The Return of the Betrayed Heir

21

Slinking through the oppressive darkness, Alex leaped nimbly from one shadow to the next under the dead of night. Utilizing "Night Hound"—a stealth technique granted by his cursed weapon—he advanced without emitting the slightest sound. 

His target for the night resided in the Northern Barracks. It was Jonels, an ambitious and exceptionally talented trainee commander. Recognizing his rapid growth, King Zephyr had stationed him at the northern post to hone his combat experience against wild mana beasts. Jonels sat behind his desk, clad in a loose white shirt with its top buttons undone and fitted black leather trousers. Setting a stack of documents aside, he leaned back, complaining bitterly to himself, *I need to get out of this wretched barracks as soon as possible...*

Jonels harbored grand ambitions of rising through the military ranks, knowing that only a monumental achievement would grant him an elite standing within the royal court.

Reaching the perimeter of the military facility, Alex tied a black cloth around his face, covering his nose and mouth entirely. He then shifted his crimson eyes to a vibrant blue to mask his identity beyond recognition. Gliding into the complex like a phantom via "Night Hound," he encountered two guards posted at the corridor. Before they could raise an alarm, Alex sliced through them effortlessly with his three-eyed blade.

Alex closed the distance toward Jonels's office, relying solely on low-cost concealment abilities to preserve his mana. Having silently dispatched most of the guards along his path, he arrived at the commander's door.

Alex knocked gently on the wooden frame.

"Enter," Jonels called out from within.

Instantly, Alex leaped onto the ceiling, dissolving into the shadows. Annoyed when the door failed to open, Jonels stood up and yanked it open forcefully. Finding the hallway completely empty, he began closing it slowly, only for Alex to initiate a lethal ambush.

Spurred by pure instinct, Jonels reacted just in time to deflect the initial strike, forcing both fighters back into the room.

Jonels offered a sinister smirk. "Who are you? And what business do you have here?"

"My identity is irrelevant," Alex replied coldly, "as is my purpose."

Jonels drew his broadsword, his smile widening. "Drawing a weapon in my quarters leaves only one explanation... You came here to kill me, didn't you?"

The cursed weapon *Greed* flared with a dark crimson aura in Alex's grip. Jonels stared at the artifact with unmistakable avarice. "Once I cut you down, that blade will belong to me."

Alex lunged forward with a sharp vertical slash, which Jonels managed to parry. Capitalizing on the momentum, Alex delivered a swift kick to Jonels's knee, shattering his balance, followed by a heavy punch straight to his face that slammed him hard against the wall.

Standing over him, Alex remarked coldly, "Had you possessed the strength of your future self, you might have posed a challenge. But as you are now, you are hardly worth my time."

Jonels pushed himself off the floor, bewildered. *My future self?*

Unable to comprehend Alex's cryptic words, Jonels shook off his confusion and assumed a battle stance. Channeling his nature magic, massive roots erupted from the floorboards, surging directly toward Alex. With fluid acrobatic maneuvers, Alex dodged the roots effortlessly, closing the gap in a blink to appear at Jonels's flank.

Blades clashed violently, echoing through the room. Alex unleashed an unrelenting barrage of sword strikes that forced Jonels onto the absolute defensive, making him realize he would perish if he didn't turn the tide immediately.

Desperate to break Alex's rhythm, Jonels released a cloud of poisonous yellow pollen into the air. Alex took a measured step back.

"Let's see you dodge this!" Jonels sneered.

As the toxic pollen enveloped the area, Alex smiled beneath his cloth mask. Channeling his wind magic, he created a pressurized pocket of pure oxygen around his face, allowing him to breathe and fight unhindered.

Jonels's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "What... How did you do that?!"

Alex remained silent. Having faced Jonels in his previous life, he knew every spell, sword technique, and sneaky tactic in the commander's arsenal. It was an overwhelming battle between a dragon and a cornered rat.

Alex resumed his onslaught with brutal precision, pushing Jonels toward the exit. Sensing his intention to flee, Alex manipulated the wind to shove thick wooden vines across the doorway, sealing the escape route. As a young warrior with a limited mana reserve, Jonels was rapidly depleting his energy.

Gritting his teeth so hard they nearly shattered, Jonels watched as Alex released his unbridled bloodlust. An imposing, spectral skeleton of death manifested behind Alex, paralyzing Jonels with raw terror.

