[V6C3] The Burden to Bear

The lights never went out at the splendidly illuminated Ylmarch Palace, even at night. However, a short distance away from the palace, within the bushes, there were two figures wearing black clothing that blended into the darkness. They were a young man and woman, spying on the entrance to the palace via farsight magic.

Both had black hair, and the man had an ordinary face that could be found anywhere, while the woman had a cool and resolute countenance with sharp eyes and brows.

The sky was covered with thick clouds, so neither the stars nor the moon were visible.

Despite being a spring night, the chill felt as though snow might fall at any moment. Nevertheless, the two concealed their breath without letting out white puffs, vigilantly monitoring all individuals entering or leaving with their magic.

Eventually, they spotted a certain young man exiting from the palace. He was a blond youth wearing a modest dark blue formal suit and a black mask. After confirming his presence, the woman spoke.

“Yuan, the target has exited Ylmarch Palace. However, there’s no sign of his black-haired companion. Shall we split up as well?”

“…Hold on just a sec, Heidi.”

The man——Yuan——placed a finger on his forehead, enhancing the precision of his farsight magic.

The target reflected in Yuan’s eyes was indeed wearing the same navy-blue attire he remembered. His hair color and stature were also quite similar.

…Yet their style of walking was different.

The target had always stood upright and walked with a good posture. His gait was undoubtedly that of someone well-versed in martial arts.

While the man they spotted was practically identical to the target, his stride was completely different. Even if he was intoxicated, that didn’t explain such a glaring difference.

“That is not our target. The real one is probably…”

“Correct.”

Before Yuan could finish his sentence, footsteps sounded from behind him.

Yuan turned around to see a black-haired man and a blond youth standing behind them. Both were dressed in formal attire, but without masks.

The black-haired man grinned, and the blond youth aimed the barrel of a pistol in their direction. The blond youth was their target.

He had worn a navy-colored suit when entering the masquerade ball, but now he was adorned in a vibrant crimson suit.

…In all likelihood, he had switched outfits with the man who left through the entrance.

“Now, who are you and where are you from? …I hope you are willing to give me a straight answer. Right now, I happen to have a convenient item called the Witch’s Love Potion. I wouldn’t mind using it if your lips are too tight.”

“Hey, I remember that girl’s eyebrows.”

When teased about her eyebrows, Heidi pursed her lips into a scowl.

The black-haired man, his golden eyes gleaming, hissed like a threatening reptile.

“You’re those guys, right? The ones who messed with Monica before, Imperial folks.”

“…Imperial?”

The blond youth squinted in suspicion.

In any case, as long as the black-haired man——the Silent Witch’s servant——was present, any attempt at deception would be futile.

Yuan performed a theatrical bow, speaking in a voice as sickeningly sweet as burnt honey.

“I am Yuan, and this is Heidi. Nice to meet you, though this is not our first encounter… False prince.”

＊　＊　＊

False prince.

With that single phrase, all emotion vanished from Isaac’s face.

Even so, Isaac’s gun remained steady without a hint of wavering.

According to Nero, this man was from the Empire. And he knew Isaac’s true identity. A dire situation. Depending on circumstances, he may have to be erased.

This situation was unfavorable not only for Isaac, whose true identity had been revealed, but also for Yuan, who had his surveillance exposed.

Isaac carefully gauged his next words, but Yuan spoke up first.

“Since when did you notice that we were monitoring you?”

“A month ago, when you came to Sazandol.”

Upon hearing Isaac’s straightforward reply, Yuan shrugged his shoulders with a sorrowful expression, letting out a sigh.

“…Practically from the beginning then. That’s discouraging.”

Despite Yuan’s self-mockery, his infiltration skills were quite impressive.

Ever since Isaac adopted the name of Felix, he had lived constantly with the awareness of appearing as a perfect prince at all times. Thus, he was sensitive to the gazes and presence of others, as well as skilled at discerning guards and surveillance.

Even with Isaac’s unique talents, Yuan and Heidi had proven elusive. Thus, Isaac decided to set a trap for them.

Isaac had two reasons for participating in the masquerade ball. One was to identify and eliminate the impostor using Felix’s name. The other was to use the impostor as bait to expose the spies tailing him.

“So you two know about the Silent Witch?”

Upon hearing Isaac’s question, Yuan lifted the corner of his mouth into a sly grin, practically mocking Isaac.

“Oh, so the Silent Witch never told you about us? Hmm… interesting…”

Isaac refrained from taking the bait and turned to Nero instead.

“Who are they?”

“Monica mentioned that they’re directly under the Black Lion Emperor or something. Also, the one with the creepy way of talking, I punched him before. He’s all gooey.”

“…Huh, can you give me some time to decipher that?”

While Isaac understood less than half of what Nero was saying, there was one part he couldn’t ignore.

The Black Lion Emperor——the title referring to the Emperor of the neighboring Schwalgard Empire.

The Empire was a vast nation composed of multiple ethnicities, so it had many diverse factions, and thus, more sparks of conflict than the Ridill Kingdom.

When Isaac learned that Yuan and Heidi were from the Empire, he understood that the correct response would vary depending on which faction of the Empire they belonged to. However…

(To think they would be working directly under the Black Lion Emperor.)

Practically everyone on the continent had heard of the Black Lion Emperor.

He was the young ruler who ascended to the Empire’s top. Stories abound about him assassinating the previous emperor, razing the villages of foreign tribes, and other such acts of dubious morality.

As the Second Prince, Isaac had met the Black Lion Emperor during official duties. The few exchanges they had was enough to tell Isaac that the Emperor was hearty and magnanimous. Yet, at the same time, he had a sharp intellect.

(I doubt a man like him would dispatch his personal spies for no reason, since that only raises the possibility of unnecessary trouble…)

As Isaac pondered the Emperor’s motives, Yuan let out a small sigh and covered his face with both hands.

Isaac watched suspiciously as Yuan began kneading his facial flesh as if shaping soft clay.

The sight was nauseating, but in a different sense than visceral disgust; Isaac was left speechless.

——Isaac knew about this phenomenon.

When Yuan finally lowered his hands, he wore a face identical to Isaac——no, Felix Arc Ridill. Yuan twisted the lips of his new face into a smirk.

“The physician who altered your face——Artúr——he utilized my techniques. Do you understand better if I put it that way?”

Body manipulation magic was considered taboo in Ridill. But at the same time, it was the forbidden art that transformed Isaac Walker into Felix Arc Ridill.

(…Artúr? Wasn’t that the work of Doctor Arthur?)

It was evident at a glance that the techniques of this Yuan surpassed those of Doctor Arthur.

Doctor Arthur required a great deal of time for the procedure, and claimed that the transformation couldn’t be repeated multiple times. Yet, the man before Isaac effortlessly altered his own face on the spot.

As Isaac stood in speechless shock, Yuan explained.

“Two years ago, our master was concerned about the Second Prince faction in the Ridill Kingdom seeking war. Upon realizing your true identity, he aimed to expose it, causing the collapse of the Second Prince faction and avoiding a war between the Empire and Ridill… That’s when the Silent Witch proposed a deal.”

Monica, making a deal with the Empire? To the bewildered Isaac, Yuan smiled——not with mockery but with pity.

“She asked us to keep the Second Prince’s identity a secret, as long as she prevented a war. And if she failed, she was to serve our master for the rest of her life.”

This had happened behind the scenes of the Supreme Council two years ago. Isaac was left speechless at the revelation.

The blood drained from his entire body, a tightness gripped his throat, and his legs wavered.

——What had he burdened Monica with?

View the latest chapters at seeker142.github.io