In the imperial palace, Prince Blake was seated.
"Is that all?"
He was being briefed on the secret and criminal acts of the Iscariot family.
To make his day even more bitter, many members of his faction were corrupt.
That bothered him greatly.
"I'm afraid it does. Those involved have erased evidence of what they have done. It's very difficult to trace them."
"I understand..."
It was well past noon and Blake was in a bad mood, then he remembered one thing.
"Right. Do you know what became of the duel between Lux and Cid?"
"..."
"What's with that face?"
"Your Highness.... don't tell me you didn't hear about it? It was a big scandal what happened."
"What are you talking about?"
Blake was very confused and intrigued about what he says.
"Tell me what happened while I was resting for that headache."
The man's mouth was moving, and Blake's face was contorted in horror at what he heard.
◇◇◇
The bleachers were excited because of who the winner would be.
"It's unbelievable that the Attley's son and the fourth prince were drawn."
"The fourth prince did it due to the fact that he didn't stand a chance against him. Personally, I don't blame him. I would do the same thing."
"Now there's only that boy left who defeated the three friends of Prince Regulux. Who do you think will win?"
"In this match... anyone can win."
While in another section.
"What the fourth prince did was something even I myself couldn't foresee."
"I was thinking about what kind of strategy I would use. But something like that is certainly an act to applaud."
"Really?"
"Of course. If you were someone normal against a child prodigy how would you win?"
"I'd go all out to destroy his defenses and then his sword."
"That's something only you would do Dolph."
"Now there's only one duel left."
"..."
"Instructor?"
"I just wonder if the winner will be the one who's been smiling at the goddess Alexia. Three wins in a row. Now only his most annoying opponent remains."
Christina and Goredolph looked at the prince who was reassuring Lambert who was bowing in an apologetic position known as dogeza.
"I'm so sorry indeed! I have no words to express how sorry I am Your Highness!"
"Lam. Calm down, it's okay."
"No! Of course it's not! I failed you... I said I'd win and I lost. I lost to someone who fought like a coward!"
Regulux reached down to grab Lambert's shoulders.
"Lam."
He called out to him, and the face of the decayed childhood friend lifted in fear. But the smile he found made his tears stop.
"It's all right. You didn't lose. What Cidfert did just an act of cowardice."
"It was a duel. And you're someone who respects the rules. Something like that is impossible to imagine for someone with your intellect. Take it as a joke. A very bad one."
"Lambert. You didn't lose, they just played a bad joke on you."
The tears of the dejected Lambert stopped. Instead, an embarrassed expression with red cheeks appeared.
"Y-You're right. Sorry. I got really carried away with that."
Regulux stood up and so did Lambert.
He wiped his face with his sleeve.
His friend spoke to him as his usual expressionless face returned.
"Lam. I'll win, don't worry. Just leave everything to me. In the end, I should have been the one to end this originally."
"...?"
Lambert didn't understand what his friend was talking about, but he didn't give it any more thought.
"I understand. I'll go get your Pegasus. I'll check it for anything, in the meantime I'll rest."
"I just need to do one thing while I wait."
Regulux smiled as he looked at the audience. To be exact, at Elize.
She didn't notice, since she was staring at Razel who was saying to Cid.
"I must go evacuate many brown babies. Breakfast is just kicking in."
Razel ranted.
"Lily-san, excuse me. I must go to the powder room."
"Sure."
Elize stood up and left her seat.
Lily watched her walk away in a direction that wasn't the ladies' room.
◇
I walked out of the bathroom after releasing a large bombshell. Well, there were several.
I feel so sorry for the janitor who has to clean that up.
I wrote on the wall that I was sorry.
As I went back to get ready, I met someone unexpected.
"Hi."
The third prince was waiting for me leaning against the wall.
He greeted me as if he were a casual friend.
After doing so, he approached me to say.
"We don't know each other and believe me I don't want to either, but how about this? Let's make a deal."
"A deal?" I said intrigued.
"Yes. You see, I'm confident I'm not going to lose. But it never hurts to have insurance."
His thinking is the same as mine. It terrifies me a little.
"May I know what makes you think you will win?"
