[V13C25] The Resolve to Keep Walking

One afternoon, two days before the ceremony, Isaac held a meeting with the Dragon Slayer Mage regarding the underwater reconnaissance research. However, he was currently wearing the face of Felix Arc Ridill.

This collaborative effort between Silas Page and Isaac Walker had the ultimate goal of making a ship equipped with reconnaissance magic for detecting water dragons.

Their main sponsor was the chairman of the Anderson Trading Company, Widsley Anderson. In addition, Second Prince Felix Arc Ridill supported the project by providing access to a port.

Isaac spread out a few documents across the table.

“Walker has been working on enhancements to the accuracy of the underwater reconnaissance spell,” Isaac explained in a calm voice befitting the Second Prince. “This solves the issue of debris interfering with detection. However, the detection range still needs improvement.”

“You seem, uh… very well-informed,” Silas mumbled.

“I’ve heard the details directly from Walker.”

Of course, he could not mention that he was literally Isaac Walker.

In actuality, Isaac had even demonstrated the improved accuracy of the reconnaissance spell during the battle with Black Dragon Theodore, but that needed to be kept secret from Silas. Right now, he was simply Prince Felix after hearing a report from his subordinate.

Silas read through the documents while awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

“Sorry about not doing my part,” Silas apologized. “I’ve been meaning to work on the range, but I haven’t had much time…”

“There’s no need for you to apologize. I know how busy you’ve been with the large-scale dragon disaster.”

Silas was a skilled user of flight magic, so he had been assigned several jobs such as aerial surveillance and delivering communications between the capital and Sazandol. He hardly had any free time since the original prediction by the Starseer Witch.

Even now, after everything was resolved, he was busy preparing for the Sage Induction Ceremony. He had no time to work on research.

Meanwhile, Isaac had something to apologize for as well.

“Testing wide-range reconnaissance is best on an actual ship, but I have to ask for a slight delay before we begin experimentation,” Isaac said apologetically. “I’m currently lending out several of my ships, so the ports are a bit hectic at the moment.”

“I’m fine with that, but, uh…”

Silas seemed to be choosing his words carefully, since he was still unaccustomed to dealing with nobles.

“Is there something on your mind, Page-dono?” Isaac asked.

“It’s not really related, but… Ike, I mean, Isaac Walker is your subordinate, right?”

This was an unexpected question. Isaac covered his slight surprise by nodding with a smile.

“That’s right. We’ve been working with each other for quite a while.”

“Is Ike going to get nothing when he did so much for the Gluttonous Zoe incident? Without him, we would have fought Theodore with knowing his true identity… It might have ended in a complete disaster.”

Isaac being Monica’s disciple was something they did not want public, because it implied a connection between the Second Prince and the Silent Witch.

But it seems Silas was not satisfied with this excuse, likely because he lacked experience about the intricacies of politics.

“I have to apologize there,” Isaac replied. “That is mainly due to my circumstances.”

Second Prince Felix Arc Ridill had renounced his right to the throne and taken a step back from politics.

However, there were still many who preferred the Second Prince as the next king. Also, according to Ridill law, even if one renounces their claim to the throne, their child retains the right of succession.

In other words, Felix Arc Ridill still held major political value.

“Lady Everett is a national hero,” Isaac continued. “And I have fought alongside her during the curse dragon subjugation.”

While the Silent Witch had always maintained neutrality in politics, many suspected her of supporting the Second Prince Faction. After all, it was her who saved the Second Prince during the Supreme Council two years ago.

Inviting her to the occasional tea party would be fine. The tea party two days ago did not result in any issues.

But it’s a different story if the Silent Witch takes a subordinate of the Second Prince as her disciple. That would raise suspicions of backdoor political dealings.

“Walker entering the public eye may cause trouble for Lady Everett. Could you please keep all of this secret? I’ll make sure to reward him properly on my end.”

Silas seemed satisfied after hearing that reassurance. He took a deep breath and performed a strong bow, almost hitting his forehead against the table.

