The Prince’s Faction
Prince Carlos permitted us to reveal ourselves as The Kingdom’s heroes.
“Indeed, if we are to employ that strategy, it would be easier if your identities were known,” he said.
And so, the very next day, the prince introduced us to the nobility as heroes—unexpectedly thrusting us into the social circles of Ludonia.
With Solon’s colorless, transparent magical pigment concealed on our bodies.
“Would high-ranking nobles even bother greeting someone like me?” I had my doubts, but there were still plenty who approached out of curiosity.
Applying the pigment to others wasn’t as difficult as I’d imagined. By coating my own skin beforehand and then touching the target just before contact, the transfer was effortless.
I smeared the pigment on my arm beneath my sleeve, making sure to brush it onto anyone who came to shake my hand.
Leon did the same, using handshakes to spread the pigment, while Maria applied it to the back of her hand, letting it transfer to the faces of men who kissed it.
Technically, proper etiquette dictates that one shouldn’t actually press their lips to the hand—but Maria had always been subjected to real kisses more often than not.
Admittedly, Maria’s hands were breathtakingly beautiful, so I could understand the impulse.
But after everything those hands had endured, I’d never dream of doing such a thing.
“Though it normally irritates me, this time, I found it in my heart to forgive them.”
Oblivious to my thoughts, Maria flashed a refreshing smile.
As for Solon, he sought out those on the guest list who didn’t approach us, using magic to apply the pigment from a distance.
“It’s just an application of water magic—nothing impressive.”
But I knew enough magic to realize it wasn’t that simple. Yet Solon manipulated the pigment as if it were alive, effortlessly marking target after target.
It was also Solon who managed to mark Felip and Elliot, despite their wariness of us.
“The pigment is merely a simple marker to track movement. It won’t reveal who’s acting suspiciously. So, if anything odd happens, Ares or Leon will need to investigate.”
After tagging all our targets, Solon explained this to Leon and me.
“You’re not moving?”
Leon looked displeased.
“Me? Move? After I crafted this special pigment for you? After I set up the tracking magic? Do you even remember whose plan this was? I expect at least that much from your memory. And now you tell me to move? Think about it, Leon. What have you done this whole time? Shake hands with men? Kiss women’s hands? A ten-year-old could do that. You really think your effort compares to mine?”
Leon grumbled but eventually conceded under Solon’s relentless logic.
I had no objections from the start. I never expected Solon to do manual labor, and even less so Maria. It was always our role as the frontline fighters to take action.
So, Leon and I took turns tracking the suspicious movements of those marked with the pigment.
※ ※ ※
With nothing else to do but wait for our targets to act, I took the opportunity to explore Ludonia’s castle, hoping to uncover something useful.
This led to me becoming familiar with many in the castle. While Felip and Elliot kept their distance, others were friendly, casually calling me “Ares.”
Among them, Princess Elena was the most persistent in seeking me out.
Today, as I walked the castle corridors, she twirled toward me.
“Hey, Ares. You don’t seem all that strong or impressive. Are you really a hero?”
The silver-haired girl grinned, her question laced with mischief.
“Not being strong means I can’t afford to act impressive, Princess. Unlike you.”
I responded with a bit of my own implication.
“You don’t get it, Ares.”
She wagged her finger.
“Important people have to act important. Otherwise, nothing gets done. The strong give orders. The weak follow them. If the strong didn’t command, no one would work. Understand? Acting important is their job.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Though her words sounded sarcastic, there was truth in them.
“You may be right. My apologies, Princess Elena.”
“Good, as long as you understand.”
She puffed out her chest proudly, exuding an age-appropriate charm.
“That’s why you’re not fit to be a hero. If a hero can’t properly command his allies, even Leon and Solon won’t work efficiently. That’s on you, isn’t it?”
Her teasing words struck deep.
It was something I’d long worried about. I had to take more responsibility for my comrades. That was what being a hero meant.
“…You forgot Maria.”
Unable to admit it outright, I deflected with a petty jab.
“She doesn’t count. She’s scary.”
Apparently, the princess disliked Maria. Maybe their first meeting went poorly—but it was rare for someone as outwardly graceful and saintly as Maria to be disliked.
“Anyway, my brother—who can command properly—is more suited to be a hero than you! He’s always protected Ludonia from the Demon King’s army, just as the people wished. That’s amazing, isn’t it? We can live peacefully thanks to him. Can you name another hero as great as that? Hmm?”
Unlike Elliot and the others, Princess Elena didn’t want Prince Carlos to go slay the Demon King—she just wanted her brother recognized as a true hero.
“He is remarkable. Skilled in sword and magic, Prince Carlos is a fine hero. But I’ll do my best not to fall behind.”
At my words, Elena smiled, satisfied.
※ ※ ※
For a while, nothing unusual happened. Sure, there were odd movements—but most were just secret rendezvous, not meetings with demons.
Leon and I, forced to pry into people’s private affairs, grew mentally exhausted.
Leon especially.
“We set out on this journey to save the world, and now look at us…”
He groaned in our room.
Solon, however, remained unfazed.
“If the culprit were that easy to find, that brilliant prince would’ve caught them already. Whoever’s connected to the demons is extremely cautious. They probably even know we’re sniffing around.”
The Great Sage sprawled on the sofa with his usual arrogance—more so than even the haughtiest nobles.
Leon finally lost his temper.
“So you sent Ares and me running around knowing it’d be pointless?!”
“We couldn’t rule out the possibility of the enemy being an utter fool. Consider this a necessary confirmation.”
