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"If only no one interfered," Rinne retorted.

Upon hearing this, Francis gave Rinne a puzzled look, but soon nodded in understanding.

"It\'s foolish to believe no one did interfere, but it\'s an open secret after all. With the competition nearing its end and not even having a proper frame for the golem, it\'s evident you must\'ve faced many obstacles. You might not admit it, but you\'ve likely been greatly hindered."

There was no guarantee it would not happen again.

"Exactly. \'Assistance\' can mean many things."

Assisting in the work had a broad meaning. It could be a way to eliminate those who interfered or to uncover the main culprit.

"Well, what do you think of this?" Davey handed over the blueprints he had reviewed, complete with comments and critiques.

Upon receiving them, Francis knelt before him with wide eyes, as if he had received a divine gift.

"No, no, please don\'t kneel," Davey urged.

"Ah... This... This is nothing short of a blessing!"

Seeing Francis\' exaggerated reaction made Davey feel somewhat uncomfortable. Alchemists, they were all so eccentric.

* * *

Prince Duran, collaborating with the headmaster, turned away from his glass of wine to glance at the bed. Two women lay there, completely undressed and appearing lifeless. They were both maids from the castle. It had seemed like a good idea to bring them here for his amusement, but he found it difficult to focus.

"I can\'t simply move on," Duran muttered.

The headmaster had become increasingly fearful. In the past, he was fearless and commendable, but recently, he had shown a passive side when dealing with Edison or related matters. Duran was not pleased with this shift. Being overpowered by an inferior race was not befitting of royalty.

Setting down his wine, Duran approached one of the women and lightly tapped her cheek. No reaction. His heart was set on just one girl, Tiara – Edison\'s granddaughter, who was renowned for her beauty and mischief. From the moment he laid eyes on her, Duran could not feel anything for any other woman.

When he first met her at a ball, he was captivated by her radiant beauty, which had the potential to bring kingdoms to their knees. He was overwhelmed with a dark desire to make her his and enjoy her beauty every night. Circumstances seemed to be in his favor, but there was an obstacle: Davey, the Saint of the continent, the hero. Why did he have to meddle in his plans?

In frustration, Duran slapped the fallen maid. "Leave. You no longer amuse me."

Upon Duran\'s words, the maids slowly got up, picked up their clothes, and bowed their heads in submission. Yes, everything should be this way. Everyone should follow him, the soon-to-be king and a high-ranking official in the alchemy faction. At least in this country.

"Not much time left now. The headmaster may be full of fear, but who can truly live an honest life in this world?"

Prince Davey was too fearless for his liking. In the tiger\'s den, the rules of the tiger apply. He would show Davey that there are no absolutes in life. If he did not produce a work for the competition, he was as good as done. Duran had no intention of confronting Davey physically. There was no need to make an enemy unnecessarily.

"Alkaeda."

Upon hearing the name, a man in a black mask emerged from the darkness.

"Make him despair once again, as always."

It had happened before. Due to the needless fears of the headmaster, Prince Duran had hired the assassin\'s guild to destroy the artwork that the technician Edison was working on. Naturally, Edison resisted and protested, but what good could it do without any evidence? This was the headmaster\'s usual way. As he had always done, he planned to do so again this time.

But this time was different.

"That\'s not possible."

Suddenly, the loyal assassinator Alkaeda refused Duran’s order.

"What did you say?" Duran glared at him with an ice-cold face.

The eyes of the masked Alkaeda flashed. "If we follow that order now, our entire guild is at risk of being obliterated."

Duran’s face showed his disbelief. "What? Since when have you started refusing my orders? If you\'re paid, you should just do your job!"

Enraged, Duran threw his wine glass at him. The sound of shattering glass echoed.

Despite being hit on the head by the glass, Alkaeda\'s eyes remained calm. He said, "This is a common rule of our Dark Guild."

"Why won\'t you do it?"

"There are individuals we mustn\'t touch."

Duran’s expression darkened. The very men who would incite conflicts even between parent and child for money, were now seemingly defending a hero.

