Page 101

The Fake Prince

The moment I threw back at Ergo the same words I once heard from Seron, his face twisted with unrestrained fury.

“Ha.”

A short, incredulous breath escaped him, just as it had from Seron before.

At the same time, rage burned in Ergo’s eyes.

“As the cousin of the Third Princess, I was willing to overlook your rudeness.”

But that seething rage began to spread around him.

Ergo wasn’t called one of the Six Stars for nothing.

The golden aura of murderous intent radiating from him pressed heavily upon me.

“You’re crossing the line.”

But I was no stranger to such deadly auras.

I had faced the fury in Isabel’s eyes, stood my ground against Nikita’s murderous intent when she was consumed by the remnants of an ancient dragon.

At this point, Ergo’s aura was nothing more than a mild discomfort to me.

So, I smiled.

“What’s the matter? Are you frightened?”

Another provocation.

“This, you want this, don’t you?”

I raised Parazon’s sword in my hand.

Ergo’s eyes naturally followed it.

The sword of Parazon—a treasure I had worked tirelessly all summer to obtain.

My original plan was to trade it for the Sword of White Dream, Ergo’s goal from the start.

But knowing the value of Parazon’s sword, I decided to use it as leverage for more.

“Do you think I’ll simply overlook today’s insolence?”

“I hold you in high regard, Ergo Parazon. Especially when it comes to political matters; I am well aware of your skill.”

I handed the sword to Iris.

She quickly understood my intention and accepted it.

“I have just transferred ownership of Parazon’s sword to Lady Iris.”

Ergo’s brow twitched.

“This means that the parties in this transaction are now Ergo Parazon and Lady Iris.”

A sword of historical and cultural significance—the Parazon sword—being handed over by the Third Princess of the Empire to Prince Ergo would undoubtedly go down in history.

This exchange would symbolize a strengthening bond between the Hysirion Empire and the Kingdom of Parazon.

Moreover, it would solidify Ergo’s position as a prince who reclaimed a national treasure in the eyes of his people.

Would Ergo really want such a historic moment tarnished with scandal?

I could say with certainty—he wouldn’t.

Of course, today’s rudeness wouldn’t make it into the history books, nor would I face any punishment.

In fact, this transaction would overshadow Seron’s earlier insult of calling Ergo a “fake prince.”

To call the successor to a kingdom’s throne a fake was grounds for controversy in Parazon.

Ergo was impulsive and prone to emotional outbursts, but he wasn’t a fool.

He quickly realized my intention to bury Seron’s remarks alongside today’s events.

“…Do you take me for a fool?”

Yet, despite his realization, his anger burned even hotter.

“You mentioned a duel? Fine. I’ll indulge you. But.”

Ergo ground his teeth.

“If your life ends in the process, so be it.”

“Agreed.”

My immediate answer left Ergo momentarily stunned.

“In exchange, Ergo Parazon, you must apologize for your actions toward that girl earlier today.”

He stared at me, dumbfounded.

“…You’re not seriously saying you’ve gone to these lengths, wagering Parazon’s sword, just to demand an apology for some girl?”

Ergo’s disbelief was evident in his expression.

I smiled again.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Ergo stared at me as if I were a lunatic.

“For you, Ergo Parazon, it’s simple. Duel me, take the Sword of White Dream, exchange it for the Parazon sword, and return to your homeland. Oh, and don’t worry—I have no intention of killing you.”

Well?

Feeling uneasy now?

Ergo remained silent, his gaze fixed on me.

Soon, he let out a hollow laugh.

“Very well.”

Ergo’s traits were [Pride] and [Sadism].

These two traits fueled the fire in his heart.

A fire to utterly crush me.

“Once you’re dead, tell the god of the afterlife that it was Ergo Parazon who killed you.”

And so, the duel was set.

* * *

There was no point in delaying.

Ergo wanted to destroy me immediately, and I felt the same.

We slipped away from the professors’ watchful eyes and moved to a clearing in the nearby forest.

“Hannon.”

As I followed Ergo, Iris called out to me.

Caught up in this sudden situation, I assumed she was worried.

“If Ergo seems like he’s in danger, I’ll step in.”

So, she was telling me to go all out.

Iris wasn’t concerned in the slightest about me losing.

After all, she knew I had already faced and defeated Nikita, who was consumed by the remnants of an ancient dragon.

Among the Six Stars, only Eve could possibly rival Nikita.

Using dragon magic, she was that strong.

But I defeated Nikita and saved Iris.

Naturally, her evaluation of me was extremely high.

“Understood, Lady Iris. I’ll leave it to you. I might rough him up a bit.”

“Leave it to me.”

After our conversation ended, Ergo came to a stop.

The clearing was surrounded by trees, blocking the view from the outside.

It seemed to have been created by a recent lightning-induced fire.

It was perfect for a fight.

“I’ll say it again.”

Ergo raised his hand, and swords flew out from his waist, filling the air around him.

The belt at his waist was a special artifact called a “space pocket.”

