ETHTKE chapter 9

Bang!

The eerie red light soaked into the platinum-blond hair, scattering with intense anger.

Like the shattered white moonlight at dawn, the platinum eyes gleamed sharply as they fixed on the dark figure ahead.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. We searched multiple times, but it’s as if they’ve vanished into thin air…”

“You’re saying there wasn’t even a trace.”

“Yes…”

The heavily built man, hunched over as if bearing a deathly sin, reported the unwelcome news, his face obscured by black robes.

“Useless fools. Get lost.”

The words, spat out with annoyance, struck the air violently. Then, as if they had never been there, the subordinate disappeared in an instant.

Soon, a deep darkness settled in the shining platinum eyes of Piel.

“Ken Verdo, how dare you betray me…!”

Grinding his teeth, the eerie sound of his clenched teeth filled the quiet office of the second prince.

“If only, if only I had waited just a little longer, I could have had my brother’s secret in my hands!”

Bang!

Once again, a furious punch slammed down on the hapless desk in the office.

It had been four years since Piel had lured Ken, the captain of the knights, into becoming the personal guard of his brother, the crown prince, Hail, to spy on him.

But suddenly, Ken had turned his back on him.

Even the hostages Piel had taken, Ken’s family, had disappeared without a trace from the empire.

When Piel received the absurd first report that even the grass and flowers around their mansion had vanished, he was too shocked to even laugh.

A noble’s mansion, massive in size, had disappeared overnight? Could such a thing be possible?

At first, Piel thought his loyal subordinates were playing a ridiculous prank.

But it turned out to be true.

“A wizard’s doing.”

Piel had reviewed the lists of people who had crossed the borders recently, but no matter how carefully he looked, he couldn’t find any trace of Ken’s family, the Verdo Family.

It was obvious that moving a noble’s large mansion without leaving any trace was beyond the capabilities of an ordinary human.

This was undoubtedly the work of a wizard, and given the scale, it likely involved a powerful one.

Reluctantly concluding that this was indeed the work of a wizard, which he had hoped against, Piel ruffled his hair in frustration.

The success of a long-awaited plan had finally been within reach.

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined it would all collapse in an instant, and the shock was indescribable.

“The Founding Festival is coming up soon. I can’t just sit back and watch my brother’s coronation.”

Soon, the grand Founding Festival of the Pendium Empire, held once every four years, was approaching.

Losing Ken, the key figure in his plan, left Piel in a dire situation, with the perfect and possibly last opportunity slipping away.

What to do in this cursed situation? As Piel closed his eyes in deep thought, something suddenly flashed through his mind, and he opened them again.

“Come to think of it, I heard my brother has a new ‘dog’.”

Piel slowly connected the dots as he continued to think.

He had heard that this ‘dog’ was someone with an unclear background who suddenly became an imperial wizard…

When his subordinate first reported this, Piel dismissed it as a trivial matter, thinking it was just a passing fad.

But the thought that crossed his mind moments ago whispered that this was no ordinary matter to overlook.

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.

Firstly, this person was said to be an unidentified individual who appeared out of nowhere and was sentenced to death for burning down the forest and poisonous herb garden on the imperial estate.

It wasn’t strange that someone who had caused such extensive dawizard to imperial property was sentenced to death.

The problem was that Hail had saved that criminal.

The criminal, who was supposed to be thrown into a dungeon, was suddenly spared by Hail, who then gave them the temporary title of ‘advisor’ and took them under his wing.

As if that wasn’t enough, somehow that criminal had now become an imperial wizard.

“That’s odd. What could have gotten into that lunatic?”

As far as Piel knew, Hail wasn’t the kind of person who would go out of his way to secure someone’s identity.

Especially not someone as calculating as Hail, who would never act without gaining something in return.

So what benefit did he see in helping this person?

What could this unidentified individual offer to make it worth Hail’s while?

More than anything, an outsider with an unknown identity can never belong to the imperial family under the laws of the Empire…

…or so it should be.

It really should be impossible, right?

“Then how did that ‘dog’… become an imperial wizard?”

Tap, tap—

Piel’s fingers rhythmically drummed on the desk as he became lost in thought.

Even if his brother, the Crown Prince, was exceedingly powerful, the imperial law, which even the Emperor must obey, could not be ignored.

