Reincarnated as a random race, of course I got goblin.

Chapter 107 - Prelude

As Witnessed by the Divine

Three noblemen sit, gathered around a table filled with glasses and bottles of fine wine. Four glasses are set out, they're impatiently awaiting the arrival of the fourth person who is running late.

"This is unlike him. Do we go look for him?" One of them grumbles, annoyed that his 'friend' is late. It wasn't easy to snag these bottles, and given their reputation with the King, they'll be the first suspects once the theft is discovered. Which gives them little time to enjoy the stolen goods.

"We give him five more minutes. After that, we begin without him. How does that sound, Argon?" The other suggests, looking towards the third man in the group, who is haphazardly leaning back in his chair whilst balancing it on its two hind legs.

"Aye, his own fault he's late." Argon Amberroux, third in line to the throne, nods. Although he's the Third Crown Prince, he's as close to having a chance at the throne as the common peasant. The only reason he even has that title is because his father gave up the throne for his younger brother and Argon's uncle, the current King of Parshura.

Succession in Parshura is a bit convoluted. The ruler's own children have no claim to the throne, only nieces and nephews of the King or Queen can inherit the title. As such, the siblings of the First Crown Prince(ss) usually go on to have many children of their own, in order to increase their chances that their child is next in line.

Of course, being the oldest nephew or niece of the ruler doesn't guarantee your ascension to the throne. An expansive curriculum of etiquette, ethics, general education, socioeconomics, warfare and person-on-person combat is taught to all the royal children, but only those that excel are considered for the throne.

In fact, it is the Second Crown Princess that's currently the favorite to inherit the throne. Maybel Amberroux, Argon's least favorite person next to the King himself and the entirety of the Harmekian people. 

As four minutes pass, the men get ready to begin without the fourth. However, the door to the room suddenly opens, nearly causing Argon to tip onto the floor as he struggles to balance his precarious chair. 

"Your Highness! Fellow miscreants. I have important news!" The fourth man excitedly runs into the room. 

"What is it, Ant? It better be good, we're behind schedule because of you." The first man raises an eyebrow. 

"I just saw two guards report to the King, and just after they left, he left the throne-room, holding a strange box. I tailed him for a little, just to get a sense of where he might be going, and he headed towards the Treasury! And- And! The Monarch's arrived!" Ant excitedly waves his arms as he speaks, as he is want to do when his mood is good. 

"How's the Monarch arriving got anything to do with the King storing something in the Treasury?" Argon asks, having regained his balance. He's currently fiddling with the seal of a wine-bottle, eager to begin drinking. 

The second man pauses for a moment, before a light of realization appears in his eyes. "No, it's got everything to do with the Monarch. If the guards told him that it'd arrived, and he went to secure something in the Treasury that would normally be in the throne-room... Whatever it is would be something he wouldn't want the Monarch to know he has!" 

The normally slow-on-the-uptake Argon straightens his back, a determination in his eyes. "Then, gentlemen, we need to get our hands on whatever that is. Wasp, I trust you'll deal with the guards?" He turns to the first man, Wasp, who nods. 

"You're not supposed to know this, but the Treasury's guarded by an Otoroshi. It'll only allow someone with royal blood entrance." Argon is like a different man now that an opportunity to harm the King has presented itself. His normally dull, disinterested eyes are filled with an unnerving coldness.

"So, only you can enter. I see. Well, we'll man the gates and keep people away whilst you scrounge around." The second man gives a mock salute, internally cursing at the convenience of the Otoroshi.

"You Two, There's An Incident In The Garden, You're Needed There." Wasp's words cause the air to shimmer as he wields the power of Suggestion, an offshoot of the Command Spell. The power of it is lesser, but it's also harder for the target to realize they've been targeted by a Spell. As such, one could say it's more useful than Command in many situations. Despite the similarities in names, there's little overlap between Suggest and Suggestion. The Suggest Skill forces the target to believe, the Suggestion Spell makes the target more likely to believe.

Not questioning the veracity of the nobleman's claims, the two heavily armored guards hurry up the stairs, perhaps eager for a change of pace from the monotony of guarding the entrance to the Treasury.

"Your Highness." Wasp steps aside with a bow, letting Argon through the door and into the cavernous area behind it. The Third Crown Prince hesitates at the sight of what's in front of him.

The ceiling of the room is almost ten meters (~23.8 feet~) high. A wall reaches halfway up to the ceiling, adorned with uncountable enchantments as well as a row of spikes facing downwards from an angle to thwart any who would try to climb it. In the middle of this oddly placed wall is a large gate.

The gate itself is open, and behind it, Argon can see the Treasury. A strange box of ebony wood catches his eye, that's most likely what Ant had seen the King carry. He steels himself, and walks towards the gate with all the confidence he can muster.

"Who goes there? You smell of chosen blood, though this one must ask what your errand here is. This one hasn't seen you before."

Argon freezes as a strange voice mutters nonsense at him. It came from atop the gate! Fearfully, he brings his view upwards, and he just about faints from the sight that greets him. Glowing amber eyes peer down upon him. Uncountable sharp teeth jut from a far-too-wide mouth, seeming to curl into a sadistic smile. It's hard to tell where the monster begins and the darkness ends as it is wreathed in a flowing, ragged mane, though Argon can see two front paws studded with claws far sharper than any monster should ever need.

"Let me pass. I am of royal blood." He somehow finds courage to address the creature perched atop the gate. He shivers internally as the Otoroshi tilts its head at him, the action seeming to accentuate all the most horrible aspects of its appearance.

"Hah. Very well." 

More nonsense, sounding amused. The Otoroshi closes its eyes and hides its mouth, and somehow, it fades from view. Hesitantly, Argon steps through the gate. He feels watched, and turns back to face the back of the gate he just walked through.

He now realizes why the Otoroshi let him through so easily. He might be of royal blood, and thus have the right to enter without opposition, but there's nothing stopping the monster from tearing him to shreds if it decides he's not allowed to take something out of the Treasury.

Indeed, there is not a single blind spot in the Treasury where he might be able to hide his actions. The Otoroshi will know he took something, and he has to try to enter the gate to get out. The monster didn't vanish, it's still there, atop that gate, intently watching his every move. It just hid itself so he couldn't see it.

Drawing a shaky breath, Argon picks up the ebonwood box. He shivers as an icy cold gaze pierces his very Soul. This is definitely an item he's not allowed to take out of the Treasury. But the Otoroshi remains atop the gate, giving him the courage needed to open the lid of the box.

He almost drops the box in shock as he realizes what it contains. A diadem, studded with a large, brilliant-cut Magic Gem as well as multiple smaller ordinary gems rests in the red velvet lined box. He's seen diagrams for it, once when he and his friends stole into the King's private library.

A Control Diadem. Taboo. Forbidden. Woe upon whoever's foolish enough to create one after the horrors such items helped bring upon the World. He's not a particularly smart man, but even he realizes why the King hid it away when the Monarch came. 

It's tuned to the Monarch! It practically hums with energy, and an instinctive knowledge blossoms in his mind. With this, he can control the Monarch as he pleases, but if he ever removes the Diadem, he will be ripped to pieces by the enraged monster.

Argon swallows heavily before reaching into the box, ignoring the icy shivers going up and down his spine as he touches the too-cold item.

He then dons the Control Diadem.