It would be a lie to say there was no curiosity about what kind of person the crown prince was. After all, he was born with transcendent abilities enough to partially resurrect the golden dragon. There was a curiosity about just how extraordinary he might be.
“You may enter.”
Khan, who had merely nodded slightly to the servant’s words to show respect, stood in front of the firmly closed door and glanced around.
‘No guards.’
The absence of guards for the crown prince who had managed to return alive should not be taken to mean he had become a powerless figure.
Rather, it was more fitting to interpret it as the crown prince’s influence being so formidable that even the steadfast Royal Guard retreated. Moreover, this was an implicit trust conveyed by the crown prince to Khan.
‘I can meet you without guards. This is how much I trust you. Understand?’
Given that Khan was the Dragon Slayer who had defeated the golden dragon Areolus, the fierce beast that had wreaked havoc on the royal castle, such a decision was indeed audacious.
Creak-.
The state of the interior, as Khan opened the door and stepped inside, was so modest that it was hard to believe it was the room where the crown prince was recuperating.
“I don’t like things being overly bustling.”
“…It seems more than that.”
“Haha. In truth, we spent quite a bit on restoring the royal castle this time. So, I tightened my belt first.”
Even though it sounded like a jibe implying, ‘Isn’t it because you smashed the royal castle?’ Khan did not perceive it that way. Perhaps it was due to the exceedingly polite demeanor of the crown prince. No, that wasn’t it. The unassuming atmosphere exuded by the crown prince himself made Khan feel a strange sense of solemnity.
“Oh, I’ve delayed my introduction. I am Orion, Dragon Slayer.”
The crown prince, who bowed his head, appeared pale and thin, perhaps due to his long confinement. If they had met on the street, Khan would have thought him an extremely ordinary person, as his appearance was not particularly outstanding. Only his eyes, sparkling with intelligence, testified that he was no ordinary individual.
“I don’t particularly like grand titles. Just call me by my name.”
“How could I? In private matters, you are the benefactor who severed our original sin; in broader terms, you are the hero who resolved the kingdom’s greatest concern. Though it has not been officially announced yet, we were considering raising you and your companions to the status of royal guests….”
The crown prince shrugged his shoulders and let out a faint laugh.
“If my judgment isn’t wrong, you seem to find such trivial matters bothersome.”
Khan silently agreed.
“Originally, there was supposed to be an event to announce the resilience of the royal family while praising the kingdom’s heroes in front of the citizens of the capital. However, before that, I wanted to meet you and understand what kind of person you are.”
“So, do you have an idea of what kind of person I am?”
“To be honest… I’m not sure yet.”
The crown prince admitted frankly.
“They say the warriors of Hoarfrost Gorge are all brave, unafraid of death, and roam the continent seeking dangerous battlefields. Moreover, it’s said their faith is such that they haven’t achieved a proper civilization.”
The crown prince’s words, which were essentially a polite way of calling them simple-minded barbarian, carried a profound gaze.
“But you, you use language skillfully, more adeptly than even ordinary civilized people. Your speech shows prudence, and your eyes shine with intelligence. It’s almost as if you’re a civilized person merely borrowing the appearance of a Hoarfrost Gorge warrior. Of course, that wouldn’t be the case.”
‘No, that’s spot on.’
Whether the crown prince realized he had accurately identified Khan’s true nature, he continued his explanation.
“Similarly, it’s human nature to want to wield power once you have it. Naturally, you also seek the additional by-products such as fame or authority. However, despite having the prestigious status of a Dragon Slayer, you seem to consider yourself an ordinary citizen. Just by seeing how consciously you avoid excessive formalities, one can tell.”
“… Have you studied physiognomy?”
“Physiognomy? That’s a new term to me. But I do believe that a person’s appearance is shaped by their experiences and innate character.”
Cough.
The crown prince, still not fully recovered, let out a small cough after his long explanation.
“Ahem. Ahem. I seem to have rambled on unknowingly. Anyway, it seems it was a wise decision to meet you in advance. Now I have a valid reason to cancel unnecessary events.”
“That’s good news.”
“But the fact that you’re an honored guest of the royal family will not change. Only the formal announcement will be absent. You will receive benefits corresponding to your status. Ah, and I hear the Duke has made a promise to you?”
“Indeed.”
Though Khan answered indifferently, his true feelings were otherwise. The real reason for meeting the crown prince was to get a definitive answer regarding access to the royal treasury.
“The agreement was to allow me to choose two treasures from the royal treasury. Though things have become quite complicated.”
“I heard about that from Delphina. However, there seems to be a slight problem with the agreement.”
“Problem?”
Khan’s eyes narrowed. He wondered if this was where the typical noble trifecta of downgrading, backstabbing, and changing terms would come into play. But the crown prince’s next words brought a smile to Khan’s face.
“You have endured hardships far beyond what the original agreement entailed, so shouldn’t the compensation be adjusted accordingly? Of course, I can’t promise you a reward multiplied by dozens, but at the very least, I can make sure that each of your companions gets to take one treasure.”
