Chapter 82
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
Chapter 82: The Crown Prince (1)
***
And so, Damien’s journey to the capital was set in motion.
“My son has been summoned to the capital!”
“Darling, it’s truly a joyous day.”
The reactions of the father and mother were immense. It was inevitable, as the Haksen family had been a lineage that supported the king for generations.
It was a situation where the one who had always been loyal was chosen, so it was impossible not to be pleased.
“Damien! Go and do your best! You’re not just teaching anyone, you’re teaching the Crown Prince!”
Historically, when a new king ascended the throne, the tutor often held significant power.
For this reason, the role of guiding the Crown Prince was a coveted position.
His parents already knew of such political tactics, so they were even more pleased.
“Yes, well, I’ll do the best I can.”
Damien said and smiled at his parents. However, he was rather indifferent.
For him, this was merely working for the family.
He had no particular enthusiasm for pledging loyalty to the king.
“Damien, take care of yourself. Traveling to foreign lands can sometimes lead to digestive issues with unfamiliar water and food. So, you need to be careful what you eat.”
“Sister, brother is not a child. He will take care of himself.”
“Brother, have a safe journey.”
After exchanging greetings with Louise, Abel, and his betrothed Olivia, Damien departed for the capital with the knights.
***
Damien rode towards the capital with the knights.
Despite the name ‘White Horse Knights’, the horses they rode were of various colors.
“Sir Damien, how much do you know about Prince Oliver?”
Perhaps because it was free to keep talking, Liam Bluegreen asked Damien.
“I don’t know much.”
In fact, he only knew the name, but he couldn’t say that outright.
“Well, you’re not from the capital. It’s hard to know more than that.”
Liam continued, stroking his beard.
“Prince Oliver is said to resemble the king in his youth. With his dark brown hair, golden eyes… even his playful smile.”
Liam’s eyes seemed a bit misty as if reminiscing.
“Not only that. He’s inherited his intelligence as well. No matter how thick a book is, he memorizes it after reading it a few times. He even understands everything perfectly.”
“In that case, teaching him shouldn’t be difficult.”
Being smart and being physically fit were two different things.
Still, intelligent people usually had a good understanding, so teaching swordsmanship should be easy.
“Well, we’ll see about that.”
Liam said with a strange smile.
“Sir Damien, I’m warning you because I like you… you should prepare yourself mentally.”
“Yes?”
“You asked. There are many swordsmanship teachers in the capital, so why did the king call you? There must be a good reason for that.”
The smile on Liam’s lips grew even more intense.
“Why on earth would His Majesty give such order?”
“It wouldn’t be fun if I told you in advance. Don’t you think?”
Saying that, Liam blinked one eye.
Damien looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“Well, don’t ask anymore. I don’t want to be a bad person who takes away your joy.”
He said firmly. Damien was even more puzzled.
Damian was not one to respond sharply, even when faced with such statements.
And it wasn’t like he was desperate for an answer.
‘The Crown Prince of the Apple Kingdom…….’
He rummaged around in his memory, but couldn’t come up with much.
‘Well, if things go wrong, I can use a club.
Luckily, the club he’d used to rehabilitate Veronica Sánchez was still in the spatial ring.
It was a little too fearsome looking to be used on the Crown Prince, but it could do with a little polishing.
‘The more pressing issue is how to stop the attack on the royal capital.
Strangely, very little was known about the attack.
Witnesses are few and far between, as the Apple family kept everything under wraps.
‘I’m afraid this is more troublesome than being a swordsmanship instructor.
Damien mused as he rode on his horse.
***
After a week of traveling, Damien and the White Horse Knights arrived at the capital where the royal palace was located.
“Sir Damien! Congratulations on entering the capital!”
Liam Bluegreen shouted from his horse, spreading his arms wide. His hearty voice caught the attention of passersby.
“Have you ever been to the capital before?”
“No, this is my first time.”
It was meant to convey that it was his first time in this life. He had visited once in his previous life.
“Haha, I see. How do you like it? Isn’t it impressive?”
Damien raised his head and looked around the capital’s streets.
The road leading from the castle gate was very wide. Buildings of 3 to 4 stories stood densely on both sides.
The number of people passing by seemed like an ant swarm.
“….”
Suddenly, he remembered the scenery he had seen in his past life.
During the Death Knight era, Damien had destroyed this street at Dorugo’s command.
He had commanded the undead to massacre the citizens and released the aurablades to demolish all the buildings.
He had advanced to the capital, drenched the streets in blood and screams.
“Sir Damien? Your expression suddenly turned sour.”
Liam said with concern. Damien snapped out of his thoughts at his words.
“It’s nothing.”
“Hmm… If you’re not feeling well, speak up quickly. Illness only gets worse if you leave it.”
Damien took a deep breath. After inhaling the fresh air, his mind cleared a bit.
