The World After the Bad Ending-Chapter 192

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 192

Another year had already passed.

Winter at the Demon Dungeon was just around the corner.

Recently, unrest had been brewing within the Empire.

Tensions between the First Prince’s faction and the Third Princess’s faction had reached their peak.

It was like the calm before the storm.

I hoped it would all pass without incident, but a storm is still a disaster.

It would undoubtedly sweep away many things.

Just before this winter’s Demon Dungeon gathering, I had one important matter to settle.

I had to reconcile the two girls who had fought because of me.

“They're not even kids, so why are they still sulking?”

Seron, who had been trailing behind me, grumbled.

Sorry, but by my standards, they’re still all kids.

In fact, this was a perfectly normal exchange of emotions.

Relationships formed in the immaturity of adolescence are bound to hit rough patches.

Of course, in this world, we were already considered adults, so maybe that didn’t mean much.

“Prince Sweet Potato, hurry up and make them reconcile. If they keep that up during the Demon Dungeon gathering, it’s going to be so annoying.”

“Hard to imagine them doing that at the dungeon though.”

“The magic fox totally would.”

Seron didn’t hold back on her judgment of Sharin.

It seemed even in Seron’s eyes, Sharin came off as someone who lived too freely.

Someone who just went with the flow as long as she didn’t get hurt.

I wanted to defend her, but in truth, Sharin didn’t put much effort into anything outside of magic and me.

A reflection of her childhood, perhaps.

While I was tangled up in all these messy thoughts, Seron suddenly held something out in front of me.

I looked to see what it was—a small gift box.

“And here, take this.”

“What is it?”

“A present, duh. Prince Sweet Potato, it’s your birthday tomorrow.”

Birthday.

Now that she mentioned it, she was right.

Strictly speaking, it was Vikamon’s birthday, but a birthday is still a birthday.

“I was going to give it to you tomorrow, but, you know, I’ve got a good feeling about timing, right?”

That’s the first I’ve ever heard of such a thing.

“Are you really gonna make that face?”

“I’m just curious—where does this confidence in your ‘good feeling’ come from?”

“I may not know much, but I can sense bad luck for sure.”

That… was a surprisingly credible statement.

Unfortunately, Seron’s luck was infamously bad.

Not that disasters struck her, but she was always plagued with small misfortunes.

So her sense for incoming trouble had been honed through instinct.

A fair point.

“I just have a feeling I won’t get the chance to give it to you tomorrow.”

Seron furrowed her brows.

Maybe it was because a single strand of hair was sticking up from her head today, but her words felt even more convincing.

I fought the urge to tug on that strand and instead fiddled with the box in my hands.

“Can I open it?”

“Heh, go ahead. I’ll allow it.”

Seron beamed with a wide smile.

She seemed genuinely happy to be giving me a gift.

I untied the neatly wrapped red ribbon and opened the lid of the box.

Inside was a bracelet adorned with a small red gem.

“It’s a tool that heals you once a day if you get injured.”

“Isn’t this one of those blessing-type items sold by the Church? That must’ve cost a fortune.”

Unlike high-grade potions, which deliver performance equal to their price, these blessing tools are often overpriced for what they do.

Their healing power doesn’t compare to a high potion.

And certainly not to an actual priest.

So in reality, they’re often dismissed as luxury goods.

“High potions come with a cost. This one heals without that.”

Seron sighed and gave my arm a light tap.

“I just thought it might help you get hurt less.”

Maybe because I’d shown up all banged up a few times in front of her.

She must see me as someone who always gets hurt no matter where I go.

This bracelet was her way of easing her own worry.

Wearing it wasn’t just for me—it was for her peace of mind, too.

“I’ll wear it all the time.”

“That makes the gift worthwhile, then.”

Seron scrunched her nose and nervously shuffled her feet, clearly a bit embarrassed.

That’s just like her—pretending not to care while doing something incredibly sweet.

The bracelet fit perfectly on my wrist.

A good safety net to have.

Even if I got moderately injured, this should keep me safe.

“Well? Grateful? Don’t I seem incredibly lovable?”

Seron stood on her tiptoes, puffing up with pride.

At the same time, she stole a quick glance inside my collar, checking whether I was still wearing the Veil Bandages.

She was hoping for my emotions to return more desperately than I was.

And I was thankful for that sincerity.

At least I still retained the ability to appreciate someone’s devotion.

“Yeah, with this, I’ll feel a bit safer even at the dungeon.”

“...Just to be clear, I didn’t give it to you so you could go wild, okay?”

“What do you take me for?”

“A self-destructive tin can.”

Accurate.

Seron was on point today.

Anyway, the day passed with me and Seron chatting about this and that.

As the new year arrived, I exchanged well wishes with familiar faces I ran into.

But perhaps because of the looming Demon Dungeon gathering, no one seemed to place much importance on the new year itself.

Everyone had already enjoyed themselves enough during Christmas.

Now was the time to stay calm and maintain a sense of tension.

And then, an unexpected problem arose.

January 1st, in the morning.

