He expected that one day someone from the Knights would come. Since I, an Amerian, am the crown prince’s swordsmanship instructor, there’s no way I’ll be acknowledged. Even the corps commander implicitly refused and expressed his intention to come.
When Neja came to see me, I was convinced that this was the end of my brief career as a swordsmanship teacher. Fortunately, I was able to give the soil of my hometown in the first and last class.
He thought that no matter how much he was the crown prince, he would not be able to stop the strong expression of ‘Amerin cannot be the crown prince’s swordsmanship instructor’. However, the prince
“Pull out your sword. It is sparring.”
I applied for sparring with Nezha. His right arm was unable to move properly.
I couldn’t understand I couldn’t figure out why it would do that. Even if it was to learn the secret art of the earth, the action was too reckless. It was safe to say that there was no chance of winning unless the opponent looked at it.
And Neja is a man who will not look down on the opponent no matter how much he is the crown prince.
As expected, Neja actively used the magic of the gale and pushed the crown prince. The crown prince was at his limit. Occasionally, even when the swords collided properly, the electric shock was shed before passing. Neja’s reaction speed was also excellent, but the prince seemed unaccustomed to sending magic from his left hand.
In the first place, there was a big difference in skill in the unfavorable situation. However, the prince did not let go of the sword. He endured by mobilizing his right arm, which he could not use properly.
“… … What would His Majesty the Emperor think if he found out that Amerin was hired as a swordsman teacher?”
No matter how many times they sparred, Neja stopped attacking and rebuked the prince. It was like announcing that the match had already been decided.
“Do you know of the battle that brought your father to be called the God of Thunder?”
However, the prince was not broken. Rather, he raised his sword high. And——.
“Let’s try to imitate it.”
There was a flash.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing that came in was the smiling prince with his sword hanging down,
“What is this… … .”
Nezawa, lying hesitantly with his chest on the ground,
“A little while ago, it was a good response. Yes.”
It was an iron-blooded saber that had been hit by a lightning bolt thrown to the ground and burned to black, still emitting electricity and crackling.
“I was anxious because I thought I might kill a promising knight, but I’m glad I did. It is worthwhile to give you a lengthy warning first.”
The prince snarled as he inserted his sword.
“Did he just throw away his sword and run away? It was a really, really good response.”
The prince approached Neja, who was still lying down as if not understanding what had happened, with slow steps. Neja looked up at the crown prince with an expression of disbelief and staggered back.
“… … .”
Neja looked beyond the crown prince at the saber she threw away. The electric shock was still emanating from it, so it seemed that I couldn’t even lift it again.
“… … Keugh.”
It was Neza’s first and complete defeat, having never been defeated since the Knight Academy.
“My first Dalian victory. Is this the feeling of victory?”
The prince smiled brightly. At first it was an innocent laugh, but slowly it turned into a mockery.
“To be honored to be the first to be defeated by me, Captain Neza.”
The prince sarcastically tapped Neja on the shoulder. Nezha didn’t respond, but bowed her head in silence.
Nezha has a strong pride. Right now, it must be that he is just feeling humiliated and unable to think about anything.
“This proves nothing. that I don’t need you Go back immediately.”
“… … All right.”
Neja replied in a low voice. And without even retrieving his own sword, he turned around and trudged miserably towards the exit of the palace.
“Seriously, you’re going to win… … .”
Something incomprehensible and unbelievable happened at the same time. The prince, who had sent Neja back, stood firm and did not move, as if he was immersed in the afterglow of victory.
From his back, I saw the emperor’s shadow.
No, the expression shadow is wrong. It was definitely a light.
“Bocchan, are you okay?”
While I was just looking at the back of the prince, an attendant approached and started talking to me.
“… … Mustafa, please help!”
And he called me with a very urgent expression.
“Bocchan passed out while standing!”
“What… … ?!”
It was only after we put the fainting prince on the bed that the attendant and I were able to breathe a sigh of relief.
If you think about it, it makes sense. The prince is still young. It is a miracle that he endured intense sparring with someone about four feet tall.
“It wasn’t like this before… … . How could you be so reckless?”
