The Shut-In Prince’s Splendid Social Debut — Me, a Villainous Imperial, Have Spent the Last Fifteen Years Fighting the “Wicked Thoughts” Eating Away at My Mind. When I Finally Returned to High Society, There Were Way Too Many People I Didn’t Recognize — - Chapter 13: Awakening to Magic Power

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“I am honored to meet you for the first time, Third Prince Yoan Highness. —My name is Serbul Nolla Grotes. Please remember it from now on.”

The self-proclaimed pretty boy’s painfully theatrical introduction sounded hollow to my ears.

And right now, someone had just died before my eyes.

All light had vanished from the severed head’s eyes.

“…”

I had thought that “modest happiness” would be enough.

I didn’t need the Emperor’s throne, and I didn’t particularly need a beautiful fiancée either.

But living completely selfishly somehow felt wrong.

So in that sense, “ordinary happiness” would be enough.

In the course of pursuing my own happiness, I clashed with that female knight.

Of course, what I did probably wasn’t praiseworthy.

It was only natural that Naphna frowned and pointed her sword at me.

And whatever the circumstances, the result was that the female knight died.

Since she had been someone trying to erase me from noble society, my heart didn’t ache very much.

But I couldn’t think it was good that she died, either.

Why couldn’t my happiness and the female knight’s happiness coexist?

That person wished for my unhappiness. She tried to humiliate me through unjust means.

That was why, in order to protect my own happiness, she ended up becoming unhappy instead.

…It felt strangely empty.

Because didn’t this mean that human happiness was built upon someone else’s unhappiness?

Why did I feel so hazy inside?

Even though I had only wished for “Happiness,” which should have been natural for any human—

“Lord Serbul, why did you kill this person…?”

“Oya, didn’t I explain earlier? Because this person committed rudeness toward Yoan-sama.”

“I said I would take responsibility. Besides, she was about to say something. …Lord Serbul, were you also involved in this matter?”

“That is a strange accusation. Are you suggesting that the glorious Imperial Knight Order conspired to commit disrespect? Even if you are my fiancée’s dear friend, I cannot allow such unfounded remarks.”

“Tsk… How dare you say that. You… to Fryure…!”

Serbul essentially told her that if she was merely a guest, she should remain silent and refrain from interfering.

In response, Naphna glared at him with an unyielding expression.

…You’re strong, Naphna.

Meanwhile, I was barely managing to stand.

“…Oya, is something the matter, Prince Yoan? You look pale.”

Serbul wore a suspicious smile.

He really was shameless.

Even though he was probably the one who had ordered that female knight.

“—My interest has been spoiled… Do as you please with the rest.”

“…Yoan-sama?”

“…Oya, is that so. I was truly delighted to meet you today, Your Highness. After this, we have prepared some very amusing entertainment, so I hope you will enjoy it thoroughly.”

Serbul grinned broadly—niyari.

I knew this guy well, but he was as creepy as ever.

I turned on my heel and headed toward the balcony.

I could feel Naphna’s gaze on my back, but I ignored it.

◇◇◇◇

By the time I stepped out onto the balcony, night had already fallen.

When I looked up at the sky, the stars were twinkling.

Away from the bustling hall, I quietly breathed in the spring night breeze.

“…Mother said ‘Socializing is something you get used to,’ and she was right. My eyes keep flickering uncontrollably.”

“…Onii-sama, are you feeling unwell?”

“…I’m just a little tired.”

I was having a bit of a mental breakdown.

…Come to think of it, my “Mental Strength” stat had some absurd value like “∞,” didn’t it?

But in the end, stats were just stats.

It didn’t seem to turn me into someone who was completely unaffected by anything.

“Please don’t push yourself too hard, Onii-sama. You were bedridden until just the other day.”

Serta gently rubbed my back, worried.

Her hand was faintly warm.

Think about it.

Someone who had been a shut-in suddenly attended a social gathering, only to witness a person being killed right in front of him.

Normally, that would be enough to ensure you never attended social gatherings again.

