Chapter: 594
Gripping my sword and looking ahead, I see my brother standing there just like any other day, casually poised.
His demeanor exudes zero tension; it almost seems arrogant, but that’s not quite it.
Of course—not everyone gets worked up just because a fly buzzes in front of them. The gap between my brother and me is of that nature.
– Do you think you can win?
“I absolutely cannot.”
Having changed my mindset from before, I’ve struggled in various ways.
All to win just once against Lucy Alrn. To not fall behind that guy, Frey. To prove my worth to others. I’ve pushed myself to the limit.
But if you asked what was at the root of all this effort, I wouldn’t hesitate to point at one person.
Leydan Tanton. The First Prince of Tanton. A genius that no one can deny—and my brother. The goal I must surpass.
– Is it your hobby to build walls that you can’t climb?
“Don’t be so sarcastic. I didn’t create these walls because I wanted to.”
I kept rushing forward, only for walls to suddenly appear before me.
Frey isn’t even a wall—I’m not overtaken yet.
– I think you’ve already been overtaken.
Ignoring his comment, I pressed on, and my brother waved his hand with a refreshing smile.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. I am.”
“If there’s anything you’d like as a handicap, let me know ahead of time. I’m willing to accommodate most requests.”
“I’m fine just as it is.”
“…Really?”
“When you face your little brother, you never mention the word handicap, do you?”
“That’s because he’s too foolish to care. He throws everything away in a genuine effort to win.”
“I’ve become foolish too.”
When I firmly declared that, my brother froze for a moment and then grinned.
“Hah. I really hate this.”
There were no signs before it happened. Before I knew it, my brother was right in front of me.
An invisible sword was aimed at my head.
No aura was present.
In that case, there’s no reason to dodge.
I slowed the sword’s speed with a barrier of wind as I stepped forward.
As my posture was set, the sword made contact with my head, but the impact was minimal.
I could withstand it.
“Indeed.”
I pulled the aura to the tip of my sword.
Then, using my entire body as a vessel, I thrust the sword forward.
It transcended a simple stab, moving fast enough to outrun an arrow towards my opponent.
“You’ve gotten stupid.”
The sensation at the end of the sword told me that my swift jab had certainly landed.
The speed I’d generated to penetrate Lucy Alrn’s shield was not in vain.
– Don’t get too comfortable.
I know without being told. My brother wouldn’t fall that easily.
“I didn’t expect you to counter while receiving a blow.”
“That’s because you struck without malice.”
“Even after speeding up, you managed to discern that?”
“There’s a beast who’s obsessed with speed right next to me.”
Frey Kent doesn’t have the word “moderation” in his vocabulary. He always swings his sword as if trying to kill me.
The speed of that storm is nothing compared to the struggles I faced to survive.
“How about you come at me first?”
“I’ll gladly oblige.”
Enhancement through aura. Increased speed thanks to wind magic. Plus, adding Kent’s tricks learned from playing with Frey.
All mixed together, I bolted forward.
I’m not just running with the wind; I’m piercing through it with everything I’ve got.
I thought I might have actually gotten faster than during training, and in the moment I unleashed my thrust, I saw my brother’s sword digging in.
“You can’t reuse what you have already used. Not in front of me.”
Despite my speed being neutralized, I couldn’t help but smile.
This is my brother’s specialty. This is why he could be called a genius. His level of analytical skill should rightfully be called a blessing.
“You should have knocked me down with your first strike.”
To respond effectively, I thought there were two main options.
One is to knock him down without giving him time to analyze, and the other is to overwhelm him with sheer strength to the point that analysis means nothing.
I’ve already failed at the first and lack the strength to attempt the second.
In the past, I would have declared my surrender at this point. I knew full well what the outcome would be if we exchanged blows further.
But now, it’s different. Even without an advantage, I would still charge. I’ve watched that guy grasp miracles time and again.
Compared to him, I’m nothing, but since he’s a friend, I can’t just give up easily.
“I’ll keep going.”
I still have plenty of moves left.
Using water magic to swing my sword as a form of distraction while attempting to bind his legs with earth magic ended up backfiring.
Not only did I miss with my magic, but I almost got caught off guard by the water barrier instead.
If I hadn’t detected the movements within the water, I would have been attacked before I even realized it.
“How long do you plan on continuing?”
This time, I planned to infuse my next strike with fire magic, but the output I could generate wasn’t enough to harm my brother’s body. The best I could manage was singeing his clothing.
“Did you think you could reach me with that?”
Despite trying various methods afterward, my brother simply thwarted all my feeble tricks.
Dueling a clever person is tough in many ways. Was the issue my continued sparring against foolish opponents?
Well, fine. Now that I know this isn’t working, let’s go back to basics.
Imagining not Frey’s quickness, but the legendary blow of the continent’s strongest knight.
Overwhelming might that could even shatter the night itself.
That knight’s blade is far too heavy for me to wield, but by mixing all my tricks together, I should be able to create something that rivals the molten version.
“Let’s go.”
– Using this here feels like a waste.
I couldn’t care less about the gazes of others. Proving anything to anyone is the least of my concerns. My mother just wants me to be happy, so satisfaction for myself is enough.
“Let’s go!”
No matter if the results were achieved by mimicking someone else, if I can be satisfied with it, then that’s the right answer!
– Just understand that a perfect recreation is impossible against that opponent.
The power contained within the blood of Tanton.
A force that has faded with the passage of long ages.
