P-Prince Arnold...
Why did you come into my room?
I made some snacks.
And you weren't present, so I thought I'd leave them here.
Now that you know my secret, I can't let you leave.
I won't tell anyone!
Not that Silver is in fact Prince Arnold!
You're saying that pretty loudly, though.
I set up a noise-suppressing barrier in this room.
No one can hear us from outside.
That's a relief. Thank you.
Aren't you worried that I might do something to you?
What do you mean?
I might silence you by force, for example.
You? That could never happen.
And even if you did, you'd only be doing it out of necessity.
So I would accept it.
I don't remember winning your trust to that extent.
Being that you're back, you must have defeated the monsters already, yes?
You're a hero. You saved our domain.
Which means...
You've been putting on an elaborate show until now, then?
From your conversation with Sir Silver...
To even the fact that they call you the insipid prince?!
You're doing all that for Prince Leonard, aren't you?
That's why I can trust you!
You're able to do so much for others.
You must be a kind person.
Sebas is the only one who knows my secret.
And Sebas is tight-lipped.
I would never stand for my secret getting out.
So don't dare tell anyone.
Understood.
Do you truly understand?
Yes, I do!
To think I've kept this a secret all this time, only to be exposed like this...
Please cheer up.
Whose fault do you think this is?
H-Have some sweets!
I'll make some tea.
EPISODE 2 DATE AT THE CAPITAL?
That concludes my report.
Very well done.
I truly apologize for how difficult the task had become.
What's this?
A token of my gratitude, separate of the bounty.
The promised reward is more than enough.
We weren't the ones who solved the fundamental problem.
Right?
Yes.
We have our pride as long-time adventurers. Please spare us.
I see.
All right.
I'm sure I'll ask for your help again when we need it.
Right.
Next time, we'll complete your request with our own hands.
That settles that.
Thank you so much, Your Highness.
Thank Leo, not me.
He was the one who wanted me here along with Silver.
Right.
We, the Kleinert Ducal household,
shall gratefully support Prince Leonard in return for his help.
I'm counting on it.
Let us ensure Prince Leonard ascends to the throne.
With that, Leo has established his stature
as the fourth force, alongside his sister and two brothers.
The fourth force...
Your Highness, may I ask if you might be short on men?
I wish I could say we had enough people, but we aren't even close.
Some of the nobles are still on the sidelines.
We need people we can trust.
Indeed. That's a relief.
Do you know of someone?
Yes. I'd like to leave you with my daughter.
I was shocked when Finne told me about it yesterday.
She insists on repaying our debt to you.
No, hang on.
How do I respond to that?
Your Highness, she's become famous ever since His Majesty
bestowed to her the blue gull hairpiece.
They call her Blau Mowe.
I'm certain she'll be of service.
I'm sure she would...
But are you sure, Duke?
It's what she asked for.
She's always been a child to me, but she's become so mature.
Well, we're off.
Go do good things.
Take care of yourself.
Of course. You too, Father, Brother.
Finne!
Prince Arnold, I know I'm still green, but I look forward to working for you.
Sure.
Are you upset?
I'm exasperated.
The fight for the throne
has caused bloodshed countless times throughout history.
Now's your chance to get out of it.
I understand.
Nonetheless...
I'd like to be of use to you.
Besides, I suspect it'll be easier for you to keep an eye on me.
No, I would have felt better if you'd just stayed at home.
CASTLE OF THE IMPERIAL SWORD, IMPERIAL CAPITAL, FIVE DAYS LATER
I knew you were well-connected, but I had no idea you knew Silver too.
Sorry, I'm kind of asking for approval after the fact.
It's fine.
You knew what you were doing.
He did exactly as he declared.
I think it's safe to trust him.
But there's a lot that we don't know about him.
He still hasn't revealed why he's cooperating with us.
We ought not to trust him fully just yet.
All right.
I'd love to meet him someday.
Given that he came to me,
he doesn't seem to have any intention of meeting you directly just yet.
Let's not get too dependent on him.
Got it.
But the Duke's on our side now thanks to him, right?
I'm sure he's a good person.
There you go again, being so optimistic about people.
You said someone's here from the duke's family.
Who is it?
Oh, about that...
Pleased to meet you, Your Highness Prince Leonard.
I am Duke Kleinert's eldest daughter, Finne Von Kleinert.
I look forward to being at your service.
Eighth Prince, Leonard Reks Adler.
