Chương 20: The Eighth Prince Returns

Ch 20 - The Eighth Prince Returns The Silverwings Guild players already had their bows drawn, each one ready to unleash a volley of arrows at Jester without the slightest hesitation. Meanwhile, Jester still had both hands raised, desperately trying to convince them that he shouldn't be the one taking the blame. Before anyone could make another move, a loud voice suddenly echoed across the area.

"Jester, you stupid clown."

"Oh! The mighty Silverwings Guild! The greatest guild in the entire kingdom!" The Silverwings Guild players paused, and even Justhole turned toward the source of the shouting. Everyone's attention shifted in the same direction. Three players were walking toward them, each wearing black armor that looked far too elaborate for their actual presence. Their smug expressions only made them seem even more ridiculous. Did Baboon actually hate Jester, or was he completely obsessed with him?

No matter where Jester went, this kid somehow always appeared just to run his mouth. Whether it was at the game center, while Jester was eating at a restaurant, or even in a situation like this. Which, surprisingly, turned out to be lucky for Jester. Baboon and his two friends squeezed their way between the Silverwings Guild members and the mounts they were riding.

"Excuse us for a moment. We just need to get through."

"Yeah, excuse us for a second." A moment later, the three idiots were standing around Jester, surrounding him as if they had suddenly become his loyal bodyguards.

"Oh, Justhole, I admire you so much. You're such an incredible Guild Master. Everyone keeps talking about how powerful you are. I've always dreamed of joining the Silverwings Guild. It would truly be the greatest honor of my life," Baboon said.

"Who the hell are you?" Justhole asked.

"I'm Baboon. I'm level fifty-five."

"I don't care what level you are. Why are you idiots here? Or do you want me to kill all of you along with this stupid clown?"

"N-No... I mean, yes! Yes, we're here because of that clown!" Baboon replied, pointing at Jester.

"He's our target. Just a pathetic Level 10 Clown who barely even plays the game. His only class is Clown, and he's got nothing useful going for him. He's completely worthless. Hahaha!" Baboon let out an awkward laugh, still wearing the same idiotic grin.

"You know him?" Justhole asked.

"Of course I do." Baboon nodded enthusiastically.

"I know him very well. Like I said, he's our target. Trust me, he's completely useless. Unlike us, we're all above Level 50." He chuckled proudly.

"There's no way someone like him could ever amount to anything." Justhole turned back toward Jester, who was still trying to blow up the balloon, then shifted his attention to the other members of his guild.

"We're just wasting our time. Next time, make sure this idiot clown stays far away from us. Let's go." The Silverwings Guild players started moving, as if there was nothing interesting left for them here.

"Wait, Justhole! Hold on! What about my guild application? My two friends are both over level fifty too! We're strong, we have money, we're loyal, we'll follow every order, and we'll do anything for the guild! Please at least give us a chance!" But the Silverwings Guild players simply kept walking away, completely ignoring Baboon. Before long, they had disappeared into the distance, leaving Baboon and his two friends standing there alone in complete silence.

"We should've shown them how strong we are. Instead, you kept talking about our levels."

"Yeah. They probably thought we were low-level nobodies too, just like this stupid clown."

"Should we go after them? I'm sure we still have a chance." This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"This is all because of that idiot clown!" The three of them quickly turned around, searching for that idiot clown. But Jester was already gone.

"Damn it, Jester!" one of them shouted.

"He stole my buff food! No, you bastard! That thing was expensive!" Baboon let out a miserable scream before collapsing onto the ground and rolling back and forth like a child throwing a tantrum.

"I hate you, Jester! I hate you!" ** A gray-furred direwolf charged toward the city walls at incredible speed. Moments later, the loud blast of a horn echoed across the area, immediately drawing everyone's attention. It was obvious that the rider approaching the city was someone important. The direwolf finally came to a stop before the gates. Sitting on its back was a blond-haired man wearing a royal crown and a dark maroon cape that fluttered behind him.

The guards immediately panicked and quickly lined up to receive him with proper respect.

"Welcome back, Your Highness!"

"We are relieved to see you have returned safely." One of the guards stepped forward, lowering his head before speaking carefully.

