Rumor had spread throughout the palace that the uncle and nephew had been buried alive in the garden together. And the very next day, Caron casually took Halo outside the Imperial Palace.
Leon would never have permitted the two troublemakers to go out alone—but fortunately, they had a guardian.
"...So when you asked if we could hang out, you meant with Halo?" Seria, the Grand Saintess of the Holy Kingdom, let out a long sigh as she looked down at Halo.
"Halo said he wanted to explore the capital," Caron said. "And as his uncle, how could I refuse? Anyway—Seria, that thing you're eating looks good. What is it?"
"Lamb skewers grilled with spices from the Sultanate," Seria answered.
"Do you have ours as well?" Caron asked.
"I bought some for you both already," Seria replied, then handed over the neatly wrapped skewers. Caron and Halo bit into them at the same time, satisfied grins spreading across their faces.
As Seria had said, they were delicious—rich and savory, with just the right amount of heat and salt.
"This is great," Halo said, genuinely impressed.
"There are plenty of foods in the palace that taste better than this," Caron remarked.
"They've all gotten bland lately," Halo said.
"That's for your health. Kids who eat too much spicy food grow up with messed-up personalities," Caron said.
"So that's what happened to Uncle," Halo said with a straight face.
"You little brat, I'll kill you for real," Caron replied.
Seria still had no idea that Halo Karien was the reincarnation of Halo Leston.
To everyone else, they were simply a close uncle and nephew.
Seria took another bite of her skewer, sighed again, and thought, I really thought he was asking me out on a date.
She had wondered if their relationship would finally progress after all this time.
It had been seven full years since the Demon Realm expedition. Though the roles of Grand Saintess and Warrior were long past, Caron and Seria had stayed in contact.
In fact, they had spent enough time together that several gossip papers in the empire had published speculative headlines about a "Saintess x Warrior scandal."
Whether Caron was oblivious or only pretending to be, Seria could never tell.
"Seria, you've got sauce on your face," Caron said.
"Oh," Seria responded.
Caron reached out and wiped her cheek with his handkerchief.
Moments like that made Seria think he did have feelings. And honestly—at this point—it was getting frustrating.
"Ha..." Seria sighed.
Caron looked flustered, saying, "You're complaining even when I wipe it for you?"
"Forget it. I'll wipe it myself," Seria replied, then snatched the handkerchief, rubbing her cheek as she glanced around.
The Imperial Capital looked nothing like it had seven years ago. Buildings rose at least ten floors high. Ancient architectural techniques discovered in the Demon Realm had been researched, dramatically advancing imperial construction.
The Orias Empire was now the dominant hegemon of the world—a place where vast wealth converged and where the quality of life for ordinary citizens had risen to astonishing heights.
And thanks to Emperor Revelio's policies, even commoners enjoyed unprecedented opportunities.
"At this point, I can't tell who's a noble and who's a commoner," Seria said.
"In today's world, money rules. They say your wealth is your status," Caron added.
"That does feel true," Seria admitted.
The empire was advancing at a pace unseen in history. Things once unimaginable were common now—like nobles bowing and begging for help from commoner merchants.
"The world really turned upside down," Caron said, looking around the capital with satisfaction.
Some scholars warned that society was falling into gold-worship, but compared to the past, this was like heaven.
Compared to the days when nobles beat slaves to death in broad daylight—this is paradise, Caron thought.
Revelio was undeniably a capable emperor. No matter how favorable the circumstances, no empire could have flourished like this without a talented ruler at its head.
Caron glanced subtly at Seria and asked, "I need to buy something. Do you want to come with me?"
"What is it?" Seria asked.
"You'll see. Just follow me. Halo, let's go," Caron answered.
"Hmm... Uncle, I want to stop by a weapon shop first," Halo said.
"We'll go there later," Caron replied.
He led them briskly through the bustling streets of the capital. The crowds were unbelievably large, but thanks to their disguises, no one recognized them.
"Normally, wouldn't the Imperial Guards follow the prince when he goes out?" Seria asked.
Halo answered with a bright smile and asked, "If I'm with Uncle, why would I need extra guards? Isn't he enough?"
"Well, the world has been dangerous lately..." Seria trailed off.
"It's fine. My uncle is more dangerous. If we're comparing menace levels, he's the capital's worst criminal," Halo stated.
