CHAPTER 103: INSPIRATION

"...You want to talk to me?" The young third prince, Elion, asked, his voice almost lost in the hum of the ballroom.

"Yes, if I may." Lucen smiled gently at the third prince. For Elion, it was strange. This was the first time he had seen such an expression from someone other than his second sister or his mother.

"...Okay."

"How about we change locations? We seem to be attracting a lot of attention."

Elion glanced around. Sure enough, almost everyone was watching them, curiosity sparking in their eyes.

He had also seen his brothers looking at him. His eldest brother was frowning, almost glaring at him. His second brother was also looking, but with a look of interest. Before Elion could answer, his second sister Elena approached them.

"Sir Lucen, it’s a pleasure to meet you," Elena said with a graceful curtsy, her tone warm and poised.

"The pleasure is mine, Princess Elena," Lucen responded with the formal knight’s salute, his voice steady but respectful.

"So, Sir Lucen, what is it you want from my younger brother?" She spoke with a smile on her face, but despite her age, she was still a noble. That smile was both a weapon and a defensive shield.

"I simply wanted to talk to Prince Elion."

"Is that so?" Elena’s smile never wavered. "Perhaps you wouldn’t mind if I joined the conversation as well."

Lucen looked at Elena, weighing her request for a moment.

’Elion’s distrust of others... It’s probably been shaped by years of growing up in this palace, surrounded by siblings he can’t keep up with,’ Lucen thought.

’But looking at him now, fidgeting under his sister’s shadow, I can’t see even a flicker of that arrogant brat he was in the original timeline.’

Elion shifted his weight from foot to foot, eyes lowered, as if the marble floor had suddenly become fascinating.

Lucen then shifted his attention to Elena, a character who was only mentioned a few times in the game, one who died before the start of the story.

’The change in his personality should be because of Elena’s kidnapping and subsequent death. Based on the forums, I remember there was a theory that her death not only changed Elion, but it also made all the other royals feel even more distant from one another. Many players considered her to be the heart of the royal family, and her death was also the death of their hearts.’

To change the fates of the royal family, she was an important piece.

"I would be glad if you joined us, princess. Is that alright with you, Prince Elion?"

Elion responded by nodding his head.

"Then, princess and prince, let us change to a quieter location."

The two royals noticed that almost half of the guests were eavesdropping on their conversation, so they moved to the balcony. Even though many nobles wanted to join or listen to their conversation, they knew that they couldn’t push too far.

That was two royals, and the heir of the Iron Duke. If they made a mistake now, it might turn out badly for them later.

The balcony doors opened with a soft creak, and the world beyond was awash in the golden hues of late afternoon. The muffled hum of the ballroom spilled out behind them, replaced by the gentle rustle of leaves and the distant chatter from the palace gardens.

Sunlight pooled across the marble balustrade, warm to the touch, and the faint scent of blooming flowers drifted up from below.

"So what is it you wish to talk to my younger brother about?" Elena asked.

"Nothing much, I just wanted to get to know Prince Elion."

"Why?"

Both Elion and Elena asked at the same time. Seeing them act like that, Lucen was once again reminded that even though they were royalty, they, in the end, were just children. A genuine smile appeared on Lucen’s face as he answered.

"It’s just that before I left to meet your father, the king, I noticed the prince feeling a little down despite it being his birthday. Then, when I returned to the ballroom, I saw that he was looking quite excited. It got me interested to know what changed."

"Is that true, Elion? Were you excited about something?"

When Elion heard Elena’s question, he became even more embarrassed. He then started glancing at Lucen, unable to answer for a while, but Lucen was patient and waited. After a while, a little overwhelmed by the stares of the two, Elion finally answered.

"I wanted to hear stories about you."

The second the answer was given, both Lucen and Elena showed surprised expressions. It was at that moment that Elena remembered the stories she told Elion about Lucen. In those stories, Lucen was practically the loser among losers.

Of course, the real Lucen was very different from the original rumors about him. Elena felt a little embarrassed telling his younger brother that at least he’s not as bad as Lucen Thornehart.

Unaware of Elena’s thoughts, Lucen was looking at Elion quite surprised. He knew that many people were interested in his adventures, but...

’Wait, now that I think about it, isn’t my life after regaining my memories something out of a reincarnation adventure novel?...’

