After sleeping for about three hours, Caladros changed into formal clothes and set out for the throne room. As he walked through the corridor, he spotted his personal maid, Rose, waiting silently for him.
She looked up at him and beamed a smile. "Your Highness, have you rested enough?"
"I'm fine now," Caladros replied with a nod. "I don't feel any pain or fatigue anymore."
It seemed that the healers and recovery resources his father had used, combined with the intervention of the demon god who had likely accelerated his recovery, had been remarkably effective. He no longer felt any pain.
"Where are you headed, Your Highness?" Rose asked as she followed him.
"To the throne room," he replied.
"I think you should eat first, Your Highness," she suggested hesitantly.
Caladros stopped in his tracks and stared at her, as if pondering something.
"Y-Your Highness?" Rose stammered. She could feel the prince's gaze and quickly averted her eyes, her ears turning red. Her heart pounded as she fidgeted with her hands.
"W-would you like to have dinner first, Y-Your Highness?" she asked nervously.
"Alright," Caladros agreed without hesitation. He realized he was beginning to feel hungry anyway. Following her suggestion, he allowed her to lead him to the dining room.
Their quiet walk was interrupted by a voice dripping with mockery.
"Your Highness, still alive and kicking after that assassination attempt, I see."
A young man in a mage's robe approached them, a blonde with an arrogant expression plastered on his face. It was Valkir Daelithor Zevross, his cousin and a nobleman.
Valkir had been a thorn in Caladros' side since childhood. He didn't oppress through strength but through insults and mockery, a constant annoyance.
Caladros glanced at him and smiled, unbothered by his arrogance. If this had been before the assassination, he might have grown angry. But after enduring the countless deaths in Astaroth's realm, he felt such provocations were insignificant and not worth his energy.
"I'm tougher than you think," Caladros replied, his smile unfaltering. "I won't die so easily."
"More like His Majesty wasted the kingdom's resources on you," Valkir sneered.
"Are you questioning the king's decisions?" Caladros retorted, his tone calm but cutting. "And by the way, cousin, why are you here? This is the Royal Estate Palace."
"You…" Valkir gritted his teeth but found himself unable to argue. Though he was of noble blood, he was not royalty, holding only the title of Count. After a moment, Valkir smirked and waved a hand.
Caladros and Rose were momentarily confused until two magic circles appeared before them. Between the circles, something began to materialize.
Rose's eyes widened in shock. She recognized the magic spell immediately. It was monster summoning—a rare and powerful ability allowing mages to call forth beasts they had tamed. She hadn't expected Valkir to possess such a skill.
Caladros, too, was surprised as he observed the materialization of the creature. Within moments, a massive three-headed dog emerged, each of its heads bearing a single, glowing eye. The beast exuded a menacing aura, its killing intent palpable.
Valkir grinned, clearly pleased with their reactions. "Monster summoning is no simple feat. A mage must first tame the beast before they can summon it at will. This Three-Headed Demon Dog is a monster I tamed three weeks ago. What do you think, Prince Caladros? Impressive, isn't it?"
Caladros didn't respond. He barely registered Valkir's words. His focus was locked entirely on the demon dog, memories from Astaroth's realm flooding back.
There, in that blood-red world filled with grotesque monsters, he had encountered these beasts before—Three-Headed Demon Dogs. They were creatures that had killed him countless times. Every encounter ended with him torn apart, their claws slicing through him like knives through butter. The pain had been excruciating, and the deaths unending. Even now, those memories made his blood boil.
"This damned dog…" Caladros muttered, his voice low as an intense killing intent began radiating from him.
Valkir flinched as a sudden chill ran down his spine. The atmosphere grew heavy, suffocating. Rose, standing near Caladros, felt it too, though she couldn't comprehend what was happening. The sheer malice emanating from the prince was unlike anything she had ever felt.
"Awooooo!" The Three-Headed Demon Dog howled in terror. The beast thrashed wildly, slamming its heads into the walls as blood dripped from its wounds. Its once-fearsome killing intent was gone, replaced by pure, unbridled fear.
"What are you doing?! Calm down!" Valkir shouted, but the demon dog ignored him, continuing its frenzied rampage.
"Kneel."
The single word, spoken with absolute authority, echoed through the corridor. To everyone's astonishment, the beast immediately froze and knelt, its heads bowed low in submission.
Valkir stared at Caladros in disbelief. "H-how…?"
His mind reeled. The prince had somehow bypassed his summoning contract and forced the beast into submission. Such a feat should have been impossible, especially for Caladros—a man with a defective magical core, considered incapable of performing magic.
Caladros withdrew his killing intent, and the demon dog let out a shuddering sigh of relief. The prince looked at his trembling hands, pondering the source of this newfound power. Was it the countless deaths and endless hatred he had endured in Astaroth's realm that had forged such potent killing intent?
He turned his gaze to Valkir, his expression calm but commanding. "Get out of my way."
"You arrogant magicless…" Valkir hissed, his fists clenching. But deep down, he was shaken. The force Caladros had displayed was beyond anything he could comprehend. Reluctantly, he chose to retreat.
"You're lucky, Your Highness," Valkir sneered before walking away.
Caladros watched him leave, then turned to Rose with a gentle smile.
"Shall we head to the dining room?"
Rose, still stunned by what had just transpired, nodded mutely and followed him.