Shirone walked to the royal office to ask for a meeting with the king. He was nervous.
He only had to wait for ten minutes before a knight in shiny armor opened the door. That was very, very fast. It felt like the king was already expecting him.
Inside, King Orcamp was waiting. He was wearing his finest royal clothes.
King Orcamp: "Shirone. I was just about to call for you. Please, sit down."
Shirone sat in the big chair across from the king's desk. He was just about to ask a question when King Orcamp spoke first, as if he could read Shirone's mind.
King Orcamp: "Your family is safe. I have moved them to a new room in a different part of the castle. If you get lost, just ask one of the servants to show you the way."
The king explained it all so quickly, it sounded like he was making an excuse. But where his family was sleeping wasn't the most important thing on Shirone's mind.
Shirone: "Your Majesty, what aren't you telling me? What is really going on?"
King Orcamp let out a long, tired sigh. Even kings cannot run away from hard questions.
King Orcamp: "From last night until the sun rose this morning, there were five tries to hurt your family. Three times, someone tried to poison their food. The poison was strong enough to... well, it was very dangerous. Then, two times, hidden killers sneered close to their room. We caught one every hour. But every time we caught one, they... they ended their own lives before we could ask them any questions. But it was very clear. They were there for your family."
Shirone felt like someone had hit him in the stomach with a giant hammer. He couldn't breathe. This was an attack made by people, but the shock felt like being caught in a terrible earthquake or a storm.
Shirone: "But why? Why would anyone want me or my family dead?"
King Orcamp: "What do you mean, 'why'? Did you think there would be no consequences for becoming a prince?"
If Shirone was being honest with himself... yes, he had thought that.
He hadn't been completely careless, but deep down, he never believed his enemies would move so fast.
Shirone: "Trying to assassinate a candidate for First Prince is a crime that can get you executed! If we found the person in charge, their whole family would be punished. How could they take such a big risk after only two days?"
King Orcamp: "You think they are foolish? No, Shirone. They are very clever. They attacked you in your 'blind spot'."
Shirone: "My... blind spot?"
King Orcamp: "People who do this kind of work are experts at creating situations where it is hard to survive. You can duck away from a swinging sword, but it is much harder to escape a clever trap. If they wanted to hurt you, yesterday was the perfect time to try."
Shirone realized his mistake. He hadn't forgotten about the danger, but a small part of his brain had thought, "Surely, no one would try anything now."
King Orcamp: "The most dangerous assassins are not the best with a sword. They are the best at making traps. That is why one master assassin is more feared in this palace than one hundred guards. They strike where you are not looking. Once you are caught in their trap, you have no choice but to do what they want."
King Orcamp was right. Why had Shirone been so relaxed?
No—it wasn't that he was careless. It's that no one can be watching for danger every single second. Even if he fixed one mistake, the bad guys would just find another place to attack.
King Orcamp: "Shirone, do not think about it too hard. This palace is a den of wild beasts. The cowards here do not hesitate because they are afraid of getting in trouble."
The king stood up and walked over to a table to pour himself a drink. His hand was steady, but he looked troubled.
King Orcamp: "Ms. Reina, acted wisely by moving your family. For the next three days, until you are an official prince, a public fight would only hurt us. It is best to pretend you know nothing."
Shirone clenched his hands into tight fists. He understood that Reina had made a smart choice, but his mom and dad could have died!
Shirone: "So we just let them get away with it? We could use this attack to fight back!"
King Orcamp gave a sad, bitter smile.
King Orcamp: "Then tell me, Shirone. Who do you think is behind this?"
Shirone: "It's obvious! It must be Duke Teraze and his people—"
He stopped talking. Was it really only them? He had stumbled into another blind spot.
Shirone: "...I don't know."
King Orcamp: "Exactly. You becoming a prince changes the balance of power in the whole kingdom. Even outside of Duke Teraze's group, many, many people have a reason to want you gone."
Shirone started to list suspects in his head. So many faces flashed in his mind—he even thought about King Orcamp for a second.
Shirone: "Does... does everyone here want me dead?"
King Orcamp walked back to his chair, glass in hand.
King Orcamp: "If Duke Teraze is behind it, then this is a warning. If it is someone who hasn't picked a side yet, they are testing you. They want to see what kind of person you are. How you react."
Shirone: "A warning? With deadly poison? My parents—even my friend, Amy—could have been killed!"
King Orcamp drank his entire glass in one gulp. He did not blame Shirone for his anger.
