My name is Leonhart von Gardenia, the First Prince of this kingdom.
Not that many people remember me these days, I suspect. After all, I am a fugitive on the run, my life constantly targeted after my younger brother—the Hero—stripped me of everything I once owned. It is only natural that the citizenry has forgotten me.
I often wonder when exactly my fate began to change.
Saint Iris—the jewel of our nation, the continent’s premier wielder of light magic, and the daughter of the prestigious House of Duke Edelweiss—was betrothed to my younger brother. With that, my path to the throne was effectively severed.
The next king was to be my brother.
I never cared much for conflict, nor was I particularly adept at combat, so I was more than happy to bow out of a bloody succession struggle. I thought I would simply spend my days in the remote countryside, living a quiet, leisurely life as a local lord.
But then, a cataclysmic event occurred that shook the very foundations of this nation.
Saint Iris passed away.
The Kingdom of Gardenia was plunged into mourning at the loss of a woman beloved by every citizen. To me, Iris was someone I had known since we were children; her death left me truly heartbroken.
However, there was someone who should have been far more devastated than I. To my brother, Iris was his fiancé. I had intended to offer him my condolences for the loss of the woman he loved, but in that moment... I saw it.
My brother was smiling.
At first, I told myself I was imagining things. Surely, no one would fail to grieve their own fiancé. I also couldn't help but notice how suspiciously close he seemed to be with a woman I didn't recognize—Zelma, a junior of Saint Iris—but I forced myself to dismiss that as a trick of the light as well. I chose to believe they were merely mourning Iris together.
But, well.
For some reason, I have a habit of stumbling upon strange scenes like that. I am well aware that the people consider me a prince with a very thin presence, but perhaps that is why I see what I see.
I never expected my brother and Saint Zelma to marry. Nor did I ever imagine I would witness that same Zelma conspiring with a Witch to plot my assassination!
It was all too real. My brother had discarded Iris for Zelma and was now moving to eliminate his own older brother. To make matters worse, his wife was in league with Witches. Even for someone like me, who was used to seeing things best left unseen, this was a moment of true panic. I hadn't wanted to know, but if I hadn't witnessed it, I likely would have been killed without ever knowing why.
I was at my wits' end. Though a group of loyal vassals had propped me up as a candidate for the throne to keep my fallen brother and Zelma at bay, the crisis arrived almost immediately in the form of Witch assassins.
Thanks to the prior warning I had witnessed, I managed to escape with my life. I have always been quite good at erasing my presence, you see.
But... I lost every one of my subordinates. They sacrificed their lives to ensure I survived. I couldn't very well remain in hiding after that; it would be a disgrace to their memory. For their sake, I couldn't allow myself to die.
I wandered the country alone, fleeing from my pursuers. For the first time in my life, I camped under the stars. I often went without food, living like a beggar. I even gnawed on tree roots once. Pursued by the Witches' assassins and common bandits alike, I lived through days where I couldn't even be sure I would survive to see tomorrow.
It was a natural consequence, then, that I chose to hide in the Dryades' Forest—the most famous magical territory in Gardenia.
That was when it happened.
While I was living like a native in that forest hideout, I met her.
The Alraune bore a striking resemblance to Iris and possessed a strangely nostalgic aura. Though she claimed to have no connection to Iris, to my eyes, the two were unmistakably linked. Regardless, it didn't seem the Alraune was the one who had killed Iris, and the vegetable dishes she prepared were delicious.
She was also far more womanly than Iris—voluptuous, if you will. Her figure was so striking that my eyes often strayed toward her chest. Furthermore, she was practically half-naked, her body barely concealed by vines.
That was one of the primary reasons I concluded the Alraune wasn't Iris. The Saint Iris, worshipped across the continent and raised as a duke's daughter, would never have dressed in such a scandalous fashion. She simply wasn't the type to run around looking like a forest native.
I was also surprised to find a Witch child among the Alraune's companions. It seems Witches aren't a monolithic group after all.
But for me, the most significant gain was meeting Kyle.
Kyle, a friend of the Alraune—who was for some reason called a flashy man—became my friend. His voice still rings in my ears.
"Hey, wake up, you pretty boy!"
"Mmm... let me sleep a bit more. I was just dreaming about the day we met, Kyle."
"Still dreaming, are you? Sorry, but it's time to head out. I'm waking you up by force!"
"Aaaaaagh!"
My entire body went numb. It felt as if I had been struck by actual lightning. It certainly did the trick, though; I was wide awake.
"Kyle... I told you to stop with the electric shocks."
"It's the fastest way to get you up, Leonhardt. Come on, go give the horses some hay."
I looked around to see a vast green grassland stretching before us. Right, we were camping. I never thought the day would come when a royal like me would grow accustomed to sleeping in the wild.
I am lucky, however. Because Kyle came along as my guard, I can finally sleep peacefully at night.
Kyle is a strange man. He is tall and broad, with hair as bright as a bolt of lightning. He used to be an adventurer, apparently, and he is incredibly strong. His specialty is discharging electric shocks. Lightning magic isn't supposed to exist in this world, yet he somehow manipulates it with ease.
I followed Kyle over to the chestnut horse that had become my new traveling companion.
"Haha, look, Kyle! This horse has quite the appetite."
"Don't just stand there playing around. We need to move, or we'll never catch up to the Alraune girl."
"I know. We're going to regroup with Alraune and the others and head for the Royal Capital, right?"
"If we can regroup, great. If not, we're going to the Royal Capital anyway. You have work to do, don't you?"
"Yes, I know. I'll return to the capital and save this country."
The late Iris loved this Kingdom of Gardenia more than anything. But the nation is currently being eaten away by a disease. Traitors like Zelma are rising to power, and my brother, the Second Prince, is little more than her puppet. At this rate, the country will be completely usurped.
