Chapter 2

"Markas."
My father called out loudly.
I don't know anyone else who calls my brother by his first name.
My brother looked at me and grinned.
"Looks like I have to join the old man's conversation. Talk to you later, brother."
Before leaving, he leaned closer and whispered into my ear.
"Your fiancée is casting Observation Magic on you."
I froze.
I hadn't noticed.
Not even a little.
I resisted the urge to look toward her.
Princess Elara Globus.
Granddaughter of King Globus.
My fiancée.
Daughter of Lord Commander Magnus Globus, the head of the Royal Guard.
As if that wasn't enough, her mother was Helena Globus, formerly Helena Blackwell, the only daughter of House Blackwell.
House Blackwell was the richest family in the kingdom.
At times, their wealth was compared to the Royal Treasury itself.
Their ancestors had once possessed Saint-level Elemental Magic. Legends claimed they could create gold, diamonds, and nearly any naturally occurring substance. During their peak, House Blackwell controlled so much wealth that even kings could not ignore them.
That changed when House Solaris reformed the kingdom's economy.
Under the guidance of Globus the First and the strategies developed by House Solaris, the kingdom abandoned its dependence on precious metals. A gold coin was only considered legal currency if it carried the kingdom's sigil, and every sigil was infused with Royal Magic. Counterfeit coins appeared completely different to any competent magic user.
The reforms weakened House Blackwell's influence considerably.
Royal officials were no longer selected by noble recommendation but through the Solaris Decree, an examination system so fair that even peasants could compete for positions within the government.
House Solaris had also played a major role in founding KST Academy.
It was the Solaris Board itself that had appointed my father as Headmaster.
Their reputation for fairness, efficiency, and clear thinking was admired throughout the kingdom.
Even so, some things could not be replaced.
Gold still had value.
Diamonds still had value.
And House Blackwell still owned most of the kingdom's gold and diamond mines.
Their current Patriarch was even rumored to possess the ability to create gold, though nowhere near the level of his ancestors.
Many believed that one day House Blackwell might produce another Saint.
And now, one of their descendants was going to become my wife.
The King's granddaughter.
The maternal granddaughter of the Blackwell Patriarch.
A girl whose bloodline carried both royal authority and unimaginable wealth.
And at this very moment, she was calmly using Observation Magic to evaluate me.
Well, I could not disappoint her, so I did what any assassin does best.
I disappeared.
Moving through the crowd, I activated Shadow Walk and vanished into the shadows. From there, I climbed onto a nearby balcony and began observing the gathering from above.
I made sure to stay outside the detection range of the Royal Guards, especially her father.
Then I tried using Observation Magic on her.
The attempt failed immediately.
A barrier from the necklace around her neck blocked my spell completely. A magical item capable of stopping Observation Magic so effortlessly had to be worth a fortune.
Princess Elara, meanwhile, was frantically trying to locate me.
Seeing that, I decided I had teased her enough.
I climbed down and started walking toward her.
The moment she spotted me, she seemed slightly nervous.
Before I could reach her, however, her Royal Guards moved.
Not directly.
They simply positioned themselves closer, ready to react at a moment's notice.
Every member of the royal family is assigned at least two Royal Guards from birth.
In exchange for dedicating their lives to protecting that child and the royal family, they receive the Elixir of House Globus. The elixir significantly slows aging and grants a tremendous increase in magical energy.
How the elixir is created remains one of the greatest secrets of House Globus.
To this day, there has never been a recorded case of a Royal Guard betraying the royal family.
My father believes the elixir somehow binds the guard's soul to the child they serve. Whether that is true or not, the loyalty of the Royal Guards is unquestionable.
Personally, I wasn't afraid of them.
I was the second son of the Kasper Family's main branch and, more importantly, the Princess's fiancé.
I had every right to approach her.
Unfortunately, years of training refused to let me casually walk between three armed guards who were scanning me from head to toe.
So I stopped.
Princess Elara immediately noticed.
"Please let Sir Cassian be comfortable," she said. "He must be feeling crowded."
