few days after we defeated the Sea Dragon.

After they contacted me, I set sail from Rondine to Albatro port.

However, I had something that I am extremely worried about.

“How could I forget to tell him such an important thing……!”

That’s right, I forgot to tell something to Leo.

It was the fact that Eva fell in love with him.

There was too much to deal with at the time so I completely forgot about such a personal matter.

It’s Leo so I think he will somehow manage it but this is a love affair between a man and a woman. This might be more troublesome than I thought. Moreover, Eva is a princess.

Apparently Leviathan appeared shortly after Rondine’s fleet arrived at the port. That means Leo and Eva didn’t have the chance to talk at that point. However, it has been a few days since then.

Given Eva’s personality, there’s no way that she doesn’t make a move yet.

“I hope he kept a safe attitude somehow……..”

With that in mind, I landed at the Principality of Albatro. Since the setting is that this is my first time here, I act like I am curiously looking around.

After that, Leo walked over to welcome me.

And beside him,

“Nnnn?”

Eva is having fun chatting with Leo.

What? What is going on here?

Why are they getting along like that? How?

Is this that thing? Does Leo think that women are naturally attracted to him?

Can I interpret this as he naturally accepted Eva’s attack? Does he think that this is only natural because of how much of a handsome man he is?

While I was shaken by my little brother’s common sense, Eva came over to greet me.

“It’s my honor to meet you, Prince Arnold. I am Albatro’s first princess, Evangelina di Albatro. My father is busy with his work so I have come to welcome you instead of him. Please feel free to call me Eva.”

“Ah, Yeah, nice to meet you……”

“I’m glad you got here safely, Nii-san. I have a lot of things I want to talk with you but do you want to get some rest first?”

“Yeah…..I was just a little shocked……”

With that said, I head to the carriage they prepared for me.

Apparently, Eva and Leo have something to do after this and went away somewhere.

Ahh, this is so sad.

“My brother is tainted…..”

“What are you talking about Your Highness?”

“Ah, Marc huh. Hear me out….Leo has become a womanizer…….”

“I want to know how you arrived at that conclusion but if I remember correctly, aren’t Your Highness the person who made Princess Eva fell in love with him?”

“Hmm? You noticed?”

“Anybody would. She asked the knights about you and her expression was completely that of a girl in love after all.”

“I see. So it was that easy to understand huh.”

That means,

I stare at Marc with a serious expression.

“Yes. I was the one who told Prince Leonard.”

“Oh, aren’t you capable?”

“Did you think of me as an incompetent?”

“It’s not like that. Ah, I see, I see. You really saved me….that was really weighing on my mind.”

“I’m glad that I can be of help. The next thing is something that I couldn’t do anything about so I’m glad that I can relieve Your Highness of your stress with this.”

Saying so, Marc opened the carriage door.

Inside is the grumpy looking Elna.

For a moment, I thought about running away but there’s no chance I can get away from her without using transfer magic so I gave up.

“….Marc. I’ve got more things to worry about now.”

“What would that be?”

“Hear me and be surprised. My life is in danger.”

“The usual then. If Your Highness’s life is in danger I will save you again so please don’t worry about it.”

“It’s strange to treat that like usual isn’t it!? Moreover, you can’t save me if it’s an instant death right!?”

“It will be fine. She will go easy on you after all.”

Saying so, Marc pushes my back.

Without being able to resist, I was pushed inside the carriage and left alone with Elna.

“…..Y, Yo……..”

“……..”

Elna stays silent.

Seems like she’s totally angry huh.

I know why. It is probably because I told Silver about her Weakness.

Being silently stared at, I sat down in front of her with an uncomfortable feeling.

From what I see, it seems there is a soundproof barrier erected around us. This barrier is often being used when you want to have a private talk.

While I was thinking that is going to be a long talk, Elna opened her mouth.

“Do you have anything to say?”

“Unn, are you hurt?”

“ !? th, there’s no way I would be right! Who do you think I am!?”

Elna shouted with a slightly flushed face.

“he messed up my pace……..”

It seems like she didn’t expect me to say that as she started to mumbles in a small voice.

“Even you can get hurt right? Of course, the chances are very low when you fight against a normal person but this time the main battlefield was the sea right? That’s why I was worried. I might be a busybody but I asked Silver to look out for you. If you don’t like that then I will apologize. Sorry. But the only one who would worry about you is only me, right? You are my important childhood friend so at least let me worry about you.”

“….What’s that…..that’s unfair……If I get angry at you now, it will be like I have a short fuse isn’t it.”

“No, you really are short fuse right. What are you saying after all this time.”

“Al～? I will cut that tongue out if you keep saying something unnecessary you know～?

“Yes ma’am…..I won’t say any unnecessary things anymore……”

Elna slightly pulled her sword out and intimidated me with a smile.

Her intimidation power is like that of a dragon roar, any faint of heart person would surely faint if they have to face the current Elna.

However, contrary to the scared me, Elna has a beaming smile on her face. And she was all grumpy when I got on this carriage too.

Right now she seems to be in a good mood.

“Well whatever. I will let slide the fact that you told that masked adventurer about my weakness. But, the thing that made me mad wasn’t that you know? Do you know what I want to say?”

Saying so, Elna stares straight at me.

