Chapter 423

423 Royal Capital Jeruit #2

“Ho there! How rude! Lord Zigress! This is Prince Pride, the son of His Highness the Prince!”

“Ah.”

After the guards’ fussing advice, everything around us falls into silence.

To be exact, I’ve lost my words.

Shhwhooshhh…

The royal treasury. Cold breezes keep coming from inside.

I’ve heard that among antique relics and objects of high aesthetic values, some require special care for the temperature and humidity of their storage.

Perhaps this treasury has some kind of magical device akin to an air conditioner that automatically adjusts such conditions.

The important point is that the breeze caressing my neck and the back of my head is chilling my senses.

And my chilled senses let me see the situation as coldly as the Siberian northern winds.

If I could say, I’m not exaggerating when I claim that my insight right now is no less than that of a genius geomancer.

So, I pushed bl**d into my eyes to the point where the small bl**d vessels in my eyes are about to burst.

Thousand Horse Revolving Eye!

And then, I quickly examine the body of the person in front of me who claims to be the prince from head to toe.

Swish, shooosh.

It was but an incredibly short moment, but for me, with agility of 15, the apex of human capability, it was more than enough time to discern even the size of the chest underneath that suffocating ceremonial attire.

0.8 H cup.

That’s the conclusion I’ve arrived at.

Now, this H cup is not referring to the standard women’s bra size. I’ve not even seen nor touched such things before.

This is a unit that I’ve personally made to indicate chest size. Here, the H stands for Hippolyte’s H.

To elaborate, Hippolyte’s chest size is 1 H, the standard point.

Luna’s chest size is 0.5 H.

Elpride is 0.6.

Antiope is about 0.7.

Meaning, the chest hidden underneath this stifling uniform, which stretches up to 0.8 H, signifies the symbol of a youthful maternal love and compassion.

After all, this chest is larger than Antiope, Hippolyte’s half-sister’s.

If a person with such a chest claims to be a prince…

I can’t comprehend this horrifying and bizarre situation through my sound mind.

The existence of such a thing is absurd and cannot be forgiven.

If I have to acknowledge this person as a man, what about the reputation of Antiope, Elpride, and Luna who have smaller chests than them?

And as for the rather flat nymphs, one might even be brought to tears.

Hassan, your exercises for height seem effective! My height has increased by the tip of a pinky!

I know that Paranoi measures her height or bust size every morning.

Once, she even cheered that her height had increased by the tip of a pinky. It wasn’t her height that grew; her feet had just swelled temporarily.

After learning the truth, Paranoi was heartbroken for a few days, the memory of which now flickers through my mind.

This person right here, despite possessing a body blessed as a woman, refers to themselves as a man, making them even more insufferable.

“If you’re a man-.”

I must sentence this act of sacrilege against the order of life.

Pride Friedrich-.

Swoosh…

Guilty.

“Ho, Hassan, what are you trying to do-.”

The guards assigned to the treasury are flustered. The guardians of the treasury should be among the elites among the royal guards, yet their beards and lips beneath their grand helmets are visibly trembling, which makes me understand just how absurd my action was in their eyes.

Moreover, even Pride, who had been composed just before this, slightly frowned.

The reason is simple.

“If you’re really a man, then this will feel no different, right?”

The reason I laid my hands on that large chest.

Gooookk…

As I apply force to my fingers, I feel something incredibly soft yet resilient.

Then, from the detailed perception, I’ve realized something.

This isn’t 0.8 H; it’s more like 1.1 H.

Could my Four-Piercing Eyes have failed to measure the correct size?

Is it possible they’re wearing some kind of shapewear inside to suppress the size?

A chest bigger than Hippolyte’s—is this really happening?

“G, Your Highness the Princess, or rather, Prince-!”

The royal guards in the treasury were at a loss, unable to make a move, fidgeting quite a lot.

However, Pride only tilted their head in a puzzled manner, not screaming or making a fuss like other women.

