Chapter 39: Lump Of Greed

Drip… drip…

Somewhere deep underground, not far from the imperial capital.

Inside a massive prison surrounded by sturdy iron bars.

A droplet of water fell onto the cold, rocky floor, creating a monotonous, inorganic sound.

“Damn it… this can’t be happening. This can’t be real.”

A voice dripping with thick hatred.

The golden hair that once resembled the sun had lost its luster, and the sapphire-colored eyes were bloodshot, gleaming with murderous intent.

The second prince of the fallen empire, Albireo, his limbs bound by thick chains, contorted his face in frustration.

Clang!

“Is anyone there?! Hey!!!”

Albireo tugged at the chains with all his might, shouting until his voice nearly tore apart.

But all that returned was silence.

He had already tried hundreds of times to manifest magic to escape, but the chains were enchanted to disrupt the flow of mana, rendering his efforts futile.

“Damn it… that reckless old man’s rampage has only made my crimes worse! That senile fool!”

Albireo spat out his anger toward the deceased lord of the magic tower.

His futile struggle continued for a while.

After some time, he glared fiercely, his chest heaving with rage.

‘Grand Duke… did you think this was the end? Even though Sir Gawain and Sir Bahamut have fallen, my maternal family, the House of Lamperzen, still stands. I will definitely kill you.’

The House of Lamperzen, one of the most powerful families in the empire.

And if he combined the strength of the families under his command, it wouldn’t be impossible to exact revenge on the Grand Duke.

Although his position might have been shaken by this incident, compared to his sister and elder brother, it was clear that he was the most qualified to become emperor.

Eventually, everything would return to its rightful place.

As Albireo burned with thoughts of revenge…

Thud… thud…

The sound of footsteps reached his ears.

Was it one of the elite knights from the Imperial First Knight Order, coming to deliver his meal?

Though it was hard to stomach the arrogance of his elder brother’s lackeys, now was not the time to lose his temper and resort to threats.

He had to swallow his pride and focus on finding a way to escape.

The knights who had come before had ignored his words, making it impossible to even propose a deal.

But today, he was determined to seize the opportunity.

‘Come on, come closer. I’ll definitely use you to escape.’

Albireo’s mind raced furiously.

Some knights were known to be swayed by greed, so offering a large sum of money might work.

Moreover, if he promised them a high position once he became emperor, he could win them over.

As Albireo pondered what offer to make, the owner of the footsteps revealed himself.

“Your meal, Your Highness Albireo!”

Clang.

A knight with an utterly ordinary appearance and a somewhat strange tone of voice placed a tray with bread and soup into Albireo’s cell.

‘Huh? Was there someone like this in the Imperial First Knight Order?’

Albireo, who knew the knights under his elder brother’s command like the back of his hand, was puzzled.

He spoke up in a serious tone.

“Wait. Which unit are you from?”

“The Imperial First Knight Order!”

The knight answered with a somewhat clumsy demeanor, unlike the others.

Though something felt off, Albireo chose to interpret it in a way that suited his needs.

‘A new recruit? How fortunate!’

Color returned to his weary face.

For some reason, a new recruit had come today.

This was the perfect opportunity, but he had to remain calm.

Albireo put on a mask of composure and spoke.

“The Imperial First Knight Order… so even today, those insolent fools have come. But somehow, I feel like you might understand me.”

“Huh? Understand you? What do you mean?”

“I have a proposal for you. How about you listen to it?”

“Oh! A proposal, you say?”

“Yes.”

The knight’s tone seemed oddly cheerful.

Albireo hesitated for a moment but decided to interpret it as excitement over the prospect of gain and continued.

“Let me be direct. How about helping me escape? If I succeed in breaking out of this prison, I’ll give you more gold and jewels than you’ve ever seen in your life.”

“Ooh! Gold and jewels! That sounds tempting!”

“And that’s not all. When I become the emperor, I’ll grant you a title that will satisfy you.”

“Wow! A title too? Your Highness, you really have it all planned out!”

“Uh… yes.”

Albireo felt a bit uneasy at the knight’s overly enthusiastic demeanor.

This knight… something was off.

Even if he were a knight of the imperial family, would he really be so swayed by the promise of wealth?

‘Never mind. It doesn’t matter what tone this fool uses. Either way, this is good for me.’

