Chapter 70 The Siscon Prince and the Princesses’ Resolve
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The confessions of Fatima and Layla, princesses of Zahara, hit like lightning on dry ground.
My mind was filled with a storm of thoughts.
If I hadn’t participated in that black-market auction on a whim back then, these sisters would have certainly ended up in the hands of either Ignazio the Information King or Margrave Blanchefort.
If Ignazio had won the bid, he never would have let go of the younger princess, Layla. In that case, Prince Azim—well-known for his sister-obsessed tendencies—would have followed his sister to this country as an international student, and a fierce conflict—either secret or open—would have likely broken out between him and Ignazio, who controlled a large information network.
Given that Prince Azim didn’t appear in the game, it’s unlikely that Ignazio acquired Princess Layla in the original history either.
On the other hand, if Margrave Blanchefort had won the bid—
What would he have done with these sisters?
As one of the key figures in the anti-peace faction, the most probable scenario is that he would have used them as a bargaining chip against Prince Azim of the peace faction—in other words, as hostages.
If he could restrain Prince Azim’s movements by holding the sisters hostage, that would also explain why the prince never appeared in the game script.
What’s puzzling, though, is that Blanchefort sent assassins after me.
I’m the heir to a leading anti-peace faction noble house, just like him.
Resorting to assassination over losing an auction bid feels like too extreme a leap. Then again, perhaps he saw me as a Zero Mana failure and decided this was the perfect opportunity to eliminate me as a non-factor.
Or—there’s another, more sinister possibility.
Take Princess Fatima as his own spouse, and in exchange for returning Princess Layla, demand concessions and interests in the Kingdom of Zahara. With Princess Fatima in his grasp, controlling Prince Azim’s movements would be easy. For a margrave of Blanchefort’s standing, taking a princess from a neighboring kingdom as a wife wouldn’t be unthinkable.
If he had such plans in mind, that would give him ample motive to go as far as killing me to get his hands on the sisters.
Either way, I won’t know the full details without hearing them from Blanchefort himself. But my speculation shouldn’t be too far off the mark.
”Well, in any case, what matters to me right now is…” I pulled Fatima and Layla closer in my arms. Even back when I thought they were just a dancer and a singer, their presence had been radiant, coloring this theater with brilliance.
But knowing now that they’re noble princesses only deepens my affection for them.
From their hair, I could almost catch a faint scent—the wind of the desert, and the fragrance of foreign flowers.
”What do you two want to do from here? Do you want to return home? I can arrange a meeting with Prince Azim. …Ah, but if possible, I’d really appreciate it if you could pay back that loan from the bank first…”
I’ve got the Rebellion’s war funds mostly covered by colosseum revenue, but the debt from purchasing the theater is still outstanding.
No, no.
Maybe getting this close to them was a mistake.
I’ve grown attached—and now I’m going soft on them.
Hearing my words, the sisters clung to me even tighter.
”I want to go home someday. But… I don’t want to leave Xenos-sama,” Layla said in a coaxing, pleading tone.
Her small voice seeped warmly into my chest.
”Besides, even if we returned to Zahara now, the kingdom’s real power is held by the corrupt minister Karim Al-Hakim. Our safety would never be guaranteed,” her sister Fatima said, her assessment cool-headed and entirely reasonable.
Her clear eyes were firmly fixed on the present reality.
”Hmm. Depending on how things develop, maintaining the status quo for now might be best for both of us. Honestly, I’d prefer that too. …So, should I at least report your safety to Prince Azim?”
When I asked, both of them shook their heads vigorously in unison.
Their movements were so perfectly synchronized, like puppets controlled by the same strings.
When I asked why, they expressed concern over the deteriorating political situation in the Kingdom of Zahara. That brother prince, apparently, is completely unpredictable when it comes to his sisters—he’s liable to go berserk at any moment. The danger of him running amok in a foreign country during his studies, and the danger of him going berserk against the corrupt minister who schemed to kidnap his sisters—both scenarios weighed heavily on their minds.
Their assessment of Prince Azim was merciless.
”He’s so siscon it’s a genuine problem.” “He’s unreliable when it counts—just a hopeless idealist.” “When it comes to his sisters, he charges ahead without thinking—utterly reckless.”