They simply elegant brushed off my hand with a swift movement.

“Hassan, what’s the reason you attempted such a physical contact with me? I’m fine, but it’s the soldiers who were startled.”

“…”

The response is rather boring, and my interest dissipates like sand in a dry wind.

I asked.

“Are you suffering from gender dysphoria or something?”

“Gender dysphoria?”

“A situation where the body is female but the spirit feels male, like that.”

“Ah-. I’ve heard that there are individuals who feel that way. Gender dysphoria; it’s a term not yet officially recognized by the academy but seeing that you’re aware of it, you have a broader knowledge than I assumed.”

“So, is it true for you or not?”

“That’s not the case. I’m very well aware I’m female. However, distinct from that, I’m a prince. A duke of the kingdom.”

What nonsense.

“I’m not asking for your understanding. Just keep it this way.”

And then they smile faintly.

For some reason, I felt a strange physiological repulsion from this person.

Is there something missing in their humanity? Similar to how seeing an amateurish mannequin evokes an unpleasant valley-like unease; that kind of feeling.

Totally unable to grasp what this person is thinking…

I now somewhat understand why Thunderblade calls his child, Pride, a monster.

At that moment, someone shouts from the corridor.

Your Highness, Lord Alcatrape is looking for you!

Upon hearing this, Pride tilts their head slightly and bows before me.

“I wanted to guide you around the palace, but it seems there’s an urgent matter. I will take my leave, then.”

And thus, they turned their back and disappeared.

Truly a peculiar meeting.

—

I met Thunderblade again just as the opulent decorations and treasures of the palace became somewhat dull, nearing late afternoon.

As the sun began to set, painting the sky red,

A maid from the palace corridor handed me something that resembled a small walnut.

“Looks like you’re hungry. Please take this.”

“I’m not really hungry though…”

“Just eat it.”

Curious about this unexpected hospitality, I crunched the thing and found a small piece of paper inside.

It instructed me to find a certain passage, a certain nook on a certain corridor and push a particular bookshelf…

This must be the venue of Thunderblade’s secret meeting.

However, since the palace is extremely large, and I don’t know any of Prince Pride’s inner circles, I had to wander around quite a bit.

Finally, after finding the bookshelf and nudging it, a secret space appeared as the wall slid.

Even though the secret space had merely a table and a couple of chairs, the mere existence of a secret passage sufficiently made my heart race.

When I entered, Thunderblade, adorned with a crown, was already waiting.

“You’re late. Was someone following you by any chance? It appears you were delayed in losing them.”

Knock.

Since telling him I was lost would not make me look good, I simply nodded. Thunderblade asked me again.

“This passage is one rarely taken by people. Nevertheless, has anyone followed you? Our encounter today must remain unknown after our prior official meeting, so it’s best this remains confidential.”

“Not at all.”

There was absolutely no sign or feeling of someone following me, I’m certain.

Thunderblade also seemed to relax a little at this.

I asked.

“Is this a safe location?”

“Yes. Due to the civil war 20 years ago, such places inside the palace have been passed down only to the kings. Even Pride does not know the exact location of this place.”

“Pride…”

“Exactly. So, did you happen to meet the prince?”

By the king’s question, I recalled the encounter in front of the treasury earlier. All I could bring up now were the harried circumstances and that 1.1 H cup softness.

“I met what seemed to be the princess.”

By my answer, the old king sighed and swept his hand across his forehead.

“In other words, you’ve already met. Understandably, I have never sired a son. That person is my daughter actually …”

For some reason, the look of the aged king confessing a humiliating fact made him appear years older.

He continued.

“Clearly, that person is definitely my daughter. But, after battling a high fever, many things changed. My delicate nymph-like daughter began referring to herself as a prince, mingling with knights and indulging in perilous duties.”

“Indeed…”

I fully understood the king’s sentiments.

If my younger sister had survived a fever only to announce she was done being female—my parents might have slapped her.

