It felt like several hours had passed until Percy finally found what he had been looking for.
Sacrifice Storm. So that’s the technique the assassin used? Oh…wait? This is very interesting!
The Royal Techniques book didn’t teach him the techniques that can be studied in the royal barracks and other places subordinate to the royal house, but it described the most openly known techniques spread across the kingdom. The descriptions were detailed and advised certain Gifted Ones whether it would be useful for them to learn techniques or if they should never consider learning them. Some techniques were useful for melee fighters but were essential for Archers, Mages, or Healers, while others were the most suited to Rogues and Assassins rather than Guardians.
Percy had to re-read the details about Sacrifice Storm several times to imprint everything deep into his mind. Unfortunately, he was interrupted when the gates to the royal library burst open. The gates were nearly ripped out of the hinges as the King and the Queen entered. They emerged in the royal library with hurried strides.
“Percy!” The King shouted while the Queen added, “Where are you?”
However, they found Percy before he could answer.
The royal couple breathed heavily and stared intently at Percy.
“Is…something wrong?” He asked awkwardly.
His relationship with his parents was still odd, but Percy knew Phillip Kain and Reina Kain were good people. He was fully aware of that. It was just that he wasn’t having an easy time warming up to them since too many things happened in such a short time.
“A Shadow Assassin attacked you in the barracks?” Phillip Kain asked dead seriously.
“Are you talking about the royal family’s assassins?” Percy asked while pointing at the page of Sacrifice Storm in the book he’d just been reading. Only the assassins taught in the royal household were allowed to learn Sacrifice Storm. That was what Percy had discovered a few minutes ago.
“Yes, I was attacked by one of those Shadow Assassins when I first arrived in the capital. I reached the barracks of the Glacia Knight Order and entered my room only to find someone hiding in the shadows. I have a fairly strong Augmentation that helps me see the outlines of someone. He was holding daggers, and I nearly killed him when he used the Suicidal Storm if I’m understanding this correctly,” Percy nodded, pointing at the same page again.
“But shouldn’t you be aware of that already?” He asked, looking at the king, “I’m pretty sure Paul Reeze told you about the incident. Even if he didn’t, someone would have reported the explosion in the barracks.”
Reina glared at her husband, whose hardened features distorted into a wince, “Paul was hesitant to go into detail when he reported the assassination. He didn’t share much intel about you either, fearing you were a survivor of the massacre in the Sylther household. That was unlikely, but if I’m being honest…it was more likely a member of the Sylther household to survive, maybe an unknown bastard, than… for you to be alive…”
“Mother didn’t tell me about you either. Nobody was certain who you were or where you belong to…” Reina tried to chim in after she recalled her mother’s actions but realized that Percy might misunderstand her words, “So Paul was afraid we would kill you to remove the Sylther household from the mortal realm? He tried protecting you and didn’t report everything…”
“I will talk to Paul about this later,” Phillip Kain grumbled, and Percy could tell that the Reeze Duke was awaiting an uncomfortable discussion.
“I…don’t want to jump to conclusions, but you’re saying one of the Shadow Assassins attacked me. Doesn’t that mean someone from the royal family tried to kill me?” Percy commented, trying not to sound hurt, “There aren’t many royal members anymore, or are they? So…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence, but the Queen’s eyes widened in terror when she realized what he was hinting at.
“We. We would never…” Tears trickled down her cheeks, but there was also anger in her eyes…anger toward whoever dared to hurt her little baby…again, “Never!”
The King’s eyes hardened again while his mind rattled wildly, “Can you tell us who raised you? We have been talking around this topic for a few days now and I think knowing the name of the man who raised you might be the answer to everything.”
Percy swallowed hard, “You think you know him, don’t you? I was never actually dead, and you–...”
Stolen story; please report.
The royal couple shook their heads, and the king sighed deeply. “I think we might know who took you, but I cannot be certain until you tell us. As for the second part… we never knew for sure. We were busy dealing with the border issues near the Beastlands when the war with the Beastmen was at an all-time high at that time. When we returned…everything was already over. We found dead Shadow Assassins everywhere. They had been ordered to protect you and died for your sake. At least, that’s what we’ve suspected for a long time.”
