"The Crown Prince is dead? Today?"
"I just heard about it too."
"No wonder people looked so grim and were whispering in groups."
Colin nodded, finally understanding the capital's odd atmosphere.
The Ains Empire, where we stood, was the continent's heart and pinnacle. The Crown Prince was, exaggerating slightly, the future ruler of the continent. His death naturally caused widespread worry about the fallout.
"Just our luck, huh? When can we go home?"
"I don't know."
Colin scowled and slumped into a chair.
"Who killed him?"
"That's still unclear."
"The Crown Prince was in the palace. How do you kill someone there?"
Colin voiced his skepticism.
"I never imagined it either, but it happened."
"Laon, do you know how he died?"
"I only heard rumors, so it's not certain, but the Crown Prince trained with his sword every morning."
"Training?"
Colin looked puzzled as Laon brought up training in response to how the prince died.
"Yes. His fiancée, the princess from our kingdom, is here. You know her, right?"
"She's here?"
"Yes. He called her at dawn to show off his training. While demonstrating in the training hall, a sharp stone pillar shot up from the ground and pierced him. Priests and wizards nearby tried to save him, but his heart was destroyed, and he died instantly."
"That's magic. But the palace should block unauthorized magic."
"That's why the mage tower's leaders were summoned, and it's chaos."
"Dying in his own palace, in front of his fiancée? What the hell."
Colin shook his head, pitying the prince.
"Phew…"
After hearing Laon's story, I sank into deep thought.
I knew who killed the Crown Prince, why, and where the assassin was.
But this situation deviated from my novel. In the story, he doesn't die at dawn. He dies in broad daylight amid cheering crowds, though still in front of his fiancée. The method—stone pillars—was the same, so the culprit was too.
The group behind the assassin starts with this murder, sparking incidents across the continent from the shadows. But the timeline has shifted forward significantly.
If the story continues like this, we're all dead. I need to buy time for me and the protagonist to grow.
Normally, I'd let it slide since I might die, but with the Celestial Martial Body and Creator's Eye leveling up, I felt confident I could survive an encounter.
"Colin, Laon."
"Yes."
"…Yes, Great Brother."
"Second Brother, why do you make him do that?"
Laon looked at Colin with pity.
"Don't ask…"
Colin sighed deeply and bowed his head.
"Get exit permits for all four of us. With the Rox name and our alibis, it shouldn't take long."
"Got it."
"What are you doing, Brother?"
"I've got my own business."
"You've never been here before, right?"
I smirked at his comment.
"Even if it's my first time, I know where to go. Laon."
"Yes."
"Name some good inns in the capital."
"Tear of the Dragon, Giant's Faith…"
"Tear of the Dragon sounds good. Wait there. Don't mess with Giranox."
"Huh?"
"Where are you going?"
I left without answering.
"He died this morning, so she's probably already at a tavern."
Even with the mage tower leaders summoned and travel restricted, it's useless. The assassin's already out of the palace and at a tavern.
I slipped into a deserted alley.
'Agnes.'
[Urgh! What?]
I called Agnes, who sounded groggy, like she'd just woken up.
'Change my face.'
[What? How do you know about that?!]
Agnes could alter her owner's face or body—a special feature making her a Relic of Infinite Change, not just a weapon.
'Felt like you could.'
[Seriously, who are you?!]
This was a secret ability Agnes reveals to the protagonist out of affection, so her shock at my knowledge was natural.
Buzz.
I split Agnes in two, pressed one to my face, and infused it with inner energy. It melted like water, thinly coating my head.
"Let's see."
I turned the other Agnes into a mirror to check my face.
"Nice work, Agnes."
[Hmph, you just now realized how great I am?!]
The mirror showed a generic brown-haired young man, not Yuren. After the transformation, I stepped out.
"Hold on."
"Me?"
I stopped a boy in servant clothes passing by.
"Know a tavern called Flamberge?"
"Flam… Oh! The place where rich folks go?"
"Yeah."
"I know it."
"Guide me there?"
"I'm kinda busy…"
Before he finished, I tossed him a gold coin. He caught it and started walking.
"This way."
Talk about a quick attitude shift. This kid's going places.
"Here it is."
After fifteen minutes, we reached a lavish building, its walls glowing with magical elegance.
"Good job."
"But this place is for nobles and the rich. You might not get in like that."
"Really?"
Spotting a noble leaving Flamberge, escorted by a servant, I acted.
'Agnes.'
[Got it.]
I made my face match the noble's. Since my clothes differed, I waited a bit before entering.
"Viscount Beru? Back already?"
"Wanted to drink more."
"Haha, makes sense. Big news like this calls for more drinks."
I gave a vague response and sat at a central table.
As expected, she's not here. Good thing I left holes in the setting.
"Same drink as before?"
"Yeah."
As the servant left, I focused my inner energy on my hearing.
"The mage tower confirmed it wasn't magic."
"Really?"
"Yeah, no mana movement. They're baffled."
"What happened then?"
Most people here were wealthy merchants. Nobles likely stayed away due to the sensitive situation.
"Sob, sob."
"Stop crying, have some of this."
"He looked at her in a way he never looked at me…"
"What a jerk."
"Right? Dumping someone like me? He's lost it."
A young woman's voice, sobbing, came from the right corner, talking to a hostess.
"So he dumped you today?"
"Yeah. I knew from that look—he loves her."
"You didn't confess and just left?"
"No, he's dead. Sob."
She kept crying as she spoke.
"Haha, you're joking again."
"What do I do now?"
"You forget love with new love."
"Really?"
"Yes, you'll find someone great."
"Really? Talking to you always calms me."
Found her.
The sobbing woman was my target. Not even a woman—a non-human.
[Envy. Had fun with the Crown Prince, huh?]
I sent a telepathic message to her.
Boom!
Splatter!
The table where Envy sat exploded with a sound like a bomb. Blood rained down in the tavern.
Not just the hostess but nearby merchants were shredded by stone pillars.
Gulp.
She's going berserk already? Can I survive this?
"Who's there?"
Envy's low murmur thundered in my ears.
"Eek!"
Crash!
A stone pillar shot up under a fleeing merchant, destroying him, the door, and part of the building.
"Who's the bastard?!"
When Envy touched a trembling merchant beside her, his head flew off.
Damn it!
Cursing, I unleashed the poisons I'd prepared.
[Using Weak Paralysis Poison.]
[Using Chain Intestine Poison.]
[Using Blood Spray Poison.]
[Using Frog Flame Poison.]
"What?"
Sensing something, Envy raised her hands.
Boom!
"You!"
"Urk!"
She spotted me after our eyes met while I used the poisons, and a stone spear flew my way.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
When she struck the ground, it split like an earthquake, dozens of stone spears rising. I dodged with Lesser Dragon Step, swinging a sword made from Agnes.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Her resistance is slowing the poisons!
[Creator's Eye activated.]
[Name: Envy]
[Traits: Seven Sins—Jealousy (Invidia)]
[Affection: -99 (Murderous Intent)]
[Current Mood: Wants to Impale and Kill You.]
Current Mood was a new ability from Creator's Eye's level-up, reflecting her thoughts about me.
She wants to skewer me with stone spears.
"Damn it!"
I underestimated her. I thought holding out until the guards arrived would be my win, but her relentless spears could kill me.
Without Lesser Dragon Step and Creator's Eye's flow detection, I'd already be impaled.
"I don't know how you know me, but you're not leaving alive."
Boom!
Envy stomped, speeding up the spears and