Chapter 51 Reunion With The Foolish King
"Alright, let's go in."
We entered the Vandale Royal Palace――.
With Maia and Teti in tow, I stepped into the castle.
It's been two years since then, huh...
It's been since Charles banished me from the royal family that I entered the palace.
Reflecting on everything that has happened since then, I moved forward with a sense of being out of place.
"Adel... How did you do that thing earlier?"
"Hm?"
"That barrier, even when I activated my Job ability and tried to hit it, it wouldn't break..."
Teti must be talking about the barrier we saw before entering the palace.
When we arrived, the palace was surrounded by a red and black grid-like light.
It was a barrier that Fran, the informant, had mentioned before, one that prevents entry of those not recognized by the royal family.
"Oh, right. The Job ability [Chronarch] has a magic that manipulates space. That barrier had a similar structure, so I manipulated space to cancel it out."
"...Adel's power is still off the charts, huh?"
"It's too late for that, Teti-chan."
――A barrier, huh...
From what I know, no one in the royal family should be able to set up a barrier like that.
In that case, it must have been Marc Richard who set up that barrier.
――I still can't clearly see what abilities Marc has.
They say he has the strength to defeat an SS-class dragon on his own, and there's an eerie unpredictability about him.
As I pondered this, we reached the grand hall of the royal palace.
"That's far enough, Adel! I won't tolerate any more rebellion!"
"...Brother."
Standing there was the first prince, Sigurs Vandale.
Behind him, I could see the other princes――my other big brothers.
"Stop this nonsense. ...I heard it from Father. You're trying to overthrow the state, luring monsters into the city, and spreading poison."
"""...Huh?"""
Maia, Teti, and I couldn't help but let out a sigh together.
It wasn't so much that we were surprised by being told something off the mark, but rather, we were more exasperated by my brothers who believed such rumors.
"When I heard that you were the Black-Robed Executor, I was surprised. But what good does it do to go against our royal family? Father would be saddened."
"..."
"Now, put down your sword. We'll even apologize together now. So stop this foolishness already."
"Are you brothers... joking or something when you say that?"
"...? What do you mean?"
It seems they are serious.
It appears that my brothers are genuinely accepting what Father Charles says and are talking to me.
Ignorance is said to be evil, but what do you call someone who stops thinking and refuses to have their own will?
"...Brothers, you aren't being made to drink the Droplet of Soma, right?"
"The Droplet of Soma? What's that?"
"..."
They don't even seem to be informed.
I was beyond shocked and even pitiful.
"Adel-sama. Let's hurry ahead."
"Yes, that's right."
"Wait! We're saying to stop. If you insist on moving forward, then we, who possess the job of [Sword Saint], will be your opponents!"
Honestly, I don't remember much about my big brothers.
That's right.
They didn't do anything.
When I was in the royal family, when a city plan that excluded the approval of the town was proposed, when I was expelled from the royal family, after being expelled from the royal family.
And even now――
They just accept what Charles says, obey, and move like a puppet.
They don't think or act on their own.
"Enough! If you won't listen to us, then we'll use force! Attack!"
"――Wind God Sword, activate!"
"Ugh――!"
Wind slashes attack my brothers from all directions.
"Aaargh!"
Unable to bear it, my brothers rolled on the marble floor.
As all my brothers were unconscious, we continued forward.
As we passed by the rolling brothers, I suddenly thought.
If I had been granted the same [Sword Saint] job ability as my brothers, if I hadn't been expelled from the royal palace, would I have turned out like this too?
"I don't think so, Adel-sama."
"Huh..."
As we advanced deeper into the palace, Maia spoke as if she could see through my thoughts.
"I don't think it matters whether Adel-sama is from the royal family or was exiled. I believe Adel-sama would have remained the same no matter where he was."
"..."
"I've been watching you all this time."
Maia said, and Teti smiled as if to say she felt the same way.
I thought they were good people.
* * *
We defeated my brothers and headed to the deepest part of the royal palace.
And when we arrived there, we opened a grand door.
"Long time no see, Adel. It seems like Sigurs and the others couldn't even slow you down."
In the deepest part of the Vandale royal palace, between the throne room with neatly arranged stone pillars...
That's where Charles was.
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