Old man Strauss watched the two unwelco guests with uneasy eyes.
One was the black sheep of the Chartra Family.
Her temper was foul, but she was at least reasonable and occasionally visited this tucked-away appraisal shop.
The other was the narrow-eyed Count from a naless territory.
He had only seen him once, but that one ti was enough for the man to beco a nightmare that never left his mind.
‘He’d been staying quietly in his land… Why is he back again?’
The last ti Count Valheit showed himself in public was when the forr Emperor passed away.
That was also around the ti of the largest prison break in Imperial history, and even soone as lowly as Strauss knew the Count had been involved in that incident.
“Thank you for the delicious tea, Mr. Strauss.”
“The honor is mine.”
“So, when might I be able to see His Majesty’s illegitimate son?”
“……”
About a week after the prison break incident.
While the Imperial Guards and Army were still sweeping the streets, Valheit ca to the appraisal shop.
He brought with him a boy who looked barely ten years old. All he said was that the child was the Emperor’s illegitimate son and must be kept safe, then he disappeared.
That had been five years ago.
Since then, Valheit hadn’t so much as glanced at the appraisal shop.
At least, that was how Strauss felt.
“I sent him out on an errand. He’ll be back soon.”
He said it flatly, but deep down he was hoping the boy wouldn’t co back right now.
As if mocking that wish, the shop door opened and a tanned young man walked in.
“Old man, I delivered the item. Said they’ll pay the rest later.”
“That’s just great. Aren’t paynts supposed to be made on ti?”
Only when he heard the unfamiliar voice did the young man realize there were guests.
“…Sir.”
“You can just call Valheit or Count, whichever you prefer.”
“Yes, sir—no, Count. But why are you here…?”
“Oh, it’s nothing much. I ca to pick you up, Your Highness Blaiher Kruber.”
The na Kruber made the young man flinch.
He wore a complicated expression, one that could’ve been sorrow or anger, and shook his head.
“My na is Strauss. Not Kruber.”
“There’s no point denying it. Even if Your Highness wishes to live as Strauss, the world won’t let you.”
Old man Strauss agreed with that.
The current Emperor was incompetent and impulsive.
It wouldn’t be surprising if a conflict between the Dukes erupted at any ti.
“What do you want from , Count?”
“I an that you need to prepare. So, co with .”
Both Blaiher and old man Strauss, even Til, were shocked by those words.
He was taking him? Where?
***
I’d gotten used to this kind of reaction by now.
No one ever took what Valheit said at face value.
Even if they did, they always assud I had so ulterior motive.
That had its downsides, but surprisingly, so upsides too.
It made bluffing really easy.
“There’s been unrest brewing among the Dukes lately.”
“Really?”
Til, why are you acting so shocked? We’re talking about your dad here.
Sure, I worded it ambiguously, but still, that reaction’s a bit much.
“A great shift is approaching. And it’s not a good one. For His Highness, there are only two paths: either be swept away and beco a puppet emperor, or resist and be discarded. Those are the only options.”
I wasn’t lying.
Blaiher Kruber’s life was just that—crowned as a puppet emperor against the tide, then killed struggling to defy it.
Everything I said was true, aside from the fact that all of this wouldn’t happen for at least another year.
“I understand, sir. Where do you plan to go?”
Blaiher accepted reality faster than expected.
“There’s a place I work at. It’s far safer than the Imperial Capital, crawling with jackals as it is. I plan to wait for the right ti there.”
“Yes. Let’s do that, sir.”
…That easily?
I thought he’d resist more or at least have a stronger reaction.
“Seems like he really wasn’t that fond of Mr. Strauss. He’s ready to go on the spot.”
“That’s not true. The old man treated well and taught a lot. It’s just… like you said, the storm is coming.”
“You made up your mind that fast just from hearing that?”
Blaiher gently shook his head.
The worry etched on his face gradually faded into sothing lighter.
