In this world there are children who are born with an abnormality in their magic power.
Speaking of [abnormality] something like a birth defect might come to mind, but many of them will appear normal in terms of outward appearances.
Just that only their appearance is normal.
Those children hold a special ability from the time they are born.
Abnormally fast legs,
superhuman strength,
hearing better than other people,
their body weight is as light as a feather,
or much heavier than normal.
Killing everything they touch,
spitting flames from the mouth,
poison coming out from their fingertips,
being able to teleport short distances,
being able to shoot beams out of their eyes.
Or the ability to nullify all kinds of poisons, or not getting tired even after not sleeping ever, or the ability to simultaneously embrace many hundreds of women and still not lose strength...
Such children who are born with exceptional abilities in this world are called "Miko".
On the other hand, if they aren't useful, or if they are abilities that inconvenience others or themselves, then they are called "Cursed Children" it seems, but let's put that aside.
Well then, now that we have that as the basis let's talk about things in the Shirone Royal Palace.
Currently, there are five princes in this Royal Palace.
The oldest prince is 32 years old and the youngest one is...
Well, their age really doesn't matter.
In regards to this country, when princes are born they're granted direct control over imperial guards.
They're granted in order to move as one's hands and feet since they are young, and it holds the design to let them learn to move people.
And then as they're raised and live, if they do good things the number of imperial guards they have are increased, and if they do something bad they're decreased.
When the King dies, the one who has the highest number of imperial guards at that time ends up becoming the next King.
Or at least that is the tradition in this country.
The more imperial guards you have, the more power you hold basically.
I think there are many problems, but among them the one who has the most imperial guards is the first prince.
The one who has the self-awareness as the eldest son, he might be a bit arrogant, but in regards to royalty it's an appropriate conduct.
Which is why, he holds close to 30 imperial guards.
Then, who is the one who has the fewest.
It's the one despised by the soldiers, the seventh prince Pax Shirone.
Certainly he has a few imperial guards.
Currently, he has around three.
For a period it had decreased down to one, but since he was able to create a connection with the slave market in the strife zone it increased by one.
The final one I'll mention later.
Three people.
Just three people.
His imperial guards are few.
However, there's someone even further below.
That is the third prince, Zanoba Shirone.
The number of his imperial guards is zero.
Zero.
0.
Not a single soldier exists that he can move himself.
Before he was alone, he had the imperial guard known as Ginger, this country's #12 in skills as an imperial guard.
However, eventually that last one as well, was traded for a certain figure, and ended up becoming Pax's belonging.
It seems that at that point Ginger applied for a resignation, but Pax panicked and held her family as a hostage, so she unwillingly ended up becoming his imperial guard.
Well then, this third prince Zanoba Shirone.
He was a Miko.
He's had superhuman strength and a sturdy body since he was born.
Just by holding that ability alone, he became one who had a special existence.
It wasn't a significant ability, but the king was delighted.
A Miko will definitely be a useful person to the country in the future.
Especially, in this country which is close to the strife zone in the north, an existence which could become a war potential is something to hold with both arms into the air and congratulate.
The one who gave birth to Zanoba was a concubine, but with this she was seen as accomplishing her part, and felt relieved.
The time when the king lowered his raised arms was after three years had passed.
When Zanoba was three years old, the fourth prince was born.
He was the fourth prince, but in regards to the royal consort it was the first child.
It was a child like a ball and everyone was delighted, the country held a ceremony party.
In that party Zanoba walked and walked to the place where his own brother was.
And then, he started to touch his little brother stretched out on the bed, and said he's cute, like a doll.
Everyone who heard those words was laughing with smiles.
Since Zanoba was three years old he liked dolls after all.
The fact that he wants to liken it to something he likes is... pleasant.
In the next instant, Zanoba tore off his little brother's head.
Like a doll.