The Prince from Another World Wants to Save the World

Chapter 31: The Awakened (1)

“Have you gone mad, Claude? What on earth have you done?!”

Jess shouted in horror, his face pale with shock. Presenting myself voluntarily at the imperial palace, I knelt in the chamber of the Empire and bowed deeply, recounting the entire sequence of events.

“Everything began in the early hours of that morning. A young girl who had escaped from Berit arrived at my estate, pleading for help. She begged me to save her family and her village.”

“What of it?! It’s a grave crime for Berit’s residents to flee their domain! You should have just reported it to the Bureau of Security and been done with it!”

“I couldn’t do that.”

Unlike Jess, who was furiously agitated, I responded in an exceptionally calm voice.

“I am unworthy, yet I bear the title of Saint through the blessing of the gods. How could someone like me simply ignore those starving to death under the exploitation of their lord?”

“Outsiders have no right to interfere in Berit’s policies! That’s been an imperial tradition for over a hundred years!”

“To me, there is but one Empire.”

At that moment, the surrounding officials erupted in murmurs. Though everyone understood this sentiment in their hearts, voicing it aloud was another matter altogether. My public declaration struck a chord.

“The residents of Elston County, who suffered under the invasion of the Undead Army, the people of Yotun, whose livelihoods were shattered by the Sea Serpent’s emergence, and the villagers of Berit, starving under their lord’s tyranny—they are all subjects of His Majesty, the Emperor, in my eyes.”

“You madman!”

Jess slammed the substitute throne and rose abruptly. However, the reaction of the officials around him was quite different.

—Indeed… To Prince Claude, they must all seem like equal subjects.

—An admirable statement, though Berit is rather… a special case.

—In any case, it’s meaningless now. That place has been little more than a tool for filling the appointed lord’s coffers.

Oh? This is a better reaction than I expected.

In my nine previous regressions, I’d observed that many officials had their own reasons for growing weary of Berit’s policies. 

If every one of them had truly wished to exploit Berit, they wouldn’t have allowed such events to unfold in the first place. Of course, Jess had always been an exception.

“This lunatic! You rejected half of Berit when His Majesty offered it as a domain, and now you unseat the appointed lord, imprison him without authority, and dare to argue you’ve done right?!”

Jess jabbed his finger at me, his voice rising in anger.

Hmm, something feels off.

Had he reacted this violently before? He seemed far more agitated than I remembered.

“Above all else, a prince mobilizing troops for personal gain to seize a domain—that alone is an unforgivable crime!”

“I did not mobilize any troops.”

“Don’t spout nonsense! Didn’t you recently establish a knightly order?!”

“It’s a knightly order with fewer than five members. And I was the only one who took action to seize Berit’s castle and stop the lord’s tyranny.”

“By yourself? Ha! So, what, you used holy magic to slaughter all of Berit’s forces, just as you did with the Sea Serpent in Yotun Bay?”

“I didn’t kill anyone. And as for the holy magic you mentioned, I also used elemental magic in addition to Reverse Gravity.”

As planned, I revealed the truth, plainly and honestly. Jess’ face contorted as he stammered, his voice incredulous.

“Elemental magic? How could you—?”

“When I brokered an agreement with the ogres, I was invited to their village and partook in their festivities. During the celebration, I had the chance to commune with Lukkar, the Spirit of Stone, the ogres’ guardian deity.”

“What? A spirit?”

“At that time, the Spirit of Stone awakened magical power within me as a token of gratitude. I kept it to myself since I wasn’t familiar with the magic, but when I heard the story of the girl who escaped that morning, I became overwhelmed, and the magical power fully awakened.”

To prove my words, I created a small flame in the palm of my hand and let it rise.

Fwoosh!

“Your Highness!”

Jess’ bodyguard, Pyren, immediately stepped forward to shield him in front of the substitute throne. 

However, the surrounding officials reacted differently. Rather than feeling threatened by the magic, they gazed at the flame in my hand with awe.

—Oh my, that truly is elemental magic…

—Heavens, does this mean Prince Claude can wield both holy and elemental magic?

—This will go down in imperial history. Hasn’t it been unheard of since the Heroic Age?

—This is a blessing for the Empire. It’s said that those who wield both forms of magic are destined to become heroes protecting the Empire.

Reputation: Maximized!

Even a quick listen revealed the officials’ mood had significantly brightened.

This was one of the advantages of choosing both elemental and holy magic at the start. 

I’d carefully held back on revealing this until now, timing it perfectly with the chaos I’d created.

“Damn it…”

Jess wasn’t blind or deaf. Sensing the shift in the officials’ mood, he quickly masked his frustration, adopting a stern expression as he spoke in a heavy voice.

“I don’t care what powers you possess. What matters is that you overstepped your bounds and trampled on the Empire’s laws by removing an appointed lord. That’s treason against the Empire!”

