Chapter 112: I Have a Fiancée Now

First Prince.
Lucrayzen Hyserion.
His gaze, heavy with pressure, met mine in silence.

The First Prince is the one who stands in direct opposition to Duke Robliaju in the final scenario, Act 6.
However, he is not entirely on the protagonist’s side.
What he desires is the throne.
A man who will do anything for the prosperity of the empire.

Such a man had just asked me to state the merits he would gain if he were to help me now.
For a prince who had been worshipped from birth like the sky itself, it was an audacious statement.

“So, what you’re saying is that if there’s no merit for you, you’d be just as willing to side with the Third Princess?”

The pressure emanating from the First Prince slowly tightened around me.
But even in the face of the empire’s most powerful figure, I shamelessly smiled.

“In this world, there is no ‘my side’ or ‘your side.’ If you only divide, you end up losing what you could have gained.”

“Bold.”

The First Prince slowly leaned back in his chair.

“Or rather, are you simply fearless?”

Sharp.
Right now, I had lost my fear.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to attract the First Prince’s interest and draw him into conversation.

Moreover, I knew that he couldn’t recklessly lay a hand on me just yet.

Due to the recent international individual tournament, I had gained global attention.
Even though I was detained according to the law, anyone could see that I was receiving special treatment.

The Master of the Blue Tower had been researching Zeryon’s magic for a very long time.
His goal was to bring back the magic of the transcendent sage, Zeryon, into this world.
There was no way the First Prince was unaware of this goal.

The Blue Tower remained neutral, unaffiliated with any faction.
As one of the most influential magical towers in the empire, if it were to shift to the opposing side, the consequences would be severe.
Thus, neither the First Prince nor the Third Princess had tried to interfere.
As long as the tower maintained its neutrality, it was best to leave it alone.

And now, someone who could wield the very magic that the Master of the Blue Tower had long desired had appeared.
Even if my methods differed from Zeryon’s, the mere fact that I could handle the magic of an elder dragon was already a significant merit to the Master of the Blue Tower.

On top of that, the White Wood Duke had openly shown favor toward me.
The fact that she personally placed me in a carriage and oversaw my transport made her protection clear.

The White Wood Duke was also a neutral figure.
If I was handled correctly, both the Master of the Blue Tower and the White Wood Duke might respond favorably.

‘The world runs mostly on connections.’

And the connections I had behind me were enough to make the First Prince covetous.
There was no way he would act foolishly against me.

In short, my current confidence came from the powerful figures backing me.

“I have no intention of siding with anyone in particular.”

“For someone saying that, everything you’ve done so far practically screams for attention.”

Everything I had done had been disruptive.
Impossible not to attract notice.

And out of everyone, the one most drawn to me was, naturally, the First Prince.

I had suddenly appeared in the form of Hanon, his trusted aide.
Then, I had snatched away the transfer spot to Zeryon Academy that the First Prince had arranged.

It was only natural that he found it infuriating.
And now, instead of aligning with him, I was evading the question.
It must have been incredibly aggravating for him.

“What does Your Highness the First Prince think of Duke Robliaju?”

The First Prince’s eyebrow twitched.
It wasn’t the Third Princess but Duke Robliaju who was brought up.

I had bluntly pointed out the fact that Duke Robliaju was after the throne.
A fact that everyone knew but never dared to say out loud.

At this point, I was essentially stating that I wasn’t on Duke Robliaju’s side either.

“Duke Robliaju is a meticulous man.”

“And an ambitious one. But I believe that very ambition can sometimes become his downfall.”

“So, you don’t wish for the Third Princess to become emperor?”

“If Her Highness the Third Princess decides to claim the throne, I won’t stop her.”

Instead—

“But I do not wish for Duke Robliaju to become emperor either.”

A contradictory statement.
Yet, the First Prince understood exactly what I meant.

“It almost sounds as if you have the power to make an emperor whenever you choose.”

“There’s no way I could do that alone. However—”

The factions of the First Prince and the Third Princess held equal power.
They had already divided everything there was to share.
What remained were things neither could lay hands on.

In this situation—

“It’s undeniable that my involvement would tip the scales.”

A new, small weight had appeared.
And even a tiny weight could tip a balance.

Moreover, the weight I carried wasn’t just myself.

Since my appearance as Hanon, the First Prince had placed multiple informants within the academy.
Through them, he must have learned about the people connected to me.
However, he couldn’t possibly know the true depth of those relationships.

And the people around me were anything but ordinary.

‘For instance’

Just recently, Isabel had awakened the Goddess’s Wings.
The First Prince had surely heard about this.

Slowly, events were starting to revolve around me.
This was the result of my tireless efforts to push the scenario into becoming the true history of this world.

It was no longer just about me as an individual.
The web of interests tied to me had begun to shake the previously stagnant political landscape.

“Ha, huhuhuhu.”

At that moment, the First Prince let out a slow chuckle.
Resting his chin on his hand, he gazed at me leisurely.

“You’re no ordinary madman.”

He had now defined me as a lunatic.

“But at the very least, I understand your stance. If we share a common enemy, you’ll be a more reliable ally than anyone.”

“Precisely.”

A common enemy—Duke Robliaju.
And I was fully committed to taking him down.

After hearing my words, the First Prince slowly relaxed his posture.

