A day after the arrival of a certain person and her maids to the capital.

Prince Licht walked through the big hallways of the royal palace, followed closely by his personal attendant and bodyguard, Mary.

He had received one worrisome report after the other, to the point that he needed to inform his father, the King.

If one were to look at his face, one would not be able to guess his real emotions, let alone whatever was in his mind.

And what was in his mind were questions, lots of questions, and a certain feeling of suspense.

For he felt as if he were seeing someone preparing to pull the rug from under him and he could not do a thing about it.

Nevertheless, his stride was fast and focused, he did not even bother to give his usual greetings to the people of the castle and they, having known him since he was a child, figured out that something serious had happened, so they did not take it to heart.

Furthermore, they even wished him well.

When he arrived in front of the door of his father's office, he did not announce himself nor knocked, he simply entered.

"Father we have a...!"

In that moment, he was left speechless by the person who was there, someone who was not supposed to be there.

"Ah, Prince Licht. I apologize for yesterday."

Hilde Val, the other advisor of his father.

She was supposed to be in one of the palace’s rooms resting and getting medical attention.

And not beside Licht’s father.

"But...how? You collapsed yesterday…you were in a lot of pain and none of the medics nor the healers knew what was happening to you...and you are...alright?"

Prince Licht was clearly baffled by the seemingly healthy-looking Hilde and she smiled, letting out a small laugh before she turned to the King.

"My King, I think I should tell him."

The King, who was looking outside his window and had his back towards Licht, nodded.

"If that is what you wish, then do so."

Said the King in an uninterested tone, all as he kept looking at his kingdom through the colored glass of the window.

The roads, the buildings, the movement of the people, everything.

His face certainly looked older even if it had been only five years, for the pressure and stress he endured had taken a toll on him.

Well, anyone would get stressed if they were against a literal God or Goddess in this case.

Having to think of every single step to avoid her undivided attention, let alone her punishment, was tiring...

He knew what he was doing.

He knew that it could be considered heresy to use such sinister power.

What he did not know was that she already knew.

Every single night he told himself that his deeds were for the good of the world.

That he was doing a hero's work by taking the risk upon himself and maybe, just maybe, he would be forgiven by the Goddess after showing the results of all his sacrifices and hard work.

Doing so would get him the recognition he deserved and not only as the husband of...or the one not chosen...

‘No...that is not right...’

He shook his head, putting those selfish thoughts in the back of his mind.

He was doing it for a new glory, one brought by him, yes, but one for the entire world.

The one who opened his eyes was his advisor.

Hilde Val.

She had looked at him just once and with that, she managed to discern the truth within his heart.

Not only did she do that, but she also showed it back to him.

And said:

“I will help you attain it, My King.”

For a time, he was full of doubts and he even berated himself sometimes just for letting himself think about it.

‘It would cost so much.’

He would tell himself.

"A life under two shadows, one expired and one that keeps growing is much worse".

But then she would say such thing.

He felt disgusted hearing her reducing them to simple shadows, but her words were filled with truth.

So much truth.

Was it so bad to want to be something more?

After all, he had endured many battles and saved many more lives.

He had walked beside a Saintess in her heroic path.

And if it was not for him, said Saintess would have died before doing her miracle.

After that, he became a king and shouldered part of the great responsibilities that weighted on the Saintess, all while she paraded around.

But he still was overshadowed.

He was still behind them.

And why? Why weren’t his actions recognized when he had done so much?

Why the Goddess didn't consider him?

Were those actions not enough?

Even a baby was more worthy than him...

If so, he only needed to do something bigger.

Something worthy of the recognition he deserved.

Hilde opened the door for that.

Her vast knowledge even seemed more than someone her age could attain, but she was heralded as a prodigy among the scholars of many places, including the Nerinum Magic Academy, so it was to be expected.

She had brought his attention to things he would have never thought to exist.

Like a certain mineral that could hold similar power to one of legend if treated correctly.

Yet, that was but one of the things she had shown him.

There were more.

