Chapter 130: The Rebel Prince’s Melancholy
Meanwhile, at the rebel army’s main camp.
There stood Prince Rodel Aiwood, the Third Prince and the emblem of the rebel army, alongside Marquis Aiger, the de facto commander. Within the canvas walls of the tent, the final military council before the clash was underway.
“Now then… Prince Rodel! The time has come for you to ascend as king!”
Marquis Aiger passionately proclaimed before Rodel, who sat in his chair.
“The era of the foolish king, who lacks any talent despite being of the Queen Dowager’s blood, and the false Crown Prince, is coming to an end! Let us crush the enemy here and march straight to the Royal Capital!”
“…Indeed.”
Rodel responded with a dark, heavy gaze, feeling the fervor in Aiger’s words, which bordered on madness.
(If we win this battle, I will become the Crown Prince. The king of the Aiwood Kingdom… just as my grandmother wished…)
His hopes were within reach. His grand ambition was on the verge of fruition. Yet, strangely, his spirits did not rise. Ever since surviving the Subnock Plain, he had felt this way.
(Goura… Tony…)
The faces of the two who had been by his side since childhood as his aides floated in his mind.
Goura was a straightforward man. Honest to a fault, he struggled with cunning and often resorted to brute force to resolve issues. Tony, on the other hand, was a petty figure. Though timid, he would only act tough when Rodel and Goura were around, puffing himself up with bravado. He was eloquent and skilled at flattery, a man who was strangely hard to hate.
Since their deaths, Rodel felt as though a heavy stone had settled in his stomach, weighing him down.
(Was I not the chosen one…? The grandson of the great Queen Dowager, a genius who received elite education from her to one day become king. The strongest magician, destined to achieve feats that would unify the Aiwood Kingdom… no, the entire continent…)
His dreams were within grasp. Yet, he felt an inexplicable heaviness in his heart. Ever since that day on the Subnock Plain, he had been like this.
(Why did I not see it…?)
He had once been filled with unwavering confidence, as if wings sprouted from his back, allowing him to soar endlessly. That sense of omnipotence had always filled his chest. But now, after losing his friends who had also been his aides, he had completely lost that confidence.
Rodel had been arrogant, perhaps because he had never known failure. He had been doted upon and spoiled by the influential Queen Dowager. Even after her passing, he was protected by supporters like Marquis Aiger. The people around him were yes-men, and no one dared to admonish him. His magical talent, rather than being a boon, had only worsened his situation. Since both the king and the Crown Prince lacked significant magical power, any admonishment from them was dismissed as mere “envy of the weak.”
However, on the Subnock Plain, he had experienced a decisive failure. In a reckless charge, he had lost the aides he trusted the most. With the loss of those two who had always supported him unconditionally, Rodel was finally regretting his mistakes.
(…Many students lost their lives due to the onslaught of monsters… all because of me. It was my fault that I awakened the Magical Beast Sabnock…!)
Until then, Rodel had never been one to reflect on his surroundings. Had he triumphed over the Magical Beast Sabnock, perhaps he could have laughed off the deaths as “necessary sacrifices.” But having been defeated, with no achievements to show for it and only losses to mourn, he felt guilt for the first time in his life.
“…The enemy numbers one hundred thousand. They outnumber us. Can we truly win?”
Such a weak statement escaped his lips, a reflection of his shattered confidence.
“Fear not! While we may be outnumbered, the quality of our soldiers is what truly matters. No matter how many rabble gather, they are nothing but a number!”
“…Is that so?”
“And… we have a strong ally with us!”
Marquis Aiger turned his gaze toward a figure in the corner of the tent.
“………”
The person, cloaked in a deep black hood that concealed their face, silently nodded at Rodel. They sat cross-legged on a cloth spread on the ground, remaining silent and not participating in the council.
“This individual has come as reinforcements from the Empire, the homeland of the Concubine. Behind you, Prince Rodel, not only stands the majesty of the Queen Dowager, but also the Geisel Empire. We cannot lose!”
“………”
Aiger’s eyes sparkled with an eerie light as he made his declaration. What would have once felt reassuring now struck Rodel as strangely terrifying.
(This man does not see me. Though his gaze is directed at me, what reflects in his eyes is only my grandmother…)
He realized that Marquis Aiger served not him, but the Queen Dowager. It wasn’t just Aiger; all the nobles within this tent, members of the Queen Dowager Faction, were the same. They were all enamored with the already deceased Queen Dowager, blind to Rodel and the reality around them.
“Marquis, the soldiers are ready.”
“Ah, then… let us charge forth at once!”
Without seeking Rodel’s command, Marquis Aiger ordered the soldiers to charge. The sound of a trumpet rang out, signaling the preparation for battle. When the trumpet sounded again, all soldiers would charge toward the enemy.
“Now, let us go! All for the sake of the great Queen Dowager! We shall march to the Royal Capital to establish a righteous paradise in this world…”
As Aiger resumed his speech, he suddenly halted mid-sentence. The surroundings had darkened abruptly. The sun was obscured, and a dim shadow fell over the camp, as if a total eclipse had occurred.
“………?”
“Hey, what is happening?!”
“I-I don’t know… everything suddenly got dark…”
Just as they were about to charge, it felt as if cold water had been thrown over them. Confusion filled both inside and outside the tent, making it impossible to command the soldiers to charge.
“This is bad…!”
In the midst of the chaos, the cloaked figure suddenly stood up. In a flustered manner, they lifted the tent flap to step outside, only to be met with a blinding light rushing in from outside.
“Ah…”
There was no time to scream. The magical light unleashed by the Kingdom Army engulfed Rodel and the soldiers standing before the main tent.