Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Returning to the Past (3)

 

I was soaked in nostalgia as I looked around the room where I had stayed during my time as the First Prince.

I have truly returned to the past.

I approached the mirror located on one side of the room and examined my face.

Short-cut silver hair. Red eyes and a shallow sword wound faintly remaining along the jawline. Lean muscles vaguely visible beyond the clothing.

It was truly the me from the time I was twenty years old that I remembered.

I turned the ring worn on my left hand and muttered instinctively.

"I do not like it."

I was a person strong enough that the epithet Sword King even existed.

However, just what is this frail-looking, pretty-boy appearance right now?

Although I was said to have possessed skills beyond my age with a talent superior to others, to the me who came to the past through regression, it was physical weakness itself.

Of course, there was no way I would like it.

I will have to focus on building my body once this matter is finished.

To conclude, the incident of beheading Count Asus ended with a slap-on-the-wrist punishment of three days of house arrest.

Naturally, it was not a punishment for killing the Count, but for causing a disturbance in the royal castle.

It was thanks to the additional discovery of the poison he intended to feed the King, along with evidence of the corruption he had committed until now.

He probably thought I could never find it.

The eyes reflected in the mirror laughed coldly.

The place I had told Baron Vidor was Count Asus's private room inside the royal palace.

To be precise, it was inside the water tank of the toilet he used.

Before the regression, I was able to find information about the corruption here.

If the safe was a place where major evidence was gathered, the water tank could be said to have been a place where miscellaneous evidence was gathered.

Asus, who had plotted internal rebellion and attempted to assassinate the King, was no longer called by the title of Count.

Regrettably, the location of the troops he raised has not been revealed yet.......

The silver lining was that his clansmen were waiting only for the day they would die in the royal castle's prison.

It will be a great help to my plan to consolidate my internal affairs for the time being.

If I stay in my room under the pretext of self-reflection, my actions that have not adapted to the regression can be seen rationally.

In that sense, the punishment of self-reflection was helpful if it was helpful; it was not a hindrance.

Anyway.

I do not know why this body returned to the past.

But this was an opportunity to change my life, which had gone astray.

"To the hyenas aiming for me, I will show the appearance of a tyrant......."

And to my people, I will show the appearance of a wise ruler.

Not as a king of a small nation on the northern frontier, but living a life as an absolute being.

That was my final goal.

As a test, I drew the sword that was placed in the room.

SWISH.

The sword drawn with skillful hands was reflected in the light and shone sharply.

The performance might be inferior to the treasure sword I used before the regression, but its sharpness was at a level I was satisfied with in its own way.

The me of this time...... likely had a separate sword master.

I do not remember well just where that fellow came from, but he would not be of great help to the current me.

Thinking that way, I performed my own secret swordsmanship that I had used before the regression.

"Hah!"

SWISH. SWISH.

The wind of the sword cut through the air, making a chillingly sharp scream.

The sword strikes carried out without a hair's breadth of error.

There were no unnecessary trajectories or movements present here.

A perfect proficiency as if I had become one with the sword.

In terms of speed or destructive power, it was weak beyond comparison to the past, but it was not something that could be considered the skill of a twenty-year-old.

At that moment. The eyes reflected in the mirror flashed, and the energy latent in the dantian burned hotly.

And.

HUMMMMM!

A chilling blood-colored energy rising from the sword.

An aura reaching nearly 1 meter completely split the wall along with the mirror.

The secret technique of a Sword Master, the Aura Blade.

It was a scene that would have caused other knights to be unable to contain their shock, but I, for one, could not contain my disappointment.

"To think it would be this weak......"

Whew.

I let the hand holding the sword hang down and caught my breath.

The time I swung the sword was barely over two minutes. Furthermore, was the time I used the aura not just a single moment?

Although I had deployed swordsmanship that exceeded my physical level, I did not know I would be exhausted already. Because I had vaguely expected it, the disappointment felt even greater.

Is the body unable to keep up with the stage I reached before the regression......?

