The Prince from Another World Wants to Save the World

Chapter 29: The Mad Prince’s Route (4)

“Your Highness, I’ve brought the water. But… who is this girl?”

Rania had returned to the drawing room, and I asked her, “Berit is the place where refugees from the destroyed kingdom live, right? The one that borders our estate?”

Rania hesitated before answering, her face full of surprise.

“Yes, that’s correct. The Lunembreth family’s forest touches the southwestern region of Berit.”

“This girl seems to have fled from there. She said the crops failed, and they’re all starving. Do you know anything about that?”

“I don’t know the details. I’ve heard rumors since last year, but…”

“Why is Berit suffering from failed crops when the rest of the Empire is fine?”

“Berit lacks sufficient water and is severely affected by droughts. They also struggle to use proper fertilizers, resulting in poor harvests. And most importantly…”

“The lord is exploiting the residents?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Meredith nodded with a troubled expression, and one of the maids, who must have once lived in Berit, began to sob, burying her face in her hands.

“Ugh… sob…”

Her tears were likely triggered by memories of her time in Berit. I alternated my gaze between the crying maid and the unconscious girl before closing my eyes and calming my thoughts for about ten seconds.

“…Your Highness?”

“Rania, take this girl to a bedroom and care for her. She seems dehydrated, so give her water first.”

“Understood.”

“And take all the salted meat in the warehouse and load it onto the carts, along with the grain flour. We might not have enough carts, so when Kyle arrives, contact the Gusf Trading Company and request additional transport.”

“You’re not suggesting that…?”

“I want all the food delivered directly to the lord’s castle in Berit. Distribute it to any villages along the way, starting with this girl’s village, Alun.”

“Please wait, Your Highness.” Rania’s face tightened in fear as she hurriedly interrupted.

“I understand what you’re trying to do, but you can’t. Berit is a land where external interference is forbidden by law.”

“What?”

“No outsider can enter Berit without the approval of the Imperial Government. The residents of Berit also cannot leave without permission. Of course, it’s possible to sneak them out unnoticed, but…”

Rania glanced at the now somber maids and sighed.

“If Your Highness gets involved directly, it’ll become a large-scale incident that can’t be hidden. I know you feel sympathy for this child, but…”

“No,” I said, shaking my head with a blank expression.

“This girl isn’t the real issue. The problem is Berit’s lord.”

“…What?”

“The orders I just gave are secondary. What I’m about to do is far more important. So just do as I say. I’ll take responsibility for everything.”

“Your Highness?”

I saw the goosebumps rise on Rania’s neck as I turned and gave orders to Meredith.

“Meredith, gather as many elixirs as you can carry and ride straight to the lord’s castle in Berit. If anyone tries to stop you, use my name and push through.”

“As you command.”

Meredith didn’t hesitate and asked immediately, “Which types of elixirs should I take?”

“Anything that can heal the sick and starving. I’ll fly ahead to deal with the lord. If you come across anyone critically ill on the way, help them.”

“I will carry out your orders.”

Meredith bowed deeply without any further questions. Such composure. She’s as solid as a rock, as usual.

But Rania reacted differently. The head maid, on the verge of panic, exclaimed, “Your Highness, you can’t! How do you intend to handle the aftermath of this? The lord of Berit, Count Talisman, was appointed directly by the Emperor! He’s from one of the Empire’s most prestigious noble families! Even as a prince, you can’t act recklessly! And you’ve never been to Berit, do you even know where the castle is?”

“The biggest castle in Berit, right? It should be easy to spot from above.”

“Above? What do you mean by…?”

“His Highness can use magic,” Meredith calmly explained, still wearing her usual expression.

“In dealing with the ogres in the Zairut Mountain Range, the Earth Spirit, the guardian deity of the ogres, bestowed upon His Highness powers that rival an Archmage.”

“An Archmage? Did you just say Archmage?”

“I witnessed it myself. Though I’m not an expert in magic, I do know about the spell Fly. His Highness plans to fly to the lord’s castle in Berit.”

Thank you for that neat explanation, Meredith. I nodded to her and turned to Rania.

“Exactly, Meredith. Rania?”

Rania was too stunned to respond immediately. I smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Take care of the estate while I’m gone.”

