The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

“He is exactly like how he was before! Still attacking people’s complex without having any shred of decency at all! ”

“Didn’t Elna make fun of his height first?”

“Normally a person wouldn’t go for someone’s chest so readily like that right! Even though we finally got to see him after a long time he is still the worst!!”

Said Elna with her face bright red.

Seeing her like that, Leo decided to leave a sleeping dog lie and keep his mouth shut. If it’s Al then he would say that it was the truth so there’s no helping it or something along that line and keep getting on Elna’s nerve but Leo is a gentleman to all women so he wouldn’t say that kind of thing.

However, it is exactly because of that that Elna’s anger will last for quite some time. Anger can’t just go away without an outlet. Now, Leo thinks that Al might have done that on purpose exactly because of that.

And this is why Leo wants to recruit Vin no matter what.

“Remember this, Vin! I won’t show you any mercy once we get back to the capital!”

“You are saying that but what if Vin really doesn’t come back to the capital with us?”

“I hope so………unfortunately, I am far from perfect myself. I don’t have enough power or prudence. I want to stick with what I decided on no matter what but I am not good enough to do that and have to rely on others all the time. If it’s Vin then he will definitely be able to come up with a safe way to fulfill my wishes. He will have some complaints though.”

“Right, I can imagine a lot of sarcasm flying your way you know?”

“It’s alright. If I am really aiming to become an emperor then I need someone like the Prime Minister is to my father…….I can’t think of someone who can do that beside Vin.”

Saying so, Leo made sure of his decision.

A person that can put him in check. That is what Leo is searching for.

“Morning, Vin.”

The next morning. Leo cheerfully arrived at Vin’s house.

Vin, who was reading, gives Leo a reply with an annoyed look.

“I’m reading. Just go back.”

“I won’t disturb you.”

“You are disturbing me enough just by being here. Don’t come in.”

“Then I will be waiting outside until you finish alright.”

“…………..”

Saying so, Leo leaves the house with a smile.

He then started talking with the villagers. Helping a housewife carry her luggage, plowing the field with farmers, Vin clicks his tongue at Leo’s actions that are unsuitable for a prince.

He looked virtuous. No, he is unmistakably virtuous. Just like how the Crown Prince was like in the past.

“………….”

“I think that Leo is a good lord though?”

“Tsk…….don’t just barge into people’s houses.”

“I did properly call out to you, you know?”

“I didn’t hear any of it.”

“Maybe it’s just your ears that went bad? You were pretending to be your grandfather after all.”

As she says that, Elna looks at the books around Vin.

They are books about politics and military strategies. Rather than reading to pass his time, it seems that he is still studying. All the books here have that kind of content.

“It seems you haven’t given up being a strategist huh.”

“…….after all, this is all I have.”

“If that’s the case then wasn’t Leo’s invitation quite desirable for you? The succession war in a strong nation like the Empire, isn’t that exactly the stage where a strategist would want to push his lord into an emperor? You will be guaranteed a position of one of the emperor’s close aides after all.”

“I didn’t say that it was without merits. I certainly want to leave my name in the history of the Empire. Outsmarting others and putting my lord on the throne, I’m sure that I can get the most satisfaction from that…….But, I have no such power to accomplish such a thing.”

Vin looks a little depressed.

Seeing that, Elna was surprised.

“It’s rare for you to lose your confidence like that you know.”

“I don’t have much confidence in myself in the first place. I have always told myself that I am only a second rate. But with my lord being [His Highness the Crown Prince] I was content with that. With so many excellent subjects under him, there is no doubt that he was first-rate as a lord. What was necessary for that person was a subject that can answer his wish like a matter of course. That was what I was striving to become.”

“Isn’t it fine if you start serving Leo as your lord instead then.”

“Leo is different from His Highness the Crown Prince. He is indeed excellent but he still has many shortcomings. Moreover, if I were to become his strategist, I would become his chief of staff. What he is looking for is beyond my ability.”

“So you can’t help Leo because of that? He is relying on you, you know? Didn’t the Crown Prince himself tell you to treat Leo like your little brother……”

“That was in the past…..I realized one thing when I went around other countries. All the strategists I met were monsters. Compared to them instead of a second rate, I would have been a third rate. If I become Leo’s strategist………Leo will definitely lose. If that happens I can’t bring myself to face the Crown Prince anymore……”

The Crown Prince passed away and those who closely served him have followed their own separate paths. However, only a few of them chose to serve other imperial family members. Many have lost their ideal lord and chose to retire. The same goes for Vin.

The thing they envisioned was to serve the Crown Prince and live under the administration he will create. After all of it had collapsed, many couldn’t picture what to do next.

