While the lone prince wonders if he was deceived in a nice way, the assassin outside the carriage fared no better. He certainly wasn't expecting the white-haired prince to charge in that manner, or any at all, given the prince's lack of bravery, as provided in the report. He initially assumed he could finish everything with a single blow.
It seems that he had underestimated the youngster.
Chase Laurier, eighteen years old, is the third son of the current king of the richest kingdom in the world, the Sangrail Kingdom.
He is distinguished by his unique silvery-white hair and emerald green eyes, earning him the title of the Albino Prince of the Laurier Royal Family, a trait that is in contrast to Laurier's famous generation of black hairs and dark eyes. He would have been regarded as a saintly figure — since angels had always been associated with white — if it hadn't been for his poor temperament and attitude.
Chase is depicted as a pampered, arrogant adolescent who only knows how to flaunt his wealth. He is frequently seen wearing outlandish clothing and visiting unusual places, prompting people to label him as eccentric.
There are numerous tales swirling around him, and none of them are pleasant. One of them is that he was an illegitimate child, or that he was a cursed child, the reason he looked very different from his gallant and impressive siblings. Some even dared to interrogate the King in court for the credibility of his existence.
If not from his face, that is a carbon copy of his siblings, the regent, and the former king, Chase had long been kicked out of the royal court. It also had been validated through paternal tests, but many still insist that the result had been falsified. Anyway, Chase remained a resident of the royal palace.
There are more ridiculous speculations about him, but the most recent issue is his assumed secret affair with the second princess of the Norbumin Kingdom, a neighboring kingdom to the northwest that is separated by a valley and an abyssal cliff.
It should not be an issue because although Chase was sighted frequenting the kingdom, there is no way that he will meet with any of the Norbumin's Royal Family if there wasn't a formal invitation. Everyone knows how cheeky Chase could be, and he could only be summoned by invitations he considered worthy. A letter from the second princess isn't enough to persuade him to come out.
Thus, the reason for the white-haired prince to appear in the Norbumin Kingdom could be because of some private business, since it is known that one of Chase's mother's relatives is from the Norbumin Kingdom. He must be visiting some old relative.
But people love to gossip and the topic they like the most is the love scandals of the nobles. Stories brew out, with a narrative akin to a third-rate Telenovela about couples cheating and indulging in adultery. It has gotten much worse since the second princess is now betrothed to an archduke's son, who is rumored to harbor a grudge against Chase.
The situation had escalated to where Chase had to shut everyone down by declaring that he didn't give a fuck about the ugly second princess during a banquet.
The assassin, named Evreux, doesn't really care if Chase is a real eccentric or just an overgrown spoiled brat. But what matters most is the reputation of their second princess and the dignity of the Norbumin Nobility. He couldn't just let go of a vermin who criticize people as if he were a perfect being.
Chase Laurier is the least person allowed to do it.
So, just kill him. Just kill the white-haired vermin to minimize garbage and people could finally breathe in pleasant air.
Chase and his knights were on their way back from the Norbumin Kingdom after attending the banquet he rampaged on. It was just a simple evening party held by one of the Norbumin Territory nobilities, to suck up with the Laurier Royal Family.
Although the Sangrail Kingdom and the Norbumin Kingdom have friendly relations, the former has richer resources compared to the latter. It is because of the advantage of location. Most of the nobles from the lower spectra kneel before those from the higher pedestal to gather extra rewards and Chase was included in this pedigree.
They are currently crossing a junction; the cliff lands are as deep as an abyss, a natural border that separates the two nations. Evreux planned on assassinating the prince once his troops crossed the border and create an accident to cover it up. Accidents happen in this place and people would never suspect if the eccentric prince had fallen to such an unfortunate end.
Everything was going according to his plan. Was.
Chase wasn't really a favored prince, so the surrounding knights weren't too enthusiastic about safeguarding the nobility. The night wasn't even that deep, but the prince was already left alone in his carriage with no people following over him. It made things easier for the assassin.
But who would expect that the prince has enough attentiveness to avoid his first attempt? He did not even expect the prince to do such a stunt as smashing the glass.
Fortunately, his reflexes were exceptional, and he dodged the glass shards skillfully. However, it alerted the knights guarding the prince. The eccentric prince might have a trashy personality, but the people serving him, no, the people serving the Sangrail Royal Family, are all exceptional people. Even the lowest knight would be tagged as extraordinary in other small kingdoms.