Without waiting for a reply, I walked straight out of the mansion. By the time Rania had gathered herself and ran out to the garden, I had already taken flight, soaring high into the sky.

“Well then…”

Beyond the forest to the northeast, I could see the dry and barren land in the distance.

That’s the cursed land of Berit.

No god or magic had cursed it—this was simply the result of human malice concentrated in one place for over a century.

The only thing that could break this curse was the madness of someone with power. Let’s see just how much chaos I can stir up.

* * *

“Come on, give me another drink.”

“Isn’t it a bit too much to drink this early in the morning? I’m worried about your health, Count.”

“I agree. If you want to perform tonight, maybe you should cut back a little?”

Two scantily clad women flirted as they refilled Count Talisman’s glass.

The count, eager to show off his virility, gulped down the clear liquor and laughed heartily.

“Hahaha! This little bit of alcohol is nothing! Don’t worry, I’m still full of energy! Look!”

He abruptly lifted the woman to his left, and though she grimaced for a moment, she quickly regained her composure, smiling seductively as a professional courtesan would.

“Kyaa! Count, you’re so strong! How do you keep up such strength?”

“I make sure to consume the finest ingredients! Last night, I drank a special potion made from the antlers of the White Deer from the White Light Forest!”

“Oh, I hear that’s incredibly expensive! Even the best elixirs in Emperoroad can’t compare to it! You must be really wealthy!”

“Of course! Since I’m stuck in this godforsaken place, I have to rake in as much money as I can! It’s the power of money that brings the best courtesans from Emperoroad all the way out here!”

Count Talisman, the lord of Berit, was a 40-year-old man with a large, flabby body. Disgusting. I could no longer stand his boasts and his bloated belly, so I immediately dispelled my invisibility.

“Drinking and cavorting with women first thing in the morning? Things seem to be going well for you, Count Talisman.”

“Huh? Who the hell are you? How did you get in here? I gave strict orders that no one was to enter my room!”

The count, still half-drunk, pointed a shaking finger at me. I smiled and casually threw a small fireball his way.

“I came in through the open window.”

“Gyaaah!”

The fireball exploded near his face, and the count fell forward, clutching his head. The women shrieked and scattered, but I warned them.

“Get out of here, quickly.”

“Eek! Aaaah!”

“If you stay, I won’t be responsible if you die.”

“N-No! Yes, of course!”

Even in their panic, the women gathered their clothes and bolted for the door. But before they could leave, a group of armored knights burst into the room.

“My lord! We heard an explosion!”

“My lord! What’s happening?”

“Reverse Gravity.”

Without hesitation, I cast the spell, sending the knights soaring into the air.

Crash!

In an instant, the ceiling shattered as the knights were flung outside the castle.

Since the count’s chambers were on the top floor of the castle, they shot up into the sky without any obstacles. The moment I canceled the spell, they plummeted back toward the ground.

“Aaaaaahhh!”

As the knights crashed through the ceiling and hit the floor, the ground beneath them gave way, collapsing through to the lower levels of the castle.

Oops, slight miscalculation.

I guess their armor was heavier than I thought. Still, they shouldn’t die from this. The lord may be trash, but the knights he hired were somewhat competent.

“H-Hiiiik!”

Count Talisman, having witnessed everything, stumbled backward toward the opposite window.

But this was the fifth floor of the castle.

If he jumped, his large body would splatter like a batter dropped from a great height. Of course, that might be a satisfying end for him, but…

“What are you waiting for? Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Who… who are you? Did someone send you to assassinate me? Was it Marquis Norton? Or the branch family?”

He began listing his enemies while clinging to the window. I shook my head, looking at the blackened burns on his face.

“I’m Claude.”

“Claude?”

“Yes, have you heard of me?”

“Claude… no… it couldn’t be… wait, you’re not… Prince Claude of the Empire?”

In the Faywood Empire, once a name is given to a member of the royal family, no one else can use it until that person dies.

Realizing who I was, the count pointed and screamed.

“Prince Claude! That’s impossible! There’s no way you’re Prince Claude! Wait… that small frame, that pale skin… as if you’re sick…”

“…What?”

Without a second thought, I used wind magic and sent him flying out of the window.

“Aaaaah!”

