Chapter 132 The Prince and the Two Dukes
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The duel initiated by the freshman, David Hargreaves, came to an end with my overwhelming victory.
David, sprawled ungracefully across the ground, was hurriedly carried off by his companions as they slunk out of the colosseum in disgrace. To those who knew his usual bluster, their retreat was nothing short of comical.
And waiting for me, the victor, were the sweet congratulations of my two fiancées – Cecilia and Lizel.
As they nestled against both my arms, their intimacy served as the ultimate proof solidifying my status before the eyes of the crowd.
(…Come to think of it, Crown Prince Liam and his entourage were acting a bit off before the duel.)
After embracing Cecilia and Lizel in gratitude, I cast a glance toward the spectator stands where Prince Liam remained.
He wore his usual prince-like, refreshing smile plastered across his face. But I didn’t miss it – the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Prince Liam still harbors an attachment to my fiancée, Cecilia. Seeing her so close to me must be eating him inside. That irritation is just like him.
And beside him, Elliot stood with undisguised hatred for my overwhelming victory etched across his face – a murky, deep-shadowed gloom settling over his features.
Business as usual, then.
On the surface, nothing’s out of the ordinary.
(- I’m overthinking it, right?)
Just to be safe, I could task Ashraf – the “Teleportation Demon” who excels at covert operations – to probe their movements. But mobilizing such a dangerously unpredictable entity over a minor concern… I hesitated, as expected.
I haven’t entirely forgotten the scolding I got from my house steward, Oscar, the other day: “Why don’t you control that dangerous demon?”
It still lingers like a small thorn in my mind.
Controlling a demon isn’t something any human should be capable of.
It’s not worth losing sleep over… but I can’t dismiss it entirely.
An entity far too powerful, whose absolute loyalty remains uncertain. Convenient, yes – but I shouldn’t rely on its power recklessly. If I had him spy on the prince’s circle, I could gain intel from the Kingdom’s core. But there’s no guarantee he’d report everything back to me.
(To avoid being tripped up at the worst possible moment… maybe I should keep my use of him restrained.)
There was a subtle unease about the prince’s behavior.
But it wasn’t enough to justify playing my trump card over such a trivial suspicion.
If Prince Liam is plotting something against me – I’ll handle it myself first.
Ashraf is a capable subordinate, but he’s also a dangerous weapon. I must choose my moments carefully.
(That’s right. A trump card shouldn’t be shown so easily. It should remain hidden – its very existence unknown to the enemy until the final, decisive moment.)
Beneath the dim sky, where thick clouds shrouded the sun – I made a cold, calculated decision regarding my future course of action.
* **
The Crown Prince’s Scheme.
The scene rewinds several months.
The fact that Xenos Grimlock had purchased a dwarf princess from the Zaitz Merchant Guild – that information reached the ears of Asgard Kingdom’s First Prince, Liam.
It came via an intelligence report from Merinda, the third daughter of Baron Lancaster.
”Xenos Grimlock is keeping the dwarf princess Eil · Eisenfleet as a personal slave.” – He had secured a powerful weapon to pressure Margrave Grimlock.
Liam immediately began laying the groundwork behind the scenes to conduct a forced investigation of the Grimlock Manor, using this information as leverage.
His goal: to mobilize Duke Crowley – the family that oversees the Dwarf Tribe – and bring them onto the Royal Family’s side as co-investigators.
The Crowley family, who administers the dwarves, wield considerable wealth and military power even within the Kingdom. Liam was eager to make it unmistakably clear that they stood with the Royal Family.
However, Duke Crowley, despite his high station, was a man of excessive caution. He displayed an extremely reluctant stance toward any open confrontation with Margrave Grimlock – the leader of the Pro-War Faction.
Though Liam’s sister, Elenor, was engaged to Bartholomeus – the heir of the Crowley family – strengthening ties with the Royal Family, it still wasn’t enough to move the cautious duke.
(…But this intel changes things. The Crowley family is sworn to protect the Dwarf Tribe – and Xenos Grimlock has enslaved their princess as a plaything. If I present him with this fact, even the famously timid Duke Crowley will have no choice but to act.)
Convinced of this, Prince Liam dispatched a confidential letter to Duke Crowley, requesting a private meeting.
While preparing the groundwork with Duke Crowley, Liam also sought contact with another key figure.
That very night, a lavish banquet was held at the Royal Palace. Beneath the dazzling chandeliers, nobles mingled freely at the standing buffet.
Amid the glamorous clamor, Prince Liam quietly approached Duke Vermillion and, with a discreet gesture, invited him to a private chamber away from prying eyes.
