Chapter 036. The Crown Prince (3)

Rice is rice.

Veris was utterly astonished at the sight of the prince, Friedrich, calmly sitting and eating, completely unfazed despite having thrown his white gloves.

He looked like someone whose screws had come loose a long time ago.

His personality didn't seem particularly bad, but he also had a strong sense of the royal entitlement that came with being a member of the aristocracy.

"Maria, why aren't you eating?"

"...."

Whether he knew what Veris was thinking or not, Friedrich was fussing over Maria, who was picking at her food with a worried look in his eyes.

From just this scene, he looked like a warm-hearted older brother who cared for his younger sister. But the problem was that he held an anachronistic mindset that his sister's husband needed his and the emperor's permission.

"Brother, do you really intend to duel?"

"Well, there's no reason I can't, is there? I can think of it as just warming up after a meal."

"I think it would be better if you didn't fight."

Maria spoke to Friedrich in a voice that was small and hunched over, as if she were afraid her words might reach Veris's table.

"...You really care for him."

Maria was continuously spilling her worries. By this point, it was clear that not knowing would make her look foolish.

"Um… Brother?"

"Yes. Speak up."

"I'm sorry to say this, but I'm not worried about that man."

Friedrich tilted his head in confusion.

He seemed to have no idea what she was talking about, and his face showed his frustration.

"That man is much, much stronger than you think. In my opinion, he might be the strongest on the continent."

"Haha."

Friedrich let out a hollow laugh at Maria's explanation.

Originally, he had thought Maria had a broad perspective and high-level thinking.

But now he realized that was purely his misconception.

Students born with exceptional talents at the academy?

He was sorry to say, but Friedrich had seen countless of them. After all, he himself was a prince from the academy. How could he not know that there were many geniuses in the world?

To him, Maria's words were ripe for misunderstanding. Because he had a broad mind, he let it slide, but if those with high pride had heard it, they would have been furious.

"...You don't believe me."

"I do believe you. I can feel that he is quite a skilled person."

"Then why are you insisting on a duel?"

Friedrich set down his fork and looked intently at his sister.

Maria was so cute that one would want to pinch her cheeks. For a girl who had grown up in the royal palace her whole life, the world had many ugly corners.

In fact, Friedrich knew that his excessive interference was unwarranted. But the slight anxiety in his heart, along with his concern for Maria, led to the result of him requesting a duel.

"I love you and care for you, that's why."

"Brother…."

"Ahem, it's a bit embarrassing to say this in front of you, but both the emperor and I sincerely wish for your happiness. Of course, your sister feels the same way. So, while it may seem like excessive interference, I hope you can trust me just this once."

It was a family voice that naturally felt warm.

How could one possibly feel resentment towards that?

"...Still, you should be cautious."

"Cautious, you say? You really hold that man in high regard."

"Brother."

"Yes."

"...You know about the Sword Demon, right?"

Friedrich nodded at Maria's seemingly odd question.

It was clear that almost no one living on this continent didn't know of the Sword Demon.

With a nickname that suited him well, he was indeed famous as a swordsman who was completely out of his mind.

"Of course. The Sword Demon is someone everyone who wields a sword admires and fears."

Friedrich replied.

A person who simultaneously garners fear and admiration. That was why he thought of the Sword Demon in that way.

"Brother, this is really a secret…"

"Hmm?"

"It's really a secret. There are probably only three people in the world who know this."

Friedrich's eyes lit up with interest.

He had no idea why Maria had brought up the name of the Sword Demon.

But he could easily predict the situation.

'Is he his disciple?'

The name of the Sword Demon carried significant weight. The fact that Maria mentioned the Sword Demon in this context clearly indicated that this proud student of his was likely his disciple.

"If you promise to keep it a secret, I'll tell you."

"Haha! Alright. I promise to keep it a secret. I swear on the honor of my title as prince."

At Friedrich's firm declaration, Maria nodded slightly and leaned in closer to him, speaking in an even smaller voice than before.

'What a cute kid.'

Unfortunately, Friedrich's keen insight had already caught on to the situation.

However, he couldn't help but be shocked by Maria's bombshell declaration.

"He killed the Sword Demon. With a single strike. He swung his sword once, and the Sword Demon was no longer a part of this world."

"What?"

Crash!

Friedrich was so shocked by Maria's confession that he jumped up from his seat.

