Chapter 3: How can you be sure?

Alexios, who had fainted, woke up a short while later.

Marina tried her best to nurse him by his side, but it wasn’t much help.

His mind was just that complicated.

‘How could this happen.’

The first thought that came to mind was just one thing.

That he was, for all intents and purposes, f*cked.

‘His Majesty— no, Father, tried to get rid of me? And Uncle even agreed to it?’

Honestly, it was a hard story to believe.

Normally, he would have called the soldiers, thinking some crazy b*stard was spouting nonsense.

But he couldn’t do that now.

Not only were there no soldiers since he had been kidnapped, but more importantly, he himself felt that the man’s words had a certain persuasiveness.

‘Thinking about it, it was strange from the beginning.’

Currently, in the capital, they are in the middle of a conference about the demi-humans who are growing stronger by the day.

But why would His Majesty the Emperor suddenly send him to Germano at this timing?

Why did his uncle avoid eye contact, unlike usual?

Why was his father’s gaze growing harsher by the day?

Why does he never mention a single word about his deceased mother?

Crown Prince Alexios always had questions.

A day, a few days, a year.

It was an old question that he had held for even more than several years.

But he never pressed the matter.

Before being a son, he was the crown prince of the empire.

As a loyal subject receiving the emperor’s command, he had to follow the given orders as they were.

If he just did that.

‘If I just did that, I believed he would one day look at me with the same eyes as before.’

He had lived believing only in that one thing.

To hear that one phrase, “my proud son,” from his lips.

But.

But!

This is the result?

‘I’m an illegitimate child.’

How could that be.

Honestly, he still couldn’t quite believe it.

It was also strange that they chose assassination as the means to eliminate him.

In the first place, if that were the case, who in the world was his biological father?

However, in a corner of his heart, he could find himself admitting it.

Why?

‘Because that one statement solves most of the questions I’ve had until now.’

Sending him to Germano was to exclude him from the nation’s major affairs.

His uncle must have already seen him as a stain on the imperial family.

There was no need to even mention his father.

Since he wasn’t his biological child in the first place, the moment he realized that, his resentment must have been greater than his love.

Isn’t that right?

Isn’t it!!!

“S-sob…”

“Y-Your Highness…”

“Marina… what, what should I do now-“

“Please don’t listen to such wicked words. How can you trust the words of such a person. Yes?”

Once again, the comfort was of little use.

The crown prince was still in a state of turmoil, and Marina tried her best to change the subject.

“Please calm down. In the first place, do that person’s words even make sense? For Your Highness to be an illegitimate child, then who in the world would be your biological father!”

“His Highness’s biological father is the late Northern Grand Duke. He and Her Majesty the Queen were childhood friends. They were originally promised to be married in the future, but were forcibly separated for political reasons.”

“……”

“……”

“The Northern Grand Duke died while fending off the demi-human invasion, didn’t he? In fact, it was a semi-suicide. Her Majesty the Queen had already passed away. He felt he had no more hope to live.”

“……”

“Ah, of course, if he had known about the crown prince’s identity, the story might have been a little different.”

The crown prince fainted again.

Thud!

“Y-Your Highness!”

---

Fortunately, the crown prince got up again after a short while.

‘His recovery is fast. Good, I like it.’

His uncle’s betrayal, the emperor’s true feelings, and the assassination.

For someone hit with a triple combo of parental insults, this isn’t too bad.

At least it means his grasp on reality is quick.

Of course, the state of the crown prince who had opened his eyes again was not very good.

“Y-Your Highness? Are you alright?”

“Huh? What? Why am I an illegitimate child? An affair? Cheating? Kidnapping and confinement? Regret? Ruin? Obsession?”

“Your Highness!!!”

“Huh? Why is my hair color gold? Huh? Is my family the perpetrator? Huh huh huh???”

I need to correct myself.

His condition was ‘very’ not good.

The crown prince continued to babble nonsense at the empty air.

Perhaps for the ethical standards of this world, this information was too radical.

What on earth is NTR…

“Your Highness, please calm down for now.”

I watched the atmosphere and cut in.

