The Fire Spirit Sorcerer
"I hear you met my elder brothers and sister."
The imperial relay that began with the First Prince, then moved to the Second Prince and the First Princess, finally ended late that night when Hillen faced the Third Prince.
"Yes. They seemed very interested in me."
"What did you talk about?"
"Most likely the very thing Your Highness is imagining."
"And your answer?"
"I told them that I already had a contract with Your Highness, and therefore could not accept for now."
"I told you to consider it, but they don't even give you the time to think. I'll prepare a proper contract document."
"Better terms would be even more welcome."
"Why me?"
"I'm not sure what Your Highness means."
"What you desire is support for a Heroic expedition toward Ergest. And to be frank… my elder brothers and sister can offer far more than I can."
A ducal house of long-standing prestige. A marquis house with vast wealth.
And a marquis house that had entered a slow decline.
Unless the Emperor delegated imperial authority directly, a prince's strength was determined by the power of his mother's house.
The Third Empress's family, the Aincheil Marquisate, was no small household—it had reputation, influence, and money.
But everything is relative. Compared to the other two empresses' powerful houses, it was lacking.
The Third Prince, naturally, lagged behind his siblings because of that difference.
Which made this strange.
"If you wish to align yourself with the future Emperor, going to my elder brothers or sister is the logical choice."
"Then isn't the answer simple? I do not desire that."
"Then what do you desire?"
"I wish to defeat the Demon King of Ergest."
"So you mean you don't want to tell me."
"That is all."
Martin stared at him, his cheerful eyes somehow unsettling.
But instead of cursing, he weighed his options.
Was it better to reject this Hero with unknown intentions—or accept him and prepare for what was to come?
"The situation is… peculiar."
He chose the latter.
Choosing the former would only send Hillen straight into another Prince's arms.
That, Martin would never allow.
"His Majesty intends to use this matter as a test."
"A test of the royal family's abilities by hunting the black magicians?"
"Yes."
Hillen barely managed to maintain a calm expression.
Berze had been right about everything.
Events were unfolding exactly as he predicted.
How?
A chill crept up his spine.
Alongside it—an odd, unintentional sprout of loyalty.
"And he intends to acknowledge Heroic assistance as well?"
"Any royal who manages to recruit a Hero will have that counted as part of their ability."
"That explains why the princes and princess sought me out."
"Indeed."
Among thousands of active Heroes, the brightest stars were few.
And among those stars, Hillen—who had slain two Demon Kings—stood out like a blazing torch.
It was only natural that, once he appeared in the imperial capital, all of them would seek him.
"So I must make a formal request of you."
"I'm listening."
"Will you aid me in this subjugation? You, and your entire strike force."
"The truth is…"
Hillen paused for a moment.
He slowly munched on a cookie.
"You know that feeling you get sometimes? Intuition. From the moment I found traces of a black magician, I suspected it might come to this."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. If a Hero does not hunt a black magician, who will?"
"And your answer?"
"If Your Highness offers sufficient compensation, I see no reason not to."
"And if I do not?"
"Then I must go to whoever offers better terms."
"I thought you had already chosen me."
"Your Highness mustn't think of me as a fish caught in your net. I am a free swimmer in the wide ocean."
"What do you want?"
"May I tell you after the subjugation is finished?"
"Terrifying."
"I assure you, it will not be anything that strains Your Highness."
"Very well. You approached me with goodwill, and even brought me Kaede's necklace. I can wait that long."
The Hero and the Prince clasped hands.
***
Money and fame are always correct choices.
Fame would come naturally from completing this task.
Money, therefore—especially large sums to support the Golden Moon Guild—would have been the ideal demand.
But he didn't ask for that.
A direct tie to the Third Prince was not something Hillen wanted.
No matter how you look at it, the Third Prince's chances of becoming Emperor are slim.
Though Hillen Cargill was helping him under Berze's orders, he was skeptical that Martin could ever wear the crown.
The current Emperor was a conqueror who had slaughtered all his blood relatives to claim the throne. He demanded the same survival-of-the-fittest brutality from his children.
Perfect neglect.
Complete survival competition.
To survive, the royal children had to grow strong—or attach themselves to someone strong.
Thus, four candidates emerged:
First Prince, Second Prince, First Princess, and Third Prince.
The Emperor preached survival of the fittest—
but he did not grant his children any direct strength.
They had to gather nobles and allies by their own ability.
In such a world, their backing—meaning their mothers' houses—played the greatest role.
The First Empress's Osrian Ducal House.
The Second Empress's Boldorbov Marquisate.
And the Third Empress's Aincheil Marquisate.