The guards apologized and stepped back two paces.
As if that made any difference.
I was still well within sword range.
Of course they were cautious.
I was an assassin.
A single touch, a mana-infused poison, or a hidden dagger concealed within my shadow could easily turn deadly.
As I observed them, my mind automatically began calculating possibilities.
How would I eliminate them?
How would I reach the Princess?
How many seconds would I need?
The guards were doing the exact same thing.
Neither side could help it.
That was simply how we had been trained.
After observing them for a while, I finally continued forward.
Their eyes remained glued to me the entire time.
I looked toward the Princess, taking my eyes off the guards while still monitoring their aura signatures.
Then I smiled.
"So, Princess, how many points would you give me?"
She immediately blushed.
"You noticed?"
I nodded.
Of course, I was lying.
My brother had noticed, not me.
"You don't show much, Sir Cassian."
Hearing my own name spoken aloud felt strange.
Assassins are trained to avoid using names whenever possible.
Most members of House Kasper rarely used first names in private.
But this wasn't a mission.
This was a noble gathering.
For tonight, I was not an assassin.
I was a member of one of the Three Great Houses.
I nodded.
"Occupational habit. Sorry to disappoint you, Princess."
She smiled.
"No worries. I have plenty of time to get to know you."
I nodded.
"That may be difficult while your guards keep staring at me."
Then I glanced toward the tallest of them.
"Am I right, Sir Rowan Solaris?"
Rowan chuckled.
"My apologies, Young Master Kasper. We guards are often overprotective."
By now, Sir Rowan had almost certainly read my mana flow and intentions completely.
He looked toward the other two guards.
They nodded in understanding, stepped farther back, and eventually left our immediate vicinity.
Then the Princess asked,
"How do you feel about this arrangement?"
I thought about it for a moment.
"Honestly? Not much."
She blinked.
"I don't think I've fully registered it yet."
"Yeah," she said softly. "I can understand that."
After a brief pause, she asked,
"Do you like someone else?"
I shook my head.
"No."
I didn't ask her the same question.
A few seconds later, she narrowed her eyes.
"Why didn't you ask me?"
I looked at her.
"Because it's not my place to ask, Princess."
She looked genuinely surprised.
I continued.
"You are the Princess of the Globus Kingdom."
"And I am duty-bound to you as a member of House Kasper."
"Practically speaking, I am your assassin, Princess."
"I don't think I have the right to ask such a question."
She immediately made a face.
"Mr. Assassin."
I stayed silent.
"You are soon going to be my husband as well."
I sighed.
"Fair point."
"Show some interest."
I couldn't argue with that.
"My apologies."
Then I asked,
"Is there anyone you like?"
She shook her head.
"No."
Then she smiled awkwardly.
"I used to have a crush on Sir Rowan."
I looked toward the Royal Guard.
"When I confessed to him, he hit me on the head."
I laughed.
"That sounds like him."
"Ever since then, he's been more like an older brother."
I glanced toward Rowan again.
Even standing at a distance, he radiated calm confidence.
Positive energy seemed to follow him wherever he went.
Then again, that was hardly surprising.
A Solaris.
A Royal Guard.
Duty practically flowed through his blood.
Sir Rowan Solaris was the very definition of loyalty.
Speaking of House Solaris, it was impossible not to notice another important figure in the hall.
Sir Roha Solaris, the current Prime Minister of the kingdom.
Unlike noble titles, no royal office can be inherited in our kingdom.
Every position, from Prime Minister to Royal Tax Collector, is filled according to the Solaris Decree.
The system was one of the greatest contributions House Solaris had ever made to the kingdom.
Candidates are tested on academic knowledge, political understanding, administration, law, diplomacy, economics, and bureaucracy. Afterward, votes are cast according to the rules established for that particular office.
The Prime Ministership follows the most prestigious version of the decree.
Twenty-five noble houses cast their votes.
The twenty-sixth vote belongs to the people.
Other offices follow similar principles.
Royal Tax Collectors, Administrators, Regional Governors, and countless other officials are selected through examinations and evaluations before votes are cast by the relevant noble houses and the Crown.
