The Royal Capital Battle 1
Authors note: This is from the point of view of Elder Ronandt, who appeared in Human-Demon Great War 2Some boring work has been dumped on me.
I handled the daily magic training while looking at the night sky.
Recently, even if I repeat my training, there's little to no growth at all. I am getting older after all.
If it's like this, I’m going to reach the end of my life span before I ever reach the peak of magic.
How frustrating.
How frustrating it feels to lack talent.
「Teacher. Why are you training in magic control at such a late hour?」
「A person's life is far too short. If a person values sleep over training, then mastering magic is but a dream within a dream」
I answer one of my apprentices without turning around.
「I respect your strong passion for magic. But, no magician in the world could ever surpass Teacher」
「Ha!」
I laugh at my apprentice's words.
「You don't understand anything at all. I’m the world's strongest? What a joke. I who has no talent must put in the effort like this to compensate. I still regret my lack of talent, even now」
「Teacher. If you say that you have no talent, then it means that we apprentices don't have any talent either」
「All I'm saying is even if I’m idolized as a genius, this is still a mortal man's body. There are even people who could reach godhood in this world. Compared to them, I’m weak」
I can't help but lament that fact.
「Ah. I still remember it clearly. That divine appearance. The one who has reached the extremity of magic」
The one that comes to my mind is the existence who's at the very peak of magic that I once saw.
That beautiful existence.
Compared to them, I'm just a stone on the roadside.
Even if I'm seen by an existence equal to God, everyone is the same in its eyes.
Even if the stone on the roadside is larger than the rest, a stone is still only a stone in their eyes.
「What's wrong?」
While I'm in melancholic nostalgia, another apprentice comes in quietly.
Then, the two apprentices start chatting between themselves.
「It's Teacher's usual rant」
「Ah. I guess he’s already at that age」
「He might go senile soon」
「I can hear you, you fools」
I turn around, stare lightly and the two just shrug their shoulders unnaturally.
Good grief, what obnoxious apprentices.
This is no good.
I let myself get distracted by them just now.
To be disrupted by such a thing, as expected, I'll always be far too inexperienced no matter how much time passes.
「Teacher, this might be a needless concern, but please don't tell anyone about that story except us, okay?」
「I understand. Don't worry needlessly」
「Or rather, wasn’t Teacher mortally wounded as well? How odd that you can have such thoughts」
「Because I was arrogant at that time, I was shown clear as day that there's a top to the top. And how small I really was. I'm thankful from the bottom of my heart to have met them」
The world's strongest magician, even in the Rengzant Empire, that name holds significant valor.
That was my position at that time, and I still hold that position today.
At that time, I was foolish.
I never doubted that I was the “World's Strongest”.
And my once large ego was shattered on that day, by that incident.
I now know that there are limits you simply can't ever break as a Human.
「I regret that I was born as a human」
「Teacher, it would be bad if people heard you, they might interpret that statement as you siding with the Demons」
「Demons and Humans aren’t that different. It's pitiful. They are small vessels that crush each other. Oh, how small my existence is」
「Teacher, what if someone heard you talking like this?」
「There's no one here other than us. Besides, even if I was heard, what could they do? Do you think that this country has the right to judge a foreign representative」
I'm now at the royal castle of the Anareich Kingdom.
The country that’s falling apart under Prince Hugo's rule.
The fact is it's suppressed by our Rengzant, but Its appearance as a country is still kept intact so it doesn't make the people feel like anything is amiss.
This country is in a state where it can no longer function properly, all caused by the power of that unknown skill that Prince Hugo has.
The king is dead, the innocent third and fourth prince have been labeled as terrorists who committed treason, and the remaining first prince and second princess have been brainwashed along with most of the nobles, who are all now nothing but puppets.
The third prince will be executed tomorrow, it seems that the fourth prince escaped safely.
And, the engagement of Prince Hugo and the already brainwashed second princess has been announced, and now this country has become Prince Hugo's playhouse.
I'm here as insurance in case the safely escaped fourth prince returns to rescue the third prince.
Well, returning here knowing that it's a trap is unthinkable, unless he's an idiot.
By now, he’s probably taking refuge in a neighboring country.
The most likely place is the Samare Kingdom, where the first princess married.
In other words, there's no need for me to do anything.
「This is boring」
「Isn't it good for it to be peaceful?」
「I guess. I definitely don't want a dangerous mission like the recent Great War」
The recent battle was a considerably large-scale one.
The Demons attacked all at once, focusing their attacks on each of the forts that separate the Humans and the Demons territory.
Although the battle in the fort where I was, ended when I took out the Demon general, the other forts sustained considerable damage.
Well, I don’t care about something like that.
The problem is, even though I killed the Demon general, my level didn't rise.
My current level is 78.
In legends, it's said that the Humans can evolve if their level ever reaches 100.
However, because of my short life span, I will probably die before I can ever reach level 100.
Even though I have defeated a strong opponent like the Demon General, my level didn't rise at all, so I guess I shouldn't expect any drastic level ups from now on.
「I must say, I'm a little interested in the fourth prince, the true holder of the “Hero” title」
Although Prince Hugo was announced by the church as the new hero to the public, the genuine Hero is the escaped fourth prince, Schlain.
Even though Prince Hugo has abnormal strength, it seems that the fourth prince is a beast in his own right. If such a fellow became the Hero, how strong would he become?
I'm very interested indeed.
Surpassing a human's limits, the goal that I have been trying to accomplish, might soon be possible.
「I heard a rumor that the fourth prince has a power that’s equal to Prince Hugo. Prince Hugo is ridiculously strong. When I think that such a dangerous person will attack here, it makes me tremble」
「Hann. I’ll admit it, Prince Hugo is certainly strong. However, he really is rotten」
「Teacher, do you want to be beheaded!?」
「What's wrong saying that a person is rotten when they really are utterly lacking in any form of self-awareness? What? It’s not like you guys are gonna let anything I say leave this room.」
「Saying such dangerous things. What if we had been manipulated by the prince's suspicious skill?」
「Do you think that I, who have "Appraisal" Would be fooled by a trick like that?」
「Ah, that's right. I still don’t know why you decided to raise a skill like "Appraisal" to level 10」
「So, what part of the prince does Teacher think is rotten?」
「He's rotten to the extent that if I start listing off his faults, It’ll never end. If I have to start somewhere, it's everything about him」
「Teacher, then, won't the Rengzant Empire's future be doomed?」
「I don't know. I have some personal attachment to this country, although my aim to reach the pinnacle of magic is more important. I can’t let this country be ruined. After all, doesn't this seem like a nice place to retire and live quietly」
「If Teacher is okay with it, what about us?」
「I don't know. You should just do as you please」
The apprentices leak a grand sigh.
I gaze out the window, and I was a little surprised.
It seems that the fourth prince really is an idiot.
「Apprentices, prepare for battle」
「Eh?」
「The fourth prince has appeared」
「Seriously!?」
「Seriously. Prepare already!」
I ignore the apprentices that start preparing in a hurry, and I begin to construct magic.
「Well then Schlain, show me the power of the Hero」
Translator: Esper
Proofreader: Lain
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