Aincheil was the weakest, and that reflected in the nobles' support.
If the backing is weak, then individual strength and talent must be exceptional…
It wasn't that the Third Prince lacked such qualities.
On the contrary, he was clearly born with the makings of an Emperor.
The problem was simply that the other three were just as outstanding.
Especially the First Prince, whose talent was said to overwhelm the rest.
Talent, influence, resources—he led in all categories.
"What did the Third Prince say?"
Berze was waiting for him when Hillen returned to the lodging.
"You've been waiting this whole time?"
"I was curious."
"How did you know? Truly—how did you know this would become a succession issue?"
"You're missing the object of the question."
Hillen sighed.
"How did you know the Emperor would tie this matter to succession?"
"That is simple. The Emperor throws his children off cliffs and expects them to climb back up stronger. He himself gained the throne that way. To someone like him, a national crisis is nothing but a test—a chance to watch which child's talent blooms."
"That is… not something most would consider."
"Well, that's true."
Berze admitted it.
Had he not regressed, even he would never have known.
"So what is your answer?"
"I haven't even told you what we discussed yet."
"The fact that you knew this would become a proving ground means it's already unfolding that way. Which means the Third Prince must have tried to win you over. He'd consider you too suspicious to fully trust, yet too valuable to discard. Besides… didn't he bring you the keepsake of his beloved sister?"
"Wasn't Princess Kaede supposed to still be alive?"
"It's an expression."
"I have decided to side with the Third Prince."
"Good."
"I only hope your words are right this time as well, Pale"
"My words?"
"You said the Third Prince could become Emperor, did you not?"
"Did I?"
"Pale."
"You didn't listen well. I said he might—possibly—become Emperor."
Hillen bit his lip.
"I rejected the First Prince's offer and made an enemy of him. The Second Prince and First Princess as well. You saw it yourself."
"I did."
"If the Third Prince fails to become Emperor, then I am finished in this Empire."
"You have Hilderan."
"Pale."
"And you have Acan. Don't delude yourself."
I am the one who saved you and dragged you this far.
"Because I am your master."
Not your servant.
"Have I spoiled you so much you've lost your senses?"
"...The Empire is the greatest power on the continent. Making an enemy of such a place is not a wise choice."
Berze took one long stride forward. Their faces were close. Hillen flinched, but Berze stopped just short of him.
"That is why…"
He whispered softly.
"We're going to break it."
His scarlet irises gleamed.
"So just follow me. You'll never lose by following me."
The madness hidden deep within him made Hillen shudder.
***
Time passed.
Other royals—besides the First Prince, Second Prince, and First Princess—came seeking Hillen.
Some showed interest in Berze as well, but most focused on Hillen.
Compared to Berze, whose mana was unusual and too pure, a Hero who had slain two Demon Kings was far more valuable.
Besides, Hillen had already introduced Berze as his subordinate.
One after another, they tried to lure Hillen, trying to recruit him to their camps.
"The Seventh Princess, was it? To think she tried seducing you while wearing a sack barely better than a rag. The Empire really is doomed."
"That is the Empire for you. It means they can and will do anything for the imperial succession."
"Just the desperate struggle of a worm who doesn't understand her place."
"She certainly did seem far too lacking to be called imperial royalty."
Which explained why she threw away her dignity for such antics.
"Well, at least the situation is progressing."
Berze unfolded the morning paper.
[His Majesty Declares Subjugation of Hapstlein Black Magicians…]
[The Great Emperor, Savior of His People, Grants His Benevolent Decree…]
[To set an example, the subjugation shall be led directly by the Imperial Family—True Noblesse Oblige!]
[Prince Rufus Jespine, Prince Floyan Jespine, Princess Marlene Jespine, and Prince Martin Jespine to Carry Out His Majesty's Will…]
[Other royals to assist the four principals in fulfilling noblesse oblige…]
Since the Emperor was directly involved, the articles were full of praise.
But the underlying meaning was obvious.
"The Emperor has issued the subjugation order?"
"Yes. The Third Prince already told me. He said the Emperor would support any royals who chose to participate."
"And four of them have already declared their participation."
"They will be the core, but other royals who follow them will join as well."
"And who follows the Third Prince?"
"The Eighth Prince."
"Dead."
"The Ninth Princess."
"Living in my tower."
"And lastly, the Sixth Prince—Trista Jespine."
"What does that man even do?"
Berze didn't know him. When he kidnapped the former Crown Prince in the previous timeline, that man no longer existed.
"In the Empire, unless completely untalented, all royals must learn swordsmanship or magic."
"Roughly. Kaede was said to be the best swordswoman among them."
"Yes. The Sixth Prince learned magic."