His squealing voice faded as I followed him with my flight spell, catching up before he hit the ground. I quickly conjured a wind cushion to break his fall.

Though I didn’t make it perfect—he still took some damage.

“Ugh!”

The count bounced about two meters in the air before slamming back onto the ground, breaking his leg in the process.

“Gyaaah! My leg! Aaaargh!”

Is your leg the problem? I’m tempted to break every bone in your body to get some satisfaction.

But I couldn’t kill him.

If I did, I’d just create more problems for myself later. Besides, a quick death wouldn’t make him pay properly for his crimes.

“My lord!”

“Count!”

“Protect the lord!”

A flood of soldiers and knights poured into the castle’s garden.

“It’s an assassin! Protect the count!”

“Who are you?”

I conjured a whirlwind in my palm and answered.

“I am Prince Claude, the sixth prince of the Empire.”

“What?”

For a moment, everyone froze. One knight stepped forward, stammering in disbelief.

“P-Prince Claude? No, that can’t be. A royal wouldn’t suddenly show up here!”

“How dare you impersonate a prince!”

“Attack! We must protect the lord!”

Unsurprisingly, they didn’t believe me and charged with their spears. I tossed the whirlwind toward the ground, muttering under my breath.

“Tempest.”

A violent gust of wind exploded outward, sending everything and everyone flying.

This was the pinnacle of elemental magic, a Tempest-Class Spell.

Its name was Wind of Tempest. Now that it was cast, the only ones safe from its wrath were me and Count Talisman.

I held back my full power, of course. Used properly, this spell would turn all these men into apple juice in a blender.

Even so, it was more than enough.

Boom!

The dozens of soldiers who had charged were flung into the garden’s walls by the razor-sharp winds.

The walls crumbled on impact. Soldiers screamed as they were crushed beneath the rubble, and the knights, with what strength they had left, struggled to crawl out from under the debris.

I glared at the struggling knights and shouted.

“What are you waiting for? Get out from under that rubble and help your comrades!”

“A-ack…”

“I’m giving you an order! Whether you believe it or not, I am Prince Claude of the Empire! From this moment on, I am taking control of this castle! If you defy me, pick up your weapons again, and I’ll deal with you for real this time!”

“Ugh… Aaaah!”

At that moment, one of the knights, clad in heavy armor, screamed and charged again.

A Knight Expert, huh? Impressive that he still has the courage after seeing all this.

“Reverse Gravity.”

I sent him flying into the air once more, slamming him back into the ground with brutal force.

Crash!

With a heavy thud, he became half-embedded in the earth, convulsing from the impact. I waved my hand through the cloud of dust and asked the remaining knights.

“Anyone else?”

Silence.

They all quickly turned to rescue the soldiers trapped under the rubble.

“Gather the seriously injured soldiers in one place. I’ll heal them later. And as for you, Count?”

“R-Reverse Gravity… Yotun Bay… Could it really be Prince Claude?”

The count, finally understanding, muttered to himself. I grabbed him by the ear and began dragging him toward the castle.

“Gyaaah! Let go! Please, Prince Claude! My ear! It’s going to tear!”

As the count screamed and dragged his broken leg, the knights whispered among themselves.

“Hey, did you hear that? The count just called him Prince Claude!”

“Then that really is the prince?”

“Prince Claude… the sixth prince? The mad prince?”

“They said he was a disgrace, but wasn’t there talk recently about him performing miracles and using divine magic?”

“Fool! Didn’t he single-handedly stop the Undead Army?”

“Wait, didn’t he just use magic here? And a powerful one at that?”

“I’ve heard rumors that he’s been praised for great accomplishments lately, but why is he doing this now? Has he lost his mind again?”

“This is insane, no matter how you look at it…”

“Forget that! The bigger problem is that we just pointed our weapons at a prince! We could all be executed, no matter whose fault this is!”

At that moment, the soldiers and knights dropped their weapons and knelt down. I continued dragging the count by the ear, shouting orders at them.

“Once you’ve rescued all the trapped soldiers, open every storage room in this castle and distribute the food! Start rationing it to the entire Berit region! And listen closely! From this moment, if I hear that anyone in Berit has starved to death, I’ll throw all of you into a cell and starve you to death as well! So, if you value your lives, get moving! Now!”