Chapter 36

“Wait. Things are taking a strange turn.”

The one who interjected was Ferbias Caseptus, the First Prince whose shoulders were still high from his confidant's victory.

“Then the prize for this contest is Zionis? Not that old-fashioned looking belt?”

What did you just call it?

Hermai Merhes got angry, but Ferbias lightly dismissed him.

In truth, many agreed with the opinion that the names of the Treasures were all old-fashioned.

“I've lost my appetite. I will withdraw from this contest.”

“Oh my, why would Zionis say such a thing?”

Leniar smiled, covering her mouth.

She looked me up and down and said,“He's so cute. It looks like he'll make many women cry when he grows up.”

“He is cute. No matter how you look at him, he's an eleven-year-old, but sometimes he's not like an eleven-year-old at all. Very suspiciously so.”

“Doesn't that make him even cuter?”

“Hmph. Anyway, I'm out. You all can do it yourselves.”

Ferbias turned his back.

There was no time for me, who had been suddenly subjected to a critique, to protest.

The silver-haired princess snickered at her older brother who had turned his back.

“Then Secundus, shall we compete? With Zionis as the prize.”

“Your jest is severe, sister.”

“Wasn't it our older brother who started the jest?”

Leniar's eyes shone with a chilling silver light.

They were as brilliant as if they were sprinkled with stardust, yet strangely cold.

“And you readily took up the jest. After all that talk about not touching each other.”

“Hmm……”

Secundus fell silent.

Ferbias had forced the Grand Convergence.

As if to counter that, Secundus had summoned his mother, the Third Imperial Consort Marina, and sent her out for a duel.

He had done so without a care for the non-aggression pact.

From Leniar's perspective, she couldn't help but be displeased.

“Don't look so serious. I was just a little, a very little, vexed.”

Though she said so, her gaze was sharp.

“I just wanted to show that I have a playful side too. So I asked the Dean.”

She looked up at the old magician.

“I thought it wouldn't be fun if I was the only one left out, so I asked if I could join in this prank.”

“I readily permitted it since it wasn't such a severe prank. It was quite interesting, what was it again?”

At the old magician's question, Leniar gave a faint smile and opened her lips as if whispering.

“Tag.”

The silver-haired princess placed a finger on her lips.

True to her own words, a playfulness she had never shown before emerged.

The three hundred wolf warriors, seeing their master's appearance, snickered under their breath.

“Our faction will put out a chaser and Zionis will run away.”

Leniar looked at me.

Her pupils were beautiful, as if sprinkled with silver dust.

“If we catch Zionis within the time limit, it's our victory. If not, it's Secundus' victory. Isn't it simple?”

Are the detailed rules that complicated?

We can use the grounds made for the duel as the playing field.

If we win, Zionis joins our faction, if not, Secundus gets that belt.

“Hmm……”

Secundus let out a groan.

It didn't seem to be a problem.

That's why he was worried.

If she had set impossible conditions, he could have refused her outright.

He was lost in deep thought.

‘The chaser will obviously be Yosef Haider.’

The one-eyed old man was visible.

One of the six warriors that symbolized the Duchy of Volmark.

A monster who, 20 years ago, had even taken three of his mother, the Seven-Forged General's, fingers.

‘Even if it's just running away, does Zionis really have a chance of winning.’

If the opponent wasn't Yosef Haider, there was no reason to refuse.

He had already guessed that Zionis had a hidden card.

However, Yosef, Yosef Haider…….

Secundus' pupils clouded with worry, and Leniar noticed it.

“Don't worry so much, Secundus. I won't be too strict.”

At the princess' gesture, the one-eyed old man stepped forward.

The axe he always carried had been entrusted to his grandson, Rene Haider.

“The chaser will not carry any weapons. We'll only count it as a catch when he's completely held down and unable to move. And the time… hmm, will 1 minute be enough?”

“…1 minute!”

Was that still too short?

Leniar smiled, covering her mouth and Secundus was lost in thought again.

If it was 1 minute, there was a chance of winning.

Yosef Haider was already close to a hundred years old.

His body could not be compared to his prime, and he had heard that his movements in particular had become dull.

‘1 minute, if I use this well……’

My eyes also shone.

I had thought it was a prank not worth playing along with, but it was worth drawing up a new plan.

The gazes of the fifteen hundred, the smug Ferbias, Yosef Haider, the second secret, the next contest.

After thinking of a few things, I pulled on Secundus' sleeve.

“Brother, brother.”

“Hmm.”

“I am fine. You can accept it.”

I was wearing an innocent smile.

As always, like an eleven-year-old.

“The chaser is Yosef Haider. Will you be alright?”

“I can't say it will be easy, but if it's 1 minute.”

In my confident tone, Secundus looked down at his younger brother.

Hearing me say so made it feel as if I could really last 1 minute against Yosef.

Come to think of it, he had never once seen me fight.

There must be something.

Even if there wasn't, he had already accepted me as an ally.

Secundus looked up at the old magician and then shifted his gaze to Leniar.

“Hmm. I accept it!”

“Since we can just use the grounds from the duel, it saves us some work.”

Hermai muttered and flew up high.

The cloud he was riding on writhed, and a giant gold-plated clock emerged from within.

It was a special-sized item that would be used in a clock tower, so all fifteen hundred soldiers could clearly see the clock hands.

“You said 60 seconds.”

