“I’m bored.” “…
I’ve expanded my mana perception…
so that’s done.” “I’m bored.” “…
but the mana consumption to light up my entire vision is too high…” “I’m bored, Imperial Prince.” “Like lowering the resolution…
Hmm…
the process of adjusting this is complicated…” “Ah, I’m so bored!” The impudent fellow sprawled out on my sofa, muttering “I’m bored” every five seconds, is Lancelot.
He should have just gone home after his training, but instead, he barged into my room and is now steadily chipping away at my concentration.
So, I tried to drive him out by throwing a non-fiction text at him.
“Young Master of the Ducal Family Lancelot, how dare you spill ink upon the time I use to enrich my knowledge?” Hearing this, Lancelot’s eyes lit up and he shot up from the sofa.
“That’s right!
Liam, have you heard the rumor?
The serial killer in the slum!” I’d forgotten.
My younger sister and this low-born in front of me are protecting their ears with a magic that blocks non-fiction.
I sighed and replied.
“Where do you even hear rumors like that?” “I overheard our maids talking about it!
Listen, Liam, they’re saying that recently, corpses with only their hearts extracted have been found in the slum.” Where there is light, there must be shadow.
The slum is a place where those who can’t make a living due to unavoidable disabilities, abandoned children, and the trash who would exploit even them all gather.
No matter how many support projects the church and the Imperial Family run, the dark parts of the world will always exist.
Hearing about a murder case now only elicits a reaction on the level of, ‘A bakery baked some bread!’ “Tsk tsk, looks like some bug-like criminal has appeared.
I should send a few knights to investigate.” “Let’s catch him ourselves!” ‘What are you talking about…’ Two brats, one a young master from a ducal family and the other an imperial prince.
If this lineup went stirring up the slum in the middle of the night, the rumors that would spread among the public…
“Let’s catch him!” “?” As I kept staring at him with an expression that said, ‘What bullshit are you spewing?’, Lancelot hastily continued his explanation.
“No, listen!
The common characteristic of the corpses is that they were all smiling brightly.” No matter how much of a masochist you are, you can’t smile while your heart is being ripped out alive.
“Smiling…?” “Yeah!
They were smiling even as their hearts were being extracted!
So what could it be, if not illusion magic or…” “It must be cultists.” “Right!
You have a hatred of cultists, don’t you.” That heated night between me and Boss Assassin had too many witnesses, so the rumor spread uncontrollably.
This guy brought it up, aiming for that weak spot.
“…Time of appearance?” “When the bodies were found, children from the slum were supposedly crying and clinging to the guard in the middle of the night.” “Haa, Lancelot, we still need to be aware of our positions.
Does it make sense for a young master of a ducal family and an imperial prince to secretly leave the Imperial Palace to catch a suspect who might be a cultist or a psycho killer?
In the middle of the night, no less?
That’s a truly insane idea.” “So?” “Let’s go right now.” Hmm…
I can’t resist cultists.
After it was revealed that Boss Assassin was a cultist that day, I wanted to return the favor to those who had stolen the light.
[“There’s no better prescription for a wounded soul than vengeance.
Give it a try!
You’ll be able to forget everything.
In other words, revenge is good for your health!”] Thank you, Evergreen…
Gotta take care of my health…
Yup!
*** After eating dinner, I am on my way to my father’s office.
The knights guarding the door bowed their heads upon seeing me, and I stated my business.
“I must have an audience with His Majesty.” In response, the knight knocked, entered the office, and came out a moment later.
Then he opened the door for me.
“He says you may enter.” I nodded and entered the office, where my father was sitting at his desk, looking at me.
“Father.” “Yes, what is it?” “This Humble One is thinking of going on an outing to the slum with Lancelot tonight.
Please assign me a few knights who are strong, tight-lipped, and exceptional at stealth.” At that, my father looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, ‘Did I give birth to a bastard?
I can’t even Hollow-fy…
so what is this brat?’ [1] Now’s the time!
I have to push him before he comes to his senses!
“They say a serial murder case has occurred in the slum.
The victims died smiling with their hearts extracted, and the reason it hasn’t been reported to the Imperial Castle is likely because there aren’t many victims yet.
It seems to be either illusion magic or a cultist’s dark magic, but seeing as they only took the hearts, the possibility of it being cultists is high.” A follow-up hit after a groggy state always deals more damage.
“…But why are you…” “Because they are cultists.” Hit by a combo of absurdity, my father’s eyes, having forgotten even anger, trembled fiercely.
My father, who valued appearances, dignity, and status, had become much more lenient with me since that incident.
Still, rogues cause trouble first and ask later, but since I’m telling him before I cause trouble, isn’t that a little better?
“May I take temporary command authority?” “…I will give you 4 knights…
no, 8.
However, if you suffer even the slightest injury, I will deliver an appropriate punishment.” To that, I smiled and said.
“That is sufficient.” *** Before me, my son, so wonderful it makes me grateful, is saying something I can’t understand.
“Because they are cultists.” It’s those eyes.
The eyes that used to shine with a brilliant light of intelligence sometimes lose their glow like that, darkening with killing intent.
Whenever I see those eyes, I remember my son, bloodied and torn all over, crying.
As a father, as an emperor, I wondered how I could be so powerless.
Hearing the news that the treated imperial prince had woken up, I rushed over, but the prince’s eyes I saw then were dead.
The thought that I might never see that light again was terrifying.