Chapter 113: Chapter 113
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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: A Calculated Risk
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The First Prince.
Lucraizen Haysirion.
His eyes, heavy with pressure, silently met mine.
The First Prince was the one who stood against Duke Roblia in the final scenario's Act 6.
However, he wasn't entirely on the protagonist's side.
What he desired was the imperial throne.
He was a man who would do anything for the prosperity and strength of the Empire.
To such a man, I had dared to state the benefits of helping him now.
For the First Prince, who had been revered like a god his entire life, it was an utterly audacious remark.
"Your words suggest that if there's no benefit for me, you'd gladly side with the Third Princess."
The pressure emanating from the First Prince slowly tightened around my body.
Yet, even before the Empire's most powerful individual, I smiled shamelessly.
"There are no 'my sides' or 'your sides' in this world. Dividing everything only ensures you gain nothing."
"Audacious."
The First Prince slowly leaned back in his chair.
"No, is it fearlessness?"
Sharp.
I was utterly fearless right now.
Without it, I couldn't pique the First Prince's interest and draw him into a conversation.
Moreover, I knew that the First Prince couldn't casually harm me right now.
I had garnered significant global attention because of the recent International Solo Competition.
Although I was transferred as per the law, it was evident to anyone that I was being treated with utmost importance.
The Blue Archmage had been researching Zerion's magic since ancient times.
His goal was to bring the magic of Zerion, the Transcendent Sage, back into this world.
There was no way the First Prince wouldn't know about this goal.
The Blue Mage Tower currently stood neutral, not siding with any faction.
As one of the Mage Towers with strong influence in the Empire, if they were to slip up and side with the opposition, it would create immense trouble.
Therefore, neither the First Prince's faction nor the Third Princess's faction had dared to provoke them.
The judgment was that it was better to leave them alone as long as they maintained neutrality.
And now, someone capable of wielding Zerion's magic – something the current Blue Archmage most desired – had appeared.
Even if the way I handled magic differed from Zerion's, the mere fact that I wielded ancient dragon magic was a significant advantage for the Blue Archmage.
Furthermore, Duke Baekmok had openly shown she was looking out for me.
Her protection was evident from the fact that she personally transported me in her carriage.
Duke Baekmok was also one of the neutral figures.
If I played my cards right, I might even elicit a positive response from both the Blue Archmage and Duke Baekmok.
'The world mostly runs on connections.'
The connections I had behind me were more enticing to the First Prince than anything else.
Naturally, the First Prince wouldn't dare try anything foolish with me.
In other words, my current demeanor was born from the confidence of having powerful backing.
"I don't particularly intend to side with anyone."
"For someone who says that, everything you've done so far strongly gives off the impression that you want attention."
Everything I had done had been disruptive.
Things that couldn't help but draw attention.
Among them, the one whose attention I most wanted was, of course, the First Prince.
I had abruptly appeared in the guise of Hanon, the First Prince's trusted aide.
And I had even snatched up the transfer to Zerion Academy that the First Prince had arranged, securing a spot for myself.
It must have been outrageous to him.
For me to now deflect the conversation instead of siding with him was deeply displeasing.
"What are His Imperial Highness, the First Prince's, thoughts on Duke Roblia?"
The First Prince's eyebrow twitched.
It was because Duke Roblia, not the Third Princess, had been mentioned.
I had openly revealed the fact that Duke Roblia was aiming for the imperial throne.
It was something everyone knew but kept quiet about, and I had spoken it aloud.
At this point, it was tantamount to saying I wasn't on Duke Roblia's side either.
"Duke Roblia is a meticulous man."
"He is also a person full of ambition. And I believe that intense ambition can sometimes prove to be a poison."
"You don't wish for the Third Princess to become Emperor?"
"If Her Imperial Highness, the Third Princess, wishes to become Emperor, I will not stop her."
However.
"I also do not wish for Duke Roblia to become Emperor."
It was a contradictory statement.
But the First Prince understood its meaning well enough.
"It sounds as if you can make anyone an emperor whenever you wish."
"It's not as if I could do such a thing alone. But."
The First Prince's faction and the Third Princess's faction held roughly equal power.
They had already divided everything worth sharing among themselves.
All that was left were things no one could touch.
In this situation.
"You cannot deny the influence that my involvement would have in tipping the scales."
A small, newly appeared weight.
A scale can be tipped by such a small weight.
Furthermore, the weight that arises from me siding with someone isn't just me as an individual.
Since I appeared as Hanon, the First Prince had set many ears within the academy.
And through that process, he would know the various individuals I was connected to.
The First Prince might not fully know how deep those relationships were.
The people surrounding me were, without exception, extraordinary.
'For instance.'
Just looking at Isabel, she had awakened the Goddess's Wings this time.
The First Prince must have received this news as well.
Slowly, many events were unfolding with me at their center.
This was thanks to my struggle to make the scenario part of the main timeline all this time.
Not just me as an individual, but the network of interests intertwined with me had begun to shake the stagnant political situation.
"Ha, h-heheh."
At that moment, the First Prince slowly let out a laugh.
He rested his chin on his hand, observing me leisurely.
"You're no ordinary madman."
He had defined me as a madman.
"But at least I clearly understand your intentions. If there's a common enemy, you'll be an ally more than anyone else, won't you?"