The exact process changes depending on the office.
The principle does not.
Merit first.
Influence second.
The royal family always receives a vote.
House Solaris, however, almost never does.
Except for the Prime Ministerial selection, House Solaris voluntarily surrenders its voting rights to the Crown. Even if an official is being selected within Solaris territory, their vote is transferred to the royal family.
It was a tradition established to preserve trust in the system.
House Solaris had built the bureaucracy, but they refused to dominate it.
It was one of the reasons they remained respected throughout the kingdom.
They had the power to control the system.
Instead, they chose to safeguard it.
As I observed Sir Roha from across the hall, I noticed something unusual.
He looked exhausted.
His posture remained perfect.
His expression remained calm.
But years of assassin training had taught me how to notice details others ignored.
The tension around his eyes.
The stiffness in his shoulders.
The slight delay in his responses.
The man was under considerable pressure.
Following my gaze, Princess Elara spoke softly.
"I heard his son recently fell ill."
I turned toward her.
"His son?"
She nodded.
"He was conducting an inspection of the southern border territories."
That explained part of it.
Elara continued.
"Sir Roha has also been dealing with disturbances in the southern territories."
I listened carefully.
"House Whitlock has refused to allow royal administrators to inspect their lands."
"Why?"
"The succession issue."
I immediately understood.
"Lord Hemin Whitlock?"
She nodded.
"His death was sudden."
The Princess took a sip of her drink before continuing.
"The new Patriarch has not formally taken his position yet. Until that happens, House Whitlock is refusing outside interference."
I glanced back toward the Prime Minister.
That was troublesome.
Any major noble house delaying royal inspections could quickly become a political issue.
Especially in border territories.
Sir Roha noticed me looking at him and gave a polite nod.
I returned the gesture.
The Prime Minister's face remained calm.
But now that I knew what was happening, I could see it clearly.
The man wasn't attending a celebration.
He was attending work while pretending it was a celebration.
I could see Sir Roha Solaris looking for an opportunity to speak with my father.
Eventually, the chance presented itself.
He walked over, whispered something into my father's ear, and stepped back.
My father listened quietly before nodding.
The two of them moved away from the crowd and began speaking in private.
A few moments later, I noticed another person heading in their direction.
The Patriarch of House Turney.
Now that was not something one saw often.
The heads of the Three Great Houses gathered together.
House Kasper.
House Turney.
House Solaris.
Three families powerful enough that, together, they could challenge even the Crown.
What surprised me wasn't that they were speaking.
It was that all three looked concerned.
The conversation grew increasingly serious.
Across the hall, I noticed King Globus watching them with curiosity.
Oddly enough, he didn't look worried at all.
Almost as if he was thinking,
They'll handle it.
The king's trust in my father had always been unusual.
For reasons nobody truly understood, King Globus rarely questioned him.
Even when my father openly opposed decisions that favored the royal family.
The marriage proposal was one example.
But not the only one.
Years ago, three children disappeared from the forests surrounding the Royal Capital.
The third victim was the child of a royal servant.
The city panicked.
The king issued a decree ordering the forests around the capital to be cleared.
House Turney immediately opposed it.
As protectors of the forests, they considered the decree unacceptable.
Legend claimed that the first founder of House Turney had learned magic directly from druids and forest spirits.
Most nobles expected my father to support the king.
Instead, he sided with House Turney.
King Globus reluctantly agreed to compromise.
Only twenty percent of the forest was cleared.
The rest was protected by powerful barriers created by House Turney.
The investigation eventually revealed the truth.
The missing child had been kidnapped by smugglers.
When they realized the royal family had become involved, they attempted to flee.
House Kasper hunted them down and killed every last one of them.
To this day, nobody understood why King Globus trusted my father so completely.
My attention returned to the gathering.
The discussion between the three patriarchs had become increasingly intense.
Then my father approached the king and whispered something to him.
Immediately afterward, the king stood.
So did Crown Prince Aurelius Globus.