Reina cleared her throat and added, “We think the man who raised you took you away and somehow managed to isolate you from the Oracel’s visions. I can see you now. In fact, the Oracles can now see everything about you from the day of your Awakening. Everything other than the man who raised you.”
Old Greg tried to hide me from everyone’s view. He wanted everything to think of me as dead…Is that it?
“Is this related to Devil’s Touch?” Percy asked suddenly, and both the King and the Queen went silent.
“You know more than you’re willing to say,” Percy grumbled, “You…are already suspecting someone, aren’t you?”
The silence was ear-deafening, but he could also see the guilt in their eyes.
Percy hated this silence more than anything. Even finding out about his family hadn’t been this unpleasant.
“The man who raised me was Greg. He is also the one who taught me ever–...”
The silence dispersed in an exclamation from the King, “Gregory Fineastar?!”
The royal couple’s eyes widened, and even the librarian who had been silently listening looked surprised. However, Percy had no idea if old man Greg’s name was actually Gregory Fineastar.
“Gregory was one of the best, but Father told me that he died in the massacre. His…corpse was never found, but enough blood to tell that he was… Oh no…” The King's expression changed into one of fury, and a massive wave of mana erupted from his insides.
The library shelves around him trembled violently.
“How dare he?!?” Phillip roared, spinning around to charge out of the library.
Percy was not quite sure what was going to happen now, but what he could tell was one thing. Blood would cover the palace grounds today!
***
Following the King wasn’t easy but he left enough trails behind on his carnage. Phillip Kain wasn’t even trying to act subtly. He stirred awake everyone in the royal palace with the mana gushing out of him. Percy, his mother, and the royal librarian rushed after the King, who left behind enough trembling servants, who pointed in the direction the King went when they rushed past them.
Percy wasn’t weak by any means, but his mother and the royal librarian were much stronger and faster. They were either at the Master Tier or higher. Still, he tried his best not to lose them.
Not even one minute into their charge through the palace, Reina and the librarian slowed down. Percy was breathing heavily as he arrived beside them.
“Where…” He gasped for air, “Where are we?”
“That’s the Old King’s office,” Reina said, shuddering, “Your grandfather’s office.”
The doors to the Old King’s office were wide open but nobody dared to enter. The sound of pained groans rang out of the office, followed by a squishy noise, and a scream.
Percy glanced inside, his eyes widening when he saw his father’s fist smashing heavily into an old man’s face. That old man was none other than the Old King. Phillip Kain’s father
Blood splattered everywhere, but Phillip didn’t stop. His arm pulled back, and he punched the Old King again.
Several arms shot forward to refrain the King from killing his father on the spot. It was only then that Percy noticed how many people were present in the Old King’s office.
Half a dozen older men and women were in the room. Everyone was, at least, at the Master Tier. Despite that, nobody could contain the King’s fury. He was too strong.
The scene unfolding before Percy was shocking, to say the least.
“Stop this mess, darling!!” The Queen shouted, but the King didn’t listen to her.
It was only when Percy spoke up that something clicked in the King’s mind.
“What is going on here?”
The King released his father, pushing him back into his chair, before turning around. The fury in Phillip’s eyes didn’t wane but seeing his son calmed him a little. He regained just enough composure to stop before he’d end up killing the Old King by chance.
“He’s the one.”
That was all the King said. As if that was everything everyone needed to know.
Nobody responded to Phillip’s claim, infuriating the King once again. The Old King groaned in pain, to which Phillip responded with another punch in the face.
“You used Gregory to kill my son, didn’t you?!?” Phillip roared, the presence of a dragon surging out of the King.
“I–....” The Old King said, but Phillip’s roar swallowed the Old King’s words.
“But Gregory didn’t follow your order, didn’t he? He disobeyed your orders for the first time since he joined the Shadow Assassins. Your actions forced him to kill the Shadow Assassins, who would have followed your order without hesitation…without mercy. Your actions…forced Gregory to take away our child!!”