Survival 132

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“This way.”

I followed behind the guardsman to a room. It wasn’t the top floor where the Class A students lived. It was just below, the level where the Class B students resided, a place I often passed by. 

‘So even a royal lineage isn’t spared. It’s not just for show, after all.’ 

Typically, a prince would be given the best treatment, no questions asked. But the Academy strictly adhered to its first principle. The fact that they placed the third prince, who held a claim to the throne, in the Class B level was proof of that.

‘They let commoners and nobles bicker amongst themselves, yet they are strict in situations like this.’

“Well, I’ll take my leave now.” 

The guardsman, having fulfilled his role, bowed politely and quickly left. His retreating figure exuded a sense of relief, like a bureaucrat who just passed off a hot potato. 

It was understandable. Their priority was to protect members of the royal family, and naturally, the first in line with a solid claim to the throne was the Crown Prince. Who would welcome someone almost certainly defeated in the succession war?

‘Unless it’s the Crown Prince, that is.’ 

The other princes weren’t obliged to attend the Academy. Strictly speaking, only those who graduated from the Academy were granted complete succession rights. So it was only natural that the second prince, who had accepted his position gracefully, was welcomed, whereas the third prince, who showed a desire for the throne by enrolling in the Academy, was met with hostility. 

After the Crown Prince ascended the throne, anyone who supported the third prince could face demotion. 

“Tsk.” 

Even understanding the circumstances, I couldn’t help but click my tongue. He was still a royal, after all. Where was the minimum courtesy expected from a guardsman?

“Leaving a guest to knock on the door themselves? It’s disrespectful to the host.”

Muttering under my breath, I knocked on the door after the guardsman had already turned the corner down the hall. 

“It’s Hans Byron. May I come in?”

“…Come in.” After a moment of silence, permission was granted, carrying a weight of its own. 

As I opened the door, the third prince greeted me with a formal apology. His blue hair, resembling the ocean, gently swayed as he bowed briefly.

“I apologize, Sir Byron. Had I known this would happen, I would have sent a maid instead. Sending a guardsman to be formal ended up being a mistake.”

His initial greeting was acceptable. Unlike his presumptuous older brother with Luciana, the third prince greeted me with the decorum befitting a superior.

“It is an honor to meet the third prince of the Manhett Empire, Leon Manhett.”

“Raise your head. Overly formal greetings can be a hindrance to casual conversation.”

Leon Manhett. Unlike before when he was just referred to as the third prince, hearing his name brought about a strange feeling. It had been a long time since I heard that name. A man who, despite being overshadowed by the Crown Prince’s legitimacy, had not given up his ambition.

Thus,

‘To think the main villain of the Crown Prince route would approach me first.’

I scrutinized the royal figure before me anew. If Garon were to be the main character, Leon would be the mid-boss constantly clashing with him. For now, though, he was merely an egg trying to crack a rock.

“In the game, he was quite tricky.”

A darkened villain who, after living quietly, suddenly appeared and exuded competence. His notoriety was even well-known in the user community.

[Trying to take the Crown Prince route is making my head explode]

[Is there a strategy guide for dealing with Leon Manhett? Every time I meet him, I get so frustrated I could die.]

ᄂᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏ

ᄂ Ah, newbie.

ᄂ If you don’t know, you’ll have to get hit to learn. You remember better that way.

Combat skills? Honestly, not impressive. The fact that he couldn’t make it to Class A despite being the Emperor’s blood says it all. However, Leon’s fearfulness didn’t lie in his combat skills.

– “Saint, I’ve heard that you frequented the underworld. To think that someone admired by everyone would secretly engage in such activities.”

– “Th-that’s…!”

– “Oh, are you trying to make an excuse? Go ahead, let’s hear that ugly excuse.”

-> Deny everything.

-> Tell the truth.

He was a rare royal character, cunning and efficient. He thoroughly gathered information, interacting even with commoners that nobles avoided. And his eloquence drew everyone’s attention. If you chose the wrong option even once, your reputation would plummet. You couldn’t eliminate him since he was a royal, and his sharp tongue made it hard to recruit allies because of the bad reputation. Even the professors, influenced by reputation, found it hard to give good grades. 

