The Man’s 101st Bad Ending

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There was a time when I thought the reason for ruining everything about me lay within myself.

That I had made mistakes, that I had erred.

I believed that if I corrected those, I could finally return to the starting point.

But looking back, wasn’t there something twisted from the beginning?

The charge of treason was not something that could be simply imposed, as it was too heavy a crime.

How difficult would it be to falsely accuse me, the eldest son of the empire’s only ducal family, of treason?

What was surprising was that the Crown Prince had splendidly succeeded in that attempt no matter the situation.

The number of times I had died, unable to ultimately avoid that accusation, was several.

Thus, what I had realized was that everything was not simply improvised.

A meticulous scheme that even my own preparations could not overcome.

Only then did I realize that the Crown Prince had intended to kill me from the beginning.

But the question that arose was why he had targeted me of all people.

I could understand why he killed Adele.

As the ruler of the North, her power was so strong that if he planned to concentrate power in the imperial family, it made sense to cut her off, even if reluctantly.

But I was just a pathetic person with no power, a mere good-for-nothing.

So why did the Crown Prince target me?

That’s why I was trying to find that out.

To show loyalty to someone with whom I could not live under the same sky.

To drive a dagger into his heart from the closest position.

***

I could feel I was a bit tense.

Although I always tried to remain calm, now that I was told I would meet the Crown Prince, I couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

In a way, it was meeting a mortal enemy, and from another perspective, it was meeting the person to whom I would have to pledge my loyalty from now on.

The princess grinned and pushed my back, tapping my shoulder and telling me not to be too nervous.

I didn’t feel nervous when I was with Miragen, but somehow the pressure the name Kaitel gave me seemed considerable.

But what could I do?

Now that I had come this far, I had no choice but to confront him.

Even if he intended to kill me, he would have no choice but to keep me by his side since the Crown Prince was genuinely interested in me.

Although the variable of the Dead Dragon’s resentment existed, I was not so weak as to die easily.

At least I could take him down with me, couldn’t I?

“There’s no need to be too nervous. If you treat him like you treat me… he won’t like it, but if you show proper courtesy, there’s nothing to dislike. And in the first place, you responded to his summons.”

“I’m not nervous.”

“Yes, let’s go with that. Anyway, are you going to leave right away after you’re done talking? If you want, you can spend some time with me.”

“I’ll think about it.”

At that, Miragen frowned and pouted, saying I was mean.

I couldn’t laugh at that reaction.

My mind was too preoccupied.

What should I start talking about first, and would I be able to manage my expression properly in front of the Crown Prince?

After pondering that for a moment, I slowly took a step forward.

Rather, as I passed through the door, my mind became at ease, and my expression softened considerably.

Kaitel, that name was tied to me in many ill-fated ways.

I didn’t know how I would remember these steps I was taking now in the future, but by the time I exited this door again, I had to become a close associate of the Crown Prince.

Of course, the probability of immediately becoming a close associate was almost none, but it was always important to sow the seeds.

To become an important person to him, to make it so that Robert Taylor could never be discarded by Kaitel.

Exhaling softly, I moved forward like that.

His room was quite different from other places.

A cold and solemn atmosphere had settled in, and although it wasn’t as suffocating as my father’s study, there was a strange tension in the air.

An atmosphere where it wouldn’t be strange if my throat was slit at any moment.

As I closed my eyes and opened them again, I noticed a man sitting in front of me.

Brushing back his black hair, the same as the princess’s, those indifferent golden eyes turned towards me.

As our gazes met briefly, Kaitel, who smiled soon after, rose from his seat.

“Ah, was it Lord Robert Taylor? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m also sorry for calling you at such a late hour.”

“It’s alright. Shouldn’t I come right away when you call for me?”

“I like that attitude. The Taylors are all good, but they’re a bit difficult to deal with. I’m glad you’re not like that.”

This was the kind of person the Crown Prince was.

