Chapter 150

The Valaran Royal Palace. The massive castle was no longer under the control of the king. Seojin's suspicions had arisen on his way to the king's quarters, and when he finally met the hidden prince, his confidence grew.

Heinrich, a feeble NPC, only had a few loyal followers. However, the opposing faction against the king didn't have that much influence either.

'It's inevitable. To take on the risk of committing treason, one must be promised something of equal value to that risk. Since there's a limit to what can be gained in return.'

In the end, a considerable number of royal officials remained neutral, neither supporting the prince nor the Ironbloods. Though their neutrality was only surface-level - they were prepared to switch sides at a moment's notice if the situation required it.

'But for now, the prince hasn't revealed what he's hiding, and the Ironbloods haven't made any significant moves yet. It's likely a dilemma.'

Amidst the tense power struggle, the arrival of the adventurer named Seojin was something that couldn't remain a secret for long. Naturally, the apprehensive nobles began to make their moves, prompting Seojin to also act accordingly.

"Adventurers are truly mysterious and astonishing beings. Don't you think? You must be anxious too, not knowing what I might do."

Seojin spoke casually to the man, still grotesquely bound in the dungeon.

"It would have been better to stay quiet, all things considered. Either way, acting and speaking rashly is a sure way to tighten one's own noose. Oh, and the nooses around the necks of those nearby too."

"…"

The man remained unresponsive, showing no signs of fear. In fact, he appeared much more relaxed than Seojin.

"Are you not worried at all?" Seojin asked.

"If I were the prince, I'd change the person in charge right now. If you're going to shake things up, might as well bring in someone more capable. I'm growing bored of this."

The man let out a loud yawn, and Seojin chuckled.

"I heard you grew up like this?"

"I suppose an Ironblood has recently visited here. Probably mentioned it to reassure me, to convince me that no secrets would leak from my mouth."

"Your insight is quite remarkable. So, what do you think that man might have said?"

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be here, detained like this."

"He mentioned that he had something precious to you, using it to guarantee your silence."

"Isn't there something precious to everyone?"

"Family?"

"Hahaha!"

The man burst into laughter, still bound.

"Why, are you promising to rescue them for me then?"

"It's a shame it's not the typical storyline."

"I thought you didn't have any skills, but it seems your expertise lies elsewhere. I didn't expect you to make me laugh like this."

"If I keep pursuing this, do you think I'll find out?"

"If you find out, let me know. I'm curious too."

"You seem to have no weaknesses. You endure pain well, and nothing seems to faze you."

The man chuckled again.

"You're too much of an amateur. If you're going to do something, do it properly. Was the guy who came yesterday the best the prince could find? Even he didn't have any real skills."

"You're talking about the torturer, right?"

"Who else would I be talking about?"

Activating League of Intimidation.

Stancehift: Intimating Gaze

A dark aura ominously emanated from Seojin. He has already known that the man couldn't see it,

"Your killing intent is impressive. I was almost scared for a second there."

"You'll find more unique individuals than you might think among adventurers. In the current situation, both of us should be able to leave comfortably."

[A significant increase in effectiveness due to overwhelming disparity in abilities!]

A welcome message appeared.

However,

"How could I afford to miss such a spectacle?"

The man remained completely unfazed. He nodded, and Seojin continued to use his skills.

Activating Price of Choice

Due to an overwhelming disparity in abilities…

"Your judgment is too slow."

Activating League of Deception.

Stanceshift: Sly Schemer

Due to an…

"You have an endearing side too, it seems. Is it because your threats won't work, so now you're relying on lies?"

"Hmm, it really doesn't work." Seojin nodded. The system message claimed that the effect had significantly increased, but in reality, it had little effect on the man.

"Haha, there's still more to it? Keep trying."

"What else is there? I've done everything. You can't feel pain, and my abilities don't work. What else can I do? I'll have to give up and find another way."

"Oh, I see. So that's what your ability is."

"That's right. But more importantly, aren't you curious about what our prince has been up to while in hiding?"

"Of course I am. But I'm more curious about whether the king is alive or dead. Because that was my mission. I will send him to his grave."

The man sat up from a fetal position.

"He's alive and well. Why would I be so relaxed otherwise? You guys are all going to be gone soon."

"…That's not possible. I definitely had the feel. He must be dead."

"I don't know exactly. But they're the royal family. You think them lacking in resources to cure the king? Perhaps they have a great doctor, or maybe even an adventurer."

Seojin stared intently at the man's face, observing his reaction. It was a reaction he hadn't seen before—an expression of disbelief, and confusion.

"Has your pride as an assassin been hurt?"

"It has."

"Such things do happen in life. Stay strong. I'll take my leave now."

"It's a shame you're leaving already. I feel like we've grown somewhat fond of each other."

The man spoke from behind with a sardonic tone. Seojin smiled faintly, closed the iron bars, and left.

He ascended the stairs slowly, organizing his thoughts. When he reached the top, the door opened, revealing Heinrich Ballaran, who had been waiting for him.

