Isekai Online Game Developer

-Defeat

Of course, the game ended in defeat.

In the end, [The World Tree is Just a Big Tree] left the room without giving Leo the address he so persistently provoked until the very end.

“Uaaaggh! That jerk!!”

Leo shouted as he closed the COL session and logged out.

Hearing his scream in the middle of the night, the knights guarding his room rushed in.

“What happened, Your Highness?!”

“Ah, ah…”

Only after seeing the knights’ shocked faces did Leo come to his senses.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just had a bad dream for a moment.”

Leo made a hasty excuse and sent the knights away.

“Phew…”

It was really time to sleep now.

Turning off all the lights, Leo lay back in bed.

Upon reflection, it was a good thing.

Even if he had gotten the address, he couldn’t have actually gone out to meet the opponent.

There was no benefit to having rumors spread about the Crown Prince going out to fight due to a dispute that arose while gaming.

Taking a deep breath, Leo tried to sleep.

But he just couldn’t doze off.

“Ugh, that jerk…! What kind of person is he?!”

Logically, he understood, but his anger wouldn’t subside easily.

The actions and remarks from [The World Tree is Just a Big Tree] only made him more furious.

As a result, a game he could’ve won ended in defeat.

“If he had just played properly, I would have won, but he threw it all away by getting angry on his own…!”

Still frustrated, Leo tossed and turned in bed, eventually picking up COL again.

Just one more match and then I’ll sleep, he thought.

Yet, in the end, Leo played six more matches before finally managing to snatch a short nap.

*

“…What the?”

About three months had passed since COL’s release.

Players were gradually adapting to the game, and rankings were being established.

Among the endless articles pouring out about COL, Rikal found one that caught his eye.

“Reckless Empire Prince. Reckless behavior in COL? Which idiot wrote this…!”

It sounded like a direct jab at Rikal.

To insult royalty so straightforwardly would be insane.

However, upon closer examination, it turned out the article wasn’t about Rikal.

“Recently attracting attention, the COL user [Reckless Empire Prince]. Famous for rough chatting…? What kind of rough chatting? It’s not like there aren’t others doing the same.”

It was about some user in COL.

It seemed this user had registered the nickname [Reckless Empire Prince].

And evidently, they were quite famous for using inappropriate chat language in the game.

In fact, there were more than a few users behaving poorly in COL.

But [Reckless Empire Prince], perhaps due to the nickname, was getting particularly suspected to be the Third Prince.

“…That’s not me? Who the heck is it!”

Rikal angrily threw the newspaper away.

He wanted to uncover the identity of the guy who had dared to impersonate him.

Of course, it wasn’t really impersonation; it was just a nickname.

And the phrase “Reckless Empire Prince” wasn’t entirely untrue if it made Rikal come to mind.

Anyway, Rikal was upset.

Then, a few days later, requests for interviews started rolling in from various media outlets asking if Rikal was the [Reckless Empire Prince].

Of course, Rikal rejected all the interview requests.

Unable to take it any longer, Rikal shouted at the reporters lingering around the palace and headed toward the Illusion Tower.

*

“…So you’re asking for the identity of [Reckless Empire Prince]?”

“Yes.”

Just when things seemed quiet, Rikal showed up one day.

The topic at hand was COL.

After some time passed since COL’s release and the rankings began to stabilize, suspicions arose regarding whether the player known as [Reckless Empire Prince] was Rikal.

“As I said, we also can’t know.”

Naturally, I refused.

It was obvious that personal information shouldn’t be disclosed recklessly.

We had already made it clear that we couldn’t even know the identities of users as the server operators.

However, Rikal wasn’t backing down easily.

“Stop lying. Then how did you know my identity?”

Surprisingly perceptive, Rikal was.

I knew Rikal’s identity.

It seemed Rikal thought I had read the server to learn the user information.

Of course, I had never claimed that’s how I found out.

I always just vaguely skirted around the topic while threatening using their identity.

“Well, it’s because Your Highness made it obvious. If you come and show it off like that, anyone would notice.”

