Rodel and his two lackeys continued their trek across the plain.
Ignoring his surroundings and focused entirely on his forward march, Rodel seemed oblivious to the fact that he was about to step into the deep interior—the domain of the magical beast Subnock, the master of these lands.
"Good grief... he really is going to do it. That idiot prince."
A man watched Rodel from a distance and let out a heavy sigh.
He was a middle-aged man dressed in black. Hiding in the shadows of the trees scattered across the plain and occasionally employing illusion magic, he followed silently in Rodel’s wake.
(No wonder His Majesty is worried... he’s already on the verge of stepping into the magical wilds. In a way, he certainly makes this job easy.)
The man was a Court Mage—a loyal subject of the King, Rodel's father. Because Rodel had insisted on participating in the Monster Hunting Festival, the man had been dispatched as a monitor to ensure the prince didn't cause an incident.
(And, just as expected, he’s trying to enter the forbidden zone. He never fails to meet expectations in the worst possible way.)
If Rodel continued on this path, he would trespass into Subnock's territory. Provoking a colossal monster that had wiped out multiple reclamation teams was an outcome they could not allow.
(I’d almost prefer to let the monsters have Prince Rodel right here... but I suppose that’s not an option.)
The monitoring mage sighed again. The reason the King had not disposed of Rodel or confined him to a detached palace was that the prince was a volatile political spark. If anything happened to him, the Queen Dowager Faction or the neighboring country might use it as a pretext to move. Since it was impossible to predict the fallout of Rodel's death, the King had to tread carefully.
"For now... I suppose I should stop that idiot prince."
If left alone, Rodel would cross the boundary into the restricted area. He had to be stopped before then—by force if necessary.
The monitor stepped out from the shadow of the tree where he had been hiding, intending to intercept Rodel.
"I'm afraid I cannot allow that."
Before the monitor could reveal himself, a voice spoke from chillingly close range.
The monitor tried to brace himself at the sound of the whisper in his ear, but a heavy blow landed at the base of his skull before he could react. A powerful shock rippled from his neck to his brainstem. Without a sound, he collapsed to the ground.
"Gah... cough..."
The monitor lay sprawled in the dirt, coughing weakly. He managed to squeeze out enough strength to lift his head, only to see a familiar face standing over him.
The monitor’s eyes bulged as he gasped the man's name.
"You... Marquis Eiger...!"
Berlio Eiger. He was Rodel’s guardian and the leading figure of the Queen Dowager Faction. It was said he had been a renowned mage in his youth, but he had just easily ambushed an elite mage personally selected by the King.
"Why... why are you..."
"To have your back taken by an old man like me... the quality of the Court Mages has certainly declined. Besides, do you really intend to stop His Highness? A mere mage like you?"
Eiger looked down at the fallen monitor and spoke with utter disdain. Though his eyes were hollow, a terrifying, eerie light glowed deep within them. It was a fanatical gaze, as if he were staring into a reality-warping abyss.
"To attempt to obstruct the will of Prince Rodel, who enjoys the favor of Her beloved Majesty the Queen Dowager, is an act of supreme irreverence. A mere servant of the King should learn his place."
"This is madness... do you mean to... defy His Majesty the King...?"
"The King is irrelevant. Every word that lady spoke was absolute truth. Defying her is an unforgivable sin!"
Muttering words of blind devotion, Eiger held out his hand. A meter-long icicle manifested in his grasp. He pointed the jagged tip at the fallen man, his lips trembling.
"Everything is as Her great Majesty the Queen Dowager intended..."
"Stop..."
Eiger swung the icicle down without mercy.
A wet, sickening sound echoed through the trees, and red blood splattered across Eiger’s face. The light faded from the man's eyes as his body went limp, and a dark red stain bloomed across the earth.
"Go on, Prince Rodel. Do exactly as you desire. Follow the will of Her Majesty the Queen Dowager. Everything is unfolding exactly as it was meant to be..."
Eiger wore a look of ecstatic bliss. He turned his eyes away from the corpse and gazed off into the distance.
Further ahead, Rodel and his two lackeys continued their walk toward the heart of the plain, completely unaware of their dead monitor. As the prince’s back receded into the distance, Eiger bent low at the waist and bowed his head in deep, silent reverence.