Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 195: “Alchemist Thor and Crown Prince Diaz Confront Each Other”
I was to go to Noza Town with Agnis.
To meet the Imperial Crown Prince, Prince Diaz.
He was currently staying with Sophia, together with Nona-san, Archduke Kharon’s adjutant.
Since it would cause an uproar if his identity were exposed, it seemed he had traveled with his face hidden under a hood.
They had come to Noza Town rather than the imperial capital because Archduke Kharon had said, “Rely on the alchemist in the Demon Lord’s Domain,” and because Noza Town was closer, Sophia told me.
The Crown Prince and the Archduke being attacked within the Empire was, under normal circumstances, unthinkable.
And the idea that the former Sword Saint, the Archduke himself, couldn’t repel them and would turn to me for help should also have been impossible.
In any case, this was an extraordinary situation.
We needed to confirm the circumstances and devise a countermeasure.
That’s why I was to take Agnis with me to meet Crown Prince Diaz.
“Thank you for coming, Master Alchemist. Agnis-sama.”
Captain Isaac was the one who greeted us at the lodge.
His expression was tense. I understood how he felt.
If the Crown Prince suddenly came to visit a town in the border region, of course you’d be startled.
The Omawarisan Unit was on edge as well.
They were putting in more effort than usual, shouting, “The guards will protect the town!”
The townspeople also seemed to sense that the atmosphere was different from normal.
“Their Highnesses are waiting. Please head upstairs.”
“Before that, may I get myself properly prepared?”
I said this.
“After all… we’re meeting the Crown Prince of the Empire—no, someone I’m meeting for the first time—so I don’t want to be rude.”
“Y-Yes… quite right. In that case, I’ll prepare a room for you.”
“Thank you.”
And so, Agnis and I entered a vacant room.
Then—
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“Then I’ll take the item out of the Miniature Simple Storage.”
“Y-Yes.”
“Please go ahead and change… wait, um, Agnis-sama?”
“T-Thor Canaan-sama! I’d rather you not look so much.”
“Well, I just… didn’t expect you to be dressed like that, so…”
“I-It’s embarrassing.”
“Um… Agnis-sama.”
“Yes?”
“You don’t have to undress that much to wear this, you know.”
“Huh?”
“Your ignition ability can be controlled with the Health-Boosting Pendant, so, well… you can wear ordinary clothes underneath this—”
“────!?”
And like that—
Agnis and I finished getting ourselves ready.
────────────────────
—Meanwhile, in the upstairs room—
“How’s your condition, Brother Diaz?”
Sophia asked her seated brother.
This was the drawing room of Sophia’s mansion.
Sophia and Diaz were seated in chairs, waiting for Thor and the others to arrive.
Nona, the Archduke’s adjutant, was also present.
She was there in the role of Diaz’s guard—
Because Archduke Kharon had strictly ordered her: “Protect His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Since coming to this room, she hadn’t spoken a single word.
She was likely devoting herself entirely to her role as bodyguard.
Even so, Sophia could tell that Nona was worried about Archduke Kharon.
Her face had been pale the entire time, and from time to time she would grip her arm as if to suppress her body’s trembling.
It was clear she was restraining herself from rushing to the Archduke’s side.
Sophia also wished she could grant Nona’s desire if possible.
But right now, it was impossible.
The incident that had occurred in the Imperial Family’s Hunting Grounds was clearly abnormal.
The only ones who had seen the scene were Diaz and Nona.
The two of them needed to explain the situation to Thor Canaan.
(…But I never would have imagined that Brother Ricardo and Daphne would attack the Archduke.)
She had only recently met Ricardo face to face.
At that time, Sophia had handed him the box.
In exchange, she had requested to become the lord of the border region and to govern this land for life.
That should have been the end of the matter.
Prince Ricardo had used reckless means to obtain the box.
He had even sent subordinates to infiltrate the border Trading Post and Sophia’s lodgings.
She had wanted him gone as quickly as possible.
That was why she had handed him the box.
And yet—
(If it was going to come to this, perhaps I should have spoken with him more.)
