Chapter 739: Royal Family

The garden furthest away from the royal palace.

Boom━━!!

A loud, dull sound echoed from there.

It was as if two dense objects had collided, and in a way, that was true.

After all, a hammer was a dense object, and so was a human head.

Thump.

When the hammer and the human head collided, Miller’s knees hit the ground.

That’s because the head that had collided with the hammer was none other than Miller’s.

“Uhh…”

The second heir of the Great United Kingdom made a dumb sound while reflexively stepping back at the sight.

The reason for his retreat, of course, was fear. But you couldn’t really blame him.

Just imagine.

It’s a terrible day where nothing goes your way. While strolling around in an attempt to cool off, a fat man who looked like he had the weight of three pigs showed up saying he had business, and suddenly started smashing the head of your secretary with a hammer.

And right inside the royal palace, no less.

It would be stranger if you weren’t frightened.

Especially given that the prince was still in his early teens.

Even though his status as royalty had forced him to grow up quickly, he was still just a boy.

The mere fact that he hadn’t screamed after witnessing that scene showed he had courage.

“I… I need to run…”

In broad daylight. Inside the royal palace. After witnessing the surreal scene of a royal secretary’s head being hammered, the prince, his face pale as sheet, thought.

He needed to run now.

Why the infamous fighter from Randa would commit such a crazy act was beyond his understanding, but that could be figured out later.

What mattered now was getting out of here and informing others.

That way, he could ensure his own safety and also find out the reason behind this madness.

“Yes, I need to run.”

The boy, having made up his mind, forced his frozen brain to think, and his body started acting on the issued command.

His upper body turned, his feet lifted from the ground.

Tremble tremble tremble…

But it wasn’t easy.

Though his brain had mustered the courage to make the necessary decision, his body betrayed him. His shaking legs were proof of his deep fear.

And it didn’t end there.

Da-da-da-da-!

The pig known as Edith Locke moved with surprising agility that didn’t match his appearance, blocking Albert’s escape route.

“Shocked, are you? Didn’t I tell you I’ve been taking good medicine?”

“Ah…”

Albert let out a deflated sound as he stepped back. He needed to buy time.

“W-why are you doing thi-”

“-Seeing is believing.”

Edith cut off Albert’s words, pointing to the fallen Miller with a finger.

“Why explain something a hundred times when you can see it once? It’s something I picked up after joining high society through my wife’s connections and learning all sorts of things. Look over there.”

Edith urged him to turn around.

But Albert couldn’t do it easily.

He feared that the moment he turned his head, that madman would hammer his skull in.

Also, he hated the idea of seeing the corpse of the secretary, or perhaps, a friend who had assisted him since he’d learned to walk.

Suddenly, guilt surged within him.

His friend had been struck down by an assailant, and yet here he was, a prince, thinking of fleeing.

But that was that, and this was this. Albert decided to follow Edith’s instructions for now.

He needed to buy time to figure out a way to escape. After all, his life wasn’t just his own, but was meant for the kingdom…

“…What is this?”

Albert turned his head slowly to check on Miller and muttered in disbelief.

It looked like a question at first, but it wasn’t really meant to seek an answer.

The scene in front of him was simply too incomprehensible, and it was more of a reflexive reaction.

And for good reason; Miller, who had been struck by the hammer, was in a state far from ‘normal.’

His head had caved in where the hammer had hit, cracking apart.

That part was understandable, somewhat.

The problem was what was leaking from the cracks of his broken skull: screws and pieces of springs, along with the red blood.

Looking closer, among the smell of blood, there was also the rank scent of oil.

“It’s a Zombie Puppet.”

Edith, who stood behind Albert, explained.

He kept a safe distance to avoid scaring Albert any further as he explained the truth about the fallen Miller.