***
Damien arrived at the capital and was soon presented to the king.
“No, can I just meet His Majesty like this?”
That was while he was still wearing travel clothes.
“Hahaha, don’t worry. His Majesty is not someone who would mind such things.”
Damien looked displeased. But Liam Bluegreen didn’t care at all.
“Then let’s go meet His Majesty. By this time, he’s probably enjoying reading in his study.”
Liam took Damien and moved within the palace.
After a while of walking, they stood in front of a door guarded by two knights.
“Your Majesty, it’s Liam Bluegreen. Sir Damien has returned with me.”
Liam knocked on the door and spoke. There was a moment of silence.
“Come in.”
With permission granted, the two of them opened the door and entered.
As they entered, they saw bookshelves that reached the ceiling.
There wasn’t just one or two bookshelves. They filled the entire room.
In the middle of it all.
An old man with a plump figure was sitting at a large and grand desk.
“Oh, Sir Liam! You’ve been through a long journey! Wasn’t it difficult?”
The king stood up from his seat and spoke. His face and voice showed joy.
With the king’s warm welcome, a smile blossomed on Liam’s face.
“Difficult? Not at all. Just being able to follow Your Majesty’s orders is a joy for me.”
“Sir Liam, you are truly a knight beyond my expectations.”
The king and Liam Bluegreen looked at each other and laughed heartily.
After laughing for a while, the king soon noticed Damien.
“Could this be…?”
“Yes, that’s correct. This is Sir Damien Haksen.”
“So the rumors about you bringing Sir Damien are true… and it seems the rumors about him being a Mid-class are also true?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The rumors about Damien were indeed true. They were an understatement.”
The king looked at Damien with a surprised expression. Then, he nodded as if moved.
“Sir Damien, it is such a pleasure to have an exceptional knight like you join the White Horse Knights…”
“Your Majesty, actually… I cannot join the knights.”
“Huh? Why you didn’t want to?”
“That’s… ”
Liam began to whisper softly in the king’s ear. As his words grew longer, the king’s eyes widened.
“…Well, it’s a bit disappointing that you won’t be joining the knights, but I’m truly glad to meet you.”
The king approached and extended his hand to Damien. Damien shook his hand and bowed his head.
“It is an honor to meet you.”
“The honor is mine. To be in the presence of a talent that may leave a mark in history.”
Damien felt a sense of wonder as he looked at the king.
Despite his position as king, he didn’t exude authority or flaws. It was as if he was facing a friendly neighbor.
“Sir Damien, from what I’ve heard from Sir Liam, even if you don’t join the knights, you might consider my request…”
“That’s correct.”
“Hahaha, what wonderful news… Let’s sit down and talk.”
The king seated the two of them on chairs opposite his desk.
“Sir Damien, I’ve actually wanted to invite you to the capital since I first heard about you.”
Upon hearing this unexpected confession, Damien felt a bit perplexed.
“It might be uncomfortable for you to hear this from my perspective… but until recently, your reputation… wasn’t very good.”
“In fact, it wasn’t just not very good, it was the worst.”
As Damien laughed and spoke, the king also laughed heartily.
“But in less than six months, everything has changed so splendidly.”
“I put in some effort.”
“That’s exactly what I expect from you.”
Damien’s expression turned puzzled at the sudden comment.
“What I expect from you is to be able to change our Crown Prince…”
The king’s explanation was interrupted.
“Sir Liam has returned? And he brought some strange fellow with him!”
“Your Highness! You can’t do this! His Majesty is receiving guests right now!”
“Let go! Don’t stop me! How dare you lay hands on me!”
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside. The sound of heavy footsteps and multiple voices could be heard.
“I heard it all! He’s the new swordsmanship instructor that Father is hiring this time! I can’t stand to see him!”
As the voices drew closer, the king’s face grew grim.
Bang!
With the sound of a door being kicked and opened, the door to the study swung open. A young man appeared through the open door.
Despite his young age, he had a patchy beard, and his clothes were untidy.
Moreover, there was a strange smell coming from the young man.
“Smells like alcohol and sweat… He must have been enjoying himself until just now.”
These smells were familiar to Damien. The problem was why these smells were emanating from the capital.
“Father! I told you! Don’t hire any more instructors!”
The young man strode into the study. The unpleasant smell grew stronger.
“What kind of uncultured behavior is this? Can you still call yourself a Crown Prince after this?”
The king shouted in anger. However, the young man showed no fear at all.
“Don’t twist my words! Why do you keep ignoring what I say?”
“Even if he does!”
The king and the young man began to argue loudly.
Damien, who had been watching them quietly, asked Liam.
“Surely… not?”
“That’s right.”
Liam, who always had a cheerful face, now looked as surprised as anyone could be.
“That’s Oliver Apple, the Crown Prince.”
After a moment of hesitation, Liam added.
“As you can see… he’s quite a jerk.”
***
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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