Black Iron Magician

Sorry for the wait.

My illness came back.

Well, I’m fine for now.

Enjoy the chapter~

Chapter 154 Prince

「…Ha!? Where am I!?」

Dry opened his narrow eyes wide and got up vigorously. Looking around, he realized that he’s in a familiar place that he has visited many times today. What came to his view first was the white wall that gently welcomed his injured body. The moderately hard bed that has an indescribable texture lets him know that he’s still alive. And then, the dark mood of the supporters around his bed made him know that he lost the match.

「Yo, Dry… is your body okay?」

「Y-Yeah…」

「Welcome to the infirmary of the losers… With this, Dry is also a member of the losers. Haa…」

The surrounding air is very dark and heavy.

「Hey, I didn’t lose. I’m the only one who goes to the semifinals.」

「Jeez~, it’s impossible even for you, Prince~. You saw it too, right? The muscle-brain Dry was blown away together with the stage with just a kick from that small girl, you know? Making countermeasures based on the matches of Solte and Tact, giving a lot of support magic, and the result was like that… At first, I was surprised by that dangerous staff, but it was the girl herself who was really dangerous… Even the bloodlust she gave off for a moment when we met in the passage was real…」

Prince won the second round and advanced to the semifinals. However, the next opponent is that Haruna. After Dry’s match, Karua was completely depressed. She gave her all in helping Dry and the result was like that. Now she has no idea what to do and is in despair.

「Aah, I’m sorry. I ended up losing even after saying so much.」

「Hmph, not everything is bad. Dry showed that broke her magic with his magic. In the end, he lost the match, but we can raise the chance of winning by devising a way. Moreover, her next opponent is me. I won’t be defeated so easily.」

「It’s exactly as Prince says. It’s too early to give up! Also, Karua-kun! My name is Noct!」

「Even if you say so~, there’s a limit even if we devise a way, you know?」

「Don’t ignore me!」

Noct raised his voice to encourage them, but the air in the infirmary is still gloomy. Certainly, Prince is the second most powerful prodigy of the Golden Generation, the closest to Weerel. By using Dry’s match as a reference, he can devise a way and make many improvements. However, deep down, he has something on his mind. He feels his limit just like what Karua pointed out.

For example, if they know the status differences and all of the skills, can they win the duel against Nell Lemure, the leader of the Magic Knight Order, in a one-on-one situation?

――――100%, it is impossible for them. Rather, it won’t even be called a duel. Even if they set a lot of traps on the battlefield, guiding her there, and everyone launches a surprise attack on her, they would die in an instant. Nell would be unscathed, of course. This is an extreme example, but the power of Haruna, as Karua sees it, has already reached that level.

「Hey, Kiel. How much time do we have left before the next match?」

「Time? Prince’s match is over just a short time ago, and now we are taking a short break. In another ten minutes, the match between Weerel and Chinatsu will start. Prince’s next match will start after that.」

「Hmm. It’s pretty thought after all…」

「I also want to help somehow… To be honest, there’s a lot of uncertain information. We don’t know the details of that staff other than its appearance, and we have seen only a part of her dark magic. I’m afraid that even if we overcome her power that we’ve seen so far, she will show her power that’s on another level. If she uses her power too much, I think it will be dangerous for Prince…」

「「「「「………」」」」」

The infirmary fell silent again.

「… Will you all listen to me for a moment?」

Prince opened his mouth as if to break the silence.

「Hm? What’s with that serious looks, Prince?」

「If it’s you guys, and at a time like this, I want to reveal something. I――」

「――Prince! You must not!」

Noct shouted, interrupting Prince’s words. The infirmary fell silent again with a different meaning than before.

「H-Hey~, even Tact too, what’s wrong with you guys?」

「It’s Noct! Did you do it on purpose!? Anyway, Prince is…! Ah, no, you see, Prince is…」

Noct suddenly shouted, but then hesitated to say something. He frequently looked at Prince, not knowing what to do.

「Fu… Noct, it’s fine. I’ve been thinking about revealing it someday, so I’m just going to reveal it now. I’ll take your thoughts as loyalty.」

「Yes, I’m sorry for interrupting you!」

「Uh-huh. Sorry, but I don’t understand what you are talking about. Noct too, why did he suddenly using honorific?」

「Well, he is my retainer and I’m actually the prince of this country.」

「「「「………Haaa!?」」」」

Other than Prince and Noct, the four shouted in surprise. The students of the academy have been calling him Prince because of his appearance, but that’s just a nickname. They can’t remember when they started calling him that, but no one thought he was a real prince.

「My real name is Dias Adelheit, not Nevel Faji. For some reason, my father disowned me when I was very young, and I was raised away from the castle. I was entrusted to Noct’s father, and now I’m attending Adelheit Magic Academy. Noct is my only subordinate, childhood friend, and best friend.」

「Prince, please stop. I’ve already dedicated my staff to you. Please use me as a mere retainer.」

The atmosphere of Dias is the same as usual. However, when they look at Noct, who was usually prideful like a noble, acts humbly like this, the credibility is increased.

「You are not joking, right? Well, Prince never made a joke before, though.」

「I’m always serious.」

「Wait, I’m seriously confused… Okay, I’ve forced myself to sort it out! So?」

「Revealing that I’m a real prince, I have something to ask you guys. I want you to help me win the graduation festival. As you can see, please.」

Dias bowed his head deeply. The fact that he bowed down was unprecedented even in the academy, and this was enough to shock Kiel and the others.

「Prince bowed his head…!?」

「I-It’s a very rare scene…」

「P-Prince, please stop! If you wish for it, I will even bow my head on the ground!」

「No, this is something I have to do. Let me do it.」

「W-Well… I understand the situation, but why do you want to win that much? Is there a reason?」

Solte asked the most legitimate question. Dias raised his head for the time being, sat down on the bed meaningfully, and began to speak.

「Actually――」

――――Knock knock

Today seems to be a day when there are many interruptions. Dias was interrupted by the knocking sound of the door, forcing him to stop his talk. How disrespectful! Noct wants to say so, and everyone turns their heads to the door.

「I’m sorry for interrupting your conversation, Prince Dias. Would you like to talk with me for a moment?」

The one who was there was the black belly man who showed a hospitality smile on his face.