The Youngest Prince Copies Skills with Skeleton Soldiers

Chapter 03 - Permissions are Unlocked

My room was completely destroyed, so I came to the backyard.

There were many private rooms in the mansion, but none had a door large enough for this giant to pass through.

I sat on a small bench in the back garden.

While the front garden of the mansion was lavishly decorated, this place was quiet and private.

Thus, it was the perfect place to check the notifications that only I could see in this world.

[You have passed the test of achievement.]

[The restricted permissions of a family son will be unlocked.]

[1. Dominion within the mansion]

[2. Access to the family's grand library]

[3. Right to have a knight order]

[4. Ability to declare territory]

[5. Stipend for maintaining dignity]

[6. Access to the entire Eastern region]

…….

“…Looking at it again, I really was just breathing.”

The only freedom granted to the Youngest Son was to have three meals a day within the mansion.

The only place I could go outside was the small garden in front.

And even then, I had to be on edge, not knowing when or where I might be poisoned or assassinated.

But now that I was involved in this game, that would no longer be the case.

“Head Maid.”

“You called?”

The Head Maid entered with a reaction speed that seemed capable of catching a flying knife.

“Prepare the carriage. I need to go outside.”

“I will prepare it.”

By passing the test of achievement, I had earned the right to leave the mansion gates.

With the authority of a family son, I could go anywhere.

However, the place I was going now didn't necessarily require me to be a son of the family.

What was important now was to lay the groundwork before my siblings, who were worse than sworn enemies, started to make their moves in earnest.

That was the one thing.

“What shall I tell the coachman is the destination?”

“Dusk Citadel.”

The Head Maid’s body momentarily stiffened.

“…If you mean Dusk Citadel, are you referring to the largest lawless city in the East?”

I affirmed calmly.

“Is there another Dusk Citadel? I have some business to attend to.”

“May I ask for what reason you are going to that den of criminals?”

“If I explain that it’s a matter that requires this ogre, you’ll understand.”

“If that is the case….”

The Head Maid nodded without asking any more questions.

Dusk Citadel. A free city named after the family, the largest in the East, no, on the continent.

However, their definition of freedom was a bit too broad.

It was a city created by the leaders of criminal enterprises.

“The East, ruled by Millesdusk, has never forbidden the entry of criminals. Unlike other great families, we did not cast them out.”

The Head Maid added.

“‘Material acquisition’ was the most difficult stage in black magic, but they were the ones who came running to solve that problem.”

I chuckled slightly at her expression.

But it was true.

From Millesdusk's perspective, at least.

Of course, it wasn't bad for the criminals either.

‘As long as they don’t catch the eye of Millesdusk, no one will touch them, no matter what crimes they commit.’

A lawless city was literally lawless.

Rules themselves did not exist.

Because in Dusk Citadel, the one who gets victimized is the fool.

As a result, all sorts of human trash from around the world flocked there, creating a sewer-like slum.

In a situation like this, it was something to be thankful for.

“Now I too must diligently follow in the footsteps of my older brothers and sisters.”

Dusk Citadel had long been a playground for the bloodline.

It was a lawless city whose growth was tolerated for that very purpose.

For Millesdusk, that place was a kind of giant shopping mall.

Of course, for the other members of the bloodline, the reason stopped at material acquisition, but I had one more.

‘The ones who tried to kill the Youngest Son were not only within the family. That lawless city is full of those with such potential.’

Because one's position and influence were not built only within the family.

‘Many criminal enterprises must have already been co-opted by the other sons and daughters. I must make my move before the news of the test of achievement spreads.’

In a word, time was gold.

I had to twist the lifeline I had somehow managed to extend a little more while I had the time.

After all, in this damn world, absolute power was justification and persuasion.

‘The named characters who were there. In the story, they should be gathering around now.’

As their faces came to mind one by one.

The Head Maid bowed her head and said.

“Then I will open the sealed vault and place your existing equipment and funds in the carriage.”

“Do as you please. And when I’m gone, tell the Intelligence General Manager that I went for material acquisition. I don’t need an escort.”

“……”

The Head Maid's reply was slow for the first time.

“…You knew?”