Come to think of it, a doctor once told me, “When you’re tired, it’s best to spend time with your family.”

When I replied, “No family ever comes to visit,” he never said it again.

“…Thank you. I’m always being supported by you, Serta.”

“Fufu, it’s nothing. Serta will always stay by Onii-sama’s side, you know.”

Back then, I hadn’t thought much about it.

But now I understood.

Those were Golden Words.

Talking with family made my gloomy mood recover rapidly.

As expected, one must have a beautiful younger sister-in-law.

“…Onii-sama really is too kind.”

Serta murmured those words quietly while rubbing my back.

“…Why do you say that?”

“In the end, Onii-sama tried to save that female knight, didn’t you? Even after she committed such rudeness, you still tried to forgive her. Leaving it to Naphna-sama was because you knew she wouldn’t do something like taking the knight’s life, right?”

Serta spoke with certainty.

“…That’s a lot of confidence.”

“Fufu, because Serta knows everything about Onii-sama.”

“Everything, huh.”

“Yes, everything.”

Apparently, everything about me was already known.

Serta seemed to be in a slightly better mood than usual.

I wondered why.

“Then do you know what I’m thinking right now?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Say it.”

“Onii-sama is thinking that I am precious.”

“Correct.”

“Fufu, I knew it. Serta sees through everything about Onii-sama.”

Serta laughed happily.

When I was insulted earlier, Serta had been the first one to become angry.

That kind of thing made me happiest.

Normally, you couldn’t place complete trust in anyone.

But with Serta, I felt that trust.

That was why I could trust her from the bottom of my heart as well.

“I want Serta to stay by my side forever. Probably— in a meaning beyond family.”

“…”

After that, Serta fell silent.

After saying it, I realized myself.

I messed up.

That sounded exactly like a confession.

Silence filled the space between us.

While feeling the warmth of Serta’s strangely hot hand on my back, I couldn’t bring myself to look at her face.

Well… perhaps moments like this weren’t so bad.

(Even so, Serta’s hand is really warm…)

It felt like someone had pressed a hot pack against my back.

…Or so I thought, but it seemed the warmth was actually coming from inside my back.

It felt like something was being poured into me from Serta’s hand.

“…Serta, what are you doing right now?”

“Heh? Ah, um… This is a technique called [Magic Opening], passed down in my birth family, the Trauden family. You could say it’s a technique for expanding a person’s magical aptitude. With this, even people with melee-type ‘Role Archetypes’ can use a little magic.”

Serta explained somewhat nervously.

So that was why I had felt something warm pouring into my back.

This setting hadn’t existed in the ERT era.

In ERT, any “Job” could use magic by allocating stat points.

Serta must have remembered me saying yesterday that I wanted her to teach me magic.

“I see. Somehow, it feels incredibly good.”

“Fufufu. [Magic Opening] also has the effect of calming the mind. However, it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to use magic as well as magic-type users. ‘Third Tier’ magic like the [Firestorm] I showed yesterday would probably be difficult unless you have a magic-type ‘Role Archetype.’ And there’s also elemental affinity.”

“Role Archetype” was what had been called a “Job” in ERT.

People in this world possessed some form of “Role Archetype,” and it seemed they usually inherited it from their parents.

However, since it didn’t appear in the status screen, the details were rather vague.

For example: “You’re good at plowing fields quickly? Then you’re a ‘Farmer.'”

As for my own “Role Archetype,” if it matched my father’s, it would be [Sword Saint].

If it matched my mother’s, it would be [White Witch].

However, since Mother’s was a “female lineage role archetype,” mine would automatically become [Sword Saint].

Incidentally, there had been no job called [Sword Saint] in the original story.

Most likely, the “Jobs” in ERT and the “Role Archetypes” of this world didn’t align perfectly.

The “Samurai” job I had used when playing the protagonist probably didn’t exist either.

Original Yoan’s job had been [Dark Magic Swordsman].

It was a hardcore hybrid job that mastered both dark magic and swordsmanship.

