(A/N):
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Royal Palace Exterior...
Night wrapped the palace in quiet discipline.
Torches burned steadily.
Guards rotated in perfect rhythm.
Layers of security—magical and physical—interlocked like a living fortress.
And yet—A ripple slipped through.
Unseen. Unnoticed.
At the outer perimeter, a lone guard walked his route.
Nothing unusual. Nothing suspicious.
Except—He wasn't a guard.
Hidden beneath perfect disguise stood Rhya.
His transformation magic was flawless.
Not just appearance—
Voice.
Presence.
Mana signature.
Even the subtle habits of the original guard.
Indistinguishable.
He paused briefly near a wall.
His eyes flickered.
Analyzing.
Mapping.
Memorizing.
Then—
A faint distortion appeared beside him.
A portal.
Subtle.
Silent.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Opened through Valtos's spatial magic from afar.
Without hesitation—Rhya stepped through.
The portal closed instantly behind him.
He emerged seamlessly within the inner perimeter.
Already walking. Already blending.
No alarm. No reaction.
Because to everyone else—He was just another guard.
Rhya moved through the corridors with calm precision.
His eyes scanned everything.
"...."
Guard placements. Magic detection arrays.
Barrier layers. Patrol timings.
Every detail was absorbed in his mind.
Stored. Analyzed.
'Strong,'
He noted internally.
The palace defenses were no joke.
Multiple overlapping formations.
Hidden triggers. Rapid-response squads.
Even without the King—This place could repel most invasions.
But—Every system had gaps. Every pattern had rhythm.
And rhythm—Could be broken.
Rhya slowed near a junction.
Watching. Counting.
A patrol passed.
Another followed shortly after.
He noted the delay.
The blind angle between rotations.
A small one. But enough.
'There it is.'
A loophole. Tiny. But real.
He continued walking, expression neutral.
Inside—His thoughts sharpened.
'We don't strike yet.'
Even with their strength—Revealing themselves now would trigger full defense.
And more importantly—The target wasn't here.
The King Ben.
That was the objective.
Not the palace.
Rhya's gaze shifted toward the deeper sections.
Toward the royal chambers.
'We wait. We watch. Then we strike.'
Because surprise—Was their greatest weapon.
And when they moved—It would be precise.
Decisive.
And aimed straight at the heart of Clover Kingdom.
Unaware—Just a few corridors away—Ben stood before the magic stone platform.
The stones pulsed softly.
Ancient. Patient. Waiting.
Ben stood before the platform, mind steady—Until—A sharp flicker crossed his vision.
[DING...]
[New Task Generated...]
[Objective: Escape Assassination Attempt — Eye of the Midnight Sun]
[Reward: 350 FP + 2 Shades of Null Void Shards]
Ben's expression changed.
Not panic. Not fear.
Focus. Cold. Precise.
'They're already inside.'
His eyes shifted slightly.
Calculating. The palace.
Breached.
And not just anyone—The Eye themselves.
Which meant one thing.
This wasn't chaos. This was targeted.
Him.
He turned. Slowly. Facing Julius Novachrono.
Julius had already noticed.
"...."
That brief pause. That shift in presence.
It was enough.
Ben spoke—His voice low.
Serious.
"The palace has been infiltrated."
A single beat of silence.
"...."
"…By the Eye of the Midnight Sun."
Julius didn't react immediately.
But his eyes changed. The light curiosity faded.
Replaced by something sharper.
"…Their objective?"
Julius asked quietly.
Ben met his gaze.
"To kill me."
Silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Heavy.
Then—Julius exhaled softly.
-Sigh!
Not surprised. Not dismissive.
Just… Thinking.
His golden eyes sharpened, scanning possibilities in an instant.
"Then they're confident,"
Julius said calmly.
"Or desperate."
Ben folded his arms.
"Either way, they're already in position."
Which meant—Waiting. May be Watching.
Just like he would.
Nero shifted slightly atop Ben's crown.
Her eyes narrowed.
-Frown.
"...."
Sensing it now.
The heavy atmosphere. The wrongness in the air.
Julius straightened.
His tone remained light—But the weight behind it deepened.
"…Interesting."
Ben glanced at him.
"You don't sound concerned."
Julius smiled faintly.
"I am."
He stepped forward slightly.
"But I'm also curious."
Of course he was.
Ben shook his head slightly.
"They're not attacking blindly. They're waiting for the right moment. To catch me off guard."
Julius nodded once.
-Nod!
"Which means… They're already close."
The chamber felt different now.
Same walls. Same light.
But beneath it—A tension.
Invisible. Tightening.
Ben's eyes flickered toward the entrance.
"…Let them come."
His voice dropped.
Calm. But edged.
"They chose the wrong place."
The chamber sealed with a soft distortion of time.
Behind them, the magic stones vanished into a suspended prison, locked away by Julius Novachrono's spell.
Untouchable. For now.
Julius turned slightly toward Ben.
"I'll disappear," he said calmly.
