2:40 AM.
Ryan left the room quietly.
It takes 20 minutes to reach the planned location at Vania's pace.
If Marina had acted as Vania had predicted, the matter would have already been decided or would still be in progress.
Marina would have already confirmed that Vania was alone and started working, so it would be okay to follow her around now.
'I hope it's not too late.'
Vania probably couldn't have imagined that Ryan would follow her, and if she did something wrong, there could be variables...
'It doesn't matter. I have the Third Prince!'
Ryan came out of the dorm and looked up at the dark window of Nike's room.
And he remembered last night.
Last night, when he went to find Nike without Vania knowing.
“I am not incompetent.”
“...!”
“No, my lord. What should I do if I start from that...?”
Nike was surprised by the bombshell statement, Max was flustered, and Ryan was the only one who remained indifferent.
Ryan immediately saw Nike's pale expression and knew that he was in shock.
What if Ryan isn't incompetent?
The moment you made contact and returned, you would have already realized that you were ‘caught’ being the holder of the <Poem of Retrograde>.
“Your Highness, I brought this guy here to protect me if you ever dare to attack me with a sword..."
Ryan said, nodding to Max.
“...If you promise to talk calmly with me, I’ll let you go. It’ll be uncomfortable if too many people are listening.”
“...”
As the silent Nike nodded, Ryan sent Max away.
When there were finally two of them.
Nike was nervous.
Ryan...
'He is a very extraordinary person.'
The reason he came in with his escort, Max, and showed his face was an unspoken 'threat'.
It means 'You never know how many people might know your secret.'
Therefore, even if he doesn't know what the 'conversation' Ryan is talking about is, he has no choice but to go in and have fun.
Ryan, who had the upper hand from the start, sat down in the chair Nike had given him and got straight to the point.
"I have a favor to ask. Tomorrow, I may need your powers for something. If so, please take my hand and return just once."
Ryan bowed his head politely and asked again.
“Please, I beg you. My daughter’s life is at stake.”
"...What?"
Vania?
“I’m truly sorry, but I can’t tell you the details right now. But...”
"Yes."
“...?”
Ryan was momentarily speechless at the immediate affirmation.
“Don’t do that.”
“Oh, yes...”
Je thought it would take quite a while to convince Nike, but... once he brought up Vania, it was over in five minutes.
So now all that's left is to reassure Nike.
"Yes."
"I think that alone should give you some degree of confidence in me. I've come out of Wassenberg clean, and I have no intention of ever going back."
“Can I ask you something?”
"Yes, I know what you're going to ask. Do you know Melvin Wassenberg? He's my uncle, and I possess the same powers as him."
Nike's eyes widened.
“Even though he passed away when the Prince was young, you still know, don’t you?”
He knows. He heard it so much, he knew it so well.
Melvin Wassenberg.
And unlike other members of the family, without any demands, without any price...
A person with the ability to instantly kill enemies.
During Melvin Wassenberg's lifetime, the royal family received much help.
Clearly, it was an arbitrary act against the will of the owner, Edgar Wassenberg.
He heard he died young, though that may have been the price.
He was probably murdered.
“...If you have such abilities, why don’t you return to your family?”
“Would you go back if you were me?”
“...”
"No, you're not. I'm not going back for the same reason. The person I detest the most is my father, the one who brought me into this world."
Ryan added, hoping his sincerity would be felt.
"Believe me. I have no intention of returning to my family, of seeing my father again, or of revealing Your Highness's secrets."
Ryan started running.
To where Vania is.
Of course, he doesn't think Vania will make a mistake.
What Ryan is worried about is that Vania might end up killing someone.
The act of 'murder', regardless of whether the other person is irredeemable trash or not, causes psychological shock in some way.
'So, I'll do the dirty work, Bunny.'
A mental fortitude honed for over twelve years, dreaming of revenge. If possible, it would be better if the blood were only on his own hands.
Marina asked with a smile.
“You... what are you?”
I could already sense her aloofness from her expression.
You must have instinctively felt that there was no way out.
A night without shadows.
In bondage with her subordinates.
A situation where even the messenger bird that communicates with the outside world has been subdued.
I looked into Marina's eyes without saying a word.
Eyes as black as the abyss.
Before I returned, I knew her the least among my siblings because my father kept an eye on me to prevent me from obtaining Marina's blessing.
Marina Wassenberg.
She is the leader of the Shadow Order, the family's assassination organization, and her father moves her when he has something he wants to handle secretly or information he wants to dig up.
That's all I knew.
Oh, and one more thing.
