I Reincarnated as a Mob Villain Prince Who Dies Before the Game Starts ~ In Order to Be Happy with My Favorite Heroine's Younger Sister, I Overcame My Weakest Magic [Dark Blade] with Excessive Effort, and It Became the Strongest Broken Power ~ - Chapter 5: The Mob Prince, Rated as a Mythical Monster by the Empire’s Greatest Mage

Chapter 5: The Mob Prince, Rated as a Mythical Monster by the Empire’s Greatest Mage

The man in front of me is the one who will kill my beloved mother, Luna, in the future, and use my sister Diana as a tool for war, only to betray us later.

Even though we had never seen his face since we were born, what is he here for now?

“You… What kind of eyes are you giving me?”

It seems my hostile feelings were too much. Emperor Alvais looked at me suspiciously.

“Luke, Diana, stay back! This is your father—Emperor Alvais.”

Suddenly, Mother, looking distressed, stepped forward from behind.

We were strictly taught to kneel and greet him when meeting Father, no matter what. If we upset him, even though we were his children, we didn’t know what might happen.

Our relationship wasn’t so much parent and child, but more like ruler and slave.

“My apologies, please forgive me. We were suddenly attacked by a monster, and I was on edge.”

I knelt down and lowered my head right then. I had been thoroughly taught manners by Luna, Mother.

“Nice to meet you, Emperor Alvais. I am Luke, the eldest son of Luna, the Dark Elf Princess. This is my sister, Diana.”

“D-Diana.”

Though awkward, Diana followed my lead.

“Hoh? It seems you’ve been taught well.”

The Emperor appeared slightly impressed.

“Did you use that magic, Luke? The power to destroy this solid prison tower in one blow? Not even my personal guard has such a powerful user!”

“That is…”

I struggled to answer. If the Emperor knew I had talent for magic, he would likely try to use me as a tool for war, just like Mother.

If that happened, I would never be able to protect Mother from assassins.

I would prefer to keep my abilities hidden.

“Wait, Your Majesty. That can’t be possible. The magic used was a huge dark magic sword. It was likely the magic cast by the guardian of this room, the Archdemon…”

From the door, an elderly man entered and spoke. He had a dignified appearance.

I also recognized him. He was Count Saint Germain, the Emperor’s right-hand man and the greatest alchemist.

He had only appeared in flashbacks, but he was a legendary figure who had greatly contributed to the advancement of magic in this world. His name occasionally came up in the game.

“I see, Saint Germain. But if that’s the case, why is the summoned Archdemon not here?”

“…Indeed, that is puzzling. The summoning magic circle I set up for the Archdemon has been destroyed. That’s why the Archdemon couldn’t manifest on the surface.”

Saint Germain looked up at the ceiling and analyzed the situation.

“No, that’s not it. The demon that appeared was sliced and defeated by Brother using his Dark Edge!”

“Be quiet, Diana!”

“Mmph…!?”

Mother hurried over and covered Diana’s mouth.

“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty. This child is still young and doesn’t understand the situation properly.”

Mother desperately bowed her head, clearly terrified of Emperor Alvais.

“Haha, Princess Diana. Even if your brother has immense magical power, there’s no way he could cut down an Archdemon with a low-level magic like Dark Edge. Demons are naturally resistant to dark magic.”

“It’s true!”

“Diana!”

“Ugh…”

Mother scolded Diana, causing her to quiet down.

…Huh? Isn’t this a good turn of events for me?

If they misunderstand and underestimate my abilities, that would actually work in my favor.

I decided to stay silent, lowering my head.

“However, it is true that a magic strong enough to summon an Archdemon was used.”

“Hmm. To summarize… these children used magic powerful enough to destroy this prison tower, which resulted in the summoning of the Archdemon, and then they destroyed the summoning magic circle, preventing the demon from manifesting?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Though it seems unbelievable, based on the situation, it must be the truth.”

Saint Germain nodded in agreement with the Emperor’s conclusion.

It seemed Diana’s unique magic, the Black Moon that Swallows the Sky, had also destroyed the summoning magic circle.

“However, even if the magic circle was destroyed, the Archdemon shouldn’t have vanished immediately. That’s also a bit strange. And it’s somewhat surprising that one of my familiars could use such powerful magic.”

“Hmm. So, as Diana says, is it possible that Luke defeated the Archdemon? That would explain everything.”

“Your Majesty, the Archdemon summoned here was set up by me, in case elite Dark Elves came to rescue Queen Luna, so I could help fend them off.”

Saint Germain spoke as though gently teaching a student.

“A five-year-old defeating my familiar? That’s impossible, no matter what. But if Luke did indeed accomplish it… his talent must be on a mythical level.”

Saint Germain laughed as if joking.

“…If you, who have lived for a thousand years as an immortal, say so, then it must be true.”

The Emperor seemed convinced.

Saint Germain had completed the secret technique of immortality and had served the Celestia Empire for over a thousand years.

Thus, his words carried great weight.

“As you correctly deduced, we were attacked by monsters, and in a panic, I attacked and destroyed the summoning magic circle, escaping the danger.”

I quickly agreed with Saint Germain’s explanation.

It was best to keep Diana’s unique magic hidden for now.

Fortunately, with Saint Germain’s help, it looked like I could get through this without revealing my true strength.

Just as I thought things were going smoothly…

“Hmm, as expected…”

Saint Germain and the Emperor looked at me, intrigued.

“So, Luke, you managed to remain calm even while being attacked by a much stronger Archdemon. Is that correct?”

“Brave words won’t cover it. You’re not afraid of me either… This child seems to have quite a talent as a warrior.”

“That’s right! Big brother defeated that scary demon and made it disappear!”

Diana proudly shouted. I could tell she wanted me to be recognized, but I wished she would stay quiet for now.

Saint Germain, barely able to suppress his excitement, urged the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, I would like to conduct an immediate [Appraisal Ceremony] to assess Luke and Diana’s magical talents. May I proceed?”

W-What? Was that the reason he came here?

“Please wait, Saint Germain. The [Appraisal Ceremony] should be done after the age of six. If it’s done too early, it could cause a magical overload…”

Mother tried to stop him, but Emperor Alvais’ eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Fine, I allow it. Start immediately. I want to know the extent of this one’s… Luke’s power!”