The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

Earl Sitterheim’s POV

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Bassau, one of the cities inside the Southern part of the Empire. Among the mansions of the Nobles of the south, the mansion in this city should be counted from the bottom in terms of its size.

That’s where the Lord of the area where Lynfia’s village was located and the person who should be the one offering help to them, Earl Dennis von Sitterheim, reside.

“So……..Duke Kruger has no intention to help me. Is that correct?”

“That seems to be the case.”

Hearing the reply of the messenger serving under Sven von Kruger, Dennis’s expression was like he just took a bite out of worms.

“Then what should I do?”

“He wants you to take the blame for being the mastermind of this case. Everything will be your responsibility.”

Saying so the messenger’s face turned into a smile.

He wholeheartedly believed that Dennis would accept the deal.

“For the South huh……”

“Exactly. Including you, one-third of the Southern Nobles are cooperating with Duke Kruger. He wants you to sacrifice yourself to protect our fellow Southern Noblemen.”

How did it come to this.

Dennis takes a deep sigh.

Dennis only turned 33 years old this year. He became a Lord ten years ago but now he felt ashamed of that.

At first, he only acted according to his father’s will.

It was only one year after the Emperor decreed all the immigrants to be imperial citizens that his father passed away. At that time, his father told him that the immigrants will never be considered a citizen in their territory.

Dennis’s father was once injured by a rampaging immigrant which rendered his legs paralyzed. He held a grudge against them because of that and the young Dennis understands him.

Then a few years later, that fact was revealed to Duke Kruger. If the news were to reach the capital, his lordship would be over and he was forced to help the Duke with his kidnapping operation.

There is now a base for the kidnapping organization underneath his mansion with the knights from Duke Kruger patrolling his mansion to guarantee his loyalty.

He has been cornered to the point where he can not turn back and right now he is being discarded.

“If I obey, will the security of my people be guaranteed?”

“But of course.”

The messenger’s words terribly smell of lies.

In the past, Dennis once tried to reach out to the Emperor because of the guilt he felt. At that time, the Earldom of Sitterheim was heavily harassed by the Southern Nobles. Their crops were destroyed, their lands couldn’t satisfyingly grow anything, and his people were starved because the crop distribution itself was hindered.

After that, Dennis apologized to Duke Kruger and swore his allegiance. It was to protect his people.

He has no way to know what kind of terrible things Duke Kruger would rain down on his people if he decides to betray him again this time.

That’s why Dennis decided to give up.

“Fine then. I will take all the blame as the mastermind.”

“Thank you, I won’t forget the sacrifice you made for the South.”

“Never mind that. How about you just say that this is all for Duke Kruger’s sake? He already took control of most of the South and has been acting like King for a while now. Just what is planning to do?”

“That has nothing to do with you.”

“It has. I am being a stepping stone for Duke Kruger after all. Is he planning an uprising?”

“Fuh….My Lord doesn’t have such a thing in mind. Let’s just say that this is all for the throne shall we.”

“I see……so if push comes to shove he planned to start a rebellion in the south and put Her Highness Zandra on the throne huh. If that’s the case then Duke Kruger will become a close relative of the throne. It’s the Fifth Consort we are talking about. She must have planted Duke Kruger’s people there already. Certainly, this is not a usurpation. This is a takeover.”

At Dennis’s bitter analysis, the messenger did not move. This is because something like this is not surprising given the history of the Empire. However, an emperor who relies on their relatives like that does not last long. They will eventually lose power and be eaten alive by other nobles after all.

What does Duke Kruger think about that.

He is the man who has been manipulating the kidnapping organization and incorporates many of the Southern Nobles into his faction, he must already have thought things like this.

But that doesn’t matter now. When Dennis has that self-ridiculing thought, a blade suddenly protruded from the messenger’s chest.

“Goho…..”

“Wha!?”

“Forgive me……My Lord.”

Said a young female knight.

To Dennis, this light-brown hair that almost seemed orange was not just a simple knight.

“Rebecca!? What are you trying to do!?”

“You must not believe his words! They were planning to kill you, my Lord!”

“What!?”

“They are going to kill you after you have written a confession letter and handed it to Prince Leonard! Please, you must hurry and escape!”

Looking around, he saw that there are many knights in the room beside Rebecca.

They were the few knights in the mansion who swore their loyalty to the Ducal House of Sitterheim.

“Let’s head to Prince Leonard’s side and reveal the evil acts of the Duke! He is the prince who never gives up on the victims in the Principality of Albatro! He will definitely help us!”

“……”

Dennis keeps silent for a while after hearing Rebecca’s plea.

He should be able to escape from this city.

But can they really escape?

There’s no way that the Duke would not be cautious against betrayal at this crucial moment and he is also aware that Dennis tried to betray him once before.

There will definitely be an ambush on his way to join Prince Leonard.

Dennis read the situation as such and let out a heavy breath.

He then laughed at his own foolishness.

“Hahaha……what a useless man I am.”

“My Lord?”

“…..Sir Rebecca. I am giving you a mission.”

Saying so, Dennis steps on the floor at the corner of the room.

Doing so, it opened and revealed a letter inside. It was a letter Dennis had written describing all the evil deeds of Duke Kruger and other Southern Nobles.

It was all in his handwriting with a special magical blood stamp used in writing important contracts. The presence of this stamp will increase the letter’s credibility.