So, he kept quiet and waited for the right moment, all as he silently prepared the stage.

Indeed, he had been preparing even before his eldest son returned to the capital.

And he also knew that he would be an obstacle.

He was too similar to his mother in some ways and to him in others.

The good ways.

Of course, he was his own man before such similarities, a man that would probably try to stop him the moment he knew of his plans.

So, he had to cut him off.

His younger daughter too...but for another reason.

He wouldn't be able to go through with it all if she were to look at him with fear or even worse...hate.

It would break him.

Simple as that.

But his middle child...he was different...he knew.

Even when he had kept it well hidden.

He knew and he offered his help.

His mismatched colored eyes gave off that ruthlessness needed for what he offered to do.

The King, Raphael, wouldn't admit it to himself, but more than surprised, he felt intimidated by that.

After all, it took for him so much time to convince himself to do those sacrifices and then his middle child jumped right in without a second thought.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

It sent shivers down his spine.

Even to this day, Raphael takes much care to not fall into the glow of those eyes, for he cannot be sure of what lies behind them.

That is also why a part of himself does not trust his own son, even when his work is valuable.

Valuable enough to keep him close.

"An old sickness?"

"That is correct, Prince Licht. I've had this sickness since I was small. That is what led me to become an alchemist and a researcher. I've had it under control over the years, but it seems that it became resistant to my medicine and I had a relapse. Moreover, this was not the first time...it sadly happened once before, a week and a half ago. I thought that I had enough time to make a new medicine, but I was mistaken.”

She laughed wryly before continuing.

“I had told his Highness about the sickness when I was assigned as advisor, but I refrained to do so with you. In part, because I did not want to be taken as someone unreliable, someone that could fall sick at any time. But mostly, because I did not want to be a cause of concern to you and distract you from your duties."

Her voice was soft and caring as she said that, but Licht seemed to be still in disbelief, even after listening to her.

"Are you alright now?"

He asked as he sharpened his gaze and was only met by a warm smile.

"Yes. While my second relapse was a surprising one, I was already working on a stronger medicine with my people before it happened. And they completed it while I rested."

Suddenly, she covered one of Licht's hands with hers and showed an even warmer smile.

"Thank you for worrying about me, Prince Licht."

"It is nothing. As long as you are alright. That is all that matters."

Almost any man would get flustered when being held by such beauty in both physique and intellect.

Even more so, thanked.

But not Licht, his expression softened, and he smiled back at her, but neither his eyes or tone showed any sign of being moved by her or any other of such emotions.

It was but a calculating smile.

Even then, one could also say that many women and men, due to his incredibly androgynous beauty, would also be charmed by his smile.

Which also seemed effective on Hilde, but only 'seemed'...at least that is what Licht's heart told him.

After that, the King asked them both to be seated.

"Then, what is it that brought you here, son?"

"Yes, we have a problem. The Knights of the Ever Burning Will are already inside of the capital."

The King raised an eyebrow at that and then sharpened his gaze before turning to Hilde.

She shook her head.

"What evidence do you have of that, son? We have stationed the Royal Knights on all entrances to the Capital, even the hidden ones, and the guards are actively looking for them using Count Alessandro's information. There have been no reports of them being seen. Not even—"

"Alessandro is gone."

So interrupted Licht with a deadly serious expression on his face.

"…what?"

"..."

The King and Hilde looked at Licht in a way that said, 'you better not be joking, for your sake.'

But Licht was unaffected by those stares...it even felt nostalgic in a way.

"It is as I said. Count Alessandro Vicci disappeared yesterday, taken by who his closest subordinate says was a man with a similar description to one of those in the reports. Meanwhile, she was badly hurt in the struggle before it and lost her consciousness not long after."

Indeed, Alessandro's closest subordinate, a white-haired woman, had appeared in Licht’s office a few hours before and gave him such news.

She was covered in bandages and was clearly unable to do her job anymore.

And knowing about the Count's way of…'acquiring' and training subordinates, he did not press her to keep doing so.

