Volume 3: Academy

Chapter 20: A Certain Heroes Meeting II

"Oh my, he really beat it~!?"

　One of the Seven Heroes, the saintess of Salvation, Celie, uttered in a surprised voice, totally unexpected from someone who holds the second position after the Pope in the Church. {TN: Changed her name from “Serie” to “Celie”}

　--A dim conference room somewhere in the world.

　The meeting of heroes continued to hold secretly there, and the state of the deepest part of the Labyrinth, Sky Mountain, was projected as a hologram on the round table.

　And earlier, they saw it.

　The figure of Brad completely dominating the cyclops who had monstrous power with overwhelming strength and even surviving after receiving the desperate self-destruction spell.
　Many of the participants at the meeting were initially not interested and partly started watching only because of Glace’s forceful recommendation, but now they were all glued to the hologram image and exclaiming in astonishment.

"I can't believe it… He's not the same person he was during the battle with his brother Prince Alberto. I can't believe he's reached this level in just over a month.”

"I told you, he's a monster ☆"

The “Great Sage " Merlin said, still in disbelief, while "Demon Slayer" Glace replied proudly as if he were the one being praised.

"He’s not just a monster … This prince, Brad, was just a month ago more or less like those beastmen. He was just giant food. And yet today, He didn’t just defeat the giant, he overwhelmed him with ease. Can a person grow so quickly? "

"I suppose they can, cause he did. To be honest, he used to be the picture of incompetence, but from the looks of it, maybe his incompetence was just an act.”

　Glacé shrugged as seeing brad's potential made him strangely pleased.

"But this kind of rapid growth is different. It's a clear departure from the usual. Is it a contract with the devil … or is the guy himself like a devil or god? Otherwise, I won't be convinced. "
"Devil or God …?"

　”Maybe that's the case ☆” said Glace having fun.

　On the other hand, Merlin puts a hand on his chin with a thoughtful look and looks again at Brad in the hologram.

"Well….. I kind of understand why you wanted me to see this, and why you took him as your apprentice. But don't raise your hopes too high, or you'll ruin yourself."

"…?"

　Glace shakes his head.

"Your disciple is certainly extremely irregular. I've lived for hundreds of years, but I've never seen such a foreign existence. He’ll probably have a great impact on this world. But if you're expecting him to bring a chance to save that person, I'd say you're being short-sighted. "

　Merlin tells him strictly, and Glace keeps silent without changing his expression.

　It looked like he would ignore it as usual, however,

"I'm just … I'm just curious about his potential. How far can he go?"

　”Besides, Brad-kun is messy and cute, isn't he☆" he continued in his usual light-hearted way. But Glace himself didn't realize that taking Merlin's question seriously in the first place is different from what he usually does.

"…If it's just that, it's fine."

　Clearly aware of his unusual attitude, Merlin briefly said that and didn’t say anything further.

　The place was filled with a heavy silence.

　The content of the conversation was not something that could be touched lightly by anyone present, and no one dared to touch it.

　Each of the heroes kept silent as if to think and the silence continued until Merlin said, "Anyway …".

"Having that strength at such a young age, the "Giant slayer" prince, no matter how you look at it, there’s no doubt that he will greatly affect the power map of the continent. I'm also worried about the fact that he gained the trust of the Cat People. The area around the Cat tribe’s village is full of valuable minerals and resources. It would be nothing short of astonishing if they were to follow Pistel who already have a powerful force, the Magic Knights.”

"Oh my, I think it's going to be a lot of fun in the future ~ ♡"

　Merlin lets out a frustrated voice when he hears Celie's words of amusement, as if she were a young lady looking forward to an evening party at the royal palace.

"What fun!? When problems are already piled up and we’re in an overcapacity situation … We can’t afford to have anymore problems."

　It's cause you guys keep slacking!　And suddenly, Merlin's sermon time begins.

　This sermon time is always long.

　Since everyone knew this, they immediately entered thinking time as if it didn’t involve them. This was the way they had learned to deal with Merlin’s long sermons in the course of their relationship until he calmed down.
　However, this sermon was too long.
　Glace finally couldn’t take it anymore and stands up with a big yawn.

"… Can I go now?"
"What do you mean? Of course not!"
"But your story is boring. It's like the greeting from an incompetent king before the party ☆"
"Na!?…… what did you say!!!!"

　Merlin was almost indignant, but managed to regain his composure when Celie calmed him down with her usual, "Ma, ma ~ ♡". {TN: Basically calm down}

"……There are still many things to discuss, such as the impact your disciple will have on the world, and speaking of irregularities, the prophet is also a concern.”

"Oh, I know him! "Almighty Prophet Perfect scorer" Isn't that what he was called?" (Celie)

　―― “Almighty Prophet Perfect scorer".

　His prophecy accuracy rate is an astounding 100%. He’s the man of the hour who is rumored to always get his prophecies right. A man of many mysteries whose name has suddenly begun to be heard.

　It's unclear what kind of power the prophecy is based on, but it's amazing that it always hits. If that power is abused, it could redraw the continent's power map just as much as Brad. They had to talk about countermeasures for that as well.

　But Glace said--

"I see, but I have plans ☆"

　”See you!” Without waiting for a reply, he tries to leave the conference room immediately.

"Well, wait a minute! What's more important than this meeting !?"
"Hmm, I'm going to watch Brad-kun at the sword dance festival ☆"

　When Merlin forcibly stopped him from moving with a spell, Glace looked back and said without hesitation.

"Sword dance festival … I see, it's a tournament in the noble children's academy. And this Brad and others will also participate."

　”I thought that would be the case”, Merlin said with a deep sigh in his eyes.

"Eh~, Glace-chan is sly! I want to see it too! I've become a fan of Bra-chan because he's so cool ♡ Hey, why don’t we go see it Marin-chan～!?"
"Why me! I'm busy with research. If you want to go, go with Glace on your own. And I’ll say it again, my name is Merlin-ja!"

　Celie makes a dissatisfied voice.

"But if we don't have Marin-chan, we'll get tired just by going～! Only Marin-chan can take us in an instant with magic, right～?"
"… Are you mistaking me for a convenient carriage? And not Merlin, Marin … Oh, no, it was the other way around."

Hah, this is too much trouble! Merlin scratches his head.

"If you want to go with someone anyway, take Cascade. Cascade’s kid is studying abroad at Pistel right. Maybe he'll be at the sword dance festival?"
"Eh, is that so ~? I'm sure he’s like Kasu-chan and he’s really strong right~? It'll be fun to play against Bra-chan ~!"
"Oh, that's something I definitely want to see ☆"

　Glace says with shining eyes.

"… I mean, Marin-chan is so small, but you really know everything right~? You’re such a good boy ♡.”
"Urusai (shut up)! being little has nothing to do with it!"

