The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

Night.

I head to the castle basement, there I place my hand on an inconspicuous wall. Doing so, line of light ran through the wall and the wall slid open.

Without finding such a phenomenon surprising, I enter the now open passage.

Inside was a staircase leading further down. I continue forward until I found a wooden door.

What was waiting behind the door was a beautiful study room. 

There are countless old books and candles that are always lit even though nobody ever tends to it.

Because the person who was using this room was lazy, he used magic to make the candles lit all the time.

“Your magic research is as amazing as always Gramp (TLN: Jii-san)”

“The mystery of magic won’t be solved no matter how many years it takes after all.”

The one who answered me was a small old man. Moreover, he is half-transparent too.

He is sitting on a chair while happily reading a book. When he has to turn the page, he skillfully uses his magic to do so.

You wouldn’t be able to judge from his appearance but even like this, he was once an emperor.

“You are so carefree even though your magic research led you to be sealed inside a book. The people outside are calling you the Mad Emperor you know?”

“That was just a mistake. To think that my body was taken by a demon. Such a foolish mistake.”

Said the old man, Gustav Lakes Adler.

My great-grandfather as well as the emperor of two generations ago.

As you can see, he is a magic maniac who has no eyes for anything besides magic. He even created this secret room for his magic research.

Thanks to that, his body was hijacked by a demon that was sealed inside a book. The demon used his body to lay waste to the imperial capital. It is written in the history that he went crazy at the end of his research on ancient magic.

That is why ancient magic is a taboo for the imperial family.

However, time passed. After he met me, he taught me how to use ancient magic and is now my master.

Now, only his spirit remained inside the book, he has no body. What I am seeing right now is just his thoughtform. (TLN: For more information https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/thoughtforms)

I released him from the sealed book when I opened it but it seems he doesn’t want to get a new body. He seems happy to be able to leisurely perform his magic research in peace.

“You really are carefree huh, seriously. Even though it is your fault that I have to hide the fact that I can use ancient magic like this too.”

“Think it the other way around. You can learn to use ancient magic because I was sealed here right? My treasured silver mask is also useful, correct?”

“Well, moderately.”

“You really are an ungrateful great-grandson.”

Even when he said that his eyes never leave the book.

He read through books that are related to magic and when he thought up an original magic or new theory he would start writing it down. He has been continuing to do that all this time.

In fact, he is so satisfied with that to the extent that I don’t want to disturb him.

Even so, there is a reason that I am here.

And it seems like he noticed that too.

“You have something to consult with me, right? Just say it. Don’t be reserved.”

“……My little brother got involved in the succession war.”

“If he is excellent, he will eventually be involved. That’s the succession war.”

“As I thought….I should see if someone intentionally got him involved huh.”

“That’s what I would do. If it turns out to be an enemy then I can openly settle it after all.”

It has been on the back of my mind.

Because the old general was assassinated, there were only two choices left for us. However, no matter how much that old general favor Leo, he wouldn’t post a threat to the other three candidates. Still, someone chose to assassinate him at such an early stage.

They may have been wary of Leo but the real intention was to use dealing with Leo as an excuse to be hostile toward us huh.

“I have another question.”

Here is the former emperor.

In other words, he was the winner of his succession war. If he is my ancestor who overcame all the tricks and schemes of his time, he should be able to answer my question. I was about to open my mouth, but Gramp gave me a reply faster than I could even ask.

“If I was the second or the third son then I would assassinate the crown prince. That is your answer.”

“…..I haven’t asked anything yet though?”

“I thought that would be the thing you would eventually ask if you are talking about the succession war. I was the eldest so I have been exposed to a lot of assassinations. Coming from me, the crown prince who got himself assassinated is the bad one. The thing that will wait for you after the most promising candidate was assassinated is just a muddy strife after all.”

“The only result from my father’s investigation was just death in action you know?”

