Episode 19: Prince Victor Attempts Revenge on the Mob Prince, Only to Lose Everything
(Prince Victor’s Perspective)
“W-What are you doing?! This is the room of the Fourth Prince, yours truly!”
In the evening, after returning from horseback riding practice, I was shocked to see my belongings being carried out of my room one after another by the servants.
I quickly realized they weren’t just cleaning or redecorating. The items were being loaded onto wagons.
“T-That’s the magic staff His Majesty gave me as a birthday present?! Stop it! How dare you be so disrespectful!”
Enraged, I tried to unleash a [Fireball] at the servants.
One must become strong to be worthy of being a ruler. With that encouragement, His Majesty had gifted me this precious item, urging me to excel in magic. And now, they were trying to steal it away.
“What’s all the commotion, Victor? You have no need for that anymore.”
However, my [Fireball] was extinguished by another [Fireball] that struck it from the side.
“Father!”
The one who did it was His Majesty Emperor Alvaise, his face stern.
“Your Majesty!”
The servants prostrated themselves as the Emperor suddenly appeared.
“This magic staff will be given to Diana. It’s meaningless for you to possess it, as you are no longer qualified to succeed me.”
“To Diana?! W-What does this mean?!”
I rushed towards Father in a panic.
“Your mother, Camilla, has committed an unforgivable crime and has been banished from the inner palace. Therefore, you are disinherited. From now on, you will live quietly in the detached palace as a hostage of House Ludwig.”
“D-Disinherited?!”
This was completely unexpected for me, who had been training day and night to become the next Emperor.
More than that, I hadn’t seen Mother today, but c-could it be…
“Where is Mother?! Please, let me see Mother!”
“Didn’t you hear? Camilla is being investigated for her crimes as a criminal. And you are a hostage. You will not be allowed to see Camilla from now on.”
“N-No way! I can’t see Mother anymore?!”
I felt as if the ground beneath my feet was collapsing.
I-Isn’t this too much? What exactly did Mother and I do?
“As planned, transport all of Camilla’s assets and personal belongings here to the Prison Tower.”
“Yes, sir!”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
“Are you saying you’re giving Mother’s possessions to those lowly Mazoku?!”
“That’s right. Luke has been useful to me. He exposed Camilla’s crimes and contributed to the strengthening of the Imperial Army. Therefore, I must reward him, mustn’t I? Reward and punishment are essential.”
“N-No way…!”
Was I saying that everything had been taken from me by that good-for-nothing Luke?
An unbearable humiliation. This shouldn’t be happening.
My whole body trembled with anger.
“Wait, where are you going?”
Before I knew it, I was already running.
I ignored Father’s voice of restraint.
Recently, Luke had been practicing swordsmanship in front of the guard station around this time.
He was even audaciously conducting one-versus-many combat training against the guards.
If so, I’ll barge in there and kill him with my magic.
If I could land a surprise attack with [Fire Rain], it should be more than possible.
That way, Father would understand how talented I am in magic and how worthy I am to be the next Emperor.
I ran desperately and spotted Luke, ready to unleash my magic.
“D-Dieeeee!”
I’ll make that lowly wretch understand what happens when you anger the bloodline of the great Emperor.
“[Fire Rain]!”
However, just before the magic was activated, a dull impact ran through my raised right hand, and blood spurted out. My right hand had been slashed by a sword.
“Gyaaaaaaa!?”
“Hey, hey, didn’t your mama teach you not to aim attack magic at people, Your Highness?”
The one who slashed me was Gaine, the S-Rank adventurer who was teaching Luke swordsmanship.
“Ah, sorry. Maybe your mama taught you the opposite? In that case, I’ll give you the right education. If you point your blade at others, be prepared to be killed, got it?”
“Y-You bastard! Do you think you can get away with doing this to me, the Fourth Prince?!”
I screamed, writhing in pain. It was a deep wound that reached the bone.
“Someone, anyone! Kill him! Kill this insolent fool!”
“Weren’t you disinherited, Brother Victor?”
Luke coldly looked down at me and said.
“Besides, you were trying to kill me along with the many guards here, right? Do you really think anyone would side with you?”
“W-What…?”
Just as he said, no one tried to lay a hand on Gaine.
All the guards were looking at me with cold eyes.
I was starting to feel faint from the blood loss.
“…This is Mother’s Hi-Potion.”
Luke handed me a potion bottle.
It was a Hi-Potion made by a lowly Mazoku woman, but I drank it down desperately, and the bleeding stopped as if it were a lie. The wound closed in an instant.
“Ah, guooo…”
However, the pain lingered, and I collapsed to the ground, groaning.
To think I would receive charity from Luke.
“Be grateful to Mother. I would have beheaded you myself, but I’ll spare your life, following Mother’s teachings.”
“…W-What are you being so high and mighty for? I am the rightful prince of the Empire!”
“Alright, guards. Arrest this brat for attempted mass murder. He’s no longer a member of the Imperial Family. He’s a proper criminal.”
“Yes, sir!”
Prompted by Gaine, the guards put ropes on me.
“L-Let me go! I, the glorious Fourth Prince Victor, am a criminal?!”
It was an unbelievable treatment. This couldn’t be allowed.
“Ah, that’s right. Get it through your thick skull. From now on, you’ll be eating stinky food in a dimly lit prison for the rest of your life.”
Gaine spat out those words.
None of the soldiers obeyed my orders.
On this day, I lost everything and was thrown into a dark underground prison, far from the detached palace and the sunlight.