036. Crown Prince (3)
Bob is rice.
Beris was stunned at the appearance of the prince, Frederick, sitting undisturbed and eating without having to throw away his white gloves.
Even if the screws were loosened, he looked like a person who had been loosened for a long time.
The personality he has doesn’t look too bad, but he has a strong sense of recklessness unique to the royal family.
“Maria, why doesn’t she eat?”
“… ….”
Frederick takes care of Maria who is biting at her food with a worried gaze, whether he knows what Berry’s thinking or not.
If you look at this scene alone, he looks like a warm-hearted older brother who cares for her little sister. But the problem is that her sister’s husband has an anachronistic mindset that he must have his own, and the Emperor’s, permission.
“Brother, are you really going to duel?”
“Well, is there anything I can’t do? You can think of it as warming up after a meal.”
“I like that my brother doesn’t fight.”
Maria said to Frederick in a shrunken voice, in case her own voice could be heard from the table at Veris.
“…… You really care about him.”
This is Maria who is constantly worrying. By that point, it was clear that she would now look like an idiot for not knowing.
“I…… Brother?”
“Yes. I want to tell you.”
“I’m sorry. It’s not the man I care about.”
Friedrich tilted his head.
He couldn’t even sense what he was talking about, and his face was filled with frustration.
“That person is much, really, really, really, really, really, really, really strong than you thought. I think it might be the strongest on the continent.”
“hahahaha.”
Friedrich laughed dejectedly at Maria’s explanation.
It is Friedrich who originally thought that Maria had a wide field of view and high-level thinking.
But now that I came back, it was all my own delusion.
Are the academy’s exceptionally gifted students?
I’m sorry to say this, but Friedrich has seen it many times. He is the crown prince from the academy right now. But how could he not know that there are many geniuses in the world?
From his point of view, Maria’s words left ample room for misunderstanding. He was a man with a big heart, so he just let it go, and if people with high pride listened to him, he would have gone on a rampage.
“…… You don’t believe me.”
“I believe. The fact that he is quite capable can be seen by the momentum that this older brother feels.”
“Then why did you challenge me to a duel?”
Friedrich put down the fork he was holding and looked at his sister gently.
She is Maria who is so cute that you want to bite her even at first glance. For the child who grew up in the imperial palace all his life, this world had many ugly corners.
In fact, Friedrich himself was aware that it was excessive meddling. However, the feeling of uneasiness that existed in his heart, and his thoughts of Maria, resulted in a challenge to a duel.
“It’s because I love you and cherish you.”
“Older brother… ….”
“It’s embarrassing to say it in front of you, but His Majesty the Emperor and I sincerely wish you happiness. Of course, the same goes for your brother. So, it may seem like an over-interference, but I want you to trust this brother this time.”
It is the voice of a family where you can feel the warmth.
Of course I could hate him?
“…… Still, you have to be nervous.”
“Tension? You really think highly of that man.”
“Older brother.”
“Yes.”
“…… Do you know about the sword demon, too?”
Friedrich shook his head at a question that didn’t sound like Maria’s question.
For people living on this continent, it was clear that there were few people who didn’t know about a person called the Sword Demon.
Because he was also famous for being a really crazy swordsman, fitting his nickname of a sword madman.
“Isn’t it natural? The Sword Demon is the one who is envied and feared by all who wield the sword.”
Friedrich answered that.
A person who gains fear and envy at the same time. It was because he thought he was the Sword Demon.
“Older brother. It’s such a secret…….”
“Hmm?”
“It’s such a secret. There are probably only three people in the world who know.”
Friedrich’s eyes lit up with interest.
At the time, she hadn’t even realized why Maria had mentioned the name “Sword demon” On her lips.
However, it was not difficult to predict the situation.
‘I was his disciple.’
Sword Demon. The name value of that name was never low. In this situation, the fact that Maria brought up the name of the sword demon must have meant that the student with a good face would become his disciple.
“I will tell you if you promise to keep it a secret.”
“hahahaha! Okay. Don’t promise me a secret I swear on the honor of being my crown prince.”
Maria gave a small nod of her head to Friedrich’s firm declaration, and then, in a quieter voice than she had ever done before, held out her head to him.
‘A cute guy.’
It’s a pity, but in Friedrich’s insight, the situation was already good.
However, Frederick was taken aback by Maria’s bomb declaration.
“He killed the Sword Demon. With a single sword. He swung his sword once, and the Sword Demon no longer belonged to this world.”
“What?”
Cudangtang!
Stunned by Maria’s shocking confession, Frederick jumped up from his seat.
