Chapter 137: The Struggle for the Throne
"Your Highness! How could you come out on your own!"
The assassination minister was greatly alarmed and hurried forward.
"Ugh, I'm so bored staying in this little room. Take me out quickly."
The little prince pouted, looking adorably angry, with two maids following behind who bowed their heads in fear upon seeing Bill.
"I'm afraid not, Your Highness. Prime Minister Honest has ordered that you cannot go out yet. We're concerned for your safety, so you'll have to endure staying here a while longer."
"But don't worry, I've brought some people to keep you company."
The assassination minister gestured toward Mahiro and the others approaching from not far behind.
The little prince had already noticed them earlier but couldn't see clearly from a distance. As they drew nearer, the little prince let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
Innocent and pointing at Mahiro, said:
"This big brother is much better looking than you. What's your name, big brother?"
"Your Highness, his name is Yotsuba Mahiro..."
"I wasn't asking you!"
The little prince frowned and interrupted Bill sharply, then turned back to Mahiro and asked sincerely, "Big brother, can you tell me your name?"
Mahiro smiled slightly, crouched down to be at eye level with the prince, reached out, and ruffled her hair, saying, "Your esteemed Highness, my name is Yotsuba Mahiro, and I am your guard."
This action terrified Bill, nearly scaring his soul away.
It was incredibly bold to touch the little prince's head!
After all, this little prince was practically certain to become the next emperor, so Mahiro's action was equivalent to touching the emperor's head!
But—
So what.
The little loli in front seemed perfectly happy to be petted.
That's right—this so-called "little prince" was actually a princess. Though her childlike appearance was deceptive, it couldn't fool his eyes.
Through information body analysis, this was unmistakably a girl. He now understood what Prime Minister Honest was up to.
Simply using this princess to impersonate a prince for the throne.
After all, girls are easier to control than boys.
What a clever scheme...
"So your name is Yotsuba Mahiro. I'll remember it! But you said you'll be my guard—is that true?!"
"Of course, I wouldn't dare deceive the sovereign."
"Hooray! Finally, it's not that ugly guy and the minister accompanying me anymore!"
The young prince happily threw herself into his arms.
The so-called "ugly guy" naturally referred to Minister Bill, and the "minister" was that fat pig Honest. Mahiro understood this clearly, but he said nothing, simply comforting the little prince in his arms as if soothing a child.
He could now confirm one thing: he was indeed very popular with children.
All those past incidents were absolutely not his fault!
However, at that moment, Poney muttered quietly, "This girly-looking little one is the future emperor?"
Her voice wasn't particularly loud, so the young prince didn't hear, but everyone else caught it clearly.
"Pfft!"
Little Gin behind them couldn't help but let out a suppressed laugh. Her cheerful and straightforward personality, somewhat similar to the single-minded Poney, made it impossible for her to hide anything.
"Poney, don't be rude!"
Cornelia quickly grabbed Poney's arm, pulling her over, and covered her mouth with her hand.
But it was already too late.
Assassination Minister Bill's icy eyes fell upon Poney, who had just spoken, and the snickering Gin. His gaze seemed to carry a chilling light as he said:
"Vice Minister Yotsuba, please remember to discipline them strictly! If all else fails, we'll have to resort to medication for control."
Bill's voice was extremely cold.
Last time, it was that girl named Poney who started the backtalk, followed by that former Enhancement Unit girl joining in. Bill remembered it clearly and had already discussed the matter with Mahiro.
And now it was them again today!
"Heh, indeed. I will discipline them strictly," Mahiro responded with a smile.
However, he also glanced at Poney, who was being protected by Cornelia, and Gin beside him, who already knew she was wrong.
These two girls really knew how to create trouble out of nothing.
"Then I'll leave everything to you."
Bill gave him a meaningful look.
Then he saluted the young prince and calmly withdrew from the palace's inner courtyard.
Seeing Bill leave, the young prince's mind immediately became active, her large eyes darting around playfully.
"Hey hey, Big Brother Yotsuba, the courtyard is so boring. Why don't you take me out to play! Please?" The young prince grabbed his hand, shaking it while acting cute.
In her current state, the young prince showed none of the dignity expected of a future emperor.
Instead, she appeared innocent and adorable like a child.
"That won't do, Your Highness. Please endure it for a few more days. We're here to keep you company."
Mahiro took the young princess... no, the young prince's hand and led her back to the pavilion, instructing Nahashu and the others to hide around the courtyard and set up covert sentries.
As for the cliché about dangers, he couldn't be bothered to repeat it. Actually, taking the young prince out to play wouldn't be a problem.
He just couldn't be bothered to do it. Wasn't staying in the palace perfectly fine?
"Ugh... I thought a handsome big brother like you would be different from them, but you're just as rigid as father and the ministers."
The young prince squirmed, trying to escape his grasp, but no matter how she struggled, she couldn't break free from that large hand.
The several maids in the room were terrified to see Mahiro boldly leading the young prince back inside, not daring to move a muscle.
