The heart and center of the Kingdom of Argon, the royal city of Armenia, was a large metropolis built along a massive river.
It was responsible for producing over half of the kingdom’s food supply and was a place where many city nobles, who could not inherit their family titles, came with dreams of achieving success. Naturally, it was the most populous city in the kingdom, and commerce was so developed that Armenia housed the only branch of the continent’s largest bank, ‘Paradise Bank,’ making it the economic hub of Argon.
Given this, entry procedures were incredibly stringent. Without clear proof of identity, entry was outright impossible. Even nobles required prior permission to bring their guard. Moreover, unless one had a permit to carry weapons, all weapons had to be surrendered upon entering the city.
However, those who were unwilling to follow these rules…
For instance, spies from enemy nations or remnants of past rebellions often attempted to infiltrate Armenia through side routes but invariably failed.
The first obstacle was the river at the city’s rear. Crossing the massive river while armed and reaching the city walls was nearly impossible. The wide-open view meant any attempt to cross would be exposed well before reaching the walls.
Even if someone miraculously avoided detection and crossed the river, they would face yet another challenge when scaling the walls.
“They call it the Dragon Scale Wall. The structure of Armenia’s wall is fundamentally different from regular walls. Climbing it barehanded would shred your palms to pieces. Besides, how could anyone scale such a high wall?”
But I did it.
A young man with long limbs relative to his small frame boasted, grinning broadly as he recounted his feats.
“Even that esteemed knight over there couldn’t scale the wall like I did. Who else but the great thief of Argon could accomplish such a feat?”
“But you got caught, didn’t you?”
The audience’s enthusiasm dimmed as a man in the corner pointed out the flaw in the tale. They had been spellbound by the thief’s eloquent storytelling, but now—
“Ah, that’s right. We’re all here because we got caught and dragged to the royal city, aren’t we?”
“If you’re such a great thief, shouldn’t you have escaped?”
“S-Shut up! I got caught on purpose! There are deep reasons for it!”
The young thief waved his arms like a monkey in a desperate attempt to defend his pride, but the mood had already soured. Reading the room, the thief directed his words to the silent brute who had yet to utter a word.
“Hey, barbarian friend! You saw me when I was loaded into the transport wagon, right? I was caught without a fuss because I have a purpose!”
“…….”
Khan, who had been quietly observing with his eyes closed, did not respond, simply raising an eyebrow at the commotion.
Among the prisoners being transported to the royal city in the carriage, one man stood out: a barbarian from Hoarfrost Gorge with gray skin, rippling muscles, and scars covering his entire body. Khan lazily lifted his eyelids to glance at the self-proclaimed great thief, his gray eyes showing no emotion. The thief’s boastful demeanor deflated as he involuntarily cowered under Khan’s cold, indifferent gaze.
“W-what?! I can fight too, you know?!”
Making shushing sounds with his mouth, the thief threw a few punches into the air, but it was clear to everyone that he was scared. Midway through, realizing how ridiculous he looked, the thief flushed and settled back into his seat with a sheepish cough.
“I should have said I don’t speak the royal language well. Making me look foolish.”
“You did seem to get caught without much fuss. Whether you were scared or had some intention behind it, who knows.”
“Oh! See, I told you all! This guy gets it! I had a plan, you idiots!”
“So why, then? What grand plan did the great thief have for getting caught?”
“Now we’re getting to the good part. Trust me; you’ll all be licking your lips when you hear it.”
Though the poor thief had lost the attention of the other prisoners, he was skilled enough with his words to quickly regain it. Gesturing for them to lean in, the prisoners, bored and idle, gathered around.
“Listen carefully. Where are we being taken for trial? The royal palace, right? Most people can’t even dream of setting foot in there. But we’re being taken there, no questions asked.”
“Even if it’s as prisoners dragged to the trial, huh?”
“Exactly. Once inside… Let’s be real, all of you managed to get by well enough in the kingdom? Am I right?”
The prisoners nodded as if it were an obvious statement. This carriage was transporting high-profile criminals condemned to trial in the royal city due to their extreme offenses.
“That dark-skinned guy over there—didn’t you get caught after assaulting a noblewoman and killing her knight?”
“What? How did you know?”
“A great thief has sharp ears. And you, the guy with the scarred face—you massacred an entire merchant caravan and slaughtered a town. The frontier hunters caught you, right?”
“Snort. How do you know all this?”
“It’s not just that.”
The thief began to recite the crimes of the other prisoners one by one, in surprisingly detailed accounts that left everyone in shock. Who could have told him all this? His knowledge lent unexpected credibility to his claim of being a great thief.
“And lastly, our barbarian friend… Frankly, I’m not sure. Recent rumors about barbarian include the Ogre Slayer of the East, the Demonic Realm Subjugator of the North, and the Skull Crusher of Nordic. None of these guys should be riding in a royal convoy as prisoners.”