　Besides, I'm hundreds of years older than you, have a little respect! Ignoring the dissatisfied Merlin, Celie turns to a man who was silent throughout the meeting.

"Kasu-chan, why don't we go? You want to see your child's sunny appearance right~?"
"Not interested"

　Celie leans forward and invites him, but the man's answer was frosty.

"Kasu-chan you’re being like that again ~ ♡ You’ve always been like this ~! Shouldn’t you care more~?"
"In the first place, I’m the ruler of a country. I don't cross the threshold of other countries as lightly as you do."

　The name of the man who said that to her was Cascade.
He was the current emperor of Dastria, the “gray Empire” whose territory was in the barren land closest to the Deltola Peninsula, which is infested with evil beings.

　　He is known as the "Berserk Emperor" because of his insane charisma and his ability to forcefully unite the evil subhumans, fierce barbarians, and the natives known as the "Gray People" and reign over them as emperor.

"… Well, that's right. There are still a lot of disturbing issues in Dastria. In addition to the response, there’s also a crack in the relationship between you and Ernade, so you won’t even have time to sleep. And with regard to Ernade, there’s also that disturbing prophecy from the Prophet.”
"I don't blindly believe in prophecy, but it's true that there was discord between our country and Ernade. We need to take immediate action. There’s no time to spend idly."

　　The political situation in Dastria is still unstable, as the entire region has only just been pacified. It’s true that the emperor can't afford to go on an outing.

　Celie seems to understand that, and shrugs as if she can't help it.

"I don't think anybody else wants to go … I wonder if just Marin-chan, Glace-chan, and I will go together?"
"Don't add me without permission! What kind of punishment game is this!"
"Eeh … you’re not coming?"

　Celie says in an extremely sad voice.
　Merlin, who is vulnerable to such mental attacks, groaned.

"It's no use being sad, I'm not going."
"Uu … I'm crying"

　Merlin turned away with a pout, but when Celia went into serious crying attack mode with a runny nose, his fall was quick.

"… Alright alright, I’ll go!"
"Hurray! Marin-chan, I love you ♡"

　When Merlin sighs as if he has given up, Celie turns from sobbing to a happy voice immediately.

　Merlin was too easy.

"Don’t … don't get me wrong. I need to personally check Brad’s value someday. This just makes it quicker. And if I take you guys, the travel time will be instant, we can continue the meeting. "
"Marin-chan Tsundere ~ ♡"

　Ignoring Celie’s teasing, Merlin calls out to Glace, who is still standing, "Since that’s settled let's resume the discussion."

　Glace shrugged and returned to his seat, seemingly annoyed.

"… Okay, first we have to talk about the remnants of the Demon King army. They may change their policy with the cyclops’ subjugation."

　The heroes returned to their usual meeting as if nothing had happened.

　thus--

　An unprecedented decision was made that three heroes, Glace, Celie, and Merlin, three of the "Seven Heroes," mankind's strongest warriors who maintain the balance of power in each country, will visit the Kingdom of Pistel without the knowledge of Brad himself.

Chapter 21:  Prince Kurobuta Tames the monsters

Enemy monsters appear in many RPGs.

Compared to the characters on the protagonist side, the number of enemy characters is huge, and there are a large variety of them, ranging from powerful ones to cute mascot-like ones.

Wouldn't it make the game even more interesting if you could turn those enemies into allies?

With this in mind, the creators of "Final Quest" implemented a "Taming System" that allows you to make monsters your allies and fight alongside them.

If you had obtained a rare item called the "Monster Tamer's Ring" and used a specific item to increase your affinity during battle to a certain level, there was a high chance that the monster would join you after the battle. It’s a system that allows you to tame monsters.　

Once a monster has become your ally, it can be added to your party and fight in the same way as your usual allies. This system was so popular that players often valued monsters more than the original companions, as they could be strengthened through leveling.

There were also monsters that evolved according to their level, and the fun of leveling them surpassed that of the original characters.

After regaining his memory, Brad used his power and wealth to obtain the "Monster tamer's Ring" and waited for the right moment to tame a monster.

Finally, today...

"......"

Unexpectedly, he succeeded in taming one.

It was in a forest on the outskirts of the cat people village.

Before Brad, there was a large number of monsters.

There must have been close to a hundred of them. There were goblins, kobolds, ogres, trolls, lizardmen, and many other races.

But even with that many monsters in front of him, Brad was unfazed.

It's no surprise.

No hostility was shown towards him, but rather looks of affection and respect were on their faces, and they were all kneeling on the ground as if to show loyalty to their lord.

This pack of monsters was the one Brad had succeeded in taming today.

One undead lord stepped out of the pack and spoke on behalf of the monsters.

"Thanks to you, Lord Brad. We have been freed from the Cyclops' control. We will repay this debt one day."

The 100 monsters in the crowd then bowed deeply to me.

In fact, they were the same monsters that had been dispatched to the village by the Cyclops. I told the Cyclops that I had taken care of them, but in fact, I only destroyed their communication tools and persuaded them to stay in the forest.

This is because many of them were native monsters that lived in Sky Mountain before the Cyclops appeared and were only forced to follow him.

As the undead lord said, when Brad defeated him, they were set free. And then, using the increased favor that he gained as a result of freeing them from the Cyclops, he tamed them all with the power of the monster tamer's Ring.

It is said that they were originally living in seclusion, separated from humans, but this is an insurance policy to ensure they wouldn’t cause trouble.

As a result, they began to treat me as if I were their king, which honestly bothered me, but I had no problem with them swearing allegiance to me, so I decided to leave it alone.

Brad looked down at the monsters bowing before him and scratched his head as though the whole thing was a drag.

"You don't have to return the favor. The only thing I want from you is to keep the promise you made to me."

"Yes, you can count on me. With the knowledge and power that you have given me, I will definitely lead the monsters and ensure that they do not harm humans, but rather protect them."

Yes, that was the order that Brad had given them - the promise that he had them make.

And I have no doubt that they will do exactly what they promised.　

Thanks to the power of the "monster Tamer's Ring" in Brad's hand, there was now a "heart connection" between Brad and them. He could understand the feelings of the monsters. They are so loyal to him that they would never go back on their word.

(They're all around level 20 at the moment, but I've taught them at least how to level up, and they'll soon be strong enough to drive back the monster Lord's men if they come back. I hope this will bring peace to this area.)

As Brad was thinking deeply about this, the monsters all stood up at once.

"Then, we will be returning to Sky Mountain at once. If the humans see us here, it could lead to unnecessary disputes."

"Yes, please do, Lord."

When I called out the name I had given him during the taming, the undead lord seemed to be very moved and bowed his head in a grand gesture.

Soon after, he disappeared into the depths of the forest with the monsters in tow.

(......I've wasted a lot of time.)

Several days had already passed since the defeat of the giant.

