Chapter 2: Grim Reality

The Third Prince was born with silvery white hair, a rare and revered trait in the Vareldis royal bloodline. It was a symbol of pure inheritance, a sign that he had perfectly inherited the strength of their ancestors-The Blessing of Moon Goddess passed down in Royal Family of Vareldis. Those born with it were destined to become powerful warriors, natural leaders who could wield the empire's might with ease. And then there was the Fourth Prince, Drake—born just a day later. He, too, had white hair, but unlike Fenric's, it was duller, lacking the same brilliance. A subtle, yet undeniable difference. And that difference was enough. It was enough to plant the seeds of jealousy. Drake's mother, Empress Balina, refused to accept that her son was second to another. In her eyes, only her child deserved to be the empire's greatest warrior, the future ruler. Thus, her plot began. If the Third Prince's natural talent was a threat, she would erase it before it could bloom. She would ensure that, by the time he reached adulthood, Fenric would be nothing but a sickly, forgotten prince—one whose only fate was to die and become the stepping stone for her son. No one tried to protect him—even though they knew. It wasn't ignorance. It wasn't a lack of awareness. It was simply indifference. The Third Prince was the son of the deceased Second Empress, a woman who had died shortly after giving birth to him. And unlike the other empresses, who hailed from powerful noble families, his mother came from a mere baron family—a house so insignificant that it barely held any influence in the empire. It was her captivating beauty that even made her Emperor's Wife-other than it she had nothing. Compared to the First Empress, whose lineage could even buy some Kingdoms, or Balina, the Third Empress, who hailed from a powerful Duke house, his mother had been nothing. And so, even though Fenric carried the royal bloodline, even though he had been born with the most pure inheritance—he had no backing. His mother's family was too weak, both politically and financially, to offer him any protection. They couldn't challenge Balina, nor could they afford to draw the empire's attention. They could do nothing but watch as he was slowly destroyed. A prince in name, but a forgotten pawn in reality. *** "The fuck is this situation?" Fenric muttered under his breath. The maid had already left after feeding him the so-called medicine—or rather, poison in disguise. He sat on the bed, staring at the ceiling, contemplating his new life and his next move. "So, I'm going to die... and on top of that, even get reborn as a damn undead!?" He clenched his fists, frustration boiling inside him. "Damn it, but what can I even do?" He sighed, crossing his arms as he tried to think logically. "Okay, first, I need to sort things out." He mumbled as he forced himself to recall the plot of the book. His eyes narrowed as he pieced everything together. "Hmm... yeah, that's right. This body might be weak, but there's still a way for me to survive. The hidden treasure in the Royal Library..." If he could get access to That Treasure, there was a chance—a very big chance—that he could find a way to fight back and even become stronger. "Hmm... but how do I get it without alerting anyone?" he muttered, deep in thought. In the original story, it had been a grand event, one that boosted Fourth Prince Drake's fame and recognition even more. That bastard had gained even more prestige after obtaining the hidden power within the royal archives. "But now... I'm going to get it first." Fenric clenched his fist. This was crucial to his survival. He couldn't afford to miss this opportunity. "And if I can get that... then I can also get other Treasures too, which would have been impossible with this weak body." His eyes gleamed with determination. If he played his cards right, he could steal what was supposed to be the protagonist's legacy, take the power that was never meant to be his, and carve out his own path. "Hehehe... I'll outsmart you, villain and hero alike, and live a blissful life in this fantasy world." But then—pain. Fenric flinched as his chest suddenly tightened. "Damn this body!" He groaned, gripping his side. He had the will, but his body was his greatest enemy. Still, he had no choice. He'd fight against fate—even if it killed him. "Or maybe... I should just go to sleep, and this dream might end." Fenric sighed, resting his head against the pillow. The event where Drake obtained the treasure hidden in the royal archives wouldn't happen for another three years. He had time—and right now, he was too weak to do anything anyway. But then, a thought crossed his mind. "I shouldn't forget about her." There was one person who had once been on the Third Prince's side. Not a noble, not a knight, not a powerful figure—just a little girl. He had saved her once, back when his body wasn't as frail as it was now. It happened during a rare moment when he was allowed outside—to roam around. During his travel of Capital, he(original body) stumbled on the outskirts of the capital, where the poor struggled to survive. That's where he met a mother and daughter—a pair who were barely holding on. The little girl's mother had been bitten by a venomous beast, and they had no money for treatment. The healers refused to help the poor without payment. In the original story, Fenric had given her some money to help her, he who was fighting with illness as well loss of mother knew what it meant to be lonely hence he helped the little girl at that time. And in return, the little girl—Elaine—had sworn to repay him. But fate had played a cruel game. Six years later, that same girl had grown into a powerful Eighth-Circle Mage—one of the strongest in the empire. She had stood against Fourth Prince Drake, opposing his rise. And for that, she had been killed... by the undead knight Fenric. "She according to Timeline, She must be in the Academy by now" he mumbled as he pieced together the plot. "Hmm... by the way, she also had a hidden talent, didn't she?" Fenric's eyes widened as he suddenly recalled a particular Chapter from the book—a scene where Balina, the Dark Empress, sighed in regret. She had discovered too late that Elaine possessed an incredibly rare affinity for Spirit Magic—a power so unique that only one in a million across the continent was ever born with it.