Chapter 10 – Black Forest (1)

Special thanks @ТанЯ 777 / Ю.Хису for the ko-fi! ❤️

Translated by IceCherry

Edited & Proofread by Nocturnal

Five palaces were christened the most magnificent in Imperial City, surpassed only by the Baeksong Palace in the centre.

From amongst the five, on the top floor of the red-colored Palace, sat a man.

With long ashen hair, symbolic of the royal family, he was sitting on a chair resembling a throne, looking out at Baekseong Palace.

“…”

Baekseong Palace slowly came into view, his hand outstretched towards it.

Just as he was about to close his outstretched hand, as though to grasp the palace-

“Your Highness.” 

A low voice entered from outside the door, accompanied by a knock. 

“Enter.”

The man halted his action and turned his head towards the door.

Soon after, a wizard appeared before the man’s eyes, politely opening the door and walking in.

“Something happened at Chimseong Palace.”

The wizard quickly mentioned the main issue while bowing his head.

“Something happened? What happened? Are you perhaps speaking of the assassination I ordered? I heard it was a failure. I don’t know why it failed, however.”

“Yes, it is regarding that.”

“What is it?”

“Demonic energy was detected in Chimseong Palace.”

“Demonic energy? What do you mean?”

“Other than that, we know nothing. Recently, all our ‘eyes’ in Chimseong Palace have been gouged out. Even questioning the servants working there rewards us with nothing but silence.”

“Dispatch more ‘eyes’ to infiltrate it again and learn more.”

“I understand. Also…”

The man looked at the wizard, who seemed as though he hadn’t  finished speaking yet.

“There have been rumours that Prince Zion has changed recently.”

“How so?”

“I heard that his temper has become very ferocious. He is also said to have used an unknown power…”

“Has he finally gone mad? That’s certainly possible, since there’s been constant assassination threats… What a weakling.”

The man began to snicker at the wizard’s words.

“I don’t care for those rumours. He was born incompetent. The only thing suggesting that he possesses Agnes’ blood is the colour of his hair. No matter how much effort he exerts, he is nothing but a worm crawling on the earth. Come to think of it, is it time for the succession ceremony? What happened?”

“Given that there is no mention of abandoning it, I believe we can proceed as planned.”

“…I would remain silent were he to concede. However, he became unruly, unaware of where he stands.”

After uttering those words, the man was immersed in thought for a while, tapping the armrest of the chair with his finger. Then, he opened his mouth.

“Regarding the succession ceremony.”

“Yes?”

“Why don’t you ‘modify’ it, to make it more interesting?”

The man’s eyes narrowed maliciously.

* * *

The Imperial Palace was located in the middle of Hubris, the capital city termed ‘the centre of the world’.

The Imperial castle boasted an enormous size and a magnificent appearance, its splendour instilling awe in the beholder.

Zion, with half of his face concealed by a hood, gazed towards Baeksong Palace.

I recall that there is approximately a week left until the succession ceremony?

Zion was standing outside the Imperial capital of Hubris as he thought so.

After disposing of the demon hidden in Chimseong Palace and organising his surroundings, Zion left the palace.

There were matters that needed to be swiftly resolved before the succession ceremony, and to do so, he had to inevitably go outside.

I believe it was this way.

Zion walked down the street, referencing what he recalled of the Frosimar Chronicles.

Normally, when a member of the direct royal family left the palace, they would be accompanied by numerous attendants, including guards. However, no one was present accompanying Zion as he walked through the city.

That was because Zion had snuck out.

It was easier to leave than I expected. Perhaps it is due to Chimseong Palace being located in the outskirts of the Imperial capital.

Fredo was the only one who knew Zion had left.

The rest of the servants and knights would be told that Zion is just going back and forth between the bedroom and the training hall.

Although all the ‘eyes’ were completely eliminated, Zion did not fully trust the palace personnel.

Therefore, he led people to believe that the demon incident was simply the act of a dark wizard in disguise who sought to assassinate him.

It was only natural that they kept their mouths shut thoroughly.

It would circulate at some point, but it would be okay for a while.

She seemed dubious, but I won’t see her for a while.

He thought about Priscilla as he continued walking for an uncertain period of time, until finally-

Is it here?

Zion stopped in front of a building and examined the sign.

The Moonlight Diner.

The restaurant was quite well known in the capital.

From the second floor onwards, where private rooms are made available, one cannot enter without a reservation.

However, Zion was not here to dine.

Information Guild Moonlit Snow.

That was exactly what this diner was.

No, to be precise, it was one of the secret branches of Moonlit Snow.

“Would you like to order?”

An employee with a moustache approached Zion, who was seated at one of the tables on the first floor, and asked politely as he filled his cup with water.

“Fried snowflakes served with homemade wine¹.”

It was a line that caused even Zion himself to cringe, as well as something not existing on the restaurant’s menu, but it was something he had to state.

It was a code to place a request.

It was a conventional method, but a very efficient one nonetheless that was used until today.

“I understand.”

Despite having told him the secret code, there wasn’t even the slightest change in the employee’s expression as he took Zion’s order and went to the counter. There he exchanged a few words with another employee before approaching Zion once again.

“Sir, please follow me, I will escort you to your private room.”

Zion accepted the polite gesture of the employee and rose from his seat, allowing himself to be escorted. 

The private rooms were located on the second floor, which required him to ascend the stairs leading to it, but the employee led Zion to the entrance of a passageway leading down to the basement.

Without any further explanation, the employee began walking down the passageway, illuminated with only enough light to allow him to see directly ahead.

Thud, thud.

How long exactly had he been following the employee?

Suddenly, the passage widened, a round space appearing before Zion’s eyes.

In the centre of the space was a desk, with a woman sitting behind it.

