Blankon Announcement

504 The Stage Prince and the Wandering Prince

"Whaaat!? You lost that letter!?"

"My deepest apologies! It seems someone in the castle must have taken it..."

The king, his face pale, confronts his chancellor. No wonder—the letter the chancellor lost was a love letter the king had written to the kingdom's most renowned songstress. The chancellor had been tasked with secretly delivering it to her but carelessly left it behind in the salon. By the time he realized and rushed back, the letter was gone without a trace.

"If that letter falls into the queen's hands..."

"Don't say such terrifying things! I’m not ready to die yet! We must find that letter at all costs!"

The king, flustered, leaves the room with the chancellor, bumping into a chair on the way and hopping on one foot in pain. The audience bursts into laughter at the sight.

"If he’s so scared, he shouldn’t have been fooling around in the first place."

"Why does he even do such things?"

From behind, Kuhn and Frey’s voices can be heard. Even though I have nothing to feel guilty about, their words make my heart skip a beat. Is it because I’m also a king? Or is it because this play might not be suitable for children?

The afternoon play, ‘Palace Upheaval’, is a story about a commoner girl who ends up working as a maid in the royal palace. The plot revolves around her finding the lost letter, leading to a series of comedic mishaps among the palace residents.

The king, infatuated with the songstress, the queen who loves meddling in others' love affairs, the greedy chancellor, the clueless swordsman knight commander, the clumsy head chef, and the vain head maid—each character has their own quirks, and their actions create a domino effect of chaos. Honestly, how does this kingdom even function with people like this?

Ignoring my concerns, the play continues. On stage, the king, after finally retrieving the letter, bursts into laughter.

"I did it! I finally got it back! Now... wait, what is this!? A tavern bill!?"

"It seems it got swapped somewhere along the way."

"Ugh!"

The king groans in frustration as the clumsy head chef, who had bumped into the protagonist earlier, had mistakenly taken the letter (which was actually his bill). The letter keeps changing hands, causing more chaos in the palace, and each time, the audience erupts in laughter.

"This really is an upheaval, isn’t it?"

"Everyone’s so serious, but from the outside, it’s pure comedy."

Luu mutters this as she watches the actors desperately running around. The famous quote by Charlie Chaplin, "Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot," really rings true here.

"Ah, it’s the prince!"

At Yoshino’s words, I turn my attention back to the stage. A dazzlingly handsome blond young man is helping the protagonist, a girl who has fallen. Indeed, he looks every bit the prince.

"Are you alright? Can you stand?"

"Y-Yes! I can!"

His flawless demeanor is that of a perfect prince. I’ve seen many princes in my time, but none as convincing as this one. The female audience members (especially) are completely captivated. Of course, our group is an exception—we’re used to seeing princes at parties.

But that prince... he looks familiar...

"Ah!?"

"Wh-What’s wrong, Father?"

"Ah, no, it’s nothing. Sorry."

I apologize to Asia, whom I startled. I’ve realized where I’ve seen that prince before—it’s Shiatro-san! Unbelievable. He’s truly the Theater God. His usual slouchy, pseudo-punk rocker appearance is nowhere to be seen. He’s completely transformed. This must be what they call a chameleon actor.

Shiatro-san’s role is that of the ideal prince—kind to everyone, brave, and trusted by the people.

"Our prince is quite different, huh?"

Yoshino mutters this. Huh? Our prince?

"Your little brother is more of the laid-back type, so it can’t be helped."

"That kid’s too relaxed. He’s always skipping training."

Kuhn and Frey respond to Yoshino’s comment. Wait, that prince... are they talking about my son?

"Well, to Alice, he’s still a prince..."

"He ‘is’ a prince! He’s kind and cool!"

Alice retorts to Elna’s remark. I remember Alice had a crush on my son. Behind her, Ende is glaring at me. Not my problem.

"I wish Kuon-kun would come here soon."

"That kid’s probably being pampered by the adults he met, just lazing around."

"Kuon!?"

I’m startled by Linne and Asia’s words. Linne turns around, covering her mouth in surprise. But the name she accidentally let slip is one I know well—a very familiar, close name.

Linze, sitting next to Linne, asks me, "Wh-What’s wrong, Touya-san?"

"Ah, well... that name, 'Kuon'... it’s my grandfather’s name."

"Eh!?"

Everyone is shocked by my revelation, but I’m just as surprised. So, I named my son after my grandfather. ‘Mochizuki Kuon’. It fits perfectly. Of course, it would—it’s my grandfather’s real name.

