The Sword of the Knight Commander
I needed an excuse—one that would keep that psycho emperor from interfering with me.
How could I spin this?
After some thought, I opened my mouth.
"Marquis, tell His Majesty that I have become a Prophet."
A shadow of deep unease passed over Marquis Reut's face.
"...Surely you don't mean that Prophet's Disease? It's not real, is it? You haven't truly contracted the Prophet's Syndrome, have you, Your Highness…?"
I chuckled softly.
"Well now, what do you think? Could it be true?"
In fact, this was a defense I had originally planned to use if the marquis started questioning his shoulder.
[Event] Among those untrained in magic, strange blessings have begun to appear. Those who suffer a profound shock gain, for a time, the peculiar ability to foresee the future.
However, this was no blessing—it was a curse, a disease. Prophets began to wither away in body and mind, as though paying a price for their visions. Now you must find a way to save the dying.
'It was already well-known on the Imperial side, even if not elsewhere.'
Which explained the marquis's anxiety.
NPCs who triggered this event began to die slowly, but could perform incredibly accurate prophecies before the end.
That made it the perfect excuse for me right now—
a plausible explanation for why the Third Prince knew things he could not possibly know.
But...
'That alone won't keep the mad emperor at bay.'
To deal with a lunatic, you need bait that tempts a lunatic.
So I told the marquis:
"And tell His Majesty that the Third Prince is going to raid the vault for his sake."
"...The vault?"
"Yes. Among the Imperial artifacts held by the Revolutionary Commander is an ancient magic ring called Tear of Dawn."
"Hmm, I believe I've heard of it."
"His Majesty certainly has. It's an heirloom lost by his forebears."
I smiled quietly.
He didn't just know about it—
later, when Emperor Vareshan goes completely off the rails, he'll start a war just to reclaim that ring.
Which meant this little fabrication of mine would work beautifully.
"In short, Marquis, tell His Majesty that I caught the Prophet's Disease and raved about stealing back the Tear of Dawn, then departed for Aulrax. That will keep him calm."
"He'll surely think it nonsense."
"Of course. But he won't bother to pursue me. You know as well as I do—I'm the discarded son. He'll decide to let me be for now."
I grinned, but Marquis Reut looked at me with a mixture of pity and concern.
He truly seemed worried I might actually be afflicted by the Prophet's Disease.
But I didn't answer.
It was better to leave the truth ambiguous for now.
"Understood. Then I shall report it as you've said, Your Highness."
The marquis bowed deeply.
"Third Prince, teleportation preparations are complete!"
Right on cue, the priests announced that the gate to Aulrax was ready.
Cerse and Tyrbaen were already waiting for me inside the circle.
"..."
Before stepping in, I turned to look at the marquis once more.
Honestly, I hadn't expected this.
'I thought for sure he'd pry into my secrets.'
Elron Reut hadn't asked how I'd learned the Sea-Sword Technique.
He hadn't demanded to know how I discovered his weakness.
He hadn't even mentioned Cerse.
'Instead, he brought up the Emperor—and pointed out something I hadn't even considered.'
That was, unmistakably, a gesture of respect.
So I decided to return it in kind.
"That shoulder of yours won't be cured at the Five-Colored Spire. Seek out the Agora Dwarves in the Central Desert instead."
Elron Reut stiffened slightly, then asked,
"Your Highness... have you truly caught the Prophet's Disease…?"
His worried tone made me chuckle again.
Even when I offered him a cure, that was what he fixated on?
"Agora Dwarves. Remember that."
Of course, it wasn't a complete cure—he'd eventually have to come find me again.
Now then, time to cross over to Aulrax.
I turned sharply.
"Let's go, priests."
The Crusader Priests assembled inside the vast teleportation circle, and I stood with Cerse and Tyrbaen at its center.
"I'll be honest, I'm nervous, Your Highness,"
Cerse swallowed hard.
"I'm not sure this is the right thing to do."
Tyrbaen's expression was equally tense.
I gave them a small, calm smile.
"Don't panic. When you're afraid, nothing goes right."
Outside the circle stood Elron Reut, surrounded by his knights.
He was watching me with a complicated expression—a look I didn't quite recognize.
'Is he... worried about me?'
No, probably about Cerse.
Then the marquis spoke.
"...It seems I truly didn't know Your Highness at all."
Surprisingly, he was speaking directly to me.
"The disease, as I understand it, shows the future—but it does not change a man's nature. So this decision must be entirely your own will. As you said yourself… the path you walk can be chosen only by you."
I sensed Cerse flinch beside me—
no doubt remembering the moment of our reunion.
"Please return safely. I still don't fully understand you, but…"
His eyes gleamed with intrigue.
"I find myself very curious now. I want to know what kind of man you truly are."
A strange feeling came over me.
Just a few hours ago, this man had looked at me with open hostility.
Now his gaze was almost… paternal, like the way he looked at Cerse.
Weird feeling.
"In any case, when you return, please visit my territory. I'll prepare a place where I can get to know you better—through the honing of swords and the testing of shields."
