I Became the Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard

056. The Observer’s Dagger (1)

The day of the meeting arrived.

Learning itself wouldn’t be a problem, somehow.

That judgment was correct.

However, the result is always astonishing when faced.

“Hmm, isn’t this about right?”

The Crown Prince sheathed his sword.

The underground training hall was in such ruins that it was impossible to recognize its original shape.

‘Thirty percent.’

That was the probability of the Crown Prince’s spell slash succeeding.

Considering it was an achievement made in just three days of learning, wasn’t it astonishing?

‘Even if he dies soon, talent is talent.’

Well, it’s no wonder, given that this man reached the level of Grand Master through meditation alone in prison.

I didn’t feel any jealousy towards this man.

What mattered to me was figuring out how to utilize this talent.

And then,

Smack!

“Ugh!”

“What are you so pleased about? You get hit seven out of ten times.”

“Ugh…!”

Teaching him not to fall into arrogance.

Well, I also have the desire to hit him as much as I can while I still can, but there’s no need to explain or make him understand that.

Seeing the Crown Prince trembling made me feel a bit relieved.

“Still, you’ve worked hard. At this rate, you won’t get beaten to death.”

“Just you wait. Once I reach the level of Sword Master…!”

Smack!

“Ugh…!”

“Do you think I’ll still be at this level then? Don’t get cocky.”

I may not be a Grand Master, but I can reach the level of Sword Master faster.

My body may not be fully developed yet, but I already have everything needed to become a Sword Master.

So, for the next few years, I can still beat him.

Leaving the trembling Crown Prince behind, I exited the underground training hall.

Then, Peto bowed at a ninety-degree angle and handed me a towel.

“Good work, brother!”

“Yes.”

I patted his shoulder as he looked up at me with sparkling eyes and walked past him.

That was the moment.

“Pharos.”

“…Ah, you startled me.”

When I turned my head, the focus had disappeared from Peto’s eyes.

And an impish smile, which didn’t suit his ugly face, was plastered on his face.

“Gilrogor?”

“It’s today. The meeting.”

“Oh, the plan?”

“Almost finished. We’ll proceed swiftly. So, about that…”

“Hmm.”

“Can you take me to the meeting too?”

My head tilted.

Gilrogor smiled quite brightly as he spoke.

“Indeed, that seems to be the most plausible method.”

It was a smile that felt almost sinister.

* * *

The Igrosia Conference, or what is called the regular meeting, takes place in the center of the city.

It used to be a lord’s castle, and since it fell into the hands of vagrants, it has functioned as the cradle of the highest group.

We moved by carriage.

The coachman was Peto.

Inside were me, the crown prince, along with Beatrice and…

“Haha, I’m nervous. Even though it’s my house, sneaking in like this.”

…Gilrogor too.

I quietly watched the boy dressed in a girl’s outfit, after casting a cognitive interference spell and Beatrice’s transformation spell on him.

And I asked.

“So, if you enter my body… as a servant, we can go together?”

“Yes.”

“Is that right? Really right?”

The reason I asked was nothing else.

“This damn city’s trend of having young boys serve at night… is that really true?”

In Igrosia, a “midong” is considered more prestigious than a prostitute.

Thus, at gatherings like these, the leaders of each group bring along a midong to show off their status.

‘What a dreadful city this is.’

I had to seriously contemplate the reason for this city’s existence, and the Crown Prince felt the same.

“I’d like to burn the whole city down.”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t. Just think of it as a different culture. It’s not that hard to understand.”

Girgore added an explanation.

“Isn’t it? One of the factors that determine value is rarity. Women? Whether young or old, beautiful or ugly… the city is full of women. Not to brag, but the security here is so poor that many women would give themselves for a piece of bread. There’s no rarity.”

“But young boys. Especially young and beautiful boys are different. Their value diminishes as they grow. The moment their masculinity shows, they become useless. But it’s hard to find young, beautiful boys in an endless supply.”

“That’s why carrying around a midong has become a kind of display culture. It’s something you can’t get with just money. It’s just like the luxury culture of the nobles.”

Suddenly, a saying came to mind.

The more cowardly a b*stard is, the longer his tongue.

I closed my ears, thinking it was something I didn’t want to understand and didn’t need to understand.

However, the words of the locals were generally true.