She sported auburn hair, tied back in a single bun, and round glasses. Her gaze examined Zion as he followed the employee.

“It’s your first time here, isn’t it?”

A calm voice befitting her appearance.

Is she the branch manager?

Zion thought so as saw the employee standing politely beside the woman. He immediately opened his mouth and addressed her.

“I’d like to make a request.”

The woman, who stared at Zion for a moment without saying a word, then answered.

“All right. But first, could you please reveal yourself?” 

Zion smirked at her words.

“Since when did the Information Guild inquire about the client’s identity?”

“Normally we wouldn’t request such a thing. However, this is a special case.”

There was a chilly look in the woman’s eyes as she stared at Zion.

“A special case?”

“Surely you are aware? It has not been long since “The Moonlight Diner” became a branch of “Moonlit Snow.” It is not even officially operational.”

Tap. Tap, tap, tap.

The woman began to tap her desk, as if to fall into a certain rhythm.

“Therefore, even most of those within our guild are unaware of the identity of this place, let alone outsiders. I remember the faces of those I know. But you…”

Tap.

“How do you know of this place?”

With those words, the moment when the fingers that were tapping on the desk stopped-

Seugagagagak!

The masked guards who had been hiding in the darkness simultaneously thrust their swords toward Zion.

Did they assume that they attacked at a speed I could not react to?

Zion’s gaze remained on the woman.

Soon after, swords were finally embedded in Zion’s neck and heart.

No.

“…!”

The swords became stuck.

An inch.

The swords could advance no further into Zion’s vital points.

Kadeudeudeuk!

The swords did not move in the slightest, even though the masked men’s arms were trembling from exertion.

It was as if the swords had been thrust into highly compressed sand.

And, before they knew it, foreign darkness began surrounding those swords.

“What is this…?”

The woman’s eyes quivered as she saw the strange scene before her.

“Was it swifter?”

A low voice escaped from Zion’s mouth

What was it that was swifter?

Before the woman could complete her thought, Zion’s hand moved.

Kwaaaang!

Astral Darkness, which instantaneously enveloped Zion’s right hand, instantly blew away all of the masked guards to his right.

The masked guards, unable to properly resist the attack, were flung into the wall, drooping down afterwards.

At that moment, the masked guards on the opposite side grabbed their now-free swords and once again stabbed at Zion.

Sswaeaeaeaek!

The swords extended toward Zion’s neck even swifter than before.

However, they once again failed to reach Zion.

Dark Shift.

Zion, who waltzed between the sword blows like a phantom, extended his hand without hesitation.

Kwajik, kwajik, kwajijik!

Exactly one person at a time.

Masked guards began to fall to the floor as they failed to respond to Zion’s attacks.

“How…”

A baffled voice flowed out from the woman’s mouth.

Those masked men were skilled guards assigned by the guild to protect the woman, who held a special position in Moonlit Snow.

How could they fall so easily?

“It doesn’t matter how I figured out who you are.”

Meanwhile, Zion, who had arranged all the masked people into a pile, fixed his disordered robe and approached the woman.

“What is important is that I issued the request and you will listen to it.”

I came earlier than when this branch of “Moonlit Snow” began to accept commissions, but it was irrelevant.

If I want something, I will obtain it.

The woman, who stared at Zion with trembling eyes for a moment, finally spoke.

“What do you want?”

 * * *

“Information about the Black Forest and fake identification…”

The woman, Irene , murmured, recalling the robed man who left with what he wanted.

The man requested two things.

It was identification proving his identity and information regarding a place called “Black Forest”.

“Irene-nim. May I ask why you accepted the request?”

Allen, the moustached employee next to Irene, asked curiously as he cleaned up the debris.

As far as he knew, Irene was not the kind of person who would concede to an inappropriate client, even if her life was threatened.

Additionally, she had already established several escape routes, which were accessible even if she could not handle the man from a while ago.

However, Irene accepted the request of the robed man too easily.

He was also asked to help the man who almost killed her guards.

“Do you remember the battle?”

Irene, who had been barely regulating her breath after hearing Allen’s question, looked at the guards being carried away and opened her mouth.

“Yes. How can I forget it?”

“That time, for a moment, the man’s robe came off slightly.”

And at that moment, Irene caught sight of it.

Dark, ashen hair.

“Ashen hair… There is only one family in the world that possesses such a hair colour.”

The house that rules this world.

The Agnes family.

Only the pure blood of the Agnes family boasted such a colour.

“That means…”

“I believe one of Agnes’ lions has moved.”

The royal family rarely left their palaces.

However, once they did, they invariably caused huge turmoil in the world.

“I will dispatch someone skilled.”

Irene nodded slightly at Allen’s words and continued.

“Investigate in detail who he is among the Imperial family, why he came out of the Imperial capital, why he travels alone, and investigate the Black Forest as well.”

“I understand.”

As Irene followed Allen’s back as he walked out of the cavity with firm eyes, she recalled the man from a while ago.

Who in the world is he?

With his overwhelming charisma, he could blow away everything at once and possesses boundless power.

He must have been one of the candidates most likely to become the next emperor.

The thought that the man from a while ago would be Zion Agnes, who is called the ‘Imprisoned Prince’, hadn’t even crossed Irene’s mind.

IceCherry: Yo guys, do you all like my present? Bwahaha, surprise! I’m not gonna miss my April fool’s prank ?? Anyway, looks like the next chapter it also will be delayed, I’m still swamped with homeworks so that’s why I post mtl version for chapter 11 in here. Thank you very much for being patience and love you all! ❤️?

TL;DR: Who wants to read mtl ahead? Coz I’m slow like ?

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1. Literal TL: Damgeumju= liquor made by dipping ingredients such as fruit, medicinal herbs, spices, snakes, worms or alcohol used for infusing.