Khan’s eyes subtly lifted as he tried to leave after collecting the head of the Palace Steward as a trophy. It seemed that putting the ‘Skull of Scream’ into the subspace severed its influence, as the high-ranking officials, prisoners, and trailing knights began to wake up from their stupor.
‘Hmm. Shall I leave it at this for now?’
The primary objective of eliminating the Palace Steward had already been achieved. The true intention behind Khan leading the prisoners to cause a commotion was merely to obscure people’s judgment, not because the prisoners seemed unjustly treated and deserved freedom. What nonsense. If they were prisoners brought all the way to the palace, it was only natural to think they were irredeemable human scum. These were people who wouldn’t have any right to complain even if they all died.
‘What remains…’
Khan recollected his purpose once more. Apart from the goal of obtaining ‘Mortalia’s Relic,’ there was a more fundamental reason why he accepted the proposal of the Black Wing Duke. It was to find information about the transcendent gene and the experimental subject Argos, mentioned in the ancient mages’ records.
‘There’s a possibility that the ancient mages might have glimpsed part of the truth of this world.’
The ancient Grand Magus Alpha, who had become a minion of the void, had also despaired at his failure to transcend and, in the process of preparing for the future, became a servant of the void. He realized that the outside of this world was entirely composed of void, and there was no path to transcendence from the start.
If other ancient mages had realized this truth, they would have undoubtedly pursued every possible method to reach transcendence. Thus, the transcendent gene was likely a byproduct of their efforts. This meant that through information about the transcendent gene, one could potentially uncover the ‘truth of the world’ that ancient mages had discovered.
‘I have to make a quiet exit.’
With some of them regaining their senses, Khan, carrying the long-limbed monkey on his shoulder, hurriedly left the underground cell.
“Ugh. The world is shaking again…”
A man who had regained his senses halfway groaned in dizziness. He seemed not to understand the situation yet, but Khan didn’t intend to explain it, intending only to briefly convey his purpose.
If no one had blocked his path.
“What is this?”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a suspicious person.”
“Usually, suspicious guys say that.”
“Haha… I really am not. I was sent by the Black Wing Duke. I am Aser de Negras. I am, albeit insufficiently, the captain of the Royal Guard.”
Well, he wasn’t a suspicious guy after all. The neat middle-aged knight, with a smile on his face, turned his gaze to the monkey gagging on Khan’s shoulder. He seemed to be asking what it was.
“It has some use, so I brought it.”
“Hmm… What about the other prisoners?”
“Well, I think they should be dead by now.”
Having missed the escapee and seeing the Palace Steward’s head severed, it was certain they would vent their anger by cutting down the rest. It seemed Aser roughly understood, as he smiled bitterly.
“Well, they were going to be executed anyway. So, the Palace Steward…?”
“Dead. I can show you proof later if needed. With a fresh head.”
“I’m not very strong-stomached, so I’ll pass for now.”
With his characteristic eye smile, Aser declined. Khan, eyeing him suspiciously, placed the monkey on the ground and asked. The conversation kept going in circles, and he still hadn’t heard why Aser blocked his path.
“So, is there anything else you need to discuss? If not…”
“Hmm. Just as my father mentioned, you are quick to catch on. Yes, I have a request… not just a task.”
“A request?”
“Actually…”
Aser de Negras, who had even withdrawn the faint smile from his face, found it hard to speak. This indicated just how sensitive the issue was. Regardless of whether it could be answered or not, simply conveying this information to an outsider would be considered treason.
‘But still, it can’t be helped.’
He was a Royal Guard. For him, the most important thing to protect was not the laws of the kingdom but the royal bloodline itself. Even if his actions constituted a grave crime, if they were in the service of the king, they had to be carried out. That’s the duty of a knight who has sworn an oath of loyalty.
“Actually, my father… the Black Wing Duke has gone to see His Majesty the King.”
“Wasn’t he unable to meet him?”
“Well, I don’t know the exact details either. As far as I know, there was some issue with the Crown Prince, and His Majesty went to the ‘Forbidden Territory’ to resolve it.”
“Forbidden Territory?”
Khan’s eyes glimmered with interest. The term ‘Forbidden Territory’ had an undeniably suspicious ring to it.
“Even if you’re that curious, it’s impossible for me to guide you to the Forbidden Territory. The location is known only to His Majesty the King, the Crown Prince, and the royal bloodline, along with the Black Wing Duke.”
“If it’s royal bloodline…”
“Yes. Correct.”
Princess Delphina. If it were her, she would know the location of the Forbidden Territory.
“But Her Highness the Princess is currently outside the royal castle. Her location is likely…”
“She is hiding at my comrades’ stronghold in the capital city, to avoid getting caught up in today’s events.”
“Yes, I know my father made those arrangements. But to find the Forbidden Territory, we absolutely need Her Highness the Princess’s help.”
At that moment, the resentment spirit strengthened Aser’s point.
『That insect’s words are true. The old insect also thought that royal blood was necessary to open the Forbidden Territory.』
This was confirmed directly from the Palace Steward’s memories through ‘Resentment Corrosion’. At least, it was certain that they needed Princess Delphina to find the Forbidden Territory.
