Jobless Reincarnation: Live Seriously Even Without Transfer Events

"Alice, you just said...where isn't your home?"

Albert stepped past Izorte and stood in front of Alice, his expression unreadable, somewhat indifferent, quite unlike the eager look he had when anticipating his sister's return.

"whispering sound."

Alice crossed her arms and looked to the side, seemingly realizing she had misspoke, but then suddenly seemed to remember something, her eyes widening as she glared at Albert and said:

"My home isn't even here! You're the one who asked Izoru to call me back, aren't you? You just want to lecture me, don't you? Go ahead and say it! Say it until you've said enough!"

Albert glanced around briefly out of the corner of his eye, then his expression darkened, and he said in a friendly tone:

"Alice, let's go home first. I won't lecture you anymore."

As he spoke, he took Alice's hand.

"Don't touch me!"

"Snapped!"

In an instant, a resounding slap landed on Albert's face, knocking him directly to the ground.

Chapter 180: The Future King? (Part 1)

Jobless Reincarnation Fanfic: Live Seriously Even Without the Transfer Event [Chapter 180] The Future King? (Part 1)

Chapter 180: The Future King? (Part 1)

Albert's perspective:

……

"Lord Albert!"

Is that... Noren's voice...?

I felt like I'd been punched hard by Alice; my right cheek was completely numb, and I was wondering if it was still on my face.

Alice, that girl, really doesn't know her own strength.

Is this the result of Alice's training at the Water God Stream Dojo for over half a year? Was it Izuru-te who taught her or Kyrie Irwin...?

"Lord Albert!"

I struggled to open my eyes, and what I could see was still a bit dim. I could only make out the figure of a small, thin girl. The clothes she was wearing, that long skirt, were the ones I had bought yesterday.

It's Noren...

At the same time, as my senses gradually returned, the back of my head felt soft and yielding, as if I were lying on a pillow, and a faint, refreshing fragrance wafted into my nostrils.

"I'm sorry, Albert, I couldn't help you."

The voice was familiar and gentle, but I couldn't quite place it. Oh well, my eyes are tired and my head hurts.

……

Izuru told me that Alice punched me yesterday—well, no, just a slap. Thanks to Alice, I spent the whole day in bed. Little Norren was quite worried about it, even threatening to get revenge on Alice. She's incredibly adorable, but I told her that Alice is her brother's fiancée, and they should get along well. Norren listened to me for now. Rudius's affair has caused my father and uncle so much trouble, and now we have to worry about whether Alice will be bewitched by Prince Halphas or Princess Ariel. Alice's problem must be resolved as soon as possible.

Ugh……

Speaking of which, winter has already arrived, and the year will soon be over. Prince Gravel and Illyr's wedding is already on the agenda. I hope you will be happy with Prince Gravel, Illyr.

With nothing else to do today, I went to the club. While I'm still young, it's worth enjoying myself.

The carriage stopped in front of a club I frequented on Red Street. As soon as I got out, I could hear the "gentlemen" inside talking loudly.

……

"If we're really talking about who will become king in the future, wouldn't it be Prince Gravel?"

"I think it should be Princess Ariel."

"Are you senile? Anyone with eyes can see that the recently eliminated Salgong was the backbone of the Princess's faction, wasn't he?"

"Wasn't Princess Ariel the first to stand up and support bringing Sal to justice?"

"What do you know? Princess Ariel has always been a benevolent ruler. For Lord Sal to pull this stunt, isn't that a slap in the face to the Princess's faction?"

"Maybe this is a trap set by the first and second princes to make the princess's faction destroy itself."

"Then what do you say about Prince Halfas?"

"Halphas? That spendthrift son of a bitch, if he becomes king, I'll change my name backwards!"

……

Speaking of Prince Halfas, he is now the least worthy opponent. He spends his days watching operas and his nights visiting prostitutes, completely lacking the demeanor of a prince. Moreover, he is currently burdened with a serious case. If it weren't for Prince Gravel's mercy in not taking any drastic measures against him, it's hard to say whether Prince Halfas could still continue to take charge of the city's defenses.

