CHAPTER 18

Breaking Expectations (3)

A model student.

That was how the second prince was depicted in the novel Magic Sword Emperor. He was diligent in everything, dedicated, and upright with no signs of deviation. He hardly even drank alcohol—no, he was almost incapable of drinking.

Rakiel remembered.

In the original Magic Sword Emperor, you got drunk exactly once. Right before your death.

A scene from the novel resurfaced in his mind.

It was during the fall of the empire.

The second prince had become the emperor. He sat upon the throne, watching the imperial capital, Magenta, engulfed in flames. Silently drowning in grief, he raised a glass of wine.

It wasn't even a strong drink.

Just an ordinary wine.

And yet, that single glass made him completely intoxicated. Drunk out of his mind, he was killed by the invaders' hands. It was the moment when the Magentano imperial family was utterly destroyed.

In any case, I learned one thing from that scene: You can't handle alcohol. At all.

"...Cough! Hiccup! Why…?"

Just as Rakiel was thinking this to himself—

The second prince's face flushed red in an instant.

His eyes were filled with sheer bewilderment.

And not just that—

His legs were already wobbling.

He had begun to stumble with a fancy, unsteady step.

Gotcha!

Rakiel clenched the handle of his shield. He knew his plan had worked perfectly.

Circle Slot, Bomb Shot release—perfect timing.

He had timed it exactly when the second prince's Asrahan Technique infiltrated him. At the precise moment the second prince absorbed his mana—

That's when he opened the Circle Slot, releasing the "20-Type Strong Liquor Bomb Shot," a precise 0.2 liters.

In other words, the second prince had unintentionally one-shotted a deadly cocktail through his Asrahan Technique's absorption ability.

This is why I prepared this last night, ignoring Sir Gardin's horrified reaction.

Rakiel recalled what had happened the night before.

When he ordered strong liquor, Sir Gardin had nearly fainted in shock. But he didn't care—he needed it.

So he insisted on getting the strongest drinks available. He mixed a sip from about twenty different bottles to create a lethal cocktail. Then, he downed the whole thing in one go and stored it in his Circle Slot.

And the result?

It works like a charm.

Wobble—!

"…Khuhp?"

The second prince, Theodor, staggered. He nearly collapsed but barely managed to regain his balance.

Theodor was utterly bewildered.

What… is this? What the hell is happening?

He didn't understand the situation.

Why was he suddenly so dizzy?

Why wasn't his body responding?

Why was the world spinning around him?

He had no idea.

He couldn't comprehend it.

If this continued, he felt like he would lose consciousness.

Why…?

He had only been fighting his brother. He had only been pressing his attacks against the shielded Rakiel. Victory had been within reach.

But when I hit that shield… something…

Something had entered him.

Through his Asrahan Technique.

Something had seeped in through his absorption ability.

It wasn't normal mana.

It carried something else.

Then, like a bomb exploding inside him, something spread uncontrollably.

Why is this happening to me…?

He was confused, flustered, and panicked.

But even so, Theodor clenched his sword tighter.

I can't fall.

Whatever this was, he had been hit by it.

It was an unexpected attack.

That's why he was dizzy.

Theodor desperately forced himself to focus. This is just a duel. His brother could land a hit on him. He could take a hit in the process. That was how duels worked.

Thinking this helped clear some of his confusion. His blurred goal came back into focus.

I will win.

Today, he would defeat his brother in this duel. Within five minutes, he would knock him down.

Then, he would earn their father's recognition. He would stand before the thousands of citizens in the capital, basking in their cheers. He would become the rightful crown prince.

That was the path for himself, the royal family, the empire—

And for his sickly brother.

So… I will win.

Boom!

Theodor barely suppressed the creeping blackout.

With a forceful stomp, he steadied himself.

Though still staggering, he took a firm step forward.

At the end of his path stood Crown Prince Rakiel.

"Hoooh!"

He took a deep breath and raised his sword.

Despite his dulled movements, his sluggish strike came crashing down toward Rakiel.

Clang!

Sword and shield collided.

Rakiel staggered.

Theodor activated his Asrahan Technique again, drawing in Rakiel's mana.

And in that mana—

Was another shot of the deadly cocktail.

Another one. Bottoms up, no backing out now.

The moment Rakiel smirked behind his shield—

[Releasing 0.1 liters of stored Bomb Shot from the Circle Slot.]

Another dose of alcohol poured into Theodor.

"...Cough! Hiccup!"

His face turned even redder. His eyes nearly rolled back. His legs gave way as he stumbled backward, almost dropping his sword.

"Wh-what… Hiccup! W-what is… this?"

He truly couldn't understand.

His body refused to move properly.

It felt like he had been poisoned.

The spectators were just as confused.

"Why is the second prince acting like that?"

"I… I have no idea."

"He looks like he's drunk."

"But that's impossible. He was fine just a moment ago. He hasn't had a single drop of alcohol."

"Well… yeah, that's true…"

The citizens murmured in shock.

The nobles were no different.

"Why… is the second prince acting this way?"

"I don't know either."

"Could he have taken a surprise attack without us noticing?"

"No, that's unlikely. His Highness, the Crown Prince, has only been defending. He hasn't made a single counterattack."

"Then… could it be…?"

"You have an idea?"

"His shield technique."

"Excuse me?"

"I heard that master shield users can redirect the force of an impact back to their attacker. The best mercenaries on the battlefield can do it."

"Are you saying… His Highness is doing that?"

"No, that would be impossible. That's why I'm just as confused."

"…Yes, I feel the same way."

The nobles were bewildered.

The citizens were speechless.

The duel had barely started, with only a few clashes.

Yet, the second prince was already staggering miserably.

No one had expected this.

No one had predicted this scene.

Among the thousands watching, only one person had a different thought.

Emperor Asterion.

SOMETHING is wrong.

Watching the duel from his throne, the emperor narrowed his eyes. In them, suspicion and shock flickered.

Rakiel… Is that really the Asrahan Technique?

His gaze locked onto Rakiel's chest.

Even from this distance—

Even among the swirling energy of countless people—

He could feel it.

The unmistakable resonance of the Asrahan Technique.

So it's true…

The emperor clenched his armrest.

The battle was reaching its climax.

And the tide had completely turned.