Chapter 28

Chapter 28 – So You Weren’t a Traitor (1)

“A legacy...... you say?”

The child’s expression immediately went blank.

Narakas, who had come wearing his subordinate’s mask, laughed to himself.

‘Of course, he’d be surprised.’

After all, it was an item left behind by none other than Ancelot Heil Edenberg, the greatest hero in history.

Anyone, not to mention this mere child, would be interested.

‘Now, let’s see if we can put this arrogant brat in his place, shall we?’

The basic principle of negotiation is to maintain psychological superiority.

Even if you want something, you must never show desperation or impatience.

The moment you do, you’ll be swept along with your opponent’s pace throughout the negotiation.

“And it’s right here in the Hart Kingdom.”

“......That’s a lie.”

“Hmm?”

“I know Ancelot Heil Edenberg had no ties to the Hart Kingdom. You’re telling me someone like that came all the way to this remote place to leave an inheritance? Ridiculous.”

“Heh.”

Narakas chuckled softly.

Of course, most would think this way.

For one, the distance between Ancelot Heil Edenberg’s empire in the northern part of the continent and this southern remote Hart Kingdom was considerable.

They were practically polar opposites.

“You’ll see if you follow me.”

Finally, Narakas arrived at the main point he wanted to discuss.

“Follow you?”

“It just so happens that the place is nearby.”

“......”

The child’s eyes went blank.

Watching him unable to respond and keeping his mouth shut, Narakas felt a chuckle rising from within.

Maybe things would be different if the child feigned disinterest from the start.

If he refuses now......

“If you’re afraid I might harm you after leading you out of here, you don’t need to worry. I’m not that petty.”

“......”

After saying his piece, Narakas felt a weight lift from his chest.

‘He’s been annoying from the start.’

This snot-nosed kid, daring to speak informally just because he’s the client.

If it weren’t for the item he was searching for, he would’ve started the conversation with a beating.

‘So what if he’s royalty?’

He’s only a prince in his own country. How dare he.

Moreover, he was the prince of a minor country like the Duchy of Meeke, where even the king would grovel before him.

“But if you’re scared, there’s nothing I can do.”

Narakas crossed his legs with a more relaxed expression.

“I’ll go.”

“Hmm?”

“Let’s meet at the central square with the fountain. It’s not like a stray cat can boldly use the main entrance.”

“Huh?”

“I can decide after I see the item, right?”

Unexpectedly, the youngster stood up with ease.

‘The brat’s got some nerve.’

Narakas chuckled and waved his hand.

“No need to pretend to be tough. I was just suggesting we show a bit of mutual respect in our conversation......”

“Pretend?”

The young man tilted his head.

“......!”

The moment he saw that, Narakas knew.

The subtle movement of his pupils.

The change in the corners of his mouth.

Even the minute variations in his voice.

His ability to see through human psychology with such small cues was unparalleled.

But this kid.

‘He’s not afraid?’

It wasn’t just bravado.

‘Is he acting?’

He even entertained this suspicion, but immediately shook his head.

That was even more absurd.

If this mere youngster could act well enough to deceive his eyes, he would have already been famous across the continent as a prodigy in theater.

“......Unbelievable.”

Watching the child leave the room, Narakas muttered blankly.

“Doesn’t he know the dangers of the world?”

In the end, he decided to revise his plan slightly.

It seemed necessary to observe this young man a bit more closely.

***

The sword collided with the cliff’s surface.

Had it been an ordinary rock, the aura enveloping the blade would have sliced through it like butter.

But the surface showed not even a scratch.

“This is......?”

My eyes widened in realization.

A faint black sheen enveloping the surface finally came into view.

The entire cliff face was magically treated in a special way.

Upon closer inspection, even faint cracks were visible along the edge of the cliff.

‘An artificial mark.’

Perhaps an entrance that had been sealed after excavation, or a hole that was manually blocked.

Either way, it was clear this was no ordinary cliff.

“As you can see, there’s no way to open this place, unfortunately. Even if you had the ability, who knows? There might be mechanisms in place to collapse it if forced open.”

“......”

“Judging by your reaction, this is new to you too. I had some expectations, considering your uncommon nature and interest in Ancelot. Ah, well.”

Narakas clicked his tongue lightly.

“......You shared this valuable information based on mere expectations?”

I found his reaction somewhat hard to comprehend.

Information is valuable.

If this were an unopened hero’s tomb, the information alone could be worth a fortune.

“Hoping for a big payout without any investment is the mindset of a thief.”

“That’s hard to believe. Information is more valuable when fewer people know it. You could sell it to someone else for a significant profit.”

“In my judgment, this was a worthwhile investment.”

Narakas, his gaze intense, stared at me.

“A small clue, curiosity, and suspicion. These things combine to form a piece of information.”

“What do you mean?”

“For instance, why would a mere child from another country be interested in a great hero?”

Narakas continued his soliloquy.

“Sure, anyone can be interested in Ancelot Heil Edenberg, a hero that transcends borders. But is this child an ordinary one?”

Narakas shook his head.

“No. How could a monster, who killed an expert knight with a single stroke at barely over ten years old, be ordinary?”

“......”

“Then another question arises. Are such monsters common? No. So, are the parents of such a monster ordinary? Maybe, but there’s a high chance they are extraordinary. The saying ‘like father, like son’ exists for a reason.”

Narakas held up a finger.

“Here’s a hypothesis. What if this child is a descendant of the greatest hero in history? Then this unusual talent and interest in him would be understandable.”

“Unfortunately, that’s......”

“Yes, unfortunately, that’s an invalid hypothesis. The monster is the abandoned seventh prince of the Duchy of Meeke, and possesses a clear identity.”

Interrupting, Narakas twirled a lock of his hair.

“This leads to another question. Why does this ill-fated prince care about the great hero? And why has he hidden his abilities until now? Did he recently encounter a stroke of luck? Perhaps his royal family acquired special information about the hero?”

Narakas smiled.

“This is the most plausible theory so far. Your strength supports my claim. In that sense......”

Narakas spoke in a meaningful tone.

“Do you really have no idea?”

“Just what are you expecting from me?”

“Let’s be more honest. If what’s inside here is another great hero’s secret, you could become even stronger. I don’t intend to hoard the treasure selfishly. The abandoned prince could certainly dream of revenge.”

“......”

I gazed at him silently.

At this point, I was curious too.

What could my unknown inheritance be?

“The tomb itself could be fake. Do you really think there’s something inside?”

“No one knows until we go in.”

“......Before that, why do you think this is Ancelot’s tomb?”

“Look up.”

“......?”

I followed his pointing finger.

In very small letters, something was engraved.

[Here Lies the Greatest Hero in History]

“......!”

Despite Narakas standing next to me, my eyes widened involuntarily.

I had always been cautious.

I acknowledged Narakas’ abilities.

He was skilled at seeing through others’ emotions from their reactions.

Not just skilled, but talented to a degree that it could be considered a gift.

He used this ability to weed out traitors and maintained his position as the leader.

“Bastion......”

Despite th

is knowledge, I couldn’t hide the surge of emotion welling up from within.

Even my eyes grew misty and red.

It was because......

“......You survived and escaped safely.”

The handwriting was all too familiar to me.