“I’ve known Ike since childhood, and he’s like a little brother to me… Please take good care of him!”

(I’m glad to have someone willing to say that about me.)

The perfect face of the Second Prince twitched into a slight smile, but Isaac covered it up by resting his cheek on his hand.

Meanwhile, Silas raised his head and continued…

“Especially since he looks so intimidating, and is rude all the time.”

“…Huh?”

“He only has eyes for food, but he’s not a bad guy.”

Intimidating, rude, only has eyes for food——The perfect description of you, Silas-niisan, Isaac thought to himself behind his smile.

Unaware of Isaac’s inner thoughts, Silas started reminiscing.

“Oh yeah. Back when we were kids, he kept going to the kitchen to sneak a bite before dinner.”

“…Is that so?”

Funny hearing that from my accomplice.

＊　＊　＊

After the meeting with Silas, Isaac wrote a report to Chairman Anderson of the Anderson Trading Company, then took a short nap to prepare for his next appointment later today.

Isaac woke up shortly before dusk, changed clothes, and attended an evening party. During the week-long garden party, such gatherings were held practically every day.

Felix Arc Ridill was all but retired from the public eye, but he still needed to do his job as the lord of his domain. This included the bare minimum of social interaction.

He showed up at these parties to greet people, while doing his best to avoid involvement in politics. This was surprisingly difficult, as many still held the Second Prince in high esteem.

After several hours of remaining moderately discreet, Isaac left the party just before midnight.

He passed through a deserted corridor and climbed a set of stairs to arrive at a small conference room on the top floor.

This room was not particularly spacious, but it had a large window. The curtains were open despite the late hour, and the stars were shimmering in the darkness of night.

There was a woman gazing at the stars next to the window. As she slowly turned around, her beautiful silver hair swayed gracefully behind her back.

“Did you have any trouble slipping out?” asked the woman.

“No, I was very cautious,” Isaac replied. “I don’t want anyone noticing us sneaking out of the party together, as they might misunderstand our relationship.”

The woman——Mary Harvey the Starseer Witch——chuckled at Isaac’s joke.

She wore a fashionable dress covered in thin layers of silk below her Sage robes, and held her staff in hand.

“Thank you for informing me of the situation,” Mary said.

She was referring to the letter Isaac had sent her while they were in Sazandol, which was secretly delivered by Wildianu.

This letter explained the identity and motives of Black Dragon Theodore, as well as Isaac’s encounter with Gluttonous Zoe and the imperfect stability of his face.

Isaac decided to tell her everything, aside from the identities of Nero and Thule and his journey through the underworld.

After all, Mary was the acting leader of the Seven Sages. Having her in the know would make it easier to gain her cooperation later.

“Oh, as I thought…” Mary whispered, approaching Isaac with her dress and robe flowing behind her.

She was so close that her dreamy light blue eyes reflected the handsome face of the prince.

“It’s gone,” Mary continued. “Your fate of loss has disappeared without a trace.”

Isaac had not informed her about his meeting with Felix in the underworld, or that the kind prince had held onto the star of loss.

Half of this was because he believed what happened in the underworld should not be told to the living. The other half was because he believed the young prince’s final order was for him alone.

After peering into Isaac’s blue eyes for a few seconds, Mary smiled.

“If you wanted to do so, you could live freely as Isaac Walker from now on.”

Mary spoke the truth. Maintaining his mana at half-capacity all the time would be annoying, but he had access to Wildianu and magical tools. It wasn’t impossible.

Isaac had regained his original face. He could stop being Felix Arc Ridill.

But he did not. Isaac continued to lead his double life, even now.

“Even after being freed from your fate of loss, you still choose the more difficult path… Letting go of your attachments will make everything a lot easier, you know?”

Isaac put on a wry smile.

(That’s something I’ve known for a long time.)

His memories with Arc. His feelings for Monica. Isaac sometimes admonished himself for obsessing over these attachments, but not he would never abandon them.

“You know,” Isaac said. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now.”

