“Seems like I’m seeing a giant just like I heard.”
I pondered for a moment on how to respond but decided to just relax and chat. After all, I was just a prince with no real power, born of a concubine.
There was no point in getting scared; it would only show my weakness.
So, I forced a smile.
I awkwardly curved my lips in response to the words spat out by someone who may very well become a future court prophet.
“That, that’s something I hear a lot.”
“People tend to jump to conclusions based on appearances.”
Saying that, the Second Prince grinned.
With his handsome face, he looked quite charming, but what he really meant was, “The world doesn’t realize I’m just acting.”
This guy might have inherited the royal blood, or maybe he was just a bit narcissistic like his brother.
But, among the three princes, he seemed the most reasonable at this point, so it might be a good idea to create a little goodwill with him, right?
First, I should gauge the situation.
“Ah, I think I understand what you mean.”
“Oho, are we thinking alike more than expected?”
“Hey, don’t get too cozy now.” I thought about how to handle the Second Prince, who seemed really interested in me. I glanced at Hertz, who stepped forward.
“Excuse my intrusion, Your Highness the Second Prince. Sir Quartz is now…”
“Since it’s fate that we met like this, how about sharing a cup of tea?”
He seemed quite eager. To invite me out of the blue like that! I pretended to contemplate for a moment.
Should I accept the invitation or not?
To be honest, being invited wasn’t exactly beneficial for me.
It could look like I was aligning myself with the weakest Second Prince faction.
I wanted to avoid any misunderstandings like that.
Plus, I had no desire to get entangled in political strife.
However… if I played my cards right, it seemed like I could take advantage of it among the three princes.
Of course, the reward I received before was enough, but more is always better—right?
The mere fact that the Second Prince approached me was telling in itself.
First and foremost, I was at least a tantalizing target for him.
From the Second Prince’s hidden efforts to gather influence, I must have looked like a juicy piece of meat to him since I wasn’t affiliated with any other prince.
And Hertz, who was glancing at me from my side, might not even know whose man he was for long. Rumors would probably spread soon.
“The Second Prince has contacted Sir Quartz.”
Or,
“Sir Quartz has contacted the Second Prince.”
The truth is clearly the first one, but rumors always tend to distort reality. Someone might think it was the second one.
Which one favored me more?
It was clear which would benefit me.
“Ki, are you asking to have tea with Prince Killian…?”
I looked at Prince Killian with the most innocent face I could muster. I might not be great at acting, but I can bluff just enough.
“I want to talk with the hero of the West. If I send you back like this, I don’t think such an opportunity will come around again, right? After all, you have the significant mission of guarding the Saint.”
“It’s merely a small task compared to the responsibilities of you, Prince Killian who looks after the nation.”
I tried my best to look reluctant, showing that I struggled with something like this.
I wondered if that suspicious prince would fall for something like this. But for the Second Prince, who could face exile or be purged at any moment, it was undeniably a bad move to clash with me.
I began to test the waters a bit.
“Haha, I understand your concerns, but you needn’t worry. Just relax and have a cup of tea…”
“Such nonsense.”
Talk about a hot-button issue! I turned to see the snot-nosed brat—the Third Prince—who had jumped in with barely a drop of blood on his head from a nasty verbal strike. His two accompanying knights looked like they wanted nothing to do with him.
Who would like some psycho who slices innocent knights’ arms for training?
For the knights, he must have been a rather awkward lord to serve.
What was that Third Prince’s name again?
Nah, he would end up telling me anyway.
“Patrick…”
“Do you have the right to chat with the hero of the West, you half-wit? Don’t you agree, Sir Quartz?”
The guy looked all scrawny but glared at me with treacherous eyes. It made me feel like giving him a tight smack on the back of the head, but I held back my violent inner tempers with superhuman restraint.
I needed to play the fool here.
I purposely feigned looking at Killian as if I were waiting for some instruction.
As expected, the hot-headed and impetuous Patrick was totally falling for my ruse.
“Hey, are you bothered by that half-wit?”
“That’s…”
“The hero should recognize a hero, but I’m disappointed!”
Is he seriously declaring himself a hero?
I just wanted to smack him a couple of times on the back of the head.
Oblivious to my thoughts, Patrick unleashed a torrent of insults against Killian, then turned to me and asked.
“Are you thinking of teaming up with that guy? Think wisely.”
“Well, I’m just a humble knight, you see.”
“Isn’t it a knight’s duty to recognize their future lord?”
“I have devoted everything to the Saint.”
That was the one part I could assert firmly, a bait of sorts.
I wondered what kind of reaction I would get. Only time would tell. I pretended to wait for Patrick’s response.
And true to form, the Third Prince couldn’t contain his temper and snapped at me.
“Dear me, the hero of the West isn’t very perceptive!”
“Don’t be rude to Sir Quartz! Patrick!”
“Shut up, half-wit! This isn’t your place to speak!”
The two brothers were practically ready to draw swords with me caught in the middle, feigning confusion as I observed the chaotic scene.
With the Second Prince and the Third Prince both present, the arrival of the First Prince was likely to increase dramatically.