"Let them believe you're unprotected."
Ben nodded once.
-Nod!
A bait. A trap.
Julius smiled faintly.
"Timing will be everything. I would never miss it."
Then—He vanished.
Gone.
Not a trace left behind.
Ben walked alone.
His footsteps echoed lightly through the palace halls.
Calm. Measured.
But his senses were sharp.
Every corner. Every shadow. Every fluctuation in mana—Noted.
Ahead—A guard approached.
Straight posture. Steady breathing. Nothing unusual.
The guard stopped. Saluted.
Ben's eyes flickered briefly. Just a moment.
Then he walked past.
Without a word. Without slowing.
Behind him—The guard lowered his hand.
That guard was Rhya.
And for a split second—Even he felt it. That glance.
Like being seen through.
But Ben kept walking.
"...."
Disappearing down the corridor.
Alone.
Rhya's expression remained neutral.
But the moment Ben vanished from sight—His eyes sharpened.
A faint smile formed.
'Perfect.'
He raised his hand subtly.
A spatial distortion formed beside him.
A portal. Dark.
Silent.
"...."
"...."
"...."
It opened just enough—And figures stepped through.
Members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun.
One by one.
Shadows entering a fortress.
Rhya spoke quietly.
"He's alone."
Simple. Clear.
Deadly.
No guards. No captains. No Wizard King in sight.
Just—The King of Clover.
Walking alone through his own palace.
The portal sealed.
Silence returned.
But the palace was no longer safe.
Inside its walls—
Shadows gathered.
Members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun stood cloaked in dim corridors, their presence masked, their mana suppressed.
At their center—Patolli, still bearing the form of Licht.
His golden eyes gleamed faintly in the darkness.
When Rhya's report reached him—A slow smile formed.
Cold. Sharp.
"Alone…"
He repeated softly.
Around him, the others stirred.
Excitement. Anticipation.
Because this wasn't just an opportunity—It was personal.
Ben.
The Clover King. The anomaly.
The one who had disrupted their plans again and again.
Unpredictable. Uncontrollable.
Annoying.
More than the Wizard King—It was Ben who had interfered at the worst moments.
Ruined carefully crafted schemes.
Turned victories into failures.
Patolli's eyes narrowed.
"…This time," he said quietly, "he doesn't escape."
One of the elves stepped forward.
"Do we strike now?"
Patolli shook his head.
"No."
Immediate attack meant risk.
Exposure. Interference.
Especially with the Wizard King somewhere nearby—
Watching. Waiting.
No.
They would do this properly.
Cleanly. Decisively.
"Midnight," Patolli said.
The word settled like a blade.
"When his guard is lowest. When even kings sleep."
A calculated assassination.
Not a battle.
A silent execution.
Rhya nodded slightly.
-Nod!
"We've already mapped the patrol gaps."
Valtos' magic would ensure movement remained unseen.
Every step. Every angle.
Prepared.
Patolli turned toward the deeper sections of the palace.
Toward where Ben resided.
His gaze hardened.
"…We end him tonight."
Ben walked alone.
Calm. Unhurried.
But inside—He was already preparing.
Because unlike them—He wasn't waiting for midnight.
He was waiting—For them to make their move.
Above—The moon slowly climbed.
Time passed.
The palace dimmed. Lights faded.
Guards rotated. Silence deepened.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Both sides waited.
One—Planning an assassination.
The other—Preparing for it.
The vast throne room lay quiet.
Moonlight spilled through tall windows, painting silver lines across polished stone.
At its center—Ben sat on the throne.
Still. Composed.
One arm resting lightly.
The other tapping once… then stopping.
No guards. No attendants.
No noise. Only silence.
Nero perched atop his crown, eyes half-lidded—but alert, tracking every flicker of mana in the air.
To anyone watching—He looked exposed.
Vulnerable.
A king alone in his hall.
But in truth—He was waiting.
Elsewhere — Wizard King's Palace...
Far from the throne room—Julius Novachrono reappeared inside his own chamber.
No delay. No hesitation.
He didn't call for Marx Francois.
This wasn't something to route through others.
Too sensitive. Too dangerous.
Instead—Golden time magic spread faintly around him.
Threads of communication.
Precise. Direct.
One by one—He reached out.
To Yami Sukehiro.
To Fuegoleon Vermillion.
To Charlotte Roselei.
To Nozel Silva.
To Dorothy Unsworth.
To Jack the Ripper.
To Rill Boismortier.
To Kaiser Granvorka.
Each message short.
Clear. Urgent.
"The palace has been infiltrated."
"Do not alert anyone openly."
"Move quietly."
"Target: Eye of the Midnight Sun."
He paused. Just for a second.
One name—He did not call.
William Vangeance.
Not because he was absent.
But because—Doubt existed.
And in a situation like this—Even a sliver of doubt was too much.
Julius exhaled softly. His usual playful demeanor gone.
"...."
Replaced by something far sharper.
"…Let's see who makes the first move."
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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