Thinking back, he was a troublesome opponent in many ways. Villains should act like villains, causing chaos with brute force. What kind of dating sim has a villain who engages in political schemes?

‘But the situation is different now.’ 

I smiled, meeting his gaze. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. After all, I’m serving a mid-boss-to-be. I looked up at the only one who could check the Crown Prince’s authority. 

Since entering the room, I’d noticed his blue hair and eyes that resembled his elder brother’s. The third prince had many physical traits typical of royal blood. However, his slumped shoulders and gloomy eyes were different.

‘He feels distinctly different from the confident Garon.’

I could understand why the pre-darkened third prince was shunned by everyone. Yet, despite everything, a fire still burned in his eyes.

“I’ve heard the rumors. That a member of the barony, surpassing high-ranking nobles and even the children of dukes, has achieved a high rank.”

“You flatter me.”

“I heard you easily defeated Lady Caspera, a noble faction member, in a duel. Truly, a rising star of the Imperial faction.”

His praise was unending. As expected of royal blood, his words carried significant weight. While I should have welcomed this as a lower noble, knowing his in-game speech and schemes left me feeling uneasy.

‘This isn’t a guy who would only offer superficial compliments. What’s his plan?’

If he just wanted to praise me, he wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of sending a guardsman to bring me to his room.

Therefore,

“I am also pleased to have this conversation with you, Third Prince. However, time is not on our side. I need to report the day’s summary to my master soon.”

At my response, the Third Prince’s lips twitched slightly. He knew as well. A daily report? Today, I had been riding the carriage all day and had only clashed with Theodore at the end. What kind of report would that be? This was merely a signal.

‘Cut the chatter and get to the point. We don’t have time.’

Of course, I didn’t show any outright disrespect that could be used against me. Being somewhat adept at politics myself, I maintained a proper level of courtesy. 

These nobles were truly troublesome. They had to wrap their true intentions in manners and formalities.

“Haha, indeed, Sir Byron must have his own schedule. I failed to consider that. Then, let me get straight to the point. There is something I’ve been wanting to say to you.”

I looked at him with a face that said I was listening intently. Honestly, I had no expectations. The recent duel with Theodore had been nothing but disappointing. No matter how dark he would become in the future, the Third Prince was in Class B and was a character who dies midway through an episode.

‘Whatever he does is Luciana’s problem.’

I only needed to prevent him from targeting Luciana. That’s all I thought. However, I had to completely revise that assessment after hearing his next words.

“Please convey this to your master, Luciana Speda: if she wants to escape my brother’s clutches, she should join forces with me.”

His words pierced right through my desires, leaving me momentarily speechless.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You, being her personal attendant, should know. Most of the rumors about my brother are true. In fact, some of them were even spread by him.”

I could guess what kind of rumors he was referring to without hearing them.

“Are you talking about the rumors of discord?”

“As expected of a capable attendant, you catch on quickly. Yes, recently, rumors of discord have been spreading among the nobles.”

What came out of his mouth was more than I had expected.

“A cold-hearted duchess who, instead of visiting her sick fiancé, went north to pursue her own achievements.”

Such words came from the Third Prince’s mouth.

“Sir Byron? You seem quite shocked. Would you like a moment to rest?”

“No, I only need a moment to gather my thoughts. Thank you for your consideration.”

I didn’t want to know. The sensation of blood rushing to the back of my neck was unlike ordinary anger. 

‘Ha, this bastard didn’t learn his lesson even after getting beaten. How should I deal with him?’

Ordinarily, anger would cause me to lose all rationality. But I grew colder instead, meticulously planning retaliation, retribution, and prevention of recurrence in my mind.

“I see. But consider this carefully. After all, it’s not a direct offer to Lady Speda, but a suggestion through her right-hand man. It is up to you to judge wisely.”