Lucen shook his head and quickly discarded the useless thoughts. Didn’t he have a similar thought before when he remembered this world was once a game he played?

’Yeah, don’t stories from history sound like something absurd that could never happen, but they did.’ Lucen’s focus went back to Prince Elion.

"So, did you find those stories interesting?"

Elion hesitated again, his gaze drifting to the palace gardens below. "They were... amazing," he admitted, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "Like something from a hero’s tale." He fidgeted with the cuff of his sleeve.

Lucen almost patted Elion’s head as a reaction, but stopped himself before he did so. He then quickly placed his hands behind his back as he spoke.

"Are you perhaps interested in plays?"

"... I have watched a few plays about the founding of Norvaegard, as well as the story of how the champion of the God of War Varkun defeated the evil dragon."

"What did you think about them? How do they compare to the stories told about me?"

"Um, they are quite nice, but they’re different," Elion admitted.

"How are they different?"

"The characters in those stories seem so distant and unattainable. The protagonists of those stories are like perfect heroes, who cannot make mistakes and always end in victory. The stories about you are..."

Elion suddenly stopped mid-sentence and was once again hesitating to answer.

"What about the stories about me?"

"... I can’t say."

"What can’t you say?" Lucen asked, confused. Elion did not respond this time and had his eyes looking at the ground. Elena, who was simply listening to the conversation, understood why her little brother was hesitating.

"He doesn’t want to answer, since he thinks it might offend you."

"Oh, there’s no need to worry about that. Just tell me your true thoughts, and I promise on my honor that I won’t be offended."

Elion looked up and saw the kind smile on Lucen’s face. He hesitated for a little bit more before answering.

"... The stories about you as the protagonist are full of flaws, and it always feels like the victory was hard to achieve. Even in those stories about you from the rumors, you make mistakes. Like keeping the mercenaries that tried to kidnap you as your allies, or the time you fought in the underground arena without rest, but you use those mistakes and make them your weapons. It’s like every adventure you had the possibility of losing and dying was always present."

"Of course, it was. I’m not some hero of old that can do no wrong. I make mistakes and I live with them, and simply move forward, no matter how bruised or dirty I become, you can only move forward..."

Elion could not understand it, but when he heard what Lucen said, something within him was struck. He felt his heart racing. It was as if his mind had cleared.

"... You can only move forward..."

Elena, noticing the sudden subtle change in Elion, did not say anything to her younger brother and instead spoke to Lucen.

"I heard from a friend of mine that you are also going to write a play."

"That friend of yours, was it Lysette Crowlorne?"

"Does it matter who told me?"

"Not really."

"So, what kind of play are you going to write?"

Lucen looked at Prince Elion, who was also looking at him with great expectation in his eyes. Lucen thought about what kind of story the third prince needs to see. It took him a few seconds to rummage through his memories, and he finally thought of a good play to write.

"It’s about a knight who dreamed of living as the heroes of old once did, slaying dragons, saving kingdoms, protecting the weak.

The only problem was... He lived in a tiny, peaceful village where the most dangerous thing was a cranky old goat.

So, when a herd of wild goats charged through town, he drew his sword as if facing a demon army. When a tax collector came for the annual levy, he challenged him to a duel for oppressing the peasants."

The more Lucen spoke, the more interested the two royals became in the story.

"The villagers laughed at first, thinking him foolish. But little by little, they began to follow his lead, not because he slew great beasts, but because he dared to stand for something, no matter how small. Though he never felled a mighty dragon, he became a hero in his own way, by giving people the courage to fight for themselves."

"That does sound interesting. If you need help in finding a theater to show that play of yours. I can help you with that. I really want to watch this play of yours. How about Elion, do you want to watch it too?"

Elion nodded his head.

"I already have a theater in mind. When it’s ready to be shown to others. I promise I will invite you to watch."

As the trio continued talking, the soft hum of the ballroom filtered in through the half-open balcony doors. Unseen from where Lucen stood, a small group of people waited near the balcony doors. It was the Vermont family, with Marquess Eron Halbrecht in their company.

They kept their distance, careful not to draw the eyes of the other guests, but their glances flicked toward the balcony more than once. Most wore the polite masks of nobles who knew their place... Except for one.

Reginald Vermont’s expression had a hint of animosity, but his family did not notice as their focus was elsewhere.