The handsome prince’s smile underwent a drastic change. Isaac gave Mary a scowl gleaming with displeasure.

“To me, your prophecies are nothing more than an annoyance.”

This was the dark and muddy anger that Isaac Walker had kept hidden within the depths of his heart.

“Do this and you’ll be happy. Do that and you’ll be safe… You act like you’re giving me advice from the goodness of your heart, but you’ll never take responsibility for what happens to me in the end, will you?”

Isaac twisted the corner of his lips into a smile that oozed sarcasm.

“Or are you saying you would share my fate and die alongside me?”

“Oh dear,” Mary gasped. “That sounds like a very extreme marriage proposal. What would your master say if she heard you saying that?”

Isaac went silent and blinked a few times.

The moment he thought about Monica, all of his anger seemed so insignificant before the emotions filling his heart.

“If my master were here, she would probably say something like this…”

Isaac placed his hand above his chest and smiled again. Rather than his usual princely smile, he was smiling in the same way as the girl he loved.

“…I won’t let you die.”

Monica was kind enough to remain at Isaac’s side, and strong enough to blow away Isaac’s despair.

And it wasn’t just her. Isaac’s worry-prone partner Wildianu, his fellow classmates… Even the great Nero-senpai would surely save Isaac too.

“I have two reasons for continuing my double life… First, because of my attachment to the people I met with this face and the time I’ve spent with them.”

“Oh my, you are quite the greedy man.”

Isaac performed a slight shrug of his shoulders.

She was absolutely right. Isaac Walker had no intention of giving up or letting go of anything. That was greed, pure and simple.

“As for the second reason, there are some things that can only be done by the Second Prince.”

Mary stared at Isaac’s face, then turned her eyes to the starry sky as if to confirm something. She read the stars for a few seconds before turning her attention to Isaac.

“You mean…?” Mary whispered.

The Gluttonous Zoe incident was falsely attributed to Theodore Maxwell rather than the black dragon that devoured him. This reminded Isaac of something he needed to do.

He must prove that the execution of Monica’s father, Dr. Benedict Raine, was a mistake.

This was not going to be easy, of course. The incident was over a decade old, so Duke Crockford had already erased all of the evidence.

Moreover, Duke Crockford was sure to notice any attempts at investigation, and obstruct him at every turn. One wrong step could lead to his doom.

However, Isaac had already made up his mind.

“I’ve decided to challenge Duke Crockford head-on.”

The Second Prince curled his lips into an aggressive smile, causing Mary to sigh and place a hand on her cheek.

“You know how scary Darius-chan is, right? He won’t even let you turn it into a proper fight.”

“Of course. I’m ready for the long haul.”

Isaac intended to prove the innocence of Monica’s father, no matter what stood in his path. For that, he needed his position as Second Prince.

“I understand that you are not a big fan of my advice,” Mary continued. “But please be careful to avoid getting stabbed in the back.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“May the blessing of the stars be with you.”

Isaac turned around and exited the room.

It was the middle of the night, so only a few dim candles lit the corridor.

That said, Isaac had experienced the darkness of the underworld. The light of these candles was plenty for him.

(I am no longer in that darkness.)

As Isaac began walking, the small white lizard Wildianu peered out from the pocket of his jacket.

“Master…”

“I know. I promise not to do anything reckless.”

“I’m afraid I cannot trust that promise.”

“…”

Apparently, Isaac’s declaration of war had made Wildianu very worried.

There was no one in the corridor, so Isaac placed Wildianu on the back of his hand and spoke to him up close.

“In that case, you can stop me if I act reckless. Will you keep walking alongside me, Wildianu?”

“Of course.”

Wildianu’s response sounded monotone, typical of a spirit, but Isaac could recognize his partner’s underlying sense of pride.

Isaac was now surrounded by many beloved friends and companions, walking down a path bathed in light.

This path would sometimes be flat and uneventful, and sometimes covered in bumps.

Either way, he was determined to walk all the way to the end.

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