Chapter 133: The Foolish Prince Goes to Battle
“Advance, advance, advance! I will take the head of my brother… the Crown Prince!”
Leading the Rebel Army soldiers, Rodel dashed across the battlefield. His target: the Crown Prince, the Supreme Commander of the Kingdom Army. He aimed to prove to the people that he was not merely a puppet. With a wave of his hand, he cut down the soldiers of the Kingdom Army with magic, cleaving the battlefield in two.
“Fire! Do not let them advance any further!”
At first, the Kingdom Army had mocked Rodel for recklessly charging into their ranks without a plan. However, as powerful spells were unleashed and Rodel continued to break through the ranks of soldiers, their laughter began to fade. Despite their desperate attempts to halt him with magic and arrows, Rodel pressed on. The soldiers of the Rebel Army following him fell one by one, but that was all. At this rate, they might reach the main camp where the Crown Prince and Marquis Cattleya were stationed.
“Advance! Victory is just within our grasp!”
Rodel’s reckless charge transformed the battlefield. The tides had turned. Despite the numerical superiority of the Kingdom Army, it was now they who found themselves cornered. Perhaps, with Rodel awakened, the outcome could have shifted entirely, leading him to defeat the Crown Prince and Marquis Cattleya, and march the Rebel Army to the Royal Capital, overthrowing the King and the Second Prince to become the new king himself.
However… that was not to be. A thick wall stood in the way of Rodel becoming the “Conqueror.”
“Amaterasu!“
“Ugh…!”
A shadow fell over the battlefield. The recent events flashed back in Rodel’s mind, sending shivers down his spine.
“Stone Wall!“
In a split second, he abandoned his horse and rolled onto the ground, activating his defensive magic. A beam of sunlight shot down towards him, striking against the solid stone barrier he had conjured.
“Gyaaaaaaaah!“
The screams came from the Rebel Army soldiers who had charged in behind Rodel. Those who had been so full of vigor moments ago were now utterly shattered by the white beam of light.
“Now! Take down the Rebel Army!”
“Charge!”
Standing firm before the main camp of the Kingdom Army, Rest had blocked the enemy’s advance with the light beam. In response to Rest’s call, the soldiers of the Rosemary Marquis House sprang into action, with Dibble leading the charge against the crumbling Rebel Army.
“Ugh… this attack… it’s just like before!”
“Indeed… it seems to have been blocked.”
“You…!”
Emerging from behind the Stone Wall, Rodel glared up at Rest with a look of deep animosity, recognizing him as his greatest foe standing in the way of his ambitions.
“You were the one who cast that Light Magic… how dare you…!”
“What I want to say is, how dare you! Do you have any idea how many people died on Subnock Plain because of you?”
“……!”
Rodel’s eyes widened in shock at Rest’s words. A rare expression of regret flickered in his gaze.
“…I’m surprised. Even the Foolish Prince can feel remorse for his failures.”
“The Foolish Prince, you say…?”
“Is that not correct?”
“……”
Rodel’s expression twisted. Having experienced the death of his friends, he was painfully aware of his own foolishness. Thus, he offered no rebuttal. However, he had no intention of simply sitting back and accepting defeat.
“You are young. Are you a student of the Royal Academy as well?”
“That’s right. You probably don’t remember, but… we have met before.”
“……?”
Rodel furrowed his brow, scrutinizing Rest’s face, but he could not recall who he was.
“…Well, I suppose it’s not surprising you don’t remember.”
Rest shrugged. To Rodel, Rest was likely just an unknown commoner, not worth remembering—a mere pebble by the roadside.
“…State your name.”
“Hmph…”
At Rodel’s curt command, Rest raised an eyebrow in mockery.
“Rest Clover. I am, technically, a Viscount. Though I rose to this position from humble beginnings.”
“I see… You may know me, but I am Rodel Aiwood. The man who will annihilate you and become the king of this country!”
Rodel gathered his magical power and unleashed a spell. A sharp burst of flame shot towards Rest, aiming to incinerate him, but it was blocked by a wall of water.
The clash between the Kingdom Army and the Rebel Army unfolded, culminating in a one-on-one duel between the Third Prince Rodel and the young hero Rest Clover.