When he was young, Isaac often heard his mother say, ‘How can you be so slow and clueless?’ So, he always thought he might have a somewhat dense side to him, but he never actually believed he was that clueless.

Rather, having navigated the hardships of a rough life, he considered himself more resourceful than average. In reality, he often heard exactly that from others; when given a task, he would succeed even if he had to conjure up sneaky tricks to do it, or if he couldn’t succeed, he successfully smoothed it over to make it look like he did, and if it seemed impossible from the start, he wouldn’t even touch it.

It was the same now.

The moment he arrived at the old factory site lined with dozens of empty warehouses, the route he needed to take was already mapped out in his head.

Late at night, in pitch-black darkness devoid of light or any sign of life—if someone were hiding and watching the surroundings, he easily deduced where the most suitable spot would be. If so, he knew where the blind spots unseen from those locations were, and at what timing and through which path it would be safest to move.

Simultaneously, moving while keeping in mind that there might be someone else out there thinking the exact same way, Isaac thought to himself, ‘Yeah, I’m not half bad at my job.’

And yet, despite all that.

「How can this kid be so slow and clueless?」 

「There’s no answer, no answer at all. He’s hopeless.」

「Haiz, our Manbang, what should we do with this clueless guy.」

The sound of the three shadows scurrying frantically around his feet chattering hit his ears……. But looking at it now, their movements were incredibly stealthy, like ghosts avoiding detection.

“Why did you guys come here?” 

「Why did YOU come here then.」 

“I——.”

‘…… Well, of course, I didn’t have a reason to come here either.’ At a loss for words, Isaac stammered before just turning his head away. He could hear the cats clicking their tongues.

Isaac had handed the slip of paper to the Prince the very next day after the full moon night he received it.

Upon seeing the paper, the Prince showed no reaction, looking as if he were simply reviewing something he already knew. He had probably figured it out while speaking with the informant the night before.

The location where the Roberni faction was scheduled to gather next was an old, abandoned factory site outside the capital, slated for demolition. The time was the night right before the new moon.

Both the time and place implied something very clear. An empty, isolated place, on the night before the new moon.

The Robernis were waiting for the assailant. And they firmly believed that even with such an obvious time and place, the assailant would definitely come.

And another clear fact——a wizard would come. No, perhaps, though the possibility was low—a witch might come.

A night brimming with magic, the day before the new moon. The new moon was when witches were full of energy and ran wild, but being highly fickle beings, they would never do a ‘job’ exactly as instigated or ordered on the new moon itself. But on the day before that, they would.

It was a time when magic was more abundant than usual. The wizards, heavily affected by the flow of magic, would also be in peak condition.

Was choosing such a day a coincidence? Probably not. Furthermore, given the current situation, there was no way the Robernis would send an ordinary wizard. They were aiming to end it this time.

‘…….’

The Prince had returned the paper without much reaction. That was it. He didn’t say a single word and simply continued reading his book. He gave absolutely no instructions on what to do or how to do it. After standing by for a while, wondering if the Prince might say something, Isaac was about to withdraw when,

‘I suppose your colleagues were supposed to gather there yesterday.’

‘Ah, yes……. Your Highness, do you always meet him there?’

Caught off guard by the Prince’s sudden remark, Isaac had blurted out an answer and asked a question in return.

‘No. I don’t make appointments. When I leave the castle, he finds me, and we just walk into a suitable shop nearby.’

Briefly puzzled, Isaac quickly understood. Even without setting a specific time or place in advance, if the Prince left the castle, the informant would find him on his own. Indeed, for an informant of his caliber, that would be a piece of cake, and not making a set appointment actually seemed far safer.

‘Then yesterday…… was truly a coincidence.’

Isaac muttered unconsciously, almost to himself. And right at that moment, he locked eyes with the Prince, who was staring fixedly at him. Eyes so intensely vivid blue they looked almost black.

It was exactly at that moment Isaac realized this man was suspicious of him. 

About what? ——About anything and everything.

Since the hunting competition, they had been crossing paths so continuously that it wouldn’t be strange to be suspicious. Unable to explain himself and with no guarantee he’d be believed even if he tried, Isaac had no choice but to quietly withdraw. After that, the Prince didn’t say anything specific or treat him any differently, but Isaac had reached the present day carrying a constant, scratchy feeling of unease in his chest.