The chair he had been sitting in scraped loudly against the floor, drawing the attention of those at the nearby table to his back.

"Is that… is that true?"

Friedrich's heart raced.

In the empire, no, in this world, there is a certain common sense that exists.

He could feel the oppressive aura of the man sitting behind him, which carried a different weight from the atmosphere around them.

But with the sound that easily shattered the boundaries of common sense, Friedrich wore a blank expression.

'The Sword Demon? In a single blow? How on earth?'

No matter how he thought about it, it was something that defied understanding when judged by common sense.

Who was the Sword Demon? A ghost obsessed with swords that instilled fear in the hearts of many.

That person?

"Ahem, I apologize for my outburst."

Friedrich offered a half-hearted apology to Veris and his group at the nearby table, then quickly adjusted his chair and sat back down.

Having been so shocked, his hunger had vanished, and he was now leaning forward, whispering just like Maria.

"Did you see that scene? You said there are only three people in this world who know about it."

"...Yes. I didn't want to bring it up unnecessarily, but you were acting so foolishly."

"Cough! That's true. If what you say is true, I must look quite foolish in his eyes."

Friedrich readily understood Maria's concerns.

In fact, he had thought that he was the only one under the spell of infatuation. But having heard her confession, how could he still be under that illusion?

Friedrich had his foolish moments, but he was not a stupid man. He soon found one fact shining brightly in his mind.

'He's a skilled person who can take down the Sword Demon, yet he readily accepted my duel request?'

He felt a surge of happiness at this stroke of luck.

In general, the teachings of an overwhelming master on the path of the sword lead to extraordinary results.

It was, quite literally, an unexpected stroke of fortune. It could be an opportunity that would be hard to come by even for a fortune of gold.

"Now that I think about it, he's also horrifically handsome, and his abilities are excellent? Well, he seems to have a fiery personality as well. Truly, he must be someone blessed by the gods."

Friedrich's evaluation of Veris had completely changed. He glanced at the nearby table.

Veris had a cold demeanor. But contrary to that, the playful smile on his face held a strange charm.

'Could it be because of that?'

He suddenly recalled the beautiful elf and the Saintess Cecilia who were by his side.

Then, Friedrich turned his gaze back to Maria, who was sitting in front of him with a tense expression.

A woman's appearance?

Of course, it mattered. But seeing Arwen and Cecilia, who were also wellknown in the empire, made Friedrich feel an inexplicable sense of unease.

He was a formidable opponent. His sister had been fighting a lonely battle at the academy without him knowing.

"Hmm."

As his thoughts flowed in that direction, Friedrich felt a pang of guilt towards Maria.

If it weren't for him, Maria might have been eating among that group.

'Yes, I admit it purely. That man is someone I, Friedrich, would give a passing grade to.'

His lovely sister wouldn't have been lying in front of him. So, he thought that her relaxed demeanor was also a privilege of the strong.

"But you know…"

"Yes, brother."

The two royals, who had leaned in closer, were now whispering to each other.

They looked like two children conspiring without their parents knowing.

"Maria, don't you like that man?"

"I-I've never said that with my own mouth!"

"Right, right. Anyway, that man seems to be living with two beautiful girls, as far as I can see."

"...."

"What would you do if they crossed the line?"

"Ugh!"

Maria barely suppressed a scream, staring blankly at Friedrich.

What he said was so explicit that even the most oblivious person could understand.

Crossing the line. An academy student engaging in forbidden love and running away in the night!

Friedrich had never even mentioned such things, yet Maria was letting her imagination run wild.

Seeing Maria's face turn bright red, he clicked his tongue softly.

"You're far off, very far off."

Though he hadn't married, Friedrich was well-versed in matters between men and women. To him, Maria's ambiguous attitude would yield no benefits. In fact, it was likely to act as poison.

"It seems that I need to help you."

"Y-Yes?"

"Planning can come later. For now, since you've decided to duel him, you must approach this sacred and honorable duel with a sincere heart."

At the sudden shift in the prince's demeanor, Maria nodded.

Friedrich, who was unusually harsh in his evaluations of men, seemed to be genuinely supportive of Veris and Maria, perhaps because he was shocked that someone could take down the Sword Demon in a single blow.

"Oh, brother, just worry about yourself."

Maria finally shut her eyes tightly and shouted.

It was the first time she had ever felt such shame. But the touching fact was that she secretly appreciated Friedrich's supportive attitude.

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