In a room within the royal castle, a lone man stood.

"Damn it! You mean to tell me that the Black Assassin failed? They demanded a fortune, yet they bungled it, got caught, and even leaked information! Damn them! I've had my eye on that underground guild for ages—I'll never use them again!"

Crash

The man slammed his glass onto the ground, shattering it to pieces. The wine splattered across the expensive carpet, leaving a stain. But to this man, losing a fine carpet or two was merely a trivial expense.

"That damn elf's cursed blood! I don’t care if she’s a descendant of some great mage; she's nothing but a filthy half-breed worming her way into Father’s favor! Her mother thankfully died of illness early on, but that stubborn daughter managed to survive again."

This man was the country's first prince. While he got along well enough with his younger brother, the second prince, he had always been irritated by their younger sister, the third princess, because of her elven traits—particularly her long ears. He and the second prince often bullied her as children.

"...Well, whatever. There’s nothing a mere assassin’s testimony can do to me. This time, I may have failed, but I’ll wait and strike again! Just expelling her from the castle isn’t enough; I’ll never forgive that cursed blood for even being considered in the line of succession!"

Thump

The first prince slammed his hand on the desk, his frustration echoing through the room.

"Hey! Bring me a new glass of wine, and clean up this mess—now!"

He shouted orders to the guards outside his room. These were top-tier warriors he had personally selected and hired, some of the finest in the kingdom.

Normally, they would enter immediately, but oddly enough, no one came this time.

"Hey, didn’t you hear me? Get in here already!"

The prince's voice grew rougher.

Creak

Finally, the door opened slowly.

"Late, aren’t you? Hurry and clean up this—"

Standing there was not one of his guards. Instead, a strange man wearing unfamiliar armor held a drawn sword in his right hand and a staff in his left. He wore a pitch-black mask that obscured his face.

"...Who are you? I wasn’t informed of a new guard being hired."

The prince narrowed his eyes. This man clearly didn’t belong. Even if a new guard were assigned, he would have heard about it. And yet, he couldn’t fathom this stranger being an intruder. This was the royal castle—the safest place in the kingdom—guarded by five elite men right outside the door. If an intruder had managed to break in, the commotion would have been tremendous.

"...Are you the first prince?"

The man in the black mask spoke, gripping his sword. The prince, unfazed, replied. He found it inconceivable that anyone would dare come here to harm him.

"Indeed, I am. I take it you're not an assassin, are you? And where are the guards?"

"An assassin, of sorts. The people outside are just sleeping. Don’t worry, I didn’t kill them; they almost noticed my stealth skills, so I put them to sleep instead."

Impossible! Was this strange man actually claiming he’d bypassed the palace’s elite without killing them?

"...Listen, if someone hired you, how about I employ you instead? I’ll pay double—no, triple whatever you’re being paid!"

"Hah! Never thought I’d hear a line like that in real life! The quality of this otherworldly experience is amazing!"

"What are you mumbling about? I can’t hear you!"

The man muttered something incomprehensible, then replied clearly.

"Oh, sorry. My answer is no. I’m not hired by anyone."

"...I see, that’s a shame. Then, die!"

The prince raised his right hand, adorned with a bracelet—the Bracelet of Divine Thunder, a magical artifact gifted to him by his father, the king. Even though he couldn't use magic, the bracelet allowed him to channel a stored amount of magical energy, enabling him to cast lightning spells.

"Tch, so you the guard outside the door were killed as well... Oh well, an incompetent man who can't protect me deserves to die. But it's a pity, if only I could have hired him I could have killed that damn elf for sure. Destroying the wall of the room was a bit too much.."

The castle's many magicians had spent the last month collecting magical power Which was used to unleash a single blow from this national treasure magical item. Naturally, the spell’s power was so immense that it blew apart the room, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Whew! That was intense! That was the closest call I’ve had since coming to this world! Guess I underestimated a prince's combat prowess!"

"...Are you even human?"

As the dust settled, the man in the mask stood unharmed. Nothing beyond him, not even the room’s walls, had been damaged.

"I am human! Good, the guards outside are still alive—I can sense them. With magic that powerful, I doubt you can use it again anytime soon, so let’s finish up here."

The man’s tone suddenly darkened, his aura filling the room with a deadly presence.

"Ah… Aaaah…"

I’m going to die! This killing intent—it feels like my heart is in a vice! I’ve never felt such terror from any warrior or beast I’ve faced. I have to escape!

"Do not interfere with Princess Sara again! I know you sent the assassins after her. Understand this: if she dies, you will die as well. I've placed a curse on you. Even if you somehow manage to break it, I will personally come for your life! Remember, it doesn’t matter who protects you or where you hide—I will always be able to kill you! And even if someone else kills her, I’ll make sure you die along with them. So, if anything, you’d better protect her."

"U-understood! I swear! I’ll never target the elf again! I won’t let anyone else either—please, just spare my life!”

Despite being the first prince, I found myself bowing in submission. There was no defiance left in me. To defy him would mean instant death; even I could understand that.

"Good. Live well with each other from now on. Now, I have to pay a visit to the second prince. I hope we’ll never meet again."

With those words, the masked man vanished from sight, leaving the first prince alone.

"Ah… Ah…”

I thought I was dead. I didn’t know such terror existed in this world. He wasn’t something mere mortals could deal with—he was a calamity. I have no choice but to obey him now, and I won’t even think about pursuing him. For now, all I can do is be grateful he spared my life.