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Chapter 55

I made a friend

I was led to an empty balcony by the second prince.

โ€œHey, hey, two guys on a castle balcony? Thatโ€™s the worst. Thereโ€™s no charm in that. Normally, this is where youโ€™d talk about love with a princess.โ€

โ€œIs that so?โ€

โ€œYeah. Then the princess gets kidnapped by the Demon Lordโ€™s servant, and the hero, her husband, sets off on a journey to defeat the Demon Lordโ€ฆ something like that.โ€

And then, the wizard friend betrays them. You can keep apologizing to me in the afterlife!

โ€œOh? Is this a new story for a game? It sounds fresh and interesting. If it comes out, Iโ€™ll definitely buy it.โ€

Now then.

The second prince, after such a preamble, looked at me with the unsteady gaze of someone severely sleep-deprived.

โ€œLetโ€™s talk openly, Exus.โ€

โ€œOpenly? Iโ€™m not sure what you mean, but Iโ€™ve been speaking honestly this whole time.โ€

โ€œI envy that. Iโ€™ve never said a single true thing since I was born.โ€

โ€œWhat do you mean?โ€

โ€œโ€ฆI hate this country.โ€

Oh? Huh?

โ€œโ€ฆI see. Interesting. Good start. Go on, tell me more.โ€

A prince, who should love his country and devote himself to it, saying, โ€œI hate this countryโ€?

This is interesting. Iโ€™d love to hear more.

โ€œAs you might guess, this country is at its limit. Iโ€™ve been so mentally exhausted that I havenโ€™t slept in days.โ€

โ€œOh? And why do you think the countryโ€™s at its limit?โ€

โ€œLike you said, despite being in the midst of war and chaos, the royals and nobles are all engrossed in a farcical war game. Theyโ€™re ignorant, uneducated, and refuse to change the status quo. Worse still, the people celebrate outdated customs. Itโ€™s the result of everyoneโ€™s laziness.โ€

โ€œOh dear, the prince thinks everythingโ€™s trash. Thatโ€™s not good, is it?โ€

โ€œDonโ€™t mock me. You feel the same way, donโ€™t you? You know it. The burden on the people due to heavy taxes, the negligence of the nobility. The political instability, the expanding war, the decrease in labor due to the deaths of young conscriptsโ€ฆ The list goes on.โ€

Indeed, thatโ€™s true.

Despite these circumstances, neither the nobles nor the people are trying to change anythingโ€ฆ

Theyโ€™re content to push the problems onto the next generation, as long as things are fine in their timeโ€ฆ

In short, well, itโ€™s trash.

โ€œIf they keep living lavishly and swinging their wands on the battlefield without a care, just as theyโ€™ve done before, while the church tells them to live frugallyโ€ฆ That wonโ€™t work anymore. Soon, that era will end.โ€

โ€œTrue. So, what are you trying to say?โ€

โ€œI donโ€™t care what happens to the countryโ€ฆ But, I just want to be happy.โ€

Hmm.

โ€œI donโ€™t care if my father or my brothers die. I donโ€™t care if the country disappears. But, I alone want to surviveโ€ฆโ€

โ€œAre you begging for your life?โ€

โ€œNo? I donโ€™t care about that anymore. I just want to be free.โ€

Free?

โ€œโ€ฆIโ€™ve done some research about your homeland. It seems it was a terribly impoverished place.โ€

โ€œSo what?โ€

โ€œPeople canโ€™t choose where theyโ€™re born. If you had been in my position, you might have used your superior intelligence and power to destroy this country, rebuild it, and become a king ruling over the worldโ€ฆโ€

Hmm, thatโ€™s a possibility.

If I had started as royalty, I might have done things like assassinate my useless brothers, poison the king, and usher in the rise of a boy king. Thatโ€™s a classic!

โ€œI didnโ€™t want to be born in this era, this country, or this position. What I truly wanted was to become a scholar. I was fascinated by birds. I wanted to spend my time observing them, keeping a parrot from a tropical country, and writing in my journalโ€ฆโ€

Ah, I see.

Itโ€™s like a history geek born into a family of warlords!

โ€œSo, you want to be free and become a scholar. I get that. But what are you really trying to say?โ€

โ€œI want to make a deal with you, Exus. No, itโ€™s not even a deal; itโ€™s a piece of trash.โ€

Heh, this is getting good.

โ€œSpit it out.โ€

โ€œFirst, letโ€™s talk about your benefit. If you accept my proposal, Iโ€™ll use all my current power to support you in every possible way.โ€

โ€œThat sounds good. Whatโ€™s the proposal?โ€

โ€œโ€ฆWould you keep me?โ€

โ€œโ€ฆHuh?โ€

Excuse me?

Wait, what?

