Around the Palace

Lurking in the darkness, I waited for an opening. All the quartz pillars seemed to be guarded by at least 2 soldiers. The roof is probably the safest option... however... getting up there without being seen. What. A. Pain.

I waited and waited. A few minutes. A few hours. 2 hours. 3 hours.

As midnight approaches, I became impatient.

Hitman style it is.

I waited for a guard to walk near the shadows and grabbed one of them. Covering his mouth, I slowly suffocated the unfortunate soul until I rendered him unconscious.

Should I erase his memories? I know the spell... I just don't know the cost. It's relatively powerful... I'd say the cost would be more than temporary pain.

I've used it once... before I fully understood what forbidden magic was. I didn't die... but I also didn't figure out what was the side effects. It's... too risky. There's too much I can lose.

He shouldn't have been able to see my face in the darkness. Even if he has night vision, he didn't even get the chance to glance at my face. Nevertheless... I'll make him seem drunk. Maybe he'll think he was hallucinating.

While the loud bell from a clock tower a layer below rang. I tried to disguise myself as one of the soldiers, using the sound of the bell to cover the sound of the chainmail clashing with each other.

Donning Leon's official armour, I walk to leave the guard inside an alleyway near a pub. Messing up his shirt and hair a little bit as I threw his body away and left him there.

"Maybe... I went a little bit extra," I whispered to myself as I walked back to the soldier's initial position.

I'll need to jump... quickly too. From the ground, the roof would be about 3-4 stories away. Can I... make it?

Why the hell am I questioning my own stats? Just do it already... if it doesn't work out then whatever.

I took a breather and slapped myself.

Don't forget who you are. If I can't even do this simple thing... there's no reason for Shin to hesitate on ending my life. Without my level... I'm nothing.

All I have to do is apply the oldest trick in the book.

"Forge,"

I forged a small metallic ball into my hand, condensing it as much as I could. Bet it'll take a while before they can pick this thing up. It's even a little heavy for me.

As the guard beside my blink, I threw the ball to the opposite direction from where I was standing. Some might see where the ball came from, but even if they did... they'd be too tempted to see what I threw.

In a few seconds, I looked upon their confused faces from above, hanging down from the roof. No one saw me jump... that's a fact.

Yet... those scarlet eyes... glared at me. It was for a millisecond, but I could feel that piercing stare.

Red. Messy red hair. Red armour. Red everything. Does he have some kind of obsession with red or something? Even the aura surrounding him was red. Red of blood? Red of danger? Red of Gryffindor? An aura's colour can tell so much if I could guess the right shade of red.

Strange... it feels like I've seen him before... somewhere...

I usually don't notice others' auras, not even Shin's, but that aura he radiates... it's too... pretty? Or powerful to ignore.

As he pieces together what he just saw he picked up my metallic ball casually and inspected it. Looking a little alarmed, he strolled normally into the palace exchanging another glance with me.

The look he gave was... fear... but also excitement. He... didn't report me... luckily.

Have I... seen him before? I don't think so... deja vu maybe? He must be strong... shoot. I don't wanna fight 'em, he seems strong as hell. Without forbidden magic... it'd actually take effort to win...

I just levelled up a bunch okay? I don't actually have swordsmanship skills! Actually, I don't have ANY combat skills! Every cool move I've tried to do is just me copying God of Highschool or Naruto!

Even after all these months... once a weeb... always a weeb... anyways... I don't know what that red head's doing... but! My guts are telling me I should hurry before Alfie wakes up...

I pushed myself up to walk properly on the slates.

It's midnight... even sneaking in took longer than I thought... why doesn't this just work like a crappy fantasy world where I just can walk into the castle and no one would notice me.

Sneaking around, looking through the windows, even walking inside some of the empty hallways; I couldn't find Misa and the others at all... I shouldn't be too quick to judge though... I've only really cleared the south wing.

Eventually, I got back on the roof, just looking off to the distance, taking in the view and the fresh cool air.

"You told me... you'd watch me grow up... so why didn't you stay?!" A young boy shouted from an open balcony.

Those words... they sound so familiar. As if I heard someone say something like that before. I could recall a loud voice shouting... clinging onto something, but the voice... though it was loud... I can't seem to really identify the owner of that voice.

If only I could hear the clearer version of it, but try as I might... I can't... or is it... I won't? All I need to do is focus on the voice... although... every time I do, the sensation of fear engulfs my very being and my focus disappears.

"And now... even Hiroto abandons me. Of course, I'm not good enough for any of you... well, I'm sorry I'm not like my perfect brothers." the little boy with white hair continued in a dark room, only illuminated by the moonlight.

A mention of a certain someone's name made me glare to his direction. Having a good look of the little boy, I recognized those sapphire blue eyes. It looked exactly like the late king's.

The king that Hiroto assassinated...

Should I comfort him? It's not really my problem... I really shouldn't care. I shouldn't care. I couldn't care less. I don't care. I really don't care. Fine, I'll consider it.

"Poor kid," A soft and familiar voice came from behind. It was so recognizable that I didn't need to see who the owner of such a voice, but only sighed.

"How the hell did you get up here?" I know I didn't hear footsteps following me. Did he upgrade his stealth? Damn... if I didn't notice then that skill must be high.

"I... have my ways,"

"Geez... you can't keep appearing and disappearing out of nowhere, it's gonna give me a heart attack someday. What do you want anyway?"

"Can you... talk to him? For me?" It was a genuine concern that hid within his voice. Empathy huh?

Yeah sure, worrying about the son of the guy you murdered. Either you're nice, which I highly doubt, or you don't want that kid to have the protagonist backstory and want revenge... which is the one I'm assuming.

I stared with suspicion, "Fine,"

Even so... if I give him the benefit of the doubt... I'd say he pities the kid. Guess he could relate...

Hell, I was apart of Hiroto's backstory I still can't really wrap my head around that stupidly traumatic backstory.

Though, I turned back to find there was no one there at all.

Did I imag-

No... he's stealth skills are way too high and I don't like it...

Oh, darn it... might as well talk to the kid now that I said I would.

"Hey, kid." I sat on the balcony's railing looking at his sorry state.