"Miss Robin, there's another tent at the back. Shall we go there?"
Gunpowder leaned in and whispered to Robin.
Originally, the second tent was meant to be the hypnosis room, but since Dier had already started, they had no choice but to relocate.
Robin nodded, and the four of them left, entering the second tent.
Boren lit the kerosene lamp and deftly pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket:
"Since we're just sitting around, how about a game of poker?"
...
The young man was named Wolf Vlad, sixteen years old, the prince of Transy Country and the only son of the king.
About a month ago, the king had died of illness, and Vlad was supposed to succeed him as the new king.
But his uncle, Wolf Tia, launched a rebellion and fought his way to the palace.
Because the old king had refused to exploit the commoners to pay the Celestial Tribute, Transy Country was not an affiliated nation, and the World Government would not intervene to suppress the rebellion.
Vlad was just an ordinary person with no military power under his command, so he had no choice but to flee the palace with the old king's trusted aides.
Tia kept sending more men to capture Vlad, and during the escape, Vlad was kidnapped by Bege, where he remained until now.
"A very cliché power struggle for the throne."
Dier rested his chin on one hand, staring at Vlad as he fell into thought.
Illegitimate succession wasn't the main issue—what mattered was hard power.
Whoever had the greater influence would secure the throne.
"How many men does Tia have under him?"
"This... I don't know."
"Who do you think you'd need to support you to reclaim the throne?"
"I... I don't know."
"What about the old king's trusted aides? Did you arrange to meet them somewhere?"
Vlad shook his head.
"...Are you really a prince?"
Dier curled his lips slightly, his narrowed eyes filled with skepticism.
He had never met a prince who knew nothing about anything.
Vlad knelt on the ground, lowering his head at these words. His hands clenched tightly around his knees as he trembled and said:
"I... When I was young, I went through some things that left me terrified of ghosts and monsters. But our country is practically filled with them—even the ministers and guards wear ghostly costumes.
"Father always arranged for me to travel abroad, so I don't know much about what goes on inside the country.
"It wasn't until recently, when I received news of Father's death, that I returned. But before the coronation ceremony could be completed, Tia led his men and attacked."
A flicker of envy passed through Dier's eyes.
Traveling... He'd love to go on a leisurely trip too.
"But... I know of two symbols of royal authority that Tia definitely hasn't obtained yet!"
As if desperate to prove his worth, Vlad pointed to the stitched scar on his forehead:
"A Barrel of Ink and a sword. They're locked in a secret chamber within the treasure vault, and only the mark on my forehead can open it."
"The old king had the same mark on his forehead, didn't he?"
Dier rested his chin on his left hand and waved his right dismissively:
"If yours works, so would the old king's."
The stitched scar was a symbol of the royal family. Since Vlad had it, the old king must have had it too.
When Tia usurped the throne, the old king had just passed away—his body wasn't even cold yet. As long as Tia didn't mind, he could have just carried the old king's head to open the chamber.
"No, now only my mark will work."
Vlad stroked the stitches on his forehead, a flicker of disappointment flashing in his eyes as he murmured:
"The mark was drawn with special ink from the secret chamber, imbued with unique power. After death, this ink reverts to ordinary ink."
"So the mark on Father's forehead is useless now."
"The only one who can open the secret chamber is me."
"Special power? Like turning into a monster?"
"I don't know."
Dier: "..."
Sixteen years old, just one more year before setting sail to beat up a Warlord, and still this ignorant? Really?
"I-I'm sorry. I'm useless."
Noticing his gaze, Vlad lowered his head again, biting his lip as tears welled up in his eyes.
Dier sighed. How could someone be this weak-willed?
"Lift your head. I'll ask you—do you want to be King?"
"Y-yes."
"Why?"
"I know Tia's personality. If he becomes King, the country will be in chaos."
"Good. Then what should we do?"
"D-defeat Tia..."
"Can't hear you! You want to be King with that tiny voice?!"
Vlad raised his head, mustering all his courage to roar:
"Defeat Tia! I will become the King of Transylvania!!"
His voice was so loud it seemed to thin the surrounding fog.
"Good! That's the spirit!"
Dier stood up, patting his shoulder with satisfaction.
Regardless of ability, at least the attitude was there.
"Now, tell me about that sword in the secret chamber."
"I don't know!!"
...
Despite Vlad knowing nothing, Dier still brought him along.
He was a prince, after all—he might be useful later. At the very least, he could serve as bait to lure Tia out.
Dier bought three more Ogre Masks from a roadside stall for Gunpowder and the others.
The group of six didn't linger, quickly boarding another passenger ship bound for Ghost Island.
The distance between the islands was short, and within an hour, they arrived at Ghost Island's port.
"There are inspections here," Hina warned, peering out the window.
Below, a soldier was holding a portrait, checking each disembarking passenger.
Those wearing masks were asked to remove them for identification.
"Robin."
"Leave it to me."
As they descended the gangway, a soldier with a pointed mouth and a plate balanced on his head stopped them.
"All six of you, please remove your masks."
Vlad's pupils shrank. Though masked, he instinctively covered his forehead.
If his identity was exposed, soldiers would surely pursue him immediately.
Just as he wondered what to do, Dier's voice sounded in his ear:
"No problem. Take them off."
Before Vlad could react, Gunpowder yanked off his mask.
He stood frozen, expression blank, tears welling up again.
Yet the soldier merely glanced at the portrait, nodded, and completely missed his identity.
Before leaving the cabin, Robin had used her ability to disguise all six of them. Without a mirror, Vlad hadn't noticed.
"Apologies for the inconvenience. May you be startled."
Ghost Island's unique blessing—after all, most visitors came here seeking thrills.
The soldier unfurled the portrait in his hand, which depicted Vlad's face:
"Our nation's prince has gone missing. We hope everyone visiting the island will keep an eye out for any relevant information;
A reward of ten thousand Belly will be given for providing valid leads, and if someone directly finds him, Earl Tia will grant fifty million Belly.
By the way, the western cemetery seems to have been experiencing some unusual activity recently. Please be cautious."
"Understood, we'll keep an eye out."
Dier responded with a broad smile.
Fifty million was no small sum. That Tia was willing to offer so much to find a prince who posed no threat to him could only mean the two items in the secret chamber were truly important.
Of course, there was always the possibility Tia had no intention of paying.
But Dier preferred to believe it was because of the chamber's contents.