Episode 59

“Blood…?”

Staring at the fresh blood stains, I shuddered and looked up.

In front of me was a narrow, winding alley.

It looked dark and desolate, a place where people rarely ventured.

Could the assassins sent by the Empress have already attacked the Crown Prince?

‘Should I get the guards?’

I hesitated, glancing back over my shoulder.

But the Crown Prince could be in mortal danger at this very moment.

“Ah, screw it…”

I bit my lip in frustration, then glanced down at the teddy bear I was clutching.

“Teddy Bear. I’m counting on you…!”

* * *

Thud, thud, thud!

“Huff, huff…!”

Crown Prince Ceaser ran with all his might, trying to escape the assassins hot on his heels.

‘…How did they find out?’

Today’s schedule was a top secret, known only to a select few.

Dressed in inconspicuous clothing and with a minimal guard detail, he had left the palace in secrecy.

Today was the final day of the ‘Children’s Start-up Competition,’ an event he had orchestrated.

The competition served as a convenient smokescreen.

Through this event, he aimed to establish allies outside the palace, away from the Empress and the second prince’s brutal surveillance.

Young but intelligent, quick to gather information, and capable of creating innovative solutions to raise funds clandestinely.

He sought children, even commoners, to avoid suspicion and minimize the risk of betrayal.

Trusting the nobles who extended their support, despite opposing the Empress and the second prince, was a precarious affair.

Many sought to manipulate him under the guise of aiding a young prince.

He needed new allies unconnected to the palace, individuals he could fully trust.

Preferably peers who could share and grow with him in thoughts and values.

But somehow, the secret had leaked. As soon as he exited the association, men in black appeared in droves.

 

“Your Highness, run!”

 

The few guards he had brought along bought him some time.

But they were outnumbered.

The assassins quickly dispatched his guards and pursued him.

Whoosh―!

A chilling sound of wind slicing through the air made him instinctively dive into a side alley.

Thunk―!

Several sharp daggers embedded themselves in the spot he had just vacated.

He scrambled to his feet.

“Ugh!”

But he quickly fell, clutching his side.

Blood was pouring from a wound he had sustained just before he started running.

Without proper treatment, his vision was growing blurry.

The assassins were getting closer.

Ceaser gritted his teeth and stood up.

But.

“Damn it…”

He found himself at a dead end.

Seeing the tall wall blocking his escape, he stood in despair.

Thud, thud!

The noise behind him grew louder.

“Finally caught you, you little rat!”

Shing―!

Ceaser quickly drew his sword from his waist.

“Do you know who I am, and yet you dare to commit this atrocity?”

“Oh, we know very well, Ceaser Estarode. Soon-to-be-dead Crown Prince.”

“Hahaha! It’s an honor to meet you like this, Your Highness!”

“What will you do with that toy sword, Your Highness~?”

The mocking words of the assassins made Ceaser’s jaw tighten.

Despite his training in martial arts and swordsmanship from a young age, and being told he had a natural talent for it, he was still an eleven-year-old child.

There was no way he could defeat five professional assassins alone.

Noticing his tension, the assassins grinned.

“Why don’t you say your last words before you die, Your Highness?”

“Such a long tongue. Are you so afraid of this toy sword that you need to chatter so much?”

“You little…!”

Provoking them was easy.

Shing, shing!

One of the assassins at the front drew his sword and charged.

The narrow alley meant they couldn’t all attack at once, which was his only advantage.

Clang―!

Swords clashed.

Ceaser twisted his body with incredible speed, slicing through the assassin’s leg and one of his eyes.

“Aaagh! My eye!”

Blood spurted, and the man fell to the ground, screaming in agony.

“Damn it… all at once, now!”

Realizing the boy’s extraordinary swordsmanship, the assassins rushed him simultaneously, crowding the narrow space.

Shing—!

Ceaser gritted his teeth, enduring the pain as he deflected the incoming blades.

Clang, clang!

The exchange of swords continued.

Thanks to his small stature and quick movements, the assassins found it challenging to subdue him.

A glimmer of hope arose within him.

Maybe he could defeat them all and survive.

Ceaser fought with everything he had.

But he overlooked one critical detail: the assassins excelled in ranged attacks.

Shing—!

As he barely deflected a sword aimed at his chest.

Whoosh!

A dagger flew at him from somewhere.

“Ugh!”

He narrowly avoided it by tilting his head. A sharp pain grazed his neck.

Drip.

Hot blood trickled from the shallow cut.

Whoosh, whoosh!

More daggers followed.

Ceaser skillfully dodged them, but couldn’t avoid the long sword that struck during the distraction.

“Ugh!”

A searing pain shot through his right thigh.

His body, already struggling, finally gave out.

The assassin who had slashed his thigh seized the opportunity and raised his sword.

“Die—!”

There was no way to avoid it.

‘This is the end.’

Ceaser closed his eyes tightly.

Then.

“ Teddy-teddy bear! Assassin mode!”

A child’s clear voice echoed through the alley.

Everyone, including Ceaser, momentarily froze.

Whoosh!

A brown object somersaulted through the air.

Thud—!

It struck the assassin’s face squarely.

“Ugh!”

The man fell without even having time to scream, as if he had been hit by a fist.

“What, what the…?”

The remaining assassins stared in shock.

Meanwhile.

Thud!

A brown stuffed bear landed gracefully on the ground and cheerfully announced.

“Hello! My name is Teddy-teddy bear! Belze’s assassin!”

Ceaser couldn’t believe his eyes.

‘A bear… doll?’

Yes.

The one who had knocked out the assassin aiming to kill him was none other than a brown teddy bear.

“Ugh! The, the leader… the leader is down!”

“What is that? What the hell is that bear doll?”

“Aaah! The bear doll is talking! It’s a possessed bear doll!”

Seeing their fallen comrade, the assassins panicked.

The bear doll turned towards the sound, grinning.

“Do you want to play with me?”

“Kill it! Kill it!”

In a frenzy, the assassins swung their swords wildly at the talking bear doll.

But it was all in vain.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, the bear doll soared into the air, then swiftly descended with a punch.

Its stubby, soft fists struck the assassins’ faces one by one.

Thud! Thwack, thud—!

“Aaah!”

“Gah!”

“Ugh!”

With astonishing agility and strength, the bear doll knocked out the remaining assassins.

They fell to the ground, unable to put up any resistance, their faces bruised and battered.

Thud.

The bear doll landed lightly on the ground again.

It then turned its head towards the trembling Ceaser.

“Do you want to play too?”

The boy shuddered, still in shock.

Ceaser would later recall this as one of the most terrifying moments of his life.

“Do you want to play? Do you want to play? Do you want to play?”

The bear doll began to step closer to Ceaser, repeating its question like a broken record.

“Ugh…!”

He instinctively shut his eyes tightly.

“Stop it! You crazy bear! Teddy-teddy bear! Doll mode!”

The child’s urgent voice rang out again.

“Tsk…”

With a clicking sound, the alley fell silent.

Tap, tap.

Light footsteps approached, breaking the stillness.

Ceaser slowly opened his eyes.

“Are you okay?”

The girl holding the fearsome, possessed bear doll had bright red eyes.

It was the same girl who had mouthed off at him earlier.