And just as I predicted, a familiar but unwelcome voice echoed from afar.
“Hey, what are you fools doing here?!”
“B, big brother…”
“Leon! So glad you made it. This idiot doesn’t know his place and is trying to cozy up to the hero of the West.”
“When did I do that?!”
“Patrick! Killian! What disgrace is this before Sir Quartz?!”
Wow, that booming voice! I glanced at the faces of the two princes, who were now awkwardly staring at Leon’s dominating presence.
No matter how much of a prince they were, they couldn’t outrank the current Crown Prince Leon.
I couldn’t help but savor the shift in atmosphere. I had expected them to vie for my favor due to their bad blood, but I never thought it would come together so easily.
If I play my cards right, I could scrape a fair bit off them.
“You all need to apologize to Sir Quartz immediately!”
Wow, just look at that cringy face! But what can they really do?
What could these princes possibly do?
“I’m sorry, Sir Quartz.”
“Oh, it’s nothing, really.”
“My apologies.”
“Not a problem.”
“Hmm. By the way, Sir Quartz, I never imagined we’d meet again like this.”
“I never thought I’d have the chance to see you again, Prince Leon.”
“In that case, how about we catch up for a bit! Hahaha!”
Yet again, everything occurred just as I had predicted. I looked at Leon, laughing heartily. But it seemed he wasn’t done yet, as Killian called out to him before he could lead me away somewhere.
“Brother, may I join too? I also want to hear Sir Quartz’s tales.”
“Big Brother, me too!”
“Alright! Let’s go together then!”
Thus, the three princes began our little meeting.
————–
“So, you deceived the demon?”
“Yes.”
“Hahaha! What a fascinating person you are!”
“Truly impressive.”
“Looks like the demon isn’t much to worry about.”
I shared a somewhat embellished tale of the Western war while observing the reactions of the three.
The First Prince seemed to be disinterested for now, but both the Second and Third Princes looked as though they couldn’t let go of me, fiercely exchanging glares and vying for dominance.
It felt weird being stared at by these men.
I was really glad this wasn’t some regular hetero dating sim…
“A knight who captured a demon… I never imagined such talent would hide in a rural area.”
When did Kalon become a rural area?
“Indeed.”
“It would be such a waste to assign someone like you just as a guard.”
I could sense the greed flowing from the eyes of the Second and Third Princes.
They wanted to recruit me, the one whose renown was spreading, to boost their own factions.
If they could somehow draw me into their circle, they could gain an edge in the imperial succession battle.
Considering that the current West’s most powerful figures are Archbishop Pierre and Lord Ziklint—who is now a count—it was evident they saw befriending me as a way to secure ties with the West.
It was clear that while the First Prince had some stability, the Second and Third Princes were likely desperate to win my favor.
“Right! Right! But Sir Quartz is the knight who guards the Saint! How could we bind someone in such an important role?”
“But isn’t there ‘the Mad Dog’ by her side? Plus, having a hero remain as someone’s guard would be a huge loss, don’t you think?”
Amidst the escalating arguments, I finally tightened my expression and opened my mouth.
“I became a knight to protect the Saint. So how could I abandon her?”
The princes exchanged glances upon my sudden proclamation.
“However, the reason you invited me to this gathering is that you regard me highly.”
“True. Someone like you, a hero, certainly deserves such respect.”
Killian nodded, echoing my sentiment. Seeing that the Second Prince reacted that way, the competitive Third Prince also expressed a surprisingly friendly response toward me.
“A hero deserves to be treated like one.”
Well, then they should let me go!
“Uh, I’m truly honored by your regard. I feel overwhelmed with respect for a royal family that sends forth such wise figures like yourselves.”
I tried to seem touched as I looked around at the princes. Each showed different expressions.
“Hmhm… You certainly know your stuff!”
Wow, I’m better at flattery than I thought! I internally commended myself on the random praise that came out of my mouth. Even if I only managed to fool the First Prince…
Let the mind games continue!
And, if possible, throw in some gifts too.
“Leon, Sir Kalintz has arrived.”
“Let him in!”
As soon as Leon opened his mouth, the door swung open, and Kalintz entered with his usual serene demeanor.
“Hoho, Prince Leon! It’s been a while.”
“Indeed, Kalintz. What brings you here?”
“I thought I’d stop by since I heard my guest was here. It’s almost time for me to be heading back.”
Since he was a former duke but still wielded considerable influence, even the princes seemed to concede and let me go.
“Are you staying in the capital for a few days?”
“Yes.”
“I found your stories intriguing! I’d love to share another tale with you before you go! Hahaha!”
“To be summoned by Prince Leon… is an honor for my family.”
Oddly enough, what does my family need with honor?
“I also wish to hear more about how you dealt with the demon, so do pay me a visit.”
“Knights like yourself will surely set a standard for others. I hope to see your skills showcased later!”
I responded with a grateful voice to the three princes’ invitations.
“As a subject of the Empire, how could I refuse? I would gladly come when summoned!”
ATM, bring me your tributes!
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.