Chapter 1 - Perle Schatten
“Young Master, the Master is calling for you to dinner.”
“Tell him I’ll be there after I finish my sword practice.”
“Understood.”
The maid quietly withdraws as a young boy focuses on swinging his wooden sword. The boy is known as Perle, and he's the heir to the Schatten Earldom. Perle is merely 7 years of age but the study of sword practice, politics and arithmetics at a young age is common for the heir of a noble title.
After several minutes of swinging his wooden sword, he returned into the manor. The manor was a large manor because it’s the primary family manor in the Schatten fiefdom, located in the fief capital, only losing to the Schatten manor in the Imperial capital.
“Greetings, dearest father and mother.”
“Greetings, our dearest son.”
This kind of formal interaction was normal, the relationship between Perle and the Schatten Earl couple wasn’t bad and they often show affection for each other but in front of others, their noble pride make them unable to act informally.
“May we thank the Lord for this meal. Let us feast now.”
The food was cold, the poison tasting took a while due to the various food displayed. Everyone was quietly eating, there were servants who stood next to the door in the dining hall with no expressions displayed on their faces, showing that they were experienced servants.
“Now, I have an important announcement. His Highness the First Prince, has decided to visit our fief. Be sure to give him a warm welcome when he arrives.”
Earl Schatten who finished his meal first announces the visit of the First Prince.
“When will His Highness arrive, father?”
“It's to be expected tomorrow, he will be inspecting our wine farms.”
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Perle finished his meal shortly after the conversation about the First Prince's arrival and returned to his room for some rest after taking a hot bath, he laid in his bed after ordering the servant to exit his room.
“The Prince visiting, tomorrow might be fun. I wonder if His Highness's sword skill is as strong as the rumours say they are.”
Perle shortly fell asleep happily after dreaming about a duel with His Highness.
“AHHHHH!!!”
A scream woke up Perle. Perle knew that intruders are normal, and they often get dealt with by the guards hired before entering the estate but the servant who screamed seems to have encountered the intruder within the estate. Picking up the short sword nearby, he strolls down the hallway waiting to encounter the intruder.
“Perle, what are you doing here?”
It was the Earl couple equipped with longswords who appeared around the corner, not an intruder.
“Finding the source of the scream, father.”
“I see, let’s have a competition, first person to find the intruder wins. You might be able to make it a tie since the scores are 50 to 49.”
“Deal.”
“Oh, what do we have here? The whole family is gathered in one place, that saves the trouble of trying to find everyone.”
A mysterious voice accompanied by several snickering reached the Earl family.
“Let’s change it to who gets the most kills.”
“Agreed.”
The Earl changed the goal after several men in black appeared armed with swords and daggers.
“Well, let's get rid of the threat first.”
A man dressed in black laughed before disappearing, the sound of something dropping to the floor echoed the hallway followed by more dropping sounds. A red pool reached Perle's foot, he quickly turns around to where his parents stood, there laid cut up grotesque body parts and blood.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? Since you're just a little kid, I’ll kill you with less pain as an act of mercy.”
Perle stood in horror shaking upon the sight of the person dressed in black who killed his family approaching him, sword in hand and surrounded by a dark aura. His fear was shortly overwhelmed when a sharp pain pierces his body followed by several similar sensations in his legs and arms, he falls to his knees collapsed with barely any consciousness left within him.
“The Prince is here!”
“Let’s leave quickly, our job is done -Urgh! ”
A person with golden hair reflecting the moonlight appeared slicing up the intruders, he was accompanied with several men clad in mithril armour.
“Hey! Are you alright!?”
That was the last thing he heard before his head began fill up with even more pain, slowly he loses consciousness muttering something he couldn’t hear nor remember.
POV Prince Goldenloss
We quickly arrived at the Schatten estate after news of movement from the dark guild. The dark guild's aim was likely the Schatten Earldom's famous fief wine production which crashed the wine market.
We saw several dead carcasses in the front gate. I rushed into the manor but... I was too late, it was too late. The Schatten family was dead, we were too late to save them. The Schatten family was one of the most prosperous family thanks to their wine production, losing them could deal a huge blow to the economy.
I looked around and saw a body on the ground barely alive, he's probably the Schatten's family heir and only child. As long as he's alive, we might be able to save the Earldom.
“Hey! Are you alright!?”
I quickly gestured to the nearby Royal guards to watch out whilst approaching the body.
“P-please, t-tell my family…. To throw my PC in the bath filled with wat~er…. Never look at…….”
Strange words were leaked out of his mouth before he lost his consciousness, I should be able to heal him using the high potion in my bag.
“Here you go."
I opened the potion and poured it over the seriously injured part, the dark guild members on the other hand, escaped, we can't chase them now.
“Take him to the carriage, we will be returning to the capital.”
I quickly ordered the Royal guards to carry the body to the carriage and headed back.