The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

In front of the room inside the inner palace.

Zandra just arrived there

“Okaa-sama! Okaa-sama!”

Treating the maids as if they were nonexistent, Zandra barged into the room.

It was the room of the Emperor’s Fifth Consort. The room of Zandra’s mother.

There’s a woman with glossy dark-green-hair inside, she let out a sigh and greeted her daughter.

“What happened? Zandra. Making such a fuss.”

“Of course I am making a fuss! Leonard just went to the south as an imperial inspector you know!? He is bearing down on our support base!”

While watching her hysterical daughter, the dark green-haired woman, Zuzan smiled at her.

Perhaps irritated at her mother’s carefree smile, Zandra made a whip of wind and whipped it at one of the maids.

“Kyaaaa!!?? Pl, Please forgive me!!”

“Shut up! Shut up! That damn Leonard! He just went to Oji-sama’s place!? No matter how much we are pushed down, he has no right to do this!”

“Ahh!! Guh! F, Fo, Forgive me……….”

“Shut the hell up! Keep your trap shut! Your only purpose here is just to be a punching bag!”

Saying so, Zandra relentlessly continues to whip the already unconscious maid.

When Zandra finally calmed down, the maid already turned into a bloody mess.

Normally, she would feel a little guilty after she calmed down but without having any of that, Zandra started speaking to her mother.

“It’s Leonard we are talking about. He will definitely investigate it thoroughly. If he found out about that then we won’t be able to deny it.”

“You don’t have to worry about the matter in the south. Onii-sama is the one taking care of it. He will definitely do a good job for us. Even if he fails, all the responsibility will be his after all. The fire won’t spread to us.”

“Even so, we will lose support from the south.”

“It’s alright. If your research goes well, there’s nothing to be scared about right?”

“That’s true but……..”

“It will be fine as long as you and I are safe. We can reward those nobles after we take the throne. They should let it slide before long.  They can only obey the strong after all.”

Saying so, Zuzan smiles.

It was both a bewitching and brutal smile.

As Zandra usually doesn’t show much emotion on her face, Zuzan is a woman that usually keeps things quiet inside as well.

Zuzan’s smile which was built on her violent nature over the years was already looked like the definition of insanity.

“With the Emperor’s order, I can’t conduct any forbidden magic research anymore. The only one who can do that is you.”

“I understand. Okaa-sama.”

“You are an excellent child. You are more qualified to be an empress than anyone else. You have taken that part after me. The slave merchant should bring the children to you soon. They are your guinea pigs. You have to perfect it. The perfect curse.”

“Yes. I will show you. And I will put them on anyone who dares to irritate me. They have no right to irritate me like this. I will kill them all.”

“That’s right. That’s the spirit.”

While stroking her dark green hair, Zuzan stares at her daughter.

Her daughter has taken all the parts that she wanted her to have.

A daughter that could be said to be a copy of her.

Making Zandra into an empress is the same as making herself one.

“If push comes to shove, I will get rid of all those who get in your way again. You just have to do what you can. It’s alright. We have a lot of allies after all.”

“Yes. Okaa-sama.”

Saying so, the mother and child hug each other.

If the Emperor saw them, he would definitely doubt that the two of them are really his consort and daughter.

Both of them are having smiles that exude insanity that engrave pure horror onto the eyes of the viewers.

The maids who saw such a smile desperately lower their heads down.

Then they pray.

A prayer to make this hell come to an end soon.

——————

Heading to the south, Leo arrived at a certain city.

It is the largest city in the south, Wumme.

It is a city ruled by the noble who has influence over all the southern region, Duke Kruger.

“Thank you very much for your cooperation, Duke Kruger.”

“No no, it is only natural for a noble to cooperate with the imperial inspector.”

Said the dark-green-haired man with a smile.

He is already over fifty but he still looked youthful.

He is a tall and slender man with a sword hanging on his waist. He was once a warrior who have roamed many battlefields.

His name is Sven von Kruger.

He is the elder brother of the Fifth Consort as well as the Emperor’s brother in law.

“I think that you are the best person to ask about the matter of the south, Duke Kruger. Let me be frank, have you seen any nobles here behave suspiciously?”

Leo stares straight at Duke Kruger.

Duke Kruger is involved in many things that happened in the south in some way or another. However, Leonard can’t suddenly start accusing him.

