Chapter 3: Ball – 2

Crimson blood splattered.

“Kyaaaa!!”

Whose scream was that?

I had no idea.

“Ike! Move!”

Father’s command rang out.

What should I do right now?

Protect Reyna no matter what and minimize the damage.

The one bleeding was the Crown Prince.

A long wound stretched from his left shoulder to his chest.

He clutched his chest with both hands, collapsing to his knees.

Reyna, drenched in his blood, stood frozen, her face pale.

The goal was clear.

This was the start of a succession struggle.

The Crown Prince’s exceptional abilities made him the closest to the throne, but not everyone supported him.

There were definitely factions among the nobles, and this was an attack to exploit that.

Father must have known, which is why he told me to protect the Crown Prince.

The easiest way to undermine his position was to cause a scandal at his own party.

“An attack!”

Even so, wasn’t this too extreme?

Masked figures emerged from all directions, targeting defenseless nobles.

Even if the succession was a critical issue, was this level of violence necessary?

“Ike! What are you doing?!”

Father’s thunderous voice snapped at me again as I stood still, observing.

Right, I can’t just stand here.

Move.

I decided to create a world where Reyna could be happy.

So move.

The incident has already happened.

What’s left is how to handle it.

If I don’t know the answer, just move and stop them.

Put my body on the line to keep her safe.

But…

“…Why?”

Why wasn’t I moving?

I trained to be ready for anything.

I swung my sword daily, refined my mana, and trained relentlessly.

It was only a month, but I worked hard enough to have no shame.

So why were my legs trembling?

Move. Move. Move.

Move quickly and save people.

Run for Reyna’s sake.

“Move!”

I slammed my fist against my knee, but the trembling only worsened.

Why the hell was I frozen?

More blood, from who knows where, sprayed before my eyes.

Seeing that…

“…I’m scared.”

Unintentionally.

Suddenly.

Those words slipped from my mouth.

Yes, honestly, I was terrified.

No matter how hard I trained for a month.

No matter how desperately I wanted a world where Reyna could be happy.

I wasn’t from this world.

I knew exactly how this story unfolded.

I kept realizing that even if I didn’t move, no major issues would arise.

What could I do?

I spent most of my life bedridden.

It’s absurd to expect someone like that to swing a sword without hesitation.

“…Let’s run.”

Yes, it’s unavoidable.

Ike Axus is just a minor character anyway.

If I escape and disappear here, the story’s bigger picture won’t change.

So I’ll help Reyna from the outside.

This is too much for me. It’s impossible.

The story I wanted wasn’t like this.

At most, I imagined stopping an attack by one or two assailants after foreseeing it.

Not this bloodbath chaos.

So there’s nothing I can do.

It’s impossible for someone like me.

As I comforted myself and slowly lifted my head…

“Ugh!”

I saw Reyna, wielding a dagger for self-defense, facing an assailant.

Her beautiful dress, now stained with the Crown Prince’s blood, looked eerie.

Her skin bore several shallow cuts.

Reyna seemed at her limit.

She was somehow blocking the assailant’s attacks, but her breathing was labored, her strength fading.

There was no one to help her.

The Crown Prince, despite his severe wound, was barely fighting back with his sword, too occupied to notice.

Father and the other knights were fully focused on protecting him or mitigating other damage.

In this chaos, only Reyna was isolated.

“No, don’t.”

Finally, Reyna’s dagger was knocked away by the assailant’s strike.

By sheer chance, it flew toward me.

Reyna, standing still, locked eyes with me.

‘Ike.’

Her voice didn’t reach me, but I knew she whispered my name.

“Don’t mess with me!!!”

My trembling stopped, and my legs began to move.

Before I knew it, I was sprinting toward her with all my might.

I poured every ounce of mana into my legs, moving at my fastest speed.

“…!”

But it was too far.

This speed wasn’t enough.

I could only watch as the assailant’s blade aimed for Reyna’s chest.

Just as the sword was about to pierce her…

[“I’ll help you just this once.”]

It felt like I heard a voice.

“Who the hell did this?!”

All the assailants were subdued, and the situation was finally under control.

The Crown Prince was the most severely injured.

It was fortunate there were no fatalities.

“Thank you for earlier.”

Reyna bowed her head toward me.

But her gratitude barely registered.

That strange sensation from before.

The feeling that my body wasn’t my own.

That movement, impossible by my own strength.

What was that?

And whose voice was it?

I had no answers, but if there was one thing to be grateful for…

“I thought it was over. Thank you, truly.”

It was that I managed to save Reyna.

Yes, for now, I’d be thankful for that alone.

I’d prevented a future where she’d lose everything and face regret.

“…You remembered.”

“Hm?”

I thought Reyna mumbled something and was about to ask when…

“Ike!”

A thunderous roar interrupted.

Turning toward the sound, I saw Father approaching, his brow furrowed.