Unfortunately, that was the case.

“Stop. Who goes there?”

“It’s the cudgel of Kulkaran.”

“Open the carriage.”

Said the dagger guarding the lord’s castle.

The carriage door opened, and I faced a guard adorned with artifacts.

The guard’s gaze swept over me, the Crown Prince, and Beatrice, then landed on Girgore.

His gaze lingered on Girgore for a long time.

Even though this was a group he had created himself.

I worried that he might recognize him through the cognitive interference…

“A midong, indeed. As expected of Kulkaran’s prodigy. Has he adapted to Igrosia like this?”

…Damn it.

“How long do we have to keep this up?”

“Enter. The meeting is in the evening, so wait in the prepared room until then. Well, you won’t have time to get bored.”

The guard chuckled as he looked back and forth between me and Girgore.

Murderous intent surged, and Girgore poked my side to stop me.

Thud!

The carriage door closed, and the lord’s castle gate opened.

Then Beatrice spoke chillingly.

“Shall I kill him?”

“Just hold on a bit. Not yet.”

Not yet.

It was.

* * *

The depths of the lord’s castle.

A man with black hair opened his eyes at the sound of a voice.

“Gilrogor.”

It was still an unfamiliar name.

For it was not originally his name.

As he slowly turned his head, he saw a figure cloaked in a robe.

A smile curved on his lips.

“What is it?”

“I thought you might be sleeping again, so I called out. You’re awake?”

“I asked what it is.”

“Oh my, why so sensitive, our Lord Gilrogor.”

“Stop joking.”

“Then should I call you this?”

The figure laughed.

“Rebecca.”

The man narrowed his eyes.

Yes, if he were to find his identity, that would be it.

For she was the woman who gave him the name Gilrogor and took his name.

“Wow, there’s no devotion like this.”

The figure walked over, shuffling.

Feigning a relaxed and playful demeanor.

The man showed his discomfort.

Though he was an ally, he couldn’t trust someone whose true identity hadn’t been fully revealed yet.

If it weren’t for her colleague… he would never have let him stay here.

“I think you’re really amazing, Nari. You’ve come this far for love alone. I get that, but please don’t treat me too coldly.”

Thump, thump.

The stranger was knocking on the glass case.

Inside, there was a green liquid, and then.

“This head. I brought it for you.”

…There was the head of a woman, burnt and mutilated.

Pink hair fluttered inside the tank.

The man felt his chest tighten.

Guilt surged within him.

It had been less than a year since she returned, and he hadn’t been able to repay any of the favors he owed her. He couldn’t even protect her, and now he had only managed to retrieve her head.

He hadn’t even done it himself, realizing her death only belatedly.

His fist clenched tightly.

His eyes burned with a desire for revenge.

Because he had heard that the one who did this was Kallios.

‘He deserves to be torn apart.’

No, he wouldn’t let him escape through death.

He would make him suffer so much that he would long for such a peaceful end.

“What do you think, shall we go to war now? I’ll help you!”

The stranger whispered with a giggle.

But the man was cautious.

“I won’t move recklessly.”

Because he had learned from her that the most important thing in plotting something was information, the judgment of superiority, and the strategy based on it.

He had to act as he had learned.

He was still lacking in every aspect.

And above all.

“Saving the master comes first.”

The man didn’t want to take revenge just to vent his anger.

He swept his hand over the tank.

And then he asked the stranger.

“Are you sure? That the forbidden technique can save the master.”

“Hmm~ It can be done, but… isn’t there still preparation needed…?”

“Aren’t we proceeding step by step?”

“We need more. The experiment is only halfway done.”

“Time is on our side. Igrosia is a fortress under the shadow.”

“Hmm…”

The corners of the stranger’s mouth drooped.

He seemed full of dissatisfaction.

“Can’t we just kill them all…?”

To think that such an impatient and thoughtless person was the master’s companion.

As the man’s expression twisted, the stranger sighed and said.

“Alright. Alright. We’ll take it slow. But, my lord, isn’t it time for the meeting?”

“Yes, there has been a change.”

They called it Kulkaran’s club.

From noble mtl dot com

A new rising power that pushed out Hayas.

There was something he had thought about regarding it.

“An expert-level knight. A magician. A good combination.”

“They have no foundation. They haven’t fully absorbed the inside yet.”

