I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel
Chapter 5

Night of the Hunt I

Gregor went limp—his face planted hard against the floor.

Sion’s gaze traveled over to Arto, who was right next to Gregor.

They were both young scions of nobles ranked high enough to enter the imperial castle, but Sion showed no hesitation. He spoke overbearingly and was clearly not reluctant to attack if necessary.

They’d been the ones who had started this, after all.

“W-what in the world?” Arto stammered. He seemed to have been taken completely by surprise.

He wasn’t able to process what had just happened—from the moment Gregor’s hand moved forward until his collision with the ground.

Arto backed away, but Sion was faster.

Arto’s necklace, which appeared to be an artifact that detected danger, glowed and covered his entire body with a blue barrier.

Sion didn’t slow his attack, even though he saw it full well.

If anything, he sped up.

Something dark and subtle appeared at Sion’s fingertips, and when it came into contact with Arto’s barrier, the magic was consumed on the spot.

“Ah!”

The barrier wasn’t shattered or pierced—it vanished, pure and simple, like it had never existed.

Arto and Priscilla’s eyes widened in shock, and at the same time, Sion grabbed Arto by the head and shoved him into the wall.

There was a resounding crash.

Arto crumpled, unconscious, next to his companion, Gregor.

“Take them with you,” Sion pronounced to Priscilla, who was rooted to the spot. She gazed down at the two men for a moment.

“I didn’t kill them outright.”

With that, he began to walk away, as if his business here was done.

Priscilla stared after him vacantly, then pulled herself together, shouting, “Wait! One moment!”

Sion turned around, an annoyed look on his face. Priscilla came up to him.

“I would like to stay here for a while. I take it that is fine with you?”

She didn’t seem to care at all for the fact that her companions had been lain out. In fact, her eyes were gleaming with intense interest.

“As you know, Your Highness, calling off an engagement is a complicated process.”

“I don’t—”

This was obviously an excuse, and agreeing with her would only inconvenience him. He intended to refuse her, but he stopped short.

His eyes flashed for a second.

Perhaps this woman could be of some use. She had a rare trait that had turned her into the so-called “Woeful Lady” in the novel. And if he made good use of it, he might even be able to expose the real enemy hiding in the castle.

“Do as you please,” he said.

His eyes were on Priscilla’s dark red ones.

She looked surprised, perhaps not having expected him to agree so quickly.

Slowly, she said, “All right... I appreciate that.”

* * *

Priscilla sighed as she walked along the corridor of the Sunken Star Palace.

It had already been three days since she’d begun her stay here.

While she’d gotten that particular wish, there was a problem: she hadn’t seen Prince Sion even once.

He seemed completely obsessed with his training, and he spent all his time in the training room. After that, he would conclude the day by going to sleep. He even ate his meals while training.

Naturally, he didn’t let her into the training room or his bedroom.

“Why did he let me stay in the first place?”

She couldn’t help but feel frustrated since the only reason she’d asked to stay was because she’d grown interested in this new Prince Sion.

She’d made some headway with the attendants and knights of the palace, at least.

There had always been subtle disdain and impertinence in their eyes when they’d spoken of Prince Sion, but now, those two emotions were nowhere to be seen.

Terror had replaced them.

Only Fredo, the knight Sion kept close, seemed to lack such fear.

What happened here?

She’d asked the attendants about it, but they’d refused to speak. They almost seemed to fear for their lives.

Then there’s that power he seems to possess...

The strength Prince Sion had evinced against Gregor and Arto a few days ago went completely against his public reputation, but it had been his power that had caught her attention even more.

Something dark had destroyed Arto’s shield the moment he’d touched it.

Though Priscilla was a talented magician, not even she had seen anything like it.

It just doesn’t make any sense.

Only a few days ago, she’d believed that she had Prince Sion all figured out. After all, they’d met regularly since childhood.

But she couldn’t be sure of anything anymore.

“I trust you are well, Lady Priscilla?” Fredo said, walking toward her as she subtly shook her head.

“I’m not at all well.”

“I’m sorry?” Fredo asked, taken aback by her gruff response.

“You do realize that His Highness has changed, right?”

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

“Well...” Fredo looked as though responding was out of the question.

In order to do so, he would have to mention the attack on the palace and the subsequent death of the traitors. But Sion had commanded silence on those matters.

