Chapter 2: The Enigmatic Prince Leander

"Could you please examine this enchanted lantern?"

"It appears only the core has been deliberately damaged. What could have caused this?"

"Do you have no knowledge of it? This incident has been shrouded in secrecy, but there was a disturbance here last night..."

The palace buzzed with activity as they tried to eliminate all traces of the attack from the previous night.

"..."

Among the bustling servants, Sir Aleron, the old seasoned knight, remained still, fixated on the door.

Behind that door was Prince Leander, the master he had loyally served.

Since unknown assailants launched an attack the previous night, the prince had retreated into his chamber and showed no signs of emerging even as evening approached.

"Your Highness Prince Leander..."

Sir Aleron whispered, memories of the previous night flooding his mind.

The sword frozen mid-air.

The severed heads of the assassins.

The sight of Prince Leander, standing emotionless, observing the scene.

Even for Sir Aleron, who had been at the prince's side since birth, this behavior was unsettling and sent shivers down his spine.

It was as though he was staring at an entirely different person.

'What could have happened...?'

Could it be that the long dormant Star Blood of the Agorian Imperial Family had awakened.

If not...

Sir Aleron, stationed at the door, held concern in his eyes.

Inside the room….

He had transformed into a character right out of a novel.

It was challenging to grasp, but he had arrived at this conclusion after gathering information and contemplating since the previous night.

'I'm uncertain who or what instigated this...'

With this thought in mind, The Astral Emperor gazed into the mirror.

The reflection he saw was no longer his original self, but a man with deep black long hair and nearly translucent skin.

The monarch recognized this man.

Leander Agorian.

He was one of the princes of the Agorian Empire in the novel ‘The Adventures of the Luminary Hero’, but he only made a brief appearance at the beginning of the story.

A fragile nature that couldn't harm even a passing insect and a frail body that grew breathless with a mere walk.

Lacking any significant influence, he was banished to a villa on the outskirts of the Imperial City after being removed from the line of succession long ago.

The reason Leander Agorian didn't play a notable role in the novel was straightforward.

His demise came as soon as he made an entrance.

An embarrassingly insignificant character.

'Ordinarily, I should have lost my life during the attack that took place yesterday.'

The monarch, now occupying Leander's body, thought this as he recollected the events of the prior day.

After reading through 'The Adventures of the Luminary Hero' and closing his eyes, he found himself facing an assassin cloaked in black, brandishing a blade at him.

If his ability, the ‘Shadow Star,' hadn't been more driven by his soul than his physical body, he would have met his end precisely as depicted in the novel.

'I still need to train. This body is too weak.'

Leander briefly examined his fragile form and lightly tapped the table with his fingers.

'If this world truly aligns with the world within ‘Adventures Of Luminary Hero,' it will be destroyed in three years.'

'The Adventures of the Luminary Hero' meticulously details the three years from just before the hero's rise to the brink of the world's destruction brought on by the Demon Territory.

The fact that 'Leander Agorian' in the novel meets his end at the beginning of the chronicles indicates that there remains a reasonable length of time before the world's end.

It would be problematic if the world ended before he could figure things out.

'To achieve that...'

Addressing the primary cause of the world's downfall, the fragmentation of the empire, was imperative.

'The full-scale war between humans and the Demon Territory commences in two years.'

Resolving the fragmentation of the Agorian Empire, which governed the entire world except for the Demon Territory, appeared insurmountable.

Particularly for a minor character, not even the protagonist, and with a presence less significant than air—merely three lines of dialogue.

However, what glistened in Leander's eyes was not apprehension but enthusiasm.

The original world had become mundane for him, the astral Emperor.

There was nothing left to accomplish, nowhere left to go.

This was why Leander found this world within the novel so appealing.

The current dire situation, where he needed to turn the impossible into the possible, was extraordinarily exhilarating.

The higher and more formidable the barrier blocking his path, the greater the thrill Leander experienced.

There was no trepidation about being unable to achieve.

He was the ruler of the world.

Leander, who had already accomplished a feat beyond anyone's reach.

If he decided, he simply had to reach out and take it.

'I should begin by assessing my surroundings.'

Leander concluded.

After examining one of the documents on the table, he rose from his seat and exited the chamber.

The magic lantern had been repaired, illuminating the dark castle with dazzling radiance.

"Your Highness!"

'Had he been waiting outside all this time?'

As soon as Leander left the chamber, Sir Aleron greeted him with a smile.

The elderly knight carefully examined Leander's body, searching for any concealed wounds. Deep concern was evident in the old knight's eyes.

"Are you unharmed?"

Leander nodded and began to walk down the corridor.

"Your Highness Leander, where are you going?"

Sir Aleron asked, following closely behind.

"Has this happened before?"

Leander inquired, ignoring the knight's question.

"Has what happened?"

The furrowed brows of Sir Aleron displayed his confusion at Leander's words. Had the prince developed amnesia due to the trauma from last night's attack? Sir Aleron quickly dismissed that notion and answered Leander's question.

