Chapter 282
Chapter 282
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 282
Chapter Title: Midnight Ball (3)
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“Well, I’m just the seller. You’ve seen the demonstration yourself. Isn’t it usually the buyer who makes the first offer?”
Zion bit his lip.
No matter how he denied it, the reality was clear. Ataraxia was far more valuable than Arman. No, beyond its value, he wanted it, no matter the cost.
“Four billion. That’s almost my entire fortune. That should be enough, right?”
“Hmm, four billion, you say.”
Four billion was a fortune, enough to build about four magic academies at the current rate. But Arius wasn't satisfied.
Honestly, no amount would have been.
He had sold the for three billion, but if he had put it up at the Curia Auction, it would have been rated at least S-class, possibly even fetching a blank check.
The reason he couldn't put it up for auction, however, was because it was stolen goods.
Of course, most objets were stolen, but putting something he had personally stolen up for auction ran the risk of leaving a trail for pursuers to follow.
Since money wasn't that important to Arius anyway, selling it off to the safest buyer, Zion, was the smarter move.
When Arius showed no signs of being satisfied with four billion, Zion grew anxious. Desire for something not easily obtained only grows stronger.
But even if he scraped together all his funds, he could only add about 700 million to the current amount.
Uorin probably had ten times 4.7 billion, but wasting his one chance to ask her for help on money would be foolish.
Since Arius wasn't the type to obsess over material possessions anyway, Zion decided to play his last card.
“In addition to that, I’ll get you in with Therase.”
As expected, Arius’s eyes lit up.
Therase, the Empress of Kashan, was one of the three most powerful sovereigns on the continent. If he could receive her protection, he would no longer have to live as a fugitive.
But Zion had no authority to make such an offer. The only gateway into Therase’s circle was Uorin.
Zion glanced at his sister’s expression and asked.
“Uorin, you can do that, can’t you?”
It was the first favor he had ever asked of her, but he was certain it would be the last. With Ataraxia, he could rise to success on his own.
Just once, just this one time.
“Does that mean Shirone-oppa will die?”
“Probably. Though there’s no guarantee that getting your head cut off means you’re dead.”
Knowing his sister had a soft spot for Shirone, Zion ended up repeating the insane things Arius had said. But it was a decent enough play on words to cover his tracks.
“Hmm.”
Uorin placed a finger on her lips and looked up at the ceiling.
She had no desire to get involved in Kashan politics, but lately, she had felt sorry for Zion’s struggles and, at the same time, pitied his incompetence. Since this would likely be his last chance anyway, she might as well be generous.
“Alright, fine. I’ll talk to Mom.”
Zion let out a sigh of relief.
It was ironic to feel so anxious about something a family member would naturally do, but now that he had her permission, none of that mattered anymore.
“There, the deal is struck. Four billion, plus a place in Therase’s circle. Tonight, you will sever Shirone’s head. And you will bring Ataraxia to me.”
Arius blinked, then raised a hand.
“Just a moment. Are you telling me to do the job?”
“What are you talking about? If the tomb raider doesn’t do it, who will?”
“No, you see, Your Highness may not know this, but this is a specialized field. I’m an expert in tomb raiding, not combat. I especially dislike the sight of blood.”
Zion stared at him, dumbfounded.
Even though there were many non-combat mages in the world, they all possessed enough fighting ability to overcome dangerous situations.
Was it even plausible for a man who was just raving about extracting a brain to say he didn't want to see blood?
“What do you mean you can’t fight? You can at least beat Shirone, can’t you?”
“It’s not a matter of winning or losing. I may have taken every insult in the world, but I’m an authority in psychoanalysis. I was once even named one of the world’s 100 greatest minds. Can you even imagine someone like me, holding a blade, about to sever the neck of an eighteen-year-old boy?”
“Then what am I supposed to do? Go kill him myself?”
“If you can, that would be best.”
As Arius made a gesture of passing the buck, Zion gritted his teeth. But he couldn't force the man to do something he refused to do.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Ooh, spoken like a true prince. How manly of you.”
As Arius egged him on, Zion scoffed. There were plenty of people who could discreetly sever the neck of an eighteen-year-old boy without having to look far.
“That doesn’t mean I’ll get my own hands dirty. We’ll just have to use a professional for this as well. Zenoger.”
With that, Zion looked into the empty air.
His gaze, having caught something, slowly descended until it fixed on a spot over Arius’s shoulder.
A murderous aura caressed the back of his neck, and Arius forced a stiff smile.
“Heh heh, well now, I’m suddenly afraid to turn around.”
As soon as Arius finished speaking, the murderous intent vanished as if it were a lie. A moment later, a man descended before Arius, hanging upside down.
A single, thin thread that seemed to be coming from his rear was connected to the ceiling. His legs were crossed as if he were sitting, and his hands were gathered at his navel, forming a circle.
His face was gaunt, and his thin nose dropped vertically from the bridge. His lips were so thin they were almost nonexistent. His eyes, in particular, were not the usual almond shape but perfect circles, and small ones at that.
“You called, Your Highness.”
Zion turned to Arius and made the introduction.
“Say hello. This is my personal bodyguard, Spatur Zenoger. Zenoger, this is Arius.”
Zenoger, still hanging upside down, twisted the thread to turn himself. He nodded to Zion, then turned back to Arius.
“Of course, I know him. I’ve seen him many times. Though he is seeing me for the first time, I’m sure.”
Arius cracked a hairline smile.
