Episode 346

On the night when the new moon rises, the whole world sinks into darkness—so deep that the edges of the clouds blur into nothingness.

It was the perfect night for an intruder to carry out a secret mission. But trouble always finds a way. The mansion’s lights hadn’t gone out even late into the night, and one by one, carriages began pulling up.

Xiao Xi’s eyes fixed on the flags fluttering behind the carriages. Even in the dark, the banners of the Imperial Defense Department waved proudly.

“So the generals are arriving,” he thought.

It was unexpected, but that was fine. After all, the plan was to kill Volbe while he lay in bed.

The priority was to end his life swiftly, but from the outside, it had to look like a natural death. Whether by suffocation or by slipping poison to the corner of his mouth—whatever it took.

Xiao Xi hoped he wouldn’t have to use the dagger he felt at his fingertips and waited for the procession of carriages to finish.

Swish.

As time passed, the mansion’s lights grew even brighter. Cloaked in a robe, he used the bushes as cover and crept closer. The sound of laughter drifted out—it seemed to be a casual gathering without any special purpose.

Xiao Xi easily scaled the wall and moved like a shadow through the neatly trimmed garden. Through a slightly open balcony door, he caught the sound of voices.

“Hahaha! Honestly, Your Highness hasn’t changed a bit. I don’t understand why you’re so soft.”

“You’re still young, that’s why. How much pressure do you think Lord Ian has been under? Even so, it’s a remarkable improvement.”

“Well, he’s held firm through the civil war and everything else. But if he’s to become emperor, he should understand the value of Idgal. Hmm.”

“Your Highness’s shortcomings can be covered by the Imperial Defense Department. We secured decision-making power at this meeting, so it’s fine.”

“Temporarily, though.”

“Temporarily, yes, but no one knows when Lord Ian will return. Even with all the mages working on him, his recovery is slow. This injury is unlike any before.”

“How did it happen? I don’t understand. He was so resilient before, even during the chaos.”

“I haven’t heard the details, but rumors say that to destroy a mage like that, it must be more than just physical damage.”

“Magic-related?”

“If Minister Ian was harmed because he couldn’t control his magic, that calls his qualifications into question. All in all, the situation isn’t bad. Hahaha!”

A cold fury welled up deep inside Xiao Xi, but he remained calm. Instead of rushing to climb the railing and strike, he focused on memorizing their voices.

Two people.

One had a habit of trailing off at the end of sentences; the other spoke with a hoarse voice, as if suffering from a cold. Once the mission was done, he would find them and make them pay for their careless tongues.

Swish.

Though the mansion was huge, Xiao Xi navigated it without trouble, thanks to the map Romandro had prepared in advance.

The interior was complicated, and with no information, breaking in through a window was recommended. At the time, he wondered if it was the best choice, but seeing the generals’ gathering now, he thought it was truly foresight.

“The east wing, fifth floor, rightmost room. Curtains are a rich blue.”

Just as Xiao Xi was about to circle the mansion while keeping an eye on the fifth floor, he rounded a corner and bumped into a servant carrying a basket.

“Oh!”

Xiao Xi reflexively reached for the dagger hidden in his sleeve, but hesitated when the servant muttered while picking up some fallen fabric.

“Goodness, you startled me! This is the master’s clothing—it’s a good thing it wasn’t washed yet.”

“S-sorry.”

“You’re one of the general’s men, right? Don’t smoke in the garden. The gardener curses every day after their meetings.”

The servant had no idea that this small misunderstanding had just saved Xiao Xi’s life.

He noticed some pajamas mixed in with the fabric. Glancing around cautiously, he muttered,

“Do you think the meeting will end early tonight?”

“Tired, aren’t you? We’re just as surprised. The master doesn’t seem pleased either, so it’ll probably end early. I believe he’ll be gone before dawn. Probably.”

That was a lot of information. No wonder Romandro forgot about the ministers’ meeting—it had been arranged without the owner’s knowledge. What was the purpose?

“Thank you.”

“Yes, yes.”

Xiao Xi nodded and hurried past the corner. This area was heavily patrolled by the generals’ men, so if the meeting ended before dawn, it meant Volbe would be heading to his bedroom soon.

Xiao Xi reached the east wing where Volbe’s room was located. Swiftly, he climbed to the fifth floor and entered the bedroom.

Silence.

Hidden beneath the bed, Xiao Xi held his breath, senses alert. The clock ticked silently, about to strike midnight. Was he nervous? No—it was more like calm.

He knew his life could end here, but he wasn’t afraid. Having lived treated like a beast, now, under the Crown Prince’s orders, he was about to carry out a mission that would be recorded in history. Even if he died here, he had no regrets.

Suddenly, he thought of Gale. Did he feel the same? What was the difference between stabbing the devil’s heart and cutting off Volbe’s breath?

The more he thought about it, the more he found himself waiting eagerly for his prey to appear.

Come quickly, the one who threatens my lord, the Crown Prince.

Creak.

“Hahaha, what nonsense. Ugh.”

The door opened, and Volbe entered, followed by others. He was attended to as he changed clothes, wiping his flushed face.

“Already celebrating before anything’s even happened? Hahaha! Ridiculous.”

“What should we do with the gifts? Should we put them away or leave them in the office?”

“Unwrap and organize them. Make sure to note who brought what. Remember the insignificant ones—I’ll deal with them later! Hahaha!”

“Understood. Please rest well then.”

Creak.

Thud.

Now it was clear. The generals had come bearing gifts to flatter Volbe.