The room inside the Royal Palace was luxurious yet understated. Historical tapestries adorned the walls, and a fireplace crackled softly in the corner. The thick doors completely shut out the festivities beyond, creating a quiet space for the two of them.
”Your Excellency. I am most grateful you took the trouble to come,” Prince Liam said, his tone impeccably formal.
”…So, what’s this about, then? Your Highness,” Duke Vermillion replied, his voice carrying a brusque edge that bordered on dismissive.
The duke cut straight to the point with a tone that showed no intimidation even before the nation’s prince. He carried the absolute authority of his title and the unwavering dignity to back it up.
His eyes gleamed sharply, as if appraising the young prince.
”Yes. It concerns none other than the whereabouts of my sister, Liliana,” Liam continued, meeting the duke’s gaze evenly. “I wish to draw upon Your Excellency’s wisdom – who might have taken her, and from where. Even vague speculation or potential suspects would be most valuable. I would be deeply grateful for your assistance.”
”…Potential suspects, you say,” the duke repeated, letting out a low grunt. “My apologies, but I have no such leads in mind. Instead of asking someone like me, you’d do better to question the slave merchants infesting the Royal Capital. Those who deal in abduction as a trade are bound to have some connections.”
Prince Liam’s search party was already extending its reach across the Royal Capital – pressing slave merchants for information and intensifying crackdowns on criminal organizations. The duke’s advice aligned perfectly with their current approach.
”…An excellent insight,” Liam acknowledged with a measured nod. “I will have our investigation incorporate Your Excellency’s valuable perspective at once. Now – setting aside criminal organizations… do you have any idea which nobles might stoop to such an unscrupulous act?”
Liam’s words drew a clear line – probing for the duke’s true intentions.
”…Hmph. I’d rather not think that any noble would sink to such depravity,” the duke replied, his expression darkening. “…Or perhaps Your Highness suspects someone close to me?”
The duke made no effort to hide his displeasure. His words carried a distinct warning aimed at the young prince.
The air in the room turned ice-cold in an instant.
The two men’s silent battle of wits had begun – quietly, yet fiercely.
—
Summary:
Xenos secures a decisive victory against David in the colosseum, solidifying his status with Cecilia and Lizel at his side. Noting Crown Prince Liam’s tense demeanor despite his polished smile, Xenos decides against using the dangerous demon Ashraf to investigate the prince’s suspicious behavior. Meanwhile, the narrative rewinds months earlier to reveal Liam’s political machinations, having obtained intelligence about Xenos purchasing a dwarf princess to pressure both Duke Crowley and the Grimlock family through a forced investigation.
—
Trivia:
Xenos possesses knowledge of the original game script, granting him foresight into events and character motivations.
Ashraf is a “Teleportation Demon” whose loyalty and control remain uncertain, making him a double-edged tool.
The Crowley family holds jurisdiction over the Dwarf Tribe, giving them significant political and military influence.
Duke Vermillion speaks with deliberate brusqueness even toward royalty, reflecting his immense personal authority.
Pro-War Faction, led by Margrave Grimlock, represents a key political opposition force within the kingdom.
Liliana’s disappearance is a major unsolved incident driving Prince Liam’s current investigation efforts.
The Zaitz Merchant Guild facilitated Xenos’s purchase of the dwarf princess, connecting slavery networks to noble politics.
Duke Crowley is known for excessive caution and reluctance to openly confront Margrave Grimlock.
Notes:
• David – Second son of the Hargrave Count family. New student at the academy with neatly groomed brown hair and handsome features. A top performer among first-years with a crowd of followers. Ambitious and seeking to make a name for himself by challenging Xenos to a duel. Wants to earn royal favor through the search for Princess Liliana.
• Cecilia – The eldest daughter of the Vermillion Duchy and a former saint, she is Xenos’s fiancée and one of his romantic interests. Known for her flame-red hair, blue eyes, and pet, Lumiá, she possesses a cold yet playful nature. Though she rejected Prince Liam, she adores Kuuko and teases Lizel. Lilia shows no jealousy toward her. She occasionally uses a ring to adopt a revealing dancer’s disguise.
• Lizel – A petite, graceful Blanchet count’s daughter, wind mage, and academy student with pink twin-tails, purple eyes, and a signature smirk. Known for her protective, anxious tsundere nature, she is Luca Dalton’s fiancée, Grimlock’s classmate, and Cecilia’s friend. Disguised in a dancer’s costume, she walks the “Path of Light” and is one of Xenos’s devoted romantic interests whom Lilia does not resent.