“Regent, please remain calm,” interjected Earl Hobbs, the Minister of Military Affairs, stepping forward.

“While Prince Claude’s actions were indeed extreme, they were ultimately carried out for the sake of the Empire’s citizens. Based on the sequence of events, accusing him of treason seems excessive.”

“Earl Hobbs! Are you saying Claude bears no guilt?”

“Not at all. But as the Minister of Military Affairs, I believe this should be considered the impulsive folly of a royal acting out of emotion rather than outright rebellion. Moreover, didn’t he come straight to the palace to explain himself after the fact?”

“Grr…”

—Indeed, calling this treason is a stretch.

—Would someone planning a rebellion voluntarily present themselves at the palace to confess their actions?

—Besides, hasn’t Earl Talisman’s reputation been under scrutiny lately?

—Not just lately. He’s always had a shady reputation. Back in his youth, he couldn’t even manage his own belongings…

—Wasn’t the Earl sent to Berit to lie low after being caught red-handed a few years ago?

—Hide, you mean. He was just waiting for the scandal to die down. Honestly, I’m relieved this came to light.

The officials’ opinions were overwhelmingly clear. Jess, realizing he couldn’t impose a severe punishment under these circumstances, waved his hand urgently and raised his voice.

“Silence! A decision won’t be made today. We’ll wait for the investigation team’s findings on what truly happened in Berit before passing judgment!”

Then, with eyes filled with venom, he glared at me as if I were his mortal enemy.

Too bad we’re brothers, Jess. Well, technically, we share the same father but have different mothers.

“Until then, I sentence the Empire’s Sixth Prince, Claude, to house arrest. He is to remain in the Azure Lion Palace, one of the royal annexes, until the investigation is complete!”

***

Three days after Claude’s return to Emperoroad, the Talisman family, upon hearing the news, dispatched hundreds of private soldiers to Berit Castle.

“I am Baron Rantel, representing the Talisman family, the greatest noble house of the Empire! Surrender Earl Talisman immediately and hand him over to us!”

Rantel… Talisman’s nephew, wasn’t he?

Standing at the castle gate, Kyle furrowed his brow as he scrutinized the man before him.

The young Baron clad in ornate armor didn’t appear particularly threatening. From what Kyle knew, not a single competent knight existed among the Earl’s relatives.

The real problem lay in the gray-armored knights surrounding the Baron.

Those crude armors… That’s the Baron Mercenary Knights.

A notorious group known to do anything for money. While their armor revealed their identity, it said little about their actual skills.

Unlike national knights whose armor grades indicate their rank, mercenaries are harder to gauge. Judging their abilities is a challenge.

Uncertain of victory, Kyle decided against engaging in direct combat and took a step back.

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Meredith.”

“Once again, I must insist that honorifics are unnecessary. I’m younger than you, after all.”

Meredith, standing beside him with a stoic expression, responded matter-of-factly. Kyle widened his eyes in surprise.

“You’re younger than me?”

“I’m sixteen this year. I’ve heard you’re two years older than me, Sir Kyle.”

“Uh… I see… Well, in any case, I’ll count on you.”

Meredith was at least a head taller than Kyle, and her mature features made it hard to believe she was only sixteen.

Because of this, Kyle had always assumed she was older and treated her with utmost respect, regardless of her rank, position, or even gender. But to think she was actually younger—it left him speechless.

To be so bold at only sixteen… I wonder how skilled she is in combat.

He still didn’t know how strong Meredith’s spirit magic was. On the other hand, the enemy had seven knights. 

Kyle figured it would be better not to provoke them and gradually draw them in to defeat them one by one.

But Meredith had no intention of playing defensively. She addressed the advancing enemies with a firm warning.

“Step back. Prince Claude has ordered that no one is to enter the castle without his or the Imperial government’s direct permission.”

“And who are you? Judging by your clothes, you’re just a maid! Who do you think you are to interfere here? Hand over my uncle immediately, or get out of the way!”

Baron Rantel drew his sword, glaring fiercely. But Meredith didn’t even flinch as she replied.

“I am Meredith, Prince Claude’s maid. Once again, I must insist: you shall not pass.”

“I said move, or do you want to die?”

“I cannot move.”

“You insolent wench… What are you all standing around for?! Break through by force! No one will care if a maid or two dies, even if it’s a prince’s.”

“Yes, sir!”

At the Baron’s command, two knights at the forefront charged at Meredith. But she reacted faster.

“Kval.”

As soon as she spoke the name of her contracted spirit, the space before her twisted, and a giant made entirely of stone rose to its feet.

“……!”

The surreal sight froze the charging knights in their tracks.

Meanwhile, the summoned spirit moved with surprising agility for its massive size. In an instant, it lunged at the hesitant knights.

Boom!

With swift, precise movements, it smashed its fist down in a single blow.

Crunch!