"His talent?"
"He engraved five sigils at the age of twenty-eight."
"A prodigy."
"He and the Eighth Prince were both born of the Third Consort. The Third Empress had ties with the Third Consort's family, so the princes grew close in childhood."
"So aside from childhood bonds, he established no connections at all. Doesn't sound incompetent."
"The imperial court is a place where lives balance on a knife's edge. The fact that he maintained even childhood ties despite disadvantage—I would consider that admirable."
"That's… a different way to see it."
Their discussion about the royals ended. Berze asked another question.
"What support is the Emperor providing?"
"Nothing concrete yet, but the Third Prince expects one knight order, one mage battalion, and two hundred soldiers."
"That's all?"
"The rest… each prince must gather on their own."
"That Emperor bastard."
Berze chuckled.
It meant the royals with better backing would naturally surge ahead.
"And the Heroes?"
"The Empire will not officially request assistance from the Hero Guild. But individual royals are permitted to hire Heroes freely."
"Interesting. Very interesting."
In truth, it was infuriating.
From the start, the Third Prince was at a huge disadvantage.
For Berze—who wanted the Third Prince's standing to rise and create a more balanced succession war—this situation was far from ideal.
"First, summon Granada and Red Hawk."
"Yes."
"And since you're an Argane of the Guild, do you know any other Heroes we can call?"
"No."
"You walk around smiling every day and can't build a single connection?"
Useless brat.
"Well… I only recently became an Argane, and I've been traveling between the Dwarf Kingdom and the Snowfields. There was no time to bond."
"Even in wartime, new life is born."
"…Excuse me?"
"Don't make excuses for your lack of ability."
"..."
"This is troublesome."
Because this involved imperial affairs and succession, only Heroes could officially participate.
Which meant—they had to recruit another capable Hero…
"I've thought of something."
Hillen's eyes sparkled.
"What is it?"
"I may not have anyone, but you do, don't you? A Hero who'd come running the moment you beckon—if you'd be willing to spare just a little effort."
"Effort?"
"If you told them you'd share a bit of your mana…"
"So you want me to make up for your lack of talent with my ability? Do you wish to die?"
Berze conjured flames of crimson fire.
"Isn't it better if things go smoothly?"
Even under the scorching heat, Hillen remained perfectly calm. His shamelessness was impressive.
But he wasn't wrong. They needed every advantage they could gather to strengthen the Third Prince's position.
Berze extinguished the flames.
"I'll call them myself. You make sure to explain things properly to the Third Prince."
Since the Hero in question served Acan, there was more than enough reason for political friction.
"Yes, sir."
Hillen bowed.
***
Daphner entered the imperial capital by formal invitation.
Passing towering walls and ornate gardens, he stepped into a grand secondary palace.
"His Highness is waiting for you."
"Thank you."
The door opened.
"Welcome, Lord Daphner."
"It has been some time, Your Highness."
"Thank you for coming at a moment's notice."
"Well, I am a Hero, but also a mercenary. With everything Your Highness promised me, how could I refuse?"
"I like that mercenary nature of yours. As long as I pay, you never betray."
He chuckled—a slightly crude laugh from the Second Prince, Floyan Jespine.
"I've heard everything from the man you sent. Am I to assume there are other Heroes besides me?"
"I'm gathering as many as possible. Even Aina Diaphrin of the Star class will be joining."
"Her? That's reassuring."
"This is an opportunity. The one who takes the black magician's head will earn Father's deepest trust."
"I will not disappoint you. I'll guide Your Highness to the black magician's den faster than anyone."
"Yes, exactly. That's why I summoned you—the finest hunter."
Their conversation continued for a long while.
"Then I shall take my leave. I'll visit the Hero Guild in the capital and recruit mercenaries and Heroes."
"I'm counting on you."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I will escort you out."
"Thank you."
Daphner left the Second Prince's palace, following a knight back the way he came—
when something brushed against his senses.
"Hm?"
A faint energy.
Yet impossibly hot, and… pure.
Almost like a spirit.
"Who resides over there?"
"That is the palace of His Highness the Third Prince."
"The Third Prince…"
…Does the Third Prince have a fire spirit sorcerer among his retainers?
But calling it simply a fire spirit felt wrong. There was something eerily familiar about the aura.
What is this?
Something tapped insistently at the back of his mind.
It felt like something he had encountered before—something recognizable.
Curiosity pricked him—but he soon shook his head.
This was the imperial capital. The Third Prince's domain.
Even a Star-class Hero would find it unwise to overstep here.
It must just be a fire spirit sorcerer.
And with that, he dismissed it without further thought.
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