How to Live Comfortably as an Abandoned Prince Chapter 267 : Chapter 267

Chapter 267. Leon’s Followers Have Changed

Radel returned to the academy.

In his arms was a newly completed Hayden-style Interdiate Potion.

The reason Radel had managed to survive the first sester safely, despite Heal not working on him, was largely thanks to the Hayden-style Beginner Potions.

How effective would the interdiate potion be?

With a pleasant sense of anticipation, Radel headed toward the Black Falcon Dormitory.

The Hayden-style Interdiate Potion would surely be of great help to his plans going forward.

‘Specifically, acquiring a new Archdemon tool set.’

The book left behind by his ancestor Hayden.

“How to Respond When a Demon Threatens to Send You to Hell.”

The incident in which he had glimpsed the past through that book had given Radel a profound realization.

The power of his ancestor Hayden, known as the Great Sage, had been overwhelmingly imnse.

Had he not even seen through the soul residing within himself at the very end?

When Radel told that story, the Spirit of the Library had practically jumped in shock.

‘He noticed your existence? You are saying that your future self saw through the magic cast by you?’

For quite so ti, the Spirit of the Library had insisted that it was impossible, that if such a thing were possible then the man in question must have been insane or fundantally flawed in so way. Yet after hearing Radel’s account, its pages trembled violently.

‘If he sealed an Archdemon… then he truly was an abnormal existence. Tsk.’

From then on, the Spirit of the Library constantly harassed Radel, urging him to grow stronger as soon as possible.

‘You brat! Hurry up and beco stronger, hurry! That way I can beco stronger too and uncover more traces of that fraud!’

Becoming stronger was important anyway, so Radel obediently nodded.

There was sothing else he had realized thanks to his ancestor.

The new forms taken by the Archdemons.

And Belphegor transforming into a sword.

Radel had already suspected that his ancestor Hayden had wielded a sword.

Otherwise, there would be no explanation for why Hayden’s Mana Training thod included techniques such as Slash and Thrust.

Moreover, the Cretian Imperial Family possessed the Imperial Swordsmanship of the Empire.

If his ancestor Hayden had learned it from a young age as a mber of the imperial family, he would naturally have been familiar with the sword.

However, while he had expected his ancestor’s swordsmanship, he had not anticipated the sight of turning a demon into a sword.

For Radel, who had always been fascinated by magical tools such as space expansion pouches, it was a revelation that made his eyes light up.

An ancestor who had gone so far as to leave a warning never to trust demons would not have ford contracts with the Archdemons.

He must have controlled them freely without contracts.

‘If I can learn that thod, I could possess all kinds of magical tools that do not exist in this world.’

Scissors that never dull.

A frying pan that food never sticks to.

And perhaps even a space expansion pouch large enough to contain a house.

A satisfied smile ford on Radel’s lips.

Just as he stepped forward in high spirits—

“What did you just say?”

A rough voice rang out near the dormitory.

“What is your problem? Did I say sothing I should not have?”

“Yes! You are spouting complete nonsense right now!”

As the representative of the Black Falcon Dormitory, this was clearly not a situation that could be ignored.

Moreover, the voice he had just heard was one Radel knew well.

‘Do not tell …’

Suppressing his presence, Radel approached the source of the noise.

Several students were facing off, and among them was soone Radel knew very well.

It was Gusto Zebro, an apprentice holy knight of the Supre Deity Order.

“Why is Gusto here?”

Sensing that sothing was off, Radel felt unsettled.

Gusto, true to his status as an apprentice holy knight, had never caused trouble.

He followed the professors’ instructions well and maintained good relationships with his peers.

Why would such a model student be involved in this…?

Radel’s question was soon answered.

“So you are saying that Prince Radel’s intentions are good, but the Prince we have seen is not like that!”

“It is not because we are Princess Inette’s followers. That is simply the truth!”

“Prince Radel is soone obsessed with money!”

Only then did Radel properly see the faces of the students opposing Gusto.

They were followers of Inette whom Radel recognized.

“I am not convinced. When exactly did His Highness ever empty your wallets? Did you not all open them of your own accord?”

Gusto rebutted calmly.

However, his words sounded as though his classmates had been voluntarily offering money.

Realizing that implication, the followers’ faces turned pale.

“W-What are you talking about! We just used His Highness’s stalls!”

“Gusto, if you say it like that, we sound strange!”

“T-That is right! You are making it sound like we are so lackeys paying tribute to the Prince…!”

But Gusto ignored their protests.

All he wanted was to correct them as quickly as possible.

This was, in a sense, a purification ritual.

A ritual to properly cleanse the malicious rumors about His Highness that had been spreading through the academy recently.

It was not just Gusto. All of Radel’s followers were likely making similar efforts.

“Those who close their ears and shut their eyes drift away from the truth. The words of the Supre Deity co to mind. You continue to turn away from reality.”

With a look of regret, Gusto traced a holy sign and continued.

“Guiding blind brothers is also my duty. Where should I begin? Let first speak of His Highness’s miracle in the Carmine Desert—”

“This guy is not listening to us at all!”

Having seen enough, Radel quietly decided to remove himself from the scene.

This was not a quarrel between close friends, and it would not help for the person being discussed to appear.

Pretending not to have seen Gusto’s suspicious missionary activity was the best course of action…

***

Knock, knock.

“Professor, I am coming in.”

As soon as Radel returned to the academy, he was summoned by Professor Marianne.

As he visited often in his role as grade representative, the professor’s office had beco familiar to him.