The slumped crown prince raised his head to look at me, then made a face as if he had just watched an NTR video delivered to the victim.

Hey, why are you looking at a person like that.

“…Yes, you’re right. I need to calm down.”

Whew. The crown prince took a deep breath.

Only then did his expression improve slightly.

He tiredly washed his face with his dry hands, then looked at me and asked.

“First, there’s one thing I must clarify.”

“What is it.”

“Where on earth did you learn all of this?”

It was a natural question, if anything.

It was also natural that I couldn’t answer it.

“…Somehow it sounds like you’re telling me not to ask. Am I right?”

“How could I add my opinion to Your Highness’s impression?”

I replied with whatever came to mind.

At a glance, it sounded like nonsense, and it was, in fact, nonsense.

‘You didn’t ask expecting an answer either. Just let it go.’

Knowledge is the only asset I possess.

I can’t carelessly reveal its source to others.

It’s a foolish act to give up my advantageous position myself, so why would I?

“I see. I’ll let it slide for now. It seems we weren’t on equal footing in the first place.”

Discussions and deals have a point of intersection.

They are only established when both parties have something they want from each other.

Information is the same.

At least in this regard, I am no different from the greatest merchant in this world.

The crown prince realized that fact and backed down first.

Considering his begging for life earlier, his grasp on reality and his perceptiveness seemed quite sharp.

“But, there is one thing that I find strange.”

“What is it?”

“What else, it’s the same topic as before. I am very curious about the source of your information. I am also curious about who it was that told you that story.”

“Hmm…”

“If, I do not believe your story, what will you do then?”

The crown prince’s expression subtly changed.

He seemed to be testing the waters again.

‘He hasn’t given up yet.’

Unfortunately, he picked the wrong opponent.

“It doesn’t really matter.”

“? It doesn’t matter?”

“Yes. For my part, I merely extended a little goodwill. What happens next is for Your Highness to decide.”

At my words, the crown prince’s expression becomes a little strange.

He must have assumed I had some selfish desire.

But when the stage was set and I refused, it seemed quite unexpected.

‘Selfish desire my a*s. Wanting to live isn’t a selfish desire.’

I held a bitter thought and continued with my remaining words.

“Whether you believe my words or not, that is Your Highness’s freedom. However, for some reason, I don’t think Your Highness will just let this go.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you’ve already started to doubt.”

“……”

“If you don’t know, you can’t help it, but once you know, you can’t just let it pass. Your Highness will surely continue to be conscious of what I said, and you will investigate separately whether it is true or not. You tested me in the hopes of shortening that time. Am I wrong?”

This is, simply put, the curse of knowledge.

If you don’t know, you let it be, but once you know, you can’t help but be conscious of it.

And this is a story related to the crown prince himself.

Once he knows, it will surely keep popping up in his head.

It was somewhat comical, but in order to deny that my words were true, the crown prince had to take the initiative and start investigating himself.

‘A comical situation where the victim has to find the evidence first. However, I must insist on this stance.’

That’s the only way to prevent nonsense about the source of the information from coming up.

Anyway, I moved my feet at that point.

My position was right in front of the bound crown prince.

Glancing over, I could see a griffin-patterned brooch, the symbol of the imperial family, on his chest.

‘The symbol of the imperial family is bound by Wyrcana.’

A pure white wyvern was holding a red griffin.

Was it just my imagination that this felt like some sort of foreshadowing for the distant future?

Whatever it was, it wasn’t something to worry about right now.

I looked into his eyes and spoke quietly and directly.

“Your Highness, ascend to the emperor’s throne yourself.”

“……”

“That is the only way for Your Highness to live.”

---

After hearing my words, the crown prince was lost in thought for a moment.

Given the content, his expression was quite serious.

‘As expected, he’s not just laughing it off. Has he already half-prepared himself?’

I think his mind must be complicated in many ways.

He must be thinking about his real biological father, the Northern Grand Duke, as well.

‘If he asks about that, I should just answer him obediently.’

The information about his biological father isn’t that sensitive anyway.

Since we’re cooperating, I was willing to just give him one or two minor things.

