Hero Party Intensive Training Camp
The hall was still buzzing from the shocking announcement of Julius’s engagement, but another shockwave was about to hit...
“Everyone, thank you for your congratulations. With this, the Kingdom of Albur and the South Territory have formed an alliance, and together we will begin developing the Forest of Demons. At the same time, today we have formally declared war on the three nations invading Albur, the Kingdom of Tsutora, the Jill City-State Confederation, and West Derobi.”
Silenceeeeeeeee...
Then…
“What!?”
“Aren’t those countries near the Forest of Demons!?”
“They’re the nations obsessed with Princess Flora...”
The hall shook with voices loud enough to split the air!!
The nobles and foreign dignitaries erupted in commotion, but naturally, the disappointing Crown Prince who simply could not refrain from complaining made his grand reappearance...
“Julius, you bastard! I, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Titania, know nothing of this. And why should we be dragged into conflict with nations beyond the Forest of Demons?”
“Your Highness, as I said earlier, the will of your kingdom is irrelevant. It’s not like I want your kingdom’s help anyway... And under the treaty from the other day, I have no duty to report anything. If you like, I can make Titania the one at war with them instead.”
“Fuhahaha, fool! A baggage carrier like you could never become an enemy of my kingdom! Our elite forces and the Hero Party themselves will personally deal with…”
Before he could finish, King Jimetz clamped a hand over his mouth.
“You still don’t understand? The Curse of Obedience will no longer protect the Kingdom of Titania!! I broke it... Thanks to the Crown Prince repeatedly stacking the curse on me, I was able to analyze it and dispel it. My deepest gratitude to Your Highness...”
After getting hit with it so many times, I managed to decipher the Curse of Obedience and remove it, Crown Prince.
Just as I started to bow in thanks, there came a loud clatter as King Jimetz knocked over his chair.
“I-Impossible! The curse... It’s true! I feel nothing. That man... That man can leave the frontier now? Gray von South...”
What’s with him? King Jimetz was panicking hard...
Did something happen between him and my old man in the past?
Eh, whatever.
“Crown Prince, are we really the ones you want fighting you!? A battle you would certainly lose?”
“Lose? Impossible. There’s no way we would lose. We have the Hero Party as well...”
“Yes. That exactly. The Hero Party. How strong do you think they are?”
“The Hero is a legendary class! And we each have our own strength…”
“Strength? No, you don’t. None of you have real strength... First, understand this properly. You are weak.”
“You bastard!”
As the Crown Prince lunged forward, Julius closed the distance with Shukuchi and pressed a knife to his throat.
“See? You couldn’t even follow my movement. Yukimi, how strong would you rank the Hero Party compared to our clan?”
“Let’s see... Around lower-middle tier, I suppose. They wouldn’t stand a chance against Shiranui’s youth corps (fifteen and under), so they’d be about equal to the child corps (twelve and under)... or they might even lose.”
“Yeah. Same opinion.”
“I-Impossible... It’s the Hero Party! The legendary…”
“The legendary? Hero? So what? Are you waiting for your enemies to be scared of your title? I really wish you’d wake up already...”
“No... impossible... I refuse to accept it.”
“Your Highness, what Julius says is true. Please remember the last Orthros subjugation. Everyone was defeated by Orthros, and then Julius defeated it in an instant afterward.”
“Almeria? Orthros was slain by Waltz’s sword and mine…”
“Those were swords Julius stabbed into it after it was dead. He said he didn’t need or want the kingdom’s reward... We have been abandoned by Julius and the others to that extent.”
“That’s right. Other nations will probably invade within half a year at the soonest... Are you really going to do nothing? At this rate, the Hero Party will die in battle. So here’s a proposal. Shiranui will train the Hero Party in the South Territory for three months only, and make you at least strong enough not to die. What do you say? Of course, there will be a fee...”
“Juliusss! You’re making fools of us–”
“Julius, please. Train me!”
Cutting off Crown Prince Erason as he tried to complain again, Almeria answered first.
“... Me too...”
Milian answered next.
Rare.
“... Fine. I’d feel bad sending only the two women. As the Hero, I’ll go too, and come back even stronger!”
Hero Waltz was suddenly fired up.
Am I the only one getting nothing but bad feelings from this?
“Very well. Then I shall go as well. If it can help the kingdom even a little...”
Princess Elizabeth joined in too.
That left only Crown Prince Erason...
Everyone looked toward him.
“I... What should I do? I am the Crown Prince of this nation...”
Now then, what’ll happen...?
Just as I was wondering, Almeria suddenly spoke.
“Your Highness, you’re not coming? If only we return stronger, will you really be all right? Will there still be a place for you in the Hero Party by then? Is there truly any need for a tank who won’t cross life-and-death battlefields together with us?”
Scaaary.
Lady Almeria, seriously terrifying.
Isn’t she angry or something?
“I will become unnecessary, you say!? Almeria, well said indeed. Of course I shall go! I shall absolutely go! It is I, Crown Prince Erason, who will grow stronger and protect the kingdom!”
Hmm.
Lady Almeria had started controlling the Crown Prince...
Wouldn’t she make a better leader for the Hero Party?
Julius was genuinely impressed.
And just like that, it was decided: the entire Hero Party would undergo an intensive training camp.
Watching this, the ambassadors of the invading nations clicked their tongues in their hearts yet again.
(Well, for the sake of our South Territory, we need the Hero Party to get stronger and work hard for us... all for the plan…)
What do you think about this chapter?