Of course, what can you expect from a very rich country?
The Sangrail Kingdom might not be the largest kingdom, but the wealth it encompasses is not limited to its natural resources but also the talents of the people residing in the blessed kingdom.
His small sword collided with the other weapons. Sparks burst with every clash, and each pang is heavy, almost knocking him back. But he wasn't the sort to be overthrown by brute force. He had learned to survive as a result of someone being born under the threat of being killed.
The assassin no longer concealed his true abilities and went all in. There were five knights facing him one by one, but they were insufficient to stop him. The slashes were not heavy because his weapon was not designed for that caliber, but they were enough to cause serious wounds that prompted a few of the knights to take a step back.
The knights were likewise eager to go all out, especially the high-grade ones. After all, some of them are experts in their profession, capable of wrecking and splitting mountains with a single stroke of the sword.
But they couldn't be reckless since the assassin lingered next to the carriage as if safeguarding the prince as a prisoner. They were afraid that they would accidentally split the carriage in half, killing the royalty inside during the process.
However, they were at least relieved that the prince didn't venture out to cause a fuss, which would have made saving him even more difficult.
"He is keeping a tight watch. We couldn't get close," one of the mid-ranked knights said.
"Don't be hasty and wait for an opportunity to attack. We have to rescue the prince no matter what!"
Evreux couldn't help but smirk as he listened to the knights' exchanged remarks. Would they have ended up in this state if they had just done their job properly? In any case, he is grateful that they were so careless with their responsibilities; otherwise, he would not have been able to enter the camp so easily.
As he was sweeping the knights' attacks mockingly, a sudden sharp feeling of danger was thrown at him from a certain direction.
A rapidly moving item gleaming under the flicker of the moonlight hustled to his side, prompting him to switch the course of attack just to intercept the weapon. He had the feeling that this weapon could insta-kill him. It led to an uncoordinated evasion that allowed one of the knights to properly leave an injury to his arm.
The knights found an opportunity to move forward and aggressively continued their attacks. Evreux hissed in pain as he veered the blades with his sword, which only aggravated his injury. He clenched his teeth as he retraced the source of the surprise attack, sensing the gush of blood drenching his garments.
Not far away, an image of a person cloaked in vibrant red bell boy attire stood. The person looks unassuming and doesn't seem to have a body fit for a soldier. If not for that sudden attack, Evreux wouldn't have noticed the person at all.
An idea flashed across his eyes as if he was remembering something else from the reports he had previously gained. He had a hunch about who this individual was.
Regardless of whether they have been favored, each nobility will always have its own number of attendants. The eccentric third prince is no exception. Given his status and a privilege as a member of the royal family, he should be granted the highest level of principal protection.
For example, assigning a secret service disguised as a little servant beside the prince but actually a high-class combatant adept at wielding any weapon and possessing overwhelming strength.
The assassin remembered Chase was surrounded by around three of them. His contact has yet to provide specifics on the two, but the remaining one is somebody who is frequently seen with the prince.
Within the clashing force, the servile appearance of a bell boy unexpectedly blended in. He would be about average in height, presumably between the ages of twenty and twenty-five, and sported a bluish-green hair with white streaks. He possesses the kind of face that looks amiable and seems to always carry a smile.
It's the type of person everybody would like to befriend with.
He is even smiling right now. But that smile only brought shivers to Evreux's neck. The information from the report swarmed in his mind, highlighting its importance.
「The report said there were three powerful people beside Chase, with two of them hidden.」
Amongst the three, the one who has no problem concealing themselves is the strongest, since they have nothing to be afraid of.
Even just looking at him now makes him look like a grim reaper ready to pass on judgment.
The assassin immediately changed plans. He would have wanted to kill Chase silently, but with all the commotion, he wouldn't be able to do that. Even if he proceeds to create the incident, nobody will believe him since there are already witnesses.
So, he called out to his backup.
"Tiger, ride the carriage. Let's get out of here!"
Another assassin sprang out of nowhere. Everyone expected that there would be more than one assassin, but no one believed the assassins had thoroughly infiltrated their base camp. It is a dereliction of their duty.