They had seized control of Idgal at the conference, and the Imperial Defense Department was currently the most influential faction in the palace. They were clearly trying to ride that wave.

Volbe seemed pleased with the surprise celebration, sprawling on the bed and chuckling to himself. When he finally caught his breath, Xiao Xi turned and slipped out from under the bed.

Swish.

Volbe, still groggy, sensed an unfamiliar presence and woke up. As he startled to rise, Xiao Xi shoved a cloth into his mouth, soaked with poison.

He tried to bind Volbe’s hands, but as the minister of the Imperial Defense Department, Volbe struggled fiercely, trying to push Xiao Xi’s hands away. He pushed the cloth out with his tongue, but the poison was already working.

Then—

“Ugh! Ugh ugh!”

Volbe’s knee jabbed sharply into Xiao Xi’s side.

Both fell from the bed. Volbe lunged toward the door, but Xiao Xi looped a rope around his neck and pulled him back—not tight enough to leave marks, just enough to restrain.

Thud!

Volbe collapsed again. Xiao Xi grabbed his hair, twisted his head back, and pressed the dagger to his throat.

“Move, and I’ll kill you.”

In the pitch-black darkness, Volbe’s eyes showed surprise at the intruder’s warning. Why? Did he want something else? If he intended to kill him, why not just do it? Why cling to him like this?

‘Ah.’

Volbe’s senses sharpened, and the bitter taste of poison flooded his tongue. The assassin wanted to kill him quietly.

“Ugh! Ugh ugh!”

Ignoring the dagger at his neck, Volbe struck Xiao Xi’s back with his knee. He couldn’t use the dagger. He couldn’t…

Slash!

“Ugh!”

But it was arrogance. Xiao Xi stabbed Volbe’s thigh with the dagger. Limping, Volbe kept trying to flee toward the door.

At this point, there was no choice. Xiao Xi walked after him and jabbed a vital spot under Volbe’s chin.

Thud!

Volbe collapsed just before the door, trembling and splattering blood on the wall.

“If you’d stayed still, it wouldn’t have been this painful. This is bad for both of us.”

It was a chance to end things calmly. Volbe looked back at Xiao Xi with bulging eyes, but the darkness hid his expression. Damn this darkness. If only there were even a sliver of light…

Suddenly—

Bang!

“Minister Volbe, you called earlier, right? You must be asleep, so I just came by—”

The door burst open.

Light from the hallway poured in, brightening the room. It was Cortizan, Volbe’s unofficial lover. She came secretly every night, and apparently Romandro didn’t know about it. Since she was unmarried and had no official partner, she was told Volbe used the bedroom alone.

“Huh?”

She blinked in surprise.

Bloodied Volbe leaning against the doorframe. And behind him, a stranger. The odd-colored eyes visible beneath the robe left a strong impression.

The woman instinctively stepped back and screamed.

“Ahhh!”

Then, clutching her dress, she bolted toward the place where many people were gathered—the generals’ meeting room—running with all her might.

As Xiaosi tried to follow her, Volv, still conscious, grabbed his ankle.

“Pfft, you… you damn… slave bastard?”

Volv was a member of the Imperial Defense Corps, born a slave but trusted by Ian and Jin, living within the palace. Because of his very distinctive traits, Volv easily recognized Xiaosi’s identity. Then, writhing weakly, he traced Xiaosi’s name on the floor with his fingertip.

“You’re just a green, young crown prince, and yet you dare to… the Minister of Imperial Defense… you think you’ll get away with this? Guh!”

Crack!

Xiaosi crushed Volv’s finger underfoot, wiping away the blood that had spelled out his name. Then, twisting his dagger, he delivered the final, fatal blow.

Tap, tap, tap!

The sound of many footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor. Likely, the woman who had witnessed the scene was bringing the generals.

The mansion’s guards were already on high alert, with more troops stationed than usual. No matter how well he hid, there was no way to escape safely.

Sigh.

Xiaosi leaned against the wall, exhaling deeply. He had promised His Majesty that he would succeed, that he would return safely—but now, it seemed he might fail.

From his pocket, Xiaosi pulled out a small needle case. A poison that, when pricked into the skin, caused necrosis and made identification impossible. He’d heard that Balsave’s father had died from this very poison. It seemed he was about to walk a similar path.

Tap, tap, thud! Thud!

The footsteps grew closer.

Xiaosi took out the needle and closed his eyes for a moment. He thought of those who had given meaning to his brief life—Ian, Jin, Romandro, and well… if he counted Beric, then him too.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry.”

For not completing the mission perfectly.

Just as Xiaosi was about to firmly plunge the needle—

“Xiaosi.”

A familiar voice stopped him.

At the end of the corridor stood Jarrett, Captain of the Imperial Guard. In one hand, he held the courtesan woman who had fled—her body limp, apparently lifeless.

“…Ah.”

“What are you doing? Sitting there? This place is far too bright.”

“Am I really that visible?”

“Hm. I can see you, but who knows if the others can.”

Behind Jarrett, the generals crept forward cautiously. Through Jarrett’s shoulders and arms, they spotted Volv’s corpse. They were so shocked that they held their breath, frozen like statues. Jarrett looked back at the generals and asked,

“Well? Generals, what do you see?”

“Uh…”

“To me, it looks like the downfall of a greedy man.”

“Y-yes, yes, that’s…”

No one quite understood what was happening. But one thing was clear to Xiaosi: there was still something left for him to finish.

Slowly, Xiaosi closed the door and slipped back into complete darkness. Though they knew Volv was dead, no one dared open the door.