CH 95

Those who aspire for the throne

***---***

I light the small light magic tool on the side table and shake Diethelm.

"N fuu ... N uun ..."

Diethelm slowly opened his eyelids while letting out a moan that made me doubt whether he was really a prince.

After his deep green eyes swayed a little as if they were wandering, they caught sight of us and he opened his eyes wide.

"Be quiet. I don't like noisy people ..."

"W, who ... Do you know that I am the Fourth Prince Diethelm?"

"My name is Kent Kokubu. I'm the Maou summoned by your older sister, Camilla, from another world."

Since Camilla thinks I'm a Maou, why don't I act like a Maou?

I stood by the bedside with my arms folded, and looked down at Diethelm while speaking gravely.

I completely think I'm acting like my impostors in Japan, but I'll do it.

"Maou? That's ridiculous ..."

"You can't believe it in this situation?"

Around the bed, in addition to Reinhardt-tachi, Zae-tachi also appeared and surrounded him.

Diethelm swallowed and shook his head.

"Camilla seemed to have devised various plans to bind me, but she realized that everything was in vain and became my subordinate."

"Th, that's a lie. Sister giving in to a man like you ..."

"Hmph, to me it's like twisting a baby's hand. Whatever, I wonder if I should kick Camilla down in front of you."

"Kicking down my sister .. Th, th, that kind of thing, I won't allow it."

Hmm? I thought that if I said I would kick her down, he would immediately raise a voice of protest, but I'm worried that there was a strange pause, but whatever, let's move on.

"You won't allow it? I don't need your permission. Do you think you can stop me?"

When I spread my arms out as if to be proud of my genus, Diethelm frantically looks left and right, but being surrounded by strong lizardmen and having Basten's spear pointed at him, he can't do anything.

After returning his gaze to me, Diethelm opened his mouth after taking a deep breath to make up his mind.

"I, I will take her place. That's why, don't put your hands on my sister anymore ..."

"Huh? Wait, wait, a scapegoat?"

"The Maou, if they like it, will defile both men and women indiscriminately ... Ah, instead of my sister, my body ..."

"Wait, wait, I don't have that kind of hobby, stop it, stupid prince!"

Diethelm suddenly started unbuttoning his pajamas, and his bare white shoulders were glossy, and he was a little nervous.

I walked up to him unintentionally and slapped my hand down on his head with a flat hand.

"Ouch, a, as expected, not in a place like this, but in front of the people ... Ouch!"

"You too, just like your stupid sister, what kind of education did you receive?"

I don't know if the Demon Lords of the past were terrible, or if the education of the royal family was terrible, but I didn't think the brother and sister duo both held strange desires.

"W, well then, what are you going to do with me?"

It's a secret from the chairman that I was suddenly startled by Diethelm, who stared at me with teary eyes while holding the collar of his disheveled white pajamas with one hand.

"You will become my puppet and rule Resenburg in my place."

"Eeh ... M, me ruling Resenburg ..."

"Yes, you will be the next King."

While looking down at Diethelm, I thrust my finger at him and declared.

I thought he would naturally have a joyful expression to inherit the throne, but Diethelm's head drooped and he lowered his gaze to his hands.

"It's impossible ... I can't be a King."

"Hmm ... Don't you want to be King? Is it okay for those stupid step-brothers to become King?"

"W, well, I want to be a King. I want to be a King who cares more about the people and works for them. But ... I'm weak ... I'm not as strong as my sister ..."

Somehow, when I looked at Diethelm, I felt like I was looking at myself from a short while ago, and I got annoyed.

Of course, I wasn't this good looking, but the part where I felt inferior to other people and felt a complex was overlapping with the current Diethelm.

"You can't do it because you're weak, you can't do it because you're not as strong as Camilla ... Are you just running away like that?"

"There's no such thing. If I had a healthy body that can live a normal life ... I would aim to be a King."

"Then there's no problem. You can become a King as my puppet!"

"That's why I said it's impossible for me!"

"You, are you a fool that doesn't even know the state of your own body?"

"Eh ... eh, lies, why ... it's not painful ..."

Diethelm, who finally realized that his physical condition had improved, opened his eyes wide and put his hands on his chest and stomach to check.

"I have injected my dark power into your body. You certainly said that if you have a healthy body, you would aim to become King ... If you pledge allegiance to me, I will help you become King."

"I, is that even possible ..."

"I am the Maou. I can make you a King or destroy you."

Of course, Diethelm can't be placed on the throne that easily, but bluffing is also necessary.

"Don't you want to be one? A King that thinks of his people ..."

"I, I want to be ... I want to think of the people like my sister and be strong ..."

"Then, swear that you will become my puppet, besides, your respected sister also knelt before me and pledged allegiance."

"Ah, my sister knelt down ... Hou, is that true?"

Diethelm, a little, no a lot? He feels like a siscon.