A chill ran down my spine.
"...Are you suggesting another duel?"
"Of course. Isn't that only natural? For swordsmen, there's no conversation more honest than a sparring match, Your Highness."
"Ugh…"
Is silence not an option in a training hall?
The marquis smiled as he watched me swallow nervously.
"And please, take care."
A father's gaze swept lightly toward his son—
Cerse didn't notice, but it carried a quiet fondness.
"Understood."
I nodded, and the spell began.
[Teleportation Magic: Mass Teleport]
Wooooooom.
A surge of massive mana resonated, swirling beneath our feet.
It tickled faintly against the soles of my boots.
The mystery of magic—utterly beyond my comprehension—was about to carry us away.
A brilliant flash erupted, and the forms of the marquis and his knights blurred and faded, the space we had just shared receding into the distance.
"This teleportation spell's structure is quite sturdy. Feels like a prison."
I barely caught Tyrbaen's muttering through the hum of magic.
...Wait. Did he just say prison?
"We've arrived, Third Prince."
Bamilo tilted his head toward me.
I opened my eyes wide.
Behind the priests stretched the vista of a gray city—one I knew all too well.
"Aulrax…"
The central stronghold of the Revolutionary Army.
We had finally arrived.
[Quest 'Survive' complete.]
[Quest completion rewards granted.]
'And that's the quest clear!'
I cheered inwardly. By escaping the Empire's borders, I'd finished the very first main quest—
to survive the assassination attempt and escape the danger zone.
'Now then, what's the reward?'
Gilroshan's survival and escape from the Empire weren't even part of the original game storyline.
So this reward was a complete unknown.
[Quest Completion Reward]
30 Gold Coins
Beginner Traveler's Equipment Set
Convenience Spell: Inventory (Unlocked)
1x Guaranteed D-Rank Fate Card Draw Ticket
[Rewards can be checked in your Inventory.]
"Oh-ho…"
Thirty gold coins was a decent sum, but the beginner gear and Inventory were standard fare—
basically the same as the starter rewards from the original game.
Only the last one stood out.
'Now that's interesting. A guaranteed draw ticket?'
Even if it was a mere D-rank, getting a guaranteed card early on was generous—
especially this early in the scenario.
For me, it was an incredible boon.
'I'm F-rank right now! Even a D-rank is a miracle!'
…Damn.
I guess that's one way to learn humility.
Anyway, whatever D-rank I pulled, it would be a huge help.
To defeat Marquis Reut earlier, I had scraped my way up to level 9.
Soon I'd hit level 10.
'Which means… it's time for my second card draw.'
Of course, there was no way to predict what would come out.
But even a low-rank extra card was valuable—since I could feed experience to my cards.
'Grind them all! Especially the F-ranks—they're fertilizer now!'
Please, just once more—show yourself, Great Archmage!
And this time, no bindings, okay?!
I was grinning to myself when—
"Arrest them all, immediately!"
"…What?"
A loud shout shattered the air, followed by chaos.
Out of nowhere, armed agents swarmed us just as we arrived in Aulrax.
I instantly recognized their black leather armor.
'Titan Taskforce!'
The elite strike unit—Aulrax's equivalent of the Imperial Royal Knights.
Meaning, there was no way I could resist them in my current state.
A handful of fighters around Cerse's level rushed in—
and at level 9, I didn't stand a chance.
"Y-Your Highness!"
Cerse and Tyrbaen cried out as I was seized.
We had only just entered Aulrax—were we really getting captured already?
But I had warned them beforehand:
'No matter what happens at the start, don't move carelessly.'
Especially—no combat.
This wasn't Imperial territory.
No noble privilege would save us here, even if we made one mistake too many.
Aulrax was the city of lawless revolutionaries.
"Good work, Third Prince."
As I was shoved to the ground and pinned, Bamilo Dimarch spoke evenly.
"Choosing not to resist was wise. Yes, very wise."
Cerse and Tyrbaen, both subdued nearby, growled curses through gritted teeth.
The old man didn't even blink—he just gave me a meaningful look.
"..."
As they dragged me away, I saw his lips move faintly. I could barely make it out:
'Do not attempt to deceive the Archbishop.'
…Ah.
That explained it.
The sight of that wrinkled old man's lips flapping was ridiculous,
but the message itself was solid.
Pretending to be a prophet before the Archbishop—
one who personally served the god of vengeance—would be suicide.
Ten minutes later.
I was tied to a wooden chair in a small, windowless cell.
Well, I suppose this at least bought me some time before dying again.
'Feels like getting captured and tied up is becoming a habit.'
Ha. Disgusting, but true.
After a short while—
Creak…
The old door opened, and a small figure stepped inside.
I immediately recognized the face.
"Archbishop Hendel."
The very same one the Swordmaster had mentioned earlier.
The one who'd been expecting me.
The one-armed woman smiled brightly at me.
"Welcome to Aulrax, Third Prince Gilroshan."
…Uh, excuse me, but isn't "welcome" something you say before tying someone up?