Two assassins emerged from the recesses of the carriage, both wearing black overcoats and half masks on their faces, and climbed right into the driver's seat. The reins were pulled back, rousing the horses and prompting them to neigh as they began moving.
When the carriage ran to his side, Evreux put forth a tremendous wave to sweep the knights away. One assassin decided to remain in respect to intercept any following knights.
The bellboy didn't waste time as he directed the knights around him to apprehend the assassin while he went to the stables to retrieve another horse. The carriage is going further away. They must hurry to catch up.
On the other hand, the person who was suffering the worst ride of his life squawked as he attempted to keep his footing within the carriage. The route right on the border was still not paved and was plagued with pits, so it is likely to be bumpy. And with the horses towing the carriage at such a breakneck pace, everything around him was ricocheting, if not rolling around.
Chase discovered two shadows looming over on a little sliding panel on the wall behind the coachman's bench and decided to look at them. He tried his best to maintain balance by holding around until he reached the compartment. He slid the panel lightly and found people wearing dark clothes.
Well, it's not that he could see anything from the dark.
They should have been the assassins, Chase concluded.
Evreux located the small niche after sensing someone staring at him. Two eyes met in an instant — one covered with dangerous delight while the other is filled with horror. Evreux grinned as he tapped the shoulders of the comrade next to him, as if to suggest he was going to finish his work.
Notwithstanding the difficult drive, the assassin easily jumped from the coach's seat to the carriage's door. Chase caught himself staring at the easily ripped open door, which revealed a man dressed in black entering the domain. He could only swallow as he dragged his body to the carriage's opposite door, staring squarely at the closing assassin.
A healthy reminder popped out at that moment.
「The danger level has risen by 0.01 percent. A total of 99.99%. Please exercise caution. 」
F—ck, how could he still exercise caution in this situation? It's already a matter of life and death!
The assassin drew its unmistakably sharp and immaculate blade from somewhere, which seemed to glow in holiness amidst the darkness surrounding it. Evreux jabbed it forward without warning, undoubtedly aiming for the kill.
Chase just then yanked the locks off of the door he was grasping, which was then opened instantaneously by the force of the roaring air induced by the carriage's speed. The bolts on the door were promptly snapped, enabling the door to wobble and smash the sidewalls of the carriage. Chase clutched the door's corners tightly as he was steered toward the coach's seat.
Evreux did not expect to miss another attack as he peered over the door and saw the prince's miserable dangling figure struggling to latch on to the door.
"You little prick!"
The assassin, holding the reins of the horses, was surprised when a loud slam was heard on his side. The more shocking thing is that he found Chase jumping from the door to the side of the coach seat haphazardly, making his heart jump in fright.
It took him time to realize that this prince was the subject of their assassination and thus quickly took out a dagger from his pockets in an attempt to subjugate the prince.
But he was too late to do that.
Chase should have been losing energy from all these dangerous things he was doing, but he seems to have only gotten stronger and faster. They could not see it, but Chase could, as the bluish translucent screen hovered perpendicular to his sight, alighting words that gave him hope for survival.
「Reaching the highest level of danger.」
「A Near-Death Experience buff has been triggered.」
「Host, Chase Laurier, earned an increase of all physical stats in sixty seconds.」
「The perseverance of a survivor should not be underestimated. Miracles are given to those who work the hardest. 」
As the result of the buff increase, Chase now feels especially powerful. As his senses strengthened, vigor flooded his limbs. He sprang from one spot to another with ease, never fearing that he would fall. Of course, he carried out a series of kicks on the assassin in charge by ousting him from power.
Evreux had seen his comrade bolt from the carriage and disappear into thin air. His fury grew even stronger against the white-haired prince. He followed the young man to the coachman, where Chase can be seen attempting to stop the horses from running.
But it was futile.
Chase does not know how to ride a horse at all!
The current soul had ridden no horses before, and the only knowledge he had was from watching those movies that didn't really show how to do it.
He simply pulled the reins in one sweep, which was relatively strong, whilst his buff was still going. He startled the horses, prompting them to veer to the side, where he saw they were approaching a cliff.
Chase attempted to change the direction of the carriage, but the wheels struck a large boulder, causing the carriage to flip over at an angle, hurling both individuals traveling in it all over the place.
The wagon anticlimactically went straight to the cliff, dropping into the darkness towards the darkest abyss, with frenzied horses storming at headlong momentum.