Chapter 30

It seems that Father hasn't completely forgotten Mother. He just held onto the pain for too long.

Do you know why I don't just destroy this damn kingdom and leave it be?

I thought to myself, smiling wryly.

"Your Majesty."

"......"

"It's too late. You know that the momentum of the noble faction led by Duke Barrietta is strong, unless you're a fool. However, when people are desperate, they can cut their own lifelines to save themselves."

"David......"

"Children resemble their parents. But I will be different. If being a king and a father means abandoning family for the sake of the state, I will gladly take a different path."

My firm answer left him speechless, his lips pressed tightly together.

"You mentioned the king. The glorious throne that so many desire."

At my words, his eyes darkened.

"Polish it and give it to Baris. I won't take it even if you give it to me."

* * *

-You have a bit of a harsh side.

'It was necessary to do this.'

-Tsk, tsk, you talk about not being family, yet you're so sentimental.

I muttered bitterly as I returned to the palace and looked at Perserk.

-If you had my power of insight, you would have seen it too...

'It doesn't matter what you saw; the decision remains the same. Besides, you can't see everything.'

-That's true.

"Amy."

"Yes! Your Highness!"

She looked up with a lively face in response to my call.

"I'm going to sleep, so don't let anyone in."

"Yes."

It might have raised questions, but Amy didn't. Except for the first time, she simply followed my instructions without any doubts.

Does she trust me, or is she just naturally obedient?

-Where are you going?

'Rabbits dig multiple escape routes.'

-That's true.

'Black Moon, right? Duke Barrietta must have hidden various pieces of information in case his subordinates betrayed him.'

If I can gather all that information, I can cut off the noble faction's hands and feet.

-There will be a bloodbath.

'I told you, it's not about killing everyone. I need to be able to look myself in the mirror.'

-That's... I see.

She smiled, understanding my meaning.

'When people are desperate, they can cut their own lifelines.'

Duke Barrietta will fall at the hands of the subordinates he once controlled.

I already have the evidence of his alliance with the vampires, so there would be no problem in bringing him down immediately.

'Shall I go then?'

I projected a light image of myself sleeping on the bed using an illusion spell, then quietly opened the window.

5th Circle Invisibility Spell.

My mana, which had been stuck at the 4th Circle, had grown to the 5th Circle, making this spell possible.

As my body gradually blended into the surroundings and disappeared, I stepped out the window without hesitation.

* * *

Secret Information Guild. Black Moon.

Among the many assassin and information guilds in the Roun Kingdom, Black Moon was one that should never be trifled with, possessing overwhelming power and influence.

Unlike other information guilds, Black Moon's reach extended beyond the Roun Kingdom to many other nations.

The guild leader's eyes twitched as he read the report on his desk.

"Shari has gone missing?"

"Yes, she vanished without a trace."

"Previously, many of Shari's subordinate assassins also disappeared."

"Yes, according to the information, they failed in their attempt to assassinate Prince David, Prince Baris, and Princess Winry."

After answering with a blank expression, his loyal subordinate retreated, and he closed his eyes.

Shari, who had infiltrated as a maid to Queen Riness, was an A-rank informant.

At least, on the surface.

But she was actually a woman sent from Black Moon's headquarters.

Unknown identity, unknown background.

However, she was also a woman with a bewitching beauty and an unsettling presence.

Black Moon was a massive guild.

Its roots were so deep that even the guild leader of the Roun Kingdom branch couldn't fathom them.

Thus, whether Shari was truly A-rank was something even he couldn't be sure of.

Or if she was just pretending to be A-rank to blend in with the headquarters' operatives.

If she was taken down?

He knew her skills were far beyond A-rank; they were almost S-rank.

Yet, she failed in her assassination and went missing.

Against a prince known to be weak and powerless.

'Something is definitely off. I need to burn all the information except what's necessary and leave this place.'

Decisions had to be bold. The slightest hint of something wrong, and he needed to act quickly to survive.

With that thought, he quietly pressed the button under his desk to summon his loyal subordinate.

Click... Click-click.

But when no one responded after several presses, his eyes widened.

The operative who should have appeared and bowed at the press of the button was nowhere to be found.

What this meant.