But I think he's probably just in shock, it's definitely my imagination that he looks like he's in ecstasy.

"You are free to doubt, but there is always just one truth. What are you going to do?"

"I, I will ..."

Diethelm made up his mind and got off the bed, knelt in front of me and bowed his head.

"I ... Diethelm Resenburg pledge allegiance to Maou Kent Kokubu-sama. Please, lend me your strength so that I can become King."

"Hmph, okay, I'll lend you my strength. However, if you forget your feelings for the people, I'll mercilessly destroy you, so keep that in mind."

"I will make sure not to disobey Maou-sama's will."

"Okay, then the first order ..."

"Yes, please tell me."

Diethelm bowed his head with a solemn look.

"Diethelm, the first order I give you is to act as if you're a sick man."

"Eh, even though Maou-sama has taken great pains to make me healthy, I am to pretend to be unwell?"

"That's right. Diethelm, you seem to have been poisoned."

"Eeeh! R, right ... This is the section where my mother lives, and all the cooks should have been chosen by my mother ... N, no way, my mother ..."

"Don't panic. Even if you have no qualms about being selected, you may receive invitations from other factions later. Don't get upset before you know anything. You can't serve as the future King like that."

"Haa ... I'm sorry."

"Basten, take command of the kobolds and find out if there are any suspicious people."

[ Understood, the Third Queen's physical condition doesn't seem to be a problem, so Diethelm is the only one being targeted, so I think we can find them immediately. ]

Seeing that Basten, who was holding his spear, responded with a gesture, Diethelm offered.

"Maou-sama, please let me know if you find anything suspicious. I will stop the root of their breath with this hand."

When I saw Diethelm gleefully advising me, I got a little irritated.

It may be right in this world to decide to mercilessly kill those who are hostile like Camilla does, but maybe because I'm a peace idiot, I can't get used to it.

"Is that what you call a King who cares about his people?"

"Eh, what do you mean?"

"If there is a suspicious person, will you kill them immediately?"

"Those who poison the royal family deserve death."

After all, Diethelm seems to have the same thoughts as Camilla.

"Are you going to kill them without even investigating the reason? What if their relatives were taken hostage and they had no choice but to poison you? Will the person who committed the crime no longer be a citizen of Resenburg?"

"Th, that's ... but ..."

"I know that they poisoned me, so kill them ... In that case, wouldn't it just go as planned by those who are pulling the strings behind the scenes?"

"That ... It may be so."

It was Diethelm who made the offer with momentum, but he fell silent as if he was deep in thought.

"If you're aiming to become a King, show your magnanimity. If they were threatened and it was unavoidable to poison you, wouldn't it be the person who threatened them who should be punished? Isn't extending a helping hand to those who were threatened, the true form of a King?"

"Maou ..."

Diethelm lifted his lowered face and his eyes widened ... It's good up to that point, but something is wrong with his mouth slightly open as if letting out a sigh and his cheeks were blushed ...

"Maou ..."

"Wh, what is it?"

"I was wrong. A King must be strong, stern, yet kind and open-minded."

"O, of course ... Killing blindly is not strength."

"Ah ... Maou-sama ... I'll be with you for the rest of my life."

"Y, yeah ..."

When he's staring at me with upturned eyes, my back feels a little tingly, so I wonder if he could stop it.

"Hey, act properly. If you get pretentious, you won't be able to expose the mastermind, and next time you might be poisoned enough to kill you in one shot. Do you understand?"

"Yes, as Maou-sama says ..."

"Hmm ... I'm kind of worried. Try acting for a bit."

"Yes, then ..."

Diethelm thought for a moment, then furrowed his brow and began to breathe shallowly and irregularly.

Perhaps, he is remembering his normal self, but he looks more unhealthy than I had imagined.

This seems okay, but it's kind of glamorous.

"Yeah, it's fine. If you act too badly, you might get noticed instead, so do well in that area."

"Yes, as you wish ..."

I guess it's the aftermath of his acting, but it's really uncomfortable to be stared at with those gloomy eyes.

"Well, well then, I'll go home ..."

"Are you leaving already? Umm ... I want to just stay like this ..."

"I, I'm going home, because I'm busy!"

"Ha, I'm sorry."

When Diethelm lowered his head, I dove into the world of shadows.

[ Hey, what's with Diethelm ... ]

[ The Fourth Prince ... also in Kent-sama's harem ... ]

[ He's not! I won't allow it! ]

Fred's remarks were quickly dismissed.

[ Kent-sama, sodomy is not uncommon among the nobles of Resenburg. ]

[ Wait, what are you even talking about, Reinhardt? ]

[ However, Kent-sama, looking at the Fourth Prince's behavior, it looked more like the gaze of someone who cared for you rather than the obedience to their King ... ]

[ Ugh ... As I thought? ]

I might not have noticed it when I was in Japan, but I have been able to get goodwill from Manon, the chairman, and Beatrice, and I have come to understand a little bit about the difference in people's eyes.

