Chapter 199: The Second Prince's Helplessness
The Re-Estize Kingdom.
Inside the opulent royal palace, a burly man paced back and forth.
His short golden hair and extravagant clothing made it clear at a glance that he held an extraordinary status.
Barbro Andrean Ield Ryle Vaiself.
He was the Kingdom's eldest prince and the primary heir to the throne.
"Damn it! This is clearly the best chance to attack the Empire. Their attention is completely drawn to the Sorcerer Kingdom right now. If we launched an offensive, we could definitely catch them off guard."
"Why can't Father understand that?!"
Crown Prince Barbro had just met with the current king, Ramposa III, only to be rejected. His expression darkened as he clenched his fists, his frustration plain to see.
Barbro understood very well that although he was the Kingdom's eldest prince and first in line for the throne, that didn't mean his position was secure.
His younger brother, the Kingdom's Second Prince, had always been eyeing his place.
Because of that, Barbro constantly searched for opportunities to prove himself in front of his father, hoping to secure his position and firmly establish himself as the undisputed crown prince.
Originally, he had believed his plan would win his father's approval.
But the king's refusal had completely ruined those expectations.
"Oh my, what's wrong, Elder Brother?"
"Didn't you just go to see Father? Why do you look so unhappy?"
Just as Crown Prince Barbro simmered with irritation, trying to figure out how he could make his father accept his proposal, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
He looked up and saw a familiar figure approaching.
The moment he saw him, Barbro's lips twitched and his expression turned sour.
Tch. That troublesome guy. Just the person I didn't want to see.
The newcomer also had golden hair and wore luxurious clothing.
However, compared to Barbro's strong and imposing build, he looked somewhat shorter and slightly plump.
The man was none other than the Kingdom's Second Prince.
Zanac Valleon Igana Ryle Vaiself.
"Hmph. None of your concern."
Barbro snorted coldly. He had absolutely no fondness for this younger brother who competed with him for the throne.
When his eyes fell on the tall, thin man standing beside Zanac, Barbro's mood worsened even further.
Without saying anything more, he suppressed the irritation in his chest and walked away.
"Ah… my brother is still the same as ever."
Watching his brother's figure gradually disappear down the corridor, Second Prince Zanac sighed helplessly.
"His Highness the First Prince is probably worried about his position. His Majesty is already advanced in years, and you are his only real threat."
The man standing beside Zanac spoke calmly.
His complexion was pale, and at first glance he gave the impression of being frail and delicate, but no one dared underestimate him because of it.
This man was Marquis Raeven, one of the Kingdom's Six Great Nobles.
He was also the Second Prince's strongest supporter.
"My brother is far too reckless. I can't just stand by and watch the Kingdom continue to decline."
Zanac shook his head.
Despite appearances, although he could not compare to Renner, Second Prince Zanac was also an exceptionally intelligent man.
The reason he sought the throne was not simple ambition. He simply didn't trust his elder brother and feared what would happen to the Kingdom if Barbro inherited the crown.
There was no denying that the First Prince possessed the necessary knowledge to become a king, but that was all.
Barbro was far too close to the nobility. If he truly became king, the outcome was easy to imagine.
Once he ascended the throne, he would inevitably become nothing more than a puppet of the noble factions.
At that point, the royal family would exist in name only, and Zanac's own position would become dangerously unstable.
Even if the First Prince himself didn't care, Zanac was certain those nobles would never spare him, the Second Prince.
"Let's go. It's time to meet my terrifying 'sister'."
Zanac spoke as he walked.
Checking on the Crown Prince had only been incidental. Their real purpose was to meet the Kingdom's Third Princess, Zanac's younger sister.
The one known as the Golden Princess, Princess Renner.
"Do we really have to see Princess Renner?"
Marquis Raeven sighed after hearing that, clearly reluctant.
As someone who had watched Princess Renner grow up, Marquis Raeven was one of the few people who knew her true nature.
He understood exactly what lay hidden beneath that gentle, friendly mask.
"We don't have a choice. Renner has a close relationship with Blue Roses, and she also knows the Adamantite adventurer team [Ainz Ooal Gown]. If we want to preserve the Kingdom, we have to meet her."
Unlike the blindly arrogant nobles, Zanac had always felt an uneasy premonition about the coming war between the Empire and the Kingdom.
The Argland Council State had fallen, the Sorcerer Kingdom had been established, and in the span of just a single week the world had changed drastically. It felt like the calm before a storm.
"Ainz Ooal Gown?"
"I've heard they've been active in the Dragon Kingdom lately."
"The Crown Prince actually made a rare good move this time."
(PS: Because of the Brightness Dragon Lord, the Dragon Kingdom had already been incorporated into Nazarick long ago. The protagonist occasionally has news about adventurer teams spread from the Dragon Kingdom.)