"It's simple."
He smiled as if he were an insurance salesman, a very devilish one.
"By the simple fact that I am third in the line of succession. From birth I had a certain rank in the palace court. My childhood was surrounded by annoying adults who wanted to greet me and belong to my faction. My mother took care of them for me."
"Leaving that aside, there's the other fact. Your family."
I made a bad expression as I heard him say that.
"Don't misunderstand me. It's not a threat. Your family will only live annoyed by those who are offended by insulting the imperial crown."
I warned my family what I was going to do. Their responses were surprising.
My mother said. "Making a girl cry is terrible. As her mother she would be very ashamed and as a woman, for her to do that to her fiancé deserves a good smack. Hit him hard across the mouth!"
My little sister and little brother supported her. While my father said to me.
"You got into that trouble because you wanted to, but, if you're a real man. Never go back on your word. Always be firm in your decisions even if they are wrong for others."
In my previous life, hearing words like that were only believable in video games, considering this world is one; not uncommon. But, still, it's nice to be told that from the heart.
The prince went on to say.
"So, my plan is this. Let's give everyone a show, then you'll lose to me. I guarantee you not only that nothing will happen to you. Cidfert will also not be bothered by the ministers and your family will live well. I'll even give you a reward."
That all sounds very good. But there is something that bothers me more than anything else.
"What about Eli?"
"What about what, I don't understand you?"
"I'm talking about what would happen to Eli and her household after her defeat."
Regulux stuck his finger up his nose as he said to me.
"Does that really matter? I mean, Rosenberg Household is broke. Their debt is approximately 350 million crystalia. Even the imperial family doesn't have that kind of money. In fact, that money is what is collected it in 5 years. It is impossible for them to pay that without business or any legal method. That house is in ruins. I'm telling you for your own sake, messing with that pest won't bring you any good."
That debt is so large, even Amy's sold books can't pay for it.
No doubt, his offer is what any intelligent person would take.
But, at that moment, a certain memory was going through my head.
Razel!
Razel...
It was Eli as a child, the day we became childhood friends. She was smiling at me with a pure and innocent smile of a little girl.
The other was about the day I saw her beautiful cherry red eyes cry.
Her beautiful face showed how much she was hurt.
Besides, there is something I can't allow.
That is a certain rumor I read the same day I died.
That rumor said that the bearer of the sin of wrath. That it had no appearance as it was a black ghost that emanated pure hatred. It was actually Eli.
That rumor was given since at the time of her end. The illustration showed the silhouette of a young girl crying.
In the character pose menu, more information came up.
Her birth date was five years ago after the time skip.
A young girl crying. Deep hatred. Five years since she was born.
Even if it's a coincidence or a rumor where the villainess was becoming the latest bearer of the second most difficult sin to defeat.
All the more reason I was going to prevent her end!
I smiled at the prince.
"I refuse." With a cheek to cheek smile.
"Are you sure?" he said. I replied. "Of course I am. You think I'd let my childhood friend suffer at the hands of a dirty bastard like you?"
Regulux gave me a dirty look.
"You made a grave mistake. I won't repeat it again and I won't accept your begging later."
"Fine with me, I'll say the same words to you when you're begging me not to knock all your teeth out."
With that, my peaceful life as a background character went down the drain.
I watched as he went straight for the exit. But he stopped as he looked to the side before continuing.
I didn't understand why he did that until I watched him.
Eli was peeking out from a small spot.
Once her face was in my range of vision. She came toward me.
Her eyes clearly showed sadness.
She seemed to have heard everything.
What should I do in this case?
Romantic comedies don't have situations like this to imitate the main character that everyone loves.
I didn't know what to say to her until she spoke up to say something unthinkable.
"Why didn't you accept?" She said in a cold tone.
I froze and couldn't say anything.
"If you had accepted. Your family, Prince Cid and mainly you, wouldn't be in trouble with the palace."
Her left arm gripped my right. Her large breasts rested on his arm.
"What you said is true. My house, Rosenberg Household is a mere shadow of what it once was. With each passing day, the interest on the debt grows by two percent."
"For your sake and theirs. That plan was the best for you."
