Chapter: 229
“Have you finally lost your mind?”
The first words out of Grandpa’s mouth after hearing my story were questioning my sanity.
And honestly, who could blame him? I was talking about calling Prince 2 the “dumb prince.”
If I were an ordinary person, it wouldn’t be surprising if I ended up at the guillotine for insulting royalty.
But I’m not just any ordinary person, am I? Lucy Alrn has been up to these sorts of shenanigans countless times before.
I’ve insulted the current king, called the prestigious first prince a creepy stalker, and poked fun at the third prince over his insecurities.
After all that, here I am, still standing. Not only that, but I’m boldly showing my face in front of a gathering of nobles.
What’s really going to change if I call Prince 2 the “dumb prince” now?
Sure, his glare might intensify. Given that he is the dumb prince, he might pull some tricks for revenge on someone who insulted him.
But isn’t that essentially the same as now? If I ignore him, his minions will still be a bother.
“…Dear girl, I understand what you’re saying, but being subjected to scrutiny from his minions is nothing compared to earning Prince 2’s wrath.”
‘Is that so?’
“Indeed. Currently, the scrutiny directed at you is kept underwater because they don’t want their master to find out. But if you earn Prince 2’s disdain, that’s a whole different ballgame.”
‘So you’re saying there’s no reason to tone it down, then?’
Hmm… So if I outright eliminate Prince 2’s favor, it might not lessen the scrutiny but might actually make it more annoying?
Guess being a rookie in politics is no good.
Having thrown that out there haphazardly, I gave up at Grandpa’s warning, but he was different.
“…No. That’s not it. You, dear girl, are too precious of a talent to give up.”
‘Grandpa?’
“Hold on a moment. I need to think this through.”
He started mumbling something to himself, then began firing questions at Karia through me.
“Ask if the first prince’s claim to the throne is solid.”
“How powerful is Prince 2’s faction?”
“Has Prince 2 ever bested Prince 1?”
After a few exchanges, Grandpa finally emerged from his thoughts, a playful tone to his voice.
“Let me correct myself. Your idea might not be so bad after all. Let’s go ahead and call him the ‘dumb prince.’”
‘…Didn’t you just say it wasn’t a good idea?’
“I must have overlooked one fact.”
‘What’s that?’
“The you of now has become someone who has a lot to gain from being a thorn in his side.”
*
The day after Grandpa hatched his plan.
I called the people closest to me together.
To explain the things I intended to do moving forward.
I intended to publicly brand Prince 2 as the “dumb prince.”
Causing a ruckus would inevitably invoke demands for explanation from them, hence why I gathered them in advance.
Once I had them in the personal space, I intended to explain my plan, but right from the beginning, it hit a snag.
As soon as I mentioned that I was going to call Prince 2 the “dumb prince,” a heated reaction blurted out.
“…Hold up. Lucy Alrn. Is what I’m hearing really true?”
Arthur scrunched up his face as if he had a headache.
‘Yep, that’s true.’
“Listening to all this talk about pity must have made him think his hearing was pitiful too. Don’t worry; this time, it seems the ‘pitiful prince’ actually has sound hearing.”
“Are you seriously going to call him the ‘dumb prince’?! Do you even have a brain?!”
Arthur’s shout resonated throughout the room.
Thanks to soundproofing, the noise stayed contained, or else it would have spilled out into the hallway.
Why is that prince so reckless?
“…I’m kind of inclined to agree. Lady Alrn, could you kindly refrain from using derogatory terms for those higher up?”
After shaking off Arthur’s screaming, Joy added a hesitant voice.
As much as I’d love to honor my favorite character’s request, that was impossible. As long as my mesugaki skills were intact, I couldn’t call someone anything but what I felt!
“Everyone, calm down. It’s clear Lady Alrn has her reasoning.”
The only one holding onto their composure amidst this chaos was Phoebe. She suggested we should trust me for the time being.
It wasn’t hard to guess why she was voicing such a proposition.
She knew I was an Apostle of the God. Seeing me spouting nonsense must have made her think the pathetic god had sent me some revelation.
Unfortunately, nothing that absurd was speaking this time, but I chose not to elaborate on that.
How could I confess that I’d conjured up this insane idea all on my own? It’s just easier to dump all the blame on the pathetic god, after all!
To be honest, it wasn’t all the pathetic god’s fault either. Had he adjusted my mesugaki skills earlier, I wouldn’t have come to this conclusion in the first place!
Going by blame ratio, he gets a solid 9 and I get 1!
…Is that pushing it? Maybe 7 to 3 would be fair?
“Phoebe, you should understand that Lady Alrn isn’t really someone who thinks deeply before acting.”