“Quit with the nonsense and tell me.”

“Ah, no. It’s absolutely a no-go. I’ve never told anyone Your Highness’s identity, even if I always speak like this. Of course, it’s impossible to know. But in any case, no. Personal information cannot be used carelessly.”

It’s only natural that a game operation company would have user info.

But they just wouldn’t use it recklessly.

…Of course, I did threaten Rikal a bit.

Still, I hadn’t told anyone. I had no intention of doing so either.

I kept my mouth shut until the end.

“Oh, by the way, I received an invitation from the palace for a banquet recently.”

“Because it’s almost Your Highness Leo’s birthday. It seems they decided to turn towards Trinity by even inviting a wizard.”

The topic returned to Leo’s birthday banquet.

Usually, nobility rarely invited wizards to social parties.

Wizards typically didn’t mingle closely with nobles.

Due to the independence of Trinity wizards’ positions.

However, since the Zatume Expedition, I started receiving invitations to banquets from time to time.

I was a little more open than the average wizard.

Perhaps it was a result of being the developer of COL and Maple Leaf Story.

I usually didn’t attend, but this time I thought I might go.

After all, I knew that [Reckless Empire Prince] was Leo.

Naturally, I had no intention of revealing it.

I was just a bit curious if something had changed in Leo recently, given his conduct in COL.

“So, will you go?”

“I plan to. By the way, have you played games with the Crown Prince?”

“Do you want to die?”

“No, but thinking about it, can’t you just say no? If Your Highness isn’t [Reckless Empire Prince], you could just clarify that.”

“Then they’d ask what my nickname is. If my nickname gets revealed, I won’t be able to play the game comfortably anymore.”

“Umm…”

In reality, Rikal wouldn’t want to reveal his nickname [Empire's Light].

If that was discovered, he would be bombarded with questions related to ‘Maple Leaf Story’ and [Empire's Light].

So why did he choose the same nickname?

“Anyway, you can’t so go back. Let’s meet at the banquet. If it really bothers you, you can clarify directly.”

Having sent Rikal back.

Soon, Leo’s birthday banquet was approaching.

*

Leo was born with high expectations since childhood.

He is the successor of the previous Emperor who led the empire’s golden age and the current Emperor.

Naturally, everyone hoped that Leo would also become a powerful ruler.

Such expectations and voices shaped Leo’s ego throughout his youth.

As the next Crown Prince, Leo had to be perfect at all times. As he grew, he quickly began attending to state affairs and had to become the idol and role model for the people known as the Empire’s Light.

He had no choice but to live such a life from the moment he was born.

It was a glorious life, so everyone could only shower him with praise.

“Congratulations, Crown Prince.”

“Thank you, Duke. I always have faith in you.”

At Leo’s birthday banquet, once again, many people came to offer their blessings.

“So the Third Prince has also come.”

“Could it be that the Third Prince is [Reckless Empire Prince]?”

“No way, would he really reveal himself so openly?”

Conversations about COL echoed throughout the banquet hall.

Included in those were of course discussions about the recent hot topic, [Reckless Empire Prince].

Leo tried hard to turn his attention away from these discussions and forced a smile.

“By the way, do you also play COL, Your Highness? I heard that the Second Princess enjoys COL as well.”

“Uh, I…”

But inevitably, the COL question reached Leo too.

Leo broke a sweat and pondered his response.

“…Yes. I’ve played it before. But since I don’t have much time, I don’t play often.”

“Ah…! Really! What’s your tier…?”

Duke Velvet immediately activated the “What tier are you?” mode.

“I’m still embarrassed to say that I’m unranked. I’ll let you know when I start ranked matches.”

“Ah, I see. You must be quite busy with state affairs.”

In reality, Leo already had a respectable tier of Silver 4.

But he decided to keep that to himself.

After that, Leo exchanged greetings with the nobles attending the banquet.

The same conversations. The same smiles. The same pretenses.

Normally, he could endure it well, but today it felt especially tough.

