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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 321 – The Crown Prince’s Sword
A few days earlier.
A small town, about a four-hour horseback ride from Strohm.
Normally, there weren’t many knights stationed there. It was a warm, rural town where most residents knew each other. People were friendly, and fishing thrived.
A stone wall about five meters high encircled the town, and there was only one entrance: a drawbridge gate.
Yet, this small town was bustling before dawn.
Knights had arrived not only from the royal capital, but also from Strohm. The reason for the Strohm knights’ presence was, of course, the arrival of Crown Prince Ain.
Since the water train wasn’t running, the large group arrived on horseback.
This town’s only clinic. Built long ago, the stone structure was a compact, historic building.
Ain was there, in that small place where the sea stretched out behind it.
“…Hurry and bring Varra down here.”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
Warren was the one who answered Ain. He had also hurriedly ridden his horse from the capital to this town.
Before them lay Tigre, still lying on his bed and being carried away.
He lay there motionless with his eyes closed and showed signs of having received medication until just yesterday. Though his stomach had been pumped, substances not ingested orally remained in his system.
They could only monitor his progress from there, and even a full recovery was uncertain at this stage.
Ain’s sapphire eyes gazed into the void; his tightly pressed lips betrayed his frustration.
He walked steadily to the window.
“The people of Ishtalika don’t want just one thing from me.”
He revealed his characteristic aura, which he displayed before taking a decisive action.
Inside the room were Ain, Warren, and, accompanying them, Dill and the elf Cyrus. Everyone remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
“My duties as Crown Prince. But ever since the Sea Dragon incident, ever since they started calling me a hero, I don’t think what’s expected of me is that of an ordinary Crown Prince.”
“Ain-sama, that is nothing but an excuse. You mean to say that the time has come for you to take action yourself, don’t you?”
“Yeah, it’s a roundabout way of putting it. Part of the reason I couldn’t act until now is because I’m the Crown Prince.”
Ain took a deep breath.
“What’s expected of me is to be like His Majesty the First. A hero-king, so to speak.”
“Yes, I agree. The people likely project the tales of His Majesty the First onto you and place their hopes in you, Ain-sama.”
“Then I can’t stay silent. I should live up to everyone’s expectations, after all.”
“But that’s just an excuse, isn’t it? Deep down, Your Highness is using the will of the people as a shield to settle things yourself.”
Warren laughed like a kindly old man, hiding the thorns in his words. Ain responded with a similarly knowing smile.
“You’re not going to stop me, are you, Warren-san?”
“Indeed. If I could stop you, I would. But it’s difficult. However, if you proceed with such reckless abandon, I might be able to stop you with my wisdom…no, my insight.”
“Um, isn’t that contradictory?”
“It depends on whether it’s a straightforward approach. So, I’d like to ask: What strategy will you employ to take action?”
Warren’s words seemed to convey his desire for Ain to take proper responsibility if he was to act. Yet, without flinching, Ain met Warren’s gaze and stated with unshakable confidence,
“The enemy’s greatest strength is just two dragons. Beyond that, I don’t think it’s particularly difficult.”
“Hm. You don’t consider the former Heim knights, who defeated our knights, dangerous?”
“I don’t think so. They’re not numerous.”
He stated it plainly, and Warren’s eyes widened.
“Don’t you consider the possibility that they may have modified many beasts, like during the Heim War?”
“If they could, it would be frightening. But I know Camilla doesn’t have the capacity to do that.”
“May I ask?”
“I know what that stone was that they implanted in the Red Dragon, and I know what that powerful knight was like.”
Yes, Ain could never forget.
After combining the details from Batz’s report with the recent incident in the frontier city of Klyphoth, the answer was obvious.
“It’s the same as Ed, who declared himself Demon King. She can’t afford to waste any more time and has no choice but to target me.”
Ain hadn’t witnessed this firsthand; he had heard about the battle with Ed from Chris after the Heim War.
Using the black stones, Ed strengthened himself.
But even back then, no other forces had been enhanced using that power. This suggests that the number of black stones was small and that Camilla likely possessed only a few.
“I thought I’d wait until I understood it a bit more clearly before telling you, but after what happened when Tigre was taken, I figured it was pretty much confirmed. Anyway, this got a bit long, but that’s the gist. Hey, Dill—”
“Ha!”