She ducked her head as her shoulders shook.
"I've already endured a lot of pain over the years. It doesn't matter if my house gets more taunts. My mother and I have endured it and will continue to do so."
A tear fell to the floor.
"No one asked you to be my manager. In the first place, wasn't it you who abandoned me years ago? Lily-san told me the reason, but you never sent a letter in all this time or at the academy."
That was because I thought the game had to run its course for Lily to get the power of love.
But I don't care about that anymore.
"If you go now. You can still catch up with the prince and tell him you were wrong. At least defeat will taste better for you if there's a prize."
When I heard her say that, I did what my mind wanted to do all this time.
"What are you!?"
My right hand moved to her large chest.
"I haven't touched Lily's yet, but comparing them to Amy's. Yours are big and have good potential to grow bigger. No doubt she'll be just like her mother!"
I was telling her what I always wanted to tell her as my hand handled those big breasts. Even with gloves on, the touch felt soft springy.
I'd like to pinch the center part. But some other time.
Elize stepped back, covering her breasts.
Before she said anything, I walked straight over to hug her.
"Huh?"
She didn't understand what was going on, she was trying to get away from me.
"What are you doing, let me go! Let me go!"
I hugged her without, my left hand touched her back and my right pushed her head on my chest.
Eli stopped struggling after a while.
My hand caressed her head once she calmed down and I said what she wanted to hear all this time.
"I'm sorry."
"...It's too late for that."
"It's not too late yet."
I moved my hand so she could see my face. Her face showed pain.
"I'm really sorry. You're right, I should have written a letter, but I didn't. It was because I thought that, with this, you would become a strong girl. About your family is something I never expected would happen."
Her eyes showed tears once.
"Of course it hurt me idiot! You were my first friend in the world! I was happy, so happy that I made a friend. If you had stayed with me, I would have made you my fiancé instead of that bastard prince."
"You don't know how everything he said hurts me! I tried hard, I worked hard to make him like me! No matter what it was, I was willing to be even his sex slave for the sake of my family!"
"But... he... he said horrible things to me. Those things haunt my head every day, it hurts so much."
Eli cried again and this time he was hugging me.
I rubbed her back to let her drown.
"Razel. I'm afraid. Scared that my house will be ruined more, scared that my mom will have to cry at night again and mostly, I'm scared that they'll do something to you."
Eli took his head off my chest and looked at my face.
"I... I was dreaming of the day when you would ask for my forgiveness. I was going to leave you suffering a little, and then tell you that you were welcome. I wanted you to suffer a little, for making your beautiful, voluptuous childhood friend cry."
"Sorry. Eli, you won't cry anymore."
I rubbed my fingertips over her face to remove her tears.
"I will not lose. I will win. I'll make that bastard beg your forgiveness on his knees. Besides."
"Besides?" She said as I touched that soft, delicate face.
"I have a solution to save your house."
Her eyes are beautiful, her lips are full and red.
Eli is beautiful, no doubt, that prince is an idiot.
In the game, he could have gotten both beauties if he had used his head.
Now my other hand was touching Eli's face.
"Be mine." I said to her. She couldn't believe me.
"If you give me the title of your house. And I become the next head of a ducal house. The prestigious Rosenberg Household will return to the pinnacle of its fame it once held."
"Razel what are you-?"
I shut her up so she wouldn't talk anymore.
And the method of doing so was to insert my tongue into her mouth.
Apparently, it was Eli's first kiss.
She showed a little resistance, but then she let herself go.
We kissed for a while.
My tongue was coming out of his mouth leaving a small trail of saliva.
I looked into his beautiful eyes with my ugly black eyes.
"Eli, I can't tell you that I love you from my heart as I don't know that feeling. But, if love is the desire to be together with someone and protect it. Then I love you."
"That's the worst declaration of love in the history of mankind, I'm sure of it."
I would have broken into pieces if I were still a virgin.
But she touched my left hand with both hands.
"I don't know what love is either, but in time I think I can develop it to its fullest. So, I accept. Razel, become my future husband once you defeat the prince."
I am a future upstart baron. My future is sad. But, if I become a duke, my future will be safe.