Priscilla nodded as if she understood, noting that Fredo’s reaction was the same as those of the other knights and attendants. She posed a different question.

“That aside, what has he been up to these days, exactly? I haven’t met him once since I began to stay here...”

“Ha ha. Well, he is rather busy these days. Actually, he’s with the knights in a training field outside at the moment. Would you like to go and—”

“Let’s go immediately.”

She was already walking before Fredo had finished his sentence. Apparently intent on not missing this opportunity, her stride was almost a run.

Priscilla went this way for some time until she burst through the gates of the palace. There, she spotted Sion standing with some knights. He seemed to be issuing orders.

Priscilla went up to him right away.

“Prince Sion,” she called out in an agitated tone.

He looked at her with a question in his eyes.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

He said nothing.

“Why aren’t you showing your face at all? Don’t tell me you’re avoiding me? Why did you tell me to stay here if you were going to—”

“First of all,” he said, cutting her angry rant off coldly. “Watch your mouth.” His quiet eyes were on her. “There is a line you mustn’t cross. Be aware of it.”

Silence followed.

It was a warning, telling her that he would not be so forgiving next time. His voice was very quiet, but Priscilla could easily understand his meaning.

“I never told you to stay.”

She remained quiet, and he looked at her for a moment before continuing lethargically. “I simply didn’t stop you from doing so. Do you happen to think I am duty-bound to show myself to you for some reason?”

She realized he was right.

Sion had never told her to stay.

She’d simply told him that she would.

“No... I understand,” she murmured, looking put out. Then she walked away.

Sion watched her quietly. He had a job for her, but now wasn’t the time.

There was something else that warranted his attention first.

“Twice as many men will be assigned to night guard duty for the next week,” Sion stated, turning to the knights again.

“You will patrol in groups of three instead of two, and all knights shall wear iron plates over the neck and chest.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

They looked puzzled at these mysterious instructions, but they nonetheless obeyed. After all, their job was to follow orders.

Three days, at least, Sion thought as he walked away.

Contrary to Sion’s expectations, those who had orchestrated the recent attack hadn’t shown up to check on him. They hadn’t shown any other signs of activity either.

There was no follow-up at all, strangely enough.

That could only mean one thing.

* * *

Some magicians claimed that the moon in the sky was growing redder and redder—they insisted that the moon was the eye through which the gods watched humanity and that it was slowly becoming bloodshot because it never blinked.

A lunar eclipse was when the gods closed this single eye and allowed it to rest.

That’s obviously nonsense, of course...

A man called Four pondered this as he watched the sky, which had no moon floating in it.

While he agreed that there was nothing factual about the claim, he enjoyed nights like this. When all the light was gone, the darkness that remained seemed to envelop his body like a blanket.

Darkness also increased the chances of his tasks being successful.

So that’s the place? he thought, staring at the palace in front of him. The Sunken Star Palace was giving off a subtle glow.

It was where the target of tonight’s assassination resided.

Who knew I’d be attempting to kill someone inside an imperial palace?

Four knew that his target was currently inside an imperial castle, the heart of the Agnes Empire.

He didn’t know who his client was.

Even though this particular palace was on the outskirts, the mere fact that he’d been empowered to work inside an imperial castle was enough to tell him that whoever had requested the job was a very powerful figure.

But they failed once already.

He didn’t know the reason for this failure, since none of the assassins had made it back alive. As such, the assassins’ guild that Four belonged to had deployed an almost excessive number of men—a veritable army of assassins capable of wiping out most noble houses. This attested to how important the client was.

“Kill everyone in the palace before the sun rises,” he muttered in a low voice to the assassins arrayed silently behind him. When he began to glide through the darkness, the others followed him swiftly.

Even though dozens of feet moved along the ground, there was not a single sound. Soft, suppressed cutting noises could be heard as the heads of the knights guarding the gate were parted from their shoulders.

The assassins walked past the bodies and entered without a single moment of hesitation.

* * *

The lights began to go out in the palace, starting with their point of entry.

He said nothing.

Sion stood on the top floor of the palace, watching lazily as the lamps flickered out. This was the second attack he’d predicted, and the enemies were far stronger than before.

However, they weren’t the only ones out for blood tonight.

Sion was also on the hunt.

His eyes trailed the fading lights,

and soon, his figure dissolved

into the shadows.