With a clap, numbers were engraved on the empty face.

With another clap, the clock hands trembled as if ready to move.

“To explain again, just in case, Prince Zionis runs away and the one-eyed Yosef chases. If he is held down and unable to move within 60 seconds, it is Princess Leniar's victory, if not, it is Prince Secundus' victory.”

The Dean, not even hiding his annoyance, quickly spat out the words.

Looking at the two walking up from either side, he waved his hand dismissively.

“The contestants from each faction, look at each other, and, well, greet each other or something.”

Leniar's chaser, Yosef Haider.

Secundus', Zionis (regressor Shion).

The old man and the child faced each other.

The distance between them was about a hundred steps.

A gap where a shout could just about reach.

“Oho, Prince Zionis.”

“Lord Yosef.”

“It's been the first time since you took the scale, hasn't it?”

“Hmm? Was there such a thing?”

I answered nonchalantly.

As if I had completely forgotten about summoning the Great Witch's familiar.

At my brazen appearance, Yosef's lips twisted up into a wide grin.

“This old man will not go easy on you.”

“Do as you please.”

The one remaining eye of the one-eyed old man was an unreadable indigo.

The Fifth Prince Zionis' eyes were a blue that hid a secret.

At first glance, they were even similar, but the indigo had faded considerably, and the blue was smoldering quietly.

“Now, the second contest.”

Hermai Merhes drew his hand down.

“Begin!”

***

The clock hand moved once with a tick.

“Hmm……?”

Secundus let out a groan.

He could not hide his bewilderment and rubbed his eyes.

Everyone who was watching the contest did the same.

Ferbias and Leniar were no exception.

In the meantime, the clock hand moved once more with a tick.

And my neck was caught in the strong grip of Yosef Haider.

“…This, it's over, isn't it?”

Ferbias Caseptus muttered.

Anyone could see that I was firmly held and unable to move.

‘The match is decided? Really!?’

‘What, what on earth happened.’

‘Who on earth said Yosef Haider's legs had become dull!’

A uniform murmur.

“…Crazy one-eyed bastard.”

Even Hermai Merhes let out a single word.

“You should have gone a little easier. Ending the contest in just 2 seconds?”

No matter what, it was the Succession War, and the opponent was a prince.

To end it in the blink of an eye like this, the prestige of the Imperial Family… no, it would be easier to think that prestige had never existed in this Succession War in the first place.

The Dean, while groaning, chose to be faithful to his role.

“Still, fine. As the delegate of the Grand Convergence, I declare Princess Leniar's victory.”

The old magician's voice echoed across the plain.

Secundus, though bewildered, clicked his tongue, and Leniar smiled faintly.

But Yosef and I did not move.

We stood there, one holding the neck and the other with his neck held.

“…What are you doing, Yosef? Hurry up and let go… hmm?”

Hermai's eyes narrowed.

They shot open in an instant.

He saw.

The cold sweat flowed from my entire body and the thick veins on Yosef's forehead.

It looked as if Yosef was trying to twist my neck with all his might, and I was desperately trying to block him.

No, it could only be seen that way.

“…Lord Yosef!? Stop!”

Leniar screamed.

The silver-haired princess, her already pale face growing even paler, shouted at her confidant.

Soon, everyone realized.

Yosef Haider was genuinely trying to kill the Fifth Prince Zionis.

“…He said, to stop……!”

“It wouldn't be Yosef Haider if I stopped just because he said so.”

Yosef Haider cackled excitedly.

He was gripping my neck roughly.

The slender neck of a child seemed as if it would break at any moment, and Yosef was really trying to do so.

It was just that the resistance was stronger than he thought.

“But Your Highness, you are strong for a nine-year-old. I was planning to break your neck in one go.”

“…Because I'm eleven?”

“Oh dear. The old man made a mistake. Then I shall treat you accordingly.”

“Kuh, ugh……!!”

Yosef put more strength into his hand, and the corner of my mouth twisted.

All the places not visible on the outside were already clad in Valziart, and the seventeen ‘Fantasy Fingers’ were holding onto Yosef's arm.

Thanks to that, my neck was barely saved from being broken.

But still, it was not broken, only one arm barely blocked.

“…This, I didn't expect this at all……!”

“Is that your last words? I won't remember them, but I'll at least listen… hmm? Yikes!”

Yosef, who was raising his other arm, jumped with my neck in his grip.

A few streaks of purple lightning struck the spot where he had been.

The mage of the six stars let out a roar from the sky.

“Are you insane, Yosef-!”

“It would be troublesome if that Hermai bastard interfered.”

He rode the dark clouds and was wrapped in lightning.

The mage of the six stars in the constantly flashing lightning looked like the god of thunder himself.

The fifteen hundred elites held their breath, but Yosef did not flinch in the slightest.

“Shall we avoid the disturbance, Your Highness.”

It suddenly grew dark.

A giant shadow covered the ground.

It was the shape of a wolf with its mouth wide open.

It was strange.

There was no substance, only a shadow.

Yosef Haider's Ars, the Sun Hound, Solagarmr.

“This one is my Ars, its stomach is quite cramped, dark, and quiet.”

The purple lightning shot out, but the shadow wolf paid no mind.

With its mouth wide open, it swallowed Yosef and me, the entire space they were in.

The eaten-away space fell into darkness.

“You won't have any complaints about this as your gravesite, will you?”

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