The attendant sighed as he placed his hand on the crown prince’s forehead. and glanced at me
“It’s probably because he’s a swordsman, and he’s not instilling a strange way of thinking.”
“I didn’t do that. To be honest, I don’t understand, because neither do I.”
“can not understand?”
The attendant asked back at my words.
“Yes. Why did the crown prince embrace me, an Amerian, like that?”
I was impressed, but I honestly couldn’t understand why.
“I have explained the concept of the secret art of the earth. He is gifted, and if he skipped one level he could almost master it himself.”
“The Secret of the Earth… … indeed. That’s what it was.”
At my words, the attendant nodded as if he finally understood.
“Probably not for too complicated a reason.”
“then?”
“Your master is a weak-minded person.”
The attendant looked at the prince intently.
“That’s why he doesn’t throw people away, his own people.”
Then he lifted his hand from his forehead and said. It was a tone of strong trust.
He does not abandon his people.
If so, was it that I was recognized as a citizen by the crown prince?
“is it… … . Thank you, servant.”
It was a complex feeling that I had never felt before. However, it was never something I hated.
“… … My name is Katyusha.”
“hmm?”
While I was swearing allegiance as a subject in my heart, an attendant said something incomprehensible.
“Since I am not your servant, please do not call me servant.”
“… … i get it.”
It’s Katyusha.
It is a difficult name to pronounce.
* * *
A few days after that, the office of Chancellor Valentin, the emperor’s right-hand man.
“It got really nasty.”
Chancellor Valentin extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray on the table and was dumbfounded.
“… … I mean.”
The man sitting in front, Corps Commander Alexei, agreed with a wry smile.
“Isn’t it a matter of wanting to omit Mustafa from the time the data was handed over in the first place? Didn’t even think of that, Alexei.”
“I don’t have ten words to say about that part. I was honestly caught off guard.”
Alexei let out a deep sigh. Valentin looked at Alexei quietly.
“I’m sorry.”
And politely scolded. After that, I got up and looked around the office.
“So can you say that you are aiming for the next emperor?”
And he brought out words that were sure to get in bad shape if anyone listened to them. Alexei averted his gaze and said ha ha with a dry bitter smile.
“I was thinking too easily. Against the emperor’s son.”
“I used to think we didn’t look alike, but I don’t think so.”
It was very impure to hear the story, but it was by no means that the two were plotting rebellion against the emperor. He was just preparing for the time when the emperor would one day step down.
“It would have been better if it had been left as is. It’s like being used instead of trying to use it. Maybe it would be better to sincerely support the young master of the empire.”
“The problem is that the young master doesn’t seem to be able to move according to my will. In the case of Mustafa, this side has tasted a miserable failure.”
“I even fanned it by sending Neja there. To be honest, when I first heard the news, I seriously thought that maybe we had really decided to cooperate fully and conceived of a genius publicity campaign.”
“… … That story is over. Didn’t you say that there would be opportunities to use it in reverse as well?”
“yes. Politics is like Othello. I just wanted to tease you.”
Alexei’s brow furrowed. And when I was about to say something, I stopped. It was because I knew that I was only reacting to this squirrel like me.
Recalling that fact, Alexei controlled his mood. He grumbled at the same time saying, “I haven’t been treated properly by a corps commander recently.”
“… … Prime Minister. But there is one thing that worries me.”
While doing so, Alexei suddenly remembered something.
“This is what I heard from you. When asked why he suddenly wants to inherit power.”
This was the answer I heard when I first met Mikhail in the rose garden.
“I said it was because I didn’t want to face a miserable end.”
He had inadvertently forgotten about his younger sister because of the later mention, but that answer was the reason why he decided to cooperate with Mikhail.
“Hearing that, I thought that the young master would not have a strong desire for power. I thought it would be okay as long as I could survive, so I promised to cooperate.”
Well, the result is the current situation. Alexey added with a wry smile.
“What do you think, Prime Minister?”
From noble mtl dot com
“Hmm.”
At Alexei’s question, Valentin tucked his chin in thought.
“Alexei.”
And after thinking for a long time, he opened his mouth.
“Do you think surviving Sangvis is easy?”
Valentin’s answer to Alexei’s question was quite significant.