I'm honored to meet the Blau Mowe.
I'm relieved to see that you seem like a gentle person,
just as Prince Arnold described you.
My brother said that about me?
Would you please tell me more?
Gladly!
So my brother said that, huh?
Yes.
Thank you for the pleasant chat.
You seem to be a sharp person.
Oh, not at all.
Brother, what is your plan for Finne's support?
We'll have you primarily in a negotiating capacity.
Okay.
And we'll have you come to us frequently for a while from the royal mansion.
That alone would assert that the Kleinert family has sided with us.
Please count on me.
Leo, do we have any more potential allies?
Hard to say.
The strong ones are already siding with one of the three.
So...
I'm not too familiar with the inner workings of the palace.
Could you please tell me more about the three rivals?
You hadn't told them yet?
She wore me out asking irrelevant questions on the way here.
I'm sorry.
I'm impressed that you managed to get under his skin.
He normally just shrugs everything off.
Truly?
In other words, you're too much of a pain to deal with.
Second Prince Erik Reks Adler, 28 years old.
He controls much of the bureaucracy.
And he's known to be a brilliant mind.
Third Prince, Gordon Reks Adler, 26 years old.
He's the most powerful force in the military.
He's known for joining the battle himself.
And the second princess, Zandra Reks Adler, 22 years old.
She's gifted in magic and highly regarded by mages throughout the empire.
These three are expanding their influence as they pursue the throne.
A civil servant, a military man, and a magician.
Each of my siblings has their own base of support.
The situation as it stands now is that the nobles
are ingratiating themselves to these three.
It started three years ago.
Ever since our eldest brother... since Brother Wilhelm died in battle.
My father told me about him too.
That if only the bright prince were still alive,
there would be no such fight over the throne.
But he's gone now.
You're going to have to become the prince.
That's the only way we can survive.
I know.
But I don't know if I can pull it off.
Relax. I'll guarantee it.
Is something the matter, Marie?
What is it?
Duke Zeifrit went for Sister Zandra
and Duke Paulman went for Brother Gordon.
For the money?
It seems so.
And large sums, at that.
Those two are in league with large merchant groups.
We can't compete financially.
We're way behind.
But we're making progress.
We got the prestigious Kleinert family on our side.
And we have the famous Lady Finne with us.
Yes! I will do all I can!
I'm taking a breather.
Maybe it was the ride to the Kleinert house... my back hurts.
Don't make yourself sound like a grandpa.
I mean, try going there for yourself sometime.
It'll kill your back.
TWO DAYS LATER
Prince Arnold, would you please show me around the royal capital?
You?
You'll draw so much attention.
I'll disguise myself.
How do I look?
Pass.
B-But why?
I might consider it if you put more effort into your disguise.
Understood!
Please show me around the royal capital!
You're right that you won't get noticed...
But whose idea was that?
Sebas.
Dammit, Sebas...
That should do it, right?
We'll still need guards. Let's do this next time.
Sebas said that I wouldn't need a guard as long as you're with me.
Sebas!
Why is he absent now?
All right, fine.
Thank you!
Not for too long, though.
You have a lot of requests for interviews yourself, don't you?
I haven't received any offers as of yet.
She's one of the king's favorites.
I guess most people would think twice about trying to mess with her.
Okay, let's go.
On one condition: We're coming home as soon as I say we are.
Okay!
Thank you for the opportunity!
Prince Arnold, what is that over there?
They appraise weapons and magic equipment.
If they grade your stuff, it sells for much more.
I see.
What's this scent?
Medicinal teas. Look over there.
Sebas would have me drink them when I got sick.
Want a sip?
It's incredibly bitter.
I-I'll pass.
You know so much, Prince Arnold.
Call me Arn.
May I?
I don't need people finding out who we are.
May I call you by that name going forward?
Do as you like.
Yes, Master Arn!
That tall structure over there is the training ground for the soldiers.
How impressive.
That cheap junk isn't even palatable to you, is it?
It's very delicious.
Especially this cheese.
I've never had it before, though.
What kind of cheese is it?
Lesser minotaur.
It's goat.
Master Arn!
Master Arn?
No, it's nothing.
I love goat cheese.
Good to hear.
I used to play with the town kids too.
You did?
I used to sneak out of the palace.
What's the matter?
No... I just recalled something a little bitter.
I envy you.
I have very few friends from my childhood.
You'll make plenty from now on.
