In the Kingdom of Gracis that stood as a superpower in the north of the continent—known as the Kingdom in Woe to neighboring nations—a young man was walking down a hallway in the royal castle. The time was already past midnight, but he had come across more than an average amount of knights and soldiers on patrol. This was because one of the princes, the king’s favorite prince in fact, had been kidnapped but returned safe. Every knight, soldier, and constable in the area had been deployed after the kidnapping was discovered. The prince in question, however, simply returned with his nanny as if nothing had happened. Members of the search party were called back to the castle to reinforce security, which had doubled the patrols throughout the castle. The young man in the hall whom Herscherik called Kuro, however, wasn’t bothered by it.
Kuro sneaked past the patrols in the corridor, recalling his conversation with the young prince he had just seen. I wish you could be my butler of service, Kuro, Herscherik had muttered. Kuro wasn’t aware that a trace of a smile formed on his face every time he remembered the prince’s remark. But just then, Kuro’s expression dampened. What the prince was trying to accomplish seemed impossible to Kuro. The prince was ready to charge into enemy territory with no regard for his own safety and without any measures to protect himself. Kuro assumed that Herscherik was aware of how dangerous it would be without Kuro having to tell him so, but Herscherik chose to enact his plan anyway. He chose the lives of his people over his own. While Kuro felt proud of the prince’s decision, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated at his current position. He had no right to criticize, stop, or even help Herscherik in his endeavor. Kuro tightened his fists.
Then, Kuro saw a light up ahead. Pegging it for a guard on patrol, Kuro immediately slipped through a nearby door—after making sure that no one was in the room, of course. The room appeared to be a private office of someone important. A wide desk sat in the center of the room with a large window behind it and bookshelves lining the walls. Double checking that no one else was in the room, he hid behind a bookshelf and remained silent.
I can’t believe I let my emotions get the best of me... Kuro thought, as he waited for the patrol to pass by. Kuro had always been able to remain cold and collected, completing his mission while banishing all of his feelings. When it came to that young prince, however, those emotions proved impossible to overcome.
Suddenly, he sensed someone nearby. “Who’s there...?” Kuro observed the room until he spotted a particularly dark spot.
“Your reputation precedes you... is what I was going to say, Shadow Fang. But seeing that you let me get so close, maybe you’re a little overrated.” A voice came from the darkness, and a silhouette appeared.
Kuro recognized the figure with astonishment. “You’re...”
“Sounds like you know who I am,” the silhouette chuckled.
The person Kuro recognized had no business being here. Moonlight illuminated the silhouette, revealing the figure in full. It was a man older than Kuro with dark green—or perhaps steel-colored—hair and eyes of the same hue that gleamed with a dauntless and piercing light.
Rook Febvre... What’s the king’s right-hand man doing here? Kuro knew the man. Childhood friend and butler of service to the 23rd king, Solye, and the second son of the Marquis Febvre. The Febvres had garnered a reputation for producing excellent officers throughout the clan’s history, men whose services were always cherished by the kings of their time. However, after Solye took the throne at a young age and Barbosse became a minister and advisor to the king, the Marquis Febvre and his family were relocated to the countryside. Rook alone had remained in the capital to serve the king. He excelled at his job just like any of his ancestors and supported the king for years as his right-hand man. Kuro had heard rumors that Rook was so knowledgeable that he even had connections in the underworld, but he had never verified that.
Rook spoke to Kuro, who remained on guard. “I looked into you. You work through the underground guild under the moniker of Shadow Fang. Male, but birth name, birthplace, and age all unknown, no known family members... I was surprised that I couldn’t find out a single thing about you.” Despite saying so, Rook showed no sign of actual surprise. He only stared at Kuro with curiosity. “You perfectly execute any mission, from reconnaissance to thievery and even assassinations... But you never settle down. A lone wolf, freelance, spy-for-hire. Does that hit the mark?”
“What’s your point?” Kuro snarled at Rook, wanting to stop beating around the bush. He didn’t have time to strike up a leisurely conversation.
As if he’d seen right through Kuro, Rook grinned. “You’ve been someone’s dog before, haven’t you?”
Kuro froze for a moment at Rook’s assured tone, practically confirming the fact. Still, Kuro tried to deny it. “What are you—”
“That shook you, huh? So naive.” Rook chuckled and shrugged. “You thought you could explain away all your skills and prowess as mere products of talent and experience?” Rook had accurately deduced that Kuro had not acquired all of his skills on his own. A spy’s most important ability was blending into one’s surroundings without being noticed. Of course, infiltration and combat skills were both important, but not as much as the skill of gathering information. While these all required both talent and experience, Kuro’s work had been much too refined for him to have built those skills on his own. “I can smell a kindred spirit. Besides...” Rook widened his grin. The moonlight eerily flickered across Rook’s face. “You find joy in serving others... That’s how you were trained.”
Kuro’s mind froze. He knew that Rook was right—he had been conditioned that way. Although, Kuro reflected, he didn’t even realize that he was being conditioned back then.
Seeing Kuro immobilized like a fallen marionette, Rook continued. “But, you look for a master with the right qualities. That’s why you were drawn to Prince Herscherik... and became enchanted by him.” Rook noticed the ever-so-slight tremor in Kuro’s shoulders. “Even as we speak, you’re scheming how you can be by his side.”
“Shut up.”
“Why should I?” Rook asked with a teasing tone. “If you keep reacting like this to the truth, you’re not nearly as professional as you think. What would Prince Herscherik think of you if he found out...?”