The Terminally Ill Prince is the Mad Dog of the Underworld (Novel) - Chapter 29
Chapter 29. A Midnight Invitation
Read it only at Utoon.net!
Discord
“Indeed, there’s no more certain proof than that.”
I glanced around as I spoke.
“But I don’t have a sword with me right now.”
“That’s not an issue.”
At the snap of the butler’s fingers, the servant accompanying him brought out a sword.
“You’re always well-prepared.”
“It’s part of a butler’s duty.”
I unsheathed the sword. It was smooth and without resistance.
“A fine blade.”
It was clearly of a much higher grade than the practice sword I had used yesterday.
“For the noble son of Grünewald, we can’t hand over just any sword.”
I channeled mana into the blade using Ocean Circulation Heart technique. As expected, a vivid blue aura resembling the sea began to shimmer along the blade.
“…Hmm.”
The butler let out a low hum.
Having seen it with his own eyes, he couldn’t deny it, but even I knew this was something beyond common sense.
“You were the one closest to me just days ago when I hadn’t even begun practicing any martial arts techniques. Isn’t that correct?”
“Indeed.”
The butler replied.
“This is something only prodigies, whose names are remembered across the continent, can achieve.”
“There’s no need to flatter me. Just because someone progresses quickly doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily reach the highest levels.”
“You’ve already mastered the virtue of humility, so this old man has nothing more to say.”
The butler’s voice lowered as he continued.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“The day you woke from your illness, I saw the seed of brilliance within you.”
“And what about now?”
“It has already sprouted magnificently. I look forward to seeing how large and grand that seed will grow in the future.”
This was likely the highest praise he could offer me.
“I will continue to strive forward.”
“How is your training going?”
“There are no obstacles so far, but it’s frustrating not being able to train in swordsmanship.”
I replied.
“I heard you were the one who conveyed that message.”
“It was by order of the Duke. He believed that pushing too hard before manifesting sword aura could be dangerous.”
“So that was the reason.”
“But now things are different. If you wish, I can arrange for a swordsmanship instructor for you.”
“If my father doesn’t permit it, I can’t force it. Did he send you here with permission in mind?”
The butler nodded as if recognizing my perceptiveness.
“That’s correct.”
“Please tell him that I will follow his decision. If patience is required, then I will wait.”
The butler seemed slightly surprised by my response.
“I thought you’d accept immediately.”
“If my father sent you out of concern for my impatience, then now is precisely the time to be cautious about eagerness.”
“I understand.”
Judging by his pleased expression, it seemed this was indeed the right answer.
“Oh, and—”
“Yes?”
“Olivier seems like he’ll make an excellent butler. Thank you for sending him to me.”
It appeared this was what pleased him most; a smile spread across his face that he couldn’t hide.
“Well then…”
“Take care on your way back.”
I smiled as I watched the butler leave.
‘He’s more sentimental than I thought.’
If the butler had developed such goodwill and expectations toward me, it would likely have a positive effect on my father’s evaluation as well. So far, everything was going according to plan.
‘But a swordsmanship instructor?’
In martial arts, having a master is far more important than in academic studies. To teach a noble like me at Grünewald would require an instructor of considerable skill and rank.
In my past life, I had learned martial arts without a master—only through observation and experience. If I could now obtain both proper instruction and martial arts manuals, it would be like attaching wings to both sides of my potential.
‘I’m looking forward to this.’
I intended to absorb everything this instructor had to offer.
* * *
After seeing off the butler, Olivier returned and bowed his head to me.
“Thank you, Your Highness. I heard you spoke well of me to my uncle.”
“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”
I replied casually, sipping my now-cold tea.
“It turns out we had a connection from childhood.”
“!”
For the first time, I saw surprise and confusion flash across Olivier’s face, which made me smile.
“So, you can make that kind of expression too.”
“…Did my uncle tell you?”
“No. I found an old diary I had hidden away.”
“Ah, I see.”
Olivier cleared his throat and quickly composed himself.
“I didn’t think it was necessary to mention it. My apologies.”
I found it amusing to realize that even this ice-cold man had once struggled and cried in secret during his childhood.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, just thinking that you were as innocent as Peter when you were younger.”
“I may have been a bit frail as a child, but not quite like Peter…”
Olivier drew a clear line.
“If Peter heard that, he’d be hurt.”
“Ahem.”
I decided to stop teasing him at this point. It would take more time before Olivier and I could be as informal with each other as I was with Peter.
“By the way, how’s the process of hiring new staff going?”
“It’s progressing well. We’re thoroughly checking their reputations before hiring anyone.”
“Don’t be too strict about it.”
I advised.
“Even if a spy slips in, we just need to catch them when they slip up.”
“Understood.”
I had a feeling the second prince would make a move soon. From reading Allenbert’s diary, it was clear that among his siblings, the most cunning and inscrutable one was him.
‘Verdzich Grünewald.’
Baklava’s full-blooded brother and the second of six siblings—five sons and one daughter.
Not only was he the most skilled in martial arts among the siblings, but he was also known for his deep intellect and high reputation. That was seven years ago; by now, he was likely the closest contender for the position of heir.