Therefore, even though Prince Halphas controls the entire capital's security, Princess Ariel seems to pose a greater threat. She already has the support of the Yerosnek family, and although she is now forced to sever ties with Prince Sarr, she still enjoys immense prestige among the people.

In these peaceful times, what is truly frightening is not the sword in a person's hand, but the person wielding the sword.

However, it is worth celebrating that Sal Jerosnek, the head of the Jerosnek family, has been sidelined after the theater incident and will likely hand over power to his son and completely retire from politics in about a month or two.

As we entered the back hall, the noise gradually faded away; this was a place for us young people to relax.

(Note: The half-body bow first appears in Chapter 102)

Many young masters, like me, were slowly shooting with a half-bow.

Watching the arrow pierce the bullseye thirty paces away, I unknowingly fired a few more arrows.

"Young Master Albert is in good form today; he hit the target with every single arrow he shot."

Standing to my left was a man who looked to be about my age. His name flashed through my mind instantly—Dilik, Princess Ariel's guardian knight.

I looked at the bullseye that had just been hit, and pretended not to recognize him, saying:

Who are you, sir?

Seeing my question, he chuckled, tossing his hair back as he did so, his sapphire-like eyes flashing with a chilling light:

“Young Master Albert, you have quite the memory. We met in the Silver Palace, but back then, I was in shackles while you were sitting on the judge’s bench.”

Since he said that, he must have come prepared. After glancing around out of the corner of my eye, an ominous premonition lingered in my mind.

“This isn’t the place to talk business, Mr. Dirich. I have other matters to attend to. Let’s chat another time.” I smiled politely and turned to leave. I hadn’t brought any servants with me this time, otherwise I wouldn’t be in such an awkward situation.

"Don't rush off, Albert."

A silvery voice came from behind me, piercing my ears. It was Princess Ariel, the Second Princess. Yes, I should have thought of that. Since Dirich was here, Princess Ariel should be here too.

I turned around and, upon seeing her, politely bowed.

"Your Majesty, I was unaware that Your Highness was also here. I apologize for any rudeness you may have shown."

"Alright, alright, there's no one else here, Albert, relax."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

After I got up, I began to carefully observe her. Today, Princess Ariel was wearing rather ordinary clothes, no different from other noble ladies. Standing behind her, besides Dirichlet, Luke was also among them.

Luke has rarely shown his face since he was beaten up by Alice at the Royal Academy. Perhaps he has been sent on some mission, but I have not obtained any information about it.

Ariel's appearance this time might be related to Sal.

"I don't know what it is that requires Your Highness Ariel to come in person."

"Actually, it's nothing important. It's just that we happened to run into each other and I wanted to chat with you. I hope you won't refuse, young master Albert."

After saying that, Ariel gracefully sat down on a chair to the side, while giving me a flirtatious wink, making her meaning quite clear. I had no choice but to follow her and smile in return, while also trying to figure out what she was up to.

"How could that be? Your Highness, you flatter me. I am already deeply grateful for your kind words."

"Alright, alright, let's skip the formalities. I'd like to ask if it's a small matter for you, Lord Albert, to have some free time."

"Your Highness, please speak."

"Does Lord Albert enjoy watching opera?"

"Opera? I have a little knowledge of it."

……

Fine snowflakes drifted from the sky, flying deep into the palace, and might not even melt by spring.

Somewhere in the Silver Palace, Gravel was leisurely sipping seasonal wine while watching scantily clad girls dance.

A servant cautiously approached him, whispered a few words in his ear, and then left the room.

"Albert, you're playing with fire."

Chapter 181: The Future King? (Part Two)

Jobless Reincarnation Fanfic: Live Seriously Even Without a Transfer Event [Chapter 181] The Future King? (Part Two)

Chapter 181: The Future King? (Part Two)

……

The atmosphere inside the dimly lit Silver Palace was eerie, and a pair of saints carved on the granite walls, embracing each other, were exhaling a chilling aura.

The king sat on his throne in the center of the hall, his arms crossed. His deep-set eyes, narrowed to slits, gazed into the distance, as if a young woman was slowly walking towards him.

"Is this how you discipline Halphas?"

Faced with the woman's question, the king remained silent, closed his eyes, and nodded silently as if acknowledging her statement.