“No one would care if they died. They’d think they choked from eating too hastily.”

“Wow, an experiment!”

The stranger quickly recovered his mood and clapped his hands.

“Can I handle Kulkaran myself? I’m curious. They say his swordsmanship is top-notch.”

“Just bring him back alive.”

“Sure, as much as you want.”

The stranger turned around, excited.

“Then I’ll execute it right after the meeting. Good luck!”

The man did not respond.

He just stared blankly at the aquarium, as if to strengthen his resolve.

For a very long time.

* * *

The meeting lasts for a total of three days.

During that time, the influential figures of Igrosia stay in their assigned rooms and spend their time freely, except for the evenings when the main meetings are held.

…that’s the gist.

We have no reason to wander outside.

We didn’t come here to establish a base and become gangsters.

Getting involved with the city’s influential figures would only increase suspicion.

So, we stayed holed up in our rooms for a while.

Gilrogo spoke.

“The operation is tonight. We’ll move after the meeting ends and we return at night. We have memorized the internal structure of the building, so the route is set…”

“We’re targeting the fake, and the outsiders.”

“…Yes, that’s right. The spaces that can be used as laboratories are here, here, and here.”

Everyone was underground.

It seemed strange that the underground of the lord’s castle was larger than the surface, but thinking it was Igrosia, it made sense.

Anyway, once the operation starts, we will move separately.

It’s best to avoid combat situations, but that won’t go as planned.

In the end, since we have to fight, the important thing now was to manage our condition.

That’s what I was thinking about.

“Then Yuren, shall we go?”

“Huh? Where to?”

“The promised thing. The treasure.”

Ah, that.

I had forgotten, filled with thoughts about the meeting.

The prince asked.

“Treasure? What are you talking about?”

“There is something we were supposed to receive.”

“Mine?”

“Did you leave it with someone?”

The prince made a sullen face.

He genuinely believed that his share would be allocated.

* * *

I wanted to give him a good smack, but I held back for now.

“I’ll be back. It’s a secret passage, after all.”

“It’s not far from here. You can be back in no time. You got a good room assignment.”

With that, I left the room.

The hallway guard asked.

“Where are you going?”

“What. Do I have to report everything?”

It was a moment of speaking harshly.

Girgore turned his head, blushing.

Then the guard let out a low exclamation and grinned.

“Have a good time.”

Damn city.

Once this job is done, I’ll burn it down somehow.

“Don’t get into unnecessary fights. Avoiding them is the best policy.”

“I think fighting morally is the best policy.”

“Please bear with it. If I come to power again, I’ll change the city’s culture. A couple of curses should do it.”

Desperately trying to lift the curses bit by bit.

Anyway, as Girgore said, the entrance to the secret passage wasn’t far.

A room somewhere in the hallway.

A small cabinet inside.

“Open.”

When Girgore chanted with his power, the cabinet slid open with a small sound, revealing the passage.

Stairs appeared.

“They’ve made all sorts of things.”

“It’s right to be cautious with storage.”

We walked down the stairs.

This time, it didn’t take long either.

During that time, I thought about the treasure I would take.

‘A weapon, of course.’

Since the sacred tree itself is in the shape of a blunt switch, it takes more effort to sharpen mana.

If only I had a moderately sharp and sturdy sword, I would want to bring it out.

Isn’t it the treasure hidden tightly by the master of the underworld?

At least it would be at the level of a relic or artifact, so it could withstand the aura.

And so we arrived.

When Girgoor opened the iron door, the interior was revealed.

“I should take one out too. I feel uneasy with just my bare body. Come on, pick one.”

Girgoor went inside.

I also followed and examined the interior.

It was at that moment.

“…!”

For a moment, my breath stopped.

My steps also halted.

Beyond that, my entire body froze as if it had turned into a statue.

A red saw-blade sword hanging somewhere on the wall.

It was a reaction to seeing it.

But that wasn’t all.

‘The Shield of Compassion, the Blood-eating Mace, the Wind Wolf’s Leather Cloak.’

All of those were weapons I knew.

“Hmm? Why? Do you like that sword? It was hard to get. About 100 years ago…”

The voice stirred confusion.

It had to be.

‘These are…’

Because these were the weapons used by the great warriors of the barbarians during the war before the regression.