NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 3
Chapter 3: The Plan Must Be Precise (3)
“I heard he’s completely lost his mind?”
“News travels fast. This morning, he couldn’t even remember who poisoned him.”
“That bad, huh?”
“If he’s left out in public like this, who knows what shameful things he might do. They’ll probably lock him up in a dungeon for life.”
“Wouldn’t an empty palace be better? After all, he’s still a prince.”
“Eh, it’s all the same. Anyway, things worked out perfectly.”
As Albert raised his empty glass, Fennel quickly filled it with more clear liquor.
“Ah, that’s the stuff! But I think I’ll start cutting down on following my second brother’s orders.
He may have the court tightly under control, but he’s just another prince like us, right?”
“Exactly. And don’t forget, the crown prince is still alive.”
“The crown prince? Pfft, big brother’s done for.”
Albert stuck out his tongue and shook his head.
“When I visited him, the stench of rot filled the house. Even the priests have given up. He probably won’t make it through the year.”
“Then the next crown prince is the issue. Although, if things stay as they are, the second brother will likely inherit.”
“That’s only if father—excuse me, His Majesty—wakes up.”
The emperor had been bedridden in a near-comatose state for years.
Drunk on the liquor, Albert began revealing his hidden thoughts, his large body swaying with excitement.
“The thing is, all the princes—except me—are weaklings. Second brother may look healthy, but he’s just as frail. I’m the only one with real strength, so eventually, my time will come.”
“Of course. The essence of the empire is power and war, after all.”
“Exactly. Power and war.”
Albert grinned and balanced his glass on his thick, muscled arm.
“That’s why this body is my greatest asset. Look at Claude. He’s already 16, and he’s still scrawny and weak.”
“Isn’t that because of the poison Second Prince Jess gave him? It’s not just wrecking his mind, but his body too.”
“Right. Jess said if he kept drinking it, his growth would stop. Haha, serves him right! Who does that lowly bug think he is, playing at being a prince and empress? Trash like that needs to be crushed!”
Albert gulped down the rest of his drink, cackling as he did so.
I, having witnessed the entire scene, sighed as I deactivated my stealth and stepped out of the shadows in the corner of the room.
“Every time I hear this conversation, it just pisses me off more.”
“Wha—what’s that sound? Aahhh!”
Albert screamed and fell on his butt when he saw me. I exhaled deeply, looking at both of them.
“Yeah, I guess I can thank you for why I’m still this short even at 16. If I had gone back just three more years, I might’ve had a chance to fix things.”
“Claude! How did you get here?”
“How did I get here?”
I pointed to the library door.
“I walked. I came in right behind your cousin when he entered. Not that he seems to think of me as family.”
“You… you’re not my cousin.”
Fennel, glancing nervously toward the exit, shouted defiantly. I nodded, as if I understood.
“Technically, you’re right. You’re my brothers’ cousin, not mine.”
“And yet, you still pull a stunt like this? You’re finished, Claude. Breaking into a prince’s private quarters like this… There are guards right downstairs! If I shout, they’ll come rushing up in no time!”
“Bluffing, are we? I’ve already checked everything, this is my third time sneaking in.”
I tapped the floor with my heel, though it didn’t make much of a sound since I was still light and weak.
“All the knights and servants are stationed on the first floor, aren’t they? You ordered it yourself to make sure no one overheard your little chats, didn’t you?”
“Tch…”
Albert finally managed to pull himself to his feet, his body stiff with anger.
“You sneaked in and eavesdropped on us like a common thief? What kind of trick did you pull?”
“This is the Mark of Stealth.”
I activated my first ability from Roa, disappearing from their view.
“What? Where did he go?”
“He vanished!”
“Over here.”
I reappeared, blocking the entrance to the library.
“Pretty neat, huh? It’s a skill Roa gave me when he summoned me. I become completely invisible, so much so that even the terrifying armies of the otherworld can’t find me. But I can’t do anything while hidden, so I had to turn it off to show myself.”
“What the hell are you talking about? What do you mean ‘otherworld armies’?”
“There’s something like that. You wouldn’t understand.”
I conjured a flame in my hand, smiling. Albert instinctively flinched and took a step back.
“Magic?! How can you, a half-breed, use magic?”