There are all sorts of good people and bad people.
Just find the ones you can trust to be friends with.
Time is no object when it comes to friendship.
Master Arn!
I don't think that was particularly moving.
No! I, Finne, will take those words to heart!
I'm sorry, lady!
No, that's all right.
Hey! Be careful!
All right!
Are you all right?
Yes, I'm fine.
U-Um...
What should I change into?
Choose anything you like.
What I like...
What do you like, Master Arn?
Me?
Let's see...
Maybe that one?
"Master Arn," huh?
How delightfully innocent.
Don't go telling people.
I would never do that.
It seems something is afoot, though.
I never see you walking around with a woman, Your Highness.
It's not that unusual.
You've never been out with one specific woman, have you?
Has it come time for the prince to settle down as well?
Whatever.
I-I'm dressed.
What do you think?
I think it looks good.
Yes, yes.
You look very good indeed, milady.
Your Highness, the payment?
I'll send Sebas over later. Sorry.
That's quite all right.
Having you as a regular keeps the nasty people away, Your Highness.
Well, then, Your Highness, milady, please enjoy your date.
D-Date?!
I'm just showing her around town!
Don't get the wrong idea!
Whatever the purpose,
when two young people are on an outing together, it's a date.
That's about it for all the interesting spots.
Let's head home.
Home...
Okay.
Welcome!
Don't be too long.
Right!
What's this?
If it isn't the insipid prince...
GHIDO VON HOLZWIRT, DUKE HOLZWIRT'S ELDEST SON
Ghido.
I didn't expect to see you around here.
I happened to notice your shabby face as I was passing by
and figured that I should greet you, as you are royalty.
Oh, thanks.
What's with the attitude?
Do you think I couldn't hit you?
No one would even speak of it if I were to strike you.
No one cares about your face.
I'm not sure about that.
Leo's pretty famous lately.
I might be more recognizable now.
You are not Leonard!
Who would even think of you as royalty?
You don't even possess the demeanor worthy of the royal family!
What is going on here?!
How dare you?!
Who's she? Your servant?
Your insolence knows no bounds.
Blau Mowe!
That's right. I'm Finne Von Kleinert.
And you are?
I-I'm Ghido Von Holzwirt.
First son of Duke Holzwirt.
I'm disappointed to see
the son of the honorable Holzwirts behave in such a way.
I would have expected you to know your manners.
N-No, he's just...
Do you think you're free to treat a man however you wish
because he's called the insipid prince?
Do you have no regard or loyalty for the royal family?
N-No, that's not...
Besides, did you really think I would walk alongside the likes of Prince Arnold?
Please, Lady Finne.
I was pretending to be my brother because you wanted to avoid any rumors.
I even borrowed his clothes.
My apologies, Prince Leo.
L-Leonard?!
Yes, Ghido.
It isn't what it looks like! I was just...
It's fine.
I'm aware that this is how you treat my brother.
I don't intend to do anything unless my brother demands it.
But please take your leave for today.
R-Right, I will.
Pardon us.
What are you doing?! We're going!
Y-Yes sir!
Well, you botched that one.
I'm sorry. Was that uncalled for?
His reputation would have simply taken a hit if you'd just let him continue.
But with what happened today,
he'll have developed a fair amount of animosity toward you.
And the potential that Leo might be disguised as me
makes it difficult for me to work in secret.
I'm sorry.
Don't act on your own like that.
You could end up endangering yourself too.
Right.
But I know you did that for my sake.
Thanks.
Master Arn...
Sorry about that.
You were having fun, too.
No, that was reckless of me.
I'll be more careful next time.
Next time?
I mean...
Would you please show me around again?
I'll dress up next time too.
Let's go.
Yes, Master Arn!
I'll wear this outfit again!
I'll cherish these clothes!
You don't need to do that.
But I will!
A FEW DAYS LATER
That's unusual.
They rarely ever ask us to join important meetings.
I wonder why.
It's all of us siblings in the capital, no?
This only ever happens once a year at most.
Father must have something to report.
I hope it's good news.
I really doubt it's anything positive.
What a pain.
Don't speak like that. Father's going to scold you again.
Yeah, yeah. I got it.
Now, let's see what it's going to be this time.
What to expect?
TRANSLATION: REI MIYASAKA
TIMING: EDGAR CRUZ EDITING: ZACHARY CARLYSLE
QUALITY CONTROL: WILLIAM HAGGARD