The Second Prince’s Seclusion (3)
Haah.
After Zeke left, Iloise let out a long sigh.
Although their meeting was brief, he hadn't used his head this much or felt this tense in recent memory.
From the start, he was swept away by the atmosphere and couldn't find his footing.
In hindsight, several scenarios of what he should have said came to mind, but Zeke was already gone.
"Ugh."
Iloise pressed his forehead and spoke to his aide.
"Bring me the mana communicator."
"Yes, Your Highness."
He pressed a few switches on the communicator, and a man with his face covered in white cloth appeared within the orb.
The man seemed startled by the sudden contact.
"Y-Your Highness? What brings you to contact me through the communicator...? Has something happened?!"
"Yes... How much have you found out about Zeke Clayman?"
"B-But you only gave the order this morning...?"
"I know. Just tell me what you've gathered so far."
A timer appeared above the orb, displaying 5 minutes.
Iloise regretted using the precious device at a time like this, but figuring out a way to deal with Zeke was his top priority.
"Yes, we haven't uncovered much yet. First... It seems he joined the military at a very young age. He just finished his 5 years of service and came straight to Ramielli Academy."
"Anything else?"
"Hmm, I'm not certain, but... He seems to be connected to the Eustia family."
"Eustia...?"
Iloise frowned, picturing a red-haired girl.
He vaguely recalled her being quite docile and easy to handle when they were younger, but he had cut ties after hearing about her outrageous behavior as she grew older.
'And that Iriel also entered as a freshman this year.'
"Yes, it seems Iriel Eustia pulled some strings to get him discharged. Apparently, the condition was that Zeke Clayman would leave all the money he earned in the military."
"It shouldn't be difficult for the Eustia family to pull out an ordinary soldier, so why go through the trouble...?"
"I'm not sure about that either."
The man bowed his head as if ashamed.
Iloise felt awkward at his words.
"But I heard that Zeke Clayman is currently residing at the Yohaiden's estate. Didn't you tell me yesterday?"
"That's why I said I wasn't sure. I haven't been able to find any more information beyond that."
It wasn't much information, but the more he learned, the stranger Zeke's actions seemed.
Black hair, black eyes, and that swordsmanship he displayed...
Perhaps he was from the secluded, mysterious Dukedom up north.
He seemed to be involved with the Northern Duke,
but for a Northern noble who pathologically avoids getting entangled with those in power,
He was also involved with the two dukes who were at odds with each other.
'Did Iriel plant someone on Selena's side?'
It was a reasonable assumption at first glance, but Iloise' gut feeling told him otherwise.
'No. If that were her goal, she wouldn't have exposed the Second Prince incident.'
It was too conspicuous for a spy's actions.
'What in the world is going on?'
He felt a chill down his spine as if a giant, unknown hand was stroking the back of his neck.
"Alright, I understand. Continue gathering information. And if you find anything, report it immediately."
"Yes, Your Highness. Understood."
"This is important. Be thorough."
"Yes, sir!"
*Pzzt*
The light from the mana communicator disappeared.
'Tsk, only two uses left.'
He had used the precious communicator to gather information about Zeke, but it was still a mystery.
If anything, more complicated assumptions were swirling in his head.
'Right now, it's too early to be certain of anything. Investigating Yohaiden is... No, the risk is too high. Especially with him residing there. A careless approach could cost us dearly.'
He had tried to test the waters before, only to end up promising 10 magic stones within a week.
Magic stones, incredibly rare drops from monsters,
were essential materials used to create magic tools like the communicator he had just used.
It was a significant expense, even for Iloise.
He had somehow managed to take over the responsibility of dealing with the Second Prince,
but he couldn't shake the feeling that even that was part of someone's plan.
'Damn him. Making me write a contract and everything.'
He tapped his desk with his finger, lost in thought.
"So, in the end, I have to investigate Iriel Eustia..."
Then, an idea struck Iloise—a way to resolve this without resorting to his influence.
Perhaps he could even recoup his losses and turn a profit.
'Right, I can use that idiot! And he asked me to send someone to his class...'
He turned to his aide, who had been standing silently by his side.
"How many of the first-year nobles are my followers?"
"About half of them, Your Highness."
"So Rosnante is a first-year, huh? This opportunity is too good to pass up. But I can't just crush him now, can I?"