“Exactly! What kinds of thoughts could she have?! This jerk… Wait. Is there even a chance she’s seriously thought this through?”
“Prince?”
In this time of confusion, the one silver lining was that my journey since joining Soul Academy hadn’t been too shabby.
I had consistently proven myself with good outcomes.
Whether that was intentional, or just how it turned out.
“Joy, think about it. Has Lady Alrn ever had a situation turn out poorly when she set something into motion?”
“…Fair point.”
“I think it wouldn’t hurt to hear Lady Alrn out fully before passing judgment.”
With Phoebe’s persuasive input combined with my track record, even Arthur and Joy were willing to take a listen for now.
Seeing this, I took a breath and opened my mouth again.
“I’m not just going off the rails here for no reason…”
“I’m not trying to call the ‘dumb prince’ the ‘dumb prince’ for no reason. It’s irritating that the perverted punk keeps creeping on me, and now his minions are annoying me too.”
After hearing me out, both Joy and Arthur nodded as if they got where I was coming from.
Considering their positions, they probably heard a few whispers about how Prince 2 had taken an interest in me.
“From little brother’s perspective, Lucy, you must indeed be an attractive target. The symbolism of having defeated big brother is just too significant.”
“Besides, the rumors that Phoebe and I cherish you must have spread too. They probably think that if they draw you in, they could get close to us.”
What those two said coincided with the explanation Grandpa had given me before.
I’m pretty appealing to Prince 2 right now.
Like I’ve mentioned before, the right to the throne is practically locked down for Prince 1.
He’s the eldest son. An overwhelming talent that anyone who has seen him would acknowledge. A solid base of supporters backing him up.
With all those boxes checked, how would Prince 2 get his shot at the throne?
Nobles aren’t foolish. They know they’re unlikely to hit the jackpot by siding with Prince 2.
At the very least, if Prince 2 had won any bout against Prince 1, the situation could have shifted a little. But the proof speaks: Prince 2’s skills have consistently been inferior.
Given this harsh reality, Prince 2 doesn’t possess a strong faction. Who’d bet their life savings on a gamble with basically no chance of winning?
All the others aligned with Prince 2 are either connected to his maternal family, or they’re smart enough to know that siding with Prince 1 is a bad call.
And right in the middle of all this, you have me.
The symbolic win against the challenging prince offered by him. The backing of the renowned Alrn Count family, known as the kingdom’s protector. Close ties with the Partran family, the holy maiden of the god’s church, and a prized next-gen sword master.
With all these pieces, I’m a gem Prince 2 must secure in order to turn the tide of a bleak plight.
After explaining all of this, Grandpa chuckled as if it all tickled him pink.
“That guy will do anything to pull you in! If one of Prince 2’s underlings scrapes against you, he might just end up chopping their head off the next day!”
It’s not the same as when Prince 2 first extended his hand toward me. Outwardly the prince may look higher, but in truth, he’s clinging to me while I’ve ascended to the position to consider my options.
Simply put, I hold the reins, while Prince 2 is the follower. That’s why, whatever I call him, the dumb prince can only quake in his boots.
“I could exploit that and drain him dry to my heart’s content!”
‘That’s not necessary.’
Most of the things I want right now aren’t items you can just snag because you have influence or power.
So even if I had him under my thumb, it would just unnecessarily complicate my life.
“What you truly desire is for Prince 2 not to be a pain in the neck, correct?”
‘Exactly.’
“That’s pretty straightforward.”
Grandpa explained what to do.
Make him feel as if he is obligated to watch me closely.
In the blink of an eye, I could find myself trapped in Prince 1’s clutches instead of remaining with Prince 2.
First, establish a status quo, then slowly win him over.
“We’ll put things on an even playing field. Just as you insulted Prince 1, you’ll insult Prince 2 as well. It’s not that you don’t like him; you’re simply a person who behaves this way.”
After all the explanation, Grandpa proposed a showdown based on the dungeon conquest at the Academy.
A battlefield that plays entirely to my favor.
As a rotting fish within the Soul Academy, I could guarantee that I wouldn’t lose.
“Prince 2 certainly won’t be able to refuse this.”
Last evening, I laid exactly what Grandpa has mentioned before them, and silence permeated the air.
What’s the deal? Why is everyone’s expression like that?
Joy and Arthur have disbelief written all over their faces, while Phoebe is smiling and nodding away?
Is this a good reaction? Right?
I’m not Karia; I can’t decipher what people are feeling just by looking at their faces! Speak up, please!
Feeling the burden of the silence and looking around, Frey, who had been wandering off, suddenly spoke up.
“Hey, Lucy.”
‘Yes?’
“What’s up, dumbass knight?”
“Why is the ‘dumb prince’ dumb?”
…Are we seriously asking that now?
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