When I met with him the other day, he struck me as a rational and capable prince. But apparently, his family sees a different side to him.
Everyone has a face they only show to family.
I concluded as much, gently stroking the hair of the two sisters nestled happily in my arms.
Their softness calmed my thoughts, if only a little.
—
Summary:
Xenos reflects on the political implications of acquiring Fatima and Layla, realizing that Blanchefort likely sent assassins to eliminate him and seize the sisters for his own schemes. The princesses confess they wish to stay with Xenos rather than return to Zahara, citing the corrupt minister Karim Al-Hakim’s control over the kingdom. Despite Xenos’s softening heart toward them, he remains uncertain about how to balance their safety against his own precarious position.
—
Trivia:
Xenos participated in the black-market auction on a whim, which determined the sisters’ fate.
Ignazio the Information King would never have released Layla if he had won the bid.
Prince Azim never appeared in the original game script, suggesting his involvement was always suppressed in the original timeline.
Blanchefort is a key figure in the anti-peace faction, directly opposing Prince Azim’s peace faction.
The sisters believe Prince Azim is dangerously unpredictable when their safety is threatened.
Xenos still carries debt from purchasing the theater, despite funding the Rebellion through colosseum revenue.
The corrupt minister Karim Al-Hakim currently holds power over Zahara, making the princesses’ return unsafe.
Xenos’s growing attachment to the sisters is making him act more leniently than his calculated nature would prefer.
Notes:
• Fatima – Princess of Zahara who chose to live by the protagonist’s side and perform as a dancer in his theater. The elder princess of Zahara with clear, insightful eyes. She possesses a cool-headed and analytical demeanor, carefully assessing political realities. She remains protective of her younger sister Layla and serves as the voice of reason in their situation.
• Layla – Princess of Zahara who chose to live by the protagonist’s side and perform as a songstress in his theater. The younger princess of Zahara who expresses herself with a coaxing, pleading tone. She is emotionally open and affectionate toward Xenos, clinging to him while expressing both a desire to return home and a reluctance to leave him.
• Blanchefort – As margraves of the southwestern frontier, the notorious Albion noble house serves as a martial guardian against neighboring elves and Xenos’s monster army. The current Margrave is a key figure in the anti-peace faction, having sent assassins after Xenos. He views his daughters, the sisters, as political assets or potential hostages to maintain his family’s legacy of conflict and power.
• Ignazio – Known as the Information King, the White Snake is a gaunt Royal Capital tycoon with slicked-back white hair and a predator’s gaze. Behind a polished merchant facade, he ruthlessly controls an extensive underworld intelligence network. Driven by obsessions like his fixation on Leela, he could have acquired the sisters at auction. He recently received a chilling warning via a beastfolk corpse.
• de – A particle used in the aristocratic name of the Margrave Albion de Blanchefort.
• Azim – Prince of the southern desert kingdom of Zahara and a transfer student at the Royal Magic Academy. He has a lean, well-built frame, brown skin, long black hair, and sharp, cool amber eyes. A high-minded diplomat, peace advocate, and rational strategist, his movements are impossible to read. However, as an extreme, doting “siscon” to Fatima and Layla, he becomes a reckless, impulsive idealist.
• Xenos – Xenos Grimlock, a reincarnated otome game villain, noble heir, and former Final Boss, is a sharp-featured young man with dark hair and Zero Mana. Known as the jet-clad Black Magic Swordsman, he hides his genius to manipulate events using mind control and game script knowledge. He leads the Rebellion, runs the theater-restaurant Star of the Desert, and commands a loyal household. Pragmatic yet emotionally conflicted, he orchestrates faction wars while growing attached to his followers, including Cecilia, Kuuko, and the sisters Pharma, Leela, Fatima, and Layla.
• Karim – A corrupt minister who holds real power in the Kingdom of Zahara. The corrupt minister of Zahara in his mid-fifties with a well-fed, portly build and gold rings on his fingers. He is the de facto leader of Zahara and the original enemy faction leader. The corrupt minister who currently holds real power in the Kingdom of Zahara. His control makes it unsafe for the princesses to return home. The evil minister of Zahara who dispatched the bandit group ‘Sand Fang’ to abduct the princesses.
• Al-Hakim – Karim’s last name. The corrupt minister in the Kingdom of Zahara
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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