Justhole, the Guild Master of the Silverwings Guild, stood atop a cliff overlooking the vast plains below. His thin blond hair stirred gently in the night breeze, while the cape draped over his shoulders, fluttered behind him.
The land beneath was still covered by the darkness of the night, and the evening was unusually calm. A cold wind swept across the open fields, carrying the distant cries of nocturnal monsters that wandered through the darkness.
"Are we getting backup from the alliance guilds?" he asked.
A woman walked over and stopped beside him. She had short blond bob-cut hair and wore light armor with an icy blue color scheme. A faint smirk appeared on her face.
“Don't tell me you're losing confidence. This will be easy. Even our regular members could wipe out those idiots serving that prince,” she said.
"It's not that we're afraid. The more guilds involved in this operation, the more we can spread the workload and reduce unnecessary casualties. There's no reason to waste our own members if others can do the dirty work first," he replied.
He continued. "That prince has already caused me more trouble than I ever expected. We should've killed him back when we ran into him while he was alone. And now he actually decided to leave the capital city? Does he really think that with all his arrogance and stupidity he can survive in that barren city where there's barely any food, resources, or protection?"
"That's exactly why people call him the Arrogant Foolish Prince," Frosty said. "He was just lucky enough to get that item."
The girl turned toward him once more.
"But are you sure this prince really has the Heart of the Abyss?"
"I don't care whether he has it or not. We can deal with that later. What matters is the huge reward we'll get if we kill the prince. He's weak, and his knights are pathetic. He even has more maids than capable knights. That alone tells you everything you need to know."
Frosty smiled faintly once again.
"By morning, three more guilds should arrive as backup. They're nothing but trash guilds anyway. We'll throw them onto the front lines first and only step in if those useless guilds somehow fail to finish the job."
Justhole gave a slight smile before turning toward the luxurious camps that had already been built behind them. Laughter, singing, and the smell of roasted meat drifted through the camp as dozens of players celebrated what they believed would be an easy victory.
"Come on. Let's enjoy the night. Tomorrow we'll finally get our revenge on that stupid prince."
"I just hope he doesn't die too quickly. It would be a shame if all this preparation ended in a single swing of a sword."
"But can I take a few of his maids for my collection? Damn, they're all so beautiful."
"Yeah, I think that can be arranged. We'll just keep them as prisoners. Nobody's going to care about something like that. Hahaha."
**
Jester walked at the very front in the guise of Prince Caelan, making his way along the broad stone pathway that crossed the royal palace courtyard. To his left stretched a long crystal pond where the morning breeze created gentle ripples across the surface. To his right lay a magnificent flower garden, blooming with countless colorful flowers that filled the air with a light fragrance.
All of his maids followed closely behind him. Igrio walked directly at his back, while Elora kept pace at his left side.
What a coincidence.
Or perhaps it was anything but.
This was simply too convenient to happen by chance. Someone had clearly put in the effort to make this encounter happen again.
Just like the previous day, Rania, the Second Princess, the Warrior of Justice, the half-elf princess, approached from the opposite direction. Two towering Knight Commanders followed silently behind her.
The meeting was unavoidable. The palace pathway was far too narrow for both groups to simply pass each other without stopping. Moments later, they stood face to face once again.
"What is this crybaby prince doing this early in the morning, dragging half of his palace toward the carriages?" she asked, her sharp emerald eyes glaring straight at him.
"I've also heard the rumors," she continued with a cold smile. "You actually left the capital without requesting an audience with His Majesty or even informing the Crown Prince first. Even by your standards, that's disgraceful. It seems your behavior truly is beyond saving. Then again, no one should expect anything different from the greatest failure among all the princes of this kingdom. Every day you somehow find a new way to embarrass the royal family."
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Jester did not even spare the princess a glance. Instead, he continued walking. Straight toward her.
For the first time, Rania's expression shifted ever so slightly as he showed no intention of stopping.
Without saying a single word, Jester walked right past her. His eyes never turned in her direction, as though she did not exist at all. The silence was far more insulting than any insult he could have spoken.
A brief look of disbelief crossed Rania's face.
Igrio stopped for only a moment beside the princess. He gave a respectful bow.
"Please excuse His Highness, Princess Rania. We have an important schedule to keep. I hope Your Highness enjoys the rest of your morning."
With that, he continued after his master.
The rest of the maids also passed the half-elf princess one after another, each offering a polite bow before quietly following Jester.
Seriously, that woman talks way too much.
Jester had absolutely no intention of wasting his time arguing with someone like Rania.
All she ever did was talk. Even her threats amounted to little more than empty words.
It was better to ignore her completely.
Just wait three more months.
I'm not joking.
Just you wait, Rania!
