My name is Nash, or that’s how people usually call me, I never have a name to
begin with so Nash is just like a nickname.

I’m a member of The Sicarii, the most feared underground organization in the world,
not even Grandel Empire, the superpower on the continent dare to mess with us.
The Sicarii mainly dealing with assasination and information trade. But sometimes
we also deal with smuggling but very rarely. My job is gathering and relaying
information between cities. The Sicarii almost never used letter or parchment in
relaying information because it’s easy for letter to be intercepted and forged,
while human can easily checked using lie detection magic tool. Well, theoretically
it’s possible to control someone to relay false information by using high level
domination magic. But such magic has been lost- destroyed to be exact- since a
long time ago.

Today I was assigned to relay some information from the Feldian capital branch to the
branch in Goldrift city, just the usual routine. I along with my two other
colleagues booked the usual transportation service for between cities.

But today I noticed someone unusual, he dressed in black from head to toe, he
conversed with the driver to let him board the carriage and even willing to pay
double the price. He kept pestering the driver to let him board the cariage
which troubled the driver and the other passenger because their departure is
delayed by this man.

Tsk, just board the next one will you? Can’t you see you’re bothering people here?

When he still pestering the driver a group of adventurers approach them and
convinced the driver to let the man onboard. I know the group of adventurers,
they are the Weeping Bull, a three man party led by a man named Goldberg.
They’re party are quite famous in the capital.

Goldberg and the black man sat opposide me while chatting casually.

What a strange get up. Is he a member of some underground organization like me? No,
those clothes are to eye catching in broad daylight. He won’t be that stupid if
he doing in the same line of work as me, not to mention he didn’t even smell
like someone who always dealing with illegal stuff.

At first I didn’t think much of the man, but I feel uneasy and anxious the longer
I sat close to him, as if I was overwhelmed by something. I glanced toward my
companion and it seems they feel the same as me. No, not just my companion, I
look around and found out that majority of the people inside the carriage also has a
feeling of unease written all over their faces. But it seems they just thought
it was only a bad feeling from themselves, not realizing the black man is the
source of their uneasiness.

At the campsite I keep observing the black man and noticed there was a symbol on
his collar. The symbol is a skeleton bird holding a knife. I feel like I’ve
seen that symbol before but I can’t quite put my finger on it. After he goes to
the forest to take care of something I immediately inquired to my companion
about the symbol but to no avail. Well, I’m the oldest in this industry
compared to them and I don’t know about it so it’s no wonder they don’t know as
well.

When he came back everyone surprised when they saw him brought a little girl with
him, but what make me surprised is not the fact he brought a little girl with
him but the little girl herself. The people here maybe thought that she was
just a demi human, but I know that she’s not just an ordinary demi human, she’s
a Draph.

Draph race live in the northern part of the continent and really hard to come by.
They known for their beauty and some has rainbow glow on their horns albeit
slightly. They also has agile feet and talented in dancing and really popular
in brothels, nightclubs, and some underground organization. I observe the
little girl’s horn intently to check if she has rainbow glow on her horns, if
she has, I will try to snatch her from him. That man looked intimidating but I can’t
feel anything special from him other than the discomfort I felt in the
afternoon. Moreover he doesn’t had the vibe of someone used to killing people,
so I assume he just a con artist or something similar, and it seems my
companions has the same thought as me.

“Oi”

When I observing the girl, the man called out to me with an extremely cold voice
and I froze instinctively. It’s not because his voice sounded extremely cold or
anything, but I can feel a huge and repulsive presence from the man’s direction.

What.is this presence!?

I can feel cold sweat forming on my face and back.

This is not a presence of a human! Not even The Wandering Warlock’s presence is this huge
and repulsive!

“Don’t try anything funny.”

I averted my gaze immediately in fear.

•••

Feldian Kingdom Royal Capital, Royal palace.

“Gasp* Hah… hah… hah….This is…”

The kingdom’s first prince Alfred wake up and surprised to find himself in his room
in the palace. He tried to remember what happened and he recalled the incident
last night.

“Damn it…”

He cursed with a voice full of sorrow. He always said to be a prodigy, blessed
with looks and talent far above the rest of his peers people always praising
him at how perfect he was. He know those people said all of those things mainly
to curry favor with him, but it’s also the truth that he never lose to his
peers so he confident he can handle anyone around his age.

And the incident last night made him realize that what he thought is confidence is
actually arrogance. Remembering how helpless he is facing all those demons make
him angry at himself.

If only I was stronger!

Knock*knock*

Someone knocked at his room’s door and opened it, Keith who saw his liege already woke
up felt relief. He worried with how injured he is when he got back, he would
need a long time to gain conciousness.

“Your highness you already awake. Let me ca-“

“Keith, tell me what happened last night.”