Instead, Licht thanked her for her service and even gave her a purse full of coins as a reward.

Her honest smile as she received them was at least a good way of balancing the sourness of the news.

"He is loyal to the cause; he will not talk. He will die before doing so."

So declared the King with confidence.

"But that still does not explain how they entered the Capital, your Highness."

Said Hilde pointing out something important.

"The tunnels."

And the King smiled as if he had known all along.

"Yes, Father. They may very well be using the tunnels as their way to move through the city undetected, even by our forces. After all, our best efforts have only yielded a partial mapping of one sector of the tunnels, not counting the ones we already had knowledge of."

As he listened to his son, King Raphael had his hand on his chin as he pondered about something.

"Hmm...then that means they know how to traverse the tunnels and they are most likely trying to gather as much information before confronting us.”

"But now that we know, it will be more difficult for them, your Highness. For we can keep all our members under surveillance with the help of the guards and the Bulls."

Said Hilde in a calm and collected manner, without the urgency that such situation would call for.

"That is going under assumption that they haven't taken others too."

Said Licht as his serious expression did not waver.

"Son, this is not the time to be doing this dance of yours...just say everything at once."

Said the King clearly irritated by the way the Prince revealed little by little the information of what had transpired the day before.

"Very well, Father. Yesterday, Baronet Greese and Locke left their posts to their protégé and half-sister, respectively. And they did so before leaving the Capital. For Baronet Greese to do something as unexpected as that...is expected, regrettably. We all know of his eccentric demeanor and it is plausible that he just up and left, seeking something more beneficial and interesting…"

The King nodded with an annoyed look on his face as if saying 'Yes, that sounds like him’.

"On the other hand, Baronet Locke's demeanor is one of ambition. And while he recently showed signs of the common stress that comes with the responsibilities given to him, his way of working always had the improvement of his rank as a goal.”

This time, Hilde was the one that nodded at Licht’s appraisal of said noble.

“Still, he indeed has a half-sister, four half-sisters to be precise. Two of them are studying abroad and the other two are in other cities of the Kingdom. As such, it is likely to be one of them, for she had the seal corresponding to Locke's household. Yet, for him to just leave...I do not see him doing so. That is unless there was an offer that would fulfill that ambition. But then again, Baronet Greese may have taken Locke with him on a whim..."

**sigh**

Father and son then sighed and shook their heads at the same time, recognizing the incredibly high possibility of that being the case.

To which Hilde let out a small giggle.

"The timing of it. That is what bothers you, right, Prince Licht?"

"It is as you say, Miss Hilde. The timing coincides too well with Alessandro's disappearance. They might have been taken by them and are currently being interrogated. Their households then gave the responsibilities to the best suited within them, at least until a real replacement is chosen through the system. We should use more resources to find these knights before they interfere, Father. I can even deploy my own forces if needed."

Such was the offer of Prince Licht, but the King shook his head, his long white hair moving along as he did.

"No, it does not matter."

"What?"

Of course, Licht was nothing but baffled.

"The preparations for the 'Grand Opening' are almost ready. So, what we must do is clear. We shall use more resources on that and bring it to its completion before they can do something about it. After that, any threat they might pose shall become pointless."

Said the King firmly to his son.

"Father, you should not underestimate them. Even more so when there could be people we know as strong among them. Or are you going to tell me that the name they took is not obvious enough?"

“I disagree, Prince Licht. Despite their interference with the operation at Illumbee Village, there is not too much else to go on about their strength. Considering that dealing with forcefully conscripted villagers is nothing but an easy task, let alone the mundane ones they did on the other villages. And while yes, they might have a way to counter the effects of the pure mineral, we must consider the possibility of them operating in the way they do because they lack the strength to do so in any other way.”

Hilde dismissed Licht’s worries with that argument, although she did so in a way that seemed as if she was attempting to calm the Prince.

Of course, said Prince tried to say something, but his father stopped him with his hand.