Khan deeply reconsidered his initial thought that the crown prince was an extremely modest individual.
‘He’s incredibly generous.’
The crown prince was indeed very magnanimous.
Very, very much so.
—
“If my health weren’t in such a state, I would love to witness what treasures you and your companions choose with my own eyes. Unfortunately, I must curb my curiosity.”
With those words, the crown prince concluded the conversation and instructed them to follow the attendant to the royal treasury.
Though the time spent conversing with the crown prince was short, the impression he left on Khan was remarkably strong.
‘Argon won’t face ruin.’
In the original timeline, the Argon Kingdom fell to Darkin Perayas. It was unclear exactly how Darkin, before becoming known as the ‘King of the Undead’, managed to conquer Argon. However, the current events shed light on this mystery.
It appeared that in every cycle of the story, the crown prince had likely confined himself due to the rampage of his transcendent abilities. Naturally, the king would have neglected state affairs in search of a cure for the crown prince.
Moreover, with the Marquis Deillon in the North always eyeing independence and the nobles in the court unable to restrain their greed in the king’s absence, Argon would have been an easy target for Darkin.
‘Well, they’re all dead by my hand now.’
The future impact of Argon Kingdom’s survival, which had perished in all previous cycles, on the main quest was entirely unknown. However, Khan was confident that its effect on the overall situation wouldn’t be significant.
This was because the influence of a border kingdom like Argon wasn’t substantial enough to impact the main course of events. More accurately, Argon Kingdom would likely have to focus all its efforts on internal consolidation, as its national strength had weakened due to the turmoil caused by the transcendent abilities.
“Ah, you have arrived.”
“Is everyone here?”
“Yes. After meeting with His Highness the Crown Prince, we’re all heading directly to the royal treasury together.”
Khan joined his companions, who had been waiting for him in a lavish reception room, and immediately followed the attendant somewhere else.
“A-hem. Boss, are you sure I should be joining this?”
At that moment, Alejandro, the monkey who had subtly mixed himself into the group, whispered hesitantly.
Though originally brought to the royal castle as a condemned criminal, Alejandro was now being treated lavishly due to his association with Khan, thanks to his busy efforts running errands on Khan’s orders. However, Alejandro couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable about it.
‘Damn, I’m just an ordinary thief. What? A royal guest?’
He had heard that the royal treasury would be opened as part of the reward. Was that even possible? If he were going to enter it, it should be done stealthily on his own terms, making it a true theft!
“Boss, I really think I should sit this out….”
“Shut up and follow.”
“Yes, sir…! I’ll follow you to the ends of hell!”
But Alejandro’s opinion was quickly dismissed.
The path to the royal treasury led via a staircase descending deep underground. At first glance, the entrance was blocked by a heavily reinforced iron door with various magical protections. Inserting and turning a large key, the iron door unlocked with a clanking noise and swung open.
“The royal treasure holds items with both known histories and purposes, as well as ancient relics whose origins and uses have yet to be fully identified. The crown prince instructed me to leave the choice to the honored guests….”
“Do not worry about that.”
The elderly servant did not question Khan’s unfounded confidence, merely bowing his head to bid them farewell.
“Let’s go.”
The stairs descended to a depth that seemed almost like a trap designed to bury any invaders aiming for the royal treasury. Alejandro, who entered with evident anxiety, had similar thoughts.
It was an unfounded worry.
No one in their right mind would dare to pull any underhanded tricks against a warrior capable of completely obliterating the dragon-scale walls with a single strike.
“This is incredible…. I’ve heard the Argon Kingdom has a profound history, but I never imagined they’d have such a vast collection of treasures.”
Leo exclaimed as they took in the sight of the treasure vault.
Generally, in the Empire, it was a common belief that other kingdoms were insignificant. This wasn’t entirely incorrect, and to someone like Leo, who was raised among imperial nobility, it seemed even more so. However, the Argon royal treasury was impressive enough to challenge such prejudices.
There were easily over a hundred display cases with magical enhancements.
‘Well, considering this nation started from a breeding ground made by ancient grand mages….’
The kingdom’s history likely spanned thousands of years, possibly even predating the Empire itself.
“Feel free to look around and let me know if you find anything that seems suitable. It’s probably best to inspect it all together.”
Everyone agreed with Khan’s suggestion that many eyes are better than one when it came to evaluating the treasures.
In truth, one of the reasons the Argon Kingdom could afford to hand over treasures so freely was probably because there was no one on their side capable of discerning the truly valuable items from the rest.
They lacked sorcerers who could decipher the spells inscribed on the artifacts and had no renowned scholars either. They likely assumed Khan’s group would take a few items that merely looked impressive but were essentially just chaff. Indeed, since none of them had the capability to determine the real treasures, they had to confer with each other.
Yet, they overlooked one critical fact.
‘I’m drooling here.’
The presence of a possessor who could leverage the game system.