And beside him, Second Prince Lucian Globus.
Seeing all three princes together was rare.
Then another figure moved.
Lord Commander Magnus Globus.
Head of the Royal Guard.
Thirty Royal Guards fell into formation behind him.
The Royal Guards assigned directly to King Globus were known as the King's Knights.
My brother was one of them.
Every single one was terrifying.
My father once told me that my brother ranked ninth among the King's Knights.
I still had trouble believing that.
If Markas was only ninth, then what kind of monsters occupied the top positions?
Especially Magnus Globus.
The strongest King's Knight.
The third prince of the kingdom.
Watching the king, the princes, the heads of the Three Great Houses, and the King's Knights leave together was a sight few people would ever forget.
Soon afterward, an announcement was made.
Sir Roderick Solaris, assistant to the Prime Minister, stepped forward.
"By decree of His Majesty, the royal family will be returning to the capital immediately. Guests are encouraged to continue enjoying the celebration."
Polite apologies followed.
The royal family excused themselves.
The same was true for the princess.
Almost immediately, whispers spread through the hall.
"It must be the southern border."
"House Whitlock again."
"They've always been troublesome."
One by one, more people began leaving.
Even my brother excused himself.
Six King's Knights departed alongside him.
Within minutes, nearly half the hall had emptied.
I looked toward Caroline.
My brother's fiancée appeared nervous.
Does House Turney know something?
I turned toward Valen.
Before I could ask, he answered telepathically.
"My father is preparing for battle."
I blinked.
"Battle?"
"His aura is all over the place."
"Do you think our borders are under threat?"
Valen looked at me as if I had said something ridiculous.
"Who would attack Globus? Especially from the south?"
He had a point.
The southern kingdoms were small trade nations.
None possessed a military capable of threatening us.
"Then is it a rebellion?" I asked.
"Maybe."
That didn't make sense either.
The Whitlocks had served the Crown for over a thousand years.
I couldn't imagine them openly revolting.
Something wasn't adding up.
Suddenly Valen paused.
His expression changed.
Someone had contacted him telepathically.
Probably Caroline.
A moment later he stood.
"I have to go."
The connection ended.
Now I was standing alone among confused nobles.
Without wasting any time, I quietly left the celebration as well.
I wanted answers.
And there was only one person likely to have them.
My brother.
By the time I reached the Kasper Estate, preparations were already underway.
My father had left.
My brother was preparing to depart.
I approached him immediately.
"What's happening?"
His expression darkened.
"Hemin Whitlock is alive."
For a moment, I thought I had misheard him.
"What?"
"The Whitlock Estate has been infiltrated."
He mounted the dragon as he spoke.
"Lord Hemin was poisoned."
"Then how is he alive?"
"He survived."
That was somehow even more concerning.
"The current Whitlock Patriarch didn't know who to trust."
My brother adjusted his gauntlets.
"He finally sent the information to the Prime Minister."
I thought about the current Whitlock heir.
Only thirteen years old.
His father had died during the eastern war.
Now he was carrying the burden of an entire house.
I could understand why he hesitated.
My brother continued.
"Father is heading south to meet Hemin personally."
"And you?"
"I'm checking the northern borders."
"For spies?"
He nodded.
"Someone capable of infiltrating House Whitlock isn't acting alone."
That made sense.
Then he looked directly at me.
"Father is gone."
"I know."
"I'm leaving."
I nodded again.
"Which means you're in charge of the estate."
I sighed.
Of course I was.
The Kasper Estate controlled nearly eighty kilometers of territory directly and influenced countless smaller houses indirectly.
Disputes happened constantly.
My brother climbed onto his dragon.
The King's Knights mounted their horses.
I once heard that dragons never allowed anyone except their masters to ride them.
Watching his dragon lower itself so casually, I was inclined to believe it.
Within moments, they were gone.
I watched them disappear into the distance.
Father and the king would likely reach the southern border in two days.
Knowing them, they would resolve the crisis within a week.
Ten to twelve days at most.
Which meant I was stuck handling both my work and my brother's.
Wonderful.