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For Prince Enzi, the diplomatic mission was nothing short of a humiliation. They had come to offer congratulations on a joyful occasion, only to be slapped across the face by their host and sent away like beggars.

Returning home in such a state would surely shake his standing as the crown prince.

And so,

‘……I have to at least kill that damned bastard Andrew.’

His mother had always stressed the same point. Eliminate the trouble at its root. Following that principle, Prince Enzi had spent all his money to make secret contact with the most skilled assassins in the area.

Though the Empire had once eradicated the assassin groups across the continent, crime never truly disappears just because the law exists, does it?

As with contract killing, prostitution, and the slave trade, the more such things are suppressed, the more vigorously they flourish in the shadows.

That’s why he had spared no expense in selecting the very best from among the most active groups, but……

‘……I can’t shake this uneasy feeling.’

There had been no word from the assassins. The deadline they had promised had already passed.

‘Could they have failed?’

Prince Enzi bit down hard on his fingernails. He’d chewed them so often that the tips were now ragged and frayed.

At that sight, Duke Veder stepped closer.

“Your Highness, is something troubling you?”

“N-No, it’s nothing.”

The prince’s stammering reply made Duke Veder tilt his head in confusion.

‘He’s definitely hiding something……’

The duke’s suspicions were soon confirmed.

“H-Halt!”

“……?”

A loud shout rang out from the front of their procession. Not only that, but a knight came rushing over in a hurry.

“I-I apologize. Suspicious figures are blocking the road……”

“……Blocking the road?”

Duke Veder frowned in disbelief.

They were only a day’s journey from the capital. Moreover, this was during the time when foreign dignitaries from across the nations were gathering.

“There’s no way the Hart Kingdom would let their security deteriorate to this extent……”

With a furrowed brow, Duke Veder stepped forward decisively.

Before long, the scene unfolded before his eyes.

“Huh?”

Two figures, suspiciously masked, were indeed blocking the road.

The two masked individuals. Duke Serin let out a small sigh behind the mask he’d hastily donned.

-What in the world are we doing here?

-It was you who insisted on coming, your grace. It was you who refused my suggestion to stay hidden.

-How could I miss such a spectacle? I only wanted the best view.

-Then perhaps you should’ve hidden in a tree.

-Where do you see any trees around here?

An irritated voice shot back. True to the complaint, the area was entirely flat, an endless expanse of plains.

“……They’re no ordinary people.”

A voice came from the front. Should I say it was to be expected of a Master?

Even with both of their faces covered, he had instantly gauged the masked pair’s capabilities.

“A child and an adult. And the adult……”

Duke Veder’s eyes widened in shock mid-sentence.

“……Could it be……?”

“We’re merely passing bandits.”

“……!”

The moment I spoke.

Duke Veder’s expression shifted from doubt to certainty. From behind the mask, Duke Serin let his irritation show.

“……Bandits……?”

Duke Veder repeated my words, bewildered. I had left my voice deliberately unchanged. I never intended to hide my identity.

“Hahaha! I see. Passing bandits, you say?”

“Your Highness……!”

Duke Veder flinched and turned back sharply. Prince Enzi, who should have stayed safely behind, had stepped forward.

And at the same time—

Shwing!

“Die, you wretched bandit!”

A figure charged toward me.

The sting of their killing intent on my skin was a bonus. There was no hesitation in their movements, as if they had been ordered to act without mercy.

‘Judging by their skill, this must be one of the prince’s top guards.’

Even from slight movements, much could be discerned. I instantly assessed the opponent’s strength.

Aside from Duke Veder, this was likely the strongest person here.

Step.

I took a single step forward. The opponent’s target was clear.

My neck.

Slide.

As my hand quietly reached for my sword hilt, my eyes tracked two points in the air. Calculating the shortest path to the knight barreling toward me.

Slash!

“……!”

Without a word, the knight who had been viciously swinging his sword widened his eyes in shock.

It was the moment a chilling sound of flesh and bone being severed echoed.

In the air, his hand—still clutching the sword—was floating.

“Ugh……!”

Even so, perhaps clinging to his pride, he clenched his teeth and refrained from screaming.

He pressed down on his severed wrist to stop the bleeding, glaring at me with eyes full of hatred.

“For a mere bandit…… You have exceptional skill.”

Despite losing an arm, the knight smirked at me. It was as if he had expected me to act this way all along.

-What will you do now?

From a step behind me, Duke Serin’s calm voice cut through the tension. It was a marked difference from how he might have reacted just days ago.

Back then, he likely would have shouted, ‘You should’ve cut his head off on the spot!’

Yes.

He, too, was changing—if only little by little.

“Hmm……”

A quick glance revealed his eyes brimming with a strange sense of anticipation.

Of course, I had no intention of indulging that expectation, not even slightly.

“You’ve tried to kill me without warning—again.”

“……Again……?”

Duke Veder, still stunned by the abruptness of it all, flinched at my words.

“You’ve aimed for my life twice now, yet I’ll let you go with just an arm again. I’ll take something much bigger later.”

“What are you……?”

