I Became the Narrow-Eyed Character in the Little Prince Game

"More than enough, wouldn’t you say."
The Sovereign laughed as though the answer was obvious.
After all, though they were both villains, the two sides were mortal enemies.

The Sovereign held a particularly intense hatred for the cult.
He’d hunt down black mages just for amusement, or deliberately interfere in their plans—
Naturally, to the cult, the Kingdom and its ruler were a thorn in their side.

Of all the underworld powers, only the Kingdom and Astro openly rejected them.
In other words, from the cult’s perspective, if they could eliminate just those two, the entire underworld would be theirs.
There was no reason not to strike first.

"So… spreading the drug to trigger this chaos fits together neatly."
"You’ve got to admire their grim thoroughness. Unlike Rekiye, the Kingdom has loose regulations on narcotics, so it was an easy target."
"Tch. Just can’t bring myself to like them, no matter what."

"…A drug, huh."
I sank into thought.
A drug that rendered people comatose—nothing like this had ever appeared in [N O V E L I G H T] the original story.

But considering all the changes I’ve made so far, the butterfly effect had to show up eventually.
Fortunately, there was one name that came to mind.
L’Attrapeur de l’aube — The Dawncatcher.

The Fourth Apostle of the Demon God.
A being who wielded the power of dreams and night.
If my hunch was right, the Kingdom was on the verge of destruction.
Not just the city—but the surrounding regions would soon be scorched to the ground.

If we didn’t bring this situation under control…
"……"
"So, the two of you are the only ones who came for support?"

A sudden shift in gaze. The Sovereign’s eyes turned toward us.
He looked between me and Neria in turn.
His golden eyes gleamed with cryptic amusement.

"It’s been a long time, Neria."
A greeting tossed out carelessly.
But everyone knew it wasn’t a genuine inquiry about her well-being.

The expression on his face made it clear—he was trying to provoke her.
Neria’s expression, already strained, tightened as she clenched her fists.
"Let’s stop there."

Before things could escalate, I stepped between them.
I pulled Neria close into my arms, shielding her.
My half-lidded eyes stared directly at the Sovereign.

A clear warning: go any further, and I’ll kill you.
"I’d prefer not to waste time with posturing."
"My, not even an old man’s friendly greeting gets through?"

"Any more of it and the vice-captain might just rip you to pieces."
"Chilling words. Though I doubt she could pull it off."
"Then I suppose I’d have to do it myself."

"In that case, I’ll politely decline."
The Sovereign finally backed down.
I let the suppressed pressure I'd raised fall away again.

Around us, mangled remains of specters shredded by the aura’s backlash fluttered in the dark.
We exchanged a long look in silence.
I clicked my tongue inwardly, without letting it be heard.

This is why I didn’t want to bring her…
To Neria, the Sovereign was the one who had pushed part of her life into hell.
I never wanted her to meet him again—or even think about him.

But circumstances always forced your hand.
Especially in urgent times like this.
—Master, let me come with you.
—Please, don’t worry about me.
—I’ll be fine.

The personnel situation had been uncertain.
Irene had to remain at the academy in case anything happened.
Kyle, too, had to stay at headquarters to maintain defenses.

Now that the Kingdom had been attacked, Astro was almost certainly on the cult’s target list as well.
Especially for high-ranking Star-bearers like us, transporting key figures was a sensitive task.
It was in that situation, with all the pressure weighing down, that Neria had offered to come.

I held firm the heart that was wavering.
She’ll be okay.
Neria’s role was crucial.

If our enemy was the Dawncatcher, then her power would be the key to resolving this incident.
Specifically, the starlight she held—the possibility it represented.
All I could do was trust in the girl—and in our winter.

Letting out a faint sigh, I changed the subject.
"On another note, I don’t see your royal guard anywhere."
"You mean those kids? I assigned them elsewhere, so they couldn’t accompany me."

"Assigned?"
The Kingdom—
The underground city was currently in a state of mass blackout.