Iris was suddenly summoned by His Majesty the Emperor and had to return to the Imperial Palace.

The reason was that the Emperor had taken a turn for the worse.

He had already been bedridden for some time.

He was someone who could pass away at any moment.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

‘…Even in the official history, there was a time when the Emperor’s illness caused him to summon Iris.’

It was certainly something that happened in the official timeline.

But the timing was different from what it should have been.

In the official history, the summons came during summer break.

This one was brought forward by at least half a year.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

I frowned.

‘Even if the timeline has shifted…’

Could even the Emperor’s health deteriorate ahead of schedule?

Something about it felt deeply off.

This situation was clearly moving in a deliberate direction.

‘Could it be the work of Duke Robliage?’

That Duke Robliage made the Emperor gravely ill.

The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly shook my head.

Even for someone like Duke Robliage, that would be a difficult move to make.

Besides, the current political landscape had the First Prince’s faction pressing down on the Third Princess’s faction.

The Emperor falling ill at this moment would only disadvantage the Third Princess’s side.

‘It’s not Duke Robliage’s doing.’

Touching the Emperor would be too risky.

Then why did the Emperor suddenly become gravely ill at this exact moment?

My eyes narrowed slightly.

A possibility floated into my mind.

A mere possibility—no more than that.

But what if, just what if, someone on the First Prince’s side was responsible for the Emperor’s condition?

The First Prince’s faction was currently pushing hard against the Third Princess’s side.

If the Emperor were to fall gravely ill now, it would naturally shake the loyalties of the vassals.

In such an unstable situation, would they choose the Third Princess’s uncertain future—or the First Prince?

The answer was obvious.

The Emperor’s illness clearly played in favor of the First Prince’s faction.

‘I never considered it before because the Emperor’s illness always occurred at the same point in the official history.’

Even then, the Third Princess’s side had been at a disadvantage.

Once might be a coincidence.

Twice or more, and it becomes inevitable.

My mind was in turmoil.

I never considered the First Prince to be a particularly good person.

He, too, was someone who would use any means necessary to become Emperor.

A man with an unshakable belief that the Empire would prosper only under his rule.

That was the First Prince.

To end the current deadlock, he would not hesitate to kill his own father.

After all, the Emperor was already on the verge of death.

Rather than let the Empire falter under a long-lasting illness, he would think it better for the Emperor to simply die.

It felt like I was witnessing the ugly, grimy face of politics.

‘Duke Robliage and the First Prince…’

Both were waging an intense battle of wits over the throne.

Which of the two would eventually claim the Emperor’s seat?

One thing was certain: Duke Robliage would never quietly accept losing the throne.

“I even got everything ready to celebrate your birthday… Now I’ll have to do it when I get back.”

Just then, Iris, who was waiting for her carriage, pouted slightly.

As her second-year martial arts teaching assistant, I had come to see her off.

In times like this, being an assistant had its perks—it gave me a certain level of freedom.

But still… after Christmas, now my birthday too?

Maybe because I was her first real friend, she seemed especially devoted.

“We already had a great party on Christmas. That was more than enough.”

“Still.”

Iris grumbled, glancing sideways at me.

Beside me stood Hania.

Normally, Hania would’ve accompanied Iris, but the timing was unfortunate.

With the Winter Demon Dungeon Battle just ahead, one of our strongest fighters—namely Iris—was already leaving.

Letting Hania go too wasn’t an option.

“Hania, take care of my brother, okay? He’s bound to come back all banged up again.”

“Yes, I’ll make sure to keep a close eye on him.”

Hania clearly wanted to go with Iris, but she held herself back.

As Hania sniffled, Iris and I locked eyes.

“Iris, something about this feels off.”

“I think so too.”

Iris agreed with me.

She also sensed that something was wrong with the current state of affairs.

But even so, she couldn’t avoid going to see the Emperor in his critical condition.

Whether she liked it or not, she was a contender for the throne.

If the Emperor were to pass away, she’d immediately be competing with the First Prince for succession.

This was a critical moment that would determine the fate of the Empire.

The Demon Dungeon Battle was important, but not more important than the Empire itself—there was no way around it.

“If Duke Robliage ever demands something you don’t want to do… come back to Zerion Academy.”

If that happens, I’ll find a way to handle it.

Iris smiled alluringly.

“You’re reliable. Thanks—I’ll keep that in mind.”

With those parting words, she boarded the Imperial carriage.

The carriage carrying her quickly disappeared into the distance.

“…Lady Iris will be okay, right?”

Hania asked quietly, watching the departing carriage.

I patted her shoulder and nodded.

“It’s Iris. She’ll be fine. More importantly, we need to focus on the Winter Demon Dungeon.”

“Phew… You’re right. I want to finish quickly and go welcome her back.”

“I’ll do my best too.”

With that, Hania and I turned and walked away.

And the next day—

I realized that Seron’s ominous feeling had been right on the mark.

“The Winter Demon Dungeon has opened earlier than expected.”

With Professor Vega’s announcement, the Winter Demon Dungeon had begun.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]