Immediately after the defeat, Brad generously distributed expensive herbs and potions to heal all the injured members of the cat people. Being a cautious person, Brad had prepared an ample supply of items for consumption, as this was his first boss battle in this life. (I'm glad they came in handy.)　

It was a trivial expense for Brad, who had earned enough money from hunting orichalcum snakes to build a castle, but it was such a touching sight that the cat people thanked him with tears in their eyes.　

Well, from their point of view, the items Brad used were so valuable that they might use them only once in their lifetimes, and since he used them in large quantities, it was only natural for them to be grateful.

And it was probably because of their gratitude that after Brad escorted the cat people out of the dungeon, stayed for a few days to give treatment, and wanted to return to the kingdom of Pistel, Mina forcefully dragged him to a drinking party in their village, saying that sending him away like this would ruin the name of the cat people.

It reminded me of my previous life as an indecisive businessman, when I wanted to go home and play games, but couldn't ignore my colleagues' invitations and attended their drinking parties.

Anyway, he joined the drinking party, but since he wasn’t someone who drinks by nature and was used to the high-quality liquor at the royal palace, he got wasted by drinking a lot of cheap liquor and ended up staying in the village for the night.

My memory of the last part of the night is completely blurry, so I'm worried that I might have done something wrong. Mina and the other girls in the cat tribe were aggressively trying to seduce me, but I don't think anything wrong happened.

This is why I woke up this morning feeling embarrassed and not wanting to be seen off by many people and left the village while everyone else was asleep, talked to the tamed monsters, and now I'm here.

(I have to get back to Pistel as soon as possible.)

I spent a lot more time than I initially planned to.

I'm confident I'll be able to make it in time for the Sword Dance Festival, but I'm also pretty sure you had to register in advance to participate. I had to hurry.

My exclusive maid, Rosie has been nagging me, " You have to go to class soon desu!" It’s necessary for me to attend the academy. Even if you’re a member of the royal family, if you’re absent from school for a long time while faking illness and use force to graduate, people around will have a bad impression of you.

 I'll also need to attend the academy when I get back.

(Can we get along? ......)

During his voluntary absence, Brad has changed a lot from before. He was worried about whether he could get along with the noblemen's children who attended the academy.

(I guess it's nothing to worry about.)

They hadn't been getting along well to begin with.

It couldn't get any worse than before.

I blew my dragon whistle, and after a few moments, my beloved dragon, Gilgard, came flying.

It landed in front of Brad, shaking the trees and plants of the forest violently.

But when he was about to get on its back.

"...... are you leaving?"

He heard a girl's voice behind me.

When I turned, I saw Mina standing there. She was out of breath, I guess she must have run all the way here.

"I've wasted a lot of time already. I didn't plan to stay in the village this long. So I have to be go now."

 "Sou ka" (I see) Mina said sadly.

There was silence between the two of them for a while.

He had always been uncomfortable with this kind of goodbye, and Brad felt strangely awkward.

"...... See you later."

He said a few words and turned his back on Mina.

He was already far behind schedule, and was in a hurry. 

It was at the moment when I put my legs over Gilgard's body as if to escape the awkward situation, she pulled my arm forcibly from behind.

"......!"

The next thing he knew, Mina's face was right in front of his and she was kissing his cheek.

Brad is surprised but manages to remain calm without panicking.

In his previous life, kissing was something he was not familiar with, but in this life, it was an everyday act of greeting. Even though the other party was a cute girl with cat ears, this was probably just a farewell greeting, and not worthy of being upset about.

"Daisuki (I like you) ......."

I was supposed to act calm, but when Mina said that to me at close range with her face all red, I couldn't help but get flustered.

As Brad was taken aback by this sudden confession, Mina turned away in a hurry, perhaps embarrassed.

"I'm sorry for saying this out of the blue nya. I know as a prince of a country, you already have a fiancee. I don't want to be like this either, but for cat people, lying about our feelings is the same thing as betraying ourselves, so I just wanted you to know how I feel."

Mina said this in one breath and bit her lip.

You can tell from the expression on her face that her words were not a joke, but her true feelings spoken with a desperate desire.

"......"

Brad opened his mouth but fumbled for what to say.

As he digested Mina's words, he was reminded that she was not just a character in a game, but a living person.

When I think about it calmly, I remember that I said some pretty frivolous things to Mina, even though the reason was to cover up inconvenient things. Feeling guilty about it, I hesitated to reply.

But after a while...

"Thank you, I’m thrilled."

That's all Brad said with as big a smile as he could muster.

Since Mina's confession had been made with full understanding of her position, he felt what he should tell her was purely how he felt about it.

She smiled with a satisfied "hehehe♡" and pushed Brad back to hide her melting expression.

"Be careful. By now the Demon King's subordinates must have realized that you defeated the cyclops Nya.  And they might start moving against you."

"Ah, ......Yeah !"

"The cat people are so much indebted to you. Our lives belong to you and only you. If you ever need help, please rely on me nya. Even if you make the world your enemy, I will always be your ally.”

With a smile on his face, Brad gets on his dragon.

On the way, I felt that Mina mumbled something to me but at that moment, Gilgard flapped its wings, so I couldn't make out the words.

In a very emotional parting,

Brad said goodbye to the cat girl and flew off to the kingdom of Pistel.

Chapter 22: Prince Kurobuta Returns to the Royal Capital

--The "Phantom Realm".

It is a world between the human world where humans live and the demon world where monsters live. Close to the fairy world and the spirit world, it's a world where the concepts of time and space are vague and different.

In a world overlooked by two black suns and a rainbow-colored sky like a mysterious aurora borealis, the current base of the Demon King's army, "Yume Genjaku Castle(Dream Castle)," was located.

And a little before Brad left the cat people's Village, a meeting was being held at the "Castle of Dreams" by the Leaders of the Demon King's army.

"......"

In an audience room.

In a space that was dimly lit by the light of a magic stone lamp, dozens of various monsters were gathered.

All of them held high positions in the Demon Lord's army, and at the same time, were all powerful monsters that ordinary humans couldn’t compete with.

And even among these monsters, there was one that possessed an overwhelming amount of evil magic power.

A luxurious throne floated in the air.

A humanoid monster sat comfortably on the throne, cross-legged and slumped over.

He was smaller than a human, and because he was humanoid, at first glance he looked like a weak child. However, the cloak that covers his entire body was filled with an intense magic power, giving him an unparalleled sense of intimidation that is unrivaled compared to the other monsters.

Above all, there was a black mask covering his face, which is proof of his status as one of the "Four Demon Generals," the highest-ranking members of the Demon King's army, clearly showed the overwhelming strength of this demon.

"Kekeke... it's had to believe that the cyclops was defeated. It's interesting to know that there are other people with this kind of power besides the Seven Heroes."