Seria laughed and said, "Prince Halo, you are very clever. I am sure you will become a wise ruler someday."
"Please look after my uncle well, Saintess," Halo said.
"Huh? Ah—yes, of course, Your Highness," Seria replied.
Chatting like that, they soon arrived at an unexpectedly glamorous street. There were rows of shops selling the most expensive accessories in the capital—luxury boutiques lining the famous jewelry district.
It was the last place Seria expected. Bewildered, she said, "This destination really doesn't suit you at all."
"I've got something to buy here. Can you wait with Halo for a bit?" Caron asked.
Halo narrowed his eyes and asked, "Uncle, you're going to buy gold again, aren't you?"
"Shh," Caron hushed Halo.
Leaving Halo in Seria's care, Caron slipped away for a moment. Soon only Seria and Halo remained together on the busy street. The two of them found an empty bench nearby and sat down.
Halo stared up at her and asked plainly, "So... When are you two getting married?"
Seria let out a long, exhausted sigh and answered, "That's what I was wondering."
"Do you want to get married, Saintess?" Halo asked.
"According to the Scripture, the only one a Saintess can marry is the Warrior," Seria explained. "So my options are pretty limited. I either marry the Warrior, or I live alone for the rest of my life. One of the two."
Living alone wouldn't be the worst fate. She could continue healing the sick in the Holy Kingdom, spreading the Light's teachings far and wide. That was meaningful enough.
She had considered that possibility more than once.
"Does that mean you want to marry my uncle because you don't want to live alone?" Halo asked in the innocent way only a child could.
Seria let out a small laugh, then gently patted his head and said, "Of course not. I truly love Caron."
"When did you start loving him?" Halo asked.
"Well..." Seria said. "We first met in the Sultanate, you know? I nearly died there. Maybe it started after that."
From that first encounter on, the two of them had traveled everywhere together—from the corners of the continent to the Demon Realm Expedition. She had stayed by his side because she had been worried sick about him constantly burning himself out. At first, she'd thought it was just duty or concern. But she'd soon realized it wasn't.
She'd simply wanted to stay with him. If she was with this man—who would burn himself down if it meant illuminating those around him—then she felt she could face anything.
And that feeling had never changed.
When Seria smiled faintly at her own thoughts, Halo smiled back in a way she couldn't quite read. He said, "You really do seem to love him."
"Isn't this all a bit difficult for Your Highness to understand?" Seria teased with a gentle smile.
"Oh, I understand perfectly—" Halo began, but wasn't able to finish his sentence.
That was when it happened.
Sssrkk!
Masked figures appeared behind them in an instant. One of them threw a shimmering bag straight toward Halo.
It happened too quickly.
Seria shot to her feet and punched backward without hesitation.
Kwang!
Her fist struck one of the masked men squarely, knocking him out cold. But she was half a heartbeat too late.
Fwoosh!
The bag wrapped around Halo burst with light, and his small body vanished instantly.
"Kyaaah!"
Several citizens screamed at the sudden violence erupting in the middle of the capital.
Seria stared at the empty space where Halo had been and clenched her fists hard enough to tremble.
...Forced-transport magic? This kind of artifact isn't something just anyone can make, she thought.
She'd let her guard down.
Halo Karien was a prince—she should never have dismissed the possibility of an attack, not even in the heart of the capital.
Her vision went white. This had happened during the single moment Caron stepped away.
Seria strode toward the unconscious masked man, forced holy power into him to jolt him awake, seized him by the collar, and growled, "Do you even understand what you just did?"
The man trembled violently and stuttered, "W-We had no choice... If we didn't follow the order... my family... they would—Arghhhh!"
He convulsed mid-sentence. Someone had poured unstable mana into him, and that mana now erupted.
Seria reacted instantly, pouring holy power into his body to suppress the mana's rampage. But the man's heart had already been shredded beyond repair.
"Seria!" Caron called as he came sprinting from afar like a streak of lightning. He glanced between her and the empty space where Halo had vanished, then asked urgently, "Are you alright? You're not hurt?"
"Caron... Halo, His Highness... He...." Seria trailed off.
"I've heard there've been kidnappings in the capital lately," Caron muttered, exhaling sharply. "But I didn't think we would get hit. Tsk tsk."
A prince abducted in broad daylight, in the middle of the capital—an unprecedented crisis. Once the news reached the palace, not only the Imperial Guards but also the regular army would be mobilized.
