Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Femme Fatale

The empire is on the brink of collapse.

The moment the enemy forces beyond that ridge reach these walls, it will mark the end of the thousand-year-old empire of Ortaire.

The empire has almost no troops left.

The elite knight order has been trampled, their heads rolling, and the soldiers and citizens who rose to defend the nation were either taken captive or mercilessly slain.

It’s gotten so bad that even prisoners have been pulled from the dungeons to serve as soldiers—perhaps this gives a sense of just how dire the situation is.

And at this point, some may have realized the truth.

Yes.

I am one of those prisoner soldiers.

And even I, as a prisoner, am now on the verge of death.

While lost in thought, the commander spoke.

“No matter how I think about it…”

“Here we go again.”

“If I had become emperor, the empire wouldn’t have fallen like this.”

It starts again.

As much as I hate to hear it, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Golden disheveled hair and dull blue eyes.

His beard is scruffy, and his body is covered in scars, making him look like a vagrant.

But believe it or not, this man was once the empire’s crown prince.

He is also the last Grand Master of the empire, and the reason why we’re still alive despite the annihilation of the elites.

“Lieutenant, don’t you think things would’ve been better if I had been emperor?”

I knew his laughter and words were nonsense.

So I responded with nonsense of my own.

“Not a chance. You were so obsessed with one woman that you neglected your duties. If you had been emperor, the empire would’ve fallen even faster.”

“That’s harsh.”

“But isn’t it true? It wasn’t just you. Every supposed future leader of the empire lost their minds over that woman and became worthless.”

It infuriates me all over again.

That’s the reason we lost this war.

Was it 20 years ago?

When I was still a noble’s son and this man was the crown prince.

The crown prince fell for some commoner woman and neglected his duties.

He ignored his imperial education, skipped his sword training, and even stopped attending social gatherings.

All he did was use his power to please that woman.

How do you think that ended?

This man was stripped of his title and cast out.

He caused a commotion in his anger and was imprisoned, only to be released now that the war had become so desperate that they were willing to use even a cat’s paw.

The other men were no different.

The heir of the northern duke, the master of the underworld, the holy saint of the papacy, and even the next tower master of the mages all fell for that woman and met their ruin.

And this is the result.

An empire left with only hollow remnants, crumbling under invasion.

To describe it… yes.

“She was a femme fatale, wasn’t she?”

That woman brought down the nation.

The prince chuckled at my words.

“She wasn’t that beautiful. Just had a cute face, really.”

“But she did shake the nation, didn’t she?”

“With her cuteness, yes.”

“What happened to that damned woman anyway? She ended up with some commoner guy and had a kid, right…?”

“…Yeah, she lived well. Poor woman, though. She got caught up with men like us.”

He’s still like this.

That first love of his, whatever it was, still makes him smile bitterly when I curse her.

I’m not sure if it’s because of guilt or lingering attachment.

Either way, there’s no point in dwelling on the past any longer.

“…Thank you for everything so far.”

I said my last words to the prince.

He may have been the worst royal to ruin the empire, but because of him, I am now fighting and dying for this nation.

He taught me secret swordsmanship in prison, which helped me advance my skills.

The prince let out a hearty laugh.

“You’ve been no trouble. I’m just sorry. It was my youthful foolishness that landed you in prison in the first place.”

“Let’s not talk about the past anymore.”

“Still, I feel bad.”

It’s not much of a story.

Why I ended up in prison—

During the height of the prince’s obsession with that woman, I slapped her across the face, which enraged him.

Yes, I spent half my life in prison because of this man, but I didn’t resent him for it.

After all, the charges they listed when they locked me up were for crimes I had actually committed.

“If it weren’t for Your Highness, I’d still be an idiot. Wasn’t I a bit of a troublemaker? It was only when I had time to reflect alone in prison that I realized how poorly I’d lived.”

I was a troublemaker.

Despite being the heir to a great family, I was a hopeless fool who only enjoyed my privileges without taking on any responsibilities.