Certainly, as Basten said, Diethelm's gaze looked like that.

[ That won't happen. If even Diethelm were to join the harem, what would the chairman say ... it's scary just to think about it. ]

[ Kent-sama, I don't know how it is now, but when we were alive, masculine and feminine were considered different things, so there weren't many disputes between wives and lovers. ]

[ No, even in our world, the understanding of same-sex romance is spreading, but it's not that open. Hell, I can understand if he pledges allegiance with a frustrated expression like Camilla, but why is he ... in love with me? ]

[ Probably, in the heart of that Fourth Prince, there is a swirling love-hate feeling towards Camilla. When Kent-sama said that he would kick Camilla down, it was only for a moment, but he certainly had a look of joy on his face. ]

What Reinhardt is referring to is probably the time when there was a strange pause before he raised his voice in protest.

[ Does that mean Diethelm wants Camilla to be kicked down by me? ]

[ Perhaps, he had always imagined that he would kick Camilla down. His weak self subjugates his strong sister ... I guess he had delusions of such. ]

[ Hmm ... I can understand those feelings because it's that outrageous Camilla, but even so, isn't it strange that he likes me? ]

[ I guess his feelings of longing for Kent-sama, who has the strength to make wishes that he can't fulfill on his own, have tilted in a slightly strange direction. ]

[ Hmm ... I don't know, I feel like he's a bit twisted ... Maybe I should reconsider making him a King ... ]

[ However, Kent-sama, you intend to make Camilla atone for her sins, right? if the Fourth Prince fails, Kent-sama will have no choice but to become King. ]

[ No, no, that's no good. I can't be a King, after all. ]

Once my classmates are able to return, I plan to stay in Volzard and enjoy the carefree life of an adventurer.

I want to dive into dungeons and see other towns in Landshelt.

I have no intention of doing something so troublesome as being a King.

[ In that case, Kent-sama will have no choice but to train him and make him a King. ]

[ Eeeh ... But, is that the only way ... ]

Since I made the trip to the royal capital, I decided to take a peek at the camps of the First and Second Princes.

That said, it's pretty late at night, so they might be asleep already.

Let's take a look at the First Prince first.

[ Basten, is the First Prince married? ]

[ Yes, he's married to the daughter of an Earl, but they have no children yet. ]

[ Is that right ... that means, at this time, maybe ... ]

[ Kent-sama, you won't know until you see it. ]

[ A, after all, I'm just going to find out how the First Prince is doing. It's not like I'm interested in married life at night. ]

[ I know, Kent-sama. ]

Reinhardt and the others nodded in unison, but I definitely think they're misunderstanding me.

The First Prince was in the bedroom instead of the living room.

Even the light on the side table is turned off, and the bedroom should be enveloped in darkness.

The First Prince, Alphonse, was being held up from behind by a muscular man.

[ Yeah, let's go home ... ]

[ How is it, Kent-sama, it's just as I said. ]

My evaluation of the Resenburg royal family has already fallen, and my evaluation is sinking into the ground.

Just in case ... I took a peek at the Second Prince's room, but the moment I took a peek, I regretted having seen it.

Second Prince Bernst was in the living room, not in the bedroom.

A long-pile carpet was laid out, and Christoph, the Third Prince and a few of his ill-mannered followers were sitting in a circle and drinking cups of alcohol.

The fireplace in the room was glowing red, and the room was warm enough to make you sweat, and a strange color of smoke was wafting from the incense burner in the corner of the room.

[ Kent-sama, don't inhale the smoke. ]

[ Is this some kind of drug? ]

[ Indeed. It's an intoxicating incense called Falzala. ]

None of the men wore clothes, only a large towel was wrapped around their waists.

Women with only thin cloth wrapped around their waists were leaning against the men.

Bernst had women on both sides.

Christoph is holding a woman while they are facing each other.

Everyone in the room has cloudy, dead-fishlike eyes and a faint smile.

Some of the women were continuously having uncanny convulsions and some were even blowing bubbles.

[ Something must have been mixed into the alcohol. It's even worse than a brothel on the outskirts of town. ]

Reinhardt, spat out bitterly, and seemed to be biting down his anger that was about to explode.

[ Let's go home. These guys are useless. As for the First Prince, it's a matter of taste, but these guys shouldn't stand above the people, right? The Second Prince's faction must be crushed someday! ]

I don't have the right to choose the King, but if these guys seize full power over Resenburg, even though it's across from the Devil's Forest, it's obvious that even Volzard will be adversely affected.

[ Kent-sama, would you like to get rid of them? ]

[ If it is necessary, I will do so, but it will be a problem if the faction members become desperate and cause a civil war, so let's collect a little more information first. ]

I didn't intend to get involved in the Resenburg family turmoil, but I decided to eliminate the Second Prince faction.