Chapter 54

The Second Prince's Weakness

โ€œCould you stop there? I feel sorry for my little sister.โ€

Ohโ€ฆ?

Uh, if I remember correctly, this isโ€ฆ the second prince?

โ€œUhโ€ฆ Sir G-something?โ€

โ€œItโ€™s Gilbert.โ€

Ah, right, right. That was it.

I didnโ€™t bother remembering because I thought Iโ€™d never meet him again.

โ€œHowโ€™s your brother doing, kid?โ€

โ€œOh, he was all fired up, saying, โ€˜Next time, I wonโ€™t lose.โ€™โ€

โ€œOh? I see. Then tell him this: โ€˜If he pulls another stupid stunt, Iโ€™ll kill him.โ€™โ€

โ€œโ€ฆYou really have no fear of the royal family, do you?โ€

โ€œDo you get scared of buzzing insects?โ€

I said this without even glancing at him and started coding a new game in the M language.

โ€œIโ€™m a coward, you see. Just thinking those insects might be poisonous terrifies me, so I canโ€™t make a move.โ€

With that, Prince Gilbert took a piece of fried chicken from the tower in front of me and popped it into his mouth.

โ€œHmm, this is deliciousโ€ฆโ€

I ignored his muttering.

โ€œHmm, true, poisonous insects would be frightening. I agree with that. But you can tell whether theyโ€™re poisonous just by looking at them.โ€

โ€œCan a mere mortal, not a god, really โ€˜tellโ€™ just by looking?โ€

โ€œYou people are seriously lacking in imagination, arenโ€™t you?โ€

โ€œโ€ฆWhat do you mean?โ€

โ€œโ€˜Analyze Magic,โ€™ also known as โ€˜Appraisal Magic.โ€™โ€

The moment I said that, everyone around us turned to stare at me.

Why are they so surprised?

โ€œโ€˜Skilled mages can sense the amount of magic a person holds just by looking at them,โ€™ right? So why not turn that into a formal spell? I canโ€™t understand the lack of logic here.โ€

โ€œโ€ฆOnly you or those atheist scholars from the Adon Magic Nation would think like that.โ€

Ha, thatโ€™s amusing.

โ€œYou lot blame your incompetence, your lack of thought, your lack of creativity on the gods and give up on thinking. Thatโ€™s why I said, there are no gods.โ€

โ€œYou mentioned Appraisal Magic. What exactly can you tell?โ€

โ€œIโ€™m not some comic book villain whoโ€™s going to reveal everything about myself. But, since Iโ€™m in a good mood today, Iโ€™ll indulge you.โ€

โ€œMuch appreciated.โ€

โ€œWith Appraisal Magic, I can tell things like weight, size, the amount of magic contained, its properties, and even bone density and muscle fiber density, allowing me to estimate physical abilities. I can also gauge intelligence from synapse activity, read pheromones and electrical signals to detect goodwill or malice, and check for injuries or illnesses. Thereโ€™s more, but do you want to hear it?โ€

โ€œSo, in other wordsโ€ฆ in front of you, everything about what someone can do and plans to do is laid bare?โ€

โ€œI didnโ€™t say that. But I can tell how much magic someone can use and whether they have hostile intent toward me. Well, with future updates, the functionality might expand.โ€

โ€œSo, are you saying you fear no one because of this?โ€

โ€œNo, in addition, I have layered defense and detection magic in place 24/7. Even if a meteor capable of wiping out a city fell on me while I slept in my roomโ€ฆ I wouldnโ€™t get a scratch.โ€

Also, Iโ€™ve fortified my familyโ€™s territory and left it under my brotherโ€™s management, ensuring it remains a sustainable asset even if I lose my magic.

That territory is my safety net in case of a downfall.

Thatโ€™s why Iโ€™m connecting him with nobles who might prove beneficial.

With all that, thereโ€™s nothing to fear.

โ€œItโ€™s not a lie, is it? You truly believe you have the power to take on an entire nation.โ€

Prince Gilbertโ€™s soft, handsome face twisted slightly, a drop of cold sweat running down his temple. He looked quite different from his more hot-headed brother.

