4-1
The Light and Darkness of the Urgos
Imperial Family
Translator : PolterGlast
Summary of
the previous chapter.
Guided by the Tome
of the Evil Dragon and attracted by the exceptional reward of DEX +50,
Ashley decided to protect Carral and the Hez Trading Company,
secretly helping to rebuild it.
He barged into the
place of his biological uncle, Morak, seeking reconciliation between the
Hez Trading Company and the Hyamar Trading Company, but those
desiring a monopoly on the trade route would not yield, insisting she join their
umbrella.
Furthermore, Uncle Morak
told him that once the current Emperor passes away, the deformed Ashley
will be executed by the next Emperor. That it has already been decided.
Confronted with the
corruption of the Imperial Family, Ashley felt his own inadequacy as the
lowest-ranking member of royalty, but at the same time, desired power to
survive and carry out justice.
He learned
information about a hopeless villain worthy of death from Sigrun of the
Black Horns and buried Dags the bandit in the Imperial Capital's
soil as a sacrifice for his own growth. Through this, Ashley obtained
the power of Shovel LV 2, capable of piercing even stone pavement.
Then Ashley
became Carral's bodyguard. Accompanying the transport to the western
maritime city of Naglfar, he traveled along the highway with Carral.
At night, they were attacked by thugs
hired by the Hyamar Trading Company, but he turned the tables on every
last one of them and seized their weapons.
Upon arriving in Naglfar,
Carral went to her business negotiations. Shinza parted ways with
her for a moment and began the Tome of the Evil Dragon's mission to lap Naglfar
once.
However, on the way,
attackers targeting Carral appeared again. Ashley buried the irredeemable thugs in
the earth, obtained the power of Shovel LV 3, and rejoined Carral
as if nothing had happened.
Days passed, and the
day came when the Tome of the Evil Dragon acknowledged that the Hez
Trading Company had been rebuilt. At the same time as obtaining the rare
dexterity brought by DEX +50, Carral made a certain decision.
She would use the
money earned until today as capital to buy a ship and base herself in the
Maritime Province. And someday, she would lead a fleet and return to the
Empire. Ashley agreed with her decision and simultaneously made a
proposal using the power of the Shovel.
Let's steal trade
goods from the Hyamar Trading Company's warehouse as retaliation for everything
until today. From today, we are Chivalrous Thieves. Thus, the underground
warehouse break-in utilizing the Shovel's digging ability succeeded, and
the goods were loaded onto the used ship that became the property of the Hez
Trading Company.
Before departing, Carral
asked for Shinza's real name, conveyed her true feelings that she truly loved him, and set off
for the distant Maritime Province.
Alchemist Dulin and
the Mr. Firefly — Part 1
4-1 The Light and
Darkness of the Urgos Imperial Family
Upon parting with Carral
and returning to the palace in the Imperial Capital, I immediately
challenged Georg to a match. Adding that I wanted us to fight each other
in perfect condition, the match was set for the morning three days later.
After behaving
myself for a few days with the intention of repaying my debt to Jii,
today is that third day. As the bright morning sun shone into the cold stone
room, I was quietly maintaining my Shovel.
I applied clove oil
used for swords once more and corrected the distorted blade edge with a small
hammer. Perhaps this Shovel is reaching the end of its lifespan. Due to
rough usage and overuse, it was worn down overall, and the blade edge had
become quite dull.
"I guess I
overused it, after all."
I absentmindedly
stroked the edge. It was the place damaged by Georg's monstrous strength
before. Looking closely, damage seems to be accumulating there.
If it was going to
be like this, I should have taken care of it at a blacksmith or exchanged it
for a new one the other day. But yesterday, I had an unavoidable sudden
engagement: rereading the excavated books from another world.
"Even so,
Brother Georg, huh..."
It must be because
I've convinced myself that this is a turning point. Usually, I don't recall
such things, but just for now, I remember those days.
I met Brother Georg
and Sister Atomina when I was still six years old. Since they were six
years older, they must have been twelve at the time.
Back then, I never
imagined it. That we would become close, and eventually end up in such a
complicated relationship. To me back then, the two of them were much older,
sparkling, unknown Princes and Princesses.
"Ashley-sama,
Ashley-sama, I have borrowed books from the Royal Library for you. Would
an insect encyclopedia be good? Or perhaps this one..."
"Wait a minute!
That child is taking a nap right now! Don't raise your noisy voice, old
man!"
Until the day I
turned six, I was raised confined in a tower. Those around me were my wet nurse
and the old page, Jii. The rest were servants who did nothing but
badmouth me and were not allowed to speak to me.
"You're the
noisy one! Saying that, you intend to steal credit for my deeds again, don't
you!"
"Have you gone
senile already? That book is too difficult for Ashley!"
"I intend to
read it to him, obviously! Besides, Ashley-sama is a genius! As expected
of His Majesty's bloodline!"
"Anyway, be
quiet, old man!"
I was raised hidden
away in a distorted environment. Father, the Emperor, came maybe two or
three times a year. I have almost no memory of speaking with him. Even when he
came, he would look at me from a distance, sometimes sigh, and often leave just
like that.
Come to think of it,
I feel like I talked about small birds with Father. When I said I liked birds,
he asked if I wanted to become a bird. When I replied that I wanted to, Father
left without saying anything.
Did he feel guilt,
or was he disappointed in me, who was far from a Prince? I still don't
understand what Father is thinking. The only certain thing is that it is thanks
to Jii and my wet nurse that I didn't become twisted.
Eventually, when I
turned six, the non-existent Prince Ashley was allowed to leave the
tower. I was taken to a secret gathering and introduced to my other siblings
and relatives for the first time.
I don't know what
they thought at that time. Anyway, they were distant. At that time, Uncle Morak
spoke to me and seemed quite pleased. Because his brother, the perfect Emperor,
had acknowledged his own stain, a deformed child.
"Ashley,
I am your big sister, Atomina. This is Georg. It's like a dream
that I had such a cute little brother...!"
"I'm Georg.
Even so, I heard you were locked in that tower all this time? Father is
cruel..."
However, there were
exceptions among my relatives. Only Georg and Atomina had a
different attitude toward me. They accepted me, who had a different mother and
possessed Dragon Eyes, as their younger brother.
"What's wrong?
I'm your big brother; I'll protect you, so you don't have to be scared."
"You are... Big
Brother...?"
"I'm your Big
Sister! Ashley!"
"Bi-Big
Sister..."
Georg back
then wasn't strict like he is now. No, rather, he was kind to a fault. As a
young Prince, he possessed picturesque, ideal qualities. Sister Atomina
was the same tomboy princess she is now.
"Haaah, so
cute! I will protect him; I won't hand him over to Georg!"
"Leaving him to
Atomina worries me..."
Their figures were
truly that of a Prince and Princess. Even to a child's mind, their blonde hair,
same as Father's, was beautiful; I couldn't really believe that the same blood
as mine flowed in their veins.
If Georg and Atomina
are the light of the Imperial Family, I am the darkness that cannot even stand
on the front stage. That light cherished me and was always kind to me.
Until that day when
Brother entered the military academy, Sister entered the Royal Academy, and
then married off to a lord, I was reasonably happy.
The past is the
past, now is now. I put away my tools and stood up from the chair. I cannot
return to the past anymore. Brother Georg is a stubborn soldier, and
Sister Atomina is a married woman who should devote herself to her
husband.
Each had an
important role to support this Empire.
"After saying
that to Carral, I can't die anymore... Shall I go?"
I must win against
Brother Georg and demonstrate that I have value as a warrior. And at the
same time, to reassure the two of them, I had to surpass Brother, at least in
valor.
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