The masked monster "Gluttonous Overeater" otherwise known as Belzebub was staring at the center of the audience.

There was a huge magic crystal floating in the air there, showing the horrible scene of the Cyclops being defeated by a single human boy in the Sky Mountain labyrinth.

Belzebub was amused as he watched and the monsters' reactions to the scene were mixed.

"I can't believe he caught the Cyclop's blow with one hand. Just who the hell is this guy?"

"......Don't fret, he’s just a fragile human. If me and my brothers were there, we would have turned him into a pile of meat."

"No ..., it won't be that easy. If he’s still hiding his true power, he could even reach his majesty's throat if we’re not careful..."

The audience room quickly became noisy but when one of the goblin lords said something like that,

" What!?"

Beelzebub who had been smiling narrowed his eyes as the lower part of his cloak fluttered.

Immediately, a whip-like tentacle flew from the hem of Beelzebub's cloak at tremendous speed and attacked the Goblin Lord.

The tentacle twirled around the Goblin Lord like a snake, lifted him easily into the air, and strangled him tightly.

"aah...!”

The goblin lord's scream rang out.

He struggled to get out of the tentacle, but Belzebub's tentacle, which seemed weak at first glance, contained extraordinary power and could not be easily detached.

This is not to say that the captured goblin lord is weak.

The goblin lord is the highest-ranking monster of the goblin race, with a level of over 30 in Final Quest. But even more than that, Belzebub's power was off the charts.

Belzebub looked at the Goblin Lord suffering from being strangled by tentacles with cold eyes and a dry smile.

"... Whose throat did you say that man could reach? Be careful with your words. It makes me laugh seeing you think a human who just defeated a giant, our dark overlord could be in the same class."

"I'm sorry Belzebub sama! Please have mercy!"

The goblin lord begged, and Belzebub pondered for a moment.

"...... Fine, I'm not a heartless monster either."

Suddenly, he loosened the power of his tentacles.

The goblin lord finally took in a satisfying breath of air and smiled in relief at being forgiven.

But it was the last smile he would ever make.

A moment later, the sound of something being crushed echoed.

It sounded like something trying to squeeze the juice out of fruit.

The problem was that the fruit was the goblin lord's body, and what was squeezed out was his reddish-black blood.

No sooner had he loosened his grip that Belzebub suddenly tightened the strangling power of his tentacles, crushing the Goblin Lord with his overwhelming power.

A loud splash of blood stained the floor along with the body of the monster that had turned into a lump of flesh.

"Keke Keke ...... Rejoice. If His Majesty had been awake, a fool like you would have been tortured and condemned to a perpetual living in hell. You can thank me in the underworld for being merciful enough to take your life without pain."

Belzebub ran his serpentine tongue over the tentacles and licked off the dripping monster blood.

Then he took a deep breath and said, 

"...... You are all making a big deal out of this little issue. The Cyclops is not only the weakest of the "Four Demon Generals" executives but he was just a lackey. He is a piece that can be easily replaced. It is outrageous to ridicule his majesty just because a small fry was taken down by a human Prince."

The demon king whose powers were greatly reduced by the 'seven heroes' now lies in a dormant state.

So In order to awaken the demon lord a huge amount of magic power along with several key items is needed, so the monsters under the Demon generals’ control are now scurrying around the world trying to get these items.

It was part of their plan that the Cyclops called himself one of the "Four Demon Generals" and demanded sacrifices from the cat people, an action that had never been seen in the Demon Lord's army before.

In reality, the Cyclops was only an aide to the "four demon generals" in the Demon Lord's army. It's not a big deal if he was defeated.

"... but we should certainly take care of this threat as soon as possible. If we underestimate him and he grows to be "Seven heroes" class, we'll end up like the Giant. We can't allow any interference in our carefully laid plans."

Belzebub continued, but then one of the monsters, the Ancient Lich, raised his hand in a fearful manner.

When Belzebub glances at him and gives him permission to speak, the Ancient Lich breathes a sigh of relief and slowly speaks up.

"I agree with you about getting rid of this Brad. However, Pistel has the Demon Slayer. I'm not afraid of him, but I think we'll be the ones who suffer the consequences if we do anything half-heartedly.

Belzebub snorts.

"Indeed the "Demon Slayer" is quite troublesome. As originally planned, we'll have to tread carefully. But in order to get rid of this prince, we would naturally have to get through him."

"When it comes to such a task, it's not something I myself should handle. The "Dream Castle" should not be left unattended and there’s also the situation at the Deltora Peninsula. I do not have time for trivial matters such as these."

"So, who else is qualified?"

"... please leave it to me and my brothers."

When Belzebub turned around, it was a single monster that spoke out.

"Oh, you the Garlov brothers?"

It was a werewolf lord, a higher species of werewolf.

They look like bipedal beastmen with the heads of bloodthirsty beasts, and they are extremely skilled at cunningly tricking people and then eating them.

"I and my brothers have the ability to transform ourselves into humans. I'm sure we'll be able to get rid of one or two humans in an instant if we take advantage of their sword dance festival that will soon hold in Pistel. Please, leave it to us."

The werewolf lord said with a confident expression and a fearless smile on his face.

Belzebub paused for a moment to think and then laughed out loud "Haha Good!"

"Go to Pistel and make sure that Prince regrets baring his fangs at us."

A moment later. The Garlov brothers wearing nasty smiles and leaped with their overwhelming leg strength and departed.

However, immediately after that.

"Are we really going to leave it to those beasts?"

A woman walked in from the doorway of the audience hall speaking with such a calm voice.

The woman who gracefully walked in front of Belzebub was a bewitching woman wearing a black mask.

Her slender body was clad in a red mermaid-like dress.

Her appearance is very revealing, almost like that of a prostitute, but her demeanor is elegant and reminiscent of an aristocrat.

In addition, there were two ravens perched on her shoulders and a doll of a pretty girl in a gothic dress was in her arms.

"Lionetta, you're back."

--Lionetta, the Puppeteer Doll Master.--

She was one of the "Four Demon Generals" and also one of the few people who could exchange words with Beelzebub on equal terms in the demon lord's army.

"Given the power and circumstances of that Brad individual, they won’t be the best men for the job. But if you’re the one to go... It would be a different story though."

"I'd be happy to go."

When Belzebub jokingly suggested it, Lionetta replied immediately.

Beelzebub’s eyes widen at the unexpected reply.

"Well... what strange wind is blowing today?"

Lionetta shrugs in a relaxed manner.

"I was originally entrusted with keeping an eye on Pistel. Don't you think it’s my job to eliminate those that might harm us later?"

"Kekeke... I know it's your job. But you didn't seem like the kind of woman who would bother herself with such trivial matters even if when ordered to."

Lionetta was a capable woman but had a very difficult character. She wasn't the type that liked to be ordered around.

"Excuse me! I'm still the third general who is always serious about her job."

