7: Grasping the Current Situation and the Future
–This is bad.
I’t have asked about the factions and the succession struggle within the royal palace, or rather, the royal family, from Jarnal, who had become my subordinate, but it turned out to be the right thing to do.
First of all, my younger brother, Croitz le Carlo=Zigul=Arlay, who was born of the same mother as me, seems to be showing the kind of excellence that befits a royal, unlike me.
I resemble my mother, but my brother resembles my father, and it is said that he is now very handsome.
He is a perfect superhuman who excels in talent, appearance, and even personality. The last time I saw him was five years ago, but I can believe it. Even then, my brother was already showing signs of his talent.
However, it seems that a problem has arisen here.
In addition to my mother, the queen, my father has ten concubines. I say “apparently” because there were only five concubines when I came here. I wonder if five more have been added in the past five years, but if you think about it, he is the king of a great country. It might even be too few.
The problem is the existence of my half-brother, Dain le Carlo=Zigul=Arlay, the first prince born to the second concubine.
It seems that this brother is even more outstanding than my younger brother, and he is said to be a genius.
He himself may have some ambition, but the problem lies in the fact that his mother, the second concubine, is trying to make her son the next king.
My excellent younger brother, Croitz, is second in line to the throne, and my much more excellent older brother, Dain, is third in line to the throne.
The first in line to the throne is practically non-existent, so unless something extraordinary happens, these two will undoubtedly be the next kings. It seems that the other concubines also have some princes, but they are still young and do not have the same outstanding talents as the two older brothers.
When I was in the royal palace, I was surrounded by half-siblings.
Now, this country is feudalistic, but it is also meritocratic. This applies to the royal family as well, or rather, there is a tendency that those who are of royal blood should be strong.
Applying this, it is not surprising that the third prince, who is the son of a concubine but has far superior abilities, is recognized as more suitable to be the next king than the second prince, who is the son of the queen and second in line to the throne.
Moreover, the family of this second concubine is a ducal family of the same rank as my mother. And in the so-called tea party faction, where the noble ladies of the royal family and the aristocracy gather, the second concubine seems to have more power.
My mother is pure, so she’s not very good at that kind of thing… That’s the impression I got of my mother when I saw her as a child.
Of course, my mother’s family is also a ducal family with considerable power in the country. Although there is no direct harassment or attack, there is no denying the fact that the outer moat is being filled in.
Jarnal told me that the succession struggle will become even more intense in the future.
I can’t help but sigh at this. Because if my older brother, Dain, wins the succession struggle, I’m sure I’ll be targeted, even if I don’t want to be.
After all, even if he is an incompetent crown prince, he has the right to be the next king unconditionally. It wouldn’t be surprising if he targeted my life to eliminate any possibility of an accident.
As an aside, I am hated by my older brother, like a snake or a scorpion.
My younger brother, Croitz… surely he wouldn’t target me? He wouldn’t, would he? Please don’t.
–This is very bad.
It seems that while I was locked up in this unnecessarily large mansion for five years, things have gotten very complicated outside.
In this state, I wonder if I’ll even be able to die of old age. I wonder if I’ll even be able to die of old age, or if something is definitely going to happen to me.
So, let’s work hard and get stronger from now on! That was also impossible.
In terms of ability, it would be possible. However, I have no way to raise my soul level, and I have almost no opportunity to learn, increase, or train my skills.
I might be able to handle a sword or a spear, but I don’t think I can win a fight with just that.
Combat experience, strategy, and judgment can only be gained through fighting. It is said that if you actually train, you will develop various senses, such as the ability to sense presence, killing intent, and magic (color).
This is also the reason why I can’t practice magic in my room.
I used to feel safe because I was indoors, but I realized this when I remembered about this perception. If I activate magic, someone in this mansion will definitely notice.
I can never reveal this power. If I were to carelessly show my abilities now, I would be dragged into the succession struggle. More importantly, I no longer see any value in the throne.
No matter how much I ponder what to do, I know what I can do now.
As I watched the guards train as usual, thinking that they were still working hard, something suddenly caught my attention.
“Hey.”
“Yes, sir.”
The one who answered was Tanar, the second-ranked butler.
Perhaps because I haven’t collapsed recently, the number of servants available to me has decreased, and even Zeel has been disappearing more often.
Well, that man is normally busy, so it would be strange for him to stay by my side. Aside from that, I don’t want him to be around me too much because I feel a strange pressure from him. He’s definitely not just a butler.
Compared to him, Tanar is easy to talk to and I like him.
“Tell Romero Plum to come to me later.”
“Yes, sir.”
With that, I headed to the library and decided to kill some time by reading a book.
*
“Romero Plum, Captain of the Royal Guard, I have come as you called.”
“Yes.”
Waiting in the reception room was Romero Plum, who, as he said, commands my guards. He has soft eyes, yet his gaze is sharp, and his face is handsome and manly. The armor that hides his body, which must have been forged through relentless training, is simple and sturdy, yet beautiful. The sword at his waist is also undoubtedly excellent. He is a man worthy of protecting the Crown Prince, the future king.
“Yes. Sit down.”
“Yes, sir.”
Even the way he sits opposite me in the seat of honor makes him seem like a warrior.
That made him seem all the more pitiful.
“Is this the first time we’ve talked like this?”
“In the palace, and when we first came to this mansion together, you spoke to me.”
“I see.”
I don’t remember at all. If I try hard to remember, I did indeed speak to him. However, it was literally just something like, “Do as you see fit.”
“I called you here for a reason. Tell me honestly, how do you feel about your current situation?”
“My current situation, sir?”
“Yes.”
Normally, it is not appropriate to question one’s master. However, the intent of the question seemed to be quite difficult, and he frowned deeply. There is no such deep meaning, so please answer casually.
“There is no doubt that you and your men are protecting the mansion and me. The same goes for the direct troops.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Yes. But that’s all there is to it. Don’t you ever want to go out and work?”
“My duty is to protect His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Is that so?”
He answered my question immediately. I can’t see any falsehood in his eyes. I don’t have enough life experience to tell the truth from a lie.
“Hmm, I understand. You may leave.”
“Yes, sir. Please call me anytime.”
With that, he stood up, bowed in front of the door, and left the reception room.
I narrowed my eyes slightly as I watched his back disappear.
What I was curious about was his feelings towards me.
I have no allies. That’s why I wanted to ask him, who protects me, how he feels about it. But it seems that I don’t have the ability to judge that right now.
Suddenly, I start to think. Which path should I choose from here on out?
I have gained a vassal of my own in Jalnaar. I also have my own retainers, however temporarily, in the form of the Royal Guard.
The words “increasing my allies” cross my mind.
But to be honest, I can’t trust the Royal Guard. After all, they each belong to their own countries, families, or nobles, so it’s unclear whether they are allies or enemies.
Aside from the Royal Guard, there are also those who come from my grandfather’s house, the Zarood family, known as the Crown Prince’s Direct Troops, but I don’t know how much I can trust them either.
Which path should I choose from here on out? Should I struggle to deal with everything on my own, or should I increase my allies, even if they are unreliable?