"Sis, you've always been quick to grasp situations, so you must have sensed it. This will be your grave."
“...”
"Do you want to live? Then I might let you live. Just answer a few questions."
“Ahahaha. What do you think I am...”
"Of course, I can't let you go to Father. If you want to live, you'll have to take my hand. Let's attack Wassenberg together. What do you think?"
I have no intention of embracing Marina.
I ask this question because I know what answer will come out of her mouth.
“Kill me. I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
“...I knew it.”
Yeah, one more thing I knew about Marina.
She was a remarkably devoted daughter to my father, an incomprehensibly profound loyalty.
I know now that no matter how much I torture Marina or threaten to kill her, I won't get anything out of her mouth.
I spread out my hands.
I'm trembling.
I was scared, but I had to do it.
“See you again in hell, sis.”
Approaching Marina.
Instant death.
Stage 1 of Manifestation: The holder can instantly kill a target (living being) by making contact with it.
"Anyway, I have no intention of going to heaven after doing something like this. I just want to live like a human being, at least in this life."
The moment I was about to put my hand on her body.
“Vania!”
A familiar voice was heard.
I turned around in surprise.
‘...Ryan?’
Why did you come here?
He ran quickly, panting for breath. Then he gestured to me.
“Ugh. Are your feet tied? Phew, then come here.”
“No, why...”
It was absurd. He followed me here.
It seemed like he deliberately arrived at a different time, but what if Marina's men had spotted him?
'You're acting like this without any countermeasures?'
While I was dazed, Ryan came up to me and grabbed my arm.
He sends me behind him and takes a couple of steps back from Marina.
And he said this while taking in all of Marina's subordinates who were beside him.
“Are you the eighth?”
“You’re not incompetent either, are you?”
Marina asked with a sneer.
"Uh. I'm seeing your face for the first time today, so I don't really have any regrets. I'll let you go without pain, without you even knowing you're dying."
Ryan said this while taking a few more steps back.
“If you have a will, make it.”
“...”
Ryan's actions, while saying he'll kill her immediately, instead distance himself. He says he'll let her go without pain.
As if she suddenly realized something, Marina opened her eyes wide and laughed like a madman.
“Ahahahahaha! What the f*ck! Instant death?!”
Ryan left the room quietly.
It takes 20 minutes to reach the planned location at Vania's pace.
If Marina had acted as Vania had predicted, the matter would have already been decided or would still be in progress.
Marina would have already confirmed that Vania was alone and started working, so it would be okay to follow her around now.
'I hope it's not too late.'
Vania probably couldn't have imagined that Ryan would follow her, and if she did something wrong, there could be variables...
'It doesn't matter. I have the Third Prince!'
Ryan came out of the dorm and looked up at the dark window of Nike's room.
And he remembered last night.
Last night, when he went to find Nike without Vania knowing.
***
“I am not incompetent.”
“...!”
“No, my lord. What should I do if I start from that...?”
Nike was surprised by the bombshell statement, Max was flustered, and Ryan was the only one who remained indifferent.
Ryan immediately saw Nike's pale expression and knew that he was in shock.
What if Ryan isn't incompetent?
The moment you made contact and returned, you would have already realized that you were ‘caught’ being the holder of the <Poem of Retrograde>.
“Your Highness, I brought this guy here to protect me if you ever dare to attack me with a sword..."
Ryan said, nodding to Max.
“...If you promise to talk calmly with me, I’ll let you go. It’ll be uncomfortable if too many people are listening.”
“...”
As the silent Nike nodded, Ryan sent Max away.
When there were finally two of them.
Nike was nervous.
Ryan...
'He is a very extraordinary person.'
The reason he came in with his escort, Max, and showed his face was an unspoken 'threat'.
It means 'You never know how many people might know your secret.'
Therefore, even if he doesn't know what the 'conversation' Ryan is talking about is, he has no choice but to go in and have fun.
Ryan, who had the upper hand from the start, sat down in the chair Nike had given him and got straight to the point.
"I have a favor to ask. Tomorrow, I may need your powers for something. If so, please take my hand and return just once."
Ryan bowed his head politely and asked again.
“Please, I beg you. My daughter’s life is at stake.”
"...What?"
Vania?
“I’m truly sorry, but I can’t tell you the details right now. But...”
"Yes."
“...?”
Ryan was momentarily speechless at the immediate affirmation.
“Don’t do that.”
“Oh, yes...”
Je thought it would take quite a while to convince Nike, but... once he brought up Vania, it was over in five minutes.
So now all that's left is to reassure Nike.