Until now she may have intimidated me but I felt like she was sulking. However, it is different now.

Receiving her anxious and slightly angry gaze, I sigh.

“How much did Silver tell you?”

“He said that you guys are conspirators. Since you told him about my weakness, you must have trusted him quite a bit right? Just what are you guys planning to do?”

“…..Do I have to say it?”

“Yes, you do. If you don’t I won’t let you off this carriage.”

“Is that so…….couldn’t be helped then…….I and Silver have the same goal of making Leo the emperor and we are both moving behind the scenes for that.”

“Behind the scenes……?”

“Yeah, It’s the secret maneuver you so despised. I use my status as a member of the imperial family while he uses his status as an SS-class adventurer. From time to time we use it to increase our ally by acting like our encounter was an accident. We recruited Duke Kleinert with that method as well.”

Elna knows that I am trying to make Leo an emperor.

Of course, she knows that we have been fighting against the other three factions as well.

However, she only thinks that I worked as Leo’s assistant.

Apart from that, Elna wouldn’t even think that I have been moving behind the scenes with the help of an SS-class adventurer. Right now, Elna turned speechless.

“I was in contact with Silver when the vampires attacked us in the east as well. This time too. He has been moving around to support Leo. But if Leo has a direct connection with Silver it will be too conspicuous. My role is to conceal that connection.”

“…..Does Leo know about that?”

“I did tell him about it but he doesn’t know about the behind the scenes stuff we did. This time Silver was actually in the south from the beginning. Even so, I asked him to go to the Imperial Capital to use this to our advantage in the succession war. He made contact with Finne and stopped the other three from getting the imperial military involved. in other words, I prioritized the succession war first and caused many citizens to be sacrificed.”

“…..You did that to stay alive right? Do you really…….do you think that your brothers and sisters are going to really kill you and Leo?”

That was Elna’s final confirmation.

I once told Elna about it but there were still doubts in her mind. About the fact that I almost got assassinated, there was still some doubt in her mind that made her think that it wasn’t a serious attempt on my life. She thinks that maybe it was just an act to intimidate me.

At the very least that was her thought when she was with us. In other words, there were no such things when the Crown Prince was still alive.

Eric worked hard alongside the Crown Prince, he wasn’t an Elder brother who would consider murdering someone. Gordon was an honest man, a straightlaced warrior. Zandra also worked hard as a mage as well.

That’s right. That time, things were peaceful.

However, the throne was freed when the Crown Prince died. The ambitions of the three who had been held down by a giant lid called the Crown Prince overflowed.

After years of fighting among each other, they all lost their kindness.

I can affirm it.

“They will definitely kill both me and Leo. Everyone around us too……that’s why no matter what hand I have to use, I will make Leo into an emperor. I told you at the festival, right? Don’t get involved. You almost crossed a dangerous line. If you continue to help us any more than this then the Amsberg house will be considered their enemy as well. Are you fine with that?”

“……The Amsberg can’t be involved in politics…….I have been taught since I was young that we only live as a sword.”

“Yeah. That is wise. For better or worse, the Brave house is too strong.”

“But…..I’ve decided, Al. This is something I have decided to not forsake since long ago.”

“What is that?”

Elna takes a deep breath.

I feel like she is going to say something outrageous.

But I can’t stop her.

I have never been able to stop her since a long time ago.

“I will not abandon Al. I swore this since I was a child. I will never break that oath even if I have to go against His Majesty. If you seriously want to put Leo on the throne then I will cooperate with you. If you are willing to do anything then I’m willing to do the same. If my house got in my way, I don’t mind throwing my surname away either. This oath is more important above everything else.”

“……you disqualified as an imperial knight you know. Will you be fine even if you can no longer be the heiress of the Brave house?”

“I am quite stubborn you know. You should know that well, right?”

“I guess…..honestly, I’m thankful that you are willing to go that far to cooperate with us but I want you to lay low for a while longer. If the Brave house openly takes our side, our faction will end up becoming the most prominent one. If that happens they will definitely go all out to attack us.”

“That much I understand. I will cooperate with you while being careful not to get found out.”

“I think that is impossible for you though.”

“Don’t treat me like I’m stupid! I can do it properly alright!”

Saying so, Elna puffs up her chest.

No matter how I look at it, that figure of her is unreliable at all.

But, that’s alright.

Elna is a sword. It is up to the person who wields her (Me) how well she performs.

“Ok! That was refreshing! If that’s already decided then let’s do our best together!”

“I just told you not to do that though……..”

“It’s alright being a little enthusiastic right. Ah, that’s right. Since I already become your cooperator you can’t keep any secret from me okay. You don’t have anything you are hiding from me right? If you have then spill it out now. I will forgive you this time.”

“Unnn….Ah. I did give you a pearl when you became an imperial knight right?”

“Yeah, you were running around all over the place to buy it for me weren’t you?”

“Actually, it was a pain so I made Leo buy it for m—- GOHOH!?”

“You are the worst!”

Being punched in the gut, I fainted inside the carriage.

Didn’t you said that you would forgive me…….

I can’t put those words to my mouth.

While frowning at the pain, I am relieved that I managed to hide the important part from her.

Somehow, I managed to hide the fact that Silver and I are the same person and gained her full cooperation.