โ€œOh, no, please donโ€™t misunderstand. Itโ€™s not that kind of twisted thing. I donโ€™t have that kind of taste.โ€

โ€œI mean, Iโ€™d sleep with a pretty boy, but I donโ€™t think youโ€™d cut it.โ€

โ€œI-I seeโ€ฆ Exus, you will likely clash with the country or even destroy the royal family someday, right?โ€

โ€œMaybe.โ€

Well, even if I donโ€™t do it, it seems like this country will fall apart in this generationโ€ฆ But Iโ€™ll probably be the one to pull the trigger.

Iโ€™m a prime candidate for causing the countryโ€™s collapse!

Thatโ€™s amusing.

โ€œWhen that time comes, I want you to spare me. I want you to send me to yourโ€ฆ no, maybe itโ€™s your brotherโ€™s now? Anyway, I want to be tucked away in a rural estate, where I donโ€™t have to work but can live comfortably.โ€

โ€œโ€ฆHuh?โ€

โ€œOf course, I wouldnโ€™t demand a maid or anything. Just a small allowance and regular meals would suffice. If I may be so bold, Iโ€™d also like to have books delivered periodicallyโ€ฆ And Iโ€™d like to keep a parrotโ€ฆโ€

โ€œHahaha! Hahahaha!โ€

This guy is hilarious!

โ€œSo, what, youโ€™re telling me that you want to throw away all your responsibilities, โ€˜retire early,โ€™ and live a quiet life in the countryside?!โ€

โ€œโ€˜Early retirementโ€™โ€ฆ! What a wonderful phrase. Itโ€™s ideal. Iโ€™ll adopt it as my new motto.โ€

I see, I see.

โ€œAhโ€ฆ This is fantastic! Fine, even if I slaughter the entire royal family and destroy the country, Iโ€™ll let you live! You can do whatever you want, be a scholar, or whatever, in my brotherโ€™s territory!โ€

โ€œIโ€™m gratefulโ€ฆโ€

Heโ€™s saying โ€œIโ€™m gratefulโ€ with that handsome face of his, but this kid is only about fifteen years old, and his dream for the future is to retire early and live a slow life in the countryside.

Thatโ€™s hilariousโ€ฆ

โ€œSo, what would you have done if I had refused?โ€

โ€œI would have killed myself right here and framed you for royal murder, bringing my pathetic life to a close.โ€

I seeโ€ฆ

Just like a modern man.

Vaguely wanting to die, but not enough to commit suicide. However, if things get too bad, suicide seems like the better optionโ€ฆ

Interesting, I feel a strange connection to him.

โ€œBut if you die, you wonโ€™t be happy, right?โ€

โ€œHmm, not quite. The way I see it, my current state is a โ€˜debt.โ€™ If I die, that โ€˜debtโ€™ becomes โ€˜zero.โ€™ So, in the end, itโ€™s a โ€˜profit.'โ€

โ€œI get it. So, if you can get to a place where your happiness is โ€˜profit,โ€™ you can endure this โ€˜debtโ€™ for nowโ€ฆโ€

โ€œIf the hope of โ€˜profitโ€™ fades, Iโ€™ll spread โ€˜debtโ€™ to everyone around me and disappear into โ€˜nothingness.โ€™ Iโ€™ll check out early.โ€

โ€œHahaha! I like it! Thatโ€™s logical!โ€

I activate my Generate Magic.

โ€œHere you go.โ€

โ€œโ€ฆWhatโ€™s this?โ€

โ€œItโ€™s a sleeping pill. Take one before bed, without chewing. It should help with your insomnia.โ€

โ€œThanks, Exus. Though, Iโ€™m a little scared to owe you somethingโ€ฆโ€

โ€œDonโ€™t worry about it. Iโ€™m kind to my โ€˜friends.โ€™ Iโ€™ll do anything for โ€˜friends,โ€™ without expecting anything in return.โ€

โ€œโ€ฆUnderstood. As a โ€˜friend,โ€™ Iโ€™ll support your endeavors.โ€

The second prince, Gilbert, and I shook hands firmly.

ร—ร—ร—ร—ร—ร—ร—ร—ร—ร—ร—ร—ร—ร—ร—

Second Prince Gilbert

The wise prince who supported the great sorcerer Exus, and the last king of Biltria.

Gilbert recognized Exusโ€™s talents, and while appeasing his father, the king, and his older brothers, he served as a mediator, propelling Exus to greater heights. He was both a king and a sage with the talent of a royal advisor.

In both public and private life, he maintained a strong relationship with the demon Exus. In his later years, he lived in the Raven Territory as an ornithologist, dedicating his time to studying birds.

The principles he declared, โ€œReign, but do not ruleโ€ and โ€œLeave practical politics to the parliament,โ€ continue to be a cornerstone of the constitutional monarchy of Biltrand today.


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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