"Precisely."
Duke Roblia, the common enemy.
I would certainly contribute to defeating that enemy.
Hearing my words, the First Prince slowly relaxed his posture.
"Moreover, you've shrewdly caught on to my preferences."
Busted.
The First Prince didn't trust those who blindly followed him.
He preferred individuals who would act only when they saw a clear benefit he could provide and when the terms of the deal were fair.
Such people, as long as there was a benefit from the First Prince, would never betray him.
Furthermore, the First Prince was confident he could gradually draw them firmly to his side.
He possessed the inherent charisma of an emperor.
The First Prince was the one who embodied this most.
"What is it you desire from me?"
The First Prince, in turn, asked me to state my wishes.
He was a figure whose influence, excluding the Emperor, was the strongest, akin to Duke Baekmok.
His offer could grant anything in this world.
"My identity."
So, I decided to set a safeguard here.
"It would be enough if you could help resolve the repercussions and legal issues that might arise when I eventually reveal my true identity."
It certainly would have been no problem if I hadn't pretended to be Hanon from the start.
But I had participated in this matter and made it part of the scenario.
The First Prince wouldn't be able to read all my intentions.
However, at the very least, my proposal was something he would gladly accept.
The First Prince let out a hollow laugh.
"Iris, did you trick her that way too?"
"I didn't particularly trick her."
"It'll be quite a sight when it's revealed that you're not her cousin."
The First Prince ended it there and rose from his seat.
"Oh, right, since I've seen the success of this deal, I'll tell you something."
My eyes fixed on him.
"You are not the only one who has come to wield ancient dragon magic."
At the same time, my eyes began to widen.
I understood what his words meant.
'Nikita.'
The remnants of the ancient dragon had left their mark on Nikita.
And having used ancient dragon magic once, she wouldn't have been able to completely escape its influence.
Nia was by Nikita's side.
Surely, knowing this, she must have guided Nikita towards wielding ancient dragon magic.
'She's grown.'
I could clearly feel how much more effort she, the embodiment of diligence, had put in.
"Furthermore, Nia's research into magic, even after her death, is almost complete. Though, only a mage of Nia's caliber would be able to use it."
The First Prince's lips curved into an eerie smile.
"You can look forward to it. A new wind will blow through the Mage Palace."
"I will be looking forward to it greatly."
With that, the First Prince waved his hand and departed.
Once the First Prince closed the door and left, my body finally slumped into the chair.
Even if I wasn't afraid, I was mentally exhausted.
It was only natural after such a battle of wits with the First Prince.
'I don't know about anything else.'
I just want to go back to the academy quickly.
For some reason, I miss the academy especially today.
* * *
There are laws and order in the world.
Yet, there are also those who play above such laws and order.
Duke Baekmok and the Blue Archmage.
Through these two, the pinnacles of power and magic, the Imperial Law had to be revised once more.
A precedent was set, including ancient dragon magic under the Hero's Special Law.
These unruly individuals.
They had, at last, even rewritten the Empire's laws.
"Is this really alright? What if someone uses the fact that the law was rewritten as leverage?"
"If I'm the one who made the law, who would dare use it as leverage?"
At Duke Baekmok's words, I shut my mouth.
What meaning did it hold before someone who creates laws?
"More importantly, young man, many things will happen centered around you from now on."
I had wielded ancient dragon magic before the eyes of dignitaries from all over the world.
That, naturally, would spread far and wide across the globe.
Undoubtedly, people from various parts of the world would begin to pay attention to me.
While it wasn't entirely welcome news for me, there was no other way to prepare for Act 5, which was slowly approaching.
'And.'
Act 4 wasn't over yet.
Vinesha, the Mad Sorceress.
She would come to Zerion Academy, using this incident as an opportunity.
"And I cannot help you beyond that."
"It's enough that you saved my life this time."
I had almost ended up on the Empire's execution block.
My life was saved largely thanks to Duke Baekmok's active intervention.
Duke Baekmok then revealed her hand and ruffled my hair vigorously.
"Hmm, a hero must, by nature, endure such things!"
It seemed Duke Baekmok saw me as endlessly young.
"More to the point, I secretly received a message from the Saintess's side."
Duke Baekmok was a hero trusted by other nations as well.
It seemed she had conveyed her gratitude for the help with this matter and sent a separate message.
"A message, you say?"
"The Saintess seems very interested in you, young man. When did you charm her?"
It seemed that once the situation was settled, she had asked how I knew Narea.
"She seems to want your personal contact information. Be careful if you lay a hand on the Saintess; there's no telling what the Holy Kingdom might do."
"I have no such intentions. But I would appreciate it if you could arrange for personal contact."
"Oh, you scoundrel!"
But Duke Baekmok, instead, laughed heartily, saying she liked that side of me.
She was truly a person of old.
"Hanoon."
Just then, Sharin appeared in the distance, waving her hand.
She arrived with the Blue Archmage, her face etched with fatigue.
Sharin approached me and, with a languid expression, declared:
"We're in big trouble."
"What is it?"
Big trouble, all of a sudden?
"You and I are to be engaged."
Huh?
"Heheh, what a scoundrel you are."
I couldn't hear Duke Baekmok's laughter.