Marquis Raeven said this with some emotion.
Although the Crown Prince was reckless, favored the nobility, and looked down on commoners, he still had some sense. At the very least, he understood the importance of recruiting powerful individuals.
When [Ainz Ooal Gown] first arrived in the Kingdom, the struggle between the First Prince and the Second Prince had already begun.
While keeping each other in check, both sides sent their subordinates to approach them with goodwill.
Even if they couldn't secure their help in taking the throne, they at least wanted to prevent the other side from gaining their support.
Unfortunately, the First Prince ended up gaining the upper hand in that contest. Zanac's people were intercepted, leaving him no choice but to watch as the other side successfully recruited [Ainz Ooal Gown].
(PS: This refers to Chapter 136, where the Crown Prince gives the protagonist a land deed.)
The Second Prince knew very well that if he wanted to compete for the throne, winning over [Ainz Ooal Gown] would bring enormous advantages.
So Zanac thought of his sister, Renner.
When it came to connections with [Ainz Ooal Gown], his sister had actually made contact with them first.
(PS: After learning about the news from E-Rantel, Renner immediately began making plans.)
The Crown Prince knew this as well, but he simply didn't care.
"Fortunately, Renner is a woman and cannot inherit the throne. Besides, she has no interest in it."
Even so, Zanac had to admit that his sister was truly frightening.
She had connections with two Adamantite adventurer teams and enjoyed immense support among the people.
If Renner truly wanted to, starting a major upheaval would not be impossible. Zanac believed she had that kind of capability.
Fortunately, he had already reached an agreement with Renner.
In exchange for promising not to force her into a political marriage and allowing her to live freely, Renner had agreed to help him obtain the throne.
(PS: During this period, Demiurge had been focused on his dragon creation plan and had not contacted Princess Renner.)
As the Second Prince and Marquis Raeven talked, they soon arrived outside Renner's room.
Knock, knock.
Zanac politely knocked on the door.
"Come in~"
...
Side Story: The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord of a Parallel World
(Consider it an alternate world: the protagonist never joined Nazarick. Using a World-Class Item, he briefly seized a World Boss's body, then made it out just before the Server Shutdown and crossed over.)
A stretch of rust-red wasteland lay barren, almost completely devoid of life. People called this land of death the Bloodstained Earth.
A thin fog blanketed the area, shutting out the sunlight.
The Kazte Plains. A paradise for the Undead, a region where the Undead were most commonly found.
Undead wandered here and there across the ground with no purpose, until an unusual disturbance drew their attention.
The calm of space itself cracked open, and a massive figure appeared in midair.
A gigantic shadow blotted out the sky. Two enormous dragon horns rose from its head. Behind it, three pairs of huge wings beat heavily, and a tail as long as its body swung with wild freedom.
Its entire body was black. On either side of its chest were dark crimson spots, like gemstones, yet unsettlingly like eyes. With no feathers at all, its exposed flesh was covered in hard, jet-black dragon scales. Its gaze was vicious, its teeth razor-sharp, and its claws looked like they could tear anything apart, filling anyone who saw it with dread.
"Where… am I?"
As his eyes opened in a haze, Naohara stared in confusion at a world he didn't recognize.
He reflexively lifted a hand, only to find a dragon's claw covered in pitch-black scales, dark magic curling around it.
Naohara snapped fully awake.
"I did it!"
Feeling the terrifying power coursing through him and the change in his body, he burst out laughing. A dreadful Dragon Aura, carried on a thunderous roar, shook the heavens. Countless Undead vanished in an instant, ground into dust.
He released that overwhelming pressure without restraint. He had succeeded. He had truly claimed the body of a world-class World Boss. In this New World, he finally had the means to survive.
The violent tremor spread across the entire Kazte Plains. And the sudden disappearance of so many Undead drew the attention of someone else.
"A dragon?"
Deep in the Kazte Plains, hundreds of Undead were gathered together, fused into an enormous sphere.
From within it, a colossal presence that should have been sleeping stirred awake. It crawled out of the Undead sphere, puzzled, and looked toward Naohara's direction.
It was another dragon.
Its massive body was nearly on par with the mountains around it.
"That Dragon Aura… it's no weaker than mine."
Sensing that pure, powerful Dragon Aura, the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord hesitated only for a moment before flying straight toward it.
A True Dragon Lord-level being had appeared within his territory and was brazenly releasing Dragon Aura. There was no way the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord could ignore that.
A True Dragon Lord's speed was frightening. In less than a minute, the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord arrived in front of Naohara.
"Unknown True Dragon Lord. State your purpose."
Watching the pitch-black dragon that continued to roar, the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord felt a flicker of surprise. He had no memory of a True Dragon Lord like this.
Even so, he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he issued a low warning. Whoever this was, this was still his domain.