"Your Highness... where is the rest of the expedition force?" The prince slowly climbed down from the direwolf without saying a word. His armor was covered in dirt and dried blood, while his exhausted expression alone was enough to answer the question. The guards exchanged uneasy glances. Only then did one of them quietly whisper.

"... Was the expedition defeated?" The prince suddenly drove his foot into the guard's stomach. The guard gasped in pain as the impact sent him crashing to his knees. Before he could even recover, the prince stepped forward and kicked him again, smashing his face into the ground. A moment later, the prince planted his right boot firmly on the back of the guard's head, pressing it into the dirt.

"Who gave you permission to ask me something so casually?" The surrounding guards immediately dropped to one knee and lowered their heads.

"Our deepest apologies, Your Highness! He spoke without thinking. Please forgive his disrespect!"

"Escort me to the palace. Send word ahead. I want my chambers prepared immediately. Food. Wine. Women. Everything." The prince's cold voice echoed through the gate.

"At once, Your Highness!" another guard answered in panic.

"The palace will be informed immediately. Your escort is ready. Please allow us to lead the way." The prince kept his boot pressed against the guard's head for another moment before finally lifting it away. The guard pressed his forehead back against the ground, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.

"P-Please spare me, Your Highness! I beg for your mercy! I swear I'll never repeat such a mistake again. Please... please forgive this lowly servant!"

"I don't want to see your face ever again. Leave this city. Exile yourself to the forest." The guard remained frozen in place, too terrified to say another word. The prince climbed back onto his direwolf, and moments later a formation of mounted guards quickly surrounded him, escorting him toward the palace. As the procession entered the city, one of the escorting guards blew a horn three times.

"The Eighth Prince is passing through! Clear the road!" The announcement echoed through every street. Citizens immediately stopped whatever they were doing. Merchants abandoned their stalls, pedestrians stepped aside, and every single person lowered their head as the prince passed. No one dared to meet his eyes. The prince rode his direwolf with a face twisted by fury. His cold gaze swept across both sides of the street, carefully watching every citizen to make sure no one dared remain standing proudly before him.

Everyone in the kingdom knew exactly what would happen to anyone who showed even the slightest disrespect toward the Prince. The punishment was swift, brutal, and often ended in a public execution. Until suddenly, the prince's eyes shifted toward one side of the street. Among the countless citizens bowing their heads, he spotted a familiar group of players. They were keeping their heads lowered like everyone else, but there was no mistaking them.

They were the same players he had killed yesterday after the boss raid.

"So... they actually dared to come back into this city," he muttered quietly. The Silverwings Guild should not have had the courage to set foot in this city again. They had every reason to believe they would be hunted down the moment they appeared. Yet here they were. Standing openly among the citizens, calmly welcoming his return as though nothing had happened. Interesting. Their influence seemed to be much greater than he had expected. There had to be someone inside the royal palace backing them.

Whether it was political influence, hidden connections, or one of the royal factions supporting them, it was clear that Silverwings Guild was not acting alone. After all, the king had fourteen children. Eight princes, and Six princesses. The official heir to the throne was currently the First Prince, who had already been named the Crown Prince, but that did not mean the succession was completely decided.

Until the king either formally abdicated or passed away, the struggle for influence inside the palace would never truly end. Every prince and princess still had a chance to strengthen their own faction. Compared to all of them, Caelan's position should have been almost meaningless. He was the youngest prince, possessed the weakest political influence, and had the lowest level among all of the royal children. As for the princesses, two of them were even younger than him.

Yet despite their age, both were considered geniuses and had already reached levels far beyond the so-called Greatest Archer of the Generation. Seriously, Caelan... No wonder you ended up getting killed by a player who was even lower level than you. You were already the weakest prince, and on top of that, you had the lowest level in the entire royal family. Now Jester had to play the role of this arrogant, low-level prince inside the royal palace. Still…

Did his arrogant performance earlier actually look convincing? He was not a cruel person by nature. He had only acted that way because he had no choice. He was simply copying how Caelan would have behaved. And honestly… Why did acting like a complete jerk feel strangely satisfying?