「And yet, why did you come here?」

「Look at him, showing up first on his own when he wasn’t even called.」

「Yeah, that’s our Manbang. He’s Manbang for a reason.」

The three chattering brats were infuriating, but having nothing to say in his own defense, Isaac remained sullenly silent.

Leading up to today, the Prince hadn’t mentioned this night at all. The time and place the Roberni faction would gather. Knowing they were sharing such a secretive matter, Isaac thought the Prince might give him some sort of heads-up, but he never told Isaac to come, nor did he ask for his help. He didn’t even show a hint of it, to the point where Isaac wondered if the man had forgotten today was the day.

Then Isaac could have naturally pretended not to know and just stayed home. In fact, he should have been relieved he wasn’t called. But…… he ended up coming anyway.

“The new moon is bad…… it stirs up my blood for no reason.”

Isaac whispered like a sigh, looking up at the pitch-black night sky. The new moon, devoid of any moonlight, made Isaac’s instincts restless.

The atmosphere in the Blue Shadow Palace had been heavy for the past few days. Today, the day before the new moon, it was so deathly quiet you couldn’t even hear people breathing, and no one came visiting without specific business. The Prince hadn’t come out of his bedroom.

In stark contrast, despite having worked a full shift all day and it now being the middle of the night, Isaac felt incredibly fresh without a hint of fatigue—yet his heart felt heavy.

The date written on the paper was definitely tonight. The location was also here, somewhere among the empty warehouses of this near-ruined factory site.

Could he have perhaps forgotten? Or maybe he isn’t coming because he’s not feeling well? Since he didn’t say a word, maybe he never intended to come at all……. ‘Seeing how I ended up coming anyway while having these thoughts, yeah, I’m an idiot. I’m a total idiot.’

“Anyway…… which one of these countless warehouses is it.”

Recalling that the note simply read ‘A warehouse in the Alaila District,’ Isaac stared down the road lined with dozens of structures.

The factory site, lined with empty warehouses, was dead quiet and dreary. Scheduled for demolition starting next month, everyone had already moved out months ago, leaving no one behind. The street, flanked only by old, crumbling empty warehouses, looked incredibly bleak under the eerie night sky.

But what made Isaac feel most uneasy of all was that there was truly no sign of human presence. He couldn’t feel a single trace of anyone.

No matter how well someone masked their presence, if there were multiple people lying in wait, it couldn’t be this quiet; it felt as if he were the only living soul here. It was inexplicably chilling and unsettling.

Right then.

Suddenly, a light flickered on in a warehouse building some distance away.

There had been no presence at all until now, but suddenly, in just that one building.

Isaac flinched and hunched his shoulders. His heart pounded sharply from a spike of anxiety.

And exactly at that moment, as if waiting for a cue, a silhouette turning the corner into the alley caught his eye. The person walking calmly, as if taking a leisurely afternoon stroll, was the Prince.

Taking a step and then pausing, Isaac thought about hiding again but gave up. Even if he hid, he didn’t think he could escape that man’s notice, and with the Prince walking in so boldly, there was no point in hiding anyway.

“…….”

Upon seeing Isaac, the Prince briefly arched an eyebrow. But that was it; he continued on his way without a word. Watching his back as he brushed past, Isaac smacked his lips bitterly and followed behind.

‘He came. I thought he would, but…… if you’re coming, you could tell me to go with you or follow you, why just come alone? It’s not like it’s a pleasant place to be.’

It felt a bit disappointing, but then again, it felt wrong to be disappointed when they weren’t in a relationship that warranted such talk. Isaac sighed inwardly. Regardless, he didn’t have the mental luxury to entertain such useless thoughts right now.

「Today isn’t good.」

「Yeah, let’s go play somewhere else.」 

「Let’s go back, Manbang.」

Grabbing the scruffs of the chattering cats, Isaac followed the Prince. As the lit warehouse drew closer, his complexion grew heavy.