If they listed my crimes, they’d run out of paper.

What awakened me was the time spent in prison, and what perfected me was the prince.

I had no reason to resent him.

Besides, there was no time left for resentment.

“They’re coming. The barbarians.”

“So they are.”

Far in the distance, I could now see with my own eyes the king of the barbarian horde leading the charge.

Isaac la Bodetta.

The so-called “Great Soul,” a bronze-skinned, muscular man, was grinning from ear to ear.

“Your Highness, that bastard’s smiling.”

“Let him. He must be dreaming of sitting on the imperial throne.”

“Are you really just going to let him?”

“No.”

The prince stood up.

“I can accept the empire’s fall, but I will never accept that bastard sitting on the throne.”

His sword gleamed with a radiant, golden aura.

It was a sight to behold—an overwhelming power.

The empire’s last, and only the second Grand Master since the founding emperor.

He spoke to me.

“I wish I could turn back time.”

“Why now, all of a sudden?”

“Yes, I thought about it today. I want to go back. To before I became infatuated with her.”

“Wouldn’t you just fall for her again?”

“I thought about that too. So I came up with the perfect solution after much consideration.”

“What is it?”

The prince grinned slyly as he looked at me.

“I’ll send you back in time.”

“…What?”

“You go back and beat the sense into me. Make sure I stay on track.”

I was staring at him, wondering what kind of nonsense this was, when he added with a mischievous smile:

“Your mouth has always been… free, hasn’t it? Even in prison, I remember when you asked me if my mother was a whore. I was in shock. It was amazing that someone could insult the empress and still be alive.”

“…You insulted my family first.”

“Anyway, I need someone like you. Someone who won’t bow down to me. My entire life was filled with people who idolized me, so of course I lost my way. I was drunk on admiration.”

Tap, tap!

The prince patted my shoulder with his sword, which shimmered with that golden aura.

“So it has to be you. The one who knows me best and can stand up to me.”

It was all nonsense, but still an interesting topic, so I played along.

“Why should I do it?”

“I taught you swordsmanship.”

“Taught me? You beat me with that sword so often that I learned it just by watching.”

“Those were sparring sessions.”

“Don’t give me that. Your Highness.”

“Thanks to me, you became a Sword Master too.”

“And what good is it? I still can’t beat you.”

The prince was absurdly strong.

When he said, “Even if the empire falls, I must kill that man,” it wasn’t just a vow—it was a truth.

And now he wanted me to deal with him again?

Absolutely not.

“I refuse. Get lost.”

The prince then said:

“No, you’ll do it. When you see my younger self, you’ll get so angry that you’ll cuss me out.”

“I can’t argue with that.”

And that was the end of our conversation.

The only difference now was one thing.

We were about to die.

And also,

“…Your Highness?”

The prince’s eyes were glowing… with a blinding golden light, just like his sword aura.

He began walking toward the front lines.

And as he did, he spoke.

“I’m counting on you.”

I don’t know exactly what is being asked of me.

But there is one thing I remember.

The prince fought against the king of barbarians.

The wind howled, the earth quaked, and the sky split apart.

I, no more than a mere sword-bearer, struggled desperately, trying to take down even just one more foe.

Thunderous roars, screams, and the clash of steel and blood.

These things shook my very soul and body, and my mind became hazy.

At some point, even my senses faded.

‘Ah.’

So, this is death.

This is how it ends for me.

After realizing my imminent death,

And long after that moment passed.

Eventually, when my senses returned, I tilted my head in confusion.

“Yuren Pharos. Now, if you have something to say, I’ll listen. Go ahead and make your excuse.”

The place was an abandoned warehouse.

In front of me stood the young prince, back when he was still a crown prince.

My body was tied up.

* * *

One of my former subordinates, who had been discharged after losing his lower body, once said this:

―When you’re pushed to the brink of death, the most regretful moment of your life flashes before you like a dream.

It seems that statement was correct.

Here I was, tied up in an abandoned warehouse.