A strange sense of unease slowly crept up on Piel, causing his brows to furrow.

It was a chilling and mysterious intuition that, rather than being a mere warning, piqued his dulled senses in an oddly delightful way.

Certainly, there had been quite a few similar incidents in the past.

Hail would always accomplish the impossible, the untouchable, with a nonchalant expression, as if it were nothing.

The Emperor was exceedingly pleased, calling Hail the only worthy heir to the Empire, and each time that happened, Piel had to immerse himself even more tirelessly in his studies and training, trying not to fall behind his remarkable brother.

But when Piel found himself alone in a cold, empty room, abandoned by everyone’s expectations, he would console his lacking self with the pitiful excuse, ‘Well, my brother is just more amazing than I am.’

But what if that wasn’t the case?

What if everything wasn’t just the result of Hail Dirzio’s pure abilities?

“Does my brother have something else? Something beyond common sense, something I don’t know about…?”

Piel, who had been silently leaning against the window frame, raised his head and gently beckoned with his index finger.

Then, something small and coiled, hiding among the thick coniferous trees outside, slowly revealed its presence.

“You, go take a look at my brother’s dog. Capture everything in those red eyes, without missing a single detail.”

The creature, which had been making strange cawing noises, spread its wings like a bird and swiftly disappeared into the night, leaving behind a few black feathers.

A fierce wind then blew in through the open window, filling the study with a sharp chill.

Piel bit his lower lip harshly until it turned a deep red.

“You have Father’s trust, Mother’s attention, and now even a loyal follower by your side… Isn’t it about time you left something for your younger brother, too, Brother?”

The smell of blood, faintly rising from Piel’s ominous smile, slowly dissolved into the darkness of the early morning.

“Oh, so this is…!”

[????????????????????????]

At first glance, the handwriting looked like it was hastily scribbled, but it was inscribed in striking red on the gleaming golden stationery with an elegance beyond compare.

Due to Baek Yigang leaving early in the morning for external duties, I was left alone in the lavish and extravagant bedroom of the Crown Prince, wallowing in my misery.

As I lay sprawled on the luxurious bed, I cut horizontally through the gold-colored stationery, revealing a white card inside, which held a heavy sense of presence.

“The 4th Imperial wizard of the Dirzio Royal Family, Cheong Dowoon…”

On the very simple design of the imperial wizard’s certificate, with black letters on a white background, my name was clearly written.

And with the red seal of the Emperor stamped beneath, I really felt like a country bumpkin wizard tasting the flavors of the secular world for the first time.

“But isn’t this like getting a driver’s license in Korea without taking the test? This feels a bit unsettling…”

From what I vaguely heard, there are three basic conditions that must be met to become an imperial wizard.

First, you must be registered as a citizen of the Pendium Empire.

But since I suddenly fell from the sky one day, I’m not registered. So, pass.

Second, an imperial wizard must be a noble person selected from among the most distinguished wizards, in line with the Empire’s prestige.

In other words, you need a basic wizard’s qualification. But… I don’t have that either. Another pass.

Lastly, you must demonstrate the magic you are most confident in, showing everyone your ‘undeniable’ abilities.

In simpler terms, you have to prove yourself worthy of the imperial wizard position.

Hmm, then the only thing I can do is this?

But ‘undeniable’? I haven’t even tested the limits of my abilities in this world yet…

Maybe if an ancient dragon, thought to be extinct, suddenly appeared in the middle of the royal palace… who knows?

Maybe I have the potential to defeat a dragon in one blow and become a hero of the century!

“Oh, I shouldn’t be wasting time like this.”

As I wrinkled the sheets with my pointless daydreams, I suddenly snapped back to reality and jumped up.

The spacious bedroom, filled with Baek Yigang’s scent, was still quiet.

Outside the half-open terrace door, the glittering red sunlight shattered like starlight, adorning the peaceful afternoon.

“…The weather is nice and peaceful, just the right time to cause some trouble.”

This moment was more special than any other.

The reason being, this was the first time I’d been alone since I possessed this body.

With Baek Yigang not around, it was a golden opportunity to escape his relentless gaze that followed me everywhere, stripping me of my rights as a person.