That warehouse, a two-story wooden temporary structure, had definitely just suddenly lit up, yet absolutely no sound could be heard from inside. Likewise, even standing right next to it, no presence could be felt. It was as if the light had turned on by itself in an empty room.

He had a bad feeling. His stomach churned as if he had swallowed something terribly foul.

‘…… I want to go back.’

While Isaac hesitated and stopped in front of the building, the Prince entered without hesitation. *Creaaak,* the wooden door let out a grating, rusty sound as it slowly closed. Just before it shut completely, Isaac grabbed the handle, clicked his tongue softly, swallowed his breath, and stepped inside.

The inside of the warehouse was empty.

Aside from splintered wood scraps and torn rags, the place was thick with dust. It looked as if it had been abandoned not for months, but for decades. The only thing filling the space was a horrid stench. A smell like rotting flesh pervaded the air.

Instinctively raising a hand to cover his nose, Isaac looked at the Prince standing a few steps ahead. The Prince, keeping his back turned calmly as if this nauseating stench didn’t bother him at all, was staring at something. Following his gaze, Isaac frowned.

On the dim wall, large, pitch-black letters were written.

‘CAUGHT YOU’

“——.”

A chilling sensation ran down his spine.

At the same time, he thought he heard a noise behind him. Turning around, the wooden door Isaac had just come through was silently closing. Soundlessly. The very door that had just made such a loud, grating noise.

*Bam.* The door closed quietly, and with it, Isaac realized he was trapped. This entire warehouse building itself was a barrier.

Turning his head, the Prince was also looking toward the door. Turning back and locking eyes with Isaac, the Prince stared at him for a moment before indifferently averting his gaze. And as he headed up the stairs to the second floor, Isaac followed him up.

Although the sensation of the old wooden stairs creaking under his feet was clearly transmitted through his soles, there was absolutely no sound. Amidst that bizarre dissonance, they quickly reached the second floor.

The second floor, which was only half the size of the first, was also full of dust. Wood splinters and small pieces of trash were the same. But there was exactly one thing different.

The second floor was not empty.

“——Ugh,”

Isaac unconsciously let out a groan before swallowing his words.

Directly in front of the stairs they had just climbed, a person was hanging on the wall.

No, not exactly a person. It was a corpse reduced to a mangled hunk of meat. And looking at the head, the only part of the corpse still somewhat intact, Isaac clamped his mouth shut.

It was the Prince’s informant.

The middle-aged man he had seen just recently was hanging there dead, his tongue lolling out. It couldn’t have been that long since he died, yet he reeked of a rotting stench as if it had been dozens of days.

The Prince scanned the corpse expressionlessly, without batting an eye.

Standing silently behind him, Isaac’s nerves were on edge. A feeling as if something was watching. The sensation that something was lurking somewhere——somewhere within this barrier——scraped at his nerves. His hand never left the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Then, the Prince, having finished inspecting the corpse, turned around. Turning toward Isaac, he lazily cracked his neck left and right before opening his mouth.

“Shall we hear why you are here?”

At that slow, casual question, Isaac couldn’t immediately formulate an answer. Mostly because he himself didn’t really know why he had come.

“……, I thought you might come alone, Your Highness…….”

Staring obliquely at the stammering Isaac, the Prince drew his sword. *Shhhk,* the blade sliding slowly out of the scabbard gleamed as it caught the light. Isaac shut his mouth.

“Did you think it would be easier to strike if I came alone?”

“…… That is not the case. I came…… because I was worried about you, Your Highness.”

Isaac answered with a firm voice. However, the Prince, staring at his own blade, didn’t seem to be listening to those words at all.

“You always stand out in places like this. Moreover, ……you annoy me.”

“You’ve been bothering me for some reason,” the Prince seemed to murmur low to himself. Without any warning or sign, he suddenly closed the distance and swung his sword down. Isaac hastily stepped back, but the tip of the sword grazed his shoulder. Fortunately, it wasn’t deep, but his clothes were quickly stained red.

It only ended at this level because the Prince hadn’t swung it seriously. However,

“I came because I was worried. I was concerned you would come to a dangerous place alone,”

This time, Isaac’s words were sincere.