“It seems you have returned from the Imperial Capital. Sit.”

Professor Marianne, who had been reading sothing, gestured to an empty chair.

At once, the spirits that had been fooling around on the chair hurriedly scattered.

-Kyaa! Get up, hurry!

-Let us go over there!

-Quick, quick!

They were probably clearing the seat for him…?

It felt as though they were avoiding him, but they were spirits contracted to the professor. There was no way they would be frightened by a re academy student.

As Radel sat down awkwardly, Professor Marianne, who had been watching, spoke in a dry tone.

“Do not mind it.”

“Of course, Professor. It is fine.”

After briefly pondering how he might approach the spirits without causing discomfort, Radel accepted the notice Professor Marianne handed him.

“What is this?”

“It is a notice granting access to the Academy Dungeon. The students’ repeated requests were accepted. Apparently, materials that can only be obtained inside the Academy Dungeon have not been supplied.”

The Academy Dungeon was finally opening.

For Radel, who had been aiming for the Keys of Seal, this was welco news.

Several months had already passed since entry to the Academy Dungeon was prohibited following the accident in which Radel and Edward had nearly lost their lives last sester.

In the anti, it seed the principal and the faculty had conducted a separate investigation of the dungeon.

“The academy concluded that the dungeon where you had your accident was an exceptional case. They judged that the other dungeons have no issues.”

Radel recalled the ti a hidden boss room had suddenly appeared and he had nearly been killed by the Queen Spider.

It had been a serious incident that could have cost him his life, but it had also allowed him to beco closer with Edward and obtain a Key of Seal, so it had ended reasonably well.

“However, there is a condition. First-year students must apply with a dungeon raid team of at least five mbers to receive permission.”

“So fewer than five people are not allowed to enter?”

“That is correct.”

Indeed, clearing a dungeon alone was not easy for Radel.

Even the ti he had secretly gone before would have been impossible without Armandy and Pirenzo.

Professor Marianne then took out another notice.

“Next, I will inform you about the academy’s autumn festival.”

Her explanation continued.

A new rule was being added: each year and each major would be required to set up a major booth during the festival.

For Radel, who had been planning to run the Supre Deity 3-piece set once again, it was like a bolt from the blue.

***

‘What should I do…?’

Lost in thought, Radel entered the Black Falcon Dormitory lobby.

Alchemy, Cryptozoology, Summoning Magic, Combat Magic, Transmutation Magic.

No matter which major he considered, there was nowhere he could naturally fit the Supre Deity 3-piece set.

Summoning Magic was the closest…

But it was obvious that the other first-year Summoning Magic students would insist on booths involving spirit summoning or sothing that looked more like proper magic.

The other majors were just as unsuitable.

The Supre Deity 3-piece set required not a single type of magic, but many different kinds.

“Wait. Why am I even worrying about this?”

Radel stopped as he recalled his true major.

That was right.

There was no need to consult students from other majors.

He was an Integrated Major student, so he could simply open an Integrated Major booth.

Moreover, there were only two Integrated Major students in the entire academy.

If he could just get Leon’s consent, making a Supre Deity 5-piece set would be effortless.

As it happened, Leon was coming out of the lounge with his followers.

Feeling as though he had found a solution, Radel raised his hand and greeted him.

“Leon!”

However, instead of returning the greeting warmly, Leon’s expression turned cold.

Staring at Radel, Leon spoke.

“Do not act familiar.”

It was a truly icy remark.

‘I thought we had beco a little closer after the sports festival… Was I mistaken?’

Radel slowly lowered his hand.

Leon might simply be in a bad mood today, so it seed better to bring up the integrated booth idea another ti.

“You seem to be in a bad mood. Then I will talk to you later—”

“I told you not to respond to at all.”

Once again, Leon replied with a cutting tone.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the dormitory lobby turned frigid.

There were people even more flustered than Radel.

Leon’s followers.

As if trying to break the awkwardness, they suddenly began clearing their throats.

“Ahem, hem!”

“Hrm, hem-hem! Cough, cough!”

It was obvious to anyone that they were different from before.

Leon could not possibly fail to notice the change in his followers’ deanor.

Normally, they would have attacked Radel from behind him.

He glared fiercely at the hesitant followers, then abruptly turned his back.

“No one follow .”

With that, Leon left the area.

There was a reason Leon’s followers were behaving this way.

Since the academy sports festival, they were no longer as angry at the 8th Prince as before.

They were people who could distinguish the ‘real’ thing.

A ‘real’ magician.

Soone who was truly worthy of becoming Emperor.

Soone who genuinely supported Prince Leon.

In other words, they could tell whether their feelings toward Prince Leon were sincere.

In their minds was a vivid mory of cheering passionately for Leon together with the 8th Prince.

The sight of the 8th Prince shouting at the top of his lungs as Leon fought against students from other years.

‘Leon is amazing! The best first-year! The strongest magician in the academy!’

…At that mont, the 8th Prince had been ‘real.’

The lobby was left with only Leon’s followers and Radel standing there.

After hesitating slightly, Radel spoke to them.

“You guys… You are not catching a cold, are you? Even so, it is polite to cover your mouths with your sleeves when you cough. No wonder Leon reacted like that.”

It sounded as though he were scolding them for coughing too much, implying that was why Leon had left.

He even subtly increased the distance between them.

“If you are going to cough again, be careful.”

The remaining followers felt a surge of indignation.

‘Is that really why?!’

No matter how generously they tried to view him, the 8th Prince was soone who turned their insides upside down.