"Yeah since there are only four of us, and the remaining two are extremely eccentric."

When Belzebub shrugs, Lonietta laughs and covers her mouth with her hands.

"But if you're volunteering to go, then there's no reason to refuse. You have a plan, don't you?"

"Yes, I found a nice doll in Pistel that I can use as a pawn."

"Right, Arrieta?" Lionetta called out and the doll on her shoulders nodded as though it were alive.

"I see, that's why you said you’ll go."

Belzebub smiled as he understood the situation and Lionetta snorted in a vague manner that couldn't be interpreted as affirmative or Negative.

"Kekeke… don’t mess it up"

"...... I don't need to be told that."

Lionetta replied immediately with a bewitching smile.

Immediately after. The ravens that perched on her shoulders melted like slimes and covered her entire body with a jet-black liquid.

And when it vanished, She was gone as well.

Chapter 23: Prince Kurobuta Kicks Out the Assassins

(What the hell happened ......?)

Looking down at the aristocratic district from far above, Brad narrowed his eyes.

The noble district is lined with elegant buildings, and the roads are more beautifully paved than in other areas. It's a particularly beautiful area in the royal capital city of Fort Flat, where even the slums are paved with cobblestones.

However, a corner of the city was now half destroyed. As if there had been a battle, the walls of a dozen or so buildings were gouged out, roofs collapsed, and debris was strewn about.

Around the square, I spotted the figure of a huge demon that was probably the cause of this situation.

"Eagle Eye."

I said using a sight-enhancing spell and stared at it.

Then, the view of the square was magnified as if I was using binoculars.

(That's ...... A WereWolf Lord!)

And then Brad's eyes widened as he once again saw the monster in the square.

--WereWolf Lord. It's a bipedal, werewolf-headed, beastman-type monster, a superior species of werewolf. The normal appearance of a werewolf Lord is almost the same as that of an average werewolf with the same appearance, the distinguishable factor is that the body is a size larger. However, during battle, it grows to the size of a full-grown dragon and displays extraordinary power that can’t be compared to that of a werewolf. It’s the boss of the werewolves.

In fact, the werewolf in front of me has grown to the size of a standing building. I'm pretty sure it's a Werewolf Lord.

Incidentally, although he is not involved in the main storyline of "Final Quest", he appears as a mid-level boss in a sub-story for obtaining rare items. Since it’s a sub-story in the middle of the story, its level must have been over 25. It's much more dangerous than the dragons that appear around here.

(Why in the world is it here ?)

It was unthinkable that such a monster would be running rampant in the royal capital. It was like the Cyclops from the other day rampaging through the capital.

But now was not the time to think about it.

There were many people and knights in the square, they were still in danger. And the werewolf lord had them cornered and could attack at any moment.

(Wait!...isn't that Rosie?)

When the faces of the people being hunted down came into view, Brad's eyes widened.

In the midst of the people or rather, in front of them was Brad's personal maid, Rosie.

She was standing in front of the werewolf lord with a resolute expression.

I began to wonder why they weren’t running away till I noticed the luxurious carriage behind them which was laid down and the people who were riding it were huddled together cowering in fear.

There were also the ladies in their dresses and Rosie's friend an exclusive maid who was a half-elf named Lina, I believe. She seems to be defending them.

"You idiot!"

After understanding the situation, Brad's movements were incredibly swift.

He stood up and drew his sword.

And then - he jumped.

It was far above the royal capital.

He jumped off the back of his beloved dragon, Gilgard, without any hesitation, even though it was a height that could kill him if he fell. It was as if he had used Gilgard's body as a springboard and he swooped down plummeting towards the square with the force of a meteor.

"Levitation!"

As the square grew in size in his vision, he activated a levitation spell.

As the ground approaches 100 meters, 90 meters, 80 meters ......, the momentum of the fall slowly reduced and he gained control.

And just as the werewolf lord was about to attack Rosie and the others, Brad finally reached the ground.

There was a flash of a sword to the side.

The head of the Wolf Lord came off and blood splashed in the air.

"----"

At that same time, Brad Landed on the cobblestones in the square.

The momentum of the fall formed a crater in the ground, sending up a light cloud of debris and dust. But considering the momentum of the fall, the landing was surprisingly quiet thanks to the levitation spell.

And just as Brad brushed the blood from his sword, the head of the werewolf lord tumbled to the ground, and with it, the rest of his body.

The square fell silent as if it had been muted.

It was so instantaneous that everyone could not comprehend the situation.

"I don't believe it ...... He took down that monster with one blow!"

As the knight said this, a ripple of noise spread throughout the square.

After a few moments, one of the knights finally let out a groan of astonishment.

"We had no chance at all... and in one move? Who the hell is that?”

"You idiot, have you forgotten the face of the prince you serve? ...!　　It's Lord Brad!"

"Naani!(What), you think that's Lord Brad?”

It seems that Brad's appearance had changed so much that many people didn't recognize him. However, many of them had seen the not so skinny Brad before, and thanks to his distinctive silver hair and brown skin, they were immediately convinced.

While the place was abuzz with Brad's transformation and strength, the knight captain calmly confirmed the death of the werewolf lord and instructed the knights to carry the injured.

The Knights regained their composure and carried the injured ladies, Lina, and the knights out of the square in order.

"Brad-sama, desu?"

At that moment, someone suddenly called out.

She looked somewhat frightened as if the tension of facing the monster still lingered.

"Ohh, it's okay now. You did a great job."

Brad smiled and put his hand on Rosie's head to reassure her.

And then. It seems to have become a detonator of all her pent-up emotions, and Rosie's lovely face twisted as she teared up.

But then she shook her head as if trying to hold back her emotion.

"Waah, Brad-sama, I was so scared desu"

She jumped into my chest, sobbing.

She must have been really scared.

She was crying so hard that I thought she was going to dry out all the water in her body, and she clung to me tightly.

She held onto me so tightly that I thought I had no choice but to pat her on the head.

It was such a touching scene.

(her nose is running...)"

Rosie's nose was running as much as her tears, and because she nuzzled my chest with her face, my clothes were miserably soggy with snot.

To be honest, I wanted to rip this snotty girl off right away because she was even pulling out thread, but circumstances are circumstances so I decided to let her off the hook for once.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, I felt a glance from behind me.

I turned my eyes to find a strange figure peering at me from the shadows of the alley by the side.

(Is that ......?)

The spell to strengthen my eyesight had already worn off, so I couldn't see the face.

The figure quickly retreated into the shadows, as if it had noticed my gaze. At the same time, the cloak that the figure was wearing fluttered greatly in the wind.

(A gray ...... cloak)

As soon as the cloak was seen, the figure did not show its face again.

Brad squinted, gazing intently at the place where the figure was standing.

***

"...... So, what happened?"

