Chapter 57

Clang-!

The sound of swords clashing echoed through the air.

Clearly, such a sound shouldn’t be heard in this forest, where only a hunting competition was supposed to be taking place.

“…”

A group of masked figures in black, as if recognizing Mikhail and me as prey, swung their swords with deadly intent.

“Gah-!”

“Sorry, it seems you’ve been dragged into this because of me.”

Mikhail casually dispatched one of the assassins who had lunged at him and muttered those words.

“…”

I wasn’t unaware of Mikhail’s swordsmanship skills.

Just a little thought about why the original novel was titled *The Crown Prince Wields a Sword* would make it clear how exceptional he was in swordsmanship.

Still, I was slightly surprised.

The Mikhail I had met and experienced so far was so different from the original that I had briefly wondered if his swordsmanship might also differ from the original.

“…Annoying.”

I guess the protagonist is still the protagonist.

He was effortlessly handling the numerous assassins in a one-versus-many situation.

As someone who had been worried about assassins targeting Mikhail during this hunting competition, it was quite surprising…

Crack-!

“…Ugh.”

“…What’s wrong all of a sudden?”

“Focus on us, you monster of a Crown Prince!”

“…Shut up.”

While the Crown Prince and the assassins were having their lively(?) scuffle beside me…

I couldn’t just stand there and listen.

Every time I tried to recall the original plot, a high level of pain struck my head.

It was strange.

Lately, just thinking about the original story gave me a headache.

It felt as if someone was forcing me to forget the original story.

Like my memories were being forcibly erased by some unknown entity.

“Die in his place!”

But I wasn’t given any time to dwell on this inexplicable headache.

One of the assassins, frustrated by Mikhail’s unbreakable, monstrous sword skills, charged at me.

For a typical, usually dumb fantasy novel extra assassin, it was a somewhat clever plan.

Since the chance of harming Mikhail was close to 0%, they thought they might as well take me, who seemed to be part of the Crown Prince’s entourage.

If it had been me right after I transmigrated, I might have been caught helplessly.

Swish-

Clang-!

But that was the ‘past me.’

“…How?”

Unfortunately for the assassin, who was looking at me in disbelief, the current me wasn’t the same as the past me.

I could understand their reaction.

My current appearance probably looked like a naive young noble who had grown up sheltered.

They likely never expected a boy who looked like a pampered noble to block their sword, especially since they had been recognized as an assassin tasked with killing the Crown Prince.

“Oh…”

Mikhail, who had by now dealt with all the assassins, let out a sigh of admiration.

There’s a saying that even a dog can recite poetry after three years at a school.

The three years I had spent training in swordsmanship weren’t for nothing.

Though I still couldn’t compare to my fiancée Rebecca or the protagonist Mikhail, my combat skills had long surpassed those of an ordinary person.

I wasn’t so weak that I couldn’t block a straightforward sword swing from an overconfident opponent.

The problem was…

“…Your Highness, instead of watching, could you help me out?”

That I could only block the sword.

I still didn’t have the ability to defeat an assassin skilled enough to be sent on a mission to kill the Crown Prince.

Even if they were the typically dumb assassins from fantasy novels, they weren’t the kind to fall to a novice who had only trained for three years.

“Ah, got it. Be right there.”

Hearing my trembling voice, the Crown Prince finally snapped out of it.

“…Surely the Crown Prince of the Empire isn’t planning to fight two against one in a cowardly manner…”

“You came at me with over ten people trying to kill me. I don’t see the problem.”

“…”

With both logic and force, he easily subdued the assassin.

And so, the Crown Prince’s assassination attempt during the hunting competition ended more anticlimactically than expected.

***

“Did you know?”

“…What did you say? Say it again.”

“I asked if you knew that assassins would attack you during the hunting competition.”

It was a question I posed to the Crown Prince as he tied up the still-breathing assassins.

“…”

“It’s strange if you didn’t know. You didn’t seem surprised at all when you were attacked.”

It was a literal and reasonable suspicion.

Mikhail’s response had been too clean, too perfect.

It was as if he had anticipated this attack. That was the problem.

No matter how skilled someone is, when faced with an unexpected attack, their expression usually falters a bit.

But Mikhail showed no sign of panic, which naturally made me suspect that he had known about the attack.

“Would you believe me if I told you?”

“…Huh?”

