I Was Reincarnated As The Older Brother Of A Villainess Destined to Die, So I Want To Change The Future By Raising My Younger Sister With My Own Hands. I Am The Strongest In The World, But My Little Sister Must Be The Cutest In The World - Volume 4 Chapter 3.3
After concluding the discussion with the school principal, they proceeded with their planned detour using the “Phase Connector” for quick transportation.
And so, the destination of their detour was…
“As planned, huh? I’ve been waiting,” said Prince Wiemreigh.
“I’m intruding, Your Highness,” I replied.
It was Prince Wiemreigh’s private chamber, which meant it was within the royal palace.
Upon my greeting, he raised an eyebrow slightly. “Didn’t I tell you to stop with the formalities? We’re friends, no need to hold back.”
“I understand… Alright, got it,” I said, trying to refuse but ended up changing my mind due to Wiemreigh’s intense glare.
From the exchange, it was evident that Wiemreigh and I had become close enough to be called friends. It was only natural after spending six years together, united against rival factions. In my case, I didn’t even have friends my age… I’m getting sad just saying that.
“What brings you here today? It’s about you, right? You didn’t come here just to hang out,” Wiemreigh cut to the chase after some casual banter.
As expected of my friend, he understood my personality well. I nodded in agreement.
“Well, there have been some reports of trouble at the academy.”
“Hey, hey. Hasn’t it only been three days since you enrolled? You never change; trouble seems to love you,” Wiemreigh laughed heartily.
“Unfortunately,” I sighed in response. It’s not a laughing matter for me.
Gathering myself, I proceeded to explain the events of the past three days, primarily focusing on the incident involving the hero of Yudai. Additionally, I shared the details of my conversation with the school principal.
“It seems the current hero has quite a unique personality,” I said, trying to sugarcoat my words, but Wiemreigh’s cheek twitched slightly. He, who advocated for equality among humans, was essentially an enemy of the royal family. Since they couldn’t eliminate heroes as a country’s tradition, dealing with them was undoubtedly troublesome.
“So, are you going to protect this girl named Marina?”
“My friend seems to have been afflicted with a disease that causes brain damage. The future of this country looks grim.”
How did he arrive at such a conclusion? I explained the situation properly. Given the circumstances, there was no choice but to put her under protection.
Wiemreigh shrugged his shoulders. “You have a harsh way of putting it.”
“It’s the only reasonable response.”
“But even so, you have a history with Shion, don’t you? In the end, she still harbors feelings for you, and you don’t seem indifferent either.”
“Mmm…”
When he pointed that out, I had nothing to say.
As he mentioned, it could be said that I had come to accept Shion’s feelings. Over these six years, with unwavering affection directed towards me, even an insensitive person would be moved.
Because of the situation with Caron, I couldn’t confess to her until that matter was resolved. But I intend to give her an answer eventually.
Seeing me fall silent, Wiemreigh grinned with a somewhat irritating smile.
“I’d love to show Shion how embarrassed you get. Why don’t you just give her an answer already?”
“Enough of that. Until my objective is achieved, I can’t afford to focus on anything else.”
“I hear that response from you every time, but is it really necessary to ignore both your own and her feelings in order to protect something?”
“That’s the one thing I can’t yield on.”
I answered immediately.
Reversing Caron’s fate was my long-standing aspiration for the past sixteen years. Even if it meant temporarily hurting Shion’s heart, my conviction couldn’t be swayed.
“If there were a clear answer, something like ‘By doing this, she’ll be saved,’ then maybe I’d have the luxury to focus on romance, but there’s no point in wishing for the impossible,” I replied.
“Shion understands that too. For now, it’s fine the way it is,” I added.
“Well, if you two are both content with that, then I have no complaints. But more importantly, the current issue is this girl, Marina,” Wiemreigh said.
“Going back to that, huh…”
“Of course. Unlike Shion, you haven’t gained an understanding of this girl, right?”
“Yeah…”
Despite declaring that she’ll make me fall in love with her, the truth is she’s more like a hopeless otaku in front of her favorite idol
“In that case, it’s best to sit down and talk things through at least once. It should be the best approach for both of you,” Wiemreigh advised.
“…Maybe you’re right,” I reluctantly agreed, surprised by the unexpectedly serious advice.
Indeed, we haven’t properly talked since I took her out of the girls’ dormitory. It was sudden back then, but now I wonder if it’s time to have a serious conversation with her.
“Haha, Zex is always popular with the ladies. I envy you,” Wiemreigh chuckled.
“Yours is even more enviable. I’ve heard you were quite popular in the academy,” I retorted.
The frail image Wiemreigh had once was now a thing of the past. After being freed from the curse and thanks to the plan devised by me and Shion, he gradually regained his health. While not overly muscular, he now possessed an average physique.
Coupled with his naturally good looks, he was quite the heartthrob during his school days.
“Some were attracted to the title of my royal lineage. Besides, as long as my betrothed loves me, that’s enough for me.”
“You’re still as passionate as ever. Just don’t cause any conflicts with your second wife and onwards due to your ardor, alright?”
Loving one woman is admirable, but for royal and noble families, one wife is not enough. I’d rather not get involved in the messy struggles.
“I understand. When the time comes for the second and onwards, I’ll make sure to devote my love properly,” Wiemreigh replied.
“In that case, that’s fine.”
At that moment, the conversation lapsed for a few beats. After a short pause, Wiemreigh spoke up again.
“Going back to the topic… there was talk of a student being kidnapped at the academy.”
“That’s right. We have no leads whatsoever.”
“It’s horrifying, especially since similar incidents occurred during my time at the academy. I’d like to help, but unfortunately, I don’t have any useful information either. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. I just wanted to keep you informed as a precaution,” I replied.
As much as I hate to say it, there’s no way the royal family’s intelligence agency could obtain information that Foranada’s spies couldn’t. The difference in their capabilities was obvious.
Suddenly, Wiemreigh muttered, “Come to think of it, I heard a certain rumor.”
“A rumor?”
“It may or may not be related to the academy incident, but it seems the price of beastkin slaves is on the rise.”
“Oh…”
That was indeed true. I had received a report about it too. Apparently, beastkin within the capital were being bought up one after another. As a result, the market for beastkin slaves was experiencing scarcity, leading to inflated prices.
The purchases were being made by businesses outside the capital, and there didn’t seem to be any particularly problematic stores involved.
…Wait, hold on. I didn’t pay much attention to it when I read the report, but buying slaves at higher prices within the expensive capital is unnatural. Why didn’t I find this suspicious earlier?
Could it be that my perception was being manipulated?
A disturbing hypothesis formed in my mind, sending a chilling sensation down my spine.
I decided to re-examine the slavery situation. For now, I instructed my subordinates through ?Telepathy? and waited for updates. I couldn’t do much more at this moment.
Despite my growing restlessness, no major problems occurred until the weekend.