After he was sure Rosie has calmed down, Brad asked.

By the way, Brad's private room in the royal palace had changed greatly.

Him and Rosie were both sitting on opposite sides of the couch.

"I went to the square because Lina asked me to desu, but then the monster attacked and the city was in chaos. I wanted to run away, but a passing carriage was knocked over by the demon, and I was lending a hand to them when ......"

"So was it too late for you all to escape?"*

Brad sighed and Rosie nodded

Then he said. "Your life is yours and mine as well because I'm your master. I'd rather you didn't do anything dangerous if you can help it."

"I'm sorry ...... sir."

When Brad said this in a harsh tone, Rosie's mood fell and he noticed it.

He smiled and patted Rosie on the head.

"Why are you apologizing?" Brad asked while grinning widely.

"Because I did a dangerous thing desu ......."

"As much as you can... I should have said that. It’s a natural thing for a lady to lend a hand to someone in distress. It's a very brave and commendable thing to do. Not just anyone can do that. I'm proud to be your master. Well done, Rosie."

When Brad smiled at her, Rosie's eyes widened in surprise, and then she bit her lip to hold back her emotions.

　In the end, Brad laughs lightly when he sees Rosie, who began to weep.

"Oy!, Oy!, aren’t you crying too much?”

"It's your fault, Brad-sama... You said things that made me cry immediately. I'm really proud to be Brad's maid too... I, Rosie, will continue to serve you with all my heart and soul desu"

Rosie wiped her eyes and made a fist to affirm her pledge.*

"Anyway, why would a Wolflord appear in the royal capital. It's not the kind of monster that wanders around like that. If such demons were to appear often, humans would be extinct in no time".

"It's true that not only the... knights desu, but even Albert-sama was unable to stand up to them."

Rosie shuddered as if remembering the horrors that took place.

" What!? Albert was there?"

"Yes desu, he rushed over with the knights but was defeated before Brad-Sama arrived, but he was being healed so I don't think his life is in danger. However, if he finds out that Brad-sama defeated the monster, he might be very disappointed."

Rosie smiles mischievously.

On the other hand, Brad was relieved to know that his brother was safe.

In Final Quest, Albert is a member of the hero’s party. He didn't want anything to happen to him. And although they weren't on good terms, they were blood brothers. I'm glad nothing happened to him because I was planning to deepen our bond.

"......"

Since Albert was defeated, the demon must certainly have been a werewolf lord. But how the monster invaded the royal capital, I have no idea.

A werewolf is a monster that disguises itself as a human, blends into society, and cunningly targets humans. It's likely that it disguised himself as a human to get in.

(But ...... that's odd.)

The werewolves are highly intelligent and do not go on such animalistic rampages in the streets like that. Not to talk of a Werewolf Lord.

I smell something fishy.

"What was the werewolf lord like? Did it try speaking to you?”

"No... There was no attempt at communication desu! It was like a bloodthirsty beast on a rampage, attacking people in the square with bloodshot eyes."

Brad squints.

There were monsters called Lycanthropes who have a habit of losing their reasoning on the night of a full moon. But Werewolves were different. They don't lose reasoning that easily and it was noon as the moon wasn’t even out.

"Did you notice anything weird about the Werewolf Lord or the city?"

"No, I was too scared and desperate to observe anything."

"I'm sorry I can't be of much help desu!." Rosie said and bowed her head.

The only thing I could come up with was that someone might have manipulated the Werewolf lord. But I had little information to begin with. Speaking of suspicious things, I remembered the figure that was covered with the gray cloak, but since I couldn't make out the face, there was no clue.

(Gray Cloak...)

In this world, it’s customary to identify one's country of origin by their cloak. There are no particular rules but people often wear cloaks with their country's pattern and design.

The gray cloak probably belonged to the "Gray Empire" Dastoria.

And out of the main characters in "Final Quest", only one person came to mind as a citizen of Dastoria. This is because Dastoria did not exist at the start of the main story and the country was destroyed through a conspiracy by the demon king's army.

(No... That's not right. Dastoria shouldn't have been destroyed in this world yet)

There are still many people living in Dastoria.

Maybe the figure was from somewhere else.

If not, there's no way he'd be strolling casually in a foreign city.

Anyway, I think I should give as much information to my father and the leading figures of the country.

While I was still thinking about this, Rosie says "Anyway..."

"Welcome back Brad-sama! I was worried but I'm glad you came back desu! You've become more dignified than how you were in January. You even defeated a monster that even Albert-sama didn't stand a chance against. As expected of Brad-sama desu!"

"Well, I did go through an intense bloody training."

Brad scratches his head, feeling guilty of deceiving Rosie as he watches her shining eyes.

Actually, I just repeated the simple task of wandering around the dungeon in search of Orichalcum and subduing it as soon as I found it. But there was no doubt I was leveling at high risk, so there isn't much lie in what I said.

"Sugoi desu! Sugoi! (Awesome). With this, the sword dance festival will be a huge success and there’s no doubt that you will win."

Brad is relieved to hear that.

(I'm not going to let you down.)

"What of the registration?"

"Registration has already ended. It's been a week since it started already ."

"Gah!!!......" Brad was speechless.

If I can't participate in the sword dance festival, then what have I been doing all this time. All my days of leveling revolved around my head like a magic stone lantern.

When Brad leaves his mouth open with a goofy face, Rosie laughs.

"Don't worry desu! I took it upon myself and completed Brad-sama's registration."

"Hooooo!!!!... Is that true?"

Brad hurriedly asked and Rosie nodded.

He was overjoyed.

"This is great! Great! Rosie. All my efforts wouldn't have meant anything if I couldn't participate. As expected! You’re really a maid who can do it all!"

"Even if you don’t praise me like this, I'll do anything for you desu!"

Rosie's face was bright red as she was wriggling and it looked like she was happy.

This maid's sloppy face is pretty. Brad nods with satisfaction and while praising himself saying she's the maid of his choice and knows how to work hard, he nodded in satisfaction.

Well his criteria for choosing her in the first place was that she had a cute face and was obedient.

"But, but... It's okay to praise me even more..."

I also stroked her head as reward♡

I even hug her tightly!

"Ah! But that's no good desu. I'm a maid from a low-ranking noble family and Brad is the prince of the country and has a fiancee named Marie. It's an unforgivable love desu! Wha- what am I saying?♡"

Rosie began to get lost in her own thoughts and Brad stretched his back without worrying about it as usual

"Well since you've already registered me as a participant. I can start practicing with confidence from tomorrow.

Rosie seemed to snap back to reality

"What are you talking about desu! You’ll be resuming at the academy tomorrow. You’ve been training hard until today. You need to rest before the sword dance festival day desu!. If you don’t rest your body, you won't be able to show your full strength on the day of the festival desu!"

"I know, I know.”

I was going to attend class anyway without being told.