The only concern is whether he’ll inherit my grandfather’s wild personality. They say "the name reflects the person," after all... Over here, he’d probably go by ‘Kuon Brunhild’, which would be easier for diplomatic purposes.

"Hey, hey, if you don’t pay attention to the play, you’ll lose track of the story. Stop with the unnecessary chatter."

"Okay~"

Just as I was about to ask the kids more about Kuon, Karen-neesan stepped in. Darn it.

If Linne is the seventh daughter, then Kuon would be the eighth or ninth child... around five or six years old. Even if he’s a boy, I can’t help but worry. Sure, he’s as strong as an A-rank adventurer, but still...

My mind is preoccupied with thoughts of my son, and I can’t focus on the play.

◇ ◇ ◇

In the town of Tseretni, far east of the royal capital of Elfrau, a young boy of about five or six wanders the streets. Despite the heavy snow outside the town’s walls, the town itself is surprisingly free of snow, thanks to a warmth-preserving barrier that envelops it. Most towns in Elfrau have such barriers, making the cold bearable, but it’s still winter, and the residents are bundled up. The boy, however, is dressed as if he’s heading out to a spring meadow.

His clothes are well-tailored, clearly indicating he’s from a wealthy family, but they’re entirely unsuitable for a snowy town. The townsfolk give him odd looks but don’t say anything.

"Hey, kid. Aren’t you cold?"

"I am."

The boy answers without hesitation when a street vendor calls out to him.

"Then why are you dressed like that?"

"I have my reasons. By the way, do you know where I can buy some clothes?"

"Clothes? There’s a place down this street that sells them."

"Thank you."

The boy bows politely and walks off. The vendor mutters to himself, "Must be some noble’s kid."

As he walks down the street, he eventually spots a sign with an armor emblem. It’s likely the shop the vendor mentioned. Inside, the shop is filled with various armors, helmets, and gauntlets, but there are also thick coats, cloaks, and warm boots.

The boy approaches the counter and addresses the shopkeeper.

"Excuse me."

"Hey there, kid. You’re dressed pretty lightly for this weather."

"Yes, I need some cold-weather gear, but unfortunately, I don’t have any money."

"No money, huh? Can’t sell you anything then. This is a business, after all."

"I understand. That’s why I’d like to trade this."

The boy removes a cufflink from his sleeve and hands it to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper’s eyes widen in shock.

"Hey, this... is this orichalcum!?"

"Yes. Even a piece this size is worth at least thirty gold coins."

The shopkeeper, being an experienced armor dealer, immediately recognizes the value of the orichalcum. It’s a legendary metal, rarely seen and usually handled by the state. He briefly considers if it’s a fake, but the characteristics match what he saw in his youth. It’s undoubtedly genuine.

The boy mentions thirty gold coins, but the shopkeeper estimates it’s worth at least twice that. If he can coat armor with this orichalcum, it’ll be incredibly valuable.

"Wow... this is something else. My cold-weather gear isn’t worth this much. But I really want this. Let me get some money from the back. Wait here, okay?"

"Sure. I’ll also pick out a few other things while I’m at it."

"Got it. Take a look around. The stuff in the back has enchantments on it."

The shopkeeper heads to the back room, and the boy browses the cold-weather gear. Most of it is for adults, but there are a few child-sized items, likely for adventurers traveling with their kids. The selection is limited, so the boy has trouble finding something he likes.

"Hmm, if I had to choose, maybe this one... It has cold and heat resistance enchantments. But it’s similar to Father’s coat."

After some deliberation, he decides on a black coat.

"Alice would probably compliment me, but my sisters would say it’s tasteless."

The boy chuckles, thinking of his childhood friend and his sisters. They’re probably already in this era. If he hadn’t lost his smartphone, he could’ve contacted this era’s family right away.

"But how do I get to Brunhild from here..."

There’s no magi-rail connecting Elfrau and Brunhild in this era. The only options are a carriage or walking. The Snorlax that brought him this far would cause a commotion, so he had to part ways with it. Fortunately, Elfrau and Brunhild are connected by land through Regulus, so it might take about a month to get there.

"...Well, I’ll take my time."

The boy decides to take it easy. There’s no point in rushing. Unlike his eldest sister or his fourth sister, he doesn’t have teleportation magic. It can’t be helped, he tells himself, nodding in agreement.

"The coat’s settled, but I’ll need gloves and boots until I leave Elfrau."

