BBYW Vol. 1 Chapter 18
Chapter 18 – The Final Struggle
【POV : Sullivan Nommes】
“Shit!! Why haven’t they reported back yet!!”
I was sitting on a chair in my room in house Nommes, nervously tapping the armrests.
I tried my hardest to contain my irritation these past few days.
Two weeks ago, I met a man called Zaill in a tavern in town. He introduced me to the band of assassins 『Fangs of Steel』, to whom I requested the murder of Dyngir Maxwell.
The man from the 『Fangs of Steel』 accepted the request, saying they would fulfill the request in the span of a few days, but I had yet to receive the report that the request had been completed.
“Shit!! How can they be so slow, after making me pay all that money!?”
I slammed my fists on the table as I spat out those words.
I had to go through all sorts of trouble to gather the money requested by the assassins.
I couldn’t speak about the request to house Nommes, of course, so I had to prepare it all by myself.
I begged my friends in the capital via letter and managed to obtain a bit of money from them.
Several of them accepted my request, but the attached letter also said “This is the last time, don’t contact me ever again”, effectively severing their ties with me. When I saw those letters, I felt so insulted I tore the letter to shreds.
(You better remember this!! When Dyngir Maxwell is killed and I become the next margrave, I’m going to start a revolt and burn down the capital!! All your heads are going to roll!!)
At first, I planned to take back my title of the crown prince, but, because of the unbelievable way my friends changed, I started thinking of such plots.
House Maxwell was one of the Four Houses: its military strength was one of the greatest in the kingdom. Once it was in my hands, it wouldn’t be a dream to punish the royal family that abandoned me and the central nobles who betrayed me.
(You will regret disinheriting me…all of those who oppose me will die!! I’m going to take back the throne by force…!!)
Father, who abandoned me, and my younger brother, who stole my title of crown prince, were going to burn at the stake. I’ll cut off Duke Rosais’ head and put it up for all to see. I’ll take his daughter Marianne and enjoy her all her life as my sex slave.
As the fantasies came alive in my head, my lips naturally curved into a smile.
I was going to exact revenge on the people who drove me to ruin and bring destruction to them instead. How could I not laugh?
Knock, knock, knock.
“Lord Sullivan, may I?”
Someone knocked on the door and interrupted my thoughts.
“What is it? I’m rather busy now.”
Just when I was relishing my bright future prospects. My tone barely hid the irritation I felt.
“A guest came to see you, my lord. May I let them through?”
“Ooh!! Yes, of course, let them in!”
“….understood. Right away, my lord.”
I cheered loudly in my mind.
Ever since I started living in house Nommes, I had not received even one guest.
Which meant — this guest surely brought the report I longed to hear.
(They carried out the assassination! Finally!!)
I lightly leaped out of my chair and briskly made preparations to welcome the guest.
I was almost dancing with joy, so I failed to notice that the butler who came to announce the guest’s arrival spoke with a terribly tense tone of voice.
After a little while, someone knocked again.
“Oh! Do come in!”
“With your permission.”
“I’ve been wait…ing..?”
The guest who entered my room was a very unexpected one.
“Allow me to introduce myself, Sir Sullivan Nommes. My name is Lowen, I am the captain of the first security division of house Maxwell.”
The guest was a man clad in full armor. On his chest he bore Margrave Maxwell’s crest, the blue dragon emblem.
There were two other soldiers behind Lowen, who were armed in the same way as him.
“M-Maxwell’s security division…captain…? W-what business brings you…”
My voice turned shrill and high-pitched.
Acting so restless was like exposing my guilty conscience, but I couldn’t hold back my turmoil.
“You do not know what brings me here, sir?”
Lowen asked an inquiring question. I clearly felt all color leave my face.
“I-I…I have no idea.”
“Is that so. Then, please look at this.”
“W-what is tha….!?”
Lowen took out a piece of rolled parchment and spread it for me to see. It was a contract I remembered all too well.
“This document was found in the hideout of a gang of assassins we have apprehended recently. Its contents, as you can see, detail a request to assassinate our lord, Dyngir Maxwell. On the bottom of the document you can see your own signature and seal.”
“W-w-w-w-w-w….what is this…!?”
(Impossible!! Were they caught!? Weren’t they legendary assassins!?)
I barely managed to keep myself from shouting my thoughts.
I tried desperately to restrain my shock, but I couldn’t keep my body from shaking.
“I, I…I have no idea about any of this. Someone must have impersonated me to…”
“I see, in that case, please allow us to conduct a proper examination. Unlike signatures, seals cannot be duplicated, after all. Please show us your fingers, it will only take a short time to verify.”
“Uuh, aah, uuh….”
I curled my fingers into my hand and collapsed on the spot.
There was no need for any examination: I had pressed my seal on the contract myself.
“It appears we reached our conclusion. Follow us quietly, and you may have a chance to explain yourself in court.”
“Do you…mean to judge me in court…like a criminal? I, the crown prince of…”
“It appears there is a misunderstanding here: you are the crown prince no more. You are now simply reaping what you sowed. If you resist, we will have to take measures accordingly.”
Lowen then caressed the hilt of the sword at his waist.
I fell silent for a short time, then opened my mouth again.
“Understood…I will prepare my belongings, please wait just a moment.”
I was still looking down when Lowen stopped me.
“Entrust your sword to me first, please.”
“Ghuh……”
(What insolence!!)
I restrained the urge to shout back and handed Lowen my sword.
(Damn you all…! Is everyone in this blasted kingdom eager to get in my way!? Is there no god in this world!?)
Why did I have to endure such trials? All I ever did was lead a life worthy of a crown prince!
Whatever did I do to deserve all this?
(Enough!! Gaining the help of lowly criminals was a mistake, evidently! I’m going to kill Maxwell with my own two hands!!)
At this point, it was clear that I had to create a path myself.
I could never allow myself to be judged as a criminal in a treacherous trial plotted by house Maxwell.
(Justice is on my side!! Maxwell, you will pay!)
I pretended to prepare my belongings and took out something from a drawer.
When I was disinherited and thrown out of the royal house, most of my belongings as crown prince were confiscated.
There was one thing, however, I could secretly bring with me.
“Hehe…hehehehe…”
What I took out of the drawer was an old, dull silver bracelet. As an accessory, it was too shabby for royalty like me to wear, but what I needed now was not its value as a decoration.
The royal house’s magic tool, 【Herakles】.
One of the national treasures of the kingdom of Lamperouge was now equipped on my left arm.