Solon waved a hand dismissively, unbothered by Leon’s anger.
“Not that we wasted the time. Maria ran a ‘consultation session’ to gather intel on Ludonia’s inner workings. And of course, I was gathering information too.”
“I found it utterly distasteful… but I endured it for Ares’ sake.”
Maria, who had quietly entered our room, gently wrapped her arms around my neck from behind.
“Uh, th-thanks, Maria…”
I felt like a frog caught by a snake.
“Fools flocked to her ‘consultation’ daily, taken in by her saintly façade.”
Solon smirked mockingly.
“Let me be clear—I never agreed to run a ‘consultation.’ I merely said I’d listen to their troubles. Then suddenly, so many came…”
Maria sighed in exasperation.
“Good. At least your one redeeming trait—your fake kindness—was useful.”
Solon snickered.
“…Divine revelation just came to me. Solon is beyond salvation, inside and out. He might never marry because of it.”
Maria glared at him coldly.
“Tch. Spare me. Just get to the point.”
Stung, Solon scowled.
“Fine. Ludonia’s situation is more complicated than expected. About a decade ago, Prince Carlos began displaying his talents, drawing followers. His popularity even surpassed the king’s—yet initially, this wasn’t an issue. After all, he was the crown prince, and winning hearts only pleased the king.”
“Makes sense. A capable heir is priceless, whether royal or noble.”
Leon chimed in.
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“But as the Demon King’s threat grew, people began expecting a different role from the prince—one beyond kingship.”
“…A hero?”
“Exactly, Ares.”
Maria smiled brightly, as if praising a child.
The epithet “Hero of Ludonia” had become so famous that even The Kingdom had heard of it. Strangely enough, it seemed that many of Ludonia’s people genuinely believed Prince Carlos to be the true Hero. The prince himself had apparently expressed his desire to “become the Hero” since childhood, and over time, those around him began to take it seriously.
However, not everyone shared that wish.
“Ludonia king, you mean?” Leon interjected.
“Yes. No royal family would willingly send their most capable heir into mortal danger. If anything, they would take every precaution to keep him safe—both as royalty and as a father. So, the king refused Prince Carlos’ request to lead the demon king’s subjugation. Though, since no one actually witnessed the exchange between the king and prince, this was merely speculation.”
“It’s only natural for such crucial discussions among royals to be held in private. Still, once rumors like that spread, whether true or not, wouldn’t it create a rift between the king and prince?”
“No, their relationship remained unharmed. Ludonia king held no resentment—in fact, he valued the prince highly as his successor. However, among Prince Carlos’ supporters, many had grown into fervent devotees. ‘Prince Carlos is the Hero. We will tolerate no dissent on this matter.'”
“Ignoring the prince’s own wishes?”
I couldn’t help but ask. This situation felt familiar. Back then, it had been the same—when the prophet appeared in Taliz Village…
“Indeed. Some were uneasy about this. There were even those who considered taking extreme measures. Even now, I suspect those embers still smolder.”
“Don’t tell me they tried to incite a civil war?”
Leon’s eyes widened.
“At the time, such rumors circulated. But after Prince Carlos fell ill, the situation changed, and those dangerous movements ceased. From the outside, Ludonia appears united, but internally, it was far more unstable than one might think.”
“That prince was sick?”
“So it seems. At one point, he teetered on the brink of death. Some even speculated that the king had poisoned him. But now, as you can see—”
Here, a faint flicker of emotion passed through Maria’s eyes.
“—he’s in excellent health. That said, even Prince Carlos himself no longer actively pursues the demon king’s defeat, and the fervor for him as the Hero has significantly waned. The emergence of a new Hero—Ares—likely played a role in that.”
Maria cast a gentle glance at me.
“Me? So that’s why Prince Carlos gave me that intimidating look and asked, ‘So you’re the Hero?’ when we first met?”
“Most likely. Prince Carlos must have complicated feelings toward the Hero,”
Solon replied.
“But that’s irrelevant now. From what I’ve confirmed, most of the names the prince listed belonged to a faction known as the ‘Prince’s Faction’—his most zealous followers. My guess? The prince suspects they’re the ones who let the monsters in.”
“Why would the Prince’s Faction do such a thing?”
“I can think of a few reasons, but the fastest way to find out is to ask them directly. The faction’s ringleader is Felip. He knows we’re investigating, and he sees Ares—the kingdom’s Hero—as an obstacle. Sooner or later, he’ll make his move.”
Solon smirked darkly.
“Felip is the faction’s leader? Then what about Elliot?”
If anything, I had assumed Elliot—who seemed far more composed than Felip—was the central figure of the Prince’s Faction.
“Elliot co-founded the faction with Felip but reportedly split from him some time ago—around when Ares was officially recognized as the Hero. He must have given up on pushing the prince as the Hero. He always struck me as the pragmatic type.”
Come to think of it, though both were the prince’s close aides, I rarely saw the two of them together.
Felip was often seen walking among the knights, while Elliot usually kept to himself.
Somehow, that loneliness lingered in my thoughts.
TLNOTE:
Because of that volume 1 and 2 fan translation in this site will be removed in the near future
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As usual, please consider reading other novels written by Daken sensei listed below :
- Monster Meat Led Me to the Throne
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Castle of Canaan ~ The Lost Kingdom’s Princess, the World’s Hidden Treasure, and the Grand Adventure of the Mightiest Band of Thieves Versus an Empire ~
- The Suspects of Necromancy
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
- The Last Magic (translated by my friend narwhal)
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
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