Alex stepped forward, resting the cold edge of *Greed* against Jonels's neck. "Any last words?"

Jonels opened his right palm, which bled profusely from a self-inflicted cut. A sinister grin broke across his face. "Yes... Are you ready to die together?"

The moment his blood hit the floorboards, a massive explosion tore through the structure.

**BOOM!!**

The northern barracks exploded into fiery debris, scorching the surrounding forest. From the inferno and swirling smoke, Alex dragged himself out. His left arm was completely severed, blood streamed down his face, his clothes were incinerated, and his mana reserves were virtually exhausted.

A faint groan echoed from beneath the rubble. Alex turned his gaze toward the noise, finding Jonels struggling helplessly under the debris. Alex walked over, staring down at his dying enemy.

"How... How are you still alive?!" Jonels vomited blood as he gasped out the question.

Right before Jonels's eyes, Alex activated his regeneration ability. His wounds closed rapidly, his severed left arm regenerated in seconds, and his eyes reverted to their fiery crimson hue.

Jonels gasped out his final words in absolute terror. "A... A dragon..."

"You caused me far too much trouble in the future, Jonels," Alex whispered coldly. "That is why your life ends here."

Alex plunged *Greed* directly into his throat, extinguishing Jonels's final breath. He then sank to the ground, taking a deep, weary breath.

***

At ten o'clock the following morning, Princess Laena walked up to Alex's room to check on him. She cracked the door open slightly and peeked inside, finding the room completely empty with the window wide open and the curtains swaying in the breeze.

Closing the door, she rushed downstairs to the living room where her mother sat. "Mother, Alex isn't in his room!"

Queen Mylia smiled warmly. "I see you've finally agreed to become his friend."

"Y-Yes, I want to be his friend," Laena replied, blushing softly.

"He is out in the courtyard running," Mylia reassured her. "Did you forget he wakes up early every morning for his training?"

"Ah..." Laena blinked, remembering his strict discipline. Twitching her pointed ears happily, she sprinted outside toward the courtyard. 

Alex was completing his laps, coming to a smooth halt when he noticed Laena approaching. 

"Good morning, Laena," Alex greeted.

"Good morning!" she replied enthusiastically.

Just then, a detachment of armed guards exited the palace alongside King Zephyr, their expressions grim. Alex walked over beside Laena, watching the commotion.

"Father, is something wrong?" Laena asked, running up to King Zephyr.

Zephyr turned to her, his voice stern yet gentle. "Go back inside to your mother, sweet child. This does not concern you."

Zephyr's sharp gaze shifted to Alex, who stood quietly behind her. Alex understood the exact cause of the mobilization, yet he expertly maintained the curious, innocent expression of a young boy completely ignorant of the situation.

Inside his mind, Tessarion let out a long yawn. *What's with all the noise outside?*

*You're finally awake, you lazy lizard?* Alex snapped mentally. *I should have castrated you for sleeping through last night's mess!*

*Not my problem,* Tessarion replied lazily. *If you stayed put in your room like a normal child, none of this would happen.*

*Laena nearly caught me because of your laziness,* Alex retorted.

Accessing Alex's memories of the previous night, the golden dragon chuckled. *Well, well... I knew you were a monster, but waking up to train after only two hours of sleep? How are you even standing? Your mana pool should be bone dry.*

*I have no choice,* Alex explained. *If I disrupt my daily routine, it will instantly raise suspicions.*

The dragon burst into laughter. *Suspicions toward a six-year-old child?*

*You don't understand,* Alex noted grimly. *I overheard the guards whispering. They believe these sudden incidents began the moment I arrived. They suspect the dragon race has dispatched an agent or an assassin.*

Alex walked back toward the palace as King Zephyr's suspicious gaze trailed behind him. Suspicion had indeed taken root in the Elven King's mind. Although he found it improbable that a six-year-old could orchestrate such precise assassinations, Aenys's prior warnings kept him on high alert. Yet, without concrete evidence, his hands were tied.

A faint smirk touched Alex's lips as he stepped inside the palace. He knew Zephyr's eyes were firmly set on him now.

*It's best to halt the hunting operations for a while to draw attention away from us,* Alex thought.

Tessarion yawned again. *Do as you wish. It makes no difference to me.*

*Right. Go back to sleep then; I won't disturb you,* Alex concluded.