Chapter 203: A New Day [3] – Weaklings
"Ingrid...!" Arthur groaned, stepping back with a sigh before walking away. "Louis, tomorrow... be prepared. I will defeat you and humiliate you in front of the entire academy! I won’t let a pathetic excuse of a prince like you pretend to be a great hero. All lies! Saving Frostbane? Who would believe such bullshit?"
"I suppose almost having your jaw dislocated wasn’t enough," Louis sighed. "Go now, before I change my mind. I’ve already had my fun with someone else today, so I don’t feel particularly conflictive."
"Fucking son of a bitch..." Arthur muttered as he walked away.
The prince of Camelot sighed and looked back at his House, groaning angrily that he needed no help. "Leave me alone, I’m fine—"
"What did you say?"
Out of nowhere, Louis’s voice sounded again right behind him. Arthur’s face twisted in disbelief as the prince had followed despite thinking he would be left alone.
"Hmm? Are you angry perhaps? What? That your mother’s a bitch—"
BOOOM!
Louis needed no magic or Spiral Ability. His fist, blazing with the raw power of his soul, slammed into Arthur’s stomach and sent him flying through a building.
"Gaaaahaaa?!"
Arthur vomited blood, feeling his stomach burn and crush inward. Three ribs snapped. His hands trembled in shock.
"Say it again and I will kill you right here."
"Y-You...! You think you’re immune? That you can do anything?!"
"The strong decides in this academy, Arthur."
"ARTHUR!!!"
"YOUR MAJESTY!"
The entire House of Camelot rushed forward, weapons drawn and magic and spirits summoned.
Louis stood before the bleeding prince, glaring at the servants with a gentle smile.
"What’s wrong? You stopped walking?"
He smiled at them, his aura so distorted and alien that their bodies screamed a single command: RUN.
Run as fast as possible.
Although Louis appeared human to them, he was something far different, an apex predator even among gods.
A dragon.
Even without fully awakening his true power, Louis’ obsession and insanity had shaped his body and soul into his idealized vision of a dragon. Combined with the many powers and abilities gained through tragedy and death, he had become a truly terrifying being.
Among the students, a half-elf and half-dragon young lady of immense beauty and grace stepped forward with less fear than the rest, radiating tranquility. "Louis..."
The prince sneered at her. "What’s wrong, Dralma, my aunt? You won’t do anything to stop me?"
"...Louis, this is the first time we meet and speak. I wish it could have been under better circumstances. Would you forgive Arthur’s insolence? We now know you are strong. Please be merciful."
"...Okay. Just because you asked, auntie. Just make sure he never speaks ill of my mother again. She is your sister too. Stop him when he does something like this. Those who disrespect our dragon family deserve nothing but death."
"...I will try, but please don’t say such things. We are guardians, not beings who terrorize humans."
"Is that so? But what if those we swore to protect turn against us? What if they only want to use us? Do we let them trample over us? You saw what happened to my mother and how they disregard her now. Are you like them too, Dralma?"
"Of course not. I would never speak that way about my big sister... Louis, why don’t we talk later somewhere quieter? I want to connect with you more."
"...Fine."
Louis smiled and walked away as if nothing had happened, rejoining his House. They stared at Camelot with open hatred. Not a single member reprimanded Louis. They simply left together.
"Haaa..." Dralma sighed. "I never imagined Louis would already be this strong. I thought the rumors about him becoming a hero were exaggerated."
"It’s only natural," Ingrid sighed, watching her brother being slowly healed. "For years he was called the Mad Prince, and now he is proving how true that title is, though not quite the way we imagined."
"...Ingrid, please tread carefully around Louis. He is a deeply unstable young man, a Sinner," Dralma explained. "As the daughter of two beings from Yggdrasil, I do not share the Sinners’ madness, but I can feel it. His heart is fractured, and a deep darkness dwells within him. We must not provoke it."
"That’s easy for you to say. He treats you very differently from the rest," Ingrid sighed. "Arthur is an idiot, and so are his followers. They will keep trying to provoke him... The best we can do is try our hardest. I’ll attempt to control him, but... well, I’ll do what I can."
"Hm..." Dralma nodded, glancing at the prince as she approached him. "Prince Arthur... I have told you many times not to be aggressive toward strangers. Was all of that really necessary?"
"W-What are you even talking about, Dralma?! He attacked me for no reason— Ahh!" Arthur felt powerful pressure as Dralma glared down at him with gleaming eyes.
"You spoke ill of my big sister, Benladra," Dralma said. "You... called her a bitch? How could you? Please mind your words and manners! Are you not a prince? How could you speak so vulgarly?"
"...!" Arthur realized he had let his emotions get the better of him once again. He swallowed his pride and nodded. "I’m sorry."
"Hmph..." Dralma sighed, crossing her arms and spreading her wings. "I hope you truly are. We dragons do nothing but protect and help you, yet the more I think about it, the less grateful and honest humanity seems toward us... Perhaps there is some truth in Louis’ words."
"No, it’s not like that— Dralma, you’re not like him!" Arthur tried to stop her, but she was already annoyed and flew away before he could reach her. "Ugh... damn it! She’s not happy."
"Of course she isn’t, Arthur," Ingrid said. "Come on, let’s go back to your room. You should rest..."
"I’m not resting!" Arthur protested. "I’ll break that bastard’s nose tomorrow. I won’t tolerate this insolence."
Ingrid shook her head. Since childhood, Arthur had always strived for more honor, pride, and attention. He had received constant praise as the wielder of Excalibur and heir to Avalon.
Yet that same attention had shaped deep flaws in him. His obsession, bordering on madness, stemmed from his endless hunger for recognition. He had targeted Louis because the Dragon Prince had become world-famous through incredible feats, something Arthur, who saw Louis as pathetic, could not accept.
"Instead of becoming friendly rivals, you provoked him. You have truly overstepped your boundaries, Arthur. I can’t believe you are the heir to the throne. Camelot will be ruined if you continue like this."
"Tsk, why won’t you stop nagging and just help me train? Fight me. Let’s spar!"
Arthur stubbornly stood up, gripping a training sword.
"Fine. Maybe I can let off some steam this way."
Ingrid smiled lightly. Despite everything, she liked her brother’s stubbornness. It was the very trait that drew people to him.
She raised her lance, pointing it at him, and they began to spar.
-----