“You want to know why I chose to specialize in magic this time? It’s because of scum like you.”
“What?”
Albert had a completely baffled expression on his face. Not that I expected him to understand even if he had half a brain.
“After nine regressions, I’ve come to realize that Albert, you’re completely irredeemable trash.”
“What?! You worthless piece of—”
“Shut up and listen.”
I intensified the flame in my hand, making Albert and Fennel step back in unison. I began explaining a crucial part of my 10th-run plan to the two of them.
“In the past, I used to think that even though you were scum, maybe I could keep you alive, thinking you’d be useful in the war against the otherworldly invaders.”
“Y-your Highness Claude, what are you talking about? What’s this ‘otherworld’ you keep mentioning?”
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Fennel suddenly started speaking formally. I chuckled and shook my head.
“You don’t need to know the details. Anyway, I kept you alive for a while, hoping you’d help, but you never did anything right. Especially you, Albert.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you. To be fair, you’re not completely useless. You’re strong and tough. You even made it to the rank of knight commander in some of my past lives.”
“Shut up! I’m going to be a knight master!”
Hah, still not grasping the situation, is he?
“I’m not stopping the commander! I’ve already got the highest-tier Magap lined up! How can you, a half-breed, judge me? What, have you seen the future or something?”
“Yeah, I have.”
“You’ve… what? This idiot is spouting nonsense!”
“I don’t get to do this often, so just listen. Sometimes it’s good to get things off your chest. Ever heard of the tale, ‘The Emperor’s Ears Are Donkey’s Ears’?”
“What? What kind of fairy tale is that?”
“Never mind. The point is, you always abuse your authority as a prince and end up ruining everything. So this time, I’m taking a different route.”
“A… route?”
“Yeah, the ‘pest extermination’ route. That’s why I gave up my top-tier spirit magic. Sure, it’s powerful, but it lacks precision, and I need more control this time.”
Flying from the estate to the imperial palace had only taken me 30 minutes. Fennel, who had a better grasp of things, shouted in shock.
“Fly?! Only Archmages can cast flight spells!”
“Exactly. I’m an Archmage.”
“How… how is that possible…”
“I hit that level in my fourth regression. Anyway, Fennel, you won’t escape either. You’re just as much of a toxic waste pile as Albert.”
“Toxic waste?”
“Trash that poisons everything around it. Do you know how much bribery your family’s been involved in with the merchants of the capital? Cleaning that up would massively boost the economy.”
“…..”
Fennel’s face turned pale as he fell silent. Meanwhile, Albert clenched his teeth, glaring at the flame in my hand.
“I don’t know what kind of crap you’re talking about, but you really think you can stop me with that tiny flame? Even without my Magap, a little fire like that—”
“Tempest!”
Fennel’s scream interrupted him.
“Your Highness Albert! That’s Tempest! The compressed flow of magic…!”
“Fennel knows his stuff. This is Tempest. Fire of Tempest.”
At the highest level of any magic lies Tempest. I watched the swirling flame in my hand with a satisfied grin.
“It’s a bit of a waste to use it here, but I need to make sure nothing is left behind.”
“No way! Only an Archmage could cast Tempest!”
“Don’t be ridiculous! There’s no way a half-breed like you could wield such power!”
Those were their last words.
The moment the flame left my hand, massive fiery wings erupted outward, consuming everything.
The entire room was bathed in red, and then everything turned black as it was burned away.
But of course, that alone wouldn’t be a Tempest.
The searing flames triggered a massive explosion that obliterated the entire library in an instant.
Boom.
A blast powerful enough to be seen from anywhere in the capital.
The only problem was that I had launched it a bit too close, meaning I got caught in the explosion myself.
No matter, though. The other power I chose, divine magic, includes a perfect defense spell.
Protection Magic.
A radiant light enveloped me, shielding me from the blast.
Not a single tremor, nor the slightest heat, reached me.
The spectacular fireworks display continued for about five seconds.
The top of the Green Stag Palace, along with several floors beneath it, was completely blown away, leaving everything exposed.
“…..”
“…..”
“…..”
From far below, people started rushing out of the building, shouting in panic.
I flew up high, beyond their sight, and turned toward the estate, heading back home.