# 377
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377
Asuka’s old friends, who shot arrows after the crown prince, recorded a score of 7 points, slightly lower than the previous score.
Archery, which requires no shaking at the moment of shooting, fully reflects one’s psychological state.
Even if he didn’t normally pay attention to the crown prince, he couldn’t do that when he was angry.
Asuka scored 7 points on her return. But for him, it is a higher score than before.
Basically, he was a guy with sense. However, it was also true that he was still likely to be in last place.
Asuka, who was clever enough to remain silent for a moment, shook her head and spoke out.
“I’m glad that Your Majesty the Crown Prince is not a small-minded person who holds a grudge for someone who did better than you. Because everyone can do their best. Right? Let’s all work hard and aim for first place. “The fight for last place will be between us royals!”
A ferocious attack came straight from the crown prince.
“Asuka, shut up!”
“No, I’m just going to work hard…”
Asuka smiled and scratched her insides. The crown prince, whose expression was barely suppressing something, finally opened his mouth in a subdued voice.
“From now on, I will not allow you to say anything until the match is over. “This is an order.”
Asuka turned around, pouting at the prince’s stern look.
But when he turned around, there was a smile of conversion on his lips.
It is difficult for a subordinate to remain calm when his superior expresses with his whole body that he is displeased.
Besides, isn’t he a prince?
‘First of all, that bastard will definitely ruin the match.’
Then you might be able to avoid last place. Because of Asuka’s words, there was a strange tension everywhere for a moment.
As of now, the likely ones to be in last place are the Crown Prince and Asuka, who made a mistake.
It would be the crown prince’s wish for Asuka to come in last place, but if the crown prince, whose composure was shaken like that, ended up in last place, it would not be what everyone here except Asuka and Helmut wanted.
As Asuka intended, the knights were shaken. If there comes a moment when the crown prince is in last place and declares a penalty to himself. For some reason, it was terrible.
Imperial knights are very loyal. They didn’t mean to shoot outright.
It was just that his shaken spirit was revealed in the arrow.
“What is it, 1 point? to.”
The crown prince raised his eyebrows as a series of scores that were incomparably lower than before came out, ranging from 1 2 3 points.
He is a picky person whose pride does not allow him to intentionally lose to himself.
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
“no. “It was a lot more windy than before, so I think it shook for a moment.”
One of the drivers quickly excused himself. In fact, although it was not as strong as the moment Helmut shot the arrow, there was a fairly strong wind blowing around.
The crown prince spoke as if threatening.
“Be sure to concentrate properly. “Everyone was doing well, so what’s wrong?”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Asuka was about to open her mouth again, but closed it after receiving a glare from the crown prince.
A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. It was a very hopeful situation for Asuka.
And no matter who else was, Helmut was not affected in the least by the series of events. His eyes were frighteningly still, like a lake without even a single ripple.
Helmut’s second arrow flew through the wind and easily pierced the target.
Sigh! This time, Ralph’s arrow, which was stuck at point 10, fell to the floor. Tuk.
“10 points.”
The way he talks about his scores. It sounded like a natural result. The crown prince’s face hardened.
“You decide on a penalty. “I don’t think it’s fair to look at the opponent and decide later.”
Looking at him, Helmut calmly sighed.
Feeling his emotions being surprisingly shaken by his words, the crown prince had to think about the situation in which he would end up in last place, even if only by chance.
Soon, a single word came out of his mouth.
“50 laps of the parade ground.”
In a situation where he might end up in last place, that kind of punishment was acceptable.
Helmut nodded. Immediately it was the crown prince’s turn. 8 points. It wasn’t a bad score.
At the end of this small competition with only a small number of participants, the two royal families were somehow able to avoid last place.
Because the loyal imperial knights were competing for last place.
Asuka, who showed great achievements in archery in just one day, was smiling, and the crown prince looked like he had been bitten by a bug, even though he achieved results that were in the top rankings.
And Helmut, who proudly took first place by hitting the exact center of the target with all five shots, asked the crown prince.
“Didn’t you say there was a prize?”
“Okay, Sang.”
The Crown Prince stared at Helmut. It was a look that was close to the expression of glaring.
The Crown Prince called him today to find out about Helmut, the hidden son of Archduke Linosa.
Although it was a short period of time, Helmut left a very deep impression on the Crown Prince.
Of course, it was a short period of time to judge. As the crown prince, it is still unknown whether Helmut is a good person or a bad person.
However, if Helmut had been a villain, he would not have been able to become friends with that simple yet instinctive guy named Askar.