“Back during the prison break, when I first t you, I was honestly scared. Like you were smiling while lying, if that makes sense.”
…Oof.
That was sothing Valheit would definitely do.
I wasn’t sure why I felt guilty about sothing that guy did, but I did anyway.
“The man I rember was soone who knew everything but kept it hidden. But today… you’re different. I don’t know, I can feel sincerity.”
“…Is that so.”
The fact that Blaiher Kruber had managed to consolidate power and co so close to the throne, despite being used and cast aside by the Dukes, was entirely thanks to his own ability.
Maybe it was growing up in an appraisal shop, or maybe it was innate talent, but Blaiher had a keen eye for the hidden value of people and objects.
That power—to bring talented people to his side and identify valuable land or items—was what made Blaiher formidable.
‘Even the author said he would’ve beco Emperor if Valheit hadn’t interfered.’
Blaiher, who had a good relationship with the Demon King and was a kind, capable ally, was murdered, and the Empire spiraled into ruin because of Valheit.
Naturally, he beca the target of imnse hatred.
From the Demon King, the Dukes, nobles, even commoners.
Valheit accepted all that boiling hatred and smiled like a madman—but I wasn’t him.
Which ant, having Blaiher rise to the throne was better for both the Empire and for .
At the very least, it would prevent the Dukes from stabbing in the back.
“Then let’s not waste ti. We should leave imdiately.”
“Right now? Shouldn’t I at least say goodbye to so people…”
“You really think we’re the only ones who know Your Highness is here?”
“…!”
Blaiher’s face stiffened.
That wasn’t a bluff or a lie.
At least three Dukes knew that Blaiher was staying at Strauss’s appraisal shop.
Because Valheit had collaborated with those three to orchestrate the prison break and smuggle Blaiher out.
“All right. I’ll get ready. Help the old man pack, will you?”
“I figured this day would co.”
Muttering words fitting of an old man, Strauss and Blaiher went upstairs.
Once the two of us were alone, Til cautiously asked,
“Why are you taking him now?”
“Wouldn’t it be a waste to leave a talented person rotting in a place like this?”
“I an, yeah, he’s smart, but do you really need to move him now? You might just end up provoking the Dukes for no reason.”
I answered with my signature Valheit-style enigmatic smile.
Seeing that, Til clicked her tongue.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s one of those things where ‘you’ll know when the ti cos.’ Oh, right.”
“What is it?”
“If we’re leaving right away, I should engrave the na on my scabbard now.”
“…Go ahead.”
Til grabbed the sword resting on her lap and dashed off excitedly.
She was supposed to have a much cooler image, but lately, that vibe had mostly faded.
‘Maybe it’s because our relationship’s gotten better.’
I didn’t think much of it and relaxed slightly—just as sothing flickered at the edge of my vision.
“?”
I sotis overreacted due to Valheit’s hypersensitive senses, but this felt different.
‘That was definitely a person.’
A bad feeling washed over .
Valheit’s instincts were sounding the alarm—so I could trust them.
I gripped the staff tightly.
It hadn’t been inscribed yet, so it was still just a very sturdy ebony staff. But it was all I had in hand.
Silence descended.
…Was I overreacting again?
No, the feeling was genuinely strange.
I focused my senses in the unusually quiet and heavy atmosphere of the appraisal shop.
I heard sothing.
Footsteps.
Not the bustling ones from upstairs—but quiet, hidden footsteps.
At least three.
‘…They’re here.’
Roughly ten seconds after the footsteps stopped, silence returned—then the shop door shattered with a loud crash.
Four intruders.
They quickly surrounded , and I studied each one carefully.
From their movents, they were clearly trained.
“…Count Valheit. Do you plan to break your promise?”
“I’m not sure I rember—what promise are we talking about?”
“The promise you made to the Dukes regarding His Majesty’s illegitimate son.”
“Did I really make such a promise?”
“Don’t think your petty wordplay will work.”
Honestly, no one ever takes what I say at face value. I was genuinely asking.