Though he seemed to be expressing concern for me, his crooked smile was evident. 

‘Indeed, unlike Luciana, who is assured a place in the royal court and a future as an empress, my fate as her attendant depends on the treatment she receives.’

The reason he called me instead of directly contacting Luciana was clear.

Considering my circumstances, it was a cunning bait.

I felt a bit resentful about falling into Leon’s scheme, but I shook my head vigorously to forget it. His proposal was too crucial for Luciana.

‘It’s infuriating that people can’t see straight, and this damn Crown Prince is not a suitable match for Luciana.’

Spreading rumors during a brief absence out of jealousy was outrageous. Such a petty Crown Prince was utterly useless. Breaking off the engagement was the answer.

‘Besides… was Leon always like this?’

He suddenly seemed different. I had always thought of him as just a necessary villain character in the story, who would eventually lose even his existence to demons during his dark endeavors.

‘Indeed, challenging the firstborn with legitimate succession rights isn’t easy.’

Without someone as influential as Luciana, building one’s own power was difficult. Yet, despite his weakness, he was not daunted by the formidable wall of the Crown Prince and continued the succession competition.

‘Moreover, now there’s no chance of him dropping out early.’

I had already killed the “Deceiving Ground Spider” who was supposed to assassinate him. Long-term cooperation with him seemed very promising.

“Let’s be precise with our terms.”

“Go ahead.”

“Reveal your concrete plan to separate Lady Luciana from the Crown Prince.”

I had no patience for vague, unrealistic plans. Breaking off the engagement? Easier said than done. The one to speak up first would bear all the dishonor and be blamed for the discord between the families. Moreover, being branded as someone who abandoned their fiancé often meant social ostracism. Therefore, the risk had to fall on the Crown Prince, who had made every effort to maintain the engagement, rather than on Luciana.

“Hmm, let’s discuss that later. I need to consult with my collaborators.”

“If you don’t provide an answer, this conversation is over.”

His intentions were obvious. He wanted to leverage the Speda family and Luciana’s support for his succession battle. I had had enough of being used only to be discarded, as happened in the game.

“Hmm, this is problematic. We’re still formulating the plan slowly.”

“I need at least a rough outline—key points of the plan, details of your collaborators.”

It’s like borrowing money. You need to present a vision or collateral. If you can’t provide either, the deal is off. I might as well plan the breakup on my own, as I had been doing.

“As I said earlier, the plan’s framework is not yet complete. Neither my brother nor the royal family will want to mention the breakup first.”

“Is that so? Then the deal is off here.”

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed, but I maintained my assertive stance.

‘He is the Third Prince.’

Despite his noble blood, he was losing in the succession race. He was like a kite with a broken string. They desperately needed our support, but for us, their help was merely useful.

There wouldn’t be any significant problems if we parted ways. In terms of the regret each side would feel from giving up on each other, Leon’s side would feel it more.

“Wait!”

Just as I was about to get up from the sofa and head for the door, Leon hurriedly spoke up.

“Are you curious about my collaborator?”

Yes. In case I needed to use it to threaten you or as a safeguard against any potential betrayal on your part. It was, so to speak, collateral.

“Ahem. Just as you are Lady Speda’s right-hand man, I too have such an ally. Someone I met at this academy.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

That was unexpected. Leon Manhett had extremely unfavorable conditions in the competition for the throne. Betting on him would be a high-risk gamble, as it would mean being targeted by the almost certain next emperor, the Crown Prince.

‘He must really like to gamble.’

If he was that kind of person, it would be easy to cut ties with him later if any issues arose. With such calculations, I sat back on the sofa to continue the discussion.

An unexpected name came out of his mouth.

“René.”

“…Pardon?”

“The name of my collaborator. You know her well, the second-ranking student in Class A. Or is she more familiar to you as the Saint?”

‘Why?!’

She was indeed a key figure in the episodes. The sudden appearance of the original protagonist and the news that she had teamed up with the third prince, a future mid-boss, sent countless hooks flying in my mind.

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