“Say something!” she rambled on and on, “How much suffering has Halfas endured these past few years? I don’t think you’ve cared about him at all. Otherwise, why would he do such a thing!”

Seeing that the king still did not respond, the woman flew into a rage. For the next period of time, she spat at the king, making him bleed profusely, completely disregarding any royal decorum.

"What right do you have to criticize me!"

The king finally couldn't help but roar. When he opened his closed eyes, there was no one in the dimly lit field of vision. The woman's voice had also disappeared without a trace. All that could be heard was the desolate sound of the winter wind passing through the hall.

He pressed his hand to his chest, the unbearable, piercing pain causing several large beads of sweat to drip from his wrinkled forehead.

"Father, I know I was wrong."

The king shook his head and looked closely. The person in the center of the hall was not the illusory woman from before, but Halphas, who was kneeling on the cold floor.

In recent days, civilians have reported finding five gruesome female corpses on a street corner in the capital. Normally, such a trivial matter wouldn't reach the king's ears, but it's quite obvious that someone is deliberately spreading rumors, and these rumors are indeed horrifying:

All five female corpses were pregnant, meaning the killer wanted the lives of the unborn children in these five women's wombs. And these five women were all prostitutes, belonging to a very low social class.

This inevitably brings to mind some perverse thoughts, because the victim's status is like that of an ant, and no one would care if she suddenly disappeared. Therefore, it seems to fit the fetish of someone to kill and dispose of the body after conception.

In Asura, even bandits who block the road know not to rob pregnant women, so this incident can be described as cruel to the point of being inhuman.

When this incident suddenly came to the public's attention, it unexpectedly caused panic among the entire city. It all ended with Prince Halfas coming forward to explain the failure of the city's defenses and apologizing for both the previous child abduction incident on Theater Street and this case.

But the rumors did not stop there. Halfas himself was a regular at the theater and the red-light district, which inevitably made people think of Halfas’s connection with the two cases. However, without solid evidence, no one in the public eye dared to draw any conclusions.

However, this has already greatly diminished Halfas's reputation among the people of the capital, and there are even claims that Halfas was the mastermind behind these two cases.

While such foul language wouldn't easily reach the king's ears, when Gravel privately reported this news and solid evidence to him, the king already saw through his intentions. However, Gravel didn't attack Halphas or release the evidence to bring him to justice. Instead, he protected Halphas, treating the matter as if it had never happened, and the matter was thus closed.

The king knew perfectly well that even without solid evidence, the spittle of tens of thousands of people in the capital would be enough to choke Halphas to death. When the real evidence surfaced, it wouldn't be a question of Halphas's fate. He couldn't bear to kill one son, but he also couldn't afford to lose face for the royal family.

Gravel's actions of simply informing the king of the truth and covering it up can be said to have preserved the royal family's reputation and saved Halphas's life. In any case, it was a very competent action for an elder brother.

In contrast, Halphas seemed to lack any sense of royal dignity, appearing even more dissolute and immoral than the纨绔子弟 (spoiled brats) of noble families or the last kings of Asura's history.

The king collapsed onto the cold, hard floor. A scene flashed through his mind: a five- or six-year-old boy playing in a garden with two identical-looking girls. The woman who had just appeared was now sitting under a parasol in the center of the garden, savoring a steaming cup of black tea. At that moment, a man appeared behind the woman. He stared at the boy playing in the garden and said:

"Is this the future king of Asura?" the king murmured.

"Father!"

"His Majesty!"

"His Majesty!"

Upon discovering the king lying on the ground, the maids quickly surrounded him.

"Quickly! Summon a healing spell!"

……

"You must be Alice!"

Norren stood at the entrance of the Water God School's main dojo, pointing at Alice inside who was gripping a wooden sword and swinging it in the air. He struck a menacing pose, showing no fear whatsoever.

"Noren?"

Alice scratched her head, put down the wooden sword in her hand, and felt a little curious. She took two steps forward and stood in front of Norn. The shadow of the backlight completely covered the short body of Norn.

Norren staggered backward, his face trembling slightly. "Quick...quickly go apologize to Lord Albert!"