Amazingly, the self-proclaimed thief was aware of all the rumors connected to Khan. However, since the figures involved were known for their heroic deeds rather than crimes, he wasn’t certain.
“Well… Barbarians are infamous for their prowess at night. Maybe some noble tried to bring you in as an escort and ended up dead?”
“Ha! That could be it!”
“Enough jokes. Let’s hear the big news and see if there’s something worth our time!”
The prisoners, hardened by their life experiences, seemed unafraid of the barbarian, treating him with the same low regard they did each other. The lowest humor had them laughing, and they prompted the thief to reveal any exciting plans.
In human nature, especially among those who enjoyed flaunting their strength like these prisoners, there’s always a tendency to establish a pecking order.
‘He looks tough, but who knows how he fights for real?’
Most of the prisoners harbored such thoughts, egging him on, while Khan, previously uninterested, furrowed his brow and murmured quietly,
“Regicide.”
Chilling silence filled the transport wagon.
***
“Wow, regicide? That’s quite the tall tale!”
“Aren’t all the royals living in the palace? How could he have killed one?”
Voices of skepticism filled the wagon, breaking the silence. Most prisoners had been captured while hiding from their pursuers and had not heard recent news. However, there was one person whose expression turned serious.
‘They said royal blood was spilled in Nordic. Was that true?!’
It was the self-proclaimed great thief. He quickly realized that the barbarian wasn’t boasting.
‘It can’t be a lie.’
The transport wagon had started from the Black Wing Duke’s city, picking up prisoners from various nearby towns before heading south to the royal capital. The barbarian was the first prisoner loaded into the carriage. The thief himself had been the second.
This meant the barbarian was a major criminal deemed so by the kingdom’s only duke, forwarded to the central court.
‘The only duke in the kingdom deemed it impossible to judge locally and sent him to the central authorities? If he killed a royal, that makes perfect sense.’
A shiver ran down the thief’s spine.
Regicide? Even his own grand achievement of infiltrating the royal palace paled in comparison to killing a royal. This barbarian was indeed the most heinous criminal and villain in the kingdom, the very epitome of survival of the fittest in this brutal world.
‘That’s… impressive.’
The thief clicked his tongue in regret, wishing he had taken out a noble or two in the palace. His eyes suddenly sparkled with a new idea.
Killing a royal wasn’t as simple as it sounded. The Royal Guards protected them like impenetrable armor. This meant the barbarian had incredible strength.
Having such a barbarian join his plan would be unbeatable.
“Ahem, I knew you were someone significant! So here’s the thing—who wants to die quietly on the execution block? Not me.”
There wouldn’t be any. Seeing the prisoners quietly shake their heads, the young thief smiled in satisfaction.
“Exactly. Are we the type to die quietly? If we’re going to die anyway, why not try for the slim chance at survival and maybe even hit the jackpot?”
“You have a way to survive?”
“Not exactly survival; it’s more like an escape attempt. But the jackpot part—well, that’s what I’m here for.”
“You said you were the one who scaled the wall, right? So, what’s this about hitting the jackpot?”
“I did more than just climb the wall. Obviously, I also snooped around the inside of the royal palace.”
The prisoners’ interest piqued at this. Sneaking into the palace, which was off-limits to most, was quite the claim.
“What did you find inside?”
“They say everything inside the palace is gilded. Is that true?!”
“Calm down, everyone, and listen up. Initially, I tried to get into the main hall, but there were so many magical traps. While avoiding those, I stumbled upon a rarely patrolled area. Guards and knights were roaming occasionally, but who am I? The great thief Alejandro! I evaded all their watchful eyes and ventured deeper inside, and you know what I found…!
It looked like I found the royal treasury! The young man’s whispered words widened the prisoners’ eyes.
“At first, I was skeptical, but seeing the magical formations spread around the entrance and inside, I got a pretty good idea. Wealthy folks usually like to hide their vaults in secluded places, using methods only they know.”
“You can’t be sure it’s the treasury, though, right?”
“No, I’m certain.”
The young man’s eyes blazed with fierce conviction.
Naturally so, given that his plan from the start was to infiltrate the royal palace and loot the royal treasury. Although escaping from the underground dungeons wouldn’t be an easy task, he had already worked out a method for that as well.
What he needed now were the numbers—people willing to join his cause, or more accurately, fools who would get caught in his stead.
‘To be precise, I need idiots who’ll be the fall guys.’
Of course, the thief had no interest in weaklings who bullied those even weaker than themselves. He aimed to keep a few genuine powerhouses close as they could help him secure the treasure; individuals like the barbarian sitting quietly in the corner, for example.
“…I was hiding, waiting for the patrols, thinking I’d sneak out after observing them for a bit. That’s when I saw something incredible. I saw an old man coming out of the treasury carrying something. Later, I found out that this man was none other than the Palace Steward, a close confidant of His Majesty!”
TL’s Corner:
Hmm, treasures???