Episode 5: The Mob Prince is Evaluated by the Empire’s Greatest Archmage as a Mythical Monster
Before me stood the man who, in the future, would kill my beloved mother Luna-san, use my younger sister Diana as a tool of war, and then betray her.
He hadn’t shown his face once since we were born, so what was he doing here?
“What is that look you give me, boy?”
Perhaps my animosity was overflowing, as Emperor Alvaise wore a suspicious expression.
“Luke, Diana, behave yourselves! That is your father—His Majesty Emperor Alvaise!”
My mother rushed out from behind us, her face pale.
We had been strictly taught to kneel and greet our father upon meeting him.
If we were to displease him in any way, there was no telling what he might do, even to his own children.
It was less a parent-child relationship and more one of ruler and slave.
“Please forgive my impudence. We were suddenly attacked by a monster and were on edge.”
I dropped to one knee and lowered my head.
Luna-san had thoroughly drilled etiquette into me.
“It is an honor to meet you for the first time, His Majesty Emperor Alvaise. I am Luke, the eldest son of Luna, the Dark Elf princess. This is my younger sister, Diana.”
“D-Diana desu.”
Diana awkwardly followed my lead.
“Hmm? It seems you have been properly trained.”
The Emperor seemed mildly impressed.
“Was it you, Luke, who used that magic just now? Such power as to destroy this sturdy Prison Tower in a single blow. Not even my Imperial Guard possesses such skill!”
“That is…”
I was at a loss for words.
If the Emperor knew I had magical talent, he would use me as a tool of war as well.
If I were to be fitted with magic-sealing restraints and tamed like my mother, I wouldn’t be able to protect her from the assassins.
If possible, I wanted to keep my abilities hidden.
“Please wait, Your Majesty. Surely that is impossible. What we saw just now was a massive Dark Attribute magic blade. It was likely magic cast by the Archdemon, the warden of this room…”
Another man, an elderly gentleman, entered from the doorway and spoke. He had a refined and dignified air about him.
I recognized him too. It was Count Saint-Germain, the Emperor’s confidant and grand alchemist.
He only appeared in flashback scenes, but he was a legendary figure who had greatly contributed to the development of magic in this world, and his name came up from time to time in the game.
“Is that so, Saint-Germain? But then, why is there no summoned Archdemon?”
“…Indeed, I find it perplexing. The Archdemon summoning circle I set up has been destroyed. That is likely why the Archdemon could not manifest on this plane.”
Count Saint-Germain looked up at the ceiling, analyzing the situation aloud.
“No! Onii-sama slashed the demon that came out with [Dark Edge] and defeated it!”
“Diana, be quiet!”
“Mugu…?”
My mother rushed to Diana and frantically covered her mouth.
“Please forgive her, Your Majesty. This child is still young and does not understand the ways of the world.”
My mother, desperately bowing her head, seemed to be terrified of Emperor Alvaise.
“Hahaha, Princess Diana. No matter how powerful your brother’s Magical Power may be, there is no way he could defeat an Archdemon with a low-level spell like [Dark Edge]. Demons are inherently resistant to Dark Attribute magic, you see.”
“It’s true!”
“Diana!”
“Ugh…”
Diana fell silent as my mother scolded her.
…Hmm, wait? Isn’t this a convenient turn of events for me?
If they were going to misunderstand and underestimate my abilities on their own, all the better.
I lowered my head and decided to remain silent.
“However, it is a fact that some kind of offensive magic was used, powerful enough to summon an Archdemon.”
“Hmm. To summarize the situation… these children used magic powerful enough to destroy this Prison Tower, which resulted in the summoning of an Archdemon, and then these children destroyed the summoning circle as well…?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It is truly impossible, unbelievable, but considering the circumstances, that must be the truth.”
Count Saint-Germain nodded at the Emperor’s deduction.
It seemed Diana’s Unique Magic: Black Moon Swallowing the Heavens had destroyed the summoning circle as well.
“However, even if the summoning circle is destroyed, the Archdemon should not vanish immediately, which is puzzling… and it is also somewhat surprising that this familiar was capable of such magic.”
“Hmm. Then is it possible that Luke defeated the Archdemon, as Diana says? That would explain everything.”
“Your Majesty, the Archdemon in this place was one that I personally set up so that even if the Dark Elf elites came to recapture Princess Luna, they would be repelled.”
Count Saint-Germain spoke as if gently admonishing a student.
“A five-year-old defeating my familiar? That is absolutely impossible, even if the heavens and earth were to overturn. If Prince Luke had accomplished that… then the prince’s talent would be that of a mythical monster.”
Saint-Germain laughed it off as if it were a bad joke.
“…If you, an immortal who has lived for 1000 years, say so, then there is no doubt.”
The Emperor seemed convinced.
Saint-Germain had perfected the Secret Art of Immortality and had served the Celestia Empire for over 1000 years.
Therefore, his words carried weight.
“That is exactly right. We were attacked by a monster, and in a panic, we attacked and destroyed the summoning circle to escape unharmed.”
I immediately jumped on Saint-Germain’s words.
It would be best to keep Diana’s Unique Magic: Black Moon Swallowing the Heavens a secret for now.
Luckily, thanks to Saint-Germain, I seemed to have managed to get through this situation without revealing my true abilities.
Or so I thought…
“Hmm, I see…”
Saint-Germain and the Emperor looked at me with interest.
“Prince Luke was able to respond so calmly even while being attacked by an Archdemon, which is far more powerful than any human?”
“Brave is not a word that can describe it. He is not intimidated by me either… This one seems to have considerable talent as a warrior.”
“That’s right! Onii-sama defeated and erased that scary thing!”
Diana shouted proudly. It was probably because she wanted me to be properly recognized, but I wanted her to be quiet for now.
Count Saint-Germain, unable to contain his excitement, pressed the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, I would like to perform the Appraisal Ritual to examine Prince Luke and Princess Diana’s magical talents immediately. Would that be permissible?”
W-what, could that be why they came here?
“Please wait, Saint-Germain-sama. The Appraisal Ritual is to be performed after the age of six. Performing it too early carries the risk of triggering a Magical Runaway…!”
My mother tried to stop him, but Emperor Alvaise’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.
“Very well, I permit it. Begin at once. I want to know his… Luke’s power!”