One thing was exactly the same as Asuka. Not paying attention to the crown prince.
Also, I felt that Helmut had some notable characteristics.
No matter what happened, whether he was under pressure or not, he was extremely calm. As if it all had no effect on him.
Did you say it was an incredibly high-level inspection? Perhaps because he had endured countless storms, there were many people here who used swords, but Helmut was something different.
A force like a huge lake that is heavy and still, like cast iron and sometimes like a rock. The power to capture attention with just a simple movement. It was visible from him.
It is not a power felt because of one’s accomplishments as a Visna swordsman.
It comes from within a person.
Also, the strong self-confidence and unwavering will that can be felt from him. High concentration and composure. It is not only excellent qualifications as a swordsman… but also
qualities as a monarch. That was an extremely rare quality. There is a much greater difference between those who have the qualities of a monarch and those who do not than the difference between nobles and commoners.
The crown prince believed that it was him.
The high loyalty of the imperial knights was not simply because he was the crown prince.
The crown prince captured them and made them loyal to him.
Helmut’s was more powerful than that of the Crown Prince, who was much older than me and had become accustomed to life as a ruler. Enough to make the Crown Prince feel threatened.
The crown prince felt a chill down his spine at that fact.
‘If this person becomes the Grand Duke of Rinosa.’
Wouldn’t that pose a threat to the empire?
Even if Helmut had better qualities than Michael as the Grand Duke of Rinosa, that was not really important.
From the empire’s point of view, only a very incompetent monarch had to sit in Rinosa.
Even though the relationship was soured due to his cooperation with the temple, Michael was quite alright.
Especially since his weak body was a great obstacle to demonstrating his outstanding talent.
‘Is it reasonable to take the risk of making this person the Grand Duke of Rinosa to make the temple that targeted me pay?’
The crown prince could not answer that question.
Helmut didn’t seem ambitious. Since he was unaffected in his actions and words, it was difficult to believe that he was hiding it.
However, people tend to change depending on their location.
It is said that human desire decreases as one reaches the level of magic or swordsmanship, but if a person who has reached the level harbors a desire and even possesses the power to support that desire.
If Helmut, who became the Grand Duke of Rinosa, attempted to conquer the empire in pursuit of supremacy. The crown prince could not dismiss the danger as nothing.
However, there was only one decision the crown prince could make at the moment.
‘I think he has the qualifications. Qualified to be the successor to Grand Duke Rinosa. But more than that.’
It won’t be up to you to decide.
In any case, the crown prince was still young, and it was difficult to say that his insight was superior to that of others who would judge Helmut.
After this, I would have to leave it to others.
The crown prince thoughtfully opened his mouth.
“First of all, it’s a small competition, but congratulations on winning. “It’s amazing archery skill for something you did in response to a sudden call.”
Asuka looked at the crown prince suspiciously, asking, ‘Why are you doing that?’ The crown prince continued speaking without heeding anything.
“There must be someone in the empire who wants to meet you.”
The reason Helmut came to the islands was because Asuka’s father, Archduke Farnese, wanted to see him.
Also, he hoped to gain the support of the Deus Empire.
‘Like Basor, the Empire also wants to make the temple pay. And that too very intensely.’
That was a fact that both Helmut and the Crown Prince agreed on.
Even the crown prince, who would ascend to the throne, was almost killed by their plot, so it would be difficult for even an icy person to think calmly.
And the empire has been working on ousting the temple forces from the beginning. This is an opportunity for them too.
Helmut had brought them a golden opportunity that may never exist in the future.
If it is a mutually beneficial deal, there is no need to bend and walk away. It will not happen that the Imperial army sets foot on the land of Linosa to aid Helmut.
What Helmut needs is justification, not force.
Above all, when it comes to force, this too was overflowing.
The crown prince’s eyes shone sharply.
“Soon you will meet the person you were meant to meet. “That is the reward I will give you.”
Helmut answered briefly after a while.
“I will gratefully accept the award.”
It was still a calm voice.
The next day, Helmut was finally able to face the Archduke in the Empire.
A long conversation took place, similar to but slightly different from the one that took place in Basor.
And a few days later, Helmut sets foot in the imperial palace of the empire for the first time and encounters a man there.
A man with the highest status in the empire. The one who holds all decision-making authority regarding the empire.
This is the emperor of the Deus Empire.
How the conversation with him was concluded was entirely up to Helmut.
What is clear is that it is not easy to gain support from the emperor of an empire.
A new waterway was opening.
It was only a few days later that the Grand Princess Linosa and her party, who departed from Baden, officially visited the empire.
