I'm the third son of a viscount's family, but I have a claim to the throne. - Episode 5

“Who are you?!”

The startled boy whipped around, his deep, violet-tinged navy blue eyes locking onto mine—eyes identical to my own.

Well, this is interesting.

“Could you be His Highness, Prince Jairus, the third prince?” I asked, lightly bowing my head. “It’s an honor to meet you. I am Derekvald, third son of the Calberg Viscount family.”

Jairus seemed tense, carefully watching me as if trying to gauge my intentions.

If he decided to flee and abandon the royal palace after the assassination attempt, that was his choice. However, if he planned to return to the palace, it was best not to say or do anything that could be perceived as disrespectful. He wouldn’t survive long there, but getting reported for insubordination could complicate things for me unnecessarily.

“Calberg Viscount family? …Oh, the son of the former first prince who lost the political struggle to my father. Are you here to sell me out?”

He narrowed his eyes, suspicion written all over his face.

“Not at all. Accepting an assassination request from a prominent royal family member is risky—tomorrow, they could target me instead. If you want to escape, I’ll help you,” I said with a calm smile.

There was little to gain by betraying him to the Queen, who already held a negative view of my family. Selling out a fellow noble—even if we were the same age—for temporary favor wasn’t worth the trouble.

“Then help me. I want to disappear and be presumed dead, but I haven’t had the time to prepare for living as a commoner,” Jairus admitted, gripping a tree branch to steady himself as he climbed up the slope toward me.

“Understood. For now, let’s head over the mountain into Calberg territory. We can spend the night there,” I suggested.

On the other side, there was a small hunting lodge often used by hunters and woodcutters. Locals knew to keep it clean and available for shared use. Occasionally, adventurers from outside the territory would use it too.

“I’m no longer a prince. You don’t need to call me ‘Your Highness’ or use formal language,” Jairus said as we climbed together.

“In that case, I’ll drop the formalities,” I replied.

After all, as someone with a claim to the throne myself, the number of people I needed to address formally was limited. Using honorifics for someone my age would only draw attention to my true identity.

Jairus moved awkwardly at first, his muscles likely stiff from hiding under the tree. Gradually, as his body warmed up, he straightened and began walking normally, though it was clear he wasn’t used to traversing mountain terrain.

Despite his inexperience, he didn’t complain and used physical enhancement magic to keep up with me. By the time we reached the lodge, however, he collapsed onto a log bench, completely exhausted.

From the inefficient way he used physical enhancement magic, I could tell he wasn’t skilled, but the fact that he didn’t run out of mana indicated he had a considerable reserve. As expected of a direct royal descendant.

“By the way… are you serious about becoming an adventurer?” I asked, conjuring water with magic as I recalled something Jairus had mentioned earlier.

Pure water alone wasn’t very appealing, so I added mint leaves and stirred it in a jug before pouring him a cup. Little touches like these made life more pleasant.

“I have no money or identification. What else can I do?” Jairus replied, shrugging as he accepted the cup.

He wasn’t wrong, though even with money and identification, options for a minor were limited.

“You’ll stand out too much. You have that ‘noble’s son’ look, and it’ll draw attention. I’d recommend waiting a few months, at least until things cool down. Ideally, you’d wait until you’re old enough to pass as a royal academy graduate.”

Even walking through the mountains, Jairus carried himself with a natural elegance that stood out. His straight posture and refined movements screamed nobility.

Commoners often had poor posture—perhaps from hunger or simply as a default human tendency. But Jairus’s training as royalty made his grace evident, whether he was walking or simply standing still.

I wondered if I came across the same way. While my education wasn’t as rigorous as his, I had been taught to avoid slouching or leaning awkwardly. If I ended up becoming an adventurer, I’d likely stand out just as much.

Nobles’ children, especially younger sons like me, were often warned never to visit unfamiliar guilds alone. We were prime targets for kidnappers. If ransom failed, we might be sold into slavery, particularly in foreign markets.

Wearing tattered clothes wouldn’t solve the problem; it was our mannerisms and grooming that gave us away. Seeing Jairus in this context made me fully understand the warnings of my mentor, a retired adventurer.

“You’re right,” Jairus admitted. “But I can’t wait until I look old enough to have graduated from the academy. Could I stay here for a few months? Maybe you could teach me hunting, dressing game, and identifying edible plants?”

“Hmm… having a beautiful boy live alone in the forest is practically inviting trouble.

How about this? Disguise yourself as my attendant. Next year, I’ll be entering the royal academy. You could spend the time learning an attendant’s duties, accompany me to the academy, and even register with the adventurers’ guild during your free time. Students registering with their attendants isn’t uncommon.”

“Are you serious? With my eyes and hair, I’d be exposed the moment I set foot in the capital,” Jairus argued, frowning.

“There’s a way to change your eye color without magic—it’s a secret technique. As for your hair, we can use dye. If we could make your face look more ordinary, that would help too,” I explained.

Magic-based disguises were forcefully dispelled upon entering the capital, so relying on magic wasn’t an option. However, I had been developing something akin to contact lenses for disguises. The materials weren’t perfect yet, and they caused some discomfort, but with regular healing magic, they shouldn’t cause long-term damage… I think.

“My father would likely support anything that undermines the Queen’s plans,” I added.

My father had been betrayed and manipulated by the Queen and her family, which left him harboring a deep grudge.

“That’s ridiculous,” Jairus said, shaking his head.

“People often fail to question the unexpected. If you appear as an illegitimate child of my father, no one will suspect anything. Secrets are surprisingly effective at flying under the radar,” I said, grinning.

I could even claim Jairus was a surprise child brought to my father by an unknown woman. It was plausible enough to satisfy most onlookers.

“That’s absurd…” Jairus muttered again, though this time his tone was less certain.

This could work. With a bit more persuasion, I’d have a reliable companion for the future.

Yes! Future partner-in-disguise secured!