“If I said I predicted this attack, would you believe me?”

“…”

I was left speechless by his counter-question.

There wasn’t a single flaw in the Crown Prince’s words.

Even if Mikhail had truly anticipated this attack and told me so…

I wasn’t sure if I could believe him.

If there had been any clues that could have predicted the assassins’ attack, I might have believed him.

But if such clues existed, Mikhail wouldn’t have spared the lives of the assassins who had tried to kill him.

I had no evidence, no clues, and yet I was supposed to believe that Mikhail had predicted the attack.

“…I wouldn’t have believed you.”

That was impossible for me.

Even though I had been getting headaches lately when trying to recall the original story, I still had memories of it. There was no way I could believe his words.

“See? Then why are you asking?”

Hearing my denial, the Crown Prince nodded as if he had expected it.

“There are things in this world you can believe and things you can’t. Just consider this one of the things you can’t believe and move on.”

“…”

It was a strangely irritating thing to say.

Was this the kind of rhetoric the Crown Prince used to win battles against nobles in the future?

It made me think that even if I inherited the title of Count Zernias from my father, I wouldn’t want to get involved in verbal sparring with Mikhail and the central nobles.

“…Let’s head back. Everyone must be worried.”

After briefly entertaining such disrespectful thoughts, I glanced at the setting sun and suggested to the Crown Prince.

“Worried? Who’s worried?”

“Your Highness’s servants and the Imperial Knights must be worried about you.”

“Absolutely not. In fact, my loyal Commander of the Knights and the knights are probably enjoying a comfortable break in my absence.”

“…”

Of course, it wasn’t a statement that would convince the Crown Prince, who knew his people better than anyone.

“But we still need to attend the closing ceremony of the competition. We should head back.”

“Your words are wise, Your Highness.”

Fortunately, it seemed the Crown Prince still had some semblance of conscience.

Even as he grumbled about the Imperial Knights, he started preparing to leave.

In that regard, he was fitting for the future Emperor.

“…You’re making a strangely displeased face. Mind if I ask what you’re thinking?”

Perhaps noticing my disrespectful expression, Mikhail shot me a sharp question.

“I wasn’t thinking anything, Your Highness.”

He really was annoyingly perceptive for a protagonist.

“…Sigh. Let’s go.”

After glaring at me for a moment, Mikhail gave up and turned to walk ahead.

I watched the Crown Prince with pity before…

“Huh?”

I noticed something strange approaching.

In the lush green forest, the only red object stood out clearly.

“…Your Highness.”

“What is it?”

“Do you see that over there?”

“…”

It was heading straight toward us.

“I don’t know what it is, but it’s moving very fast.”

“…”

At a speed no ordinary person could achieve.

‘…A mage?’

The only humans who could move at such speed were mages using the *Haste* spell.

Thinking it might be another attack, I prepared to draw my sword at any moment.

But…

“…It looks like Princess Valencia.”

“…”

At Mikhail’s words, I quietly lowered my hands.

As the Crown Prince said, the only person in this forest who wore red and could use magic was my fiancée.

And soon, this assumption proved true.

“Oh, isn’t that Princess Valencia…”

“…Your Highness?”

“…Are you hurt? Are you okay?”

The figure rushing toward us was indeed Rebecca. She brushed past Mikhail, who looked pleased to see her, and began checking on me.

“Your Highness, what brings you here?”

Though I was happy to see my fiancée suddenly, I was also slightly flustered.

Why was Rebecca, who should have been quietly chatting with other ladies after losing our archery bet, here?

After a moment of such futile thoughts, I managed to piece together the puzzle.

“…Were you worried?”

“…No. There’s no way I’d worry about you…”

“You were worried.”

“…”

Despite not yet recognizing her own feelings, my fiancée’s actions were more honest than anyone else’s. She had used magic to rush here out of concern for me.

“…Thank you for coming, Your Highness.”

Honestly, I was touched.

Despite the distance from where Rebecca had been to here, she had maintained the *Haste* spell and rushed over just out of worry for me.

So touched that a sincere thank you slipped out effortlessly.

“…If you’re grateful, then…”

“I’ll do better in the future, my beloved fiancée.”

“…”

Perhaps embarrassed by my heartfelt thanks, Rebecca’s face turned red.

“…You two are really something.”

Only Mikhail, left out in the cold, muttered with a tone full of lonely bitterness.

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