If not for the fact that the other was also of the Dragon Race, and not inferior to him in strength, the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord would have attacked already.
"You… are you giving me orders?"
Naohara, who had been roaring moments ago, froze. Staring at the dragon before him, anger surged straight into his head, and he bellowed back.
"No one gives me orders!"
"Catastrophe Breath."
A pitch-black magic array appeared, shining with an intense, radiant light.
A magic pulse like a god's wrath began to gather within the array, thickening by the second.
Before the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord could even react, a flood of dark magic erupted outward, becoming a shockwave of destruction that slammed directly into his dragon body.
"Boom! Rumble!"
In an instant, the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord, caught completely off guard, was hit by the pitch-black breath. The terrifying force smashed him through several mountain peaks, and with the earth roaring beneath him, he was driven straight into the ground.
The Undead swarming over the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord dispersed in an instant, and a horrific roar tore from his throat.
That crushing breath continued to pin him down, leaving him unable to break free.
The ground shook, roars split the sky, and for a moment it felt as though the end of the world had arrived.
"This is the posture of the weak."
After ending the breath attack, Naohara looked down at the enormous crater below with an expressionless face and spoke in a low voice.
As a primordial dragon born from the world itself, he naturally stood at the very pinnacle of all dragons. When the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord had questioned him earlier, Naohara had not even had time to think before a surge of anger rose from within, driving him to attack without hesitation.
"The body's instinct, huh… troublesome, but nothing serious."
Sensing the abnormal reaction from earlier, Naohara didn't pay it much mind. Everything came with a price, and compared to others, the price he paid was already quite minor.
"Ah! Unknown True Dragon Lord, you have angered me!"
A furious roar burst from the cloud of dust. The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord flew out of the enormous crater several kilometers wide, glaring at the black dragon before him with burning rage.
All the Undead that had once clung to his body had been completely wiped out, revealing his true form.
Dark blood covered his massive dragon scales, leaving him looking extremely battered.
As a Dragon Lord who possessed multiple world-class classes, Naohara's breath attack was immensely powerful. With the passive ability [Catastrophe Attribute Enhancement], the cursed breath had directly annihilated every Undead attached to the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord.
"For a True Dragon Lord to willingly become an Undead. Your existence itself is a disgrace to the Dragon Race."
Looking at the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord, whose voice was filled with hatred and brutality, Naohara spoke calmly.
He intended to create a new identity for himself in order to make contact with Platinum Dragon Lord and the other True Dragon Lords.
A battle between him and the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord would inevitably draw the attention of Platinum Dragon Lord. As the son of the Dragon Emperor who considered himself the guardian of the world, he would certainly come to investigate.
Naohara planned to meet him under the identity of an ancient True Dragon Lord who had just awakened from a long slumber.
"What does that have to do with you? Mind your own business!"
Naohara's words caused the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord to roar in anger. He had imagined many possible reasons for the attack, but never expected it to be because of that.
The pride of dragons?
Damn it, the Dragon Race had already been nearly wiped out. What pride was left to speak of?
"Die!"
The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord beat his wings and lunged straight at Naohara.
Sharp dragon claws came crashing down, but Naohara easily blocked them with his own. The crimson spots on his chest began to glow, and several beams of magic shot out, slamming into the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord's body.
Dark blood splattered everywhere, even covering Naohara's head.
The corrosive effect of Undead blood activated, but it was completely ineffective against him.
Enduring the intense pain, the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord opened his mouth and unleashed another jet of pitch-black breath.
"Wild Magic, High-Frequency Particle Cannon!"
A pure black pillar of light struck Naohara's dragon body. The surrounding air burned from the surge of magic, and scorching heat swept across both land and sky.
After the explosion, the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord ignored his own injuries and stared intently ahead.
He knew the enemy was not dead.
Even the high-tier Wild Magic [High-Frequency Particle Cannon] could not instantly kill a True Dragon Lord.
"Not bad power."
From within the smoke, a figure slowly emerged along with the voice. Naohara looked at the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord with clear interest.
In close combat, he was naturally inferior to a True Dragon Lord that had lived for hundreds of years. That was perfectly normal.
When the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord had unleashed Wild Magic earlier, Naohara could have defended himself.
But he deliberately chose not to.
Instead, he allowed his dragon body to be completely exposed to the explosion of Wild Magic.
He wanted to personally experience the power of Wild Magic, the exclusive magic of dragons in this world, said to surpass even tier magic.
Looking at the slightly damaged scales on his body and the five percent reduction in his health, Naohara nodded in satisfaction.
Its power was indeed greater than Super-Tier Magic.
After all, his current body was that of a World Boss. Every attribute far exceeded that of a level 100 player, reaching a terrifying level.
The fact that it could injure him was undeniable proof of Wild Magic's strength.