"It's been quite some time since I learned the prince's secret. But until now, you've never tracked me down in Basenberg, have you?"
"I think that alone should give you some degree of confidence in me. I've come out of Wassenberg clean, and I have no intention of ever going back."
“Can I ask you something?”
"Yes, I know what you're going to ask. Do you know Melvin Wassenberg? He's my uncle, and I possess the same powers as him."
Nike's eyes widened.
“Even though he passed away when the Prince was young, you still know, don’t you?”
He knows. He heard it so much, he knew it so well.
Melvin Wassenberg.
He was the one who often appeared on the battlefield, a scene of utter chaos teeming with monsters.
A person with the ability to instantly kill enemies.
During Melvin Wassenberg's lifetime, the royal family received much help.
Clearly, it was an arbitrary act against the will of the owner, Edgar Wassenberg.
He heard he died young, though that may have been the price.
He was probably murdered.
“...If you have such abilities, why don’t you return to your family?”
“Would you go back if you were me?”
“...”
"No, you're not. I'm not going back for the same reason. The person I detest the most is my father, the one who brought me into this world."
Ryan added, hoping his sincerity would be felt.
"Believe me. I have no intention of returning to my family, of seeing my father again, or of revealing Your Highness's secrets."
***
Ryan started running.
To where Vania is.
Of course, he doesn't think Vania will make a mistake.
What Ryan is worried about is that Vania might end up killing someone.
The act of 'murder', regardless of whether the other person is irredeemable trash or not, causes psychological shock in some way.
'So, I'll do the dirty work, Bunny.'
A mental fortitude honed for over twelve years, dreaming of revenge. If possible, it would be better if the blood were only on his own hands.
***
Marina asked with a smile.
“You... what are you?”
I could already sense her aloofness from her expression.
You must have instinctively felt that there was no way out.
A night without shadows.
In bondage with her subordinates.
A situation where even the messenger bird that communicates with the outside world has been subdued.
I looked into Marina's eyes without saying a word.
Eyes as black as the abyss.
Before I returned, I knew her the least among my siblings because my father kept an eye on me to prevent me from obtaining Marina's blessing.
Marina Wassenberg.
She is the leader of the Shadow Order, the family's assassination organization, and her father moves her when he has something he wants to handle secretly or information he wants to dig up.
That's all I knew.
Oh, and one more thing.
"Sis, you've always been quick to grasp situations, so you must have sensed it. This will be your grave."
“...”
"Do you want to live? Then I might let you live. Just answer a few questions."
“Ahahaha. What do you think I am...”
"Of course, I can't let you go to Father. If you want to live, you'll have to take my hand. Let's attack Wassenberg together. What do you think?"
I have no intention of embracing Marina.
I ask this question because I know what answer will come out of her mouth.
“Kill me. I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
“...I knew it.”
Yeah, one more thing I knew about Marina.
She was a remarkably devoted daughter to my father, an incomprehensibly profound loyalty.
I know now that no matter how much I torture Marina or threaten to kill her, I won't get anything out of her mouth.
I spread out my hands.
I'm trembling.
I was scared, but I had to do it.
“See you again in hell, sis.”
Approaching Marina.
Instant death.
Stage 1 of Manifestation: The holder can instantly kill a target (living being) by making contact with it.
"Anyway, I have no intention of going to heaven after doing something like this. I just want to live like a human being, at least in this life."
The moment I was about to put my hand on her body.
“Vania!”
A familiar voice was heard.
I turned around in surprise.
‘...Ryan?’
Why did you come here?
He ran quickly, panting for breath. Then he gestured to me.
“Ugh. Are your feet tied? Phew, then come here.”
“No, why...”
It was absurd. He followed me here.
It seemed like he deliberately arrived at a different time, but what if Marina's men had spotted him?
'You're acting like this without any countermeasures?'
While I was dazed, Ryan came up to me and grabbed my arm.
He sends me behind him and takes a couple of steps back from Marina.
And he said this while taking in all of Marina's subordinates who were beside him.
“Are you the eighth?”
“You’re not incompetent either, are you?”
Marina asked with a sneer.
"Uh. I'm seeing your face for the first time today, so I don't really have any regrets. I'll let you go without pain, without you even knowing you're dying."
Ryan said this while taking a few more steps back.
“If you have a will, make it.”
“...”
Ryan's actions, while saying he'll kill her immediately, instead distance himself. He says he'll let her go without pain.
As if she suddenly realized something, Marina opened her eyes wide and laughed like a madman.
“Ahahahahaha! What the f*ck! Instant death?!”
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