Beside him was the Crown Prince, his treatment completed with magic.

“…Father.”

“What was that pathetic display? Bearing the family name and acting like that! I knew how hard you worked. I believed you could shine despite your lack of talent! I was always proud of you, but you…!”

I had no words, even if I had ten mouths.

“Book knowledge and real combat are different, Ike. I understand you froze in fear. But what was that at the end?”

Father glared at me, teeth clenched, eyes blazing.

Anyone could tell he was furious.

“A knight sacrifices their life for their lord. When their lord’s life is in danger, they’re the first to wield their sword! How many times have I told you that? Did you forget?!”

“No, Father. I remember.”

He emphasized it every time I trained.

I couldn’t say I forgot.

“Knowing that, you prioritized personal feelings? I understand Lady Reyna was in danger. But His Highness had a life-threatening wound! And you, barely able to move, chose sentimentality!”

This wasn’t just venting.

Father’s words were filled with countless emotions.

Knowing that, I couldn’t offer any excuses.

“Please, Duke Ados.”

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince interrupted Father’s endless reprimand.

“I understand the Duke’s point. But he’s still just a knight aspirant. He hasn’t taken the knight’s oath.”

“…That’s true, but.”

“And someone who can move for their friend despite fear—I think that makes them more trustworthy.”

“Even so, this was a disgrace to our family… But thank you, Your Highness.”

Father bowed slowly, and I followed suit.

No excuse could justify my actions as the son of a knightly family and a knight aspirant.

Exaggerating slightly, it could even be considered treasonous.

But the Crown Prince’s words implied he’d let it slide quietly.

Our family owed him a clear debt.

“Good. Then, Duke Ados, I have one request.”

“Yes. Anything within my power.”

“Could I speak with your son alone for a moment?”

The Crown Prince’s lips curved into a slight smile.

Leon Aegis Astrayia.

The first in line to the throne of the Astrayia Empire.

What kind of person was he?

In the world of She Heals the Wounded World, he’s described as the greatest genius in history.

Unmatched in martial prowess, intellect, and magic, with innate charisma that made him the ideal future emperor.

But his one flaw?

Being too perfect.

His brilliance made it hard for him to understand ordinary people.

The Crown Prince grew increasingly weary, closing off his heart.

Outwardly kind, he never opened up to anyone, not even his family, according to the story.

The heroine is the one who changes him.

…Yes, it’s an utterly cliché setup and story.

“Young Master Ike, we’re the same age, 14, so is it okay if I speak casually?”

So this situation was completely unexpected.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

This man, who showed little interest in most people, was requesting a conversation with me.

“Ike, you can speak casually too. It might be tough in front of others, but when it’s just us, I’d like you to be at ease.”

The Crown Prince said this with a smile that hinted at some ulterior motive.

“That’s alright, Your Highness.”

“A shame. Then I’ll get straight to why I called you.”

“Yes.”

“Ike, I’d like you to be my friend.”

“…What?”

My thoughts froze.

In the original story, Ike and the Crown Prince had no connection.

Ike was just a device to highlight Reyna.

So why was he saying this to me?

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. I want to be friends with you. To be clear, this isn’t an order—it’s a request. Even if you refuse, I swear on my name there’ll be no consequences.”

What should I say?

How much of his words were genuine?

This was completely unpredictable.

“Is that too vague? Simply put, I want you on my side.”

The Crown Prince smiled slightly and continued.

“I have talent. Overwhelming talent, even among my siblings. I’m confident I’m the best choice to lead the empire. …But that doesn’t mean everyone will follow me. Nobles have their own agendas, supporting different people. And with today’s incident, my faction is in its worst state.”

It was all true.

Yet he was still Leon Aegis Astrayia.

Because of his overwhelming talent.

“Of course, I’m still the Crown Prince. An incident like this won’t shake me—it’s not like my abilities are lacking. But if most nobles support my siblings until the end, I could lose my position. A monarch’s role isn’t just about personal talent.”

“So you’re looking for people to win over?”

“I said earlier, didn’t I? Someone who moves for their friend is more trustworthy. If you became my friend, and in the future, my knight, I think you’d be the most reliable ally.”

…Honestly, it was a bit upsetting.

He didn’t want a friend.

He wanted an ally who’d sacrifice for him.

In the end, he was just looking for tools to strengthen his faction.

For a moment, I thought he might not have closed off his heart yet.

But he was already the Crown Prince I knew.

His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“…I’m sorry. I need time to think.”

“A shame. Alright, I hope we can meet again.”

I bowed my head, and he seemed to understand, withdrawing without pressing further.

His claim that it was a request, not an order, seemed genuine.

I bowed to the Crown Prince and stood, leaving the room.

“Oh, I meant it when I said someone who moves for their friend is trustworthy. Truly.”

His words echoed as the door closed, but I didn’t respond, walking down the corridor.