I'll be the one shutting that mouth of yours.
Jester clicked his tongue and continued toward the palace's grand departure courtyard, where several luxurious royal carriages were already lined up, their Dire Stags prepared and waiting for the journey ahead.
He paused for a moment to observe the Dire Stag standing at the front of the carriage he would be riding. The massive beast looked both powerful and majestic, its muscular frame more than capable of pulling the royal carriage on its own.
It crossed Jester's mind that the Dire Stag would make an excellent addition to his collection. If he decided to tame it, he should be able to store it inside his Beast Storage just like Fang. He wondered whether it would actually work that way, but in the end, he pushed the thought aside.
There would be plenty of time to try it another day.
Jester stepped into the royal carriage positioned in the center of the convoy, accompanied only by Elora. Once inside, he finally realized just how spacious the carriage truly was. It could comfortably seat four people, perhaps even six, without anyone feeling cramped.
Soft velvet seats lined both sides of the cabin, while a polished wooden table rested between them. Elora quietly took a seat across from him, keeping a respectful posture with her hands neatly folded on her lap.
Jester removed the Harvest Mask and returned to his original form. Now that they had finally departed, there was nothing left for him to do except sit back and relax while waiting for the long journey ahead.
He glanced at Elora, only to find the elf staring at him with a stunned expression.
"What?" he asked.
"Your Highness..." She immediately lowered her head in a deep bow. "Please forgive my rudeness. I was merely... surprised after witnessing your encounter with Her Highness Princess Rania. I never imagined you would remain so calm in front of her. Even when she spoke to you with such hostility, you never showed the slightest hesitation."
"Yeah. That princess talks way too much."
The girl nervously tightened her grip on the edge of her skirt.
"I heard several people discussing your meeting with Her Highness yesterday... in the very same place. They said..."
"Yes, I grabbed her by the jaw," he answered casually as he crossed one leg over the other.
Elora quickly shook her head as the carriage began moving, the gentle rocking filling the brief silence.
"That... how should I put it..." she murmured before lowering her head once again. "Forgive me. I simply think... You are incredibly brave. You never seem afraid of her at all. I'm not trying to compare you with Prince Caelan, but... Prince Caelan always appeared brave only on the outside. It always felt forced, as though he was pretending to be someone he wasn't."
She hesitated before continuing.
"But you are different. When you stood before Princess Rania... it felt natural. As though you truly saw her as nothing more than another person standing in your way."
Jester shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm not using my own identity. No one knows I'm a fake Caelan anyway, right? So I just do whatever I feel like doing."
He let out a quiet chuckle.
"And honestly, I don't think Rania is as fearless as she pretends to be. I don't have any proof. It's just a feeling. So... let's see what I can do to teach that princess a lesson."
He leaned comfortably against the backrest.
"I just don't like people who never know when to stop talking. The real Caelan kept talking too, right until I cut him in half."
Elora's eyes widened.
Her mouth slowly fell open in complete shock before she hurriedly lowered her head again. Her fingers gripped her skirt even tighter than before, as if she were afraid that showing any more emotion would itself be disrespectful.
For the rest of the moment, she remained completely silent, listening only to the steady sound of the carriage wheels rolling across the stone road.
It wasn't until Elora raised her head again that her eyes widened in surprise. She immediately looked to her left and right in a panic.
"Your Highness?"
"Hey, I'm down here."
Hearing the tiny voice, Elora quickly lowered her gaze.
"Your Highness!"
She hurried down from her seat and knelt on the carriage floor.
Jester had already shrunk to his miniature form. Standing no taller than the palm of her hand, the tiny clown casually waved at her.
"Give me a hand. Throw me out of the carriage. I'll come back later. There's something I need to take care of first."
"Throw...?" she repeated.
Still hesitant, Elora slowly lowered both of her hands. Jester stepped onto her open palms, looking like nothing more than a tiny doll standing there.
"Your Highness..." she murmured before letting out a small laugh.
"I don't like that laugh."
"My apologies."
"I'll disappear after this. Just toss me outside. I have something to do. Well... you could say I'm going out to have a little fun. I'll catch up with everyone later."
Elora tilted her head in confusion, though she did not question him further. Jester had already explained this part of his plan before they departed from the palace.
A second later, the tiny clown vanished from her palms.
Elora quietly opened the carriage window just enough to confirm what had happened. The weight that had rested on her hands had already disappeared, meaning the Evil Lord had jumped out of the moving royal carriage.
She closed the window again before returning to her seat. Folding her hands neatly on her lap, she let out a quiet sigh.
"Will he really come back soon...?" she whispered to herself.
A worried expression slowly appeared on her face.
"What if Sir Igrio decides to check this carriage before His Highness returns...?"
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