After all, every time the Assassination Minister came, it took persuasion to get the young prince to return to his rooms.
This new man was far too audacious!
"Rigid, you say?"
Mahiro released her, gently stroking his chin in contemplation.
Just as the young prince was about to sneak out of the attic again, he suddenly appeared before her as if teleporting.
"You... Huh? Big brother, what's that square thing in your hand?"
The young prince was about to scold him when she noticed Mahiro holding a cube-like object with colorful patterns on it.
"This is called a Rubik's Cube, a gift I want to give to Your Highness."
Mahiro handed the scrambled cube to the young prince and briefly taught her how to play with it. "Didn't Your Highness say I'm as rigid as the ministers? To prove otherwise, I promise that if you can restore this cube—meaning twisting all sides to uniform colors—I'll take you out to play. How does that sound?"
"Really? You're not lying to me?"
"Of course it's true, and I would never deceive Your Highness."
"Then it's settled! We pinky swear! Once I restore this thing called a Rubik's Cube, you must take me out to play!"
The young girl displayed a rare, childlike authority, though her demand remained utterly juvenile.
Yet Mahiro didn't laugh at her. Instead, he indulged her wish, extending his finger to gently link with hers in a pinky promise.
From that moment on, he and this young princess made a small pact.
What surprised him, however, was how effectively this little cube managed to occupy the young prince.
For several days, she no longer cried or threw tantrums about going outside, nor did she attempt to sneak out. She obediently remained in the attic, which felt like a prison.
Her daily routine consisted of eating, sleeping, and studying the Rubik's Cube—sometimes even skipping meals.
Was she really that desperate to go out?
Amused, Mahiro offered to take her out for a stroll, but to his surprise, she sternly refused!
She insisted on fulfilling their pact, declaring she wouldn't step out until she solved the cube!
Otherwise, she wouldn't leave the attic half a step.
Well, he hadn't expected this young prince to be so stubborn. But Mahiro didn't press further, appreciating the peace it brought.
This allowed him to focus on managing the elite team.
Aside from their daily undercover sentry duties during the day, they also patrolled at night in pairs, working in shifts. With eight members, they could rotate over two days, ensuring everyone had adequate rest.
This gave them time to recuperate.
"Lord Yotsuba, I'm going on night patrol. Since you have some free time now, I hope you can use it to discipline Cornelia and the others."
During the night, when it was his turn for patrol, Nahashu made this suggestion to Mahiro.
Nahashu still remembered the previous incident clearly.
His intention wasn't to meddle but to genuinely consider the elite team's well-being.
Mahiro understood this well.
After all, Poney and Gin were indeed troublemakers.
After Nahashu and Green left, the freshly bathed girls swarmed into the room.
"Wow! It's Lord Yotsuba! You're not accompanying the young prince today?!"
Seeing him, the girls were pleasantly surprised, chirping and flocking around Mahiro like a group of lively sparrows.
Due to Mahiro's constant attendance upon the Little Prince these past few days, the girls had rarely been able to see him. Though they shared the same courtyard, they missed him terribly!
Gin in particular boldly threw herself against Mahiro's back, pressing her proud assets until they were nearly flattened.
"Lord Yotsuba, please don't leave tonight. Stay and sleep with us," Poney exclaimed excitedly while shaking Mahiro's arm.
She was usually a fool who never used her brain, and even now her words remained audacious.
Yet she had voiced the collective desire of the women.
The beautiful and mature Cornelia lay on the floor, propping her fair chin with both hands as she gazed up at the handsome and reliable Lord Yotsuba, her cute little feet swaying incessantly.
The sisters Akame and Kurome remained relatively silent, sitting quietly and obediently to the side.
"Everyone, sit properly."
Mahiro rarely adopted such a stern expression.
Though his voice wasn't particularly loud nor icy, it carried an undeniable authority that compelled them to immediately sit in a neat row.
"L-Lord Yotsuba, has something happened?" Gin asked anxiously.
"Nothing in particular, but your recent behavior has grown increasingly excessive. I truly must discipline you all properly as the Minister said! Otherwise, you'll truly become unruly!"
"!!!"
At these words, the girls immediately shrank their necks.
They even adjusted their sitting postures to kneeling, each bowing their heads in anticipation of the scolding.
"Lord Yotsuba, actually, we... we've been quite well-behaved," Tsukushi murmured softly.
"Really? Don't you have any awareness of how you've been acting lately?"
His piercing gaze instantly fell upon Tsukushi, causing her delicate frame to tremble slightly.
Not just her—the others also began to reflect.
Perhaps because they had completed assassination training under him, these girls had become complacent. Over the past four days, their attitudes toward tasks had grown increasingly perfunctory.
Often, they no longer followed the rules!
This was very dangerous.
It wasn't that the Minister or others would necessarily punish them, but such behavior could lead to peril in the future.
Moreover, they had been far too unrestrained in front of others!
This wouldn't do—it was not a good thing.