"Seojin."

"Your Majesty. Let's go inside. I have something to ask you."

"Right here, then?"

"Anywhere will do, as long as it's safe."

Heinrich led the way. They arrived at the room where he had previously conversed with the prince. The enchanted door was sealed shut. From this point on, their conversation would remain known only to the two of them.

"Do you happen to know of any warlocks?"

"…?"

"Warlocks, Your Majesty. I mean the bad ones who make pacts with demons, raise corpses, and cast curses.

"There's no way I do."

Seojin nodded. If the royal family had any connections to warlocks, that would be a problem in itself.

"In that case, I'll call my acquaintance. Adventurer warlocks are a bit different. I believe you know that."

"I am aware. I'll give Rachel a heads-up."

"Just welcome me through the main gate. Everyone in this castle already knows I'm here anyway."

"What? Already."

"You must have known that those people were hiding, right? That's why you didn't invite them here."

The shadows of the royal family, under the leadership of Knight Rachel, had never once intruded into the prince's space. There had to be a spy among them, yet their identity remained unknown.

"I'm aware."

"Perhaps it's better to receive me through the main entrance and make it clear that we are prepared. Surely they're desperate to know what I'm up to."

"How did you know that?"

"I am an adventurer. Regardless, let's put that aside for now. First, I would like to speak with my companion."

"…Very well. You mentioned dark magic. So, that's why he couldn't feel any pain. However, I couldn't sense any dark energy."

That was a suspicion Heinrich had already harbored. But if there were a warlock, it would have been difficult for him to even enter the royal palace. Moreover, he had received the 'high priest's blessing.'

"Is the Grand Priest someone you can trust?"

"You would have seen him when you entered Your Majesty."

"Oh, the one who said there was progress?"

Heinrich nodded. If that was the case, then he could be trusted.

"Then, I might be wrong, but…"

Seojin voiced his speculation.

"That man might just be a puppet."

You have obtained Clue 1.

*The villain was a puppet.

A timely message appeared. His speculation turned into conviction.

"…Hah."

"Consider that information he's said over there to have leaked out long ago. The same goes for his actions."

"Does the puppet share the vision with him?"

"Everything he sees, hears, and says goes against his own will. It's not that he can't feel pain; rather, he's likely in a state where, even if he's in pain, he can't express it. I'm not sure whether he's still sane."

Heinrich's expression turned serious.

"When you brought him here, was he conscious?"

"He was unconscious. He also didn't ask anything about His Majesty's condition, where he was, or what we were planning on doing with him. He didn't ask about any of it."

"That's fortunate. Treat him first and keep him restrained. Don't let him leave this place."

"I can't do that. He tried to harm His Majesty…"

"You mentioned that you had set aside your honor, didn't you? If we release him from his restraints, we might be able to learn more about what he knows. Please think carefully about what's more important."

The prince groaned, and Seojin ignored him.

"I also told him that that king is still very much alive. You can probably guess the reason."

"…To buy more time."

"I can't be certain. With the situation so urgent, he might just start making moves. As for His Majesty… please assign someone to assist me. Someone as knowledgeable as Your Highness, but whom I can easily direct."

"It shall be done. Did you find out anything else?"

"Nothing from that man. However, the state of affairs inside the royal palace is appalling. The nobles are openly disrespectful, and Merrychild is already discussing future plans with a member of Ironblood."

"…Duke Merrychild? It was him, then."

"Did you expect that?"

Nod. The prince calmly affirmed. It wasn't a crucial piece of information anyway. Knowing it wouldn't change the situation. There was a cause, but not enough force.

"What about His Majesty's knights?"

"Even a single adventurer like you is outpacing me. Not to mention the Ironbloods…"

"You must really dislike adventurers."

"Candidly speaking, yes. I vividly remember the moment adventurers set foot on this land, as well as the drastic changes that followed."

The prince ran his hand over his face.

"It was… a disaster. The land didn't split open, nor did the sky fall. But everything else changed. Now, it's impossible to think without first considering the existence of adventurers."

From the prince's perspective, it couldn't be helped. After all, this was a game, and games were designed for players to enjoy.

'Just like me.'

It's only been a couple of months. What if it had been reality? He would've spent his time half-heartedly hunting or repeating simple tasks. But here, Seojin had grown into a being that influenced the whole continent.

"I think I understand."

"Understand what?"

"Why I was chosen to tackle this situation."

The mess created by adventurers should be cleaned up by adventurers.

Originally, this quest must have been related to something like the Camilton Empire.

But the prince, the subject of the quest, included Ironblood in the target for subjugation.

In other words,

'It's a kind of self-regulation. A quest intended for the same player to resolve the situation and to restore back to normal.'

The prince chose Seojin, which meant the system designated him as the counter to the Ironbloods.

'So… it's a quest that only I can solve?'

Suddenly, the feeling was quite different. Heinrich, still looking puzzled, faced Seojin squarely, and spoke with a renewed sense of determination.

"I'm motivated now. Let's really start working on this."