The Reincarnated Prince And His Rune Dominion

Chapter 04 – The Secret Letter

Inside one of the grand castles at the very heart of the empire’s capital—the central city of the strongest nation on the continent—a middle-aged man sat in his study, buried beneath a mountain of documents.

Though his desk was cluttered beyond reason, his pen moved tirelessly across the sheets of parchment.

A knock echoed on the door.

“Enter,” the man commanded without looking up.

The heavy door creaked open. A guard stepped inside and bowed slightly.

“Your Majesty…” he spoke with reverence.

At last, the emperor turned, his face stern and commanding.

“What is it?”

“There’s a message from Shadow No. 55,” the guard replied, offering a sealed letter.

The emperor accepted it, broke the seal, and began to read. His lips curved into a thin smile.

“Hoh…” he murmured, before suddenly erupting into booming laughter.

“Ha ha ha… HAHAHAHA!”

The guard stood frozen, expressionless, though his confusion was clear. Whatever the letter contained, it greatly amused the emperor—but it wasn’t his place to ask.

Moments later, the emperor’s voice thundered again.

“Summon the witch. Immediately.”

The guard stiffened in surprise. Which witch…? His face briefly betrayed hesitation.

Before he could answer, a teasing voice cut through the room.

“No need to search. I’m already here.”

In an instant, every guard tensed, their hands inching toward their weapons, ready for combat.

“Oh my, so cautious, aren’t you…” the voice cooed, followed by the appearance of a mesmerizingly beautiful, mysterious figure—a witch.

She stepped into the room, her elegant black cloak shimmering faintly with arcane light. Her graceful body cast both an intimidating and enchanting silhouette. Her eyes locked onto the emperor’s, and she grinned.

“So… what business do you have with me, my emperor?” she asked playfully.

The emperor leaned back in his chair and tossed the letter toward her.

“I’m here to collect one of your debts. The details are in there.”

The witch caught the letter effortlessly, skimmed through it, and a flicker of amusement crossed her face.

“Heh… interesting,” she muttered.

Then her gaze sharpened, eyes glittering.

“Are you certain you want this done? He might gain an incredibly rare talent… something on par with a ‘Hero.’ Perhaps even greater.”

The emperor’s expression didn’t waver.

“It doesn’t matter. Just grant it to him.”

The witch’s smile widened, her body leaning forward slightly.

“Oh? What’s this? Normally, you couldn’t care less about your children. And yet now, you’re willing to use one of my favors… for some distant descendant?”

Unfazed, the emperor returned to his documents.

“This isn’t about feelings. It’s instinct. He will bring a greater change to this world than I—or any of my predecessors—ever could.”

His eyes flicked toward her.

“Isn’t that right, witch?”

The witch chuckled softly, folding her arms.

“It seems… the emperor is finally beginning to see.”

At that, the emperor’s brows furrowed slightly, irritation flashing across his face.

“Of course. Especially after reading that letter… and realizing you were already here.” His gaze narrowed.

“Do you take me for a fool?”

The witch smirked slyly, resting her chin on a finger.

“A fool? Perhaps… Like that little incident four years ago, during the celebration…”

But the emperor’s sharp tone cut her off.

“Enough. Just do your job.”

He waved his hand, signaling her dismissal.

With a crooked smile, the witch turned, her body slowly dissolving into shadows.

“As you command… Your Majesty.”

And just like that, she vanished into the darkness.

The emperor stared blankly at the spot she had been, then turned back to the guard.

“You may go,” he said curtly, already resuming his work.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the guard bowed and quietly left.

Once again, silence settled over the study, broken only by the scratching of a pen across parchment.

Witch’s Perspective:

“Haaah… troublesome,” the witch muttered with a sigh as she strolled into a bustling port city.

She scanned the rows of moored ships.

“Now… which one should I take?” she mused, hand resting on her chin.

“Ah… that one,” she decided, pointing at a mid-sized vessel that looked swift enough for her journey.

As she approached, a sailor spotted her striking figure and greeted her with a flirtatious grin.

“Well, hello there, pretty lady. What’s a beauty like you doing alone in a dangerous place like this?”

The witch chuckled softly, then tossed him a peculiar coin.

“Call your captain. Now.”

A sly smile tugged at her lips.

The moment the sailor glimpsed the crest engraved on the coin, his face turned pale and his body stiffened. His crewmates exchanged wary glances but kept working in silence.

Seconds later, the sailor snapped back to life and bolted toward the captain’s quarters, shouting,

“Captain!!”

The witch only shook her head, amused by the commotion.

Days later, after passing the island with BlackHarbor Port, the witch stood at the ship’s bow, lounging casually against the railing. Her voice drifted softly into the wind,

“Head straight to SeaWatch Port…”

Though whispered, every crew member on deck—and even the captain at the helm—heard her words as if they had been spoken directly into their ears. Instantly, the entire crew froze.

The captain, hands trembling on the wheel, stammered,

“B-but… we’ll be sailing dangerously close to the cursed dragon isle…”

Faces across the deck paled. Some stared into the sea, panic flashing in their eyes.

The witch merely laughed under her breath.

“That’s fine… I’ll deal with the dragon.”

The captain and his first mate exchanged a resigned look, then gave a weary smile and shook their heads.

“Change course!!” the captain bellowed.

Moments later, as the ship neared the Dragon Isle, a thunderous roar erupted—

“ROOAARRR!!”

The deafening cry of a dragon shook the skies, pressing down on every chest aboard.

The witch only smiled faintly, eyes fixed on the island.

“Still as naughty as ever…” she whispered, stepping away from the railing and toward the center of the deck.

The crew froze in terror. Some collapsed where they stood, hands trembling violently. Above them, the massive dragon soared into the sky, its colossal wings blotting out the sun.

But the witch showed not a shred of fear. She raised a single finger toward the heavens.

“[Dark Bullet],” she murmured.

—WHUUM!—

From her fingertip, dark mana condensed rapidly into a sphere the size of a marble. Its pitch-black surface gleamed like ink under moonlight. The air stilled, the wind silenced, and even light seemed devoured by the writhing shroud of darkness.

“ROOAARRR!!”

The dragon now hovered high above the ship, right within striking range.

The witch whispered,

“Now.”

—THOOM!—

—ZWWMP!—

The orb shot forth like a lightning bolt, tearing through the sky.

A heartbeat later—

—BOOM!!—

A massive explosion erupted above the ship. Dark mana blossomed in the heavens like a flower blooming in the void.

“SKREEAAAGH!!”

The dragon’s scream pierced the skies. Though the blast hadn’t struck it directly, the sheer aura of the attack was enough to drive the beast back, shrieking in terror.

Within moments, the dragon retreated to its lair, vanishing into the mist.

The witch smiled triumphantly, turned on her heel, and strolled back to her perch at the bow, sitting once more as if nothing had happened.

At the helm, the captain exhaled in relief, though his face remained pale. His grip on the wheel was iron-tight.

The trembling first mate pointed toward the witch, stammering,

“C-captain… that woman, she’s…”

The captain only nodded, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes… that’s her… Lady Veyra, the Legendary Shadow Witch…”

Though distant, Veyra heard his words. She glanced back with a sly smile before turning her gaze to the open sea, letting the ocean breeze billow her black cloak.