Elsewhere

Zanak walked across his room toward the phone, hesitated for a moment, then picked it up and inspected it. After a brief pause, he raised the phone and dialed the 5th Prince.

In a luxurious cabin aboard a ship that stretched as far as the eye could see, in a room made of pure gold, sat Prince Elion Varestrad on a throne embroidered with dragon motifs. His eyes fluttered open as the phone rang. His golden hair cascaded over his shoulders, and his red eyes scanned the room with a solemn gaze. He answered the phone.

Zanak spoke with a respectful tone. "My respects, my Prince. This is Zanak."

Elion's lips curled into a faint smile as he opened his eyes. "What is it, Zanak? Calling me at such an hour… It must be important."

Zanak took a deep breath. "I couldn't find anyone suitable to serve as your guard, my Prince."

Elion's smile faded, and he fell silent for a moment. Then, in a cold tone, he said, "So, you couldn't find anyone."

Zanak swallowed slightly. "My apologies, my Prince. I inspected the entire ship, but none of them were suitable."

Elion shrugged lightly. "Interesting. Finding someone trustworthy shouldn't be this difficult. So, how much gold do you want for this failure?"

In a low voice, Zanak replied, "Two large gold coins, my Prince."

Elion paused for a moment before letting out a cold laugh. "Hahaha. Very well. But this will be your last mistake—I won't forgive a second one, Zanak. Call me if anything else comes up. I have work to do now."

Zanak hesitated for a moment before hanging up. "Understood, my Prince. Next time, I won't disappoint you."

He ended the call.

---

Earlier

Zanak was kneeling before Prince Elion, waiting in silence. The Prince sat on his golden throne, his sharp gaze fixed on Zanak, who dared not look him directly in the eyes. In a calm but commanding tone, Elion began to speak.

"Where you're going, every phone call might be monitored. Be extremely careful. If you find a guard for me, you will use a special code."

Elion leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing as he continued. "Now, to help you understand the codes better, I'll give you a few examples. 'Gold' represents a person, understood? 'Small' means weak power, 'medium' means moderate power, and 'large' means strong. For instance, if you find someone weak, you'll call them '1 small gold.' If they're strong, you'll say '1 large gold.' Understood?"

Zanak lowered his head slightly, meeting Elion's gaze. "Understood, my Prince,"

---

Present Time

After ending the call, Elion paused for a moment, deep in thought. "So, he said two people, and that they're strong… But that's not enough," he muttered to himself, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his lips. I'm different from the other princes.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, a memory flashed before his eyes.

Seated on his throne as usual, Elion watched Zanak enter the room. Zanak took a deep breath and bowed respectfully. "My Prince, the Emperor has assigned elite guards from the Nymar Empire to all the princes—except you. Additionally, our investigations show that most of the Genetic Control Office is under the 1st Prince's command. Our position is difficult, my Prince."

Elion's expression didn't change in the slightest. He paused, then spoke in a calm voice. "So, they didn't assign me a guard… I expected this." He turned his gaze to Zanak. "There's nothing to be done. Go and find me suitable guards. It's the skill you're best suited for."

Zanak smiled slightly and bowed his head. "Understood, my Prince."