"Since a few years ago… after having several conversations… that’s when…" When I'm around Fassone and Kazuhaine, mother and daughter, and other relatives I'm not particularly close to, I'm in full formal mode, but Kazuhaine seems to have taken a liking to me after seeing how I behaved.
What seemed trivial to me, apparently was not so for Kazuhaine.
Despite being known as the ‘foolish prince’ in public, I approached her with surprisingly decent manners. The discrepancy between the public’s evaluation and my behavior might have further elevated her opinion of me.
This is especially true when you consider that she has a bratty little brother who has no manners.
The rumor of me being a ‘foolish prince’ is just that, a rumor that’s been circulating abroad, with no specific bad reputation attached to it.
In the first place, I change my name to Charles, which isn't particularly uncommon when abroad, and I change my mother's surname slightly.
If the monster is too tough for an ordinary swordsman to defeat, there are several cases where people think, "Maybe the swordsman who called himself Charles was actually Lord Eucharlouch." I completed the request alone, not as part of a party, and unscathed, so it's understandable that people would think that.
I don’t want to go to the trouble of pretending to struggle unnecessarily.
Honestly, it’s a hassle to go that far.
Once I complete the request, I quickly leave, so I won't be in any trouble if my true identity is revealed.
I’ve heard rumors about other skilled adventurers, such as a ‘samurai who beheaded a dragon in one blow’ and a ‘magic swordsman who froze a salamander’, but it seems that I, a hero and a prince of a country, am far ahead in terms of fame.
The fact that there is no detailed information other than that I am good-looking and skilled makes it easy to deceive others. The people who use my well-known name also do so because they want to make themselves look good, so it's unlikely they would do so for any reason other than to get their hands on a girl. In addition, it is well-known outside that the members of the BraveLord family are all extremely good-looking, so unless they are at least reasonably good-looking men, they can't even use my name.
Even if a man with unfortunate looks were to use my name, people would say, "There's no way such an ugly man could be Lord Eucharlouch." Also, while the details are not known, the existence of "Brave Arts" is known, so a certain level of skill with the sword is necessary. This is because, in order to call oneself a hero, it is necessary to master the bloodline-exclusive Limited Arts. That level of information is known in most countries outside of the Empire, with which we have almost no diplomatic relations. Well, it doesn't really matter if they know.
Even I don't just go around calling myself a "hero" as I please. If they were suspicious, they would definitely say, "Show me some amazing Brave Arts that will prove you're a hero." Thinking about such things frantically in my head, I moved back and forth inside the tight Kazuhaine.
Because I was concentrating on my thoughts, I was able to move with a little more ease. "Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm... it feels good... Lord Eucharlouch..." Kazuhaine was moaning under me, pinned down.
"... Whenever I heard rumors of you, Lord Eucharlouch, living freely among the descendants of heroes... I thought of your exploits..."
Most of my heroic tales were done by impostors. The reason for this is that there are many anecdotes floating around about me defeating petty monsters that I would be too embarrassed to tell anyone about. I know it's not a good way to say it, but women are weak to nobles, princes, and other high-ranking figures.
Even if it’s impossible for the women of my country, Braidea, there are probably many women outside the country who would like to have a one-night romance with a prince. There are plenty of women out there who, under the pretense of such a goal, would brazenly claim to have been embraced by me. The BraveLord family treasures their family name and has publicly declared that "contact with Lord Eucharlouch outside of public places is not officially recognized," so the existence of impostors is well known. Despite this, Kazuhaine seemed to like me, a heretic among the hero's bloodline.
"Your Mother didn't seem to like me because I didn't stay in the country and instead acted freely, right?" "...But at the same time...I think she felt relieved...She said...that the next heir to the throne after Father was...my younger brother Neal..." The eldest son, Ichabod, the second son, Girolandis, and the third son, Sanvolt, were fighting for the throne, and although the second son excelled in politics and the third son in military power, I think the eldest son was the best overall.
My eldest brother had many personality problems, but it is undeniable that he was outstanding in terms of ability.
You could even say that he was arrogant precisely because his outstanding qualities stood out so much. I've gone off on a bit of a tangent, but my eldest brother was the closest to inheriting the throne. There's no doubt about that.
Personally, I liked the third son, Sanvolt, the most in terms of personality, but he wasn't as clever as the king or my eldest brother and seemed a little unreliable as a king.
I think I was better at manipulating people than him, since I could bluff with ease. A king needs that sort of thing, at least to a certain extent.
The second prince, while not as strong-willed as my eldest brother, had a strong personality and his personal abilities were only slightly inferior to his older brother, so aside from being higher in the rankings, he was a questionable candidate. However, he was good at currying favor with people and was on good terms with influential ministers, so he managed to maintain a balance that put him on par with the other two.
Apart from me, in terms of military power the ranking was the third Prince, the eldest Prince, and the second Prince. In terms of political power, it was probably the second Prince, the eldest Prince, and the third Prince.
In terms of political power, I had no followers and had not even studied royal government, so I am not only last, but I am not even considered.
It may not seem like there is a difference because there are only three of the princes lined up, but even to me there was a considerable gap in the ability of the eldest and second Prince in terms of military power, and the eldest and third Prince in terms of political power. The only one who met high standards in both areas was the eldest Prince, Ichabod.
Though he's a brat, Neal who strongly inherits the blood of the eldest Prince, is currently the most likely candidate for the succession to the throne. Fassone's plan was correct. Except for one thing: I would be in the way of Neal.
Chapter length 2802 characters.
Note: Now that brings the named princes to 6/10. Although we only know of two widows.
No comments:
Post a Comment