School is depressing not just cause I'm not good at socializing, but also as a result of my behavior so far. But this is the result of what I did before I regained memory of my past life and I have to take responsibility and do wipe my own butt.

"Anyone looking at you now will be truly surprised desu! You've become strong enough to wipe out a demon with a single blow, not to mention you turned out to be so awesome!”

Brad shrugs saying "Don't you think that’s a bit exaggerated."

Certainly, in this January's training, I lost weight and gained an ideal figure. But given my previous behavior at the academy and how I was treated by other students, I don't think that would change anything. 

Rosie may be okay with her master's reforming, but it should be seen more objectively.*

--I thought so--

Brad actually went to the academy the next day, and realized that it was not Rosie but him who was not viewing himself objectively.

Chapter 24: Prince Kurobuta Goes to School After a Long Absence

Brad von Pistel.

In "Final Quest", he was corrupted by the "Four Demon Generals" and killed his father, King Pistel. He is a villainous character who tries to sacrifice his people to the Demon King.

And as I found out after being reincarnated as him, the signs of being such a villainous character – and the reason for the distortion of his personality - were seen long before the start of the main story.

The main cause is bullying

Brad was always compared to his younger brother, Albert, who was superior in every aspect. And because his abilities and appearance were inferior to his brother's, he was looked down on and talked about behind his back by those around him. Such disdain from the people around him eventually developed into bullying behavior such as verbal abuse and violence towards Brad.

The fact that his father and most of the aristocrats were on Albert's side and ignored him was probably a big factor. There was no one in the palace or in the academy who did not know that Brad was being mistreated and yet no one wanted to help him.

As a result, without protection from the people around him, Brad had to change into a person with a vile personality in order to protect himself.

The result was the proud Brad before he regained the memories of his previous life.

He was a "black pig prince" who always acted threatening to others and took revenge on those who turned on him by working behind the scenes.

However, revenge is still revenge.

He only harmed those who mistreated and harmed him and basically did not touch anyone else. Those who were harmed by him were generally receiving retribution for their actions against him. If you think about it, before the start of Final Quest, Brad was not really a villain and more of a normal character.

However, it can't be denied that Brad went too far against some people. In particular, he sent bribes to demote aristocrats who served the court and falsified the evaluations of students at the academy to make them fail.

For such matters, after Brad regained his memories of his previous life, with the help of Rosie and his trusted servants, he made up for what he judged to be his excesses.

At the very least, he has paid for his actions.

However, that doesn't mean that he can get rid of the bad image that has taken root in those around him. Aside from those close to him in the palace, the rest of the servants and students at the academy still regarded him as the troublesome, fat and ugly prince.

And that's why Brad couldn't be bothered to go to the academy because he didn't want to go through the hassle of trying to get rid of that bad image he created for himself.

(I can feel many intense...... eyes on me.)

The next morning, after fighting off the werewolf lord,

the courtyard of the Royal Academy of Magic, Windstar.

As usual, countless carriages were parked there, with attendants and maids seeing off the children of nobles who attended the academy.

Carriages are often extravagant because they show their status as noblemen - just like wristwatches and cars in my previous life.

The children of the nobles disembarked one after the other from their lavish carriages and walked into the school building through the beautiful tree-lined streets while chatting and laughing. It was in one of these courtyards that a buzz started.

"Who is that beautiful Lord?”

“I've never seen such a beautiful man since Albert.”

"The carriage he’s riding in is beautifully sculpted, he must be a noble right?

The person at the center of all this buzz was of course Brad himself.

As soon as he got off the carriage, he was noticed and whispers spread like wildfire.

I somehow understand the reason.

In an aristocratic society, connections between nobles are directly linked to their status in the royal court. And in order to build those connections, it is essential to know who has what status and power. That's why the nobles know the names and faces of all the other nobles in the kingdom and their children usually know the names and faces of the students in the academy as well.

In the midst of such a background peculiar to aristocratic society, an unfamiliar Brad came out of a conspicuously luxurious carriage that stood out from other ones. It's no wonder there was a small commotion.

(I mean...... no matter how much I've changed, to think they don’t recognize me.)

I'm surprised they didn't recognize me at first glance.

It’s true that Brad’s appearance has changed.

But aside from the knights of yesterday, he had been seeing the students frequently. He thought that someone would notice, but no one seemed to.

But suddenly, he heard a voice saying, "Isn't that the black pig?

"Oh… that's the black pig?”

“There was a rumor that while the black pig was absent from the academy, he became a disciple of Glace one of the “seven heroes” and became a different person.”　　

“I also heard from an acquaintance of mine who works at the court that he had changed and began to invest his personal fortune in projects for the poor and the commoners and had begun to ‘reform’ himself. His manner became softer and he lost a lot of weight.”

“There was a story going around that he was the one who defeated the terrible monster that appeared in the square yesterday. Even Albert was at the scene but was defeated and he took the monster down with a single blow.”

In noble society, information is vital.

The information gathering ability of noblemen is not something to be made light of, Brad thought to himself.

“No, no, no… that’s impossible." A mocking voice reached Brad’s ears.

"It's all a baseless rumor. It's impossible for that black pig to become this handsome, much less defeat a powerful monster with a single blow. I'm sure he's just scared after Dino Schwarzer turned him into a roast pig in class, so he's holed up in his room half-crying. You all have the wrong person."

　When I heard that rough tone and thought of the name, I looked over and saw a huge male student there.

--Dino Schwarzer--

He was Brad’s classmate who had blown him away with a fireball in the middle of practical class at the Royal Academy, helping him regain his memories of his past life.

Dino is the second son of the Count's family and a close associate of Albert and behind his back, he has been bullying Brad to an extreme degree. It was Dino who suggested that they pair up in the first place, so the fireball attack was probably intentional.

I'm not going to take revenge now, but I think it's going to be tough to get along with him.

"Dino, it's been two months.”

Brad smiled at him and Dino narrowed his eyes as if he was thinking. Then he looked at Brad as if he was sizing him up.

"You're not really the black pig, are you?”

"It's not that strange, is it? I just worked out a little and lost some weight.”

Brad shrugged his shoulders feeling amused.

"It's not just a matter of losing a little weight. No matter how hard one tries, they can’t just believe that that stupid, exceedingly ugly, black pig is the same person as you.”

That’s a very terrible thing to hear about yourself.

"It's not a big deal… Don't be rude to Brad-sama!”

But even if Brad himself was not bothered with it, his maidservant Rosie, who had become quite a Brad fanatic, couldn't stand it any longer.

“What… what?”

Dino was horrified by Rosie's fury.

But Rosie didn't let up her momentum, pointing firmly at Brad.

"This is truly the first prince of the kingdom of Pistel, Brad von Pistel desu!　　Don't you see this carriage and the royal crest shining on his shoulder?”

