Chương 40: The Abandoned Prince

Ch 40 - The Abandoned Prince

"Clover, are you kidding me? Was it really that hard just to chase a level 150 Bullkin? What if something had happened to that girl?"

"I think a clown already saved her." The two players, who had been busy talking to each other, suddenly fell silent as they happened to cross paths with a... clown? Clover frowned the moment she got a better look.

"A clown?" Windious echoed Clover's words. The clown standing before them had dark red hair with streaks of black, and his eyes... Why did they look so unusually sharp?

"Aha! Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Step right up, step right up! You've found the greatest traveling clown in the world, and today I'll brighten your day with laughter and wonder!" The clown pulled out a unicycle and smoothly climbed onto it. He balanced himself with ease while tossing three colorful balls into the air, juggling them effortlessly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, behold the most colorful balls in the entire world! Magnificent, aren't they? Children can't get enough of my balls. Everywhere I go, they line up just for a chance to play with them!"

"Oh? Why are you all making such strange faces? Go on, come closer! You may admire my balls from every angle. They're perfectly round, wonderfully balanced, and polished every single morning. Finding a pair this colorful is nearly impossible these days. Hohoho! Don't be shy now, everyone loves my balls once they get a closer look!" Windious burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! He's so funny!"

"I'm a wandering clown searching for wonderful customers! I've been traveling from town to town, and let me tell you, I haven't had a proper meal in three whole days! If you enjoy the show, perhaps you could spare a little kindness for this poor entertainer. My stomach is emptier than my wallet! But don't worry, even on an empty stomach, the performance is always first class! That's the spirit of a true professional!"

"Whoa..." Windious's eyes widened, and a huge grin spread across his face. He clapped enthusiastically without stopping.

"Ahahahaha! Clover, look at him! He's hilarious!" Clover walked straight toward the clown until she was standing so close that one careless movement could have made him lose his balance and fall off the unicycle.

"Oh hoho! Such an energetic young lady! And what beautiful eyes you have. They're as round as juggling balls, they almost make me want to juggle them too! Oh hohoho, I'm only joking. What I meant was... I'd love to keep them for my collection! Hohoho! A harmless clown's joke, I promise!"

"Clover, take a step back. The clown's going to fall." Windious said before bursting into laughter again. Clover simply turned around and waved a dismissive hand, clearly uninterested.

"I'm leaving." Windious quickly followed after her while glancing back at the clown.

"Clover, wait a second! I want to add that clown as a friend. I'm sure my livestream will get way more viewers if I bring a clown along."

"You could simply fight a level 200 raid boss by yourself. I'm sure millions of viewers would show up after that."

"Clover... fighting is boring. Plenty of people already do that. I want something more exciting. You know, pranks, funny content, pretending to be a level 1 player, hahaha. Or even a level 0 player."

"What do you mean, level 0? The game starts at level 1."

"Nah, I guess you've never heard the legendary tale of Level Zero." Windious suddenly turned around again.

"I want to add you to my friend list." The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. He blinked, then looked left and right in confusion.

"Where did that clown go?" ** The viewers, thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, or even millions, remained frozen in front of their screens, struggling to process everything that had just happened. Whether they had been watching the main battlefield or another livestream covering a different part of the war zone, every broadcast had captured the same terrifying storm.

"Even Silverwings got involved?"

"Wait... are they really trying to attack the Eighth Prince?"

"I still can't believe what just happened." On another livestream, Natsu, who had the highest viewer count among all the streamers, had somehow survived the devastating storm. Even so, his camera shook violently as the drone spun uncontrollably through the air before finally stabilizing, revealing Natsu kneeling on the ground, completely overwhelmed by the attack.

"His entire guild was wiped out? No way. Was it really all because of that storm?"

"This doesn't make any sense. There's no way a storm like that alone could do all of this."

"Look at the Eighth Prince's army over there. They're completely fine. They haven't even moved from their positions since the battle started."

"No... I don't buy it. Someone else had to be involved."

"Someone ambushed this battlefield. Someone incredibly powerful. I'm certain of it."

