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Battle at the Royal Palace – Part 04

“I-It’s an assassination!”

The guard’s cry reached the ears of all present. Yet, no one moved. They couldn’t move. The chamberlain, Austrin, and the nobles alike could only stare wide-eyed at the king’s bed, unable to do anything else.

“Chamberlain! Chamberlain! We need a Healer…”

The guard clung to the chamberlain, their face on the brink of tears, if not already weeping. At last, the chamberlain grasped the gravity of the situation.

“Y-Yes… You’re right. Someone fetch a Healer!”

The chamberlain withdrew a bell from his pocket and rang it softly. Several attendants rushed to his side, their hurried footsteps—considering palace protocol—worthy of admonishment. But to the chamberlain, they moved with unbearable slowness.

“Wait. Allow me to check on him.” Austrin stepped into the king’s chamber. The nobles attempted to follow, but a commanding roar halted their advance. “Do not enter! No one is permitted inside until I have verified the situation!”

The nobles froze once more, but this time, the stern voice jolted their brains back into motion.

“His Majesty… has passed away?”

“An assassination?! Who could have done it?!”

“How tragic…”

“We must swiftly determine the next ruler.”

Various reactions unfolded—confusion, anger, feigned sorrow—and it was evident that some among them reveled in the news. Amidst the tumult, Austrin assessed the king’s condition, reaching out to touch his forehead and neck.

“It seems he has indeed departed.”

Even Austrin’s face drained of color. He wiped his hands with a handkerchief and returned back to the door.

“Guards.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“Any visitors?”

“No one entered today.”

“Then, when was the last time the attendants came?”

“A-Approximately two hours ago. The chamberlain was present.”

“What?!”

Austrin fixed a piercing gaze on the chamberlain, who immediately realized that the prince was searching for the culprit.

“P-Please, Prince Austrin, allow me to explain. At that time, I left the room with the attendants. The guards can confirm that His Majesty was still alive then.”

“Yes. We heard His Majesty’s voice.”

“What did Father… What did His Majesty say? It might be his last words.”

“Um…”

“Speak.”

“Please excuse the language. His Majesty said, ‘I have no need for women today.'”

Despite his frailty, the king still indulged in the pleasures of the flesh and often entertained young women in his bed. However, such affairs occurred only once every few days, and on this day, he had expressed disinterest.

An uncomfortable silence fell. Austrin’s expression grew even more grim.

“Then who murdered my father?! Outside the window is the palace garden, where guards are on constant patrol, keeping a watchful eye! You must be lying—”

“I-I swear, I’m speaking the truth!” the guard asserted with teary eyes.

The chamberlain backed him up. “Prince Austrin, I think this individual is telling the truth. If he was the assassin, he would have lied when you asked if there were any visitors. However, he said that no one entered.”

“Hmm…”

“Let us entrust the search of the culprit to others.” The chamberlain turned to the attendants and the guards. “Seal off this room and don’t allow anyone to enter.”

They nodded gravely in response.

“Your Highness, let us proceed.”

“Proceed? Proceed with that? Didn’t you just say to cease the search for the culprit?”

Does he still not get it? The chamberlain swallowed the words. He tries to appear clever, yet his intellect is severely lacking. Let him serve as a convenient puppet for me. Right now, I must show that I am more valuable than the other nobles.

He ensured his desires remained concealed, consciously adopting a cajoling tone.

“Please ascend the throne immediately. Currently, no one stands in your way, but tomorrow the three Dukes may arrive. They might attempt to pin the blame for the king’s assassination on you, Your Highness. Should that happen, the kingdom will be torn apart by a civil war. It would be unwise to further destabilize our nation.”

“I am well aware of that! But my innocence is as clear as day!”

“Your Highness, you suspected the guard, the first to discover the king’s passing. Your visit is what led to the discovery. If accusations were to arise regarding your ‘late-hour visit,’ it would put you at an unfavorable position.”

“Tch…” Austrin gritted his teeth, visibly infuriated by the suspicion cast upon him. “I understand the need for an immediate ascent to the throne.”

As Austrin accepted the chamberlain’s proposition, a chorus of jubilant voices erupted from the nobles. However, Austrin’s face remained stern.

“Chamberlain, preparations must be made for the succession ceremony.”

“I understand. Your willingness to ascend the throne immediately is more than enough. Even if the three Dukes come together, as long as there exists one legitimate successor, there should be no problem. Your remaining 300 loyal supporters will handle the rest.”

“What are you saying? There is more than one legitimate successor—you can’t be serious!”

The chamberlain nodded, his expression unchanging. “Princess Kujastria, consumed by profound grief over the passing of His Majesty the King, chose to end her own life,” he suggested.

The nobles were left speechless, their eyes fixed upon Austrin.