“Take this letter and head to the Imperial Capital.”

“No!? Are you saying that I should escape alone!?”

“You are the daughter of my best friend. For me who has no children, you were like a daughter……that’s why I am entrusting this to you. Please head to the Imperial Capital and hand this to the Emperor.”

“No! Please let me stay with you!”

“You can’t. You are still young. This is no place for you to throw your life away.”

Saying so, Dennis picks up the sword lying against the wall.

Seeing him, Rebecca realized that Dennis was planning to die.

It has been over ten years since her parents passed away when she was young and the Lord who has been acting as her new parent is now about to die.

Rebecca couldn’t accept that.

“I will fight too! I will repay you for raising me!”

“I didn’t raise you so that you could die! Live on……..please grant this miserable wish of mine.”

“No! I won’t! At least please run away together with me My Lord!”

“I have abandoned many children……I don’t think I can live with that any longer. Of course, this will not be an honorable death. There is no longer honor left in this house anymore. But, at the very least I have to fulfill my duty as a noble.”

Saying so, Dennis looks over his knights except for Rebecca.

Their faces are determined. Originally, they were prepared to give their lives in order to let their Lord escape. However, if the Lord himself said that he has one last thing to do then no one among them is going to stop him.

“What duty of a noble…….is it your duty to die!?”

“Wrong. It is to save. All the children who were kidnapped in the South will at some point be gathered here once. It was to determine their value. There are still many children left in the mansion. I can not escape by myself now can I.”

“But…..I am your knight as well!”

“The mission of a knight is to obey their Lord’s order. I won’t allow you to be selfish any longer. Go! Sir Rebecca!”

His voice was firm like never before.

Receiving her order, Rebecca sheds her tears while kneeling down and accepts the letter.

Then, footsteps can be heard from outside.

Dennis who heard it give out his last order.

“Use the window to get out. While we are fighting, spread the words that there’s a rebellion and use the confusion to run to the capital!”

“Yes…..”

Receiving her order, Rebecca standby waiting at the window.

Dennis kicked open the door and began to engage with Duke Kruger’s knights who were taken by surprise.

With his back burned to her eyes, Rebecca jumped out of the window.

Then.

“IT’S A REBELLION!  THERE ARE REBELS AT THE LORD’S MANSION! EVERYONE, RUN AWAY- – – !!”

Leaving the mansion, Rebecca screamed at the top of her lungs and began her long journey to the imperial capital.

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“WOAAAAAH!!”

Dennis cut down one knight after another.

He has finally reached the basement of his mansion.

There were a lot of knights who swore their loyalty toward him more than he thought and they are now furiously fighting against Duke Kruger’s knights who haughtily walk around the mansion like they own the place.

“Hiiiii!!??”

“Get out of my way!”

The slave merchant who fell on his butt was decapitated by Dennis without any hesitation.

They were merchants associated with the Kruger house who were there to determine the value of the slave children.

Dennis doesn’t have any compassion for them.

After that, Dennis and a small number of knights accompanying him arrived at the prison where the children are being held.

Dozens of children were collared and put inside the dimly lit prison.

After seeing the unsanitary prison cell and how thin the children have become, Dennis thought to himself that he should have done this sooner.

“It’s okay! I came to save you!”

Dennis then took the key from the corpse of the guard and opened the cell.

However, the children did not try to move as if they were solidified.

Seeing that, Dennis sheathed his sword and slowly entered the cell.

“It’s alright……I will get you out of here……”

“Really…….?”

One girl mutters.

She is around ten years old with odd eyes of red and blue irises.

Guessing that she is a child from the immigrant village, Dennis bites his lips.

“Yeah, really……”

“I can return to the village……?”

“Yes, you can……”

“I can meet Lyn-oneechan……..?”

“Yes, you can. There’s a gentle prince called Prince Leonard coming to rescue you. He will definitely take care of you.”

Saying so, Dennis slowly approaches the girl.

He then gently embraced the dirty girl.

“I’m sorry………I’m sorry……..”

“I want to go home…….I want to go back……”

Stroking the hair of the sobbing girl, Dennis nods.

Dennis looks over and tells the other children.

“Everyone, I will get you home. I swear.”

Smiles appear on the children’s faces with his words.

However,

“I won’t let you do that.”

“Gohoh……”

A man in black appeared behind him and pierced Dennis’s chest.

Dennis coughs up blood and squeezes his power to pull out his sword and slash at the man.

However, his attack did not hit.

This man was the instructor who trained talented children into an assassin. He’s not an enemy he can defeat with superficial swordsmanship.

Not to mention his pierced chest, it is clear that he is now at death’s door

Still, Dennis did not give up.

He didn’t have any right to.

Even so.

There was a wall called real ability that he wouldn’t be able to overcome no matter how determined he is.

Dennis rushes at the man in desperation.

“WOAHHHHHHH!!!!”

“How unsightly.”

The instructor cut off Dennis’ head as he lunged past him.

His neck fluttered through the air, rolling underneath the feet of the girl with odd-eyes.

Seeing the head of the man who said he came to save her, for a moment, the girl did not know what just happened.

However, the moment her eyes met with Dennis’s, her faint hope was shattered and fear and despair took over her heart.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!”

The cry of the girl was loud and echoed through the place.

At the same time, the girl’s eyes glow and the prison was then wrapped in something black.