“In simple terms, you can think of it as a top-grade zombie doll. A dark sorcerer artisan had painstakingly crafted a first-class zombie from a corpse. Unlike normal zombies, these ones have greater combat abilities and can handle more delicate tasks. One such task being espionage. For example, as a royal secretary…”

Had this been any other time, Albert would have brushed it off as nonsense, but now he could only gape in silence.

What should have been insane drivel was now confirmed, happening right before his eyes.

There was only one thought in his mind now.

“How…?”

How could a zombie puppet like this serve as a royal secretary for decades?

The royal palace boasted extraordinary security as the most important place in the Kingdom. Not only that, the Holy Emperor’s Palace paid special attention, regularly dispatching Holy Knights to scan the palace for suspicious intruders.

Among those suspected intruders were dark sorcerers (Zombie Puppets).

According to the Holy Knights, with their divine powers, they could see through even the most well-disguised Zombie Puppets.

And yet, this had never once been mentioned before now.

“The reason’s simple. The Puppets are just better than those tin cans.”

Edith, who had approached the stumbling Albert, replied.

Up close, he looked even fatter. Disgustingly so. But unlike before, Albert wasn’t on his guard.

He was too exhausted to do so. All he could do now was raise more questions.

“P-Puppet?”

“Yes, that Puppet. He’s one of the best in the field.”

“T-that can’t be…”

“Why not? Puppet’s lived for hundreds of years and almost took over Randa with his schemes. What’s so hard about taking over a powerless royal family?”

The statement was so blasphemous and biting that Albert was about to protest, but the fat man ignored him.

“I’m sorry… No, actually, I’m not sorry. Prince, I’m not here to argue with you. I’m here to save you. So, cooperate, will you?”

“Save me?”

Albert took a step back, startled. It was impossible to believe the man who had just smashed someone’s head with a hammer was here to offer salvation.

Why would a fat fighter like this save him? His mannerisms and words showed no sign of patriotism or loyalty, not even a shred of basic decency.

“You see rightly. There’s a sad reason behind all this. Let’s just say it’s because of some idiot woman. Anyway, will you escape with me?”

Edith extended his sausage-like hand.

Albert, breathing heavily, refused.

“I… I can’t escape. I need to let… let my brother know!”

“Did you not hear me? I told you Puppet has taken over the royal family. And who stands to benefit the most from all this?”

Albert let out a deep breath. This conversation… it felt familiar.

“No way! My brother would never have dealings with a dark sorcerer!”

“Didn’t you listen to the radio?”

Edith brought up that blasphemous, cursed conversation.

The dialogue, which implicated the Kingdom’s elite, accusing people who had everything they could ever want of making deals with dark sorcerers.

“Damn it… Well, I suppose it’s possible. Most noblemen are idiots who can’t see the truth when it’s staring right at them. So, I’ll give you a choice.”

“?”

“We don’t have time. If you come with me, I’ll tell you exactly what your brother and Puppet are planning. If you don’t, I’ll just escape on my own. This place will soon turn into a living hell.”

“…”

“I’m not so kind as to drag along a foolish, ignorant brat who ignores the truth. So, what will it be? Let me give you some advice: consider the situation carefully.”

Albert’s gaze turned towards the fallen Miller.

The royal secretary who had served him all his life, now with screws and springs leaking from his cracked skull.

He thought of his mother, the Queen, who had collapsed for ‘nervous exhaustion.’

Maybe he couldn’t be certain, but he knew he needed to look into this properly.

“I…”

As Albert began to speak, Edith suddenly raised his hammer high.

The dark, heavy metal shone in the sunlight, and with a swift motion, he brought it down, smashing the arm that had been crawling towards Albert.

Crunch!!

The arm, detached from its body and crawling away, was shattered to pieces by Edith’s hammer, and Albert was so shocked that he moved closer to Edith in fear.

“You must not follow that man, Prince.”

Miller, while still lying on the ground, suddenly sat up.

He looked like an upturned spider, and the sight of the blood, oil, and screws leaking from his cracked head only made the spectacle more surreal.

“I thought… you were dead? Or… no, that’s not right, you’re already a corpse, huh? A functional corpse?”

