The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

Chapter 548

Chapter 548: The Disease

"Hmm... If I move this piece here..."

"And I will move like this."

"Ah!?? My piece!?"

Before Orihime's eyes, a knight piece replicated by the barrier was destroyed.

The one that destroyed it was my knight piece, which was also a replica created by the barrier.

From the perspective of an average magic user, this would be too advanced to understand.

Originally, a barrier is not something to change shape with. First, it is about hardness, and then width.

There's no need to develop flexibility. However, when it comes to Orihime and me, we can deform it quite freely.

"Um... I'm back, Master."

"You're back early. Did it go well?"

"Yeah... I was successful in making contact. But... Why is Lady Celestial Princess inside the barrier?"

Chloe's face was filled with confusion.

Well, that's understandable.

Before Chloe left, Orihime was trapping me and enjoying it.

She was very enthusiastic about making me her toy, enjoying every moment.

However...

"Ask her yourself."

"Celestial Princess-sama, what happened?"

"I'm glad you asked! I was young back then. I trapped Silver in a barrier and was feeling quite proud. But... I soon realized that when I was outside the barrier, I was the only one talking, and it felt kind of empty."

"..."

"This masked man, when outside the barrier, didn't react to anything I did. I was supposed to enjoy it, but it felt more like I was trying hard to get a reaction. So, I thought it was wrong and decided to enter the barrier as well. Now we are on equal terms and the conversation is lively."

"In other words, you enjoyed trapping Master in the barrier at first, but soon it wasn't fun anymore...?"

"That's right. To put it simply, I got bored."

It's very like Orihime.

Even if she taunts me from across the barrier, it just makes me uncomfortable.

At first, my reactions seemed to amuse her, but gradually they seemed less amusing.

And so, she entered the barrier to play with me.

Whether you call it doing things at her own pace or being innocent and bubbly.

At first, it was a game of comparing barrier strength, but since there was no hope of winning, it turned into a game of making pieces with the barrier.

This way, she can't pull off any unreasonable power plays.

"So wait a little! I'm about to defeat Silver!"

"Try it if you can."

I already dominated  the board.

There should be no way to turn this around.

That's what I thought, but...

"My King is invincible!"

Suddenly, Orihime's King began to move and started to destroy my pieces.

She had only strengthened her King.

"Hey..."

"Destroy it if you can! If the King is not defeated, there's no loss! Fuhahaha!!"

Maybe it was naive of me to expect her to follow the rules.

My pieces, which had been dominating the board, were rapidly being destroyed.

Eventually, only my King and Orihime's King were left.

And then...

"It's the end!"

"No, it's already over."

I crushed Orihime's King.

Seeing this, Orihime let out a scream.

"Aaaaaah!?? My King!? What are you doing!?"

"I only destroyed your King, right?"

"It was supposed to be a rule to battle between pieces! It's a rule violation!"

"You were the one who did it first, weren't you?"

"Hmm... but attacking directly is unfair!"

"Well, it's a draw then."

Saying so, I concluded the game.

If I admit to losing to such a power play, it would be a blow to my dignity.

If it's a draw, my pride won't be hurt.

Orihime, who couldn't be assertive, reluctantly accepted the offer for a draw.

"I was so close..."

"Why are you being so immature, Master?"

"I just don't like to lose. So? What kind of conditions did they propose?"

"How did you know they proposed conditions?"

"It must be difficult to be pursued. They must propose some conditions to make us stop. It's a base-to-base move, so the pursuer has the advantage."

"That's right. They seemed really fed up. On top of that, the elder said that he would trust Master if you remove the mask."

I smirk at Chloe's words.

If it's about trust, their proposal is very reasonable.

It's hard to trust someone who is hiding their face.

"Is it absolutely necessary?"

"It seems so. They say that if we want to talk, we have to do it in the forest, and to enter the forest, I have to remove my mask."

"If that's the case, I have no choice. I'll accept."

At my words, Chloe's eyes widen, and Orihime lets out a surprised voice.

"What!? Are you going to take off your mask!?"

"The demon issue is a continental problem. Me hiding my face is a personal issue. It's a fair balance."

The chance to talk to someone who participated in the war five hundred years ago may not come again.

The information that can be obtained here is crucial. The elder probably has more information than I think.

What happened during the past war?

He is the living witness.

"Can I watch too!?"

"Don't follow me."

"Why not!?"

"I refuse out of mere curiosity."

I tell Orihime to break the barrier, and I start walking.

Then I turn my gaze to Chloe and Sieg.

"Will you come along?"

"No, I'm good."

"Aren't you curious?"

"I am, but... you'll tell me if I need to know, right?"

"That's true. What about you?"

"I'll pass, too. Instead, could you ask them about how to revert to being human?"

"I'm surprised. I thought you'd come along."

Sieg is the party concerned.

If he says he wants to hear the conversation, I won't deny him.

But...

"If I was the one letting him hear the conversation, I'd let him see it, but the elder is the one talking. The right is with the elderl. I choose to keep the mystery."

"You're a reasonable guy. Well, if that's the case, I won't force it. I'll be going then."

With that, I teleported to the Twilight Forest.

Upon reaching the Twilight Forest, the elder came out from the forest.

"I heard that if I remove my mask, you will let me into the forest, right?"

"You must remove your mask to confirm our safety."

"Safety?"

"We weren't hiding from humans. We've been avoiding contact with the outside world for five hundred years to escape the power of demons."

"You've been running for five hundred years? What kind of power is it?"

"It's the power of a virus. One of the demon king's close aides, Wepal, casted a black rain when he returned to the demon world. It was poisonous rain. However, it didn't affect those with strong blood. But the troublesome thing about the poison was that it grew little by little. It started from the weak and eventually spread to the strong as a disease. Knowing Wepal's characteristics well, he chose to hide. We could predict that the poison would eventually approach us."

Listening to the elder's story, I let out a quiet breath.

As calmly as possible, I inhale deeply and exhale deeply.

And then...

"Why didn't you take measures?"

"There was no way to take measures. The symptoms were almost the same as a common cold, and to completely eliminate the poison, you had to kill Wepal. However, he had already returned to the demon world. We didn't even know who carried the poison. The black rain fell all over the continent. And we chose to hide, and the main ones who fought the demon king chose to recover. There were plenty of possibilities. We, who were hidden, might find a solution. The growth of the poison might be slow. There was no threat at that point."

"I've read many books, but such things were not written."

"It can't be helped that it wasn't conveyed. Only a few knew. That few also lost their lives in the chaotic period after the demons left. Now, if you understand the reason, remove your mask. If I see, I can tell if you're safe."

Prompted by the elder, I removed the silver mask.

Then, the elder widens his eyes a little, and soon shows a pained expression.

"As I thought... you're of the Adler bloodline..."

"I am Arnold Lakes Adler, the seventh imperial prince. Am I infected with the disease?"

"It's lurking in your blood. But if you're an Adler, the story changes. Come into the forest. Your Adler blood is stronger than ours."

With that, the elder turns on his heel.

And then...

"To think that in five hundred years it reached the Adler... I thought it would take a thousand years."

"Is there no way to cure it?"

"We've been researching it all along. The past kings, including the emperor, entrusted everything to us. But, we didn't make it in time... The fate of mankind is also nearing its end."

"What do you mean?"

"The poison Wepal released was to eradicate the strongest bloodline. Its name is Amsberg. If it reached Adler, it will eventually reach Amsberg. If the bearers of the holy sword are lost, the power of mankind will be greatly reduced. The remnants of the demons are waiting for that time."

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