In Another World With My Smartphone_Volume 6 Read online

  We stepped out of the [Gate], finding ourselves in Nimue, Lihnea’s capital. Prince Cloud was a little disoriented, but that was only natural since it was his first time traveling by portal.

  “W-Wow... We really reached Lihnea in moments...” We emerged in a back alley so as to not be seen. Thankfully, it looked like we had avoided detection.

  From there the plan dictated we head right to the castle. I told Prince Cloud to report the proposal response as usual.

  I hadn’t yet seen the first prince or the prime minister, after all. I needed to see with my own two eyes just what kind of people they were. I cast [Invisible] to make every member of our group undetectable. Except Prince Cloud, of course.

  “What an incredible spell... I can’t see you at all...”

  “We’re only hidden as far as sight goes. If someone bumps us, we’ll be felt. Please guide us along, since we don't know the place well.” Prince Cloud gave a short nod before walking back to the castle at a slightly slower-than-average pace.

  We walked along a quieter road with less people on it, until we finally arrived at the castle. The guards gave a small glance toward Prince Cloud, offering little more than a grunt. That felt pretty uncomfortable to me. It really seemed as though he was given a hard time by the people around the castle, despite his status as a prince.

  We entered the castle hall, and someone came strolling along from the opposite side. Prince Cloud stiffened up, froze in place, and slowly bowed his head.

  “...I’m home, elder brother.”

  “Hah. Cloud? That was fast, wasn’t it? Who would’ve thought a slug like you could slither so quickly. It must be an ill omen; I’ll plan for rain tomorrow...” He was shorter than Cloud, and quite gaunt. He had a bowl cut. The sides of his mouth curved into malicious points as he chuckled. I knew then that it was the First Prince, Zabune. He wore golden boots, a fancy silk scarf, and lamé style clothing all over his body.

  “...What horrid taste.” I heard Elze muttering, but thankfully Zabune did not.

  Keep it down, dummy! Your voice isn’t invisible! Behind him were two sneering men, and a woman who was looking down at the ground. The men were likely his followers, and the woman... seemed to be a slave. She was wearing one of those collars around her neck, like the kind I’d seen in Sandora. Still, I wasn’t aware of Lihnea having any slavery practices.

  “Well? Spit it out. What was the response? Good news, I hope?”

  “Ah, no... Duke Ortlinde’s daughter already has a fiance, it seems... It’s for that reason that they have declined.”

  “...Excuse me? What did you just say? Do speak up.”

  “...I said that they have decl—” THWACK! Before Cloud could finish his sentence, Zabune smacked him square across the jaw.

  “You useless little urchin. Why didn’t you just snatch the girl up?! If you had brought her, I could have collared her and there wouldn’t be an issue. You stupid, unintuitive little shit!”

  Whoa... What did he just say? Slap a collar on Sue? Is that what he has in mind?!

  “That little bitch looked over at me and giggled during that party in Refreese! Her! A mere duke’s daughter, laughing at ME! Once I have her, I’ll collar her, then train her body. I’ll warp her damn mind! Then we’ll see who’s laughing!”

  What the actual hell... If you wore that stupid-looking outfit at the party, then it probably wasn’t just Sue giggling, you bastard...! Well, I guess the other guests probably restrained themselves to be polite. But Sue’s just a kid! Grow a goddamn backbone, you scum!

  “Tsk. I can’t believe you’re this useless. What a miserable shitstain I have for a younger brother... Well? Who’s the fiance? You found out that much at least, didn’t you?”

  “...The Grand Duke of Brunhild, Mochizuki Touya.”

  “Brunhild...? That fledgling nation? Pah! What are those retards thinking? They won’t profit if they marry her off to such a small nation!” S-Small?! What an asshole... It’s fine for me to say it, but he can’t!

  Prince Zabune tutted in Cloud’s general direction. All of a sudden he started pondering something, and then began to grin wickedly.

  “Hey, Cloud. Go to Belfast at once, and begin spinning a yarn.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Go and spread the rumor that the grand duke of Brunhild is a pervert who uses and abuses women. If it gets around, then that pathetic little Ortlinde man might reconsider the situation at large... After all, he wouldn’t want his daughter going to a bad man. Aren’t I smart?”

