Chapter 18: The Dice of Death (1)

Kertion, Imperial Palace.

“……Say it again.”

A sharp yet heavy voice flowed from behind the veil.
The mana woven into his words swept between those present, resonating with a strange, buzzing hum.

Vareshan Emperor.

The aura of the man standing at the pinnacle of the Empire was enough to seize the hearts of everyone in the hall.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Kneeling and bowing low, Marquis Reith quietly opened his mouth.

“Third Prince Gilloshian, rather than returning to the safety of the Imperial Palace, insisted on entering enemy territory, saying it would serve the Empire. I swear upon my honor, not a word of this is a lie.”

“How amusing. The way you say it, he sounds as if he’s embarked on some sacred duty of the royal blood.”

“It is the truth. His Highness, the Third Prince, acted solely to reclaim the Empire’s great treasure—”

“Enough, enough! Just how far do you intend to amuse me?”

As the Emperor spoke, the veil was swept aside and he strode out, madness flickering in his twisted expression.

“It is all true, Your Majesty.”

Marquis Reith, upon glimpsing that face, bowed his head even lower.

But the Vareshan Emperor’s voice was merciless.

“Hmph, so after contracting Prophet’s Disease and predicting every event to save his own life, he even had the gall to enter Aurax himself to retrieve the Ring lost by the Previous Emperor?”

“That is correct, Your Majesty.”

At that, the Emperor let out a low, derisive laugh.

“Truly ridiculous. It’s a comedy all its own. He may be my son, but that one is nothing but trash, Marquis. You aren’t unaware of that, are you?”

Instead of answering, Marquis Reith bowed his head deeper, thinking to himself.

‘Madman. No matter what, he’s still your son.’

He wasn’t the only one present.

Every high and low official of the Imperial Palace was gathered, ears pricked to every word.

And yet, the Emperor called his youngest son trash, dragging a Prince’s dignity through the gutter for all to see.

The arrogance was enough to make one’s skin crawl.

But there was nothing Marquis Reith could do but bow his head in silence.

His opponent was the Emperor.

Even as a Swordmaster, he could not dare to talk back.

The Vareshan Emperor stroked his clean-shaven chin, muttering.

“Well, it hardly matters. You wouldn’t dare lie to me. He’s useless, but you never know. He might just bring back something unexpected…”

Again, that low, deranged laugh.

At least, the Emperor was reacting just as the Third Prince had predicted.

“……It may not be a bad idea to trust His Highness the Third Prince, if only this once, Your Majesty.”

But just then, the Emperor abruptly stopped laughing and turned his gaze.

“Duke Pen! Are you there?”

A young knight with a steadfast bearing stepped forward and bowed.

“You called for me, Your Majesty.”

Commander of the Imperial Knights, Shedrick Pen.

Known as the “Spear of the Empire,” the undefeated knight.

‘Why him, all of a sudden?’

Marquis Reith frowned slightly.

Shedrick Pen was, like himself, one of the Empire’s Three Swords, but they were far from close.

His blind loyalty to the Imperial Family was the reason.

‘A commoner who became the Emperor’s son-in-law and was granted the title of Duke—of course he’d be loyal, no matter what.’

But such loyalty had also brought a storm of bloodshed.

The Emperor’s cruelty was often wielded through Shedrick’s sword.

So when the Emperor began to speak, Marquis Reith could not help but feel a sense of foreboding.

“Duke Pen, select a group of attendants skilled in covert operations and have them infiltrate Aurax in secret.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And until you receive further orders, observe the Third Prince from a distance only.”

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

“……?”

Marquis Reith could hardly believe his ears.

‘Not to rescue the Third Prince from enemy territory, but simply to watch him?’

Why?

For what purpose?

The reason in the Vareshan Emperor’s mind was, in truth, simple.

‘If that boy gets his hands on the Ring, he’s the type to start scheming.’

He did not trust his own son in the slightest.

But if he could use the Third Prince’s actions to retrieve the Tears of Dawn, he was more than willing to do so.

Even if it meant exchanging his son for the Ring…

‘That would be a deal with enormous profit.’

With a cruel smile, the Vareshan Emperor disappeared behind the veil.

The Crown Prince and Second Prince quietly followed after him.

Marquis Reith rose as the secretary announced the meeting’s end.

“I must inform His Highness that, though there is no interference, surveillance has been assigned. But…
How in the world am I supposed to send a message to the Third Prince, right in the heart of Aurax?
Even as a Marquis, this is a problem I’ll need to ponder.”

“You’ve got quite the talent for popping up in unexpected places.”

“Says the one hiding behind that pitch-black thing. Can you even see properly in there?”

“I can see your scrawny little neck just fine, so don’t worry.”

“Hmph.”

I was about to close the door, having confirmed Irgal was sitting inside.

‘He must be here at the Shadow Market for something he needs.’

It was just an unpleasant coincidence running into him.

No reason to sit with someone I’d rather avoid, when every Dealer in the Shadow Market has the same list of goods.

“Anyway, it was a pain seeing you. Let’s not meet again. May your dealings be… excruciating!”

“Hey, wait!”

Just as I was about to close the door, Irgal suddenly shouted.

“What is it now? Why?”

I frowned, not wanting to waste any more time.

But what Irgal said next was completely unexpected.

“How about coming in and making the deal together? Seems like we’ve got similar goals.”

“……How do you know what I’m after?”

His reply was a masterpiece.

“How could I not know your purpose?”

His words pierced like a dagger, leaving me speechless.

A premise I’d put aside resurfaced in my mind.

That’s right.

This guy was a player character.

‘Whatever twisted way things ended up, he’s in the seat where I should be, and I’m stuck in the body of the Third Prince.’

If Irgal was truly a player of , he might well be able to predict my actions—just like he said.

