Chapter 270: a Hero’s Secret

The scream still echoed in Nathan’s ears as he followed the First Prince through the palace corridors.

Guards rushed past them, their faces pale, their hands on their weapons. Servants huddled in corners, whispering, crying. The east wing was sealed off by the time they arrived—a dozen soldiers blocking the entrance, their spears crossed.

"Let us through," the First Prince commanded.

The guards hesitated. Then they stepped aside.

The corridor beyond was a nightmare. Three bodies lay on the marble floor, their blood pooling in the cracks between the tiles. Servants, by the look of their clothes. A woman. Two men. Their eyes were still open, staring at nothing.

And in the center of it all stood Kenji Tanaka.

His sword was still in his hand, the blade dripping red. His eyes were wide, unfocused, staring at something only he could see. The faint glow of his recent level-ups still clung to his skin, a soft golden light that pulsed like a heartbeat.

"Kenji," the First Prince said, his voice calm. "Put down the sword."

Kenji didn’t respond. He didn’t seem to hear.

"Kenji."

The boy blinked. His eyes focused. He looked at the prince, then at the bodies, then at the blood on his hands.

"I... I didn’t mean to..."

The sword clattered to the floor.

Amelia arrived moments later. She swept into the corridor like a storm, her silver hair flowing behind her, her expression a mask of concern. She rushed to Kenji’s side, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him close.

"It’s alright," she murmured. "It’s alright. I’m here."

The king arrived next. His face was thunderous, his eyes cold. He surveyed the scene—the bodies, the blood, the hero trembling in his daughter’s arms—and his jaw tightened.

"What happened here?" he demanded.

Amelia looked up, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "The hero was attacked. Assassins—they came for him. He defended himself."

"Assassins?" The king’s eyes narrowed. "These are servants. Palace servants."

"They were disguised. They must have been. Why else would they attack the hero?"

The king studied her for a long moment. Then he turned to the First Prince.

"Secure the area. Question the witnesses. I want to know who sent these... assassins."

"Yes, Father."

The king left. The guards began clearing the corridor, dragging the bodies away. Amelia led Kenji toward his chambers, her arm around his shoulders, her voice soft and soothing.

Nathan watched them go.

Something was wrong. He could feel it.

---

While the guards were busy, Nathan slipped away.

He activated [Hunter’s Insight] and scanned the corridor. The bloodstains were still fresh, the bodies already removed. But there was something else—a faint trail of blood leading away from the scene. Not from the servants. From Kenji.

The trail led to a tapestry on the far wall—a depiction of a lion hunt, its colors faded with age. Nathan pushed the tapestry aside.

Behind it was a door. Small, wooden, almost invisible against the stone wall. He tried the handle. It was unlocked.

He pushed it open and stepped inside.

The staircase was narrow, winding downward into darkness. Nathan followed it, his hand on Moonlight’s riser, his senses on high alert.

At the bottom was a room.

Stone walls. Flickering torches. A single wooden chair in the center, its legs bolted to the floor. Chains on the walls. Knives on a table. And in the corner, a pile of bodies.

Nathan stared at them.

Some were prisoners—their clothes were ragged, their faces gaunt. Others were servants—their uniforms were still stained with blood. All of them were dead. All of them had been killed recently.

This is where she’s been training him, Nathan realized. This is where she’s been turning him into a killer.

He knelt beside the bodies, studying the wounds. They were clean, precise. Not the wild swings of a panicked boy. These were the strikes of someone who had practiced. Someone who had been taught.

Someone who had been groomed.

Nathan stood. He had seen enough.

He climbed the stairs and slipped back through the door, replacing the tapestry behind him.

---

The palace was in chaos.

The king had ordered a full investigation. Guards were questioning servants, searching rooms, checking records. The tournament had been postponed—temporarily. The city was in an uproar.

Amelia addressed the crowd from the palace steps. Her voice was steady, sorrowful, perfectly calibrated.

"The hero was attacked by assassins. He defended himself. The servants who died were not who they appeared to be. The investigation is ongoing. We ask for your patience and your prayers."

The crowd believed her. They always believed her.

From the shadows, the First Prince watched. His expression was unreadable, but his hands were clenched at his sides.

She’s lying, he thought. She’s lying, and no one can see it.

---

That night, Nathan returned to the inn.

He sat on his bed, Moonlight across his knees, staring at the wall. He had seen the truth. Amelia was using Kenji. She was turning him into a weapon. And the king was either complicit or oblivious.

He needed to tell someone. He needed allies.

A knock at the door.

Nathan opened it. Aeliana stood there, her hood pulled back, her pale green eyes meeting his.