After all, the prerequisite for such audacity is having the capability to back it up, and given their current strength, they were still far from it.
In one-on-one combat, forget facing Esdeath—even encountering the Four Rakshasa Demons under Prime Minister Honest would likely leave them defeated.
Thus, he launched into a lengthy lecture.
From night until dawn, no one slept. Even dozing off would earn them a merciless wake-up tap from Mahiro.
Even when it was time for shift changes, he didn't stop, merely allowing those on duty to leave. Nahashu and Green even considerately guarded the door for them.
This was the first time these girls had witnessed such a terrifying side of Mahiro.
They grew even more curious about how he could be so eloquent.
But of course, this was natural—otherwise, why would Mayumi have jokingly suggested he take the stage to assist in debates?
"So, have you remembered?"
"...Y-yes, we've remembered..."
The four people before him answered weakly.
At the break of dawn, having finally escaped the hell of lecturing, they deeply envied Akame and Kurome who had been on night patrol yesterday, resenting why it hadn't been their group instead.
They had thoroughly witnessed the terror of Mahiro.
Without exception, they all silently swore in their hearts never to make mistakes again—they absolutely didn't want to experience something like this ever again!
Time passed day by day.
Over the course of nearly a week, no particularly dangerous situations emerged. However, Prime Minister Honest secretly sent people to check on the young prince twice to assess the situation.
Then, on that night when the atmosphere was so tense it seemed to solidify, movement finally occurred within the imperial palace—news came that the old emperor had passed away!
The young prince trembled with fear, face pale as a sheet, but didn't shed a single tear.
She understood clearly what this meant—even the hope of seeing her father one last time was now a luxury. She also realized what kind of dangerous situation she had fallen into from this moment onward.
Though young, she knew perfectly well that she had lost her greatest protection from this moment on.
If she were to step outside now, there would likely be many who would want her dead.
Because the struggle for the throne among the princes had reached its final stage—even those seemingly kind older brothers and sisters from ordinary times would now transform into beasts ready to devour anyone in their path!
And now, the only person she could rely on was—
"Lord Yotsuba, you'll protect me, right?"
"Don't worry, I'll handle everything."
He comforted the young princess.
But as soon as he finished speaking, intense noises erupted from outside—clearly the sounds of combat!
Immediately after, someone barged in directly.
"Lord Yotsuba, there's a squad outside trying to force their way into the inner courtyard! Your subordinates are currently holding them off!"
The newcomer was one of the guards arranged by Prime Minister Honest.
The situation was exactly as he described: an eight-member team led by Nahashu was desperately fending off attacks from dozens of armored soldiers.
Judging by their attire, these appeared to be the imperial palace guards!
These guards were exceptionally skilled. Although Nahashu and the others had undergone dramatic physical enhancements and could unleash formidable combat power with the aid of improved Teigu, their techniques ultimately fell slightly short against these battle-hardened veterans—let alone the overwhelming numerical disadvantage.
The seasoned soldiers coordinated effortlessly, easily splitting the eight into isolated combatants.
Even with superhuman stamina and terrifying regenerative abilities, facing nearly a hundred elite troops meant it was only a matter of time before they were worn down.
"How ungrateful! Step aside, all of you! I must bring Her Highness to see His Majesty one last time!"
If Mahiro were present, he would have found this voice strikingly familiar.
It was none other than his former superior—the chief of the Imperial City guard!
"Don't think you can deceive us with lies! If your goal were truly to bring the young prince to see His Majesty, why arrive with an armed squad?"
Nahashu flicked the blood off his sword, stepped forward onto a corpse, and spoke calmly, his expression unwavering.
"Hmph! You have no right to question me! Summon your superior immediately, or face execution!" the guard chief threatened sharply.
He and Prime Minister Honest belonged to opposing factions, and he supported a different imperial heir.
If he could secure the throne for his chosen prince, Honest would be utterly defeated.
No matter how powerful Honest's influence in the court, a single decree from the *** would unquestionably seal his fate.
As for disobedience—it wasn't even a consideration.
General Budo, the empire's strongest, specialized in crushing all opposition. A staunch royalist, he obeyed only the emperor's commands.
He was the empire's final—and most impregnable—line of defense!
Thus, seizing the chaos within the palace, the guard chief had borrowed a squad of imperial guards to eliminate the princess whom Honest intended to install, thereby crushing his ambitions.
"Lord Yotsuba, what should we... what should we do now?"
Seeing the perilous situation, the princess tightly clutched Mahiro's sleeve, her large eyes glistening with tears.
Could she be saved?
She didn't know—the odds seemed nearly hopeless against such numbers.
But the next moment, a familiar sensation came from above. Mahiro's large hand rested on her head once more, gently stroking her long hair.
"Rest assured, I've said before that as long as I'm here, no one can lay a finger on you."
Mahiro smiled faintly, then raised his head to gaze through the window crack at his former superior, murmuring:
"How about this, Your Highness? Didn't he want to take you to see the old emperor one last time? Why don't you step forward and speak your true thoughts?"