Perhaps being saved by an Alraune who looks like Iris was a sign from above. No, I believe it was fate. I will work with her to drive Zelma and her conspirators away. For the sake of the late Iris, I will correct the corruption plaguing this land.
That was the vow I made. And so, I set out on this journey with Kyle.
Despite his flashy exterior, Kyle is surprisingly loyal, and we bonded quickly. Now, we often drink together and throw our arms around each other's shoulders. Normally, a member of royalty would never interact so familiarly with anyone. This relationship is the first of its kind in my life. It feels fresh—and I was genuinely happy to be treated as just another human being.
Kyle is my new best friend. I don't know where he was born or who he really is. I don't know why he can manipulate lightning, why he can use electromagnetic waves to perform levitation, or why he is so knowledgeable about monsters. Even so, a true friendship had blossomed between us.
"Honestly, Leonhardt, you're as slow as ever. If you don't hurry it up, those Witch assassins will be back for another round."
"I've actually gotten much faster! See? I'm all packed."
"Alright then. Let's go, partner."
"Right, Kyle."
I mounted the horse I had obtained in the Tower City and continued our trek. I've become quite used to riding this chestnut horse by now. I galloped across the plains, trailing behind Kyle.
Ah, it was so much fun. This journey has been the most enjoyable time of my life. Traveling freely with a friend, unburdened by social status, was something I could never have imagined while living in that cramped, stifling Royal Castle.
During these few days of travel, I saw so much. We raced across the endless Freiheit Great Plains, encountered a group of the beast-ear race migrating to the Alraune's Forest, and even heard rumors of a giant wooden horse.
Eventually, we entered Duke Edelweiss's Territory.
This is the hometown of Saint Iris. In a small village famous for its wheat fields, we heard an interesting story. Apparently, Saint Iris had stayed there long ago, and just a few days ago, Alraune and her group had also passed through. It seems they are indeed heading for Edelweiss.
I had never visited the city before, but it is the largest in this region. When Kyle learned this, he spoke up.
"Rufe seemed interested in Edelweiss since it's Saint Iris's hometown. I bet they'll stay there for a few days."
That Witch child has become Kyle's traveling apprentice. I'm not entirely sure what a 'traveling apprentice' actually does, but regardless, if we keep going at this pace, we might just catch up to them in the city.
I gripped the reins and urged my horse forward. But just as we were nearing Edelweiss, disaster struck.
We were ambushed by a mercenary band. It seems there is a massive bounty on my head. For some reason, there were Imperial soldiers and monster-like beings mixed in among them; it was a formidable force. However, Kyle scattered the mercenaries in a heartbeat.
"It looks like we're wanted men. We should probably use disguises if we want to get any further."
"Disguises, huh? Leave it to me. I'll coordinate an outfit for you that'll make you look as far from royalty as humanly possible!"
"I'd appreciate that... but the problem is our horses bolted during the fight."
Both my horse and Kyle's had disappeared during the struggle with the mercenaries. This was a dire situation. From here on, I would have to use my own legs.
"Kyle, what do we do? Alraune and the others might leave Edelweiss before we can get there."
"Then we'll just have to run."
"No, no, no, that's impossible. I don't have the stamina for that, and I'm not a muscle brain like you."
"Fine then. I'll carry you, Leonhardt."
"Wait, what?"
Kyle scooped me up and sat me firmly on his shoulders.
"W-What is this!?"
"It's a shoulder carry."
A shoulder carry! I had read about them in books, but this was my first time actually experiencing one.
"How is it, Leonhardt?"
"Well, the view is certainly impressive from up here."
"Hang on tight. If I really put my back into it, I can run faster than a horse!"
And so, I traveled via shoulder carry. Kyle wasn't lying; for some reason, his legs were faster than any horse's. I have never seen a human move like that. In fact, I'm starting to seriously doubt if he is even human at all. I'm starting to get worried.
Three days later, while we were still moving in that fashion, we were intercepted by assassins.
"You there, man with the shoulder carry! Halt!"
A soldier with a sword drawn called out to us on the highway. Kyle, acting as my legs, came to a halt.
"Kyle, what is it? Why did you stop?"
"That guy's strong, even for a human. He's a master."
The man stood alone. He was wearing an Edelweiss Knight Order uniform, marking him as one of the Duke's men. But something was off. The uniform's size didn't seem to fit his massive frame.
Wary, I spoke up.
"Are you perhaps a member of the Edelweiss Knight Order?"
"I am. My name is Kubira. You lot... you look suspicious. I shall have to inspect you."
"The name Kubira, and a master swordsman... If I recall, one of the Twelve Sword Generals of the Empire goes by that name."
"You know my name? suspicious indeed... You wouldn't happen to be First Prince Leonhardt, would you?"
Thanks to my disguise, he hadn't recognized me yet. But this was bad. It seemed his objective was indeed me. Had Alraune spoken to Duke Edelweiss and sent the knights to escort me? Or was he an Imperial soldier—an assassin sent to kill me?
Kubira leveled the tip of his blade at us. Which one was he?
Kyle looked up, a troubled expression on his face.
"Hey, Leonhardt. Is this guy an ally or an enemy?"
"I don't know... I'm not sure, but if it comes to a fight... I'm counting on you."
The tension rose as the distance between the two sides closed. Then, it happened.
Pop.
Something emerged from the ground right between us and Kubira. The dirt swelled, and a green, plant-like growth sprouted upward. It was a green bulb. Leaves unfurled from the bulb, a flower bloomed, and then—a person appeared from within.
"Is that... Alraune?"
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. A small Alraune had literally grown right out of the ground.