Keith wanted to insist he got checked up first by the doctor, but seeing the blank
look on Alfred’s face he decided to comply. He told Alfred how the royal guard
captain rushed out to chase him when he heard the news of him going to the
Karstfilm Forest and how he barely managed to brought him out of those demons
horde. After Keith done recounted last night’s event Alfred fell in to silent
with his head lowered and a huge frown on his face.

“Your highness, could you please tell me why there are many demons in that forest and
how you can get ahold of such information?”

Alfred keep silent for a while before told his side of story about the mysterious man
in the slums, Ekario, and Ellisia. Keith didn’t change his expression a single
bit throughout the story only nodded a few times.

“So it’s his highness Ekario huh, who would have thought.”

“Yeah, never in my most wild guesses that I thought it would be my own brother.”

“Knowing it’s you your highness, I doubt you’re gonna sit still knowing all of this what
are you plan on doing.”

Alfred fell into thought for a few minutes before finally decided his plan.

“Keith, I have a favor to ask of you, not as a superior but as a friend.”

Alfred told Keith his plan which make him speechless.

“Will you cooperate with me?”

Keith frowned and contemplated for a long time but Alfred waited patiently for his
friend’s decision.

“Sigh, alright Albert. I worried if I left you alone on your own devices.”

Keith can only smiled helplessly to his friend ridiculous request.

“Thank you, Keith.”

The both of them smiled at each other.

•

•

•

At night.

A figure jump over the wall outside the royal palace. He's wearing a robe to cover his body, this man is Alfred. When he landed other man with a robe, Keith approached him.

"Your highness, I already secured a magic bag and supllies for both of us. We can last two months in the wild if our journey smoothly."

"Thank you. Also don't call me 'your highness' from now on, just call me Alfred."

"Understood."

Keith hesitated a bit before decided speak what in his mind.

"Your, higness are you sure you want to leave everything to his higness the third prince?"

Alfred studied his friend's expression but can only found doubt and uncertainty on his face.

"Keith, what do you think about him? Just speak what's on your mind without reserve"

Obviously he his question is about the third prince. Keith thought for a while before blurted out his opinion.

"I think he is a dissapointment to the royal family. His ability is very low in all aspect compared to his peers not to mention yor higness, and I heard he has a terribly low scores in his study. His manners is not up to par to his status and he always making rude remarks towards other people including the high ranking nobles. In my eyes he so foolish that I even suspect he was someone his majesty picked up from the street."

Usually such remarks about the royal family is enough to receive capital punishment, but because he was told to speak without any reserve, Keith spoke everything just as he was told.

Hearing his friend's remark is just as he expected, Alfred unintentionally let out a smirk. Keith who saw this can't help but felt something is amiss.

"Yes, it's normal for you to think this way."

"What do you mean?"

"The truth is, he's way more smart than I am."

Keith has a confused looks on his face. It's understandable, the third prince is famous as a shame of the royal family. His ability is lacking, his manners is lacking, almost everything about him is lacking that it's more challenging to find his good traits than to find a needle in a haysack.

"You might not believe me, but when he's three years old he came to ask me to play with him but I refused because I'm still not finished my math assignment. Do you know what he did after I did that?"

Keith shook his head.

"He solved it."

???

Many question marks floated on top of Keith's head and Alfred grinned even more

He solved it? Solved what did he mean?

"He solved all my math assignment just so I can play with him."

Keith's expression which rarely experienced any change had a dumb looks on his face as if he was hearing the most ridiculous story in his entire life.

"Your highness, please be realistic. When he's 3 years old means, when you're in second year of middle school right?"

"It's up to you to believe me or not, currently only my father, his personal maid, and me who knows about his real ability. Well, it's three if you decided to believe me."

Hearing that the king of this country also recognized it, Keith started to doubt himself and his judgement

"If push come to sholve i have no doubt he will make move to shut all the nobles who trying to cause trouble and made them planted their feet on the ground without making any move."

The more he heard the more Keith thought how ridiculous it is. As far as he know, the third prince is only an annoying brat. No more no less.

"You might be wondering why he act like how he is if he have such an ability. I too did not know the true reason about why he did what he did, but I believe he won't do anything to harm this country and it's people. Anyway, we need to go before the royal guard captain came back from his investigation."

Keith has many question in his mind but he decided to buried them and followed Alfred lead.

•••

Goldrift City, Southwest gate guard office.

I sat on a chair nervously, trying my best keeping my leg from shaking and my
face straight. Sat opposide of me is a woman wearing a set of plate armor with
long red wavy hair. She has a vicious look on her face while glaring at me. Travelling bag and all my poison-coated daggers lined up on the table between us.

“So, Mr.Hart. Do you mind explaining why are you blatantly walk to the gates with
these weapon, wich I could tell from a single glance, is coated with something
really dangerous? And who is that girl you bring with you? From the looks of it
you’re not siblings, you’re not from the same race in the first place.”

Riiiiggghhttt. There’s no way someone without ID like me can get through the gates while
bringing a bunch of poisoned daggers along with a little girl who looked like a
slaves. Sigh... I should have looked for any backdoor.