No Excuses
Translated by GXYRU
Edited by GXYRU
“Hey… Erik, Arius. Can’t you explain properly about the monsters earlier, and these masked people? It’s about time, right?” Milia glares at me, and everyone else is paying attention. But in this situation, I only lent a hand.
“Hey, Erik. Wouldn’t it be better if you explained?”
“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry for postponing it, everyone. The masked individuals are assassins called ‘Sweepers.’ The demons that attacked us on the first level were summoned by the Sweepers. They were hired by the anti-royalist nobles, and their objective is to kill us.”
Erik began his explanation with his usual cheerful smile.
The anti-royalist nobles have been frequently in contact with academy staff, and several high-level Sweepers infiltrated the capital at the same time. With the help of academy staff, the Sweepers managed to invade the academy’s dungeon.
Among the anti-royalist nobles, there are those who want to eliminate Erik and Zeke. If the first and second princes, the successors, are gone, the unity of the royal family will weaken, and the chance to become king will fall to others who have the right to succession.
Killing Sofia and Sasha, who are engaged to Erik and Zeke, and me, who is the son of the prime minister, would also weaken the royal family. It would mean losing those who would support the future of the royal family and severing the connections between the royal family and the three major noble families.
“Since it was an opportunity to kill both the royal family and the five of us associated with them at the same time, it was easy to imagine that they would set it up during this dungeon practice. So, to avoid involving other students and for better protection, we formed a group of the five of us and had a teacher accompany us as a hidden guard.”
Including Barn and Mars in the same group was to consider the possibility of making them responsible by involving them in the killings. Although it increases the likelihood of being targeted by acting together, it also makes it easier to protect.
As for Milia, the reason for putting her in the same group was to consider the possibility of her being used as a hostage, even though the chances of her being targeted were low.
“We understand the situation, but why didn’t you tell us earlier?” Milia wears a dissatisfied expression. She seems to want to say that if they had known in advance, they could have come up with a way to deal with it.
“Erik, I share the same opinion as Milia. You anticipated the attack, right? So why did you keep it a secret?” Sophia looks straight at me and Erik. She wants to know the truth.
“I also want to know about that. There was a possibility that I would be affected, and yet, I wasn’t informed about anything.” Zeke also approaches Erik.
“Brother, can you tell me too? I understand that you always make decisions without consulting anyone because you’re prepared to shoulder everything. But this time, it wouldn’t hurt to explain the reason.” Barn and Zeke also press Erik.
“I may not understand complicated matters… but if Prince Erik intentionally exposed Prince Zeke to danger while fully aware of everything… I won’t forgive you!” Sasha glares at Erik with a sense of disrespect. Milia and Sophia support her from the side.
In response to everyone waiting for an answer, Erik responds with his usual cheerful smile.
“I’m sorry for keeping it from all of you, but the reason is simple. If I had told you, you would have been on guard.”
Chapter 35: No Excuses
“By adopting a cautious attitude, there was a possibility that the opponents would also become wary and cancel their attack. I wanted to eliminate any potential danger.”
“Does that mean… you don’t trust us?”
“No, it’s not like that. It’s just that everyone doesn’t have a bad personality like me, so if your attitude suddenly changed, it would be enough to make the opponents suspicious. But it’s true that I used everyone as bait to lure out the enemies. I apologize for that.”
Erik admits his fault without embellishment. But he doesn’t show any remorse and seems unregretful about his actions.
“But still, in the end, it doesn’t change the fact that Erik trusted only Arius and told him in advance. Since Arius was the only one who knew beforehand.”
“Lord Barn, that’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t tell Arius anything either. Arius acted independently based on information from his father, who is the kingdom’s prime minister.”
“Yeah, I noticed Erik’s actions. It’s not like we coordinated or anything.”
If it were just me, I would have handled it more smoothly. But this issue isn’t only about me.
“Also, I don’t mean to say this, but I don’t want to hear complaints from Zeke and Lord Mars. Zeke is also a member of the royal family of Ronaudia Kingdom, so he could have done the same if he wanted to. And as for Lord Mars, he had the same information as me but misjudged the opponent’s strength and couldn’t handle it well.”
As Erik speaks, everyone’s gaze focuses on Mars.
“Well… the church’s information network is not that reliable. Besides, I don’t have the same level of power as Lord Erik…”
While spewing excuses, Mars wears a frustrated expression. He feels that this incident has highlighted the difference in power between him and Erik.
“I… can’t be like my older brother…”
“It’s not about whether you can or can’t. It’s your duty as a member of the royal family. I think Zeke should think for himself before demanding an explanation from me.”
Despite his somewhat harsh words, there is a sense of gentleness in Erik’s tone.
Everyone still doesn’t seem fully satisfied, but Erik isn’t seeking their understanding.
He only answered the questions because they were asked, and he has no intention of changing his ways, no matter what anyone says.
“For now, let’s head back. There are still things left to do.”
We need to confirm if the remaining enemies on the first level have been dealt with, and we also need to gather information from the captured Sweepers.
There is also the question of how useful the information obtained from criminals will be as evidence.
Well, that’s where we get to witness Erik’s usual way of doing things.
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