“Are you going to feign ignorance? You sent assassins after me last night, didn’t you?”

“……!”

Duke Veder’s eyes shot open.

His expression was one of utter disbelief. Moments later, his head whipped around.

“Damn it! What are you doing? He said he’s just a bandit! Kill him already!”

“……”

Duke Veder bit his lip hard. Prince Enzi’s outburst had all but confirmed the truth of my accusations.

“……Sigh. Your Highness, from here on out, please leave everything to me.”

“Duke! Are my words a joke to you? Didn’t I tell you to kill them!? This is an order! Remove them from my sight immediately!”

Duke Veder ignored the ranting prince, raising his voice instead.

“Anyone who acts without my orders will be executed on the spot!”

“……!”

Prince Enzi’s eyes went wide in disbelief at this unexpected turn of events.

“Duuuuuuke! You dare defy my orders……!”

“When it comes to security, my authority as duke takes precedence, Your Highness.”

“What……!?”

Prince Enzi’s face turned beet red with anger.

“……For now, please follow my lead, Your Highness.”

Duke Veder’s steady gaze turned sharply to me.

“So, what did you mean earlier when you said you’d take something bigger? Sir Bandit.”

“As an aspiring master thief, and since I owe you for the two attempts on my life…… Isn’t it only fair that I steal the most precious thing from my opponent to balance the scales?”

“And what is this most precious thing you’re referring to?”

A faint smile spread across my face.

“Tell your people at the palace that a certain thief will soon come to steal the entire kingdom.”

“……!”

At my words, everyone, including Duke Veder, widened their eyes in shock.

“This lunatic……”

Even Duke Serin, who had remained silent until now, couldn’t hold back his astonishment.

***

We were on the way back after my bold declaration.

“I expected something different when you said you’d show me something new…… Are you out of your mind?”

“What do you mean?”

“You should’ve just killed them all. With things left like this, they’ll only grow more underhanded and relentless in targeting your life.”

Duke Serin’s tone was steeped in genuine disbelief.

“And yet, you not only let them go but also arrogantly declared war on them like a fool.”

He ripped off his mask in frustration, throwing it to the ground.

“……So you are still a child after all, Your Highness. I must’ve been mistaken. If you were going to be like this, why even bother wearing the mask in the first place?”

Finally, I spoke up, my voice calm.

“As for the mask…… I am now a noble of this country, am I not?”

“And what of it?”

“If I had acted openly without the mask, it could’ve escalated into an international diplomatic incident. Having earned my title, it wouldn’t do to tarnish the reputation of the Hart Kingdom, now, would it?”

“And yet you didn’t even bother disguising your voice. No one truly believed you were a real thief, Your Highness.”

“That’s just a suspicion. Just as their involvement in sending assassins is also a suspicion.”

This was, in truth, a critical matter.

Both politics and war boil down to a battle of legitimacy.

Even if everyone knew the culprits behind an attack, without concrete evidence, no action could be taken.

Acting on suspicion alone could backfire, leaving one vulnerable. Of course, I had no intention of merely letting them off the hook.

“Besides, it’s a nation I intend to steal someday.”

Unlike Duke Serin, I had a different plan: to seize power without bloodshed.

“If the Meeke Principality’s standing falls too low, it would be a problem for me. They’ve already suffered the humiliation of being bested by a mere child in front of foreign dignitaries.”

Duke Serin sneered coldly.

“Unlike me, you won’t even get the chance to claim that nation. You’ll be dead long before then. What if Duke Veder had simply killed you, thinking you really were a thief?”

“That would’ve been impossible. You were by my side, Duke Serin, weren’t you?”

“……!”

Duke Serin’s sneer deepened.

“……So you used me.”

“I must remind you; it was you who insisted on tagging along, your grace.”

“……Hah……”

After glaring at me for a long moment, he finally sighed in exasperation.

“……Anyay, you’ll regret today’s decisions, Your Highness.”

He turned abruptly, as though he wanted nothing more to do with me.

“The one regretting things seems to be you, Duke Serin.”

“……!”

“If you give in to every urge to kill, you’ll eventually find yourself utterly alone—like you are now, my lord.”

Duke Serin shot me a glare, his expression icy.

“Aren’t you lonely?”

“……”

His lips eventually curled into a bitter smirk.

“Better lonely than dead, wouldn’t you agree?”

“……!”

For a moment, my eyes widened at his unexpected response. I hadn’t expected him to so readily admit his loneliness. A grin tugged at the corners of my mouth.

“I won’t die. As you saw, I have plenty of guardians to keep me safe—including you, Duke Serin.”

“Don’t flatter yourself. I’ve had enough of you. Don’t expect anything from me anymore……”

I cut him off.

“I’m no fool. For what it’s worth, I’ll gain three advantages from letting them go this time.”

“What nonsense are you talking about……?”

Step, step, step.

Duke Serin flinched as faint footsteps sounded from the shadowy path ahead.

“Here comes the first reason now.”

A smile played on my lips as a voice called out.

“May we have a word?”

It was none other than Duke Veder of the Meeke Principality.

* * *