“As the Black Knights’ captain, I want your opinion. Based on the information gathered so far, can regular knights handle this? If so, under what circumstances?”
Despite the sudden question, Dill answered immediately, as if he’d known it was coming.
“Formations of ten are essential. If the majority push with large shields to prevent allies from being knocked back before transitioning to attack, it should be manageable. It’s a simple tactic, but I can guarantee it’s sufficient to handle the situation.”
“And what about the Black Knights?”
“We Black Knights will lay down our swords if we fall behind.”
“Thanks. You’re always so dependable; it really helps.”
“Ha! It’s an honor beyond my worth.”
Then, Ain started walking and opened the room’s door.
Following him, Warren, Dill, and Cyrus stepped out of the clinic as well.
“…”
Ain gazed into the distance, lost in twilight.
His gaze fell upon the winter sea reflecting the morning sunlight.
Suddenly, he sensed something.
“Camila definitely has plans to send pursuers after us, too. This might actually work out.”
Hearing this, Dill spoke up.
“A-Ain-sama…? What on earth are you saying?”
“I’m sure she sent pursuers after us once Tigre was rescued.”
“You mean… enemy soldiers could be nearby?”
“Exactly. I was on edge, so I noticed right away.”
How many times had Ain actually admitted that he was in a bad mood?
Dill couldn’t remember, but Warren, standing right beside him, recalled reading the letter confirming the meeting with Heim.
By the way, where exactly on the sea did Ain spot the scout?
Everyone strained their eyes, but no ships were visible beyond the horizon. There were few fishing opportunities in winter, and when they did go out, it was mostly for shellfish among the reefs.
Suddenly, tiny bubbles began rising from the water a short distance away.
“Everyone, back off. I’ll handle this.”
It was an absolute attitude that brooked no dissent.
Dill instinctively stepped back.
“If you assumed that Tigre would be brought to this clinic and that I’d visit him here, well, your foresight is impressive, but your character is rotten. Especially since you claimed you needed a prince like Tigre, only to see the situation and find this use for him.”
But the question remains: Did Camilla possess the judgment and intellect to devise such a plan?
If she were truly capable of such planning, she likely would have intervened in the Roundheart family’s turmoil when Ain was born.
However, if this was a vision conceived by a heart utterly corrupted by vengeance, then it didn’t seem so far-fetched.
As Ain pondered this, a massive sea monster finally emerged from the depths.
The volume of seawater pouring down like a shower was so immense that it could form a small lake on its own. Amidst the churning sea surface, a massive monster resembling a sea serpent revealed itself.
“Giii… Gugaaa… aaa…!”
Though shorter than a battleship, it was larger than El and Al in their current forms.
Its writhing body was covered in metallic scales that rang like a sword being drawn. Its face bore a single enormous eye with a ferocious expression and fangs as long as a two-story house. Above the eye, embedded in its forehead, was the familiar black stone.
The moment everyone confirmed its presence, the monster lunged at Ain, its mouth wide open.
“GGAAAAAAAAAA—”
Ain hadn’t moved an inch but turned around when the monster was about a meter away.
He sheathed the sword he had drawn without anyone noticing and said, “Let’s return to town.”
The monster froze, its eyes trembling. Then, with a sound like shattering glass, the stone on its forehead shattered into pieces.
“Ain-sama?”
Dill called out quietly.
“He’s already angry. He won’t hold back.”
“…Wh-what happened to the monster?”
Even now, the monster stood rigidly, its entire body trembling. It was obvious that Ain had done something.
Shortly after Dill spoke, however, the sea split clean in two.
But that wasn’t all. The monster itself was cleaved in two, too.
“No way… That can’t be…!”
“――!?”
Following Warren, Dill was also speechless at this overwhelming event. Near them, the elf Cyrus had also lost his words.
The split sea gradually approached, forming a massive wave that threatened to crash over the town.
But then, as if to protect the town, enormous tree roots and lush vines appeared.
Seemingly unaffected, they absorbed the immense volume of seawater beyond human comprehension and effortlessly dissipated the wave.
“I’m not the kind of person who can just stand by quietly when my friend is attacked—Camilla.”
“That’s right. This was the master he served.
Watching Ain’s back, Dill followed the man destined to become the Hero King.
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