On the outside, he seemed gentle and kind, but inside, he was coiled like a snake, hiding something.

What was he hiding behind that warm expression?

Someone who didn’t know him well would not realize that he had issued orders close to massacres several times.

Kaitel, who smiled brightly, tilted his head for a moment at my silence, then grinned and offered me a chair.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t even tell you to sit down. I’m sorry, let’s sit and talk first.”

As I sat down, I felt a gaze staring at me intently.

As if examining something, the gaze contained a clear observation of me.

I didn’t know what he was curious about.

At this point, it was certain he had made up his mind to kill me, so was he perhaps trying to probe my inner thoughts?

But from Kaitel’s perspective, I was just a prince whose behavior had recently changed.

Even if he tried to find something special, there would be nothing in particular, so for now, he could only probe me.

Thus, my attitude was quite confident.

The tension I had felt earlier had completely disappeared, and I merely faced Kaitel’s eyes that were staring at me.

After a brief silence, Kaitel was the first to speak.

“…Actually, the reason I called you like this is to discuss the main point. There are many things I want to ask you, but what I’m most curious about is the source of the map. You probably know what this map means, so where on earth did you obtain it from?”

“I found out about it personally.”

“If you found out about it personally, did you use your own information network or something?

But I don’t think that’s the situation. Don’t you know your own position well?”

His tone was still gentle, but the meaning contained in his words was not gentle at all.

It was Kaitel’s unique way of speaking, smiling while jabbing thorns.

Although he seemed to consider it quite important where I had obtained the map from, there was no reason for me to answer that.

And there was no way for him to find out either.

This was information provided by Arwen from the previous run.

Even if the Crown Prince tried his best to find out, it was information that only I could organize in this world.

“I just personally organized it. As you know, I have a lot of spare time these days, and I recently became acquainted with the saint as well.”

“…Well, if you say that much, I can’t help it. I wanted to personally reward you. This information was of great help to me. Miragen simply considers it information about the different races, but I think you know.”

Then Kaitel chuckled and shook his head.

What he had just said flowed so smoothly that it could have been dangerous, but he was probing whether I knew about the relics.

If I had simply said I knew, I wouldn’t have been able to leave this place.

My gaze briefly turned to the sword placed in the corner of the room.

Kaitel pondered for a moment, then pointed to the map and continued.

“The south was originally one of the most prosperous cities during the empire’s heyday, to the point of being called the second capital. If the city of the moon is the current Eden, this place is the city of the stars. It’s a very old story.”

“Isn’t the Temple of the Moon still remaining there? Someday, we will reclaim it. His Majesty the current emperor is a wise person.”

“That’s right. If I become the emperor, I plan to recapture this southern region. It’s already a widely known ambition, but people believe it to be a bit absurd and reckless…”

Kaitel, who had been pacing with his hands behind his back, suddenly stopped and looked into the void.

A glint appeared in his gentle eyes, and a slightly eerie smile was drawn.

Then his gaze turned to me, and Kaitel spoke again.

“Do you also think that way?”

“…I’m not sure yet. I’ve had many things to worry about lately, so I haven’t given it much thought.”

“Ha, if you really think that way, it would be a lie.”

Tap, tap.

Kaitel, who had walked right in front of me, narrowed his eyes.

Eyes that shouted to tell the truth, as if looking at me.

It was clear that he was probing me now.

But what answer did he want from me?

It seemed evident that what Kaitel was trying to say was that he would become the emperor and recapture the south, and he intended to explain the reason in connection with the relics.

If he mentioned the relics, after that, he would probably talk about his own plan to some extent.

Then what attitude should I show?

Should I submit and surrender?

A sudden thought crossed my mind, and my brows furrowed.

There was no need to go that far.

Rather, if I took the initiative to back down in this situation, wouldn’t it be too submissive an attitude for the eldest son of the only ducal family?

“What is a lie?”

So I retorted with a bit more confidence.

To make Kaitel more interested in me, not just as luck that had rolled into his hands.