Sophia let out a sigh.
“…A sense of defeat, is it?”
Diaz suddenly muttered quietly.
“How troublesome. Even if I try to ignore it, it keeps clinging to me.”
“Did you say something, Brother Diaz?”
“You’ve heard it too, haven’t you? The story about me being defeated by Archduke Kharon.”
“Only as a rumor.”
“Ah. That’s enough. I, Diaz, was defeated by Archduke Kharon.”
Diaz leaned his body back against the chair and looked up at the ceiling.
“I went to face him, determined to win. And I lost miserably. Against Archduke Kharon, who couldn’t use one arm, I fought with twin swords. I thought that if I disabled his arm, I could win. Such a shallow idea.”
“…I don’t think it was shallow.”
“But I lost to Archduke Kharon when he used both arms.”
The crown prince Diaz didn’t hear Sophia’s words. He continued as if talking to himself.
“Feeling it would be a disgrace to the next emperor, I repeatedly requested a rematch. Finally, I gained the opportunity during this hunt. He said that if I caught more prey, he would accept a rematch… but in the end, I was defeated by the Archduke once again.”
“You didn’t have a rematch, did you?”
“I was saved by him and ran away in shame. If that’s not defeat, then what is!?”
Crown Prince Diaz shouted. Holding his head, he said:
“I could do nothing! I couldn’t even understand the situation, couldn’t cut down the imperial soldiers, and only stood there in shock! If the Archduke hadn’t made an escape route for me, I would have been captured as well.”
“The Archduke let you escape so you could bring the information to everyone, Brother Diaz.”
Sophia met Diaz’s gaze as she replied.
“So that you could tell us what happened at the hunting grounds.”
“But what am I supposed to do with this sense of defeat? I have once again lost to the Archduke. I’m here because the very person I should surpass saved me. That—”
“Prince Diaz! Please calm yourself!”
Suddenly, Nona shouted.
“Your leg is bleeding. It’s the wound Prince Ricardo inflicted…”
“…Ah… ahh.”
As if only now noticing the pain, Diaz grimaced. Bandages were wrapped around both his legs.
He had been cut by Ricardo while fleeing.
That too must have been a shock to Diaz. He had never imagined his younger brother would raise a blade against him—much less strike from behind.
“…Ricardo must be given a proper punishment.”
Diaz ground his teeth as he said this.
“But I don’t care about him. I want to defeat Archduke Kharon. For that, he must remain safe. No matter what happens, no matter what sacrifices must be made, the Archduke will be rescued! Isn’t that right, Nona?”
“Your Highness…”
“Has that so-called alchemist from the Demon Lord’s Domain still not arrived?”
Diaz turned his gaze toward the reception room door.
“It’s today, isn’t it? How insolent, to keep the imperial prince and princess waiting—”
“That person is a high official of the Demon Lord’s Domain.”
Sophia’s sharp gaze pierced Diaz.
“We can’t command a high official of another country at our convenience. Besides, we’re the ones who requested this meeting. To complain about it would be far more discourteous, wouldn’t it?”
“But that person is a former imperial noble—”
“It doesn’t matter. I, Sophia, won’t allow that person to be insulted. Not even by the crown prince. Don’t forget that.”
“…Ah… ahh.”
Overwhelmed by Sophia’s presence, Diaz faltered. He couldn’t hide his confusion at seeing his younger sister again after so long.
The Sophia he knew had been frail, never leaving the detached palace, a forgotten princess. Some even called her the ‘Useless Princess.’
But now, she was like a different person—healthy, standing tall, and matching Diaz in conversation without backing down.
It was probably because she was this kind of person that Archduke Kharon deemed her reliable.
“—Pardon me, Your Highnesses.”
From beyond the door came the voice of Captain Isaac.
“The guests from the Demon Lord’s Domain have arrived. Shall I show them in?”
“Thor Canaan-sama and Agnis Freizad-sama, correct?”
“Yes… however…”
Isaac seemed hesitant.
“Agnis-sama appears to be dressed differently than usual. How should we proceed?”