No, it wasn’t just today.

Since starting COL.

For some reason, despite living as the Crown Prince touted as the future of the empire, he often felt an inexplicable anger welling up inside him.

And he found pleasure expressing that anger unrestrainedly while playing COL.

At first, he was careful about talking in COL too.

But months had passed, and now he chatted just like any other troublesome user.

He wanted to play COL again.

Suddenly having such thoughts, Leo quickly shook his head.

His hidden expression had momentarily slipped out.

-Not, no!

At that moment, he heard Rikal’s voice from somewhere.

Rikal was explosively angry in front of a group of nobles.

As usual, Leo moved closer to stop Rikal from causing trouble.

“Rikal, stop…”

“Am I [Reckless Empire Prince]? Do you think I’d be equals with some Silver kid?!”

“…!”

But Leo’s steps halted suddenly at Rikal’s utterance.

Rikal was angrily confronting a group who jeered asking if he was [Reckless Empire Prince].

“Rikal, hold on.”

Leo approached, making an effort to conceal his emotions.

“…Brother, did you hear what this jerk just said? He called me [Reckless Empire Prince]…!”

“Ah, no! I meant no offense to Your Highness! It’s just that such rumors are going around…”

The young noble, Yong-sik, quivered as he tried to explain.

Judging by the look on his face, it seemed he had never experienced Rikal’s wrath before.

“Are you slandering royalty in front of me?”

“Ah, no, it’s just that…!”

Yong-sik, caught by Rikal, had to feel wronged.

He hadn’t been the only one to say such things.

He just happened to be near Rikal.

However, if things went this far, should Rikal decide to make Yong-sik his prey, it wouldn’t end pleasantly.

At that moment, Leo spoke.

“…Stop it, Rikal.”

“What?”

“Isn’t he just talking about a user called [Reckless Empire Prince]? Don’t make a commotion on a good day.”

“No, Brother! But this is…!”

For some reason, Leo greatly sided with the noble, Yong-sik.

As Leo said that, Yong-sik’s formerly sullen expression brightened.

Perhaps it was a bad wish that Rikal had been hoping Leo would keep dumping such slanders on him.

If that were the case, Leo could continue to express himself in the game freely.

“It’s something you could just say easily. What’s your nickname? If you’re not [Reckless Empire Prince].”

“W-well…”

Or perhaps he felt a hint of guilt towards Rikal.

Rikal was enduring the unjust slander because of Leo.

If Rikal were to publicly reveal his nickname here, the rumors would vanish.

Rikal might prefer that scenario rationally.

“W-well…”

But strangely, Rikal couldn’t bring himself to reveal his nickname.

Unlike Rikal, he was sweating profusely and stuttering.

-What, what? For real…?

-Seriously…

The nobles murmured at Rikal’s reaction.

Leo was perplexed as well.

Clearly [Reckless Empire Prince] was him, so why couldn’t he say it?

“Ha, haha! Hahaha!”

At that moment, Rai awkwardly laughed and stepped in.

“It seems everyone has something misinterpreted. Rikal is not [Reckless Empire Prince], because he duoed with me recently.”

“You…!”

Rai then led Rikal out of the banquet hall.

Thanks to Rai, the suspicions were immediately lifted, but since he didn’t reveal his nickname, suspicious gazes still remained.

Anyway, the situation was resolved for now.

Feeling unnecessarily sorry for Rikal, Leo tried to slip out to follow the two, but—

“Y-your Highness! W-where are you going…?”

Count Pofos stopped him.

“Ah, Count Pofos. I’m just going to see if Rikal is okay for a moment.”

“Ah, if that’s the case, I-I’ll go with you…”

“Count Pofos, are you speaking?”

“Puh, phew… I have some personal matters I’d like to discuss…”

“Ah…”

With Count Pofos waddling along.

I had no idea when he had grown close to Rikal.

Because of that, Leo had to remain in the banquet hall.

And shortly after, Count Pofos overheard the conversation between Rikal and Rai.