To put it simply, memory and proficiency remained as they were, but it was a contradictory situation where the twenty-year-old body and aura could not keep up.

At least I proved with this incident that my skills from before the regression were not entirely dead, so it is not that there are no gains.

Since there was already a time when I reigned under the name of Sword King once, it will not take very long to reach the top again.

By the way.......

I cannot rest comfortably if the room is in this state.

I stroked the summoning crystal ball while looking at the wall that was on the verge of collapsing.

Then, through sensitive hearing, I began to hear the sound of someone running urgently.

And after a while.

Knock. Knock.

"Gasp, gasp. D-Did you call, First Prince?"

Baron Vidor knocked on the door.

Seeing him gasping for breath, it seemed he had run quite urgently.

"Enter."

When my permission was given, the door opened and Baron Vidor entered.

In light clothing, he was wiping sauce from the corner of his mouth, as if he had been called while eating.

Baron Vidor became my temporary aide by my father's order.

It was because there was no one to help me until a new aide was chosen.

Of course, his will was not included in such a decision.

Tsk. He really has no luck.

To think he suffers such a hard time just for the crime of helping me.......

I frowned at that pitiful sight and spoke.

"It seems you were in the middle of a meal?"

"Yes? That is......"

Baron Vidor, conscious of my gaze, wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth.

Then, with a face pale with fear, he bowed his head.

"I-I am sorry! To make such a mistake in front of the First Prince......"

Hmm.

The fact that I killed a high-ranking noble without hesitation must have come across as quite terrifying.

I only asked if he was in the middle of a meal.

"When day breaks, call the repairmen and instruct them to repair the wall. I will sleep in another room tonight."

"I understand...... Gasp!"

Only now discovering the split wall, Baron Vidor took a step back in surprise.

"Just what is that......"

"I practiced swordsmanship for a moment."

"I-Is it possible to split a wall like that with swordsmanship?"

Indeed.

Unless one is a Sword Master, it is impossible to split a wall cleanly like that.

After all, that wall was a wall reinforced with magic.

I merely gave a grin and then spoke to Baron Vidor.

"The thing I told you to look into?"

"Uh...... Ah, are you talking about that? The information collection is already finished. I brought the documents just in case......"

"Give them here."

"Yes!"

I slowly read through the documents Baron Vidor handed over.

What was written there was detailed information about specific individuals.

"Good."

Since it was exactly the information I wanted, I had no choice but to nod.

At that time, Baron Vidor asked a question in a cautious tone.

"U-Um, if I may be so bold, what is the reason for investigating the personal details of commoners, if not nobles?"

"Hmm."

"If it was a presumptuous question......"

"Did I not tell you?"

"Yes?"

I opened my mouth while turning the pages of the documents.

Before I knew it, a satisfied smile was formed on my lips.

"These people are my new aide candidates."

"......Yes? What does that mean......"

He stood with his mouth agape as if his thoughts had stopped for a moment.

That appearance resembled a goldfish.

"Now, then, who would be good to pick?"

I used my brain while carefully checking every single letter written in the documents.

Someone who could be of great use to the future plan of establishing an intelligence department, while also being capable of performing the duties of an aide.

Furthermore, a character who would not betray me.

Events from the past brushed past my mind as I derived the best person.

Finally, I made up my mind after seeing the person who caught my eye the most.

"It has to be this fellow."

I pulled out one document separately and handed it to Baron Vidor.

I pride myself on it being a very excellent choice.

Because he was a person who had troubled even me during the time I was called the Sword King.

Soon, after grasping the situation, he was greatly shocked.

"N-No! To pick a commoner as Your Highness's aide!"

"Why?"

"It is not that I have a prejudice against commoners, but it is truly dangerous to seat a person of unknown origin in the position of an aide! Furthermore, a person who has received no education becoming an aide to a member of the royal family—leaving aside the matter of safety, they would not be able to adapt to the work properly!"

"Then they can learn under you."

"......"

The position of a prince is a position that is always exposed to various risk factors.