“How dare you!” She shouted at the top of her voice.

She may have been seriously offended by his ridiculing me, but it was embarrassing for me to listen to because she sounded like she was in some kind of historical drama.

Moreover, the fact that she was unnecessarily loud attracted even more attention to us, which was the worst part. This is exactly what I mean when I say something is a drag.

"Rosie… calm down."

Brad hurriedly pulled Rosie's arm and covered her mouth to silence her.

"Brad-sama! What are you doing so boldly In a public place.”

"… Just be quiet."

“If you continue like this, it’s going to be a pain.” Brad whispered in her ears and she nodded with an ecstatic expression. 

Brad's first reaction was to be taken aback, but he took a deep breath, thinking that it would be better if he kept things quiet.

"I'm sorry if my maid was being rude.”

He then turned to Dino who was scowling at him but then growled.

“It’s true, you really are the black pig. I didn’t think it was really you, your highness because you changed so much.” 

"I'm glad you understand.”

Although Dino deliberately kept calling Brad a black pig, he was willing to overlook it and smiled widely.

Perhaps, Dino didn’t like the calm attitude Brad was taking at him.

“But… as expected like master like maid. There’s no way I’m keeping my voice down. So it’s true that a stupid master would have a stupid maid.”*

After hearing the words of ridicule from Dino, Brad narrows his eyes intensely at that moment

“It’s true isn’t it, what's with that glare?”

"You can rant at me all you want. But I'm not going to allow you talk that way about my maid. It's true that she was rude, but please don't embarrass her by saying false words.”

Dino maintains a fearless smile and speaks clearly.

"Oh what If I say No?”

He continued to provoke him.

But at that moment…

"----"

Brad’s body overflowed with power.

The magic power density increased at an unimaginable speed and as soon as the magical pressure and murderous intent washed over him, Dino screamed and fell flat on his ass.

"You won’t dare to say no."

Brat looked down at Dino with icy cold eyes and said plainly

The students around stared in awe at Brad’s extraordinary magic power. Rosie raised her voice and said “Brad-sama is so cool desu!”

(Hmmm. I've always wanted to try this, to scare someone with just my spirit.)

However, Brad was just happy he was able to reproduce the chuunibyo scene from that he was aiming for. {TN: Chuunibyo means 8th grader syndrome}

Dino looked up at Brad with his mouth wide open for a moment, but when he notices the sounds of those around laughing at him. He glares at Brad.

“Kuh… you! I can’t be humiliated by a black pig like you! I’ll never forgive you!”

Dino clearly having murderous intent draws his sword without hesitation.

But before he could fully draw out the sword, Brad stepped in quickly and kicked the sword out of his hands.

“….?”

The sword soars high, while still in its scabbard.

“Isn’t it illegal to draw your sword at the academy?”   

As Brad says this, the sword soared towards the direction of those laughing, and a noble girl who was there screamed.

However, before the sword reached her, Brad moved in front of her and brilliantly caught the sword swirling in the air.

Then he smiled and reached out his hand to reassure the girl who was scared.

“It would have been a big issue if this beautiful young lady had gotten injured. That’s why it is important to keep the rules.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

The nobleman’s daughter girl took Brad’s hand and stood up, staring at him as if she was enchanted by him. Before he knew it, she kissed him while being as red as an apple.

“Too fast! Did anyone see that just now?”

“How… that movement was scary fast, I would have missed it if I blinked...”

“Ye ye (No no)… you were looking at Dino until a while ago. Don’t lie!”

“Well, he’s not just good-looking that’s for sure...”

As the students were astonished by Brad’s incredible actions,

(That was dangerous…)

He had a cold feeling in his heart.

Even though I had braced myself properly, if the young lady was injured by the sword I kicked, it would have really turned into an awkward situation.

“Why don’t you have this back”

After a while, he threw Dino’s sword back at him who at this point had blue lines on his forehead.

He was humiliated again by Brad and was about to explode in anger, it looked like he was exploding already. He was dying to attack Brad and looked around for anything he could use. This guy was a real pain in the ass.

But when Dino was about to take another action…

A voice called from the side.

“Dino, that’s enough!”

When I turned around, there was a beautiful boy.

In contrast to Brad’s brown skin, his skin was white, he was Brad’s younger brother and the second prince of the country. Albert von Pistel himself.

He walked towards us, over the cackling of the girls and secret murmurs of the boys.

“But Albert-sama… this guy!”

“I’m telling you to stop. The shame of my aides is my shame as well. Don’t embarrass me any further.”

Dino looked dissatisfied, but Albert had already told him with a commanding tone and while regretfully biting his teeth, he said “…Yes.”

“Older brother, my aide has caused trouble.”

Albert bows immediately, but Brad hurriedly raised him up.

“No, there’s also the fact that my maid talked rudely too. I’m glad you’re safe. I heard you were pretty injured in the square yesterday.”

“That’s… aren’t you just glad that you defeated the monster that I failed to kill?”

Brad shakes his head and smiled and Albert’s eyes sharpened.

“No, I was just worried about you. The werewolf lord is a really dangerous monster. So you’re really not hurt, right? Let me see.”

He checks Albert’s entire body from top to bottom with both hands as if he were doing a physical examination.

“Stop! Don’t touch me like that again. It’s annoying and gross.”

“It’s fine right, we used to play naked together in the water when we were kids.”

“When was that?” Albert cried out in an annoyed voice.

“Why are you saying this now. You’ve always ignored me. Now you’re trying to get close to me so I can lower my guard. I won’t do that. Watch out! This time, I’m going to win the sword dance festival. You seem to have started aspiring for the throne, but I have no intention of giving it up.”

“The throne?”

I felt that my actions were misunderstood.

Brad was about to clear the misunderstanding, but Albert started walking away and said.

“Dino, let’s go!”

And he didn’t stop until he was gone.

(Well… there’ll still be a lot of chances to see each other. I wonder, what would be a good time to clear the misunderstanding?)

Brad shrugged his shoulders.

Like that—

Brad had already spent a lot of time that morning, but he realizes that class hasn’t even begun yet and heads to the school building while feeling tired.

---Brad didn’t know.

“Is this a fight between the brothers to succeed the throne?”

“Albert has always been the more reasonable choice, but now, I’m not so sure.”

“That’s right. Considering the overwhelming strength that he just revealed now and if the rumors that have been circulating about his “Persona Reform’ are true… he may as well be chosen.”

“The result of the sword dance festival will have a big role to play. I can’t miss such an important scene!”

From the perspective of those watching Brad’s exchange with Albert, it looked like Brad was aiming for the throne.

“–This is big news! The next king will be decided at this year’s sword dance festival!! !!”

The conversation was thus extended and then spread quickly throughout the academy and even the kingdom.

And among the onlookers in the courtyard…

Was the figure in a gray cloak.