  Man, I really wanna smack this guy. I’m definitely gonna hit this guy... just you goddamn wait.

  “...If I spread that rumor, can I see my mother?”

  “What? Didn’t I already tell you? Your mother’s sick. Con-ta-gious. Retard. What if you got sick as well? What then? Hm? Well? You should be thankful I’m looking out for you as your venerable elder brother. Hah... then again, she could die any minute, so I see where you’re coming from.” Zabune grinned alongside his last sentence, to which Cloud responded with clenched fists and a furious glare. Prince Zabune’s expression shifted immediately.

  “...Who are you to look at me in such a manner?” From out of nowhere, Zabune kicked Cloud in the gut. Cloud doubled over in pain, and Zabune smacked him again. Then, he dished out a third, merciless kick.

  “You pathetic little lowborn shit! You miserable, slimy little maggot! How dare you! How dare you!!! You should be thankful for even being alive... You should be licking my boots and kissing the ground I’ve stepped on, do you understand?! Maybe you’ll learn some respect if I smack it into you, you little shit!” Idiot Prince Zabune’s vicious assault finally subsided, and another person entered the room.

  “Zabune? What is the meaning of this?”

  “Ah, Mother... I was educating my rowdy little brother, think nothing of it.” What initially appeared to be a pig in a gaudy red dress was actually a human woman. The gaudy, obese, makeup-caked creature strutted down the red carpeted stairs with several maids in tow. She was quite clearly Queen Dacia, the idiot’s mother. They looked almost nothing alike, the only common feature being their filthy mouths and corrupted gazes.

  “Oh dear, Cloud... You really need to understand your position here. Unlike you, Zabune is the one who will carry the future of our nation. Don’t bother him with such trivial things, okay? Though, I suppose you can’t help it... You must have so much commoner blood in you from your mother’s side that such stupidity comes naturally, hm?” She stared Cloud down with cold, icy eyes, before suddenly turning to Zabune with a warm smile. The speed of her expression shift was disturbing, to say the least.

  “What happened with the proposal, Zabune?”

  “Cloud messed it all up. He’s useless.”

  “Aw, my poor little baby... Well, Belfast is a stupid little place... I’m sure it’ll fall into disrepair before long!” Instead of feeling anger, I found myself more surprised and amazed by the exchange I was seeing. These people were something else.

  “Once I sit on the throne, I’ll be sure to punish everyone that disappointed me. Speaking of which, Mother... I’d like to just become king already. I don’t need to get engaged.”

  “Very well... Shall we go and confer with Wardack?”

  “Yes please!” The two of them left, entourage in tow, completely forgetting about Cloud.

  That’s a mother and child duo beyond salvation... They’re far too corrupt. Why did the king even marry that pig? Was it political? Or did they blackmail him into it?

  “Come forth, Light! Soothing Comfort: [Cure Heal]!” Prince Cloud staggered to his feet after I cast recovery magic on him. His breathing was heavy, however.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I am... It doesn’t hurt anymore. Thank you so much...” The physical pain was gone, but I was sure the mental scars remained. His fist was still clenched and shaking. I could see the whites of his knuckles. It made me wonder just how long he’d had to endure this treatment. It was a miracle to me t
hat Cloud had survived all of this without breaking completely.

  “What a gross guy...”

  “Indeed... I felt the urge to slash him into pieces, I did.” Elze and Yae both spoke up. Their collective tone was brimming with anger. I understood them, though. I wanted to hurt Zabune as well. Badly.

  “But what was with the slave collar...?”

  “Our country ostensibly prohibits slavery... However, my elder brother still purchased collars from a Sandora trader who passed by some time ago.” If I hadn’t been here, Sue could’ve ended up as a slave... I decided then that I wouldn’t just let Zabune go with a simple beating... Still, I was getting ahead of myself.

  We moved to a shaded area behind a column, then canceled the invisibility spell. From there, I target locked on to the slave girl and activated [Gate].