What’s more serious is that a royal princess has undertaken this behavior.

“Is there any indication? Any clue why they suddenly started doing this? Like, an aspiration to become male…?”

“Not quite. Perhaps, it’s due to the regulations.”

“Regulations?”

“This kingdom is built upon the commandments from Jupiter. Only a strong male warrior is qualified to sit on the Thunder Throne.”

“Thunder Throne?”

“Anyone who doesn’t meet the requirements will be struck dead by intense lightning the moment they attempt to sit on it.”

Hearing his explanation, it seemed that the royal seat of this kingdom was like an electric chair.

Clearly a strange country.

“Therefore, princesses cannot inherit this kingdom’s throne. Typically, a consort is brought in to ensure the throne is passed to the male spouse. My father was also such a spouse, married to a princess.”

“Is this related to what you’re telling me now?”

“It’s related. I think Pride probably wants to become king themselves. That’s why they’re trying to pass themselves off as a prince to the people.”

In short, summarized, the conclusion is—since the princess cannot inherit the throne herself, she must transform into a prince! That seems to be the case.

Since everyone plays along with Pride’s act, this palace has turned into a grand theater.

And the ordinary citizens, unaware of this truth, firmly believe that Pride isn’t female but male.

Even if it sounds implausible, I, myself, didn’t fully suspect until I touched that chest, so it’s not impossible.

Unlike the 21st century where pictures and videos of political figures are abundant, in this place, even the nobles’ faces are rarely seen by commoners in their lifetime.

“But, if they cannot sit on the throne, then eliminating them would solve all problems, right?”

“Still, that person is my child. Are there any parents who wish to see their child meet their end on the throne?”

That, yes.

I had thought the king simply wanted to prevent Pride from ruling the nation.

Turns out, it was more literal— preventing his child from sitting on the throne where they would be fatally electrocuted.

“So, what do you want me to do?”

“There are many ears in the Royal Way. I’ve heard that Lord Zigress has the power to chase away evil spirits. Evil spirits and monsters become powerless before Pluto’s name…”

I thought it was nonsense at first but then recalled the time I exorcised a spirit into Luna’s doll.

Paranoi made a big deal out of it, saying, “Hassan can exorcise ghosts!” and spread the word everywhere.

The king seems to have heard about it.

The king said.

“The more I think about it, the more certain I am that my daughter has been possessed by a ghost. Consuming things they wouldn’t normally consume or doing things they would not usually do—these are all symptoms of possession.”

“Possessed…”

“Isn’t there a popular belief like this? That a rambunctious child suddenly grew wiser, only to find out later it was an alien spirit possessing them…”

There’s such a story?

As I nodded appropriately, the king continued.

“Surely my daughter must be possessed too. Not by an ordinary spirit either but probably a terrifying ghost summoned from the very depths of Tartarus by the power of hellfire. However, there are no Pluto priests left who can exorcise such spirits…”

“Ah, yes, they were persecuted and wiped out.”

“Exactly. The ghost that’s taken over my daughter was the one who labeled Pluto’s followers heretical and annihilated them completely. This is the karma that old man like me must carry…”

The king left his statement hanging.

Since the moment I started talking to this man, I’ve constantly felt a sense of obstruction, like important parts were hidden behind closed curtains.

Intentionally withholding information, one could infer.

As I listened to the king, I reviewed the keywords stored in my mind one by one.

Pride, who suffered from a high fever.

Hellfire.

A changed personality.

This sounds familiar—where have I experienced something similar?

An image comes to mind—a faint image of a barred window. A girl trapped in a high tower. The young daughter of Baron Fleur, Brigitte.

Of course, Brigitte’s personality didn’t change, but she suffered the aftereffects of the forbidden rite and the corrosion of hellish power, leading her to live a life with a limited time-frame.

A spark of realization flashes in my mind.

“d*mn! So you’ve subjected your own daughter to a binding spell.”

—

End of Translation.

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