However…

(None of them are probably correct.)

I remembered the “Overcomer Display” status I had checked that morning.

There, a job called [Overcomer] had appeared.

That thing—God?—had mentioned it.

Most likely, my original role archetype had been overwritten by it.

I didn’t know what kind of role archetype [Overcomer] was, but since I could see numbers invisible to others and my ability values were abnormally high for my level, I was clearly benefiting from it.

(Come to think of it, can I use magic now…?)

I had never heard of my father, the “Unified King” using magic.

So [Sword Saints] probably couldn’t originally use magic.

Even if I concentrated or meditated, nothing happened.

If something like “magic circuits” existed, mine were probably closed as a remnant of the original [Sword Saint].

“Fuu… Onii-sama, it seems it will [Open] soon…”

“[Open]?”

Serta’s voice called out from behind, sounding unusually focused.

Now that she mentioned it, what had previously felt superficial was now warming the very core of my body.

It felt as though Serta’s magic power had entered me and was slowly stirring something hardened inside.

If I had to describe it—

It was like Serta stirring a gigantic pot of pork miso soup several meters wide.

“Yes… Once the [Magic Opening] is complete, the magic power Onii-sama possesses will be released, and light of your magic attribute’s color will appear. It will probably be a very small light, so please watch carefully.”

Serta warned me.

Indeed, thanks to her stirring, I began to sense something sleeping within me.

However, something felt wrong.

Serta didn’t seem to notice, but an enormous quantity of something existed inside me.

Like bubbling magma, it rampaged, searching for a place to burst out at any moment.

(Huh…? Isn’t this bad?)

But by the time I realized that—

It was already too late.

“Onii-sama, I will [Open] it! Watch the light carefu—Kyah…!”

At that moment—

A torrent of dazzling light burst forth.

It overflowed endlessly like a broken faucet.

The pressure of the wind knocked Serta onto the floor.

It was nothing like a small light.

The color emitted a mysterious radiance.

Similar to my Blue Scar—

A color that couldn’t quite be called blue, white, or green.

Jade Green (Azure).

“Serta! Are you okay?!”

“…Y-Yes! But… this is… Onii-sama… just how much magic power do you have…?! And what in the world is the color of this light…?!”

Apparently, the amount of magic power far exceeded Serta’s expectations.

She stared at it in a daze.

“Serta, sorry to interrupt while you’re busy, but how do I stop this magic power? I have no idea how to stop it.”

This magic power was pouring out from my entire body without any sign of stopping.

Like in a certain manga—

I wouldn’t die if it kept leaking like this, right?

“Hah…! I’m terribly sorry! Onii-sama, close the ‘Magic Gate’! I will support you, so please grasp the sensation.”

“U-Understood.”

Serta’s magic power flowed into me again.

The difference this time was that I could clearly perceive it.

And I realized she was trying to close something like a gate within me.

Serta’s expression twisted in pain.

“Ugh… Onii-sama’s magic power is too strong… It won’t [Close]!”

“I see… I just need to close that, right?”

I mimicked Serta and forcibly pulled up the gate-like thing inside me.

Gugugu.

The gate moved and shut completely.

The torrent of light pouring from my body finally stopped.

“I see. So this is how you use magic power.”

I opened and closed my hand.

I could feel the flow of magic power passing through my body.

Where to concentrate it, how to release it—

All of it felt instinctively controllable.

It seemed my magic power was quite convenient.

“Tsk… To think you would master the use of magic power in such a short time…”

Serta looked at me with astonishment.

There was no one else on the balcony besides us.

(…No witnesses, huh.)

After the spectacle earlier, it seemed no one wanted to approach me.

That was fortunate.

“…Thank you, Serta. Thanks to you, it seems I can use magic now.”

Though I had no idea what kind.

“Y-Yes… I’m glad… more than anything…”

“Fufu. Then let’s return to the hall before people get suspicious.”

Since Serta still seemed somewhat dazed, I took her hand and led her back toward the hall.