It allowed him to store an infinite number of swords, including famous ones.

“I’m fighting to kill you.”

I had asked for this, after all.

If I died today, I would have no excuses.

“Take responsibility for your words.”

Ergo turned his gaze toward Iris.

Iris, who had taken on the role of judge for this duel, raised her hand above her head.

"Begin."

At the moment her hand came down, Ergo unleashed his Sky Swordsmanship.

Swords filled the sky, all hurtling toward me in unison.

Each sword resembled the fangs of a ferocious beast, flying fiercely through the air.

Yet, I stood still, doing nothing, as if I were a person accepting death.

Ergo watched this scene with a look of incomprehension, but he did not stop his Sky Swordsmanship.

If I had given up, he would strike me down.

If I had a plan, it would have to be a head-on breakthrough.

Swords came flying from all directions, aiming to pierce me.

It was as if a storm of swords were raining down.

Even with such a spectacle before me, I did not flinch.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Moments later, Ergo's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before him.

All the swords he had launched had reached me.

From a side view, I looked like a porcupine bristling with spikes—an extraordinary sight.

However, among all those swords...

Not a single one had pierced me.

Mystery

A Body of Steel

For me, sword attacks like these cause no harm whatsoever.

Perhaps my clothes were torn slightly, but my body remained unscathed.

Ergo's eyes narrowed in shock.

Now, even he must have realized: between him and me, our compatibility was the worst possible.

"Ergo Parazon, Your Highness," I said, brushing aside the encircling swords with a casual sweep of my hand.

"Did you not declare you would kill me?"

A grin, full of provocation, spread across my lips.

Sorry, but you'll never kill me.

With a stomp on the ground, I surged forward.

Ergo, seeing this, began to recall his swords.

Swords chased me closely from behind while others flew toward me from ahead.

Facing them, I swung my hand like a sword.

Clang! Clang!

The flying swords clashed with the edge of my hand and bounced away, all of them.

Seeing me fight barehanded, Ergo furrowed his brows.

This kind of combat was new to him.

Rushing in unarmed was usually no different from suicide.

But with each sword I deflected and each step I took closer, Ergo's expression hardened further.

I was an unyielding tank, impervious to his attacks.

The overwhelming pressure my advance placed on Ergo's entire being was unmistakable.

When I finally reached him, would Ergo be able to stop me?

The pure killing intent radiating from my body gnawed at his mind, raising an endless chain of doubts.

I had no intention of giving him time to come to any conclusions.

My footwork grew more precise.

I gathered strength in my legs and raised my guard even higher.

Closing the distance between us was my specialty.

Back in my active days, I had used this technique to disorient countless opponents.

I narrowed his thoughts and boxed him into a corner.

The killing aura emanating from my entire body constricted Ergo like a vice.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The number of deflected swords increased.

As the distance between us shrank, the intensity of Ergo's Sky Swordsmanship grew fiercer.

Yet, still, not a single scratch was left on me.

When Ergo's face finally froze completely, I reached him.

A gap.

I traced a single line connecting Ergo's head and hands.

Following that line, my hand shot forward like a sword slicing through the air.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

My hand halted abruptly right before Ergo’s face.

Around my hand, swords had converged and interlocked, forcibly stopping my advance.

The circular formation of swords almost looked like a blooming flower.

The pressure was immense, locking my arm in place and preventing it from moving forward even a millimeter.

As expected of the world's most renowned swords, each exuded an extraordinary aura.

Between the gaps in the swords, Ergo’s eyes met mine.

“Remember this,”

Ergo said, his voice breaking through the shadows of the swords.

“This is the insurmountable gap between you and me.”

At that moment, the swords gripping my wrist suddenly grew heavier.

With the sudden increase in weight, my arm was forced down, bending sharply.

Thud!

The force dragged my entire body to the ground.

The swords, like wolves pouncing on prey, pierced deeply into the ground, pinning my joints and limbs.

In an instant, I was immobilized.

“It seems you’ve wrapped yourself in some mysterious power that makes you immune to swords.”

Then, wielding a greatsword, he swung it violently toward my face.

“If you can’t be cut, then I’ll simply strike you unconscious.”

Just as the greatsword’s massive sword was about to smash into my face, a light flashed from my arm.

Boom!

A magical engraving activated, creating an explosion that dislodged the swords pinning me.

The sword of the greatsword was now inches from my face.

I stretched out my right hand, catching the sword mid-swing.

Crrrrack!

A sound like metal warping echoed.

Ergo froze in place.

That was because my fingers had pierced through the sword of the greatsword.

Of course, the fingers belonged to me.

“Didn’t you say this was an insurmountable gap?”

I clenched my fingers tightly.

Creak… Crrrack—

The sword of the greatsword crumpled like paper.

Between the warped sword, my red eyes gleamed.

“Let’s see if you can say that after all your swords end up like this.”

Clang!

Sword Breaker.

The moment Ergo’s greatsword shattered into pieces.