Thanks to the chair rolling on the floor, it was only natural that it made a noise and the eyes of the table next to him flew in and out of Friedrich’s back.
“Is that true?”
Friedrich’s heart pounded.
In the empire, no, common sense exists in this world.
Even he felt the pressure that the man sitting behind him had a different weight from the atmosphere.
However, at the sound of easily disintegrating that line of common sense, Friedrich put on a dazed expression.
‘A sword demon? In a single day? How the hell?’
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand it because it was judged based on common sense.
Who is the Sword Demon? It is a sword-mad ghost that lives fear in all people.
Is that him?
“Hey, I showed you an example.”
Friedrich, who handed an apology that was not an apology to Berry’s party at the table next to him, immediately fixed his chair and sat down again.
He was already so surprised that his hunger had disappeared, and he was whispering with his head sticking out like Maria before he knew it.
“Did you see that scene? You clearly said that only three people in this world know about it.”
“…… Yes. I didn’t want to bring up his story, but my brother was acting like an idiot.”
“Khehehehe! That’s right. If what you’re saying is true, I’m going to look pretty stupid to him.”
Friedrich readily understood Maria’s concerns.
In fact, it was Friedrich who thought that he was alone in his own illusions because the pods were tightly covered in his eyes. But since he heard her confession, how can he still be in a delusion?
Although Frederick had a good arm, he was not a stupid man. He immediately noticed one fact.
‘He is a skilled person who can sever sword demons in two, but he readily accepted my request for a duel?’
The luck that made him shrug his shoulders naturally made him feel better.
For those who originally walk the path of the sword, the overwhelming teachings of masters are bound to bring tremendous results.
Literally, unexpected luck. It could have been an opportunity that would be difficult to obtain even for a thousand gold.
“If you look closely, your face is terribly handsome, but your abilities are also amazing? Well, it looks like a passionate man who swallowed hot fire in his personality. You are truly blessed by God.”
Friedrich, whose evaluation of Berris had changed before he knew it, glanced at the table next to him.
Berris has a cold impression. However, the mischievous smile on his face, which did not match that fact, had a strange charm.
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‘No way, so?’
Suddenly, he remembered that a beautiful elf and Saint Cecilia were guarding him.
Then, Friedrich turned her head and looked at Maria, who was sitting in front of him with a tense face.
A woman’s appearance?
Of course it is important. However, when he sees Arwen and Cecilia, who are not at all inferior to Maria, who is rumored within the empire, Friedrich feels uneasy for some reason.
A strong enemy. His sister was fighting a lonely battle at the academy alone without his knowledge.
“Mmm.”
As the thoughts flowed, Friedrich felt sorry for Maria for some reason.
She must have said that if it weren’t for herself, she might have eaten among the other party, just like Maria.
‘Yes, I honestly admit it. That man will give me, Friedrich, a passing grade.’
My lovely little sister wouldn’t have lied in front of him. So, a relaxed attitude was also thought to be a privilege of the strong.
“By the way.”
“Yes, brother.”
The two members of the imperial family, who had their heads sticking out before they knew it, were now putting their heads together and whispering.
It looks as if two children are conspiring without their parents knowing.
“Maria, don’t you like that man?”
“Well, I’m sure I never said that?”
“Yes, yes. Anyway, that man looks like he lives with two beautiful girls from his brother’s point of view.”
“… ….”
“What are you going to do if they cross the line?”
“Oops!”
Maria, who had managed to suppress the urge to scream, looked at Frederick with her blank eyes.
What he said was so blatant that even the most ignorant person could understand it.
Crossing the line. An academy student running away at night after having a forbidden love!
Obviously, Frederick never said such a thing, but Maria spreads her imagination by herself.
Seeing Maria’s flushed face, whether or not he knew what she was thinking, he clicked her tongue low.
“It’s far, far away.”
Although he is not married, Friedrich is also a body that has a good understanding of the relationship between men and women. To him, such an ambiguous attitude had nothing to gain. On the contrary, there is a high possibility that she will act as a poison.
“I guess this brother should help you.”
“Yes?”
“Planning is for later. Since we decided to fight a duel with him, we should be sincere in this sacred and honorable duel.”
Seeing the sudden drift of the prince, Maria nodded her head.
Friedrich is rude to the man’s evaluation to the point of being strange. However, even from his point of view, it must have been a shock that he managed to defeat the sword demon with just one move.
“Oh, brother, don’t worry.”
Maria finally closed her eyes and shouted.
It was the first time in my life that I felt shame. But what made her tearful was that she really liked Friedrich’s silent supportive attitude.