“It’s fine. Show them in.”
“…Yes.”
With a clatter, the door opened.
Standing there was the young alchemist Thor Canaan—and Agnis Freizad, clad in deep-crimson armor.
──Thor’s point of view──
“Welcome, Thor Canaan-sama, Agnis-sama.”
“Thank you for your invitation.”
“My apologies for intruding.”
I stepped into the reception room. Behind me, Agnis was dressed in armor.
It wasn’t the Fire-Resistant Armor. This was something General Raisenga had newly made for her.
A metal breastplate with a deep-crimson cloak. Knee guards decorated with flame motifs. At her chest, the Health-Boosting Pendant gleamed.
This was the formal attire of the Freizad family.
“I apologize for troubling you during your busy time.”
Sophia remained entirely unfazed. But Crown Prince Diaz looked slightly overpowered and asked:
“That lady… is the daughter of Flame General Raisenga?”
“I’m Agnis Freizad. Hearing that the imperial crown prince was present, I came in the formal attire of a retainer of the Flame Giant. I look forward to making your acquaintance.”
Agnis spoke in a tone reminiscent of General Raisenga.
Since Agnis wasn’t wearing a helmet at the moment, I could clearly see her expression.
Her eyebrows were raised, and she looked a little angry.
Agnis was doing her best.
Before we came here, she had practiced many times so she could speak like General Raisenga.
Crown Prince Diaz is an important figure in the Empire.
He’s also someone at the very core of a nation that places the utmost value on “strength.”
That’s why I had Agnis accompany me—as a counterbalancing authority.
Of course, getting changed had been a whole ordeal.
Agnis had a habit of wearing nothing underneath when she put on her Fire-Resistant Armor, so… well, let us not recall that right now.
This is a negotiation setting, after all.
“Alchemist Thor Canaan—no, Thor Canaan-sama, I have a question for you.”
Crown Prince Diaz looked at me.
“The renowned daughter of Flame General Raisenga is serving as your guard?”
“That’s right. Agnis-sama also has ties to Archduke Kharon.”
“With the Archduke?”
“When he visited the borderlands, Agnis-sama sparred with him. Because of that, she too is concerned for Archduke Kharon’s safety.”
“────!?”
Crown Prince Diaz widened his eyes.
“She sparred with Archduke Kharon? What was the outcome?”
“I think that’s irrelevant at the moment.”
“…Mm, very well.”
“I’ve heard that an abnormal situation has arisen within the Empire. That’s why you summoned me, correct, Princess Sophia?”
“That’s correct.”
Sitting across from me, Sophia nodded.
“Could you tell me the details?”
“…Understood. Then, I shall—”
“No, Nona. You should remain silent. I’ll speak.”
Crown Prince Diaz raised his hand, stopping Nona-san as she began to speak.
Behind him, Nona-san looked pale as a sheet.
She must be terribly worried about Kharon.
“First, let me say this: the Archduke saved me. He told me, ‘Seek help from the Alchemist of the Demon Lord’s Domain.’ I’ll honor that wish—purely for the Archduke’s sake.”
“I understand.”
“And I know of you, Alchemist Thor Canaan.”
Crown Prince Diaz looked straight at me.
I met his gaze.
It was… a strange feeling.
Until a few months ago, I was also in the Imperial Capital.
I had seen the imperial family before.
Every New Year, the Emperor and Crown Prince would appear on the palace balcony.
It was tradition for the imperial family to address the people gathered in the plaza with New Year’s greetings.
I had gone to see it myself before.
At that time, the imperial family radiated immense authority and pressure.
But now… I felt nothing in particular.
The Crown Prince of the Empire was in front of me, looking at me. That was all.
Had I changed?
Or had the Crown Prince always been like this?
“In that case, as the Archduke wishes, I’ll tell you everything.”
Keeping his gaze firmly fixed on me, Crown Prince Diaz began to speak.
“It was as if the soldiers had become a single living creature.”
The first to notice something was wrong had been Archduke Kharon.
He had sensed gazes coming from every direction.
