The life of Rodel Aiwood, Third Prince of the Kingdom, had been a series of blessings from the very beginning.
His father was the King of Aiwood. His mother, though a concubine, was an Imperial Princess from the neighboring Geisel Empire. He was a thoroughbred of the most elite lineages.
Born as a bridge between two nations, Rodel had lived a life of absolute privilege, shielded by the favor of Her Majesty the Queen Dowager—the true power broker of the realm.
He was brimming with magical talent as well. Indeed, he believed himself to be a man of such caliber that it was a tragedy he was only the third son... or so he thought.
"Damn it... To think I’m the one under suspension! Those miserable Academy teachers have a lot of nerve...!"
Despite his lofty self-image, Rodel was currently confined to a detached palace, serving a disciplinary suspension.
The catalyst for his current situation was a minor incident involving a certain female student.
The girl in question was the fiancée of one of his classmates.
During the lunch break, she had visited the Class D classroom of the Magic Department to meet her fiancé. It was then that Rodel had first laid eyes on her.
She wasn't particularly flashy, but the girl possessed a simple, rustic charm.
She wasn't worthy of being a consort to a man of Rodel's standing, of course—but she was the perfect target to break as a brief plaything.
And so, he had commanded her.
He ordered her to keep him company during lunch. He ordered her to entertain him.
It was a trivial request, yet for some reason, the male classmate had flown into a rage.
The boy had tried to stop Rodel and had even gone so far as to lay hands on his person.
Rodel didn't know the boy's name, but he recalled that he was the son of some lower noble.
Regardless of his status, a common wretch had dared to touch his royal body. Punishment had to be meted out.
So, he had scorched the boy with fire magic. That he had spared the boy’s life was, in his mind, an act of supreme mercy.
(And yet... why am I the one being punished?! I am Rodel Aiwood, the favorite of the great Queen Dowager!)
"Damn it!"
Rodel slammed his fist onto the table.
A maid standing in the corner of the room flinched, her shoulders trembling, but he didn't care.
The humiliation of being disciplined by mere Academy faculty was unbearable.
To make matters worse, he had been severely reprimanded not only by his father the King, but by his older brothers as well.
That served only to stoke his irritation.
(If I must concede, Father is one thing... he is the King. But I will not endure being lectured by brothers who were simply born before me...!)
Rodel had two older brothers, but he had never once considered them his superiors.
Their mother was the Queen Consort, a mere Duke’s daughter. Rodel’s mother was a concubine, yes, but she was an Imperial Princess from a neighboring empire.
To Rodel, his blood was clearly superior.
By all rights, Rodel was the one who should be the next King—not these talentless hacks who happened to be born earlier.
(They are just the sons of some Duke’s daughter. Neither of them has a shred of magical genius. They might be competent enough at administration and martial arts, but that’s work for vassals! Those aren't the talents required of a true ruler!)
Rodel clenched his teeth and struck the table again.
He reassured himself inwardly.
One day, he would overturn it all.
He would cast aside his eldest brother, the pretender who called himself Crown Prince, and his second brother, who was merely lucky enough to be born first. He would seize the position that was rightfully his.
He was the only one fit to rule. Surely, everyone else realized that, too.
"Prince Rodel, Marquis Eiger has arrived."
There was a knock on the door, and a familiar butler peeked inside.
Rodel didn't bother to remember the names of servants, but he knew this man was a competent butler who had once served the Queen Dowager.
"Pardon the intrusion... Prince Rodel, it has been some time."
The man who entered was one of Rodel’s supporters, a high-ranking official who had served the Kingdom for decades: Marquis Eiger.
The elderly man, well over sixty, walked into the room leaning on a cane.
"So you've come, Eiger."
"Yes... when I heard Your Highness had been suspended by the Academy, I simply could not remain still. Truly, how foolish of the faculty to slight Your Highness, the successor to the noble Queen Dowager’s legacy... It is lamentable!"
As Eiger shook his head in grief, Rodel nodded emphatically. "Exactly!"
"The Academy is in shambles! They don’t seem to understand who is meant to rule this nation. Once I ascend to my rightful throne, I shall have to implement sweeping reforms!"
"I shall support you until that day comes. As for the Academy, I will exert my influence to ensure this punishment is lifted immediately."
"Hmph. I’ll leave it to you."
Eiger was a Marquis, but more importantly, he was one of the Directors on the Academy’s board.
While the teachers handled basic disciplinary matters, his influence was far too great for them to ignore.
"Furthermore... find the one who restrained me."
"Restrained Your Highness? Was it one of the teachers?"
"No... it was a coward who used a smoke screen to launch a sneak attack. I didn't see his face, but he was powerful enough to knock me unconscious, even with an ambush. He must be from the high nobility."
Aside from the suspension itself, Rodel was furious that someone had managed to knock him out.
That person had used a cowardly smoke screen and—of all the indignities—forced Rodel to crawl on the floor before rendering him unconscious with magic.
(A crime against the most noble blood in the Kingdom... It is unforgivable! I will find him and execute him along with his entire family!)
"I understand. I shall look into it."
"See that you do."
Rodel barked the order, his heart seething with venomous hatred.
Rodel would never reflect on his actions, no matter how much he was punished.
To him, he was more noble and more correct than anyone else in the world.
However, Rodel failed to notice something vital.
The man bowing so respectfully before him, Marquis Eiger... the person he pledged his loyalty to was the late Queen Dowager, not Rodel.
Nearly everyone who swore fealty to him wasn't looking at him at all, but at the ghost of the woman who stood behind him.
Rodel was nothing more than a fox trading on the prestige of a tiger—a realization that was still a long way off.