  “Whuh... Huh?” I ignored her panic at suddenly being pulled to my location, and immediately used [Apport] to get that disgusting device off her.

  Her hands came up to her neck, and then she looked at the collar in my hands. The moment she realized she wasn’t wearing it anymore, tears began to flow from her eyes like rain.

  “I-It’s off... Th-The collar’s... h-ha... i-it’s off!” I revealed our identities to the newly-freed girl and took her back to Brunhild through another [Gate]. After briefly explaining the situation to Yumina, I asked her to take care of the girl. Then, it was right back to the mission.

  A short time later, the prince and his entourage returned in a fluster, but we had re-cast [Invisible] so we were in the clear.

  “H-Hey! Did my toy come through here?!”

  “I haven’t seen her, no.” Zabune rolled his eyes at Cloud’s response, then quickly turned around. He and his cronies began charging up the stairs. I briefly thought about using [Slip] to give them a nasty tumble, but before I could, the idiot prince stopped dead in his tracks.

  “Is there something the matter, Prince Zabune?”

  “Wardack! My plaything disappeared! She just vanished, like that!” A man in his fifties came strolling from the top of the stairs. He was dressed in a long black robe. Wardack...?

  “That is Prime Minister Wardack, yes.” Prince Cloud whispered in a voice so faint we could barely even hear it. Wardack kind of had the face of a bulldog... It was definitely the face of a villain, probably.

  “Have you not issued the command that forces her to return?”

  “I did, but she didn’t come!”

  “Then trigger the kill command. What use is a toy that refuses to function? We’ll find her corpse and clean it up, then get you a functional toy.” The prime minister shrugged, urging on the idiot prince. I was disgusted. How could a state official behave like this?

  “What the hell, man...! I didn’t even get to make full use of her yet. All of her limbs are intact, it isn’t fair!” Zabune sighed, but as he spoke the collar in my hand rapidly shrank in size... If it had still been on her neck, it would’ve killed her. Slowly.

  Their lack of regard for human life caused my blood to boil. They were doing unnatural things as if it was perfectly natural, and their lack of understanding of the vile nature behind their actions was baffling. These people were cruel. Animals, even. And they had to be stopped.

  “Well hello there, Prince Cloud. Back from Belfast already, are you? Did you settle the proposal?” Wardack strolled down to the bottom of the stairs, eyes focused on Cloud. He wasn’t being polite by any means; his tone felt almost mocking. He was clearly looking down on the younger prince.

  “I’m sorry to say that it was declined...”

  “Ah. Well, no matter. It’s actually fine. You have a new mission, anyway. You must head to the Palouf Kingdom to deliver a message.”

  “To Palouf? What for?” Prime Minister Wardack simply grinned, sneering ever-so-faintly as he turned and wordlessly left the room with Zabune. The elder prince looked like he was still in a bad mood.

  I summoned a small mouse and made it invisible, instructing it to follow after Wardack. I had a sinking feeling that his grin just then was one of a schemer. I knew it would be better to investigate it rather than let it be.

  The mouse caught up to them both before long, and their voices were projected into my mind.

  “Wardack... why are you sending Cloud to Palouf? Are there some cute little noble or royal girls there to replace my missing toy?”

  “No, it’s not for marriage.”

  “Then what?”

  “War, my boy. I will have Prince Cloud declare war upon the Palouf Kingdom.”

  I knew it... He’s come up with a miserable scheme.

  ◇　◇　◇

  The biggest island in the western region was Palnea. It was an island divided into a northern kingdom, and a southern kingdom. North Palnea was known as Palouf, and South Palnea was known as Lihnea.

  The two countries skirmished repeatedly, and had no formal peace treaties, but they had also never engaged in full-scale war. They would skirmish, then cease hostilities, then repeat the process.

  The national strengths of each country was about equal. If either side declared war upon the other, then the winner would have a pyrrhic victory. The damage done to both nations would be far too great.

  But in recent years, that balance had begun to shift. The Palouf King tragically passed away, and their benevolent prime minister followed soon after. And, due to terrible weather conditions, crops had begun faring poorly in Palouf, offering little yield. Lihnea also suffered some losses for the same reason, but the brunt of it hit the northern nation. It was due to the strategically beneficial timing that Prime Minister Wardack of Lihnea decided he would make his move to unite Palnea as one.