“Maybe it was cleverly covered up or the Emperor’s close aids themselves were involved. Or…..maybe the Emperor himself was involved. In any case, it is weird for a crown prince who is the closest one to win the succession war to die on the battlefield. If your little brother entered the battlefield you would do your best to protect him, correct?”

“Of course.”

“That’s your answer. There must have been many people who think so too. Even if they tried their best to protect him but couldn’t it would still smell like a conspiracy. Considering the history of the succession war up until now, something like this isn’t rare.”

Gramp said such a depressing thing.

However, he is persuasive.

And if all his guesses are correct, then everything that will happen from now on is a conspiracy of someone.

In other words, there is something behind this Knight’s Hunting festival as well.

“Gramp. Do you have any magic that can command monsters?”

“ARE WE TALKING ABOUT MAGIC! GOOD! LET ME HEAR MORE ABOUT IT!”

Seeing Gramp suddenly turned to look at me, I let out a sigh.

Is it because he really doesn’t care about anything besides magic? He only shows that much interest when we are talking about it after all.

For him to prioritize a topic about magic before his disciple as well as his great-grandson’s serious consultation. This person might really be crazy as they say.

“Recently there has been an increase in the number of monsters in the empire. Among them, there are some that are powerful rare monsters. I have been thinking if someone is manipulating them from behind the scenes.”

“Fumu..….if it is just several monsters then there is a magic that can be used to command them but such a magic that can command that amount of monsters doesn’t exist.”

“Is that so…..so I was just overthinking it huh.”

I thought that if it is magic related then it might be the second princess, Zandra’s doing but if Gramp said that such a magic doesn’t exist then that must be the case.

If that is the case then the monster appearances are just a coincidence huh.

“Well, there’s no such magic but if it is a magic tool then there is one.”

“Magic tool?”

“It’s an ancient magic tool. It plays the tune that monsters like and it can be used to lure out monsters. Depending on the user’s magic power, you can lure out quite a lot of them too.”

“Such a thing really exist?”

“According to the book it is. I think it was a flute called “Hameln”. If a person with a lot of magic power used it, that person could make the monsters appear all over the empire.”

The people of old sure developed both useful and troublesome things huh.

In the era that magic was more developed than this one, the magic tools would also be much more superior to ours. Such magic tools have been excavated from the ruins and have been made into national treasures in various countries but there are also those that suddenly appeared as well.

“So there is something like that……Actually, the Knight’s Hunting festival will be held soon. The one that each of the imperial family members leads the knights.”

“Hou? The current generation Emperor sure did something interesting huh. What’s the reward?”

“It’s the ambassador plenipotentiary position. Because of our circumstances, we can’t afford to lose here either. But if the opponent has that flute in their hand then there’s no chance for us to win…..”

“That’s true. They can summon the monsters anywhere they like after all. If they don’t recklessly use it then their victory is but guaranteed. But, if it’s me I would never choose such a stupid method.”

Gramp declared so.

I also agree with his words. I would not do such a stupid thing like that either.

At first glance, it would look like a good idea but in fact, it will only provide you with an immediate profit.

If any of the three of my elder siblings are using that magic tool, I would, of course, join hands with the other two. Even if it is a succession war if you do something that would disadvantage the empire you wouldn’t be able to escape from your sin. If they keep persisting on doing such a thing, undoubtedly it would greatly damage their power base.

I don’t think that those three would risk doing that. In other words.

“The person who is moving behind the scenes is not the main contender of this succession war huh.”

“That’s right. Regardless of whether that person is connected to the main contender or not, for that person to lure the monsters into the empire and put the country in harm’s way, that person wouldn’t be satisfied with just the position of ambassador plenipotentiary.”

“….Another troublesome thing has appeared huh.”

I can’t just look at it from the surface, I have to look at the bottom of it too.

It isn’t a simple problem of winning or losing the festival anymore. If I don’t find out the person behind those monsters, this Knight’s Hunting festival will not just be a battle for the ambassador plenipotentiary seat alone.

“Is there any way to obstruct the effect of that Hameln?”