Most of the underworld’s lowlifes were in a comatose state.
The few who hadn’t fallen asleep were being devoured by specters unleashed by the cult.
The corpses we’d seen scattered among the unconscious were a result of that.

Those who didn’t fall as planned had their brains devoured and were tossed aside.
"Someone has to protect them from the specters, don’t you think?"
"Wait… you mean your royal guard is protecting civilians?"

"Is that so surprising?"
The Sovereign burst out laughing at my reaction.
He stroked his neatly trimmed beard and added,

"I’m still a sovereign, am I not? I need to care for the people."
"I… didn’t expect that from you."
"Bit of a rude thing to say."

"I honestly thought you didn’t care at all."
"If there are no citizens, how can there be a kingdom?"
"That’s… sound reasoning."

"Without a floor, there is no ceiling either."
The Sovereign answered without a hint of hesitation.
As I watched him, a conversation from long ago echoed in my ears.

Back during a previous visit to the Kingdom.
—You’re far too quick to make assumptions about others’ sincerity.
—Do you realize?
—Having certainty in others is foolish.
—After all, humans can’t read minds.
A strange moment for such thoughts.

As those memories passed, another voice followed in the present.
I met the old man’s golden gaze again.
He had always been someone I couldn’t quite read.

"Bulmyeong, Bulshin, Bului… they’re all hunting specters right now."
"With how big the city is, the three of them must be stretched thin."
"Even so, I won’t use someone I don’t trust."

"Wasn’t there one more among your royal guard? Anxiety, I think—the young man I dealt with last time."
"If you’re looking for him, I’m afraid it’s too late. He died two days ago. Found his corpse in a back alley."
"…That I wasn’t expecting."

"He was torn apart. Viciously."
That was unexpected news.
He had acted like a fool, sure, and I’d crushed him like an ant for it—but even so,

He was still powerful enough to be on par with an academy professor.
For someone of that caliber to be devoured by a mere specter—
"A surprise attack?"

"Seems likely. He wasn’t a weakling, after all."
"The more I hear, the more the pieces start to fall into place."
"You always seem to know everything. As if you’ve seen the future."

"Let’s skip the idle chatter from here on."
"Tch… always dodging the question."
Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter.

The old man left his mutterings behind and started walking again.
I watched him, eyes heavy.
No matter how many times I saw him, I couldn’t understand him.

He treated life carelessly yet tried to protect his people, used his subordinates like tools yet showed quiet fury at their deaths, committed unspeakable acts yet held unwavering pride in his gaze.
The Sovereign was truly unreadable.
"…Let’s go, Lady Neria."

"Yes, Master."
We crossed the pitch-dark underworld.
***

Meanwhile—
In the plaza at the center of the Kingdom,
Countless specters roamed the streets.

And walking among them—one woman.
A bride in crimson, her face veiled in blood-red.
“O god of chaos and the abyss, from within the fog.”

The woman prayed softly.
In her neatly joined hands, a faint purple glow flickered.
Specks of powder scattered gently in the air—remnants of the same energy.

It was none other than Cauchemar, the drug that had overtaken the underground city.
Her dainty steps wove between the slumbering citizens.
Like a faerie of the night drifting through dreams.

“Ahh… a world that has lost its light, no one can give any answer.”
Gllrrrk—
Before the woman sat a strange mass.

It pulsed with a steady rhythm—resembling a human heart.
Saturated with purple mana, it looked ready to burst at any moment.
Her slender fingers caressed the grotesque organ as though in adoration.

Madness flickered in her voice.
“When you descend, the world shall be dyed in pitch-black, reclaiming the primordial darkness once more…”
The heart flashed.

It was the crystallized result of condensed human nightmares.
“Let night fall upon these pitiful beings.”
Her lips moved with ecstatic reverence.

The tears dripping down her cheeks were pure crimson.
A nightmare loomed over the Kingdom.