I suspected that the first prince’s abilities were inferior to those of the second prince. If he had both legitimacy as the eldest and sufficient skill, no matter how capable his younger brother was, he wouldn’t have dared to act so boldly.
‘He wouldn’t have allowed it.’
But being the most capable doesn’t always guarantee becoming the heir. The more cunning one, the one with stronger backing, or even just the luckier or more humble one—victory can wear many faces.
‘It would be nice if they all gathered for a meal together.’
Just observing their ranks and relationships at such a gathering would give me a good sense of how the battle for succession was shaping up. Wouldn’t someone send out an invitation?
“Oh.”
At this point, I realized something important that I hadn’t thought of before.
“What is it?”
“Now that I think about it, I’ll need proper formal attire.”
I couldn’t very well show up at a banquet wearing clothes from when I was ten years old.
“In that case, shall I summon the royal tailor?”
“No.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll go in person.”
I wasn’t like Baklava—a spoiled prince who ordered people around without care.
‘Besides, it’ll be nice to take a look around the palace.’
It would be even better if someone picked a fight with me while I was there. Though that seemed unlikely.
* * *
“It was undoubtedly a sword aura produced through training in Ocean Circulation Heart technique.”
Duke Georg Grünewald sat in his office reviewing documents while keeping one ear open to his butler’s report.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if someone told me he had reached not just the 5th level but even the 6th or 7th level.”
The duke shook his head at those words.
“No. Ocean Circulation Heart technique takes longer to progress in its later stages. It wouldn’t be so easy to reach those levels.”
“Indeed. However, the sword aura appeared exceptionally pure and refined.”
“I see.”
The duke nodded without much emotion on his face.
“He achieved this through self-study without a master?”
“It seems so.”
It was certainly an extraordinary talent.
However—
“Impressive, but still lacking.”
The head of House Grünewald drew a firm line.
“If all a Grünewald prince has achieved by age 17 is manifesting sword aura, then it remains pathetic.”
Allenbert was now nearing adulthood. When considering this, it was clear that his accomplishments were even less than those of his fifteen-year-old brother, Baklava. For example, by the same age, his older brothers had already…
“Enough about martial prowess. What do you make of Allen’s character?”
“I cannot yet fully grasp it.”
The duke asked with a blank expression.
“Not enough information?”
“That is part of it. However…”
The butler seemed almost surprised to be saying this about Allenbert.
“There is a depth to him that I cannot yet measure. The only others who have given me a similar feeling are Prince Verdzich and, on a broader scale, Lady Ulvhild.”
“If it’s your judgment, it must be accurate.”
The head of the house remarked.
“I will continue to observe him closely.”
The butler was indeed a man who understood the meaning behind words. The duke was about to dismiss him when he remembered something.
“There’s a banquet in two days, isn’t there?”
“Yes. The second wife suggested it would be good for everyone to gather since Prince Allenbert has recovered from his illness…”
The intention was obvious. They wanted to invite him, either to humiliate him or to gauge his abilities.
“…”
The duke could already foresee what would happen at the banquet without even attending. While he could go if necessary, such events were not to his liking.
“There’s no need for me to attend, is there?”
“Will you decline again this time?”
“Yes.”
It had been a long time since the duke had attended one of these gatherings; he found them tiresome.
“I’ll arrange an external engagement.”
“Ahem. I’ll come up with a good excuse.”
The two men understood each other perfectly without needing further explanation.
* * *
“Come here, my son.”
“Mother, you look more beautiful than ever today.”
“It’s always nice to hear flattery, even if it’s empty.”
Verdzich Grünewald, the second prince, smiled like a finely carved statue as he kissed the back of his mother Emengarde Grünewald’s hand.
“I heard Allenbert manifested sword aura after receiving your gift?”
It was a story known by everyone within the ducal estate. His sudden change had become the hottest topic in recent days.
“So I’ve heard.”
Emengarde smiled dryly behind her fan.
“He apparently asked if the gift wasn’t meant as mockery, considering it came from his enemies.”
“He kept his composure even in that situation. More impressively, with just a few words, he turned ‘compensation for Baklava’s actions’ into an even greater debt.”
Verdzich admired the cleverness of it all.
“That’s not the work of a shallow mind.”
“You think he intended all of that?”
“To some extent, yes.”
Verdzich replied.
“And yet he accepted the elixir and used it to manifest sword aura. In the end, Mother gave him a gift but gained nothing but infamy.”
“How sharp-tongued you are.”
Emengarde only smiled at her son’s cutting words—an entirely different smile from the one she showed Baklava.
“He is no longer the weak boy he once was. I intend to meet him personally and assess his potential.”
“I’m looking forward to it as well.”
Verdzich smiled coldly.
“On that day, you must be the most brilliant and dazzling man in the room.”
“I will be.”
“As soon as dawn breaks, I’ll send invitations to the other wives and siblings as well.”
“When will you send Allenbert’s invitation?”
Emengarde’s sneer closely resembled her son’s.
“I’ll send it late at night. Let’s see if he can even find proper formal attire in time.”
It was a petty move, but Verdzich found it amusing.
“On that day, Allenbert will look like nothing more than a servant attending his mother.”
He was curious about how his younger brother would respond. In noble society, knowing how much you knew could determine how well you avoided insults.