**Chapter 133: The Foolish Prince and the Battle**
“Advance, advance, advance! I shall take the head of my brother… the Crown Prince!”
Leading the rebel soldiers, Rodel dashed across the battlefield. His goal was to slay the Crown Prince, the supreme commander of the royal army. He aimed to prove to the people that he was not merely a puppet. With magic, he cleaved through the soldiers of the royal army, carving a path through the chaos.
“Fire! Do not let them advance any further!”
At first, the royal army had mocked Rodel for recklessly charging into their ranks without a plan. However, as he unleashed powerful spells that shattered their lines, their laughter quickly faded. Despite their desperate attempts to halt him with magic and arrows, Rodel pressed on. The rebel soldiers trailing behind 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.
“Press on! Victory is within our grasp!”
Rodel’s reckless charge transformed the battlefield. The tide had turned. Despite the numerical superiority of the royal army, it was now they who found themselves cornered. Perhaps, if Rodel continued to awaken his true power, the outcome could shift entirely, leading him to defeat the Crown Prince and Marquis Cattleya, rally the rebels to the Royal Capital, and slay his father and the Second Prince, claiming the throne for himself.
But… that future would not come to pass. A thick wall stood in the way of Rodel becoming the “Overlord.”
“**Amaterasu!**”
“Ugh…!”
Shadows fell over the battlefield. Memories of the recent events flashed back, causing Rodel’s skin to prickle with dread.
“**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 toward him, but he was shielded by the solid stone barrier.
“**Gyaaaaaaaah!**”
The screams came from the rebel soldiers who had charged in behind Rodel. Bathed in the white light, their momentum vanished, and they crumbled in an instant.
“Now! Take down the rebels!”
“Attack!”
Standing before the royal army’s main camp, Rest had blocked the enemy’s charge with the light beam. Responding to Rest’s call, the soldiers of the House of Marquis Rosemary surged forward, led by Diable, as they pounced upon the disintegrating rebel forces.
“Ugh… this attack is just like before…!”
“Ah… it seems it has been blocked.”
“You…!”
Emerging from the stone wall, Rodel glared up at Rest. With a look of deep-seated hatred, he faced his greatest foe standing in the way of his ambition.
“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 lives were lost on the Subnock Plains because of you?”
“……!”
Rodel’s eyes widened at Rest’s words. A rare glimmer 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 true?”
“……”
Rodel’s expression twisted. Having experienced the death of friends, he was painfully aware of his own foolishness. Thus, he offered no retort. However, he had no intention of simply sitting back and accepting defeat.
“You are young. Are you also a student of the Royal Academy?”
“That’s right. You may not remember, but… we have met before.”
“……?”
Rodel furrowed his brow. He scrutinized Rest’s face, but he could not recall who he was.
“…Well, it’s no surprise you don’t remember.”
Rest shrugged. To Rodel, Rest was likely just an unknown commoner. Someone not worth remembering, a mere pebble on the roadside.
“…State your name.”
“Hmph…”
When Rodel commanded curtly, Rest raised an eyebrow in mockery.
“Rest Clover. I am technically a Viscount, though I rose 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 nation!”
Rodel gathered his magic and unleashed a spell. A sharp burst of flame shot toward Rest, but it was blocked by a wall of water.
The clash between the royal army and the rebels was reaching its climax. The stage was set for a duel between the Third Prince Rodel and the young hero Rest Clover, a confrontation that would determine the fate of the battlefield.