“You will listen to what I have to say.”
I’m forcing people that don’t think much of me to yield. I’m not sure if this is right, but it is something I have to do if this rebellion is going to succeed in any meaningful way.
I am able to take action thanks to the help of those dragon people.
The dragon person that approached me that time said he would be my ally. He didn’t seem pleased when I said I am a prince, but since I want to do something about the current situation of people of other races being forced into slavery…
This dragon person offered to help, and gave me an item called spirit stone, which makes it easier to use magic. I understand that it’s related to the strange beings we know as spirits, but I have no idea how it’s made from a fundamental level. Does it just appear and happen to be found? Is there a specific technique that must be used to obtain it?
This water spirit stone belongs to the chief of the dragon people, and apparently it is something very important to them that has been passed down through generations. But since there are very few dragon people who can actually use water magic, it has become a sort of unusable treasure.
The simple fact that I have been entrusted with something like this is enough for me to be thankful.
I have a bracelet on my right arm with a few blue stones, and that is where I attach this spirit stone.
Thanks to this spirit stone, the water magic I could use already has been greatly increased in scale. By using this magic, I manage to climb to the top of the rebel army.
I have no complaints, I am doing what I decided to do. And now that Nina is involved… I have to do what I have to do.
“…Prince Hicked, you did a wonderful job bringing the rebel army together, but what now?”
“Well… I don’t actually want to manage this rebellion with violence, but I have to stop saying that sort of thing if I want it to succeed.”
I wish we could resolve this more peacefully, but this will never end if I am so naive.
All this time I have been tormenting myself due to my lack of power and ability to bring this army together, but with the power of water magic and the support of dragon people, I should be able to do something if I am a little more rash.
If I am to become king, I need to do something about my father and brothers. First, I will seek to talk to them.
If I can get my brothers on my side, that is very good, but I will kill any of them on the spot if I am not convinced they are on my side. I am still not strong enough, so if any of them pretends to be on my side and tells our father what I am doing, I will die.
That would be betraying the confidence the former slaves place in me, and Nina’s hopes. Even though I am scared and unsure, I will do this.
I’m sure past me would be shocked to see me now.
This thought crosses my mind as I speak with the rebel army. We decide to begin by luring the sixth prince first, and talking to him.
◇ ◇ ◇
The time has come to put this into practice.
We leak information that the rebel army will be gathered in a certain place to lure my brother, and that is I where confront him.
He looks surprised to see me. But that soon turns into an expression of mockery, and he starts laughing.
“Me, help the rebel army? What nonsense. But to think father’s puppet would do something like this… Kahaha. I can help you by taking you to him so you can beg for your life if you wish. If you lick my boots that is.”
He is treating me like a fool from the bottom of his heart.
I thought this might happen, but negotiations with my brother are not going well. He looks down on him even now when he has few people guarding him. He thinks he can do whatever he wants with me.
From their point of view, I am nothing more than our father’s puppet. They think I am not capable of killing. I need to show them I am not so soft.
I make up my mind, and use magic against my brother, who is still waiting for an apology.
I say a few words and kneed magic energy, and since he cannot use magic at all, he has no idea what is happening.
“What are you saying over there?”
My brother’s last words are loaded with contempt towards me. The spirit stone amplifies my magic energy, gives it the shape of a blade, and slices my brother’s neck.
I have never used magic to cut a person’s head before. In fact, I have never laid my hands on another person at all. All I did was follow my father’s others, and transmit them to others.
Even that wolf beast man in that village… I did not lay my hands on him directly. I just killed him indirectly.
I feel overwhelmed. It was the power of the spirit stone that cut my brother’s head, but that power is in my hands now.
But I have no time to feel this way. The guards see their dead prince and attack me, but they are killed as well. I also have people with me who help, but I do take lives.
I cannot help but wonder if there was a better way, but I will never succeed in defeating my father if I stop to feel this way at every step of the way.
My brother’s dead face pops up in my head at night, but I need to sleep or that will hinder me, so I manage to fall asleep.
This went well this time, but I cannot be sure that it will next time. However, if my brothers continue to underestimate me, I think I can pull this off.
How many lives will I have to take? How many until I become king? No, if I do become king, I won’t be able to afford being so soft. I might have to kill even more people after I do take the throne.
…I chose this path. I chose it on my own, so I can’t, and I will not falter.
Later, I will face another one of my brothers.
—Prince and uprising – Part four
(The prince accepts a spirit stone from a dragon person, and uses its power to take action.)
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