His instincts, honed from years of leading an information guild, sounded the alarm.

'Damn it!'

"Stop moving. If you get up, it won't end well."

A soft, yet chilling voice echoed from somewhere.

It was a gentle voice, but it sent shivers down his spine.

"Grk?!"

Bang!

As soon as the voice finished, he leaped up, drawing his sword.

But a dark figure appeared, twisted his arm, and pinned him to the desk.

"Hmm... You're human. Not a vampire, then?"

The voice, a boy's, muttered to himself.

He looked to be in his late teens, just entering adulthood.

"You can scream all you want, but no one will come. I'll bet my wrist on it."

The boy, still pinning him down, chuckled and extended his finger into the dark room. The door, which had been tightly shut, creaked open, and a pungent smell of blood hit his nose.

'Lady Priya, oh my God!'

His eyes widened in shock.

Black Moon, known for its secrecy, was a guild of the kingdom's top assassins.

Dozens of highly skilled individuals were hidden here.

Yet, not a single one had noticed the intrusion before they were killed?

If even one had noticed, they would have reported it to him.

But that wasn't the case now.

Their bodies showed no signs of resistance, as if they didn't even know how they died.

'So strong! If I don't act, I'll die without a chance to fight back!'

He instinctively felt that he would die at the hands of this boy.

It didn't matter where he came from.

What mattered was that he had the skill to infiltrate and kill the entire guild without being noticed.

And that he was merciless and cold-blooded.

"Grk... Who sent you? Luxus Guild? Karsa Guild? Or... from headquarters?"

Though the guild leader of Black Moon in the Roun Kingdom, he didn't fully trust the guild's headquarters.

It was that secretive and dangerous.

The Karsa Guild and Luxus Guild, rivals in the information business, were formidable, but not enough to bring down Black Moon in one night.

So, was it the headquarters cleaning up this branch?

Various thoughts raced through his mind, but he remained silent.

"Do you want to live?"

In the dark, red eyes glinted eerily.

"Grk?!"

"If you want to live, I need some information."

The chuckling voice sent more chills down his spine.

"If you wanted information, you could have gone through the proper channels..."

"It's not the kind of information you can just hand over for money."

The boy's words made him clench his teeth and think carefully.

Defying him meant death.

Though he was a skilled assassin, the boy was even more skilled.

He needed to avoid offending him as much as possible.

"Y-Yes, speak. I will give you the information you want."

"Good. I'll take it, then."

'Damn you! You invaded and killed everyone, and now you're demanding information!'

He thought to himself but didn't resist.

One wrong move, and he would die!

That was his instinct. Suicide was a last resort for assassins?

Once you reached his level, your life became precious.

Snap!

When the force restraining him suddenly vanished, he gasped and slumped to the ground.

Unlike him, who valued secrecy and speed, his reaction was clumsy and slow.

"Ha... ha... ha..."

"I don't ask for much. The list of nobles who are pawns of the Barrietta family and their records of corruption."

"W-What?"

"The Barrietta family must have gathered information to control these nobles. And you must have it stored here, right?"

The guild leader's eyes darted to the boy, trying to discern his identity.

"Shh..."

But his movement was quickly halted.

The boy's hand waved, and a chilling aura pressed down on him.

'Master Assassin!'

He recognized the tangible, dark aura and his face paled.

Becoming a Master Assassin was extremely difficult, and only a few reached that level.

Assassins were skilled in stealth attacks, but few could achieve the enlightenment needed to become a Master.

Thus, it didn't take long to realize how absurd the boy in front of him was.

'A Master Assassin in this small kingdom?! Impossible!'

It was inconceivable that a prince who had been in a coma for six years and had only been awake for half a year could have such skills.

The boy, now revealed to be David, smiled wryly at the trembling man.

"By the way, detecting lies is my specialty, so don't try to bluff. The choice is yours."

The guild leader trembled in the face of the intense killing aura, unable to speak for a long time.

* * *

"H-Here it is."

I took the scroll from the trembling man, checked its contents, and quietly tucked it into my robes.

"I-I've given you everything you wanted. N-Now, please leave."

"Hmm..."

As I pondered, his expression crumpled.

What else are you going to take!

That was the look on his face.