‘This is seriously unsettling.’

And dangerous.

Right now, both of us belonged to the Revolutionary Army, so there was no open conflict.

But once the game’s story advanced, and if either of us switched factions, the situation could change instantly.

We could find ourselves with swords drawn at each other’s throats.

And I was clearly at a disadvantage.

I hadn’t even seen Irgal’s face properly.

‘I need to keep as far away from Irgal as possible.’

With that decision, I flatly refused his proposal.

“Sorry, but I have no intention of making any secret deals with you. Goodbye.”

“W-wait! Just hear me out for a moment!”

Why is this guy so clingy?

I tried to close the door, but Irgal hurriedly stood up and strode toward me.

I could feel Karls and Tirvaen tensing up behind me.

“What now? Why are you coming closer?”

I flinched at the pressure radiating from his massive, shadowed form.

“I know why you’re here. The Shield of Balance. You’re here to buy it too, aren’t you?”

A chill ran down my spine.

He was right—the Shield was an essential item for resolving the incident with the dying children.

It was one of the three things I’d decided I absolutely had to obtain from the Shadow Market.

So he really did know my goal?

Was he planning to interfere, now that he knew everything?

Threaten me like this?

‘If that’s the case, I can’t just let it go.’

I clenched my jaw, glaring at him from the shadows.

He was dangerous because I couldn’t predict him—and there was a good chance he’d become an enemy later.

I didn’t know exactly how strong Irgal was, but if it couldn’t be avoided, it might be better to get rid of him now.

In a back alley where the city guard wouldn’t look, it would be the easier way.

Gulp.

‘But do I really need to kill him?’

Do I have to stain my hands with blood?

As I hesitated, burdened by the unease, Irgal took another step closer and whispered my name.

“……Gilloshian.”

Every nerve in my body was on edge.

I had to decide.

Do I deal with him here?

If so, how?

Could I handle the aftermath?

‘Damn it, I really don’t want to do this.’

But then, Irgal said something completely unexpected.

“I have a favor to ask. Help me.”

Help him?

Me?

Irgal swallowed nervously, glanced at the Shadow Market merchant, and then began to babble something truly bizarre.

“I’m short on money. Just a little.”

“……What?”

“You need the Shield of Balance, and so do I. Right?”

“That’s true, I suppose?”

“Then why don’t we pool our money and buy the Shield as a set?”

I could hardly believe my ears.

This guy—wasn’t trying to threaten me?

“Exactly! Let’s get a 1+1 discount together! What do you say? Tempting, isn’t it?”

…And here comes the convenience store math.

Irgal was deadly serious, but I was left speechless.

He wasn’t threatening me—he wanted to do a group purchase.

My mind went blank for a moment before I regained my senses.

“Hey, save the nonsense for a dog café…”

Ugh, forget it.

This is just annoying.

‘What? A 1+1 deal?’

This shadowy guy is full of surprises.

In the end, he just wanted to borrow money!

And that was a ridiculous request.

Transactions in the Shadow Market don’t work like that.

Want to buy two?

You might even have to pay extra.

If you can’t outwit the Dealer at the table, you’re better off never coming here at all.

Just like the Guard said earlier, you could end up losing your shirt—or worse.

‘Wait, does this guy not even know how this place works?’

I was staring at Irgal in disbelief when—

‘Huh? Wait a second.’

An idea flashed through my mind.

……This could work.

Quickly collecting my thoughts, I held out my palm to Irgal.

“Okay, I’ll do it your way. Hand over your money first.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll take a seat at the table, so give me the money. You want a 1+1, right?”

Irgal hesitated.

Oddly, even though I’d never seen his face under that hood, I could almost read his expression.

“Don’t want to? Then forget it. It’s not like I need this.”

“N-no! That’s not it! I’ll trust you—please, take it.”

Whatever was going through his head, Irgal handed over his entire pouch of gold coins.

‘Ninety-two gold coins.’

More than what I had, and objectively a considerable sum.

Especially given how we’d just been snarling at each other.

But he handed it all to me without a second thought.

‘He must really need the Shield of Balance.’

Was he also moving to prevent that event?

…My thoughts were getting unnecessarily complicated.

For now, I needed to focus on the situation at hand.

I put Irgal’s gold into my inventory and stepped inside, taking a seat at the table.

The Dealer, face covered except for his eyes, looked at me with a quiet smile.

“Have you finished your conversation?”

“Yes, more or less.”

“Then how would you like to proceed with the transaction? The gentleman who arrived first was just inquiring about the Shield of Balance.”

“How much is it?”

“I can let it go for one hundred twenty gold coins.”

That was exactly the amount I had.

“……You really know how to gouge a price.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, I mean, it’s only fair for such a fine item! Worth every coin!”

“Indeed, then let’s proceed…”

The Dealer began writing up the contract.

But I had no intention of going along with it.

“By the way, do you also sell the Dice of Death?”

Everyone stiffened at once.

It was because I’d mentioned the “Dice of Death.”

“Sir, pardon me, but what did you just say…?!”

“Are you insane?!”

Karls and Tirvaen, especially, were hissing at me in low voices.

The Dice of Death was a form of gambling with dice—a notorious game.

‘No wonder those two, who remember the Third Prince as a gambler, are recoiling in horror.’

I’d brought it up because I knew this Shadow Market operated in tandem with a gambling den.

It was obvious, from the Guard, the corridors, the hidden rooms, and now this Dealer.

“Your Highness! Even here, do you intend to gamble again?!”

“Have you forgotten your life is on the line?!”

…A storm was raging in my ears.

And there was one more.

“You—you…! What are you doing?”

Irgal, who had just entrusted me with all his money, was trembling under his hood.

But I just grinned at the Dealer across the table.

“Well, shall we begin?”