It felt as though a large crowd of people were all watching him at once.
What’s more, Prince Ricardo, who was also there, had acted strangely.
The moment a target emerged from the forest, he shot it through with an arrow.
Neither Kharon nor Diaz had even noticed the prey’s presence yet.
On top of that, Prince Ricardo loosed arrows with such force that his hands bled.
He didn’t seem to feel any pain.
Sensing something ominous, Archduke Kharon headed toward the forest.
There should have been soldiers from the Archduke’s domain and from the Crown Prince’s forces there to drive out the prey.
Kharon intended to gather them and withdraw from the hunting grounds.
However, there he found Princess Daphne and Ricardo’s soldiers.
Princess Daphne was apparently another of Sophia’s younger sisters.
She commanded the soldiers to seize Diaz and Kharon.
The soldiers’ movements were strange.
Princess Daphne hadn’t given any orders.
And yet, the soldiers coordinated perfectly to restrain the Archduke’s men and Diaz’s subordinates.
“…It was an unbelievable sight. Skilled soldiers were neutralized one after another,” said Crown Prince Diaz.
He described it as being like a nightmare.
“A soldier’s hand would come at you from the right. The moment you tried to brush it away, someone would pin you from the other side. Try to chant a spell, and your mouth would be covered. It wasn’t mere coordination—it was as if a dozen enemy soldiers had become one single organism.”
“Even so, the Archduke resisted. But…”
Unable to hold back, Nona interjected.
She looked at Crown Prince Diaz for permission. Diaz nodded.
“…But they were Imperial soldiers. He couldn’t simply cut them down without question.”
Nona continued speaking.
Archduke Kharon was the strongest in the Empire.
Precisely because of that, he was reluctant to strike down the soldiers.
He tried to incapacitate them without killing, Nona said.
“The Archduke had a technique called ‘Heroic Sword Flash.’ By imbuing his sword with magic power, he could create a massive shockwave. If he kept the scabbard on, it wouldn’t be lethal. But—”
“They avoided it,” Crown Prince Diaz said bitterly.
“It was as if they knew the Archduke was about to use his technique.”
Archduke Kharon would put his hand on his sword. Power his arm. Take a step forward. Hesitate a moment on whether to unsheath it, and in the end, swing it still sheathed. Imbue it with magic power—
According to Crown Prince Diaz, the soldiers all seemed to register those movements.
“Some of them raised shields and took the ‘Heroic Sword Flash’ head-on. Those behind split to the sides, avoiding the weakened shockwave. In the brief opening after the technique, they leapt at the Archduke.”
The Archduke struck several down and unleashed another shockwave.
They avoided it the same way. But this time, it had been the Archduke’s trap.
He had used the large technique to draw the enemy’s focus to himself.
Immediately, the Archduke ordered his adjutant, Nona, to take Diaz and escape.
‘Seek out the Alchemist of the Demon Lord’s Domain and borrow his strength’—he told her.
Diaz refused.
He believed that if they cooperated with the other soldiers, they could break through the encirclement.
However, his men had already ceased moving.
It was the effect of the strange board Ricardo carried.
On the board, a strange picture was displayed.
It looked like a person was doing some kind of exercise.
Ricardo was showing it to Diaz’s subordinates and the Archduke’s men.
From behind, he would grab their arms and legs, making them move in the same way as the figure in the picture.
It seemed to be some sort of magic power manipulation.
Before long, Diaz and the Archduke’s men stopped resisting.
They simply froze in place, motionless and stunned.
Once again, the Archduke Kharon’s voice rang out, telling them to “Run!”
The next moment, Ricardo lunged forward and swung his sword at Diaz.
That it ended with only a leg injury was thanks to Nona.
Nona, on horseback, had pulled Diaz up into the saddle.
She was riding Archduke Kharon’s horse, which was strong and swift.
Just like that, she escaped the forest.
And so, the two of them arrived in Noza Town.
“I have a question for Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
After hearing the story, I took a piece of parchment from my breast pocket.
“Was the ‘strange board’ Prince Ricardo carried something like this?”