“You are saying that you can’t help him exactly because you think of him as your brother huh. You are afraid that Leo would lose if you serve under him right.”

“It will be a different story if there is another excellent strategist at Leo’s side. A person who can come up with novel plans, if he has such a person then I can be the one to move with a more solid plan. You will lose if you do everything according to the book. My field is one that my victory can be guaranteed. No recklessness, no useless sacrifices, I do what necessary to win. That is my style.”

“Right. Then that’s a relief. There is already another strategist at Leo’s side after all.”

“What?”

Vin doubtfully mutters.

Seeing Vin like that, a smile appears on Elna’s face.

“Al will be able to give you the novel idea you are looking for. If you need some unusual plan then you can always rely on Al, right.”

“Al as a strategist?”

For Vin, Al was simply a prodigal prince who always escaped the study sessions.

Despite him showing some excellent points as Leo’s elder brother from time to time, he couldn’t think of him as an excellent strategist Elna has described.

“Hmph, ridiculous. His reputation even reached this village you know?”

“How about you see him with your own eyes rather than listening to some rumors then?”

“I have been watching him in the past. I don’t think that guy has such talent.”

“As expected of a third rate huh. You have no eyes to see people at all.”

“What?”

Even though he described himself as a third rate, he can’t just remain silent when he was told that by someone else, Elna no less.

An ordinary woman would already cry if she was being stared by such a gaze but the smile on Elna’s face never faded.

“This is a good time. Al is currently dealing with the nobles at the capital. How about you make your decision after you see his result? If Al is a person who can come up with unusual strategies as you said earlier then you will become Leo’s strategist. If Al fails to impress you, you get to enjoy your quiet life. There’s no problem with this right?”

“Betting my decision on Al’s result huh. Quite a dangerous bet you make there isn’t it? That guy always runs away at first sight when things become troublesome after all.”

“Al doesn’t run away when he has people to protect. If I can say it then there’s no doubt about it right.”

“…….so he is approved by the next head of the Brave house huh.”

“Yes. So, how about it? I don’t think that it is such a bad deal though?”

“……….”

Elna smiles as she sees Vin who is still hesitating.

The fact that he thinks about it so much is evidence that he deeply cares about Leo.

He calmly analyzes how he would affect the faction once he joined it, whether it be when the faction is in the lead or when it falls behind others. What Elna valued about him is his calmness and how he doesn’t overestimate himself.

It could be said that he is a perfect stopper for Leo who always pursues his ideal.

The rest is up to his decision.

Elna thinks so and leaves the house. Then, Leo came over as if to change places with her.

“Did the talk with Elna change your mind?”

“……you deliberately let her tried to convince me? Why?”

“You won’t change your mind no matter what I say right? I thought that if someone could convince you, it would be Elna you see.”

“That’s why you brought her here?”

“Nah, it’s just an idea that popped up to me. I was usually followed by a lot of escorts you see. If I brought so many escorts, it would trouble the villagers right.”

Saying so, Leo looks out the window.

A farmer plowing his field, a hunter going into a mountain, a housewife knitting her clothes, and the children playing with each other.

It was the picture of peacefulness.

“This is a good village.”

“You can find a rural village like this everywhere.”

“Good. If there are villages like this everywhere then that is good. But it’s still not enough. I know that if I set out to look for them then I can find an endless number of them. and I also understand the fact that I can’t save them all. But I want to lessen the number of people who have to cry with sorrow. I don’t want to stop doing that. I……will continue the work of Crown Prince Wilhelm. I need you in order to do that, Vin. Please lend me your help.”

Saying so, Leo reaches his hand out.

When he was a kid, the Crown Prince had once reached his hand out to him in the same way when he recognized his talent.

Remembering that time, Vin closed his eyes.

Then.

“………I will follow you back to the capital. However, it will be up to Al whether I decide to become your strategist or not.”

“Up to Nii-san?”

“To see if Al can really compensate for my shortcomings or not. That is what I want to confirm.”

“I see……..then welcome to my faction.”

“You……have you listen to anything that came out of my mouth?”

“I was listening, you know. But if it’s up to Nii-san then, everything is already decided right. He is my proud Nii-san so he will definitely be up to your standard, Vin.”

Leo said so without any hesitation.

The trust in his twin brother. He doesn’t think it is simply because of that but Vin felt that there is something between the two of them. It was like what comrades in arms shared on the battlefield.

Confidence not born from blood. Finding that interesting, Vin grins.

“It’s on then. If you trust him so much then show me what Al is capable of.”

Vin said so as he took Leo’s hand.

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