“You can only break it. As long as there’s a sound that only monsters can hear, obstructing its effect would be difficult.”

“So I can only focus on the Knight’s Hunting festival huh.”

“That’s right. But it is the same for their side as well. They judged that they can’t use the flute at the festival, In other words, they have to use it before the festival begins. There is definitely something going on behind this festival. Be careful.”

I received that advice and left the room.

———–

On my way back to the room.

I sensed a presence behind me. I was about to turn to face this unknown presence when the man shouted toward me.

“Freeze.”

“…..You know that I am Arnold Lakes Adler right?”

“Of course.”

Saying so the man pulls out a knife.

To think that they would move this fast.

“I won’t kill you but I will have you sleep for a while.”

“I can’t really just say yes to that though.”

I slowly turn around.

During the moment that I was full of openings, the man did not move.

After I turned around, what I found is a man dressed in back. A typical assassin look. But since he said that he won’t kill me,

“Wh, What did you do…..!?”

“I stopped your movement with a barrier. Calling out and say that you won’t kill me really bite you back isn’t it.”

There is no doubt that he is a skilled assassin.

He was able to infiltrate the castle with such heavy security after all. But even such a skilled assassin couldn’t guarantee that he can inflict a wound that would make the target out of commission without endangering the target’s life.

That’s why he called out to stop me. And that gave me the time to construct this barrier.

Well, even if he didn’t do that, I always have a detection barrier deployed around me anyway. There’s no way that anyone could approach me without me noticing. 

It would be a suicide to go out in the middle of the night without caution after all.

“Tsk….! You are not just an incompetent prince huh!?”

“Well, calm down and just answer my questions. When you infiltrated the castle you have someone to guide you right? Who is that?”

“Fuh! I will not talk! If I say the name of my client I die!”

“So you don’t deny it. Okay, I get the gist of it.”

“! ?”

Only those three can interfere with the castle’s security.

If someone other than that wants to guide an assassin into the castle then it would take a lot of preparation. That is unthinkable. After all, the reason someone would target me would be because of Elna.

“To sent assassins to attack me to prevent Elna from taking part in the Knight’s Hunting festival, that is quite underhanded huh. It is only natural for me to prepare for that.”

“Fu…that’s the same on our side! Get him!”

At the same time, someone appeared behind me without showing his presence.

The man that appeared there was Sebas.

“It seems they are acting in a group of four. I’ve already put the other three out of commission, Arnold-sama.”

“Good work, Sebas.”

“Wh, at…..?”

“Do you really think that I would let Arnold-sama walk alone in the middle of the night? You seem to be looking down on us huh.”

“Kuh…..!”

“Now….spit it out. Who are you working for?”

I erect a soundproof barrier and start casting an illusion spell, it is a spell that shows you the thing that you are most terrified of. I can’t see what he is seeing but the image should be vivid for him.

Surprisingly, I got to know the name of his client with just that.

“HII ! ! ? ? F, FORGIVE ME! ? PLEASE FOR GIVE MEEE! ! ! ! ZANDRA-SAMAAA! ! ! ! I, I DIDN’T TALK ! I DIDN’T SAY A WORD ! !”

“Hee….so you are an assassin of Zandra’s apprentice huh. Seem like you underwent some tough training, aren’t you.”

“To bind her subordinates with fear, it really seems like what that person would do. What shall we do with them?”

“Even if we get rid of them, we can’t do any damage to Zandra. But if we kill them the clean up would be troublesome. Just find some suitable place to put them in, we might have a use for them later after all.”

“As you wish.”

I took a sidelong glance at the man who is still seeing the illusion of Zandra and turn away from him.

For her to send an assassin at this timing, it would mean that Zandra has nothing to do with the monster appearances. She was trying to get rid of me because she was aiming for the seat of the ambassador plenipotentiary at the Knight’s Hunting festival. If she willing to go this far, she shouldn’t be the one who is behind the monster appearances.

“Now, I wonder who did it.”

Leaving behind that word, I returned to my room.