“And you’ve keenly grasped my nature as well.”

So, he noticed.

The First Prince did not trust those who followed him blindly.
What he valued were individuals who recognized the merits he could provide and acted upon fair transactional terms.

As long as they saw benefit in him, such individuals would never betray him.
And the First Prince had confidence that he could gradually pull them in as his true allies.

The natural charisma of an emperor—
Of all the contenders, the First Prince possessed it the most.

“So, what is it that you want from me?”

Rather than making a demand, the First Prince had turned the question back on me.

Aside from the emperor, he was the most influential figure in the empire, alongside the White Wood Duke.
His offer meant that he could grant me almost anything in this world.

“My identity.”

And so, I decided to secure a safeguard here.

“If you help me handle the aftermath and legal issues that arise when my true identity is revealed in the future, that will be enough.”

If I hadn’t pretended to be Hanon from the start, none of this would have been a problem.
But I had already become involved and had placed myself within the scenario.

The First Prince wouldn’t be able to read all of my intentions.
However, at the very least, my proposal was something he could easily agree to.

The First Prince let out a short, amused scoff.

“Iris—did you lure that child in the same way?”

“I didn’t particularly lure her in.”

“It’s going to be quite the sight when people find out you’re not actually her cousin.”

With that, the First Prince rose from his seat.

“Ah, right. Since I’ve seen the results of this deal, I’ll give you one piece of information.”

His gaze met mine.

“You are not the only one who has gained the ability to wield the elder dragon’s magic.”

At that moment, my eyes widened.
I understood exactly what he meant.

‘Nikita.’

The remnants of the elder dragon had left traces within Nikita.
And since she had used the elder dragon’s magic once before, she wouldn’t have been able to fully escape its influence.

Nia was by Nikita’s side.
No doubt she had realized this and had chosen to embrace the path of wielding that magic instead.

‘She’s grown.’

I could vividly sense just how much effort she must have poured into this.
She was the embodiment of perseverance, after all.

“Furthermore, the late Nia’s magic research is nearly complete. Of course, unless someone is a mage on Nia’s level, they won’t be able to use it.”

A faint, chilling smile curved on the First Prince’s lips.

“You can look forward to it. A new storm is about to sweep through the Demonic Palace.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it with great anticipation.”

With that, the First Prince casually waved his hand and departed.

Only after he shut the door behind him did my body finally relax into the chair.
I wasn’t scared, but dealing with him was mentally exhausting.

That much was inevitable after a battle of wits with the First Prince.

‘Whatever the case.’

I just wanted to return to the academy as soon as possible.
For some reason, I missed it dearly today.

* * *

There are laws and order in this world.
But there are also those who operate above those laws.

The White Wood Duke and the Master of the Blue Tower.
With power and magic at their peak, even the imperial laws had to be revised once more under their influence.

Now, the Special Hero Act had been amended to include cases involving the magic of the elder dragon.

These reckless people.
In the end, they went so far as to rewrite the empire’s laws.

“Is this really okay? What if someone uses this as an excuse to cause trouble?”

“I wrote the law—who would dare challenge it?”

At the White Wood Duke’s words, I could only fall silent.
What was the point of arguing in front of someone who literally created laws?

“More importantly, boy, from now on, a great many events will revolve around you.”

I had wielded the magic of the elder dragon before the eyes of the entire world.
Naturally, word of this would spread far and wide.

People from all corners of the world would begin to take notice of me.
It wasn’t something I particularly welcomed, but—

To prepare for the approaching Fifth Act, there was no other way.

‘And.’

The Fourth Act was not yet over.

The Frenzied Sorceress, Vinesha.
She would come to Zeryon Academy as a result of this incident.

“And beyond that, I won’t be able to help you.”

“Just saving my life this time is more than enough.”

I had nearly ended up on the empire’s execution platform.
The only reason I was spared was thanks to the White Wood Duke stepping in most decisively.

At that moment, the White Wood Duke reached out and roughly ruffled my hair.

“Hmm, a hero must always learn to endure such things!”

It seemed that, in her eyes, I looked endlessly young.

“More importantly, the Saintess has contacted me in secret.”

The White Wood Duke was a hero trusted even in other nations.
That was likely why the Saintess had sent her a message, both in gratitude for her help and to convey something else.

“A message?”

“She seems quite interested in you, boy. When did you manage to charm her?”

Judging by the timing, she must have asked about how I knew Narea now that the situation had settled.

“She wants a private communication channel with you. Be careful—if you make a move on the Saintess, there’s no telling what the Holy Kingdom might do.”

“I have no such intentions. However, I would appreciate the private channel.”

“Hah! You rogue.”

The White Wood Duke only laughed heartily, as if she found this amusing.
She was an old-fashioned woman.

“Hanon!”

Just then, a voice called out from afar.

Sharin was waving at me as she approached.
She looked utterly exhausted, and she wasn’t alone—she was with the Master of the Blue Tower.

With a sluggish expression, she stopped in front of me and said.

“We’re in big trouble.”

“What is?”

Big trouble, all of a sudden?

“You and I… We’ve been ordered to get engaged.”

…What?

“Hah! You’re quite the scoundrel, aren’t you?”

I could hear the White Wood Duke’s laughter—but it didn’t register at all.