The parchment bore a drawing of the Mind-Responsive Justice Smartphone.
The “Mail-Order Catalog” didn’t list smartphones.
But it did list smartphone cases, which were roughly the same shape.
That meant the Cursed Smartphone and the Mind-Responsive Justice Smartphone might have the same shape.
“…Where did you get this…?”
As I expected, Crown Prince Diaz’s eyes opened wide in surprise.
“So it’s the same shape, right?”
“How do you know about this!? Don’t tell me—you’re the same as Ricardo!?”
“Please calm down, Brother Diaz.”
It was Sophia who stopped Diaz from standing up.
“As Nona mentioned, Ricardo and the others had a mark on their wrists like a chain. Thor Canaan-sama has no such mark on his hands.”
“…Then why do you know about this item!?”
“I can tell you. But first, you must promise me one thing.”
I locked eyes with Crown Prince Diaz and spoke.
Rukie had said there was no problem in telling the Empire about the Cursed Smartphone.
In fact, Sophia should have already sent a letter to Princess Liana, warning her not to touch such a dangerous thing.
There was no way Princess Liana would ignore a letter from Sophia.
If she had read it, she would have followed the instructions. If the Princess of the Holy Sword told the capital, “There’s something this dangerous,” they couldn’t ignore her. Some information should already have reached them.
If that hadn’t happened, then Princess Liana was probably not in the capital right now.
The letter might even be held back there.
“Will you promise me? That you’ll destroy the item Prince Ricardo holds.”
“…What?”
“From Your Highness’s story, I understand now. The item Prince Ricardo carries turns people into an army—or rather, it turns people not into individuals, but into a collective. I believe it grants bodily enhancement and sensory synchronization.”
There was no doubt the item Ricardo had was the Cursed Smartphone.
And the Army Art it must contain was probably already active.
It had already taken in Prince Ricardo, Princess Daphne, and the soldiers.
Perhaps even Archduke Kharon.
Army Art was created to counter Hard Creatures.
If that was the case… those affected might summon Hard Creatures to test their own strength.
But from what Diaz and Nona said, those under the Army Art lost their reason.
Otherwise, they would never have attacked the Crown Prince or the Archduke.
If such people started summoning, they could call forth Hard Creatures anywhere, spreading destruction.
We needed to deal with it as soon as possible.
“This time, Agnis-sama and I’ve come as envoys of the Demon Lord’s Domain.”
That’s why both Agnis and I were in formal attire.
We’d been entrusted with a certain level of authority from Demon Lord Rukie.
To negotiate with the Crown Prince of the Empire on equal footing.
“I ask you, Crown Prince Diaz—are you willing to cooperate with the Demon Lord’s Domain as equals to resolve this incident?”
“—What!?”
“The technique Prince Ricardo uses is dangerous. Humans, demi-humans, and demons alike must work together to deal with it. Rank doesn’t matter. We don’t have the luxury to waste time on prejudice.”
“…Ugh.”
“We must act immediately. Waiting for confirmation from the capital will be too late. And we need both Your Highness, who has seen the situation firsthand, and Nona’s strength.”
I took a deep breath and continued.
“I’ll ask again—Crown Prince Diaz, can you work with the Demon Lord’s Domain as equals?”
Behind me stood Agnis in armor, bearing the authority of “General Raisenga’s representative.”
In front of me, Sophia’s face was serious.
She was also here as a witness—ready to testify to whatever Crown Prince Diaz said.
Behind Diaz, Nona wore a tense expression.
She knew the power of the Demon Lord’s Domain.
She must have thought the outcome of this negotiation would decide Archduke Kharon’s fate.
And Crown Prince Diaz glared straight at me.
He was a man at the heart of the Empire.
And its next Emperor.
He must have understood the weight of the words he was about to speak.
Still, he said nothing.
He kept his gaze on Agnis and me, deep in thought.
So I waited—waited for Crown Prince Diaz’s answer.
Whether we would fight together, or each deal with the Cursed Smartphone on our own.
That conclusion… was what I awaited.