Chapter 42
“This… This is a must-buy…!”
Leo paced the room, biting his nails.
It was a rare sight to see him so anxious.
The reason for Leo’s agitation was none other than “Heart-pounding Academy!”
The game, limited to 500 copies, featured none other than JeBbit as the heroine.
The price was astronomical, but as the Crown Prince, he could afford it.
However, despite having the money, he couldn’t buy it due to a lack of time.
“Your Highness. You need to handle these documents promptly.”
“Your Highness, regarding the supply issue at the northern border…”
“This budget proposal…”
Endless tasks continued to pile up on him without a moment’s rest.
Even leaving the palace for a few hours caused his workload to surge.
The wait for “Heart-pounding Academy!” was as long as “Maple Leaf Story,” so if he delayed, he might miss his chance to buy it.
“…Brother. May I handle that matter?”
“…Rikal?”
Amid his hectic work, one day, Rikal approached Leo with a hesitant expression.
It was the first time Rikal had volunteered to take on state affairs.
“Ha… Enough with the jokes since I’m busy.”
“This isn’t a joke. Considering the situation at the northern border, rerouting the supply route through Count Hickton’s territory would solve the issue.”
“…!”
Rikal proposed a sharp solution.
It was something even Leo hadn’t considered.
“How did you…”
Leo dropped his pen in surprise, mouth agape.
Rikal avoided his gaze and continued.
“Since His Majesty has been deeply engrossed in games lately… I thought I could help, somewhat.”
What on earth had gotten into him?
How did Rikal, whom he thought was utterly incompetent, come up with such an idea?
It was something he couldn’t have thought of without any interest in state affairs.
“…Then, give it a try.”
Leo decided to take a chance and entrusted him with a task.
Rikal completed it flawlessly and gradually took on more responsibilities.
At first, the royal family’s perception of him wasn’t favourable.
They worried constantly, fearing he might cause another incident.
But as time passed, the murmurs quieted down.
Rikal no longer caused any mishaps and tackled many tasks smoothly.
No one asked why this change had come about.
They simply recognized that he was gaining acknowledgment within the palace.
And so, a week before the release of “Heart-pounding Academy!” came around.
“Kuh, cough… I owe you, Rikal… Eliya.”
Leo lay down, feigning illness.
“It’s alright, Brother. Rest as much as you need.”
Eliya spoke in a concerned tone.
Meanwhile, Rikal looked at Leo lying down with an enigmatic gaze.
“Rikal will do well. I’ll do my best, too.”
“Thank you, both of you…”
Rikal had already taken on numerous tasks.
While there would be minor issues, he and Eliya could manage state affairs for about a week.
“Then please rest well.”
After leaving Leo in bed, everyone exited the room.
Shortly after, Leo’s prearranged stand-in entered.
And then Leo swapped places with the stand-in and secretly slipped out of the palace.
In truth, his illness was a lie, and his real reason was to join the line for “Heart-pounding Academy!”
It was a reckless move, but he wanted to buy “Heart-pounding Academy!” no matter what.
Fortunately, with Rikal managing things well, he had fewer worries about state affairs.
When he arrived in Trinity, a long line had already formed.
Once one person started lining up, others began to rush in, creating a line.
Leo was no exception.
‘…I should still be able to buy it.’
Eyeballing the line, he guessed there were fewer than 500 people.
Leo set up a tent, preparing to wait for a week.
And after a week of camping out, Leo finally purchased “Heart-pounding Academy!”
When he returned to the palace, Rikal’s standing had risen even further.
Yet Leo didn’t care.
Being able to play “Heart-pounding Academy!” made him happy.
***
Rikal gradually solidified his position within the palace.
He accomplished a lot during the time Leo was supposedly bedridden.
Of course, Rikal was aware that Leo’s illness was just an excuse to buy “Heart-pounding Academy!”
It still annoyed him, but he decided not to care.
As Rai had said, he was learning how to be acknowledged as Rikal.
“Hey. Count Pophos. You’re back?”
One day, Count Pophos returned from his vacation.
He looked unusually thin and deathly pale.
Rikal felt a strong urge to kill him at first glance but held himself back.
He had decided not to do such things anymore.
Of course, he didn’t plan to let Count Pophos off easily either.
“Y-your Highness…! What is the meaning of this…!”
Count Pophos approached Rikal, looking very agitated.
In the past, no one in the palace would have paid him any attention.
But now, eyes filled with disapproval were directed at Count Pophos, who dared approach the prince like this.
Realizing the situation wasn’t the same as before, Count Pophos hesitated for a moment.
But the pain he’d suffered overwhelmed him, and he couldn’t hold back.
“Everyone, listen! This 3rd Prince here is JeBbit! He’s been deceiving everyone with an illusion artifact!!!”
The palace murmured in response to Count Pophos’s outburst.
Rikal’s expression momentarily showed surprise but soon returned to calm.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Count. In the first place, I’ve spoken to JeBbit himself through the Illusion Magic Tower. Are you insulting me? Are you wishing for death?”
“JeBbit is the 3rd Prince? That’s ridiculous…”
“Exactly. It’s even more unpleasant than usual, Count.”
Count Pophos’s cheeks trembled, and sweat began to trickle down his face at this unexpected reaction.