To most people, assassination was something from a storybook. But King Orcamp had lived his whole life with killers hiding in the shadows. He ate, slept, and even raised his own children knowing that danger was always nearby.
King Orcamp: "Shirone, even a beautiful butterfly can look strange and ugly if you look at it too closely. The world can be an ugly place to everyone but yourself. Getting angry will never help you—especially if you want to keep the people you love safe."
Shirone took a deep, slow breath. He was still angry, but he knew the king was right. Anger would not solve this problem.
Shirone: "What should I do, then?"
King Orcamp: "You must show them your power. If they are testing you to see how strong you are, then you must show them. You must be clear."
Finally, the king was saying what he really wanted.
King Orcamp: "I will arrange a special stage for you. I want you to perform a demonstration of your special power, Ataraxia. If you can prove how strong you are, then our friends and our enemies will be clearly divided."
Shirone looked down at the floor. He felt a heavy sadness.
Shirone: "So... that is the real reason you called me here today."
King Orcamp let out a soft breath. He could not lie to Shirone.
King Orcamp: "Have you heard of the Valkyrie? It is a special army that Duke Teraze formed. Our kingdom's money and survival now depend on the weapons they make and sell. The situation is very bad for me. Duke Teraze has placed his own children in powerful positions to one day overthrow me. We must become stronger and have more influence in the Valkyrie. And your power, Ataraxia, is the key to doing that."
Shirone felt all his strength drain away. He felt weak.
He had suspected this was the reason, but hearing his supposed father say it out loud made him want to cry.
His bloodline didn't matter to them. All they wanted was his power—the power of the Archangel.
King Orcamp: "I am asking this of you. Perform the demonstration. Just showing your power in front of all the nobles will have a huge effect. This is our best chance to get the people who haven't chosen a side to support us."
Shirone forced the tears back. If King Orcamp wasn't crying, then he wouldn't cry either.
Shirone: "Did you think I would obey you so easily?"
King Orcamp: "Quite the opposite. That is why I am making you an offer. Once, you told me you wanted to go back home. Do you still want that?"
Shirone: "No. That old wish is not good enough anymore. Because now, I want to go home even more than I did before!"
King Orcamp was not offended by Shirone's sharp words.
King Orcamp: "If you perform the demonstration, I will send you home as soon as we prove you are my son. You can go to the magic academy, you can do whatever you wish. If you never want to come back to this royal castle, that is fine. What do you think of my offer?"
Shirone could not just say no. After seeing how dangerous the royal castle was, he knew that going home would not be easy. In this scary situation, the king's offer was very, very tempting.
Shirone: "But if I do that, you won't be able to use my Ataraxia power. Sooner or later, you will need me again. How will you convince the nobles then?"
King Orcamp grew uneasy, like a child who had been caught sneaking a cookie. His real reason for the demonstration was much bigger than just getting people on his side. A man named Arius had said that if he saw Ataraxia in person, he might be able to copy it.
If they could copy the power, they wouldn't need Shirone anymore. No—it would actually be better if he left the castle. For his own safety...
King Orcamp: "That is why we need a secret plan. We will tell the nobles that you will return to the castle after you graduate from the magic academy. You will be gone for a year, right? In that time, I will work to defeat Duke Teraze and his followers. After that, we can each go our own way."
In other words, if the king failed to defeat the Teraze group, their deal was off.
But Shirone nodded, as if he was okay with the risk. As long as he was guaranteed one year away, it didn't really matter if the king kept his promise or not.
After he graduated, Shirone planned to move his family very far away anyway. It would just mean moving a little farther than he first thought.
Until he was strong enough that the king's commands couldn't touch him, he could live with that.
Shirone: "Who will be watching my demonstration?"
King Orcamp: "I have already sent the invitations. All the most important nobles in the kingdom will be there. They are all expecting a spectacular show."
Shirone looked at King Orcamp with sad eyes.
Shirone: "You knew from the very beginning that I couldn't say no to you."
King Orcamp: "Shirone, this was your own request from three days ago. I am simply giving you a good reason to make it happen."
King Orcamp remained cold and firm until the very end.
But because he was so direct, Shirone was able to calm down. He wasn't doing this for the king. He was doing it for his family.
Shirone: "Fine. Call for me when you are ready. Right now, I need to go see my 'parents'."
He really wanted to stomp out of the room and slam the door, and he knew the king wouldn't punish him if he did.
But Shirone remembered his manners. He stood up, bowed politely, and left the room.
After all, Orcamp was the king of a mighty neighboring nation.