3 The Rumors of the Fourth Prince

"My prince! For the love of heavens, are you alright?" A man in armor and a cloak covering his back asked.

Gilgamesh didn't give him a glance but walked straight towards the waiting carriage ahead. "Where was my royal guard, and how did I end up in this pigsty with swine?"

"I, Simon, deserve death for failing to protect you." Said Simon, Gilgamesh's royal guard. He was astonished; he had never seen the prince wield a sword, let alone train, yet it seemed like he had come out of an infernal battlefield.

"There are twenty corpses, all seeming to be useless thieves, and there's no clue that could tell us who did this!" A royal guard approached Simon and informed him of their findings.

"That's curious; it seems like whoever sent me to kill has some influence over the royal guards…"

After seeing the source of the voice, Simon watched as the prince boarded the carriage and quickly joined him. Today, Gilgamesh was different, as if his entire character and presence had changed drastically.

...

"Gilgamesh Asura, that demon is frightening just to look at," said a royal guard with a distorted expression.

"Who hasn't heard the rumors about that prince? Nobody knows if he's skilled in magic, if he's wielded a sword, or how intelligent he might be, which is why they call him the sleeping demon."

"They say that when he was born, a golden blanket covered him, as if he were the son of heaven and lord of men. It's a shame that his older brothers and even his sister have the hereditary position; many believe Gilgamesh would make a better monarch."

"If anyone from Grabell's faction hears you, your head will be on a pike by tomorrow morning. Let's get to work; all these corpses must be in the carriage before the rumors spread."

But another knight intervened, speaking in a hushed voice so others couldn't hear: "Could it be that the prince killed all these bandits?"

"Haha! If the fourth prince at the age of ten managed to take down twenty grown men, I'll cut off my own head. It's foolish to think a child could achieve that without receiving a single wound," said a knight with a wavering expression; he had seen Prince Gilgamesh and merely looking into his eyes was terrifying.

In the carriage, Gilgamesh looked at the streets of this city with a furrowed brow and asked Simon directly, "Did someone from my family do this?"

"Prince, you can't ask such questions so openly..." Simon didn't know how to respond to Gilgamesh, this prince who wasn't supported by any noble family. The main factions to succeed the throne were his first brother Grabell, his second brother Halfaus, and his sister, Princess Ariel.

Simon was right, but Gilgamesh didn't care at all. Nor did he care about what happened before he took over this body as his own; all that mattered now was seeing what there was to see in this world, so new yet strangely familiar.

This kingdom didn't matter to him, nor did the succession of the throne. He had ruled as a king before, and that was enough for him. What he wanted now was to travel, maybe find one or two wives who piqued his interest and deserved his love.

After setting aside immortality, he should focus on achieving goals he had never accomplished before. Yes, in this life, he would focus on exploration.

"I have difficulty keeping focused, so I don't want to waste time on trivialities." Gilgamesh looked at Simon; this knight should be of a decent level to start training.

But for now, he needed to learn where he was and what kingdom he was a prince of. They soon reached the top of a hill where a majestic castle stood, the Silver Palace, as described by Simon.

Surrounding the palace were enormous mansions belonging to the high nobles. Boulevards extended beyond the city's surrounding walls. As he understood it, he would be staying in this place for some time until he regained his powers.

"Gilgamesh!" A woman shouted and quickly made her way to the carriage's door.

"Princess Ariel, the fourth prince asked for rest in his chamber as he's still feeling a bit dizzy." Simon, who saw the princess approach Gilgamesh, intervened immediately as he had been instructed.

"Are you alright, brother?" Ariel didn't care about the words of a knight; she just wanted to know if her brother was well.

"You're a princess; behave like one, or people behind your back will think you're weak." Gilgamesh looked into Princess Ariel's eyes and told her, "Furthermore, I'm fine. From today onwards, there's nothing in the world that can think of killing me."

Leaving those words behind, Gilgamesh walked forward and said, "Lead the way, Simon."

"Yes, Prince." Simon regained his composure and followed.

Ariel looked at her brother Gilgamesh, the boy who used to show her his new swords with an innocent smile. Now her brother had changed; she didn't know if Grabell's faction had wanted to get rid of her younger brother, but she would find out.

"Do they still not know who kidnapped Prince Gilgamesh?" Ariel asked in a cold tone, letting go of her noble composure.

Her servant said in a doubtful tone, "Princess Ariel, the reports say it was a group of bandits identified in the search and capture reports. They were all killed by a violent and deadly poison, so there's no evidence."

Ariel furrowed her brow; her usually adorable gaze was now shrouded in coldness. She had never imagined that the factions of the princes would make a move against her younger brother Gilgamesh, who had no support to become King.

"The factions of my brothers have crossed the line. They know perfectly well that Gilgamesh is not supported by any family, let alone have a chance to become a rival to them. Those filthy dogs will pay for this with their wretched lives."

Ariel's servant quickly said, "Princess Ariel, regain your composure. First, we should be thankful that the fourth prince survived. It's not good for you to lose control in that manner; it could lead to problems."

Ariel nodded as she regained her calm demeanor. To be honest, she had lost her composure, and that wasn't something that should happen if she wanted to appear in control. This way, at least she wouldn't appear weak, as her little and adorable brother mentioned.