Chapter 91 – Why I Didn’t Let Go of the Sword
Richard Arcadia.
The second prince of the unified empire.
The childhood memory of a boy who was born with an unenviable status began one day with his father looking down at him in disappointment.
A black beard and sharp eyes. The heavy momentum unique to a superman who reached that level was enough to frighten an infant who had just begun to walk.
Richard, who had just taken his toes and had held a small toy sword for children under the guidance of Arnold, who had been promoted to a senior knight in the knights around that time, swung the sword diligently as Arnold told him to.
Even the young Richard, who knew nothing about it, could understand that it wasn’t just play.
But.
Richard’s talent was incomparable to that of his older brother, Edwin, who was scorned as the dullest talent in the history of the Arcadia royal family.
“… Richard is no different from his older brother. No. Rather, I can’t… Done. He’s not the eldest son, so there’s no need to force him to hold the sword. Richard, let me do what I want to do.”
A disappointing father. Even young Richard could understand the meaning of resignation in that voice.
Got it, I thought.
When I think about it now that I am old, the sense of crisis and responsibility that there might have been a problem in the bloodline that has been going on for a thousand years, and the guilt as a father who had to evaluate his child only for those qualities.
With such a mixture of soggy and dark emotions, he had only spoken self-deprecatingly, that the young Richard had only accidentally overheard.
What’s the use of such things when you’re 40 years old?
Richard was helping himself.
After that, he had several younger siblings.
… But all failed to meet his father’s expectations. All of them were judged to be ‘defective’, and were taught to hold something other than a sword in their hands.
What value is there in Arcadia, where no matter how much you wield your sword, you can’t rise to the highest level?
To hear such an evaluation, it was an intention to prevent him from holding a sword at all.
The young Richard didn’t realize it.
He just swung his sword in the hope that he could show himself to his father, even if he had no talent.
Then one day.
Richard, now in his mid-teens, swung his sword as usual. Sensing that the palace was buzzing today, he asked Arnold, who was about 10 years old and treated him like an older brother.
“It’s noisy today, what’s going on?”
“Haha. Didn’t you know? A very special person is visiting today.”
Precious person?
No matter how precious people are on this continent, the boy’s father, Emperor Claudius II, is the most honorable being, so why is it so much of a fuss for someone to visit?
The boy Richard tilted his head.
Since it was a face that he did not understand at all, Arnold just laughed haha.
“You will know when you see it!”
And.
“Is this guy Richard?”
A ‘precious guest’ whom his father called and met in the throne room of the emperor.
Brilliantly sparkling golden hair, beautiful eyes as if delicately crafted with melted rubies. Pale skin and sharp eyes. A noble figure that exudes a decadent and intellectual atmosphere even with a plain face.
Even though all of those elements were really eye-catching.
In the eyes of the boy Richard, they were invisible.
Only.
“You’re quick to notice.”
Huge, giant.
A large black curtain hung over the man’s body for an instant. It would be like that if the night fell to the ground like a waterfall. If you look up at the infinitely black curtain of darkness, you will realize that the dark black curtain that you thought was truly gigantic was actually a very small part of the giant.
The ceiling of the audience room is high, but it is only the inside of the building after all. Its height is not far off. So, the giant bowed down on his own and filled the ceiling of the audience room.
The audience room, where the chandelier was shining brightly, was covered by a shadowy giant, coloring the audience room dark.
That sight was a very shocking sight to Richard, who was simply swinging his sword with his body, not even the mana accumulated in his body, let alone an aura.
How is this possible? Oh, this is like—.
“Stop.”
Pop.
Father’s voice.
Richard suddenly came to his senses. The audience room, which had been dyed pitch-black before I knew it, was brightly lit as if it had never been.
Did I see anything wrong? Seeing Richard, whose legs were trembling and shaking, with his fisheye dumbfounded, the emperor glared at the ‘guest’ who had come.
“What are you doing with a child who is still young?”
“Well. One feeling seems useful.”
The noblest in the Empire. The owner of the Arcadia royal family who was favored by the goddess, and the unified emperor of the legitimate continent. He is supported by the seven dukes, and he is a great ruler who has reached the level of an Aura Master himself.