"No, Your Highness. We need more time."
Iloise clicked his tongue.
"Then, are there any special targets among them?"
"No, Your Highness. You've been focusing on the third and fourth years lately, so there's no one in particular among the first years. The closest would be the Yohaiden Princess..."
"No. She's useless."
He shook his head.
'I want to plant someone more reliable... Ah!'
"Contact Count Gilbert. Tell him I wish to see him. And bring his daughter along as well."
"Yes, Your Highness."
* * *
Inside a room in the vast, darkened mansion, Rosnante Leonine sat hugging his knees, nervously biting his nails.
'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!'
His body hadn't stopped trembling since that day.
The image of the man's deep, dark eyes was seared into his mind, and just the thought of the unknown weapon he wielded filled him with dread.
The man had effortlessly overpowered him, as if he were a child playing with a wooden sword.
Rosnante couldn't accept how small and insignificant he felt in front of him.
'No! I am a prince of the Empire, a descendant of the great lineage! I am meant to be Emperor!!'
He tried to convince himself, but negative thoughts continued to gnaw at his mind.
'And yet, I... I made such a fool of myself!!'
He had fainted and wet himself in front of those he would one day rule.
All the dreams he had for the future, for his time at the academy, were shattered beyond repair.
He had lost not only his dignity as a prince but also as a human being.
But the biggest problem was that he had no desire to challenge the man again.
Just the thought of him made Rosnante want to pee his pants again.
"Damn it! Daaamn!!!"
He would be consumed by anger one moment, only to feel utterly defeated the next.
"Ha..."
Lately, Rosnante was trapped in a vicious cycle of despair and rage.
'Shit. I wonder if the academy lake is warm enough...'
He thought about the water temperature of the central lake at the academy.
*Knock knock knock*
Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door.
"Who is it!!!"
"It's me, Your Highness Rosnante. You... You have a visitor."
"I told you I'm not seeing anyone!!! Get lost!! Tell them all to get lost!!!!"
Rosnante yelled hysterically.
He knew how pathetic he must look, but he couldn't help it.
Several nobles had come knocking, hoping to curry favor with him, but Rosnante had turned them all away without meeting a single one.
"B-But Your Highness, you can't keep doing this!!"
*Bang*
The door suddenly burst open, accompanied by the butler's distressed voice.
"Who the hell..."
"Pfft. You look ridiculous, Rosnante Leonine."
"I-Iloise...?"
"That's 'Your Highness' to you."
Iloise hadn't forgotten the humiliation he suffered at Zeke's hands.
Rosnante bit his lip, his face turning red.
The last person he wanted to see,
witnessing him in the most pathetic state imaginable.
"What do you want? Here to mock me?"
Rosnante growled in a low voice, attempting to sound threatening.
"That's 'Your Highness' to you'. Heh. No, let's not waste time with pleasantries."
How satisfying it was for the First Prince to return the favor, even if it was at the expense of the uninvolved Second Prince.
"Well... I can't deny that was part of the reason. Your Peeing Highness. Or should I say, Your Soiled Highness? Haha, seeing you like this makes me glad I came in person."
"Get out. Now. Unless you want to see the number of contenders for the throne reduced to two right here, right now."
"Oh no, I couldn't possibly miss out on this entertainment. What kind of brother would I be?"
Rosnante shot to his feet.
He glared at Iloise and stomped towards him menacingly.
But Iloise, unfazed by the empty threat, continued speaking in a calm tone.
"Don't you want to know more about Zeke Clayman?"
"!"
"C-Could it be, you!"
Rosnante bit his lip. Iloise simply shook his head.
"Unfortunately not. I don't tell lies that can be easily exposed with a little digging. Not anymore."
"Then what! What do you know about that bastard!"
"Hmm. I don't know much myself."
Rosnante felt a surge of frustration.
Every conversation with Iloise left him feeling like this.
However, he couldn't help but be intrigued by what Iloise said next.
"But I can offer you a lifeline."
"What!?"
"Join Zeke Clayman's class."
"What good will that..."
"Rosnante, don't you want to learn the sword that defeated you? And think about it, if you become his student and maintain a good relationship with him, what will people think after four years? Even if they remember what happened in your first year, it'll just be a trivial incident between a master and his disciple. How does that sound?"
"!"
Rosnante's eyes widened at Iloise's words.