  Wardack had begun preparations in secret some time ago, all to deal the decisive blow to Palouf.

  “Is it customary to declare war using the second prince?”

  “I believe that they are scheming, I do. If the young prince delivers the letter as normal, but the contents are a war declaration... then the recipient will become angry and kill the messenger, he will.”

  “That’s certainly not impossible... It’s probably not their primary objective, but I can imagine Wardack using my death as some kind of tragedy to rile up the war effort...” Prince Cloud laughed bitterly. Clearly, he had a good feel for Wardack’s personality. He must’ve been thinking about how little he was viewed by the people who should’ve been his family.

  “We need to start preparing. Cloud, I’ll ask you one final time. From here on we’ll be opposing Wardack and his allies. Are you okay with that?”

  “I am. I will fight him if that’s what it takes to save my mother.” He stared at me, and his indomitable will was clearly shining in his eyes.

  The first phase was meeting with the former prime minister, Koupe. We’d need his aid. He was a marquis, so he’d be able to influence other noble families and help us create a faction in support of Cloud. More importantly, he might have information on the second prince’s mother.

  Regardless of what happened, we’d need to act fast.

  “I’m glad you have such determination, Prince Cloud. You have the aid of the western alliance, so I know now that there is nothing to fear.” Marquis Koupe knelt on the ground before Cloud and bowed his head. It was the first time I’d seen him being treated like the royalty he was. It seemed that they were in a place far enough from the capital that the idiot prince’s opinion didn’t count for much. The Koupe mansion was way out in the countryside, after all. And it was quite a nice place.

  “I will cooperate with you, naturally... but I wish to avoid damaging the country. If possible, can we do this without force?”

  “That just means that the only obstacles are Zabune and Wardack. If we apprehend the prime minister and get the idiot prince disowned, we’ll be golden.” Marquis Koupe stood up and turned to me. I found it hard to believe he was actually over sixty. His muscles were insane. He had a receding hairline, and what little of the remaining strands left were white, but it was hard to envis
ion such a well-built man as elderly.

  “Defeating the prime minister won’t be much of a difficult task... But having Zabune lose his right to succession will be difficult.”

  “Can he not be disinherited for his heinous crimes thus far, can he not?” Yae spoke up with her thoughts, but Marquis Koupe simply shook his head.

  “There’s simply not enough evidence. The prime minister has covered all of that up. The people involved would be fearful of retaliation, as well. They wouldn’t testify against him. Without the king’s direct word, Zabune cannot be disinherited...”

  But I guess the king can’t oppose Queen Dacia, huh... Actually, why not? Is she blackmailing him after all?

  “In the worst case... we could take the king hostage and force him to hand over the throne to Prince Cloud, but... that would not reflect well upon us.”

  “...Yeah, I hope we can avoid doing that. We wouldn’t want the prince being seen as some usurper who stole the throne.” That would be the worst possible situation. But we still had to move fast, since war with Palouf was inevitable at this rate. Hrmph... maybe Cesca was on to something when she suggested just killing the moron and being done with it...

  “For now, we should focus on rescuing Cloud’s mother.”

  “Queen Erya is being held under house arrest within Gallia fortress. It’s a place with deep ties to Wardack. One of my subordinates has successfully infiltrated the place and confirmed that Erya has no such sickness. But, it’s a horrible place. If she stays there any longer, she may actually become ill.” If the situation was as Koupe described it, I could afford to waste no time. We decided Gallia fortress was our first stop.

  Alright, time to use [Recall] and retrieve the Marquis’ memory... Ugh, gross... I have to hold hands with a muscly old man and... oh God, not the forehead!

  After the dirty deed was done, I instinctively embraced Elze. I-It helps a little...

  She hit me.

  Gallia fortress was reasonably large, but not quite as large as Brunhild Castle. It was sort of like a castle nestled in the mountains, but it also spanned the length of a mountain pass, blocking it off.