Rikal was no longer the reckless, untrustworthy prince he once was.
“By the way, I heard something. I heard that Count Pophos stole the only copy of ‘Heart-pounding Academy!’”
“??? What are you talking about! I never…”
“Hmm, is that not the case? I assumed someone must have stolen the artifact made for JeBbit when it went missing. Rumour had it that Count Pophos had it from the beginning.”
“W-w-w-w-what…!”
Voices of contempt towards Count Pophos grew louder.
Sweat poured from Count Pophos, soaking his clothes.
Rikal placed an arm on Count Pophos’s shoulder and spoke quietly.
“Count… if you want to live, you’d better listen to me. You used to threaten me back then with such confidence.”
“U-u-uh-uh?!”
From then on, Count Pophos suffered immensely because of Rikal, and there were even more things he had to do.
“This is good. Both for the Count and for Your Highness.”
“Count Pophos is naturally pathetic. He has no real support. But what did you do with the game?”
“Just a little something. Though I’m surprised you didn’t kill him.”
“Even as a pig, he has his uses. There’s a reason he’s still a noble in the royal family despite being treated like this.”
In this transformed routine, Rikal hadn’t visited the Illusion Magic Tower for quite some time.
Rai was absorbed in the development of the next game.
“What kind of game is that?”
“Oh, this? It’s… a game where you can create a world. There’s a bit of adventure, and various elements… you start by chopping wood and gradually progress your life from there.”
“Isn’t that basically a caveman?”
“It’s a game where you start primitively. But it’ll be fun, I’m sure. Perhaps it’ll even be more enjoyable here.”
“Hmm…?”
Rai spoke enigmatically as he worked on the game.
Since Rai always came up with outlandish ideas, Rikal didn’t pay much mind this time either.
Instead, Rikal placed one of his reasons for visiting on the table for Rai.
Thud—
“…Why are you giving this to me?”
Rikal put down the brooch, the artifact for transforming into JeBbit, on the table.
“…I probably won’t be needing it anymore. Do whatever you want with it—throw it away or recycle it.”
“Huh? Are you abandoning JeBbit just because you’re gaining some standing in the royal family?”
“It’s a bit regretful, but I have many things to do. I can’t keep doing this forever.”
“…I see. I’ll keep it for now. There might be a time when you need it again.”
“…There won’t be a need.”
Rikal decided he wouldn’t hide his identity any longer.
Of course, no one knew what might happen in the future.
And the second reason for his visit.
“It’s about time you head back. I’m busy as well.”
“Oh, I’ll go. But…”
Though he had resolved himself before coming, Rikal struggled to find the words.
Both of his ears gradually turned red.
“Is there something you want to say?”
Rikal took a deep breath.
After gathering his courage, he slowly opened his mouth.
“Th-thank you.”
“What?!”
“T-thank you for helping me.”
“Urgh…!”
Rai made a face as if he’d seen something terrible.
Without seeing Rai’s expression, Rikal hastily stood up from his seat.
“Th-then, I’ll be going.”
For the first time, Rai felt not just surprise but fear at hearing words of gratitude from Rikal.
And for the first time in his life, Rikal, who had never expressed thanks, couldn’t handle his embarrassment and ran away.
For some reason, on his way back to the palace, his heart beat irregularly.
***
Kilia pulled a thick hood over his head and left Dihelium.
Dihelium was a forest contaminated with dark energy after the past war with the Demon Army.
Dark Elves had taken root there.
They were naturally resistant to dark energy.
But that didn’t mean that Dark Elves were related to the Demons.
They were born under the same World Tree as the Elves.
The difference between Dark Elves and regular Elves was that Dark Elves could hardly handle mana.
They were born with very little mana they could release.
Instead, they were once masters of construction and blacksmithing.
They created the weapons of countless heroes and many historic relics were crafted by them.
However, with the establishment of Trinity, magic quickly advanced.
Many things were replaced by magic engineering, and the Dark Elves’ skills gradually became obsolete.
Of course, even then, the value of craftsmanship did not change.
But one event ultimately pushed the Dark Elves into the shadows of history.
“…It’s hot.”
Kilia muttered under his hood on the sunny day.
In the distance, the towering World Tree stood at the heart of the forest.
“…Hmph.”
The war between Elves and Dark Elves that started from a small skirmish.
The Dark Elves, defeated by the Elves, were driven out of Elium, the forest with the World Tree.
The people gradually stopped seeking the Dark Elves who had migrated to Dihelium.
They were forgotten, and the world’s technology was mostly replaced by magic.
Kilia headed toward Trinity.
Though it was a long way, it was the nearest city.
Unlike Elves who could gather all they needed under the grace of the World Tree,
the Dark Elves had to hunt or go to the city to buy supplies.
“Did you hear? They say the Illusion Magic Tower is releasing a new game again.”
“I heard, but it doesn’t sound that interesting. Just being thrown into the wild with nothing?”
The Illusion Magic Tower’s games were still a hot topic among humans.
Kilia was enjoying COL quite a bit himself.
Above all, he was fond of his username.
But his skill wasn’t particularly good.
‘…A new game. Maybe I should buy it.’
Kilia thought as he made his way back to Dihelium.
Perhaps he would buy the new game next time he visited Trinity.
The name of the new game released shortly after was ‘Minecraft.’
—
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