"I called him in earlier today. And we made a deal."
"..."
"I asked him to accept you into his class, and he demanded magic stones in return. Ah, but my people will be joining too. I don't want to raise a tiger cub myself."
Iloise shamelessly spoke as if he had been the one to request Rosnante's participation in Zeke's class.
"Actually, I'd love to join myself, but sadly, I'm a second-year."
'If I can't stop him from joining anyway, I might as well get involved and make him indebted to me.'
However, Rosnante, well aware of his brother's cunning nature, didn't readily believe him.
"What's your angle, Iloise Leonine?"
"Just a little sympathy for my poor brother, about to crash and burn before the competition for the throne even begins? You wouldn't believe me even if I told you, would you?"
"You bastard."
"My, my, such disrespect for your older brother. And here I am, offering you a lifeline."
Iloise skillfully manipulated his words, tightening his grip on Rosnante's anxieties.
In the end, Rosnante had no choice but to accept his proposal.
"...Just tell me what you want."
"Give me the 20 magic stones I used to get you into that class. I understand it might be difficult right now, so how about 5 stones every month for the next four months?"
"...That's your condition?"
Iloise chuckled as if Rosnante had made a bad joke.
"No, that's just the prerequisite. The 20 magic stones were for getting you into the class. Once. After that, you'll follow my instructions. Of course, I won't ask you to do anything that would make you give up the throne or get yourself killed, so don't worry."
"..."
"So, shall we draw up a contract?"
The First Prince was essentially offloading onto the Second Prince the burden he had received from Zeke.
It was a blatant and humiliating deal, but Rosnante, already caught in Iloise's web, had no choice but to accept.
The thought of approaching Zeke himself and begging for a place in his class never even crossed Rosnante's mind.
With trembling hands, Rosnante prepared two copies of the contract.
'Hmm, I just threw it out there as a test, but I didn't expect him to accept so easily. Coming here directly was the right move. What an idiot. He's in no state to think straight.'
Iloise smirked with satisfaction as he pocketed one of the contracts.
Then, as he reached for the doorknob to leave, he casually dropped another bombshell.
"Oh, and I hear Iriel Eustia and Zeke Clayman are connected."
"!"
"You might be able to learn more about Zeke Clayman if you look into her."
"You!"
'And that information will come straight back to me through my people.'
*Creak* *Thud*
Iloise opened the door and left the room.
* * *
Night had fallen, and Soi Spoon's family was gathered under a single blanket after closing up their bakery.
Her mother and sister were already fast asleep, their soft snores filling the air.
Suddenly, her younger brother James turned to her.
"Sis Soi."
"..."
"Sis Elise."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Are you really going to take that swordsmanship class?"
"Yeah, I think I will."
She had practically made up her mind.
She had heard from her friend about how tough Zeke's class was.
And about the incident with the Second Prince.
But it all seemed so distant, like something out of a storybook, that she couldn't quite grasp the gravity of it.
'He probably just disciplined a student, that's all.'
She was, after all, a typical oblivious female protagonist.
Having witnessed Zeke's strength firsthand, Soi longed to be as strong as him.
His words about protecting what was precious to her resonated deeply within her.
'And... he said he wished I would take swordsmanship as an elective... Eeeeek!'
[ It would be nice if you did. ]
Soi blushed, remembering Zeke's earnest gaze, and kicked her legs under the blanket.
Her brother, watching her with a mix of amusement and concern, spoke again.
"That bread, the one you make every morning. Is that what the instructor eats?"
"Hmm, I don't think so? I heard he uses it as a weapon."
"What? A weapon? So it was our baguette that took care of those bad guys... I missed it..."
James, who had been shielded by Soi during the altercation, mumbled dejectedly.
"Hmph! You're still too young for that. I'll learn how to use it and show you someday!"
"But then shouldn't it be harder? Our baguettes are really soft."
Her brother had a point.
'He probably doesn't actually eat it...'
"Hmm, maybe I should make it a bit firmer tomorrow."
Soi Spoon had decided to attend Zeke's swordsmanship elective the next day.
'Then I can ask him after class what he thinks of it! Hehe.'
"Yaaawn. I'm sleepy. Night, Sis Soi."
"..."
Soi smiled softly at her brother's sleepy mumbling.
The next day couldn't come soon enough.
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