Albireo quickly shook off his doubts.

After all, he planned to kill the knight to silence him once he escaped. What did it matter how he spoke?

Since the knight seemed to have taken the bait, all that was left was to think about what to do after escaping and seeking refuge with the House of Lamperzen.

Just as Albireo was about to smile inwardly, confident of his success…

“Ahaha. Even in this state, you’re still struggling. In many ways, you’re quite impressive, Your Highness!”

“!?”

In the place where the knight had been standing just moments ago, a stranger now stood.

Albireo’s gaze naturally shifted to the man’s face.

It was a face that seemed to blend the features of both a young man and an old man, making it impossible to tell if it was male or female.

The mismatched eyes, nose, and mouth gave the impression of a grotesque patchwork of different people’s facial features.

Startled, Albireo shouted in a panic.

“Who… who are you?!”

“Haha! How cruel! Even though my face was changed by Your Highness’s magic, you don’t recognize me at all!”

“You madman…!”

Clang!!

Sensing danger, Albireo strained against the chains.

This man was dangerous.

Could he be someone with a grudge against him?

His instincts screamed warnings, but in the depths of the underground prison, there was no one to call for help.

“My, my. There’s no one here to protect you, Your Highness? And to see you bound, unable to use your magic… even I can’t help but feel pity!”

“Damn it, who are you?! Do you have some grudge against me?!”

“Hmm. It seems you really don’t remember. Then I suppose I should explain. Your Highness, do you remember my younger sister, Isabella, who died eight years ago?”

The man, now wearing a white mask, stretched out his arms dramatically.

At his words, Albireo recalled a memory from long ago.

“Isabella’s brother… you’re Laplace Diepoff, aren’t you?!”

“Congratulations on the correct answer, Your Highness! It seems your mind hasn’t completely rusted even after being locked up in this prison!”

“Wait! Your sister Isabella Diepoff was announced to have died by suicide, wasn’t she? Her death wasn’t my fault—”

Albireo stammered, trying to explain himself in front of the man in the white mask.

Though he denied it to the man, the truth was that he had indeed killed that foolish girl.

She had kept opposing his hobby of killing slaves, so he had shot her with magic until she admitted he was right.

But she couldn’t withstand it and died.

Though he had killed her in a fit of anger, she was the daughter of the prestigious Diepoff family, so he had announced her death as a suicide to avoid conflict.

Even in death, that woman was a nuisance.

“Ah, so it really was a suicide, without a shred of falsehood?”

“Ugh… yes. How many times do I have to say it? But more importantly, even though I’m imprisoned, I’m still a prince of the empire. Do you think you can threaten me and get away with it?”

“Hmm. I don’t think that matters! Because Your Highness will also be treated as a suicide!”

“…What?”

Albireo’s face filled with fear at the man’s words.

What was this madman saying?

Was he planning to kill him?

No. That couldn’t happen.

As the imminent threat of death loomed over him.

In front of the man in the white mask, Albireo began to babble.

“Wait! Listen to me! I truly regret what happened to Isabella!”

“Oh? Do you really mean that?”

“Y-yes! Give me a chance to make it right!”

“Ahaha! That might be difficult!”

“Why?!”

“Because it’s too disappointing that you don’t remember me at all! After my sister’s death, when I came to see you, you used magic to permanently scar my face, didn’t you?!”

“Ah…?”

Albireo fell silent, staring at the man as his words struck a chord in his memory.

The man in the white mask, though claiming to be disappointed, radiated an air of joy.

This was bad.

This man was determined to kill him.

Realizing that there was no way out, Albireo’s mind swam in a sea of dizziness.

Where is Sir Gawain?

Where is my master?

I can’t die like this.

I am destined to become the sun of the empire.

At that moment, as Albireo’s consciousness began to fade, the man in the mask spoke cheerfully.

“Haha! Those delightful movements of yours suggest you’re enjoying the magic I’ve bestowed upon you!”

“Ugh…”

“Now, please enjoy playing with my dolls in the dream I’ve prepared for you! I’ll take my leave now!”

The man in the mask, his joy evident even through the mask, filled the space with an eerie white mana.

The next day, when the Imperial First Knight Order came to the prison to check on Albireo.

All that remained was the cold, lifeless body of the embodiment of greed, who had bitten through his own tongue multiple times.