"You, of all people, sparing someone just because they\'re called a hero of the continent?"

"It\'s not about that." Alkaeda stared coldly at Davey. "Touching him means our entire guild might disappear overnight. We might do anything for money, but if that happens, it would be meaningless."

Duran was silent for a long time.

"If you want it done, do it yourself. We can\'t help with this matter anymore."

"You!"

"There\'s a saying that\'s been passed down among us. It would be better to stick one\'s head in a dragon\'s mouth.”

Duran’s face turned red with rage.

* * *

The competition was just two days away. Despite the pressing situation, Edison looked as usual. No, he seemed even more relaxed than usual.

\'Such filthy creatures.\'

Only Duran was left feeling nauseated.

The headmaster, who should have also been worried, had already locked himself in his workshop, refusing to come out. All of this was because of a single statement by Elder Francis. He had said it was not a competition, but just a one-sided crushing. Duran knew that Francis, who was not one to exaggerate, must have been right. A deep sense of unease rose from within him. The headmaster probably felt the same. He must have locked himself in his workshop to hide his anxiety.

What if they lost the competition? The situation would turn dire. Not only would Duran’s reputation be tarnished, but the headmaster would also face intense criticism. The headmaster could even be removed from his position before the next election. If that happened, Duran would lose everything. His chance of becoming the next king would vanish, and his supporting power base would weaken.

Above all, winning over Tiara, the girl he had been eyeing, would become even more difficult. Although she was not yet engaged, she was wary of and disliked Duran. She was a lively girl, so popular in the kingdom that she was almost a national treasure. Almost everyone admired her for her eccentric and vibrant nature.

There was a desire to conquer her, to possess her, and to dominate her in bed. There were advantages in such a position, of course. But pushing everything aside, the dark desire to simply capture and own the beautiful girl was the most significant.

\'I was so close. Just a bit more and I could have seen her beneath me, crying out!\'

That damned man was shaking everything up. Duran was so surprised by the impact of the man\'s mere presence that he wondered if it was even possible for someone to be so influential just by existing.

As Duran emerged from the workshop, he soon spotted the Director, who wore a tired expression. "Director."

"Prince Duran."

"How is the work progressing?"

"We\'re almost at the final stage. To be honest, although Edison\'s technological prowess is not weak, I am confident that it\'s not superior to ours."

There was evident confidence in the Director’s words, but that was all.

"But that prince might be an issue. If he introduces any variables..."

"That won\'t happen," Duran interrupted with a grim expression. "The golem will be destroyed, and that damned duo will bow down to us."

"How do you plan to…?"

"We\'ll do as we\'ve always done."

Even though loyal Alkaeda had declined the assignment, Duran was not one to sit idle.

"If those useless pawns don\'t cooperate, we will have to step in ourselves. We can destroy their work and steal their hidden card."

There were many ways to ensure no evidence was left behind.

"If Prince Davey has handed over something unknown to me to the technical advisor... stopping that alone would ensure our decisive victory in the competition."

"Just focus on the work, Director. I\'ll handle the rest," Duran whispered coldly and swiftly made his move.

He could not trust those informants driven by damned money. But, an opportunity had presented itself. According to reports, Prince Davey had temporarily left the country for some reason. Without him, there would be no challenges.

It was time for Duran to unveil his hidden card. He reached into his drawer and pulled out a small artifact. It was a valuable relic purchased from mercenaries who had found it in ancient ruins. With this, even Davey would be powerless.

* * *

A dark warehouse.

The lights in Edison\'s workshop had not gone off for days. The work continued unabated. It seemed he might even be living there, as he had not been seen leaving. Moreover, there had been reports of that traitorous elder Francis, the damned man, visiting the place now and then. They could cancel the competition by claiming he interfered, but that was a last resort. Carelessly, they might turn neutral Francis into an enemy.

From the shadows, a transparent figure emerged. It headed toward the large storage area behind Edison\'s workshop. The elusive figure soon revealed its form. It was none other than Prince Duran, wearing a necklace.