"You’re the archer," she said. "The one who fights like a veteran."

"Yes."

"I need your help."

Nathan stepped aside. "Come in."

Aeliana entered. She pulled a crystalline shard from her pouch—the same shard she had shown the First Prince. It glowed faintly in the darkness.

"The dimensional rift is growing," she said. "The hero is connected to it. And if we don’t stop it, this world will be consumed."

Nathan stared at the shard. Then at her.

"What do you need from me?"

Aeliana met his eyes. "Everything."

---

They sat across from each other, the shard between them on the table.

"I’m Aeliana," she said. "Princess of Solara. I came to Albion to investigate the summoning ritual. The dimensional instability it caused—it’s worse than anyone realizes."

"I know," Nathan said. "I’ve seen the archives. And spoken to the first prince. The rift is cumulative. Each summoning weakens the barrier. And the king is planning a second one."

Aeliana’s eyes widened. "You know about that?"

"I make it my business to know things."

She studied him for a long moment. Then she nodded slowly.

"You’re not what you seem, archer. You’re more than an F-Rank adventurer."

"I’m just someone who wants to go home."

"Home?"

Nathan didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.

Aeliana pulled out more shards—evidence of the rift’s growth. "My scholar, Faen, has been analyzing the residual mana. The rift is bleeding. Small creatures are slipping through. Insignificant ones, for now. But the rate is increasing."

"How long do we have?"

"Weeks. Maybe less. If the king performs a second summoning, the barrier could break entirely."

Nathan leaned back. "Then we need to stop him."

"we have a common goal."

Nathan nodded. "But we have a problem. The hero is being manipulated. Amelia is turning him into a weapon. She’s been training him to kill—not monsters, but people."

Aeliana’s expression darkened. "The murders. The servants."

"I found a room where she’s been keeping his victims. She’s been feeding him prisoners. Making him kill them. He levels up every time."

"Levels up?"

"The Hero class gains experience... power, from killing. Not just monsters—humans. Every kill makes him stronger. And Amelia knows it. She’s using him."

Aeliana was quiet for a long moment. Then she said, "That’s dark magic. Forbidden magic. The kind that corrupts the user."

"It’s already corrupting him. I saw him at the palace. He killed three people and didn’t even realize what he was doing."

"We need to stop her."

"We need evidence. Proof. Something the king can’t ignore."

Aeliana nodded. "I can help with that. My magic can trace residual mana. If Amelia has been using dark magic, I can prove it."

"How long?"

"A few days. Maybe less."

Nathan stood. "Then we have a plan. You gather evidence. I keep an eye on the hero. And the First Prince—"

"I’ll coordinate with him. He has access to the palace. He can help us get close to the king."

Nathan extended his hand. "Then we have an alliance."

Aeliana shook it. "An alliance."

---

Far away, in the royal palace, Kenji sat alone in his chambers.

His hands were still shaking. The blood had been washed away, but he could still feel it. Still see the faces of the servants he had killed.

They were assassins, he told himself. They were going to hurt me. Amelia said so.

But the doubt remained.

He looked at his status panel.

[Status Panel]

Name: Kenji Tanaka

Class: Hero

Level: 16

[Sword Mastery Lv.5]

[Hero’s Charisma Lv.3]

[Divine Protection Lv.5]

[Blood frenzy Lv.2]

[Beserk lv.1]

He had leveled up six times. Six levels. From killing three people. From killing servants who had done nothing wrong. And has gained two new skills that didn’t seem like they should be in a hero’s skill tree.

What am I becoming?, he thought to himself. Then a knock at the door.

"Come in." He said.

Amelia entered. She was carrying a tray—dinner, by the smell of it. She smiled warmly.

"You missed dinner," she said. "I thought you might be hungry."

Kenji didn’t respond.

She set the tray on the table and sat beside him. Her hand found his.

"You did nothing wrong," she said. "They were assassins. They were trying to kill you."

"They were servants."

"They were traitors. Spies. They were working for our enemies."

"How do you know?"

Amelia’s smile didn’t waver. "I have my sources. Trust me, Kenji. You did the right thing."

He wanted to believe her. He needed to believe her.

But something in his gut told him she was lying.

"I want to go home," he whispered.

Amelia’s expression flickered—just for a moment. Then her smile returned.

"You are home. This is your home now. And I am your family."

She leaned in and kissed his forehead.

"Get some rest. Tomorrow is a new day."

She left.

Kenji stared at the door for a long time, hen he looked at his status panel again. Six levels. From killing three people.

What else could I become?, the thought should have horrified him. But instead, it excited him.