The sound was like an empty can being crushed. Both knights were sent flying like skipping stones, crashing into the ground several meters away.

“What the…?”

Baron Rantel gasped as he watched his knights get thrown back to their original positions.

“What is that thing? That… that stone giant! Where did it come from?!”

So much for thinking it’d be a cute little pebble spirit based on its name…

Kyle, observing from the other side, couldn’t help but be amazed. The massive stone spirit, as big as an ogre, moved with a nimbleness that defied belief.

Meanwhile, the spirit lifted one of its enormous legs and stomped on the ground with force.

Boom!

Then, as if mocking the Baron’s group, it raised a finger, beckoning them to come closer.

“That hunk of rock dares to provoke us?! What is it? Is it some kind of giant wearing stone armor?”

“It’s likely spirit magic… Baron, please step back with your soldiers. We’ll handle this.”

The leader of the mercenary knights gestured to his remaining knights and slowly advanced. The Baron, glaring at them with unease, barked a warning.

“I spent 300 gold coins hiring less than ten of you on short notice! You’d better earn your keep, or I’ll be filing a claim!”

“……”

The leader nodded, drawing his sword and testing its swing.

Whoosh!

The blade’s movement caused a sharp gust of wind that tore into the ground, leaving a deep gash.

Kyle, watching from a distance, gasped in shock.

“A wind-pressure blade? A mercenary knight is a Knight Expert?”

Knights’ ranks were often distinguished by their mastery of certain skills or the quality of the armor they could wield.

To qualify as a “Knight Expert,” the third rank of knighthood, a knight must be capable of using the wind-pressure blade, a technique where air pressure from a sword’s swing could attack an opponent.

Alternatively, they might wear intermediate-level magic armor.

Though not on par with a “Knight Commander” or the highest rank, “Knight Master,” even a Knight Expert was extraordinary by civilian standards.

“Meredith! That’s a Knight Expert! Watch out for the wind-pressure blade!”

Not that a maid unfamiliar with knights would likely understand, but Kyle still had to warn her.

However, Meredith’s concern was focused solely on the ticking clock. Now that she had summoned her spirit, it was more dangerous to wait than to engage.

Eight minutes. I have to defeat them all within that time.

Meredith kept her rising anxiety hidden behind her calm facade. From her tests in the forest, she knew Kval’s summon duration had a strict limit of nine minutes.

After that, the spirit would disappear, and it would take at least three hours before she could summon it again.

But Kval is strong. I don’t know what a Knight Expert is, but Kval will take care of them.

This time, however, the enemy employed more cunning tactics.

The mercenary leader spread his remaining knights wide, encircling Kval and distracting the spirit from multiple directions.

Though Meredith could sense that they were up to something, her inexperience left her with only one command: attack.

“Fight, Kval!”

Roar!

Kval let out a deafening roar and charged at a knight on its left, swinging its massive fist with a single motion.

Boom!

The knight, unable to react in time, was sent flying.

At the same time, the other three knights rushed in and attacked Kval from all sides.

Clang!

However, their strikes left little more than scratches on the spirit’s stone body. Kval, undeterred, began spinning its arms like windmills, forcing the knights to retreat.

“Dodge!”

The knights quickly put some distance between themselves and Kval. But then, it happened.

Crack!

A fissure suddenly appeared in Kval’s thick arm.

The cause? A sharp strike from afar—the leader’s wind-pressure blade had hit its mark.

Using the initial wave of knights as a distraction, the leader had waited for the perfect moment to create a crack in the spirit’s defense. Seizing the opportunity, he charged in and swung his sword with precision.

Smash!

Kval’s right arm was severed and went flying.

“Ah!”

Meredith clutched her own arm reflexively, as though feeling the pain herself, and shouted.

“Kval!”

Roar!

Kval, seemingly unbothered, swung its remaining arm wildly.

The leader, having achieved his goal, retreated swiftly to a safe distance.

“Reform the encirclement! This time, take out its left arm!”

He commanded his subordinates, who quickly spread out again. Kval spun its body to keep its attackers in sight, roaring in defiance.

Roar! Roar!

What just happened? How can a sword cut through stone? Kval’s body isn’t just ordinary rock!

Meredith, unfamiliar with knightly skills, could only watch in shock. Kyle, too, observed with growing unease, contemplating his next move.

They’ve formed an encirclement. That’s a basic knight tactic for handling smaller numbers of enemies. But she’s not countering it at all. What should I do? Should I step in and disrupt their rhythm? Or is it better to retreat now?

Claude had given him the leeway to hand over the Earl if things got dangerous, but the decision rested solely with Kyle.

Just then, a voice broke through the tension.

“Excuse me, excuse me. Sorry, could you let me through? Just a moment. Pardon me, coming through.”

A soldier with a scruffy beard weaved his way through Baron Rantel’s forces, making his way to the front of the castle gate.