"So, my future wife. Wait in your seat. I'll show you the battered head of your former fiancé."
Eli was still with her eyes closed smiling.
"Yes. Win please."
With those words, we again gave each other a loving kiss.
At the same time, my harem has increased and I have a future legal wife.
I would have liked that your mother to be joined in my harem.
She is beautiful and her breasts are huge, so it would be a waste for a woman like her who deserves love to end up alone forever.
I promise your mom will never cry at night again, at least not in the sad way.
Anyway, I must go to prepare for my fight.
◇
I returned to Cid who had my Pegasus ready.
A new bat too, I brought a spare as I don't want to show my trump card.
"What's with that face?"
Cid was asking me about my weird face.
It was happiness. I had made peace with Eli and at the same time we declared our love to each other which should develop.
Once I beat the prince, my future will be glorious.
The annoying part will be how to explain to Lily and vice versa.
At the other end was Regulux riding his white Pegasus.
It was a beautiful bench like an angel.
His name in the game was Weiss.
He was ready.
Before I climbed up, I looked at the bleachers.
I could observe my two women staring at me.
Lily smiling at me with her angelic smile and Eli smiling at me like a wife wishing her husband well.
It makes me happy.
Now, my chance of winning increases by 110%.
I got on Schwarz, and got in line to go out.
Regulux said something to me while showing a beautiful decorative sword to intimidate me.
"I will show no mercy."
"Same."
And so, the referee gave the words most awaited by all.
"The final duel begins! Razel Bartlet vs His Highness, the third prince, Regulux von Bryes!"
And with that, we both went flying off.
Apparently we were headed for the same place, the great white mountain.
For me, that place is a way to defend myself and attack, but for the prince it would be a very simple method of preventing me from escaping.
Once we were close, he began the attack.
"Light magic: Orion whip."
A golden whip manifested in his hand.
I couldn't see the range, but when he swung it, it grew very long and hit the air near me and a small explosion sounded.
No doubt, if it touches me it will be bad.
But it doesn't matter.
Once I was near the mountain. I took out my bat.
"Come!" I shouted to him.
His hand moved to make several moves.
My bat was ready, it repelled all his attacks since the light magic he uses, is only energy.
A fireball is more lethal than that.
That's why, in the game and this world, light magic was useless.
No one really cared, that's why the prince felt nothing about having the rarest magic to use.
Mine was the second.
"That's it, come on, it's no big deal!"
My blows with the bat repelled every lash due to the electricity it's imbued with.
The blows generated sparks and the lashes were deflected into the mountain and the surrounding area.
I laughed.
"Hahaha, that's all the third prince's magic can do! Really? You talk a lot of shit about Eli, but you're no big deal! I'll definitely enjoy it a lot when you humiliate yourself by apologizing to her!"
My aptitude was not befitting that of a background character like me.
For some reason, I remembered that rpg game again.
On the forums they were talking about an annoying guy who just went around making fun of people like they were trash. He was hated by everyone for that.
Was that how that guy felt? It doesn't really matter.
I'll win, I'll beat that idiot easily.
"Hey, is that-?"
"I'm bored already."
Before I continued to tease him, the whip of light disappeared and his right hand was raised.
"Light magic: star rain."
A large magic circle manifested in the air.
The magic circle shimmered and then.
"Huh?"
A shower of swords flew straight at me.
And before I knew it, a large explosion of light occurred.
◇◇◇
On the bleachers, the girls watched the explosion.
"Razel!"
"Razel-kun!"
They shouted in panic as they stood up.
Cid was looking at the situation very astonished.
Lambert, on the other hand, was very calm.
"Your Highness, I'm sorry that you had to show your power in the face of that plague. But with this, they will understand that you are no weakling."
A sinister smile appeared on his face.
"Lux's victory is inevitable, after all."
His head lifted towards the sky to say a dialogue from the game.
"He is the person who will one day become emperor. No one will prevent that. Not even his own brother."
The explosion of light finally ended and only dust was visible.
Everyone thought, Razel must have died in that attack, as there was no trace of him. The victory seems to be the third prince's, as the game indicated.
___________________________
Weiss: Means white in German.