Was that all?

I knew the identities of the other servants besides the Head Maid.

I took out a list I had prepared in advance from my pocket.

“Check it.”

“……”

Rustle─

She opened the list.

The list, as a list should, was full of names.

If there was a commonality, it was that they were the names of the servants who attended to the Youngest Son.

Almost all of them, with just a few exceptions.

Names that seemed to be randomly mixed without any classification.

But there was a definite commonality.

“They are spies for my older brother and sisters.”

“…!”

Hmm. Was that too grand a way to put it?

“I’m not talking about highly trained individuals. They are ordinary people, but they have become the eyes and ears of others for money.”

Now that I had passed the Executioner’s test.

It was right to deal with the bugs in the mansion before expanding my forces.

“How did you know about these?”

“I hear more than the dozens of people on that list combined, and I see more than the dozens of people on that list combined.”

The pupils, redder than the ogre standing behind me, served as proof.

Of course, I said this, but no matter how good my senses were, it was impossible to know everyone.

‘These were the minions who brought information about the Youngest Son when I was a player. Their roles wouldn’t be any different now.’

The characters and factions I had to be hostile to now were, in fact, the characters I had played in the past.

There was no greater irony.

The Head Maid, who would never dream of this fact, carefully tucked the list into her apron.

“I have confirmed. Then, from now on, I will only─”

“Keep coming to work.”

“…Pardon?”

I pointed to the ogre in the back.

Thanks to the quick heart acquisition, this guy saw the light of the world quickly.

“It’s rare to find someone who works as well as you. It’s a hassle to hire someone new, so just keep coming to work. The intelligence department will be working under me anyway.”

“……”

The family's intelligence department was a neutral organization that did not interfere in the succession competition.

A neutral organization works only for the Family Head and the family.

“Deal with the people on the list yourself. I hope something like this doesn't happen again.”

“…As you command.”

“You may go.”

“One thing, before that.”

Shing─

A curved dagger was drawn from behind her apron.

It was as smooth as a black panther revealing its claws in the dead of night.

“What, an assassination attempt?”

“Even though I am an agent of the family, it is a fact that I was monitoring you, Young Master.”

Snip─

She cut her own hair with the blade without hesitation.

Her well-braided golden hair was cut off and fell to the ground.

She then tied the cut hair to the handle and then cut her palm.

In an instant, the blade was covered in blood.

Her golden hair was tied to it.

It looked like a cursed dagger was completed in an instant, but this was self-reflection.

“Your dignity will be tarnished if you let such a person live. However, you have spared my life, Young Master. Therefore.”

A dagger stained with blood and tied with her own hair.

She offered it up on both hands.

“It is meager, but I offer my hair in place of my head, along with my blood, to you, Young Master.”

The meaning was heavy, but I received it lightly.

“Don’t worry about it. If you think about it, I survived thanks to you.”

“…?”

“Go now. There is nothing more to order, nothing more to hold you responsible for.”

“I will have the carriage prepared as ordered. I hope you have a good time at the Citadel.”

The Head Maid hid her cut hand behind her back, bowed her head, and left.

The backyard garden was once again empty.

I tasted the blade with the tip of my tongue.

“You need to cut back on the sweets.”

After a brief diagnosis, I put just a drop of blood on the tip of my index finger and brought it to a new skeleton soldier.

Its description said to bring a heart or blood.

“I got a sample by chance, I can’t not try it.”

I brought the blood to the skeleton soldier.

[Mirea Rara's blood has been confirmed.]

[Blood supply 7% complete.]

[Transformation into Mirea Rara is also 7% complete.]

[Skills will also exhibit only 7% of their power.]

Though weakened, the skill was definitely in my hands.

The skill I had just seen with my own two eyes.

[The Skeleton Soldier has acquired the unique skill 「Weakness Detection」.]

[The Skeleton Soldier has acquired the unique skill 「Footwork: Shadow Body」.]

“As expected of an intelligence agent, her unique skills are also stealthy.”

What was unusual was that it gave me two unique skills.

“So the stronger they are, the more unique skills they can have. And 7% at that.”

It seemed that if I put in blood instead of a heart, the skill's output would be proportional to the amount of blood.