Richard’s complexion grew even more bluish at the sight of his father easily exchanging replies.
Through the ‘guest”s answer, I realized that what the boy just saw was targeting only that one person and revealing its true color.
Seeing Richard’s shoulders tremble, the ‘guest’ laughed.
“Did I scare you too much?”
Come to think of it, the introduction was still there.
The sharp eyes were languidly relaxed. By the time the perception of a “Guest” Changes from the perception that it is an irresistible existence to the perception that it is about a person exuding a frightening energy.
He opened his mouth
“Scarlett Chepes. You must have heard my name at least once.”
That was the first meeting Richard remembered with Prince Chepeshu.
*
Richard seemed to draw Scarlett’s attention.
The boy didn’t know what it was, but it must have been a huge surprise.
To a boy who was still young, it was believed that his father had simply neglected him.
So the boy wanted to prove it. He said he would make his father’s wish come true, as he had given up on his father, considering him untalented. Thus, he wanted to gain his father’s approval.
In that sense, Duke Chepes was perfect as a teacher. If the father became interested in the boy he gave up because he thought he had no talent, and at the same time learns from him who is no less than his father, no, actually better than his father.
That there would be a possibility.
He thought so
“I can’t hear you.”
If the duke had not resolutely refused the request to become his teacher.
“Why!”
The little boy couldn’t understand. Didn’t he praise that he had an excellent sense of humor? But he couldn’t accept it now, so why did he praise himself, who was rumored to be incompetent, in front of his father’s eyes?
This betrayed Richard’s expectations. It couldn’t be like this.
So, he dared to stand up to the duke, who was known to be equal to his father, the emperor.
“If I brush even one of your collars, accept me as a disciple!”
The duke laughed strangely at the strange way of speaking, whether it was respectful or rude, but also nodded his head coolly at the suggestion.
A few days passed.
Richard bet on the duke whenever he had a chance. He even accomplished the first feat of daring to attack the Duke of Chepes with one of his wooden swords.
Everyone looked at the prince with new eyes. I thought I was forcing myself to train every day just to get the emperor’s attention, but wouldn’t it be sincere if I did that much?
So, everyone secretly cheered for Richard.
But.
That’s the result, of course. Even in this matter, the duke did not look after him.
“Ughhh…”
“Oh my. Your Highness, are you okay?”
I tried 10 times, and all 10 times I was blown away. It was embarrassing to even call it a match.
Even Arnold, who was watching this duel to protect the prince, said that the duke did a lot of hand strikes, that is, to the level of swinging his hands so that he did not even faint, let alone kill the buzzing mosquitoes. Even Richard, who directly attacked the duke, could tell.
“That’s no fun.”
The duke looked like he was getting tired of it.
He was only hanging out out of interest, so that meant it was enough. Richard was in a hurry. His legs hurt as if they were broken, but limping to his feet, he summoned the Duke once more.
“Only once! Do it one more time!”
Hmm.
The Duke crossed his arms. He frowned and stared at Richard. At first he thought he was dead when he did that, but now he knew the Duke was just observing him.
After a moment of silence, the Duke’s mouth opened.
“Although I liked this aspect.”
It was a strange and incomprehensible sound.
Isn’t it past tense to say that I liked it? Does he say that it’s been a few days since he and the duke met?
I doubted it, but it didn’t matter anyway.
“Then you allowed it!”
He was a half-talker earlier, but now he’s a respecter again.
Anyway, he’s a funny guy. The Duke nodded his head.
And then, Richard attacked again.
“Aww!”
After working again, I collapsed, and passed out just like that.
To Arnold, who hurriedly took care of the prince, the duke spoke calmly.
“Ask them to come back at this time tomorrow.”
“Yes? Ah yes. All right.”
Arnold was puzzled, but he agreed to do as he was commanded. Whose order would you disobey? Besides, the words of the duke do not seem to give the prince another chance.
Arnold was among the courtiers who secretly supported Richard. Even though he knew that the prince would fail tomorrow, he was very happy to have another chance because he valued this experience itself.
Even though it wasn’t his job, Arnold chuckled as if it were his job.