It was a move to make him think that there was no better card than me.

“You suddenly bring a map that I’ve never heard of before, subtly throw your support for the imperial family, and recently said you would become the family head. And you’re acquainted with Adele of the North and have a friendship with the saint. Can you really say you have no interest in my affairs?”

“……”

“Your connection to the imperial family was not aimed at Miragen. Lord, you actually needed my connection, didn’t you? I hold the real authority, so if you want to obtain the Taylors, you would need my power the most.”

Kaitel, who pointed to himself with his finger, smiled.

That smile contained certainty.

Thankfully, he hadn’t realized what I had been thinking.

“…Hah.”

There was no need to argue even in this situation.

Sighing once, I showed a troubled expression as if my inner thoughts had been completely seen through.

At my bitter smile, Kaitel chuckled softly.

“I can’t hide it if you say that much. Yes, I was actually thinking that I needed Your Highness Kaitel’s power. My forces are still weak. Until now, I had been keeping a low profile, but to make a leap, I need a solid connection.”

“So you chose me. But what were you going to do if I didn’t show interest?”

“I would have thought it couldn’t be helped. But I didn’t consider that possibility.”

My gaze turned to the map again.

Although I had answered that I didn’t know about the relics, not even being able to make a guess would be showing myself as a fool.

I’m not calling Miragen a fool, but at least as the eldest son of a ducal family, it was information I could deduce.

If I connected the south with the Crown Prince, wouldn’t it be natural to think that the Crown Prince would show interest in this map?

“The locations of the relics and the different races are probably related.”

“…Did you consider even legends? I thought you were brilliant for a moment, but it seems I was completely wrong.”

“Aren’t you convinced it’s not a legend?”

I didn’t miss his eyes shaking for a moment.

What I said was just a guess after all.

Of course, I said it knowing everything, but to the Crown Prince, my words had to be a guess.

It was absurd for me to know the exact locations of the relics.

As if pretending to be angry, I smiled slightly at his glaring eyes.

The moment he harbored such emotions, the advantage was mine, so the Crown Prince soon chuckled and shook his head, answering.

“Why do you think the relics exist?”

“Isn’t the south the city of stars, as you mentioned earlier? The reason for wanting to recapture such a place, the distribution of different races unusually clustered in one area, and the Temple of the Moon still remaining. Anyone could have guessed, but now I’m convinced.”

“Indeed. Different from the rumors.”

Shing-

The Crown Prince, who drew his sword, swung it in the air a few times, then quietly approached me.

What was contained in that silence was genuine murderous intent.

Of course, I didn’t tremble.

Knowing this murderous intent was false, I merely waited until he opened his mouth.

“I ask, what would you do if I said I would behead you here?”

“Behead me.”

“…I ask, if I don’t behead you here and let it pass. What do you think I will order after that?”

“You will order me to secure the relics in the south.”

The smile on his lips deepened, and before I knew it, the sword that had been held in his hand was thrown to the floor carelessly.

At the same time, I knelt down.

An oath to be loyal to him, placing my hand on my heart, I closed my eyes and bowed my head.

It was not humiliation.

If the day came when I no longer had to kneel before him, that day would be the day when everything ended.

Kaitel spoke, in a very gentle voice like the first time.

“Then, can you secure the relics?”

“If you wish. I will do so.”

The moment I said I would go to the south, the gears that had started turning finally began to mesh.

The south where I would go with the saint, the Temple of the Moon related to the Dead Dragon, and the relics scattered everywhere.

Kaitel, who had been smiling alone for a while, then held my hand, lifted me up, and answered.

“That was a good answer. Lord Robert Taylor. No… I should call you differently.”

With a smile even kinder than when we first met, he looked at me like that.

“Isn’t it Lord Taylor?”

It was truly a pleasant answer, so I also smiled and nodded.

This was just the beginning.

The first step of the rebellion to kill him had finally taken one step forward.

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