Whatโ€™s wrong? You donโ€™t look so good.

โ€œTake on a nation, huh? You lot donโ€™t have that kind of power. Proof of that is how, despite your royal status, the nobles look down on you.โ€

โ€œโ€ฆI see.โ€

Ah, so heโ€™s aware.

Judging by Princess Drill-Hairโ€™s shocked expression, it seems only the second prince is in on this.

Interesting. I thought the whole royal family was a bunch of muscle-brained fools, but it looks like this prince has a bit of intellect.

โ€œThe royal family is certainly impressive. You control the Miclef River and its fertile lands, youโ€™re at the heart of trade, and with your wealth and authority, you maintain a large army and many mages.โ€

Howeverโ€ฆ

โ€œBut thatโ€™s all. The church holds more authority. The Klein Marquisate matches your military numbers. The Carenheit Margraviateโ€™s troops are more skilled. And in terms of economic power, with the right governance, houses like the Byteman and Spencer earldoms or the Carpenter viscounty could catch up in two or three decades.โ€

In shortโ€ฆ

โ€œA coalition of nobles could topple you. No wonder youโ€™re underestimated.โ€

The second prince didnโ€™t flinch.

โ€œYes, thatโ€™s true. But Iโ€™m confident the nobles wonโ€™t betray the royal family. Do you know why?โ€

Oh, so he gets it.

The answer, of course, isโ€ฆ

โ€œโ€˜Because itโ€™s not worth it,โ€™โ€ we both said simultaneously.

Yeah, that makes sense.

The royal family is just the biggest noble house. They donโ€™t have absolute authority.

So why do the nobles follow them? Because itโ€™s more convenient.

Thereโ€™s no compelling reason to actively betray the royal family.

โ€œBut how long can that last? Wars upon warsโ€ฆ these chaotic timesโ€ฆ a corrupt church and the nobles steeped in wrongdoingโ€ฆ The footsteps of ruin are already echoing.โ€

No.

โ€œYouโ€™ve already heard them, havenโ€™t you? Every night, shaking in your bed. You know the footsteps of death, named ruin, are already at your bedside.โ€

Yes, I had seen it.

With my Appraisal Magic.

Prince Gilbert, the second prince, suffers from severe insomnia.

His royal healers had managed to keep up his appearance, so I hadnโ€™t noticed until nowโ€ฆ but his brain and organs were suffering from extreme fatigue, abnormal nerve sensitivity, and respiratory problems from the stress.

โ€ฆItโ€™s almost tragic that the king and the first prince are in perfect health. Just kidding, itโ€™s hilarious.

The prince probably senses the countryโ€™s impending downfall with his keen intellect, and it haunts his dreams, keeping him awake at night.

Poor guyโ€ฆ

He looked at me, his eyes trembling.

Ah, yes.

He realized it.

Iโ€™d uncovered his greatest secret.

In a nation that values military strength, the prince, of all people, cries himself to sleep. And I had figured it out.

This must be his greatest weakness.

His face was as expressionless as a mask.

โ€œExus-kun, would you care to talk for a bit?โ€


Programmer Reincarnation: Magic in This World Seems Like Programming

Programmer Reincarnation: Magic in This World Seems Like Programming

ใƒ—ใƒญใ‚ฐใƒฉใƒž่ปข็”Ÿใ€œใ“ใฎไธ–็•Œใฎ้ญ”ๆณ•ใฏใƒ—ใƒญใ‚ฐใƒฉใƒ ใ‚‰ใ—ใ„ใ€œ
Score 8
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Released: 2023 Native Language: Japanese

A story in which the heroine begs for the enemy's life

Reincarnated into another world! A programmer who died on Earth wakes up to find himself a baby in a fantasy world! Though it may seem like a fantasy world, magic is processed in a computer-program-like manner for some reason! Being an Earth programmer, he can manipulate spells to wield powerful magic! It's cheating! Totally OP! I see, it's a common setup. ...But there's one problem. This guy is fatally unsuited to be the protagonist.

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