A fable.
The fragments freed from various constraints due to Erginius’s modifications can draw forth this power lying within my blood.
“Let’s gooo!!”
The sword comes crashing down.
A blade filled entirely with violence heads towards the enemy.
Overwhelming strength rolls forward, crushing everything that dares to block my path.
At that moment, for the first time, my brother’s sword was infused with an aura.
A dark, thick, unpleasant aura, even denser than the black I had seen in the fairy forest.
And then, when I regained my senses, I found myself sprawled on the ground.
I had no idea what had happened.
Furrowing my brows from the pain throbbing in my head, I sat up and looked at the red liquid blocking my vision, letting out a chuckle.
Anyone who might see me would think I was insane, but what of it?
The fact that my brother injured me meant he believed that he wouldn’t have been able to stop me otherwise.
Stumbling to my feet, I gripped my sword once more.
I met my brother’s gaze, wide-eyed and fixated on me.
And then again.
“Guh!?”
As I attempted to run, someone grabbed me by the scruff of my neck.
Who dared to interrupt the duel between princes? I don’t like wielding authority, but just this once…
“…Lucy Alrn?”
“To think you’re bleeding from the nose before even my arrival. Just how much do you like me?”
“From your flippant remarks, it’s clear you’re real, then.”
“Of course. It would be a disaster if there were two adorably cute versions of me around!”
Turning my head back revealed knights encircling Leydan Tanton, unable to take action either way.
What can I say? How many people on the planet can restrict the movement of the Tanton prince?
“Hah. So what brings you here?”
“I heard someone was playing with my toy.”
Lucy Alrn smiled as usual, but her gaze was as cold as if she were staring down an enemy.
Damn it. I get what delusion she’s under.
“Hey, Lucy Alrn. This is…”
I was about to say it was just a serious duel when a divine power flowed into me via her hand.
Knowing Lucy Alrn’s healing was crude, I bit my lip, but unlike usual, her healing didn’t come with pain.
“You.”
Surprised by the swiftly fading pain and lifting my head, Arthur was finally able to see Lucy Alrn for what she truly was.
The form of a goddess that surely descended from the moon. A miracle illuminating brighter than the sun even under its own light.
As Arthur was entranced, Lucy Alrn advanced and flashed a smile at my blood-stained sword.
“You’ve been going out a lot lately, haven’t you? O brooding prince♡, have you finally hit your mating season?♡”
Her utterance was so irreverent it could almost be a justification of its own, and everyone in the training grounds, including Arthur, was astonished. Yet my brother’s expression remained calm.
“It might be about time to marry.”
“Is that so?♡ They say males get wild during their mating season. Seems the books you’ve read weren’t lying!♡ Looks like even the brooding prince can’t help but be a mere male!♡”
“The books are a treasure trove of knowledge. I admire your dedication to research.”
“Aha♡ Are you so desperate to hear those words that you can’t help but become flustered?♡ Then why don’t you crawl like a dog in front of everyone and ask for it?♡ Seeing you in such a pitiful state might just change my mind!♡”
“Haha. That would be a bit of a problem. I have my dignity to consider.”
“Wow♡ Is that really true?♡ Meeting the brooding prince has become the most astonishing moment of my life!♡ I really thought you only had a brain below!♡”
“…Below?”
“Thinking about it, that’s probably not true!♡ There’s no way a brain would fit in such a tiny little place!♡”
Although Lucy Alrn didn’t directly utter that word, her gaze and mockery certainly pointed where it needed to.
As everyone in the training ground inadvertently turned their attention to that area, my brother was the first to smile.
“It seems our chat might get lengthy, shall we head inside?”
“Are you trying to entice me to talk alone?♡ Hehe♡ Your pick-up line is quite clumsy♡ No wonder you smell of virginity!♡”
“I suppose you are the same, my lady?”
Rene’s retaliation, prompted by his inability to hold back, silenced Lucy for a moment, but she soon broadened her grin and leaned forward.
“Me?♡ Haha♡ How’s that for imagination?♡ It’s not like a mama’s boy would understand!♡”
Even though anyone could tell it was a defense mechanism to not lose to the verbal bout, there was one person who could not laugh it off.
“W-What do you mean by that, Lucy?”
Visibly paling, Benedict looked helplessly as he trembled.
“Lord Tanton. Calm yourself.”
“Indeed, it’s just…”
“…Who are you?”
“Excuse me?”
“Is that you, Third Prince? I see… It must be you.”
“Ah. Leydan Tanton? It seems you’ve misunderstood something. Gah!?”
As Arthur barely dodged Bennett’s fist, he was faced, even if momentarily, with the looming threat.
If that hit me, I would die. That’s not metaphorical—I’d meet the great God on the spot.
“What are you saying, you perverted father?”
Lucy yelled, kicking the giant’s calf, causing Benedict’s eyes to widen.
“Lucy! What did you just say?”
“I was just trying to tease that gloomy virgin prince. Just look at that shameful blush on his face. He probably won’t be able to move for a while because he’s too pathetic.”
“N-No… you were just joking, right?”
“Of course I was. I have the most fun when I play with my silly papa~♡”
“Right? This papa is the most fun, isn’t he?!”
With barely audible breaths, while embracing his daughter tightly, Benedict turned a smug face toward Rene and Arthur despite Lucy’s irritation.
It was an utterly shameless display for someone who had committed an attempted murder against royalty.
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