Whether he heard the words Isaac hurriedly spat out or not, it was impossible to tell from the Prince’s expressionless face alone. But seeing him slowly raise his sword again, Isaac knew this wasn’t a simple joke or a threat. The light test to gauge the opponent had just concluded with that previous strike.

“Wait a minute, I understand your suspicion, but I mean it! It’s truly a coincidence! I really have absolutely no intention of harming you, Your Highness, ——p-plus, there’s no proof! It’s unfair!”

Isaac cried out in panic and stumbled backward. The Prince hadn’t moved a single step from his spot, but the sense of crisis didn’t diminish just because the distance increased by a few paces.

“Proof.”

The Prince murmured slowly.

“Right, there isn’t any. Something keeps catching my attention, but there’s nothing. Yet it keeps catching. It keeps annoying me so much…… I’d rather just clean it up neatly.”

He could see the Prince’s grip tightening on the hilt. He met the gaze of those indifferent, vivid blue eyes. Like frail prey standing before a natural predator, Isaac froze, unable to move a muscle. He couldn’t even tear his eyes away.

Soon, the Prince moved. It was a movement as fast as lightning, yet strangely, every single motion looked incredibly slow and clear.

‘This isn’t right. You shouldn’t do this……. For your own sake you shouldn’t do this, you foolish man……!’

Suddenly, something hot surged up from deep within his chest. A stinging emotion, different from a sense of unfairness or fear, welled up.

The Prince was closing in right in front of Isaac’s nose. He could clearly see the vivid blue eyes getting closer. And how those eyes briefly furrowed at a certain moment. By then, the blade was already falling toward Isaac’s chest——.

“——!”

*KYAAAK,* the angry shriek of a beast seemed to echo.

Closing his eyes at the hot pain suddenly spreading across his chest, Isaac held his breath at the dizzying agony that momentarily blacked out his vision. However, after a brief moment passed, his mind, though a mess, was still somehow functioning; his body continued to throb with pain, and he didn’t feel like he was dead.

Isaac slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his own chest bleeding profusely. The skin was sliced open in a long line, blood soaking his clothes, but the wound wasn’t deep. It wasn’t enough to be called a severe injury.

Huh, raising his gaze, the next thing he saw was the Prince holding his sword in one hand. On the forearm holding the sword, there were four long claw marks. Scratched deeply, a couple of the claw marks that had beaded with blood were now outright dripping. Next to him, there were three cats licking their front paws and pretending innocence, making it impossible to tell which feline was the culprit.

“……, I-I’m sorry, our kids are…….”

Isaac stammered, looking at the Prince’s forearm in bewilderment.

「Oh boy, look at that idiot, he almost died and he’s saying sorry.」

「Oh boy, my heart is bursting.」 

「Manbang isn’t enough, let’s call him Eokbang, EOKBANG.」

(*If Manbang (만방 – 萬方) means “ten thousand ways,” implying “stupid ten thousand times,” then Eokbang (억방 – 億方) means “a hundred million ways,” implying “stupid a hundred million times.” Basically, these cats are saying Isaac is already dumb—and somehow still dumb to an unimaginable extent…)

Even to the chattering cats, he felt sorry and grateful, at least for now.

The Prince looked down at his own forearm and wordlessly flicked his sword once. A few drops of blood shook off. Isaac shut his mouth.

He really had meant to kill him. The mark that sliced a long line across his chest skin passed right over his heart. Rather than feeling afraid or angry, a profound sense of sorrow came first. Unable to understand the reason, Isaac just bitterly traced his finger over the wound.

The Prince was looking down at his blade, where blood was still dripping. As if considering whether to strike again. Then he turned his gaze back to Isaac, and Isaac looked back at him, thinking that perhaps this time his heart truly would be cleft in two. Wondering why that thought felt so sorrowful and regrettable.

He stood facing the Prince with just three or four steps between them.

If the Prince, staring expressionlessly at him, raised his sword at any moment, that would truly be the end of Isaac’s life. Yet, feeling strangely calm, Isaac faced him somewhat gloomily.

Suddenly, the Prince’s eyes seemed to twitch faintly.

And——then.

There was a sound of something moving.

From the corner of his vision. From that empty space where nothing capable of moving should exist. Something moved.