• Liam – Liam Asgard, the golden-haired, emerald-eyed First Prince of Asgard, is Liliana’s older brother and the liege of Elliot and Aldrick. Betrothed to Elisabeth, he is an arrogant yet fundamentally kind man who speaks with elegant grace. Though he underestimates his rival Xenos’s Zero Mana status, he shows consideration toward him, even as his obsessive pursuit of Cecilia threatens his political standing.
• Elliot – Elliot Valias, a tall, slender, blue-haired noble and intellectual aide to Prince Liam, masks his deep, unrequited love for Elenor with crude, condescending arrogance. A pseudo-intellectual prone to quick accusations, he harbors murderous, freezing hostility toward Xenos Grimlock, driven by intense jealousy over Xenos’s intimacy with Elenor.
• Ashraf – Job: Teleportation demon; Relationship: Guardian of Xenos’s mansion; Note: Guards against potential attacks.
• Oscar – Head butler of the Grimlock family and Gaius’s confidant, he is a tall, lean man in his late forties with gray hair, silver-rimmed glasses, and piercing azure eyes. A professional yet secretly seething “shadow ruler,” he serves as strategist, spymaster, and Xenos’s protective, stoic bodyguard. Though hostile toward Xenos, he maintains composure while managing the estate, even under humiliating orders.
• Grimlock – Xenos’s family name.
• Xenos – Job: Heir to a high-ranking noble house; Relationship: Owner of Lilia; Has romantic connections with Elenor, Cecilia, and Lizel; Item/Magic: Summoning magic, [Substitution Collars]; Note: Was caught up in a Royal Palace explosion and missed three days of school. Pragmatic and calculating personality. Job: Noble of Grimlock family, protagonist; Relationship: Manipulator of Princess Liliana, pursuing Serena; Item/Magic: [Ring of Transformation]; Note: Reincarnated villain with game knowledge, calculating and arrogant. Job: Theater Owner and noble of Grimlock family; Relationship: Fiancé to Cecilia; Item/Magic: Game knowledge/metaknowledge; Note: Reincarnated villain protagonist who knows the original game script.
• Merinda – Third daughter of the impoverished Lancaster baron family. Engaged in an arranged marriage meeting with Balthazar. Has dull blue eyes. Expresses cold contempt toward both Balthazar and Xenos after they are grouped together as perverts.
• Eisenfleet – Dwarven family name of Princess Eil.
• Eil – Dwarf princess and skilled artisan. Energetic and earnest with a bright, hopeful demeanor. Works alongside her four attendants to forge weapons and build a smithy. Shows shy vulnerability when confronted with romantic advances.
• Crowley – Bartholomeus’ family name.
• Bartholomeus – First son of the Crowley family and student council member, which governs the Eisen mountain range where dwarves reside. Described as a plump, round-faced, harmless-looking noble with refined features befitting his high-ranking lineage. Wears a perpetually polished, gentle smile that softens the atmosphere around him. Member of the Crowley family who provided Xenos with information about dwarf blacksmiths in the Royal Capital.
• Elenor – Princess Elenor, the haughty, analytical “Saint of Light” and sister to Liliana, is a silver-blonde swordswoman and healer with gray-blue eyes. Though a noble princess and Grimlock’s fiancée, she is the protagonist’s submissive, magic-sealed slave. A tsundere torn between royal dignity and affection for Xenos, she balances sharp retorts with intense devotion, often appearing in revealing cosplay.
• Duke Vermillion – Cecilia’s father and a powerful noble. Disapproves of Xenos but is being blackmailed with private videos. Represents the old guard of nobility and is concerned with maintaining political stability. Grills Xenos about Princess Liliana’s disappearance.
• Liliana – Known as the “Angel of the Asgard Kingdom” for her golden hair and sky-blue eyes, this princess is the younger sister of Prince Liam and Elenor. While maintaining a refined, angelic public facade, she is a manipulative mastermind who wields explosion magic. As Serena’s liege and the true culprit behind recent assassination attempts, she carefully hides her dark nature behind whispered, noble asides.
• Lilia – Xenos’s fiercely loyal, trauma-resilient Head Maid is a lovely, pale, busty woman with long dark hair, a chest tattoo, and a nullified crest. Dressed in a black uniform, she maintains refined, icy elegance when disciplining others, especially Elenor. While formal and efficient with guests, she masks deep, jealous anxiety for Xenos, finding her greatest joy in serving him and sleeping by his side.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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