Edith commented as he nudged Albert behind him.

The dynamics of the situation had completely reversed from when Edith and the prince had first met.

“Come, Prince. You mustn’t go with him. He’s a greedy fighter.”

Miller, still in his twisted spider-like form, urged the prince to come to him.

“Is this idiot really trying to convince anyone with a face like that? Why would anyone go with you? A monster’s still worse than a fighter.”

Ironically enough, Edith’s insult matched exactly what Albert was feeling.

“Or are you just in a rush? Afraid the prince might be convinced to leave with me? Prince, you have to decide soon. Will you escape with me, or will you waste time and get caught? Someone is coming this way.”

Edith had seen the situation for what it was and nailed the truth. Miller, who had been feigning death until just now, had gotten up out of fear that the prince might go with Edith.

Someone was, indeed, coming to this place, and they needed more time.

“Prince, trust me! We are on the royal family’s side. My master hasn’t taken over the royal family, he’s simply aiding in a legitimate transaction! Even the Crown Prince has agreed to this.”

“My brother…?”

“Yes, it was only concealed for security reasons. Eventually, the prince was going to be informed as well. His Highness and my master are working on a grand plan.”

The shouting voice seemed genuine. But Albert interpreted that sincerity in a different way.

“So, my mother’s collapse really was related to my brother?”

The rumors of Puppet and the Kingdom’s elite, the Queen’s sudden collapse, and his brother’s rise to the throne, along with Joanna’s warning and Miller’s revelation as a Zombie Puppet.

Piece by piece, the clues started to come together, and Albert arrived at a conclusion too horrible to accept.

Miller responded.

“…No.”

A moment of silence that felt like an eternity passed.

Upon hearing Miller’s answer, Albert shouted to Edith.

“Sir Edith. I’ll go with you!”

“A wise choice!”

Edith shouted as he pulled out a scroll from his chest.

It was a spatial displacement magical tool, a costly item that allowed the user, along with those around them, to teleport to a designated location.

Just as Edith activated the magical tool.

Slash-!

Something flew through the air, slicing the scroll in half.

“A foolish choice, Prince…!”

It had been Miller’s work. His body had transformed, now resembling something akin to a spider.

The cylinders between his joints had expanded, and with the extended limbs, he had swiped and destroyed Edith’s magical tool.

Edith shouted.

“Damn it! You broke it! You owe me!!”

“Originally, I was aiming for you…! You’re quicker than you look.”

“How many times do I have to tell you I’m taking good medicine! Your brain really is missing a few screws!!”

Edith, losing his temper, adjusted his grip on his hammer.

Miller, now fully spider-like, asked.

“And what can a nobody like you hope to do after just taking some medicine?!”

As soon as he spoke, praying mantis-like blades unfolded from Miller’s body.

“So damn disgusting. No wonder you got hit. That revolting form of yours makes anyone lose-”

Shing-!

A sharp sound sliced through the air.

One of the blades extending from Miller had grazed Edith’s hammer. The handle was neatly cut, falling to the floor.

“Let’s see how long you can keep up that arrogance.”

“Don’t move a muscle. If you do, I’ll kill the prince!”

Having lost his weapon, Edith didn’t hesitate to grab hold of Prince Albert’s neck, threatening him.

Albert’s eyes grew wide with shock at the unbelievable situation, even causing Miller to pause for a moment.

“You bastard…?”

“Sir Edith?”

Both of them looked at Edith in surprise and called out. Edith quietly whispered loud enough for all to hear.

“Cooperate with me. We need to stall for time, until the reinforcements arrive.”

What he said didn’t seem to make sense, but soon it became clear.

Thunk!!

A huge sword, the size of a person, came flying through the air, shattering Miller to pieces.

From the direction where the blade had flown, someone appeared.

It was Lieutenant General Philip, a mage and an important figure of the Royal Army.

“I’ve come to escort you, Prince.”