Austrin stared hard at the chamberlain, who suggested the unthinkable—eliminating the princess. Although they had different mothers, she was still his sister. But now was the only chance to make a decision.

“Very well. I’ll leave it to you.”

The prince said it. He made him say the words. He forced Austrin to approve the princess’s assassination.

The chamberlain nodded firmly.

“In the meantime, I will think about the appointment of positions post-ascension,” Austrin said.

The nobles exploded with joy.

Such carefree fools. This is their chance to play significant roles… Although, thanks to them, I can seize everything for myself.

Just before Austrin left with the nobles, he subtly nodded to the chamberlain. In response, the chamberlain offered a deep bow.

He surmised that Austrin’s initial impression of him had likely been unfavorable. A mere parasite, clinging to his father’s side, enjoying the spoils. Yet gradually, that perception shifted to that of a “useful individual,” and now, he had become an “essential subordinate who could handle the dirty work.”

Everything was proceeding according to plan.

All that remained was for Kujastria to disappear from the new dynasty set to begin tomorrow.

---

Most of the grounds of the royal castle were well-maintained, yet hidden within its walls were alleyways left untouched.

Hikaru darted through the dark alley, his senses heightened to the max. His Mana Detection had a range of approximately 100 meters, and he was pursuing someone who was just barely within that limit.

Hikaru had his Stealth on. But even though he couldn’t be seen, the wind stirred in his wake. Maids and guards lurking in the shadows for a secret rendezvous glanced around anxiously.

Startled, a guard patrolling the royal castle spun around, sensing something amiss. A stray stone, kicked by Hikaru, rebounded and struck the leg of a maid carrying a late-night snack, leaving her momentarily bewildered.

Damn it, they’re fast!

Hikaru sprinted fully ahead, not caring about anything else, but the person was equally fast. Their Stealth should be inferior to Hikaru’s; were they not worried about being spotted? However, if they had been spotted, an alarm should have sounded—a suspicious individual had snuck into the royal castle, after all.

No alarms. That means they’re skilled… both at infiltration and escape.

Hikaru had familiarized himself with the castle’s layout, including the palace area, but the intruder seemed to have an even greater grasp of the terrain. They were following the shortest path to the exit.

But they won’t go unnoticed there.

It was the castle gate.

The main entrance stood shut, leaving the side gate as the sole passage. The side gate consisted of two iron doors, with one always open while the other remained closed.

Scaling the castle walls was a viable option, but there was no means of descent once on top. Beyond the walls lay a brightly illuminated, wide moat; anyone down there would be quickly spotted.

There was a bridge only in the vicinity of the castle gate, which was even brighter at night. Hikaru would want to avoid taking that route, even with his Stealth on.

In short, the intruder was planning to force their way through the side entrance.

I knew it!

Hikaru reached a vantage point affording a view of the castle gate. A guard at the side entrance was sent flying. Their colleagues rushed out, shouting; in the meantime, the iron door was swinging open.

Crap! If they seal off the side gate completely, I won’t be able to leave!

Hikaru sprinted with all his might. The guard who was knocked down rose to his feet while shaking his head, conversing with his companions. The alarm was already blaring, and guards started mobilizing.

“Seal both doors! Quickly!”

“U-Understood!”

Just as the guards reached for the iron doors…

“Apologies, coming through!”

“Huh?”

Hikaru spoke because he didn’t want to needlessly harm someone by virtue of his Stealth being active. Two guards whirled around, and he pushed them to the side before darting through the side gate. He tackled the closing iron door with his shoulder, swinging it open.

“There you are.”

Upon crossing the bridge, the fleeing intruder glanced back at the castle walls. Hearing alarm whistles sounding all over the place, they resumed their escape, vanishing into a back alley from the main street.

After a while of relentless running, they gradually slowed, transitioning from a sprint to a brisk walk as they entered the commoner’s residential area from the noble district. Once they arrived on a street littered with drunkards, they began walking normally.

“Hey.”

Hikaru finally caught up to them in a deserted street. He was out of breath, but so was the intruder, who flinched and stopped but refrained from turning around.

“You finally stopped. I went through so much trouble chasing you.”

“…”

“Silence, huh? You’re wasting your time. You look like you’re eager to leave the capital city as soon as possible, Unken.”

The man twitched. He was as small as Hikaru, but his cautious movements betrayed the years spent refining his skills.

As he turned around, the intruder swiftly lunged forward with a rapier designed for precise thrusts. However, the attack sliced through the air—no, there was no one there to begin with.

“Wh-What…?”

“Over here.”

The voice came from behind, in the direction he was heading to moments ago. He couldn’t sense the person’s movement at all. Even in the dimness, one could see the color drain from his face.

“So, it was you all along… Unken. Why did you do such a thing?” Hikaru asked the silent intruder—Unken.

“…”

“Why did you kill the king?”