Chapter 96
Arteon was visibly impressed by the fact that Crencia, hailing from the north, had intelligence networks stretching all the way to the capital.
In truth, even without Reina’s influence, the north’s own intelligence capabilities were far from lacking.
Crencia already had informants concealed in various spots throughout the capital to monitor the political landscape.
Thanks to that, it was ideal for naturally disguising her abilities as part of Crencia’s resources.
Reina smiled and nodded in agreement.
“If by some chance I can’t stay to watch the match until the end, please head to the victory banquet first and check things out. I have a place I need to stop by beforehand.”
“Here, in this place?”
“Yes. There’s someone I’m supposed to meet.”
It was only after arriving at the arena that she realized the location Mikael had mentioned was strictly off-limits for anyone with guest-level access.
Mikael’s rank was at least red or higher.
And to initiate contact with a member of red rank or above, one needed a comparable status.
For her, who had only just set foot in the arena, it was an unreasonably demanding prerequisite.
Upon reflection, Mikael seemed to have a habit of continually testing her abilities.
She couldn’t fathom what these tests were meant to evaluate, but it suggested he was exceedingly cautious.
To meet Mikael, she would need to elevate her rank as quickly as possible.
And right before her eyes was someone who appeared well-versed in methods to raise one’s rank swiftly.
Reina fixed her gaze on Arteon, who wore a gold mask.
A mask unobtainable without substantial prowess.
He would surely know how to advance ranks in a short time.
Reina cut straight to the point.
“Before that, I’d like to raise my rank a bit. Is there a quick way to do it?”
“I’m something of an expert in that regard. Anyway, with a white mask, your options are limited, so I was planning to lend a hand.”
As expected, Arteon grinned broadly, as if the question were unnecessary.
When Kaiden shot him a dubious look, Arteon thumped his chest confidently and declared,
“I’ll guide you safely and swiftly to a red mask by the end of today.”
* * *
Black sat in the players’ waiting room, idly fiddling with his black mask.
No one here knew his face, since he always competed while wearing it.
The specially crafted mask ensured that his features remained unrecognizable.
Without the mask, Black’s appearance carried a somewhat cold aura.
His tousled silver hair fell in short waves, half-obscuring his eyes.
Peeking through were his pale blue irises, sharp and piercing.
He was in a state of heightened sensitivity due to an event from a few days prior.
On the day of the assault on Duke Helio, he had been at the opera theater.
After all, he was the one who had carried out the attack on the duke.
“Who sent you? Do you really think you can slink into my domain like a rat and escape with your life?”
Even after being struck in a vital area, Duke Helio’s ferocity remained undiminished.
As the duke had said, the theater was teeming with Helio’s knights.
This was essentially his stronghold—the performance venue.
For any ordinary assassin, slipping away through such defenses would be utterly impossible.
His words stemmed from that unshakeable confidence, but they held no sway over Black.
“I acknowledge the excellence of the Helio knights, but they won’t affect me.”
“Arrogance at its peak. I’ll see just how long you can keep up that brazen talk.”
The knights had already encircled Black, and escaping alone would require bracing for death.
Yet the one left in shock was not Black, but Duke Helio.
“A monster…?”
His face drained of color, as if he’d seen a ghost—a reaction all too familiar to Black.
The moment a Helio knight slashed at Black’s arm, it was the knight’s arm that was severed instead.
They assumed it was a trick and charged only three times.
The knights faltered at the sight of the unscathed monster, allowing Black to slip leisurely through their midst.
“I’d advise against moving. It would be unfortunate if I accidentally ended up killing Your Grace.”
With that, Black believed his mission had concluded flawlessly.
It likely would have, had he not crossed paths with Duke Crencia.
The duke effortlessly detected him, despite his concealed presence.
If not for the staff’s announcement signaling the start of the performance at that very moment, he might have been apprehended on the spot.
Crencia.
It was an unfamiliar name, yet it kept sending jolts through his heart.
He couldn’t understand why.
Now, he couldn’t even recall his own identity, but Crencia—more precisely, the former name of Duchess Crencia—kept circling relentlessly in his mind.
‘Reina Eve Mernie…’
Even amid the prolonged experiments in solitary confinement, that name refused to fade from his thoughts.
Thus, Black had planned to seek out the princess first upon his release from isolation.
But in the interim, the guardian of the north, Kaiden Crencia, had married her and taken her away.
If they had been lovers, he might have felt betrayal.
Yet the emotions that surged through Black then were bewilderment and relief.
He didn’t know the reason for those feelings, and he hadn’t been afforded the time to ponder them.
Living on as a shadow, he had coincidentally encountered Duke Crencia.
Black couldn’t dispel the persistent unease gnawing at him.
Within, an inexplicable fire simmered, mingled with a stinging ache.
At that moment, someone entered the players’ waiting room.
The individual who had inserted him into this role, the one acting on behalf of the imperial decree.
Barring any unforeseen changes, this person would become the next emperor.
None other than the crown prince of this nation, Siegfried Julid Mernie.
Even aware of his counterpart’s identity, Black did not yield.
Instead, he lifted his gaze to meet the other’s eyes directly.
Such an action was feasible because Wol Young’s loyalty was pledged not to the imperial family, but solely to the emperor.
Even faced with this indolent demeanor, Siegfried responded with indifference.
“Today should be your final match. The operation was executed splendidly.”
“With the task complete, am I to return to solitary confinement?”
To Black’s arid query, the other let out a soft chuckle.
“Why? Eager to go back?”
“As if.”
There were no fond memories from that place.
He, whose powers had been forcibly awakened, was akin to a monster, just as Duke Helio had described.
An immortal body.
The capacity to regenerate from wounds and, under specific conditions, redirect the damage back to the assailant was perfectly suited for assassination.
It was this very ability that had led to his selection as the emperor’s shadow.
Black had no recollection of how he came to join Wol Young.
He knew only the instinctual truth: betraying the emperor meant certain death.
“You won’t be returning. From here on, you’ll need to stand in for someone else.”
“Is this an undercover infiltration?”
“Well, something similar. I suspect you’ll handle it adeptly.”
“Who am I to impersonate?”
In response to Black’s question, Siegfried draped an arm around his shoulder with an elegant smile.
“The prince who vanished four years ago.”
“?”
“Jeffrey Eve Mernie will be your next guise.”
“Jeffrey Eve Mernie…”
Black murmured the name, which resonated with an uncanny familiarity.
Observing this, Siegfried disrupted his reverie.
“First, ensure you complete today’s match without incident. Your little sister happens to be here, so feel free to meet her if you wish.”
“Little sister…?”
“Reina Crencia Mernie. She’s Jeffrey’s one and only younger sibling.”
“!”
The instant he heard that name, Black felt as though something inside him came crashing down in ruins.
It was the jolt of hearing the name that perpetually dominated his thoughts uttered by another.
Concealing his turmoil, Black inquired softly.
“You mean Princess Reina is here?”
“Indeed. She’s been glued to her husband all day, diligently climbing the ranks? Well, it’s typical for newcomers to get utterly absorbed. Haha.”
Siegfried emitted a mechanical laugh, a bizarre smile that mimicked human expression.
The sense that he was smiling merely because it was expected sent a chill down the spine.