He was indeed seeing Zenoger for the first time. But Zenoger had likely been watching him every time he came to the gallery.
“My, what impressive skill. Where were you hiding?”
Zenoger replied with a face as devoid of emotion as a corpse.
“Hiding? I was behind you the whole time.”
“Oh, you jest…”
Arius’s beady eyes narrowed further.
Perhaps it was the truth. Unless one had eyes in the back of one's head, the world behind was as good as nonexistent.
But tailing one of the Seven Magi of the Arcane was no easy feat, so it was better for his mental health to think of it as a joke.
“You think I’m lying?”
As he spoke, the flesh on Zenoger’s cheekbones and temples bulged. Then, bursting through the skin, six additional eyes appeared, three on each side.
They had no pupils and glowed purple like grapes.
Eight eyes in total. His blind spot was probably no more than fifteen degrees.
‘A mimicry user…’
As Arius suspected, Zenoger was a master of Schema martial arts, specifically a form of spider mimicry.
Mimicry, through Schema, referred to the rapid transformation of cellular traits to create organs entirely different from those of a human.
However, to induce such an extreme mutation as Zenoger’s, the power of heredity was necessary.
The Spatur clan, responsible for the safety of the Therase family for generations, had been modifying their bodies with spider-like traits for nearly a thousand years. This had been passed down through heredity, allowing them to achieve perfect spider mimicry.
Arius shifted his gaze from Zenoger to Uorin.
A child of Therase was always assigned a personal bodyguard. Therefore, Uorin’s bodyguard had to be here as well.
Arius scanned as wide an area as his line of sight allowed. But no matter where he looked, he couldn't see any assassin.
Perhaps… they were standing right behind him.
The thought sent a small shiver down his spine.
Entering the Spirit Zone in front of royalty could cause misunderstandings, so he refrained, but even if he were to search with synesthesia, the chances of finding them were slim.
Skilled assassins had mastered unique techniques to remain undetected in the Spirit Zone.
‘Heh heh, this is why I can’t give up this life.’
After the strange introductions, Zion returned to the main topic.
“Now, let’s plan our strategy. Zenoger will be in charge of killing Shirone—no, separating his brain from his torso. Once his head is off, you can go in and retrieve Ataraxia.”
Arius had no more complaints.
“Of course. The mobility is sufficient. But the second thing to consider is stealth. This operation must remain unknown to anyone outside this room.”
Zion understood immediately and asked Zenoger.
“You can do it without anyone knowing, right?”
“That doesn't matter. If you tail someone, they are bound to be alone at some point. And if not, I can just kill everyone present, can’t I?”
“That is one way, of course. But I’d prefer to minimize the variables.”
Arius spoke.
“The tricky part is the two women. Reina has work to attend to, so she can be drawn away, but the woman named Amy will stick to Shirone. She is also a daughter of the Carmis family. Leaving her to roam free could create unforeseen variables.”
Hearing Arius’s words, the eight eyes reappeared on Zenoger’s face.
With his mimicry ability activated, he was a perfect spider. Despite being right in front of them, his presence felt faint.
“I do not make mistakes.”
Arius held up his hands in a placating gesture.
“Whoa, whoa, it’s not that I don’t trust your skills. I’m just speaking hypothetically.”
Zion, who had been lost in thought with his chin in his hand, made a decision.
“Alright, then while you two handle things, I’ll keep Amy occupied. The killing should be over in five minutes, right? So holding her for about an hour should be plenty of time?”
“Oh? So you have that kind of taste.”
Zion didn’t deny it.
“Well… she is pretty, isn’t she? If it’s just for one night of fun, I suppose it could be my taste.”
Arius felt a bitter taste at the words coming from the boy’s mouth. Then again, having been born and raised in the royal palace, his experiences were likely on a different level from other boys his age.
In any case, he had no interest in the nocturnal affairs of royalty. To plunder the power of an archangel. That alone was what thrilled him.
“Then let’s decide on a time and place.”
While the three of them meticulously planned, Uorin was left out in a corner, bored.
She stroked the cat, and it meowed. She smiled with her eyes and meowed back.
@
The royal palace was in a festive mood.
With Shirone, the candidate for First Prince, having shown such mighty prowess, the vassals, even if forced, had tears welling in their eyes, overwhelmed with emotion.
A grand party was held, and even after the sun had set, the Grand Hall remained as bright as day.
Long tables were set up along the perimeter of the hall, laden with all sorts of delicacies. Amidst the music of the court musicians, nobles and ladies engaged in idle chatter.
Nobles who had drifted over, following their preferred dishes, came to pay their respects to Shirone.
“We saw the demonstration. It was a truly magnificent verification. The test results aren’t out yet, but seeing your martial prowess, you are clearly of His Majesty’s blood, ha ha ha.”
When Shirone merely listened, a quick-witted noble chimed in.
“Is there any doubt? The reunion after eighteen years, it is all thanks to His Majesty’s virtue reaching the heavens. Don’t you agree, Lord Shirone?”
Shirone did not reply this time either.
He wouldn't be fooled anymore. The etiquette and manners of the royal palace were nothing more than masks to hide one’s true feelings. If he were to strip off those masks, they would all have cold faces, just like him.
‘Are these people enemies, or are they allies?’
It seemed to be the fate of royalty to live their entire lives pondering such questions.
The loudest person in the banquet hall was Eliza.
She praised Shirone endlessly, as if she knew everything about him, despite never having raised him.