Even so, the output didn't end there.

“Even if I don't have a heart right away, if I keep putting in blood, it will someday become a skill with 100% effect.”

For now, I had to be satisfied with getting the skill.

“I’ve blocked some of the information leaking from the mansion, so I’ve bought a little more time.”

So now was the time to move.

“I need to gather some useful guys at the Citadel.”

At this time, they were bound to be having a hard time in Dusk Citadel.

A time of mutual hardship was a good time to help each other.

The named characters who had flowed into the sewer for their own reasons.

Of course, I knew all of those reasons.

Since they were people who would do anything to achieve their goals, whose very existence was a variable, studying them was essential.

“They’ll probably pull a knife on me as soon as we meet. I should increase my undead private army before I go looking for them.”

The carriage had quickly arrived in front of the mansion.

A box was sitting inside before its owner.

Clothes. Funds. And a spatial artifact.

“I’ve missed you, my spatial artifact.”

This was a must-have unless you were a spirit sorcerer or a poison magic sorcerer.

As befitting something given to a son of a great family of black magic, its storage capacity was immense.

“Get in.”

Whoooosh─

I put the undead ogre and the skeleton soldier that had received the Head Maid's blood inside.

Now that the giant, who was as tall as a tree, was gone, I could finally breathe.

“Depart.”

Rumble, rumble, rumble─

The carriage began to move.

…I could see the coachman’s hands handling the reins through the window.

I could see his gaze, which kept glancing over here even while looking ahead.

I also saw him habitually making eye contact with the people passing by.

The eyes of a vampire bloodline caught them sensitively.

‘Honestly. The Head Maid worries too much.’

Since she was away, she planted another intelligence agent as the coachman.

Since she was the first to witness me pass the test of achievement.

It was unavoidable that she had raised her guard.

‘Go ahead and watch. I’m going to sleep.’

By the time we reached Dusk, it would be dawn.

Considering I would be awake during my sleeping hours, it was right to sleep now.

In the black carriage, the blood kin used his black-purple bangs as an eye mask and went to sleep.

Zzzzz─

Thanks to that, the first page of the intelligence agent’s report was adorned with a light snore.

***

Thud─

“Young Master. We have arrived.”

“…Yeah. I can tell without opening my eyes.”

Dusk Citadel.

The final destination for criminals who were human trash and would be on death row outside.

A sewer-like place was bound to have a sewer-like smell.

Malice and killing intent had turned into a fragrance here, and the air was damp due to the frequent rainy seasons.

In addition, the sunlight that tormented my blood-red eyes was blinding.

‘I can stand everything else. But the sun is hard to look at.’

I scowled and stepped outside.

The intelligence agent didn't enter the Citadel but stopped near the entrance.

Plain clothes.

Seeing this, he must have realized that I had no intention of going around brandishing the family name.

He had good sense.

So I would give him a little something extra.

“Hey. Intelligence agent.”

“I am a coachman─”

“Yes, coachman slash intelligence agent. Your superior, the Head Maid, sent you here, right?”

“……”

The answer was in his silence.

I nodded appropriately and decided what he should say.

“When you go back, tell her. That the Youngest Son has greatly increased his undead private army.”

The intelligence agent just blinked, looking dumbfounded.

Still, I told him everything he needed to say.

“Just relaying this will ensure that the 8 hours you spent driving the carriage were not in vain.”

Because information related to the growth of the bloodline was treated as very valuable.

Especially if it was about a rising star who had overturned previous evaluations in the test of achievement.

I clasped my hands behind my back appropriately and turned my body towards Dusk Citadel.

“Ah, and this. Good work.”

I took a gold coin from my pocket and threw it.

It was a kind of bribe.

A bribe given to the guy who would be writing my report, in the hope that he would write something good.

“Th-thank you.”

That coachman slash intelligence agent would continue to follow me.

“I’ll walk slowly, so follow me at your leisure.”

“F-follow you? A coachman must stay with his horses.”

“Then do as you please.”

I walked towards the Citadel.

Before I met those noteworthy individuals and built my faction, I had to increase my own size first.

To do that, a little cleaning was necessary.