But Caron's expression was frighteningly calm. He toyed with the discarded bag, still warm with magic, and said, "I thought they were just ordinary kidnappers, but they're using equipment like this."
"Caron, we need to notify the palace first..." Seria said.
"Ah, no need for that. It's fine," Caron chuckled dryly and said, "No wonder I saw him sneak Guillotine away earlier. He's definitely got good instincts, huh?"
He pointed to his waist. The spot where Guillotine always hung was completely empty. He wondered when Halo had taken it.
"I guess the prince got bored staying cooped up in the palace. And someone decided to kidnap him? What unlucky bastards," Caron said.
"Caron! This isn't the time for jokes!" Seria said.
"Don't worry. I can track Guillotine's location. If it's already at the outskirts of the capital... Hmm. At full speed, I'll get there in about two minutes," Caron reassured Seria.
He sighed and added, "Damn it. Of all times, why now? I actually had something important planned."
"Something important?" Seria asked.
"But your point is right. We should rescue the prince first. If Leon finds out Halo was taken on my watch, she'll chop my head off. Since we have no time to waste—pardon me."
And with that, Caron swept Seria up into his arms and leaped forward in one swift motion.
***
Halo awakened in the dark.
"This kid is definitely from some fancy noble house. Look at that face—pure aristocrat, I swear."
Strangers' voices echoed around him. He didn't even need time to adjust to the darkness, though. The Azure Mana gathering in his eyes naturally brightened his vision.
"Hic..."
"Mommy..."
Children's cries filled the air from all sides. Counting the voices, there were exactly seven captured kids in this place.
So these must be the kidnappers everyone was whispering about, Halo thought.
He retraced the events that had brought him here.
They'd used a single-use artifact imbued with forced-transport magic—absurdly expensive, far beyond what regular kidnappers could have possessed.
Of course, Halo had let himself be taken. He'd sensed them approaching long before they struck. Anyone could tell they were shady, creeping up without a sound.
"They didn't get caught by the city guard, did they?" one of the kidnappers asked.
"No way. One of our guys got punched during the grab, but he self-destructed, so no problem. Anyway, that brat we brought this time—he's something else. He seems like a young master of a high-ranking noble house," another kidnapper replied.
"That's dangerous. What if the knights track us down?" the first kidnapper asked.
"We planned this as our last job anyway. We made enough money. Time to grab the payout and disappear," the other kidnapper answered.
It was a fully organized crime ring.
Under Emperor Revelio's rule, the crime rate had dropped sharply, but people desperate for quick wealth still crawled out like rats. The capital guards simply couldn't keep up with the city's explosive growth.
Interesting, Halo thought. This was his first time being kidnapped.
Honestly, he'd been getting bored, having been cooped up in the palace. This was a welcome bit of entertainment.
He quickly scanned his surroundings and quietly rose to his feet—only for a small hand to clutch at his leg.
"D-Don't move," a little girl whispered. "If you move... those men will..."
She looked no older than seven. Even in this terrifying situation, her eyes were steady—completely different from the other trembling children.
Halo smiled gently and reached into his pockets, then said, "It's alright. What's your name?"
"...Talia," the girl said.
"Thanks for worrying about me, Talia. But personally, I can't stand letting pests like those roam free," Halo said.
It was almost comical how perfectly everything had aligned. He'd finally gotten a rare chance to go out, and he ended up getting kidnapped.
Halo could have escaped easily before the forced-transport magic activated. Many opportunities had been there. But coming here had been his choice.
Srrrrrk.
Halo pulled Guillotine out of his pocket. The moment the sword slipped from its sheath, it muttered in a startled voice, "H-Halo?"
"Good to see you, Guillotine. Let's do a bit of cleaning together," Halo said.
"Cleaning? I hate cleaning," Guillotine grumbled.
"Human cleaning," Halo revised his sentence.
"Ah, if it's human cleaning, I like it. But where's Caron?" Guillotine asked.
"He'll be here soon. So let's have fun before he arrives," Halo replied.
Guillotine obediently accepted Halo's control. It had been bored with the lack of recent battles. And now someone was finally offering it fresh blood. It was such a delightful gift.
"Let's see who's pulling the strings behind this," Halo murmured, then licked his lips.
There was no way he would let this precious entertainment pass him by.
The Mad Dog of the Imperial Palace grinned brightly in the darkness.