Therefore, people one could trust were always picked for the position of a close associate.

However, that fact did not apply to me.

I was more confident than anyone in protecting my own body, and I knew exactly what kind of person this was.

As someone with knowledge from before the regression, it was impossible to find an aide as capable as this person.

No, rather, it was a case where a great worry would arise in the future if I did not pick this person.

He is someone who shows great activity in the imperial war later.

George Hegmes.

It was the name of a person who had been notorious as a strategist for the enemy nation, the Carrot Federal Empire.

The battles he participated in all had devastating damage to our forces due to bizarre strategies, and his tactics were at a level where even I, with my overwhelming military force, struggled to break through.

George Hegmes, who rose to a key position in an instant with cold judgment and extensive knowledge of war.

Surprisingly, he was a person who had been a citizen of Esteban.

He said he fled from the kingdom after committing a crime.

A dragon that left its nest soon spread its wings and soared into the world.

With its teeth bared toward its hometown, Esteban.

Therefore, I chose George Hegmes as an aide candidate.

To catch two birds with one stone: picking a capable aide and reducing the enemy nation's power in advance.

And as a secret means to set the kingdom right.

Many things will likely change starting with this Asus incident as a catalyst.

If they have something weighing on their conscience, they will hide their tails and stay hidden.

Therefore, I covet the talent named George even more.

A new eye that can create synergy with the future knowledge I possess. And a shadow with outstanding insight and brains.

In order to hunt the cowards who have hidden their tails, such a thing was necessary.

The reason I brought up the story about establishing a direct intelligence department was for that reason.

Revenge.

To achieve that, I will not hesitate to use future knowledge.

Because a whole bunch of bastards to strike to death still remained.

I spoke to Baron Vidor, who was still crying out in absolute opposition.

"Baron Vidor."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Then will you continue to serve as my aide in the future as well?"

"Gasp......"

"Do not worry. I also do not intend to appoint him as an aide immediately. Well, even if you oppose it, I will proceed anyway."

An aide of commoner origin can become a political weakness for me.

I also knew that fact, so I was merely weighing the appropriate time.

At my stubborn attitude, Baron Vidor eventually nodded.

"I understand. Then what should I do?"

"It is simple."

I wrote a simple document and handed it to him.

It was a formal order stamped even with the royal seal.

"You merely need to deliver that order to the branch of the merchant group where the fellow works."

***

"A-A big problem has occurred!"

George Hegmes, who was reading a book in the dormitory, felt puzzled at his roommate's fuss.

It was even more so because he was a person who had never shown such behavior before.

"What is going on?"

"I, I think you need to go to the conference room quickly!"

"Are you talking about me?"

George put down the book and asked his roommate.

"Yes! This is not the time for this!"

"Oh, come on. Suddenly, what......"

"Quickly!"

He was practically dragged to the conference room by his roommate's hand.

Inside the conference room, a serious atmosphere was already pervasive.

Even the branch manager of the merchant group, who usually did not show his face, was seated in the conference room.

George's Adam's apple bobbed at the premonition that something unusual had happened.

The branch manager, with a stiff expression, approached George.

"George Hegmes."

"Yes, branch manager."

"Pack your bags immediately and prepare to move to the capital."

"Yes?"

George spoke with his face scrunched up.

"That...... what on earth does that mean?"

Numerous thoughts brushed through George's mind.

The place where he worked was a branch of a certain large merchant group that spread out from the capital.

Other than that, there was nothing that could be called a special connection to the location called the capital.

But to suddenly move to the capital like this?

"I am also flustered, but first, look at this document."

A sheet of paper came out from the branch manager's chest.

It was a document where handwriting so bad it was unrecognizable caught the eye.

Because he did not understand the content and just stood there, the branch manager spoke.

"It seems he wants to see you."

"Who?"

At George's words, asked back in fluster, the branch manager whispered quietly.

"The First Prince of Esteban."

At those words, George, who had stood with his eyes wide and mouth agape for a moment, barely managed to spit out one sentence.

"No, why on earth that man?"