"Son, no matter what you may think. Your brother and his order are gone. Hilde's spell told us as much. As it tells us every year. They could have returned at any time during all these years, but they did not. You must accept it, they are gone. As for the name, it comes from a legend, one that is popular in the Kingdom and the rest of the world. Thus, it could be any one child that grew up with it and thought that highly of themselves and their group. With that said, my stance on the issue remains the same."

While Licht kept a perfect expression before the words of his father, that was not the case inside his mind.

'That is where you are wrong, Father. My dear Elder Brother is not dead, no matter what Hilde's spell says. No matter what you say. The Goddess gave a prophecy, and he is already here. I can feel it.'

There, he berated his father for the notion that he flaunted with relief in his eyes.

A notion that started just a few weeks after a certain Prince’s Fall, five years ago.

It was then that he asked Hilde to use a certain spell, one that let him know of the status of those connected to him by blood.

And in his paranoia, he would repeat the same spell every year just to confirm that his eldest son was dead. For if he was, then his order was as good as dead too.

Licht subtly sighed before resigning himself to move on to another matter.

"One last thing. Her Holiness received an important guest, one important enough that she has been seen coming out of the inn this guest is staying at.”

Both the King and Hilde showed themselves intrigued as they listened.

“The guest’s name is Auros Argento and she seems to have come from an unknown country to us, but not to her Holiness. Of course, I already put her under surveillance to acquire more information on her and whatever her goals may be. And judging by her Holiness’ response to the ball’s invitation, Lady Auros will also be in attendance.”

"Argento, huh. Could it be that mercenary…? No..."

The last name of said guest seemed to remind the King of someone, to the point that such a mutter escaped his lips in the middle of his pondering about them. But he stopped that train of thought and shook his head.

"...I am afraid that I do not remember anyone with that last name, not even from the Front."

"Neither do I, your Highness. But it is indeed strange for there to be a country not known to us. Even more so with her not coming to greet the King of the nation she is visiting."

Hilde was clearly amused by the peculiar circumstances surrounding such guest.

"It cannot be helped. If her Holiness herself is the one who invited her, then it is a matter of the Church. Besides, I suspect her attendance to the ball will be for the purpose of introducing herself to Father. As such, it would be wise for us to be covert for now and wait until then to act publicly."

"Indeed."

Agreeing with his son, the King nodded.

After all, there was no need to risk having more contact with the Church than what was needed.

"With that said, I shall resume my duties. Miss Hilde, if I may, there is something that occurred yesterday. It is about two knights of the Bulls afflicted by a powerful curse..."

The conversation went on for a few minutes before Prince Licht took his leave from the King's office, leaving said King alone with Hilde once more.

"Is he still useful?"

Asked the King with a cold expression on his face.

"Yes, your Highness. He is. If it weren't for his many contributions, the people's sentiments would be in a much worse state than they are now. He is loved by the people after all."

"Hmm, not for long."

"As you say, My King."

________________________________________________

Meanwhile, in one of the many hallways of the palace.

"Hilde is hiding something..."

"And the sky is blue, Prince Licht."

Despite her maintaining an expressionless face as she walked, Mary’s sarcasm at the Prince’s comment was as clear as day.

"And Father keeps being as blind as he was five years ago. His overconfidence will be his doom. Even after he heard me speak about a curse that can only be casted by those apt in the dark side of healing magic, like Gabriel. Even after that, he was the least bit preoccupied."

"Water is wet too, Prince Licht."

Once again, Mary’s sarcasm was the only response Licht got.

“Furthermore, I think that Miss Hilde has failed to realize something in her various attempts to charm me. Something that is especially important.”

"Pray tell, Prince Licht."

"Her smile might look warm, but her hands are cold. Even more so after her 'relapse'. It must be related to her 'secret' and if I am right, then the chance to enact my plan looms ever closer."

Said Prince Licht with a smile on his face.

To be continued...(cue Auros resting on the sofa while fluffing Lyra, enjoying a chapter were they do not appear...and it is here thanks to Fia from our discord server! Enjoy!)

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