Neither are of great quality, but they’ll suffice for the cold. If he could use the warming spell, he wouldn’t need them, but unfortunately, he doesn’t have an affinity for fire magic. All his siblings have non-attribute magic, but only four of them have affinities for the six elemental magics.

Since he lost his smartphone, he can’t use storage magic. He’ll also need a backpack for his belongings. If only storage cards were available, but they haven’t been introduced to the eastern continent in this era yet.

His lost smartphone is locked, so no one else can activate it, but there are important items in the storage. He plans to have his father retrieve it once he returns to Brunhild.

After selecting gloves, boots, a backpack, and a few other items, the shopkeeper returns from the back.

"Decided?"

"Yes, I’ll take these."

The boy pays for the cold-weather gear and other items with the money from the cufflink, leaving him with a substantial amount of travel funds. He stuffs the money into a simple leather pouch tied to his waist and changes into his new clothes.

"Not cold anymore. This should work for the journey. Now, what’s next..."

His stomach growls loudly.

"I’m hungry..."

He hasn’t eaten anything since arriving in this era. If he had his smartphone, he could’ve accessed the snacks in his storage. But he has money now, so he decides to find something delicious to eat.

As he heads toward the town center, three men block his path.

"Hey, kid. How about sharing what’s in your pockets with us?"

The men, all young but with a rough appearance, smirked at the boy. One of them was a customer in the armor shop earlier. They must’ve overheard the conversation and called their friends to ambush him.

"If you don’t want to get hurt, hand over everything in your wallet."

"I refuse. I have no obligation to obey thieves."

The boy firmly rejects them, unafraid. The men, angered by being called thieves by a child, start shouting.

"Who are you calling thieves!? You little brat!"

"Using force to threaten and steal. How is that different from being a thief? Even a child can understand that... Are you okay in the head?"

"You little punk!"

One of the men charges at the boy, swinging his leg to deliver a kick.

"[Slip]"

"Whoa!? Ah!?"

The man slips on his supporting leg and falls, hitting the back of his head hard on the ground. He groans in pain, clutching his head. The boy pays him no mind.

"Tch, what are you doing!?"

Another man reaches out to grab the boy’s collar, but his hand is slapped away.

"[Paralyze]"

"Guh!?"

The man collapses forward, his body twitching. It’s clear he’s under some kind of status effect. The men have no idea what’s happening.

"I’m not good at rough stuff like my sisters. I can’t hold back, so don’t take it personally."

"Wh-What the hell is this kid!? What did you do!?"

"What do you mean...? Thief extermination?"

As he speaks, the boy touches the man clutching his head. The man twitches and falls still, just like the other.

Seeing his companions defeated, the last man looks at the boy in fear. What’s going on? This was supposed to be an easy job—threatening a rich kid for his wallet. So why are two of them down, and he’s the one being cornered!?

"Ah, do you get a bounty for catching thieves? Are you guys wanted criminals?"

"Tch!"

"Ah."

The last man turns and runs. His instincts scream that this kid is dangerous. No, this isn’t a kid. It’s something else entirely.

"I won’t let you escape~"

"Huh!?"

The boy’s right eye turns a golden yellow. As his gaze locks onto the fleeing man, the man’s body freezes in place as if turned to stone. He can breathe and blink, but his body won’t move. It’s as if time has stopped for him.

"If I blink, it’ll wear off, so I’ll just use [Paralyze] on you too."

"Guh!?"

The third man collapses to the ground. In just a few minutes, the boy has completely incapacitated all three men.

"Now, what to do with these thieves?"

Normally, they’d be reported to the knights, but that would mean a lot of questions and trouble. Even if he revealed his true identity, no one would believe him. Besides, the boy is starving. He doesn’t want to waste time on this nonsense.

He decides to leave the thieves where they are and move on.

"But first..."

The boy drags the three men to the shade of a tree and takes their wallets. It’s not that he wants their money—it’s just a little payback.

"They’ve got quite a bit... So why try to steal from others?"

As he speaks, he dumps the contents of their wallets onto the street. Mostly copper coins, but there are a few silver ones too. The men, still paralyzed, let out silent screams.

"If you’re lucky, some kind soul will return your money to the knights. Maybe there’ll be something left when you can move again?"

The boy—'Mochizuki Kuon’—smiles like an angelic demon. Thieves don’t deserve rights. That’s what his father and mothers taught him. If his sisters were here, they’d probably say he’s being too soft.

His stomach growls again. He’s reaching his limit.

"I hope there’s something good to eat, even if it’s not as good as Luu-mama’s cooking."

Adjusting his backpack, the boy walks off into the lightly falling snow.