"But from what I know, the Eighth Prince doesn't have any allies. He's weak, abandoned by the royal family, and even chose to settle in Necroton of all places." Right in the middle of the heated debate, one of the drones suddenly shifted its focus. A lone figure walked forward with calm, deliberate steps. Dust rose with every footfall as the mysterious figure advanced across the ruined battlefield. A few moments later, the figure stopped directly in front of the kneeling Natsu.

"Who is that?"

"Wait... am I seeing things?" The stranger calmly reached out and caught the floating camera drone with one hand. His fingers wrapped firmly around its metal frame before lifting it to eye level, making his face perfectly visible to everyone watching. Golden hair. Cold, piercing eyes. An overwhelming presence that instantly silenced countless viewers.

"No one! I'll say it one more time. No one walks away safely after laying even a single finger on the Eighth Prince of the Kingdom of Valtherion... Prince Caelan Valtherion." Every livestream chat seemed to freeze. Thousands of viewers stared at their screens with trembling hands, unable to look away. The blond man slowly turned his gaze back toward the camera, his sharp eyes carrying not the slightest trace of hesitation.

"I am going to build the greatest city Yunatea has ever seen. Its name is Necroton."

"You're all invited. Come as guests if you wish." A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Or come as raiders if you doubt my might." His voice turned even colder.

"It makes no difference to me. I will erase anyone who stands in my way. Anyone! Without leaving a single trace behind." His gaze remained fixed on the camera.

"One more warning. If you insist on attacking... at least come during the day. Otherwise... the damage you suffer may be far greater than your souls can endure." Silence fell over every livestream. No one spoke. For several long seconds, the chat windows stopped moving entirely, as though every viewer had forgotten how to type. Then… The signal was cut. The livestream ended, leaving behind nothing but frozen screens and countless stunned viewers.

"What the fuck was that?"

"Is this Prince Caelan's character development arc? Damn, this is getting interesting. Is Prince Caelan going to become the hidden boss later on? I'm actually so hyped!"

"I came here expecting a kingdom war. Instead, I got the opening scene of the final boss storyline."

"Bro really grabbed the drone camera like he knew exactly how livestreams worked. That entrance was straight out of a game trailer."

"But… How does the prince know so much about those drones? They're literally broadcasting to people outside the game."

"Damn... this AI is becoming way too real. I'm actually terrified. I swear I almost peed a little."

"Damn, but he's so cool. I want to marry him."

"Can someone explain why the abandoned prince suddenly has final boss energy?"

"I don't know what's scarier, the sandstorm... or the fact that he invited everyone to raid his city with a completely straight face."

"My survival instincts kicked in, and I'm not even inside the game." Afterward, amid the shattered remains of the battlefield, the prince, the one they had called abandoned, the one they had mocked as arrogant, walked forward with his chin held high, as though none of those words had ever mattered. Awaiting him were rows of knights standing in perfect formation on both sides. Beyond them, twelve attendants stood in a single line with their hands neatly folded before them. Jester continued forward without slowing.

The moment he passed the first line of knights, they struck their armored fists against their chests in salute. Clang. Clang. Clang. The rhythmic echoes of steel rang out one after another, accompanying every step he took across the battlefield. He never looked to either side. He simply continued walking until he stopped before the twelve attendants. In perfect unison, every one of them lowered into a respectful bow. Igrio was among them.

Even while bowing, the towering personal attendant still stood noticeably taller than everyone else.

"It is the greatest honor of our lives to stand beneath Your Highness's banner," Igrio said.

"We have no doubt that the road ahead will be filled with countless trials, but we place our faith, our loyalty, and everything we are into your hands. We entrust our future to you, Your Highness." Igrio slowly lifted his head just enough for a faint glimmer of light to reflect from his eyes. At that exact moment, Jester noticed something else. A faint smile rested on the usually expressionless attendant's face. Jester walked past Igrio and gave the man's shoulder a light pat.

"Good job, Igrio."

"Anything to serve you, Your..." He paused for the briefest moment before finishing.

"Highness."