"...This is the first time such audacious assassins have infiltrated the palace."

This indicated there had been previous attempts, but they were not as overt.

'They're bolder than I imagined.' Leander smirked to himself.

'The Adventures of the Luminary Hero' didn't mention the individuals responsible for the attack the previous night, but he could make an educated guess.

Elysium Palace, where Leander currently resided on the outskirts, was still considered part of the Imperial Castle.

Very few within the empire had the capability to send assassins to such a location and keep the matter hidden.

"Strengthening security at the palace may be prudent...", said the old knight, Aleron.

"No."

"Pardon?"

"It's not necessary."

Without addressing the root of the problem, nothing would change.

Whether the number of palace guards increased by a hundred or a thousand, the same situation as the previous night would recur.

Consequently, Leander decided to take the first step toward addressing the underlying problem.

'First, the main gate.'

With that in mind, he gazed toward the main gate of the palace at the end of the corridor.

While the main gate was grand, it had a unique feature.

Typically, guards stood outside the main gate to defend the castle against adversaries.

However, in the case of Elysium Palace, the guards were positioned inside, as if barricaded from within.

"..."

Even though the guards at the gate noticed Leander's approach, they did not bow or offer greetings. Instead, they stared blankly at him.

It was an unthinkable attitude to display toward their lord.

It was not a rare occurrence; their behaviour seemed all too natural.

Unfazed by their indifference, Leander, maintaining his composure, intended to pass by the guards and open the gate when...

"Where are you going, Your Highness?"

One of the guards blocking the path extended his arm to stop Leander.

"I feel stifled. I'm going outside for some fresh air."

Leander responded calmly, his gaze fixed on the arm obstructing his way.

"The sun has already set. It's dangerous. You should remain within the palace."

"It appears even more dangerous inside the palace."

With these words, Leander took another step forward, but the guard did not retract his arm.

"I was instructed not to let you leave. You cannot go."

"Whose instructions are these?"

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Leander's lips.

"All of you are under my command, and I don't recall issuing such an order."

"...You cannot go."

The guard repeated his words, using his body to block Leander, closing the distance between them.

Elysium Palace was essentially a prison without bars, and Prince Leander was the abandoned prisoner within.

His only crime was being born a prince devoid of any qualities or power.

And it was a grave offense.

'I thought I understood my circumstances well... but was I mistaken?'

Frustration, irritation, and disdain began to fill the guard's eyes.

"Albert."

Prince Leander locked eyes with the guard and spoke in a quiet voice.

"Yes."

"From what I understand, treason against the royal family carries the penalty of death, correct?"

"...Yes," Fredo replied, his voice tinged with confusion.

Unperturbed, Prince Leander proceeded with his questions.

"And dereliction of duty in safeguarding the royal family?"

"Carries the death penalty."

"Remaining passive during an attempt on a royal family member's life?"

"Also punishable by death."

" and taking part in a plot to assassinate a member of the royal family?"

"Death penalty..."

As Leander's gaze narrowed, the guard stammered, "What... what are you...!"

In an instant, a flash of light cut through the air. Then, the guard's head, now separated from his body, rolled across the ground.

The witnesses fell into stunned silence, unable to comprehend the swift and unexpected turn of events.

Prince Leander, who had never received swordsmanship training or learned self-defence techniques, was believed to be defenceless.

And yet, had this same Prince Leander just decapitated a guard with his bare hands?

And so effortlessly?

It was an unbelievable spectacle, even for those witnessing it.

In the ensuing silence, Prince Leander casually wiped his hand, opened the palace gate, and stepped outside.

As he left the palace, he felt the refreshing night air.

"Indeed, this place is..."

Inhaling the cool night air, he murmured while gazing at the sky.

A crimson moon.

The moon, a different color from the blue moon in his original world, confirmed that he had indeed entered a different realm.

Thump, thump!

"Prince Leander! What in the world have you done?!"

Immediately, panicked shouts filled the air as guards rushed toward him from inside the palace.

And with that, a smirk slowly formed on Leander's face.

"I'm grateful if they come to me of their own accord."

The attack that occurred last night.

Under normal circumstances, such an attack should never have been allowed.

Unless there were accomplices within the palace.

That's what Leander believed.

Who exactly was involved in the palace attack?

There was only one conclusion.

"Everyone who was present in the palace last night, except for the deceased and Fredo."

Especially the guards had no room for excuses.

That was why the palace remained eerily quiet, even when the prince himself was under attack.

Last night's attack was likely the result of multiple parties conspiring together.

In Leander's mind, a list of guards who had been on duty began to form.

And among them was the guard whose head he had just severed.

"Under normal circumstances, he would have been passing information from inside the palace to the outside."

This was an opportunity.

An opportunity to eliminate all the external eyes and ears that had been planted within the palace.

There was more than enough justification for this action.

Even without justification, he couldn't let this opportunity slip away.

"In addition, I need to assess the current state of my body."

As the approaching guards caught Leander's attention, a shadowy aura began to ripple around him like a mirage.