First, he has to start with the matter at Lynfia’s village but he was wondering if the Duke will give up any name before he starts.

“A suspicious noble? As far as I can see, there is no one that comes to mind but I can’t say for sure for the nobles at the border since I don’t have a full grip of them after all.”

“Hou.”

He is saying that he doesn’t have complete control over them huh. It is quite fishy for him to keep it ambiguous like that.

He can use that as an excuse to dodge the responsibility later after all.

However, that will not be enough.

Leo smiled while paying close attention to Kruger’s every move and continued their meeting.

——————————

While Leo was having a meeting with Duke Kruger, Lynfia was out shopping in the city.

Of course, she is gathering information around the city at the same time.

“And that one too.”

“Here ya go, thanks for your patronage.”

“You noticed any changes around here recently?”

“Changes? Hmm, I don’t really notice anything.”

That was the answer from the shopkeeper of a fruit stall.

This is the fifth time that she was given the same answer.

At least on the surface, there’s nothing wrong with this city.

“I see. Thank you.”

Saying so, Lynfia looks around while holding what she bought.

She already bought everything she needs and there is no point in gathering more information either.

When she was wondering what she should do next, Lynfia found a troubled gray-haired old man on the side of the road.

“Sorry. can I ask you something……”

“……..”

“Hmm. people around here are really cold huh.”

Saying so, the old man sighed.

He is short and his ears are slightly pointy.

The old man is a dwarf. A normal dwarf looked old already but this old man seemed to be the oldest dwarf she ever saw.

Instead of having a stout build, this dwarf has a long white beard and is very thin.

Couldn’t leave the old dwarf who has a crooked waist and walking with a white cane alone, Lynfia lowers her knee and talks to him.

“Ojii-san. What’s wrong?”

“OOh, there’s still a good-natured girl here huh. Sorry, but can you guide me to the city’s gate? I’m lost here for three days already.”

“Three days? That must have been terrible, let’s go, I will show you the way.”

Lynfia doesn’t let it show on her face but she was very surprised to know that this old dwarf has been lost in the city for three days already.

She shows a smile to put the old man at ease and guide him.

The old man also smiles at her.

“Well, thank you, thank you. Nobody listens to me since I am a dwarf you see. I was really troubled there.”

“Is that so. That was quite a disaster isn’t it.”

Lynfia’s tone may be normal but her words are full of sympathy.

The old man who felt that gave her a wide smile.

“Don’t worry don’t worry, I am really lucky to have a nice young lady like you helping me like this.”

“Me too…..I was helped when I was in trouble as well. No, I am still being helped right now.”

“Hou? You are troubled too huh, young lady.”

“Yes, well.”

“I see, I see. That must be difficult for you. Hm, this must be some kind of fate. I wonder if there is anything I can do.”

Saying so, the old man opens his bag and begins to rummage its content.

Lynfia was trying to be reserved but the old man told her not to worry about it and continue looking through his bag.

“Ojii-san. This way, this way.”

“Uun? Oh, this way huh.”

Since he was focusing on his bag, the old man almost went in the wrong direction the moment Lynfia looks away.

With that being the case, Lynfia repeatedly put the old dwarf back on the right course and finally noticed that they already arrived at the city gate.

“Ojii-san, we have arrived you know.”

“Un? Arrived? Where?”

“The gate.”

“Ohh! That’s right, I was finding my way to the gate! I was looking for something to give you as my thanks, I forgot!”

The old man raised his face and gave her a hearty laugh.

Maybe you got lost in the first place because you have such a personality, Lynfia thought while worrying if he will be okay heading home alone like this.

However.

“Young lady, I will give you this. It’s a whistle made of spirit wood. Blow it when you are in trouble. Your ally will know where you are right away.”

“I can’t accept such a thing! Please take it back Ojii-san!”

“I don’t need it. You should have it, young lady. You have to blow it when you need to, you know. It’s not a bad thing to rely on someone after all.”

The old man grins and leaves through the city gate.

Since the figure of his back looked so unreliable, Lynfia was very worried about him but since she has her own mission, she can not afford to take care of him.

Bowing to the old man’s back, Lynfia heads back inside the city.

“It seems like I can not abandon the humans yet huh. Alright, where should I go next? I wonder if someone will call me soon.”

The old man went off the road while muttering such a thing and disappeared into the mountain.