“Hoo.”

Finally, after finishing his thoughts, the crown prince opened his mouth again.

“I understand your words well. I also know what they mean.”

“Is that so.”

“But, to be honest, it won’t be an easy task. To put it nicely, it’s finding a way to live, but to put it bluntly, it’s just treason. Am I wrong?”

It’s not exactly wrong.

Whatever the reason, treason is treason.

But the important thing is that doing so will make the future better.

“Are you perhaps hesitant? Is the task too heavy?”

“It would be a lie to say no. To be honest, there aren’t that many people in the current empire who would support me besides my father.”

The crown prince said so and counted on his fingers.

One, two, three. And that was it.

‘What is this, Crayon Shin-chan?’

Topsy-turvy, bewildered, spinning around.

My head is already dizzy.

To have only three allies for such a grand undertaking.

“As you can see, the situation is not good. In this position, what can I do?”

“It sounds like you’re telling me to help.”

“Does it sound that way? Well, if so, then that must be right. How could I add my opinion to your impression.”

This man is now even quoting my words.

Is he starting to relax?

‘There’s not much I can do to help, though.’

I have a rough idea of what the crown prince is thinking.

But, unfortunately, it was half in vain.

Why? Isn’t it obvious?

I’m not particularly skilled in martial arts, nor am I skilled in strategy.

I just delved a little into the original settings.

Other than that, I’m just an ordinary person.

To directly support a grand affair like a rebellion, I lack the guts in the first place.

‘This man needs to know that.’

Was the first impression too strong?

The crown prince seems to think of me as some kind of hidden mastermind.

‘Then I should wake him up from his dream.’

“Your Highness. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to help you.”

“? Why not?”

“All I have is shallow knowledge. I don’t have any other particular strengths. If you place your expectations on me for no reason, it might cause great problems in the future.”

Did my words have an effect?

Only then did the crown prince’s face change slightly.

It was a face of someone thinking deeply about something.

“Hmm. Knowledge, you say…”

Correction.

Unfortunately, it didn’t have much of an effect.

It seems he’s expecting something in a different sense than before.

I think I’m really going crazy.

“Knowledge, not wisdom. In that sense, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“…What is it?”

“It’s about my next move. What should I do now?”

The crown prince straightened his posture and asked me in a serious tone.

Since he was tightly bound, there wasn’t much weight to it.

“Why are you asking me that? Just go back to the mansion.”

“Why? Isn’t that place the most dangerous right now?”

The crown prince asked back, puzzled.

Right. Normally, that would be correct.

But, the state of the imperial family is a little peculiar right now.

‘Was it Lore Book Volume 1, page 182?’

Let’s see. The situation of the imperial family at this point was definitely…

“There was a meeting recently within the imperial family regarding the demi-humans, right?”

“……? How do you know about that-“

“First, this was mentioned in the meeting. How to deal with the demi-humans appearing in the western region. The solution was simple. Send troops. And, I think Your Highness must participate in this battle.”

“…Participate in that? Why?”

“The reason is also simple. Only then will Your Highness’s prestige rise.”

The crown prince tilts his head.

“Prestige?”

I clasped my hands together, mimicking holding a sword.

“Right here, the empire’s new sword master will be born.”

“……?”

“You should build a connection with such a person in advance. At the same time, by winning the battle, Your Highness’s fame will also increase. If you are preparing for the future, there is no better opportunity than this…”

I stopped talking midway.

It was because the crown prince’s expression was strangely odd for some reason.

‘What is it.’

I went out of my way to tell him, so why is he like that?

“Wait a minute. There’s one thing I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

“How do you know about the imperial meeting in the first place- no, that’s not it. Anyway, a sword master is born in that battle. Did you say that for sure?”

“Yes. I did.”

I nodded my head.

Because that is indeed the truth.

But, for some reason, the crown prince’s expression became even more peculiar after hearing my answer.

“A sword master is born in this battle, you say…”

“Is there a problem?”

“How do you know that?”

“?”

“This is something that hasn’t happened yet. How can you be so sure about the future?”

Ah.

A mistake.