“Good thing I brought you along, monkey.”
“Yes, yes! Boss!”
The monkey was dizzy. It remembered entering some underground space following Khan, and when it regained consciousness, it found itself carried on Khan’s shoulder to the surface. Moreover, the prisoners it had been with were nowhere to be seen.
‘What on earth is with this knight?!’
More astonishing than anything else was the current situation, where the worst prisoner who committed regicide was having a very friendly conversation with the captain of the Royal Guard, the protector of the royalty. Just from eavesdropping, it seemed like they were in cahoots.
No matter how keen Alejandro’s intuition was, there were limits to its understanding. A scene where the regicide and the captain of the Royal Guard were together was unimaginable even in dreams. And then, where were they heading? Together into the royal Forbidden Territory?
‘Are you kidding me? What is going on?’
But despite his complicated thoughts, Alejandro’s body responded quickly. He had a sense that he was now at the center of history!
“Give me any orders!”
Alejandro, although he prided himself as a grand thief, had never stolen anything for personal gain. The driving force behind his thefts was purely his desire for self-approval. With the kind of talent that could have made him a top-tier assassin, he merely engaged in small-time thievery for this reason.
“Shall I infiltrate the palace? Or perhaps rob the treasury?!”
Normally, such suggestions would be out of the question, but the entire palace was in chaos right now. Moreover, with the captain of the Royal Guard supporting their side, Alejandro’s abilities could definitely come in handy. No, he absolutely had to do it!
“Boss! Quickly, give the order…!”
“Go outside and bring some people.”
“Of course, let’s rob the treasure first! Wait, what?”
“Bring some people. Quietly, without being noticed.”
***
Alejandro, true to his reputation as a master thief, managed to slip past the myriad watchful eyes and exit the royal palace. Of course, he had a bit of help from Aser, the captain of the Royal Guard.
‘Is this guy really using someone as amazing as me for errands?’
The buildings in the capital were mostly two to three stories high, making it easy for someone to avoid detection by traversing rooftops. While it wasn’t entirely straightforward given the number of people, Alejandro was no ordinary thief. He leapt from roof to roof without making a sound.
‘Black roof… Black roof… Black roof…’
Found it. A massive mansion, so notable it was hard to miss, came into view. With nimble movements, Alejandro vaulted over the mansion’s wall. The noise of his landing on the grass was minimal unless heard right beside him. Alejandro paused to catch his breath, moving cautiously forward. Even though he was here to bring someone, his instinct to remain hidden kicked in, masking his presence without being conscious of it.
“Who are you?”
“Ah…!”
Alejandro jumped, not used to being caught off guard. He had never been detected when he actively hid his presence, and yet, someone was right behind him. From the voice alone, it was clear the person was a young girl, which alarmed him even more.
“I’m not a thief! I mean, I am a thief but I’m not here to steal!”
“…?”
“It sounds weird, but it’s true!”
“Alright.”
She believes me? Alejandro slowly turned his head, nearly letting out a scream. A sharp blade was mere millimeters away from his neck. Any slight movement and it would have been over for him.
‘If she had intended to attack, I would have been beheaded…!’
This meant she adjusted the distance to avoid harming him unless he resisted. What astonished him further was that his assailant was a girl around twenty years old, stunningly beautiful with platinum-blonde hair—an uncommon combination. Her aura was undeniably extraordinary, and she was enveloped in a white light, a hallmark of the sacred armor worn by paladins.
‘Isn’t the Pantheon Church known for hating barbarian?’
Caught between conventional wisdom and Khan’s orders, Alejandro hesitated for a moment. Suddenly, another presence filled the area, encircling Alejandro.
“Dame Aries, who is this?”
“A thief.”
“Is that true?”
As a handsome young man with an almost dazzling appearance inquired with a tone that suggested, ‘Why haven’t you dealt with him yet?’, Alejandro hurriedly protested.
“I am a thief, but I’m not here to steal!”
“We don’t have time for such nonsense, finish him quickly.”
“Eek!”
A stern-looking woman pointed a spear at him, and the handsome young man, also clad in the sacred armor of a paladin, placed his hand on his sword hilt. From within the mansion, another colossal barbarian, even larger than an orc, emerged. It was like a circle of demons ready to ensnare him. If he made a wrong move, he might not leave alive.
“Baldy! Monkey!”
“Warrior Pashantu, it’s not polite to mock people.”
“Baldy!”
His eyes tearing up at being called bald, Alejandro winced internally. Despite still having some hair left, he was being called a baldy. While he lamented internally, he suddenly noticed someone behind the massive barbarian.
Alejandro, recognizing the noble aura of the woman at a glance, fell to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground, shouting.
“Your Highness, the Princess! I’ve come to escort you on behalf of my boss!”
“Boss you say…?”
“Yes! The one who killed the royal…!”
Alejandro babbled whatever came to mind, but then suddenly clammed up. The weight of his words hit him after he had already spoken. What lunatic would tell royalty that they were sent by a royal murderer?
‘I’m screwed.’