The prince, Callios von Ortaire, was looking at me and smiling.

This was the scene from the day my life hit rock bottom.

On this day, I had slapped a commoner woman who had won the prince’s favor, and because of that, I incurred his wrath and was thrown into prison.

If we were to talk about timing, it was just before I was imprisoned.

The prince had come to give me one last chance to defend myself.

“Do you have any final words? I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.”

Since I believed this to be a dream, I felt relaxed.

I looked at the prince… no, at this point, he was still the crown prince.

It was amazing when I looked closely.

‘This face… will turn into that of a vagrant?’

As one of the noble ladies once described, the crown prince’s face right now was the embodiment of ‘a face that gathers every girl’s fantasy into one.’

Honestly, from my perspective, it was a face that perhaps only someone with a love for men would go crazy over, but still, I couldn’t deny that it was handsome.

‘But time is cruel.’

How could this face become that of a vagrant?

The feeling of futility was brief.

“Can you not hear me?”

The prince spoke, narrowing his eyebrows.

I felt nothing in response.

Even if I said something…

‘…It’s just a dream anyway, so what’s the point?’

I thought back to what had actually happened.

What was my actual response again?

―She’s just a mere commoner! Your Highness! I’m being wronged! You should be siding with me, not that wench! I’m the heir of a great family! An ally to His Majesty… Aaaagh!!!

…Hmm, not the best answer, it seems.

No matter how many times I think back on those reckless days, embarrassment always follows.

In any case, since this is a dream, I hope it ends quickly.

I didn’t live a great life, but I died protecting the country, so I should be able to go to the gods.

There, I’ll eat delicious fruits, drink wine, and live leisurely.

Having spent half my life in prison and half of what was left on the battlefield, I long for peace and freedom more than anything.

‘When will this dream end?’

Just as I thought that.

“Hmph, no response. Are you scared? Is that it? Is someone as cowardly as you capable of striking a woman? Or is your strength only something you wield against the weak?”

A dry laugh escaped my lips.

‘Have I ever wielded my sword against someone weaker than me?’

I can say with certainty that I haven’t.

Of course not, since the person I fought with the most was the man in front of me, the future emperor.

The others I fought with my sword were either war-crazed barbarians or the like.

This man would be a better example if we’re talking about wielding a sword against the weak.

No one wielded their sword more on the battlefield than he did, except for the king of the barbarians.

When I looked at the prince with a face that said this was absurd, he smiled with a smirk.

It was so clear he was trying to provoke me.

‘Sigh.’

I can endure it.

I’m not a child, and I wouldn’t let my composure be shaken by the immature words of a young prince.

This is nothing compared to the future emperor’s taunt, “You don’t even have a mother or father, do you? Do you even remember their faces?”

…That is, if it weren’t for what he said next.

“Such a coward. No courage, no answers. Thinking that a guy like this could have been part of the Empire’s future gives me chills. Cutting you off today is a choice for the Empire.”

I froze on the spot.

A hot sensation settled in my mind.

It was either deep anger or frustration.

The words ‘for the future of the Empire’ triggered me so deeply.

‘Did this guy ever care about the future of the Empire? At this time?’

It’s total nonsense.

I know that for sure because I heard the answer directly from him.

―At that time, it was as if I was possessed. I couldn’t see anything. Nothing but her… I truly saw nothing else.

Maybe that’s why.

My mouth started moving on its own.

“Do those words truly come from Your Highness?”

“?”

“A man who neglected state affairs because of a commoner woman is now talking about the future of the Empire… does that even make sense?”

Honestly, this was enough to be considered treason, but I didn’t care much.

‘It’s just a dream, after all.’

It felt like venting, so I decided to let loose.

Once I made up my mind, my mouth started moving freely.

It was a speech that had been bottled up inside for quite some time.

“Your Highness, please get a grip. Stop letting your lower half control your thinking for the love of gods. Or shall I take it upon myself to help you?”

The prince’s face froze.

Ah, that was satisfying.

———