The Crown Prince In Hiding

Rafinya was not a girl who could be handled in any ordinary way.

After leaving that matter to his beautiful wife—thinking it would be easier for her since the two of them were similar in many ways, and since his wife was practically Rafinya’s idol, so the girl was bound to listen at least a little—time drifted by for quite a while.

By the time Dan finished all the housework, he moved to sit by the campfire beside the house, letting the cool breeze wash over him.

Rafinya Saint Pauli approached with a blank face.

There were no visible traces of tears, but Dan could see that her eyes were red…

Casca had let her go… which meant things were probably settled.

He had no idea what Casca had said to her, but it had worked. It had calmed Rafinya.

She sat down across from him, the fire between them…

She stayed quiet for a while.

Then she spoke.

“ I hate demons like you.”

And then she fell silent again.

Dan closed his eyes, a faint smirk touching the corner of his lips.

“You must hate yourself even more… that your power can’t do anything to me.”

Her brows tightened sharply, her face twisting into fury.

It wasn’t every day that Rafinya crossed blades with a true master. And it was certainly not every day that she had a chance to turn her sword against Prince Fury of Diablo like yesterday.

Every time she fought a swordmaster, she treated it as a precious experience.

But when it came to Fury—the man she believed she must eliminate on Casca’s behalf—the lesson she had received was bitter enough to slap the truth straight across her face: her power was still far, far beneath his.

“Your arrogance… I’ve killed plenty of people like that. Swordsmen who proudly parade their own brilliance… right up until the moment I snap their arm.”

Rafinya’s face drained of color—visibly so. Pale, even though part of her expression still refused to accept the demon’s words.

What use was a swordsman if they could no longer hold a sword?

“It doesn’t matter that you’ve trained your whole life. As long as all I need to do… is break your arm, then it’s over.”

This was reality. Sometimes your effort simply disappears.

Dan raised a finger… and flicked it.

Snap.

“In just this much.”

She fell silent…

It hurt in her chest. It tightened in her heart. And worst of all, she felt miserable… because it was true—all of it.

“I don’t see how you could ever be like Casca. You’d fall asleep reading your own religious scriptures, wouldn’t you? How can you possibly become Casca?”

“That has nothing to do with anything!”

“Casca’s praised for her mastery of the CIS scriptures. If you want to be like her, then you have to study like her. Stop using your family’s techniques and go bow your head, ask Casca to teach you her magic instead. Who knows, maybe you’ll even need a demon fiancé at this rate.”

Dan glanced up from the fire.

“ Still want to be Casca after hearing all that?”

Hesitation spread across the girl’s face.

“You’ll never become Casca because everything people admire about her—she’s already taken it all. None of it will ever reach you. Give it up. Rise to her level with your own identity.”

Rafinya’s eyes widened.

“Because if I’m the last person you want to kill, I won’t remember you at all. You’d just be a Casca knockoff. If you want my advice, take whatever you admire in Casca—swallow it whole—and bleed it  out as your own sweat.”

Rise as Rafinya.

Not a second Casca.

And in that very moment,

Rafinya finally understood why Nora clung to this man so relentlessly…

With just a short conversation…

She could already sense that this “evil” demon’s true nature… was far more complex.

He had ways of thinking that completely shifted her perspective—not of all Diablo, perhaps, but at least… of him.

“You actually talk pretty well, you know.”

“?”

Dan turned to his right—

And found Casca sitting with her arms around his shoulders, smiling brightly.

“Please, can you stop using that invisibility spell already?”

“Come on now. At least spare her feelings a little.”

“Someone like her doesn’t need their feelings spared.”

Dan turned back. Rafinya averted her gaze.

“She needs to be whipped if she wants to learn… like cattle.”

Dan pressed further.

“How about you take on another mentee—Rafinya?”

Not only Dan, but Rafinya also looked up.

“You really say whatever comes to mind, don’t you?”

“I’m not joking. Rafinya’s more like you than she is like me. Actually, she’s basically the two of us mixed together, isn’t she?”

Casca nudged her chin onto Dan’s shoulder.

“Reckless just like we used to be. If someone could guide her the way you guided Nora, it would be amazing ?.”

“It’s not the same. That was a forced situation.”

“It is the same.”

“You should be the one doing it. Do you know how much this kid hated me when you came to sponsor me?”

“I'm busy.”

“And I’m not?”

“You’re freer than I am.”

“I’m not doing it. I refuse.”

“Fury, think about it, please? Please?”

Casca squeezed his arm pleadingly, but his refusal was firm. He shook her off.

“No is no. I came here for my own goals, not to take on more burdens.”

Dan straightened his clothes and rose to his feet.

“Fury! Don’t say things like that—you're going too far!”

Casca stood and grabbed his arm.

“Look at her properly… She’s stubborn, yes, but I know we can bring her back.”

“She's not even listen to her own father. Why would she listen to me?”

Harsh.

“Just like Nora, right?”

“What’s that supposed to mean…”

“You still don’t realize it, do you, Fury? You have a huge influence on them.”

Use it to help them. Use it to leave something good behind in this world. Use it to give meaning to your existence.

Maybe… it means more than chasing ancient lifeforms ever could…

“A burden, that’s what it is.”

“How hard could it be? She’s not a helpless child.”

“Then you take her.”

“You want to rebrand Diablo, don’t you? The way I want to fix Luminus?”

Casca gestured at Rafinya.

“The opportunity is right here. Show her what Diablo really is. She’s young, her mind is still easy to change… The old people will die soon anyway. But she could become a major force in Luminus in the future. If you correct her understanding now, think about what our nations could be in 20–30 years, Fury.”

Dan froze at that—silent.

He stood with his back turned… head lowered, thinking.

Casca watched him, then turned to the girl.

“Rafinya, do you want to know what made me change my mind?”

The girl looked up.

“Give him a chance. Then you’ll understand just how wrong we Luminus have been. You’ll understand it completely. I swear on my life.”

Rafinya: “…”

“…I’ll think about it.”

Dan sighed, clearly annoyed.

“Though I prefer someone obedient like Nora. Not this.”

“Fury…”

And Dan picked up his notebook and walked out of the hut.

Disappearing entirely from sight with a clear declaration that he wanted nothing to do with Rafinya whatsoever.

Which left Rafinya staring down at the ground, silent.

Casca sighed, hands on her hips as she turned.

“Don’t worry about him. He’s always like this. Give him a moment to think.”

“Lady Casca… are we really the only ones who know everything about this?”

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