That aside, the situation was bad.
This was the close-quarters scenario I feared most as a fledgling mage.
I had ways to fight back—just unsure if they were enough.
‘9 seconds… It’ll be tough to deal with all four in that ti.’
The first thing that ca to mind was the Weapon Demon skill I’d just obtained.
But it wasn’t exactly a great option.
A skill I’d never used before with only 9 seconds of upti and a 1-minute penalty—it’d be stupid to open with that.
Better to save Weapon Demon for the final mont when there’s no other choice.
At least until my carefully cultivated bodyguard ca back.
“The price for acting so arrogantly under the Empire’s protection is—”
“Shut up.”
The squad leader flew out of the shop.
No—he was thrown.
The others briefly hesitated at the sudden attack, but quickly assud battle stances.
“Guh!”
Another was flung back and crashed into a display case.
My first use of the 8th-tier spell Mana Grasp worked exactly as expected in actual combat.
It felt like swinging a massive invisible monster hand attached to my shoulder.
I swung again.
The delicate display shelves shattered, scattering glass shards everywhere.
‘Tch. They’re adapting fast.’
The intruders quickly widened the distance, realizing there was an invisible force attacking them.
Even the ones I had just slamd into the wall recovered quickly.
‘And here I thought I’d nailed them. They’re totally fine.’
They must’ve used so defensive spell.
I had no ti for disappointnt—the intruders began their advance again.
I used Mana Grasp to swat away the two charging from the right.
‘Left!’
As soon as my senses sent the alert, I twisted Mana Grasp to the left—but I was a bit too late.
A blade grazed my side, and dark red blood dripped to the floor.
The pain wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t a good situation.
“Hmph.”
“What happened to that confidence, Count?”
So, they had room to mock now.
I’d exposed my weakness—I had to accept the consequences.
There was only one Mana Grasp.
That was a limitation built into the spell. I couldn’t change that through mastery or technique.
I could increase its size, power, and range—but not wield two at once.
In other words, defending one side left the other exposed.
I could block both directions at once by enlarging the hand, but that made attacks significantly slower.
Even after exchanging a few more blows, the situation didn’t improve.
The wounds were piling up.
Despite being tossed around several tis, the intruders were still full of energy.
Even so, my mind was sharper than ever.
Demon body or not, I was confident I wouldn’t die from light injuries.
‘I need to get to an open area.’
I lunged forward, and the squad leader easily dodged.
But he was never the target.
I rolled out the door and into the alley.
It was empty.
It was already a quiet area, but now it looked completely deserted.
“Leaving the shop will only make it harder for you.”
“You’ve still got energy to worry about others, I see.”
“Of course, Count.”
This first fight was way too hard.
Against normal opponents, one Mana Grasp would’ve been enough, but it wasn’t quite sufficient against four seasoned assassins.
If I stalled, Til would co—but exactly when was anyone’s guess.
‘Weapon Demon’s duration is 9 seconds.’
I had to take down all four in that ti.
‘Can I do it?’
I wasn’t sure.
They were tired too, but so was I.
Actually, that made this the perfect testing ground.
Not like I had much choice anyway.
I took a deep breath and activated the Weapon Demon skill—then a long, horizontal scroll appeared.
[Activating skill: ‘Weapon Demon.’] [Your bond with Til Chartra empowers you.]
At the sa ti, an unexpected ssage followed.
[Hidden Trait ‘Revealed Eye’ temporarily awakened.] [Additional effect granted during Weapon Demon state.]
My right eye opened.
The world was bathed in red.
I could hear every breath, every heartbeat of my enemies.
My already sharp senses were amplified to the point of pain.
Even the seasoned opponents were shaken upon seeing open my eyes.
I could clearly feel their subtle movents and sudden spike of fear.
‘So this is what happens when the eye opens.’
[9]
The Status Window helpfully served as a countdown.
9 seconds.
That’s more than enough.
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