Ren took the chair opposite Daniel, his gaze unyielding. He rejected the thin warmth Daniel offered. "You know me, and you know perfectly well I hail from the Higanbana Terrorist group, Mister Prime Minister." He deliberately emphasized the title, an unspoken challenge. "A quarantine in a filthy bar. A protocol far below the standard for arresting a terrorist."
"What do you want?" Ren's voice was low, sounding like the friction of coarse sand. He leaned back, crossing his arms, forcing a relaxed posture.
Daniel did not answer immediately. His eyes examined Ren's changed external appearance. The silver hair was now dyed jet black. But the red retinas were the same as the ones he had seen thirteen years ago.
"I'm curious about you."
Daniel sighed, the gesture of a man weary of political drama, yet never truly stepping away from it. "Baron Kaja Basileios, Marquis Eldraed Veda, and Senator Alphonsine. The names of the Marble Kingdom's 'Loyal Faction' who had to meet their end at the hands of a seventeen-year-old killer."
Ren did not respond. They were my targets in the past. It's no surprise, Daniel is from the Royal Family after all, he thought.
"If you didn't come here to arrest me, I'm leaving—"
"I'm offering you a deal." Daniel cut him off, placing a white Knight piece into position on the shimmering chessboard. "Play one game with me. If you win, you're free to breathe in Rich City, without any intervention from me."
Ren's sharp eyes narrowed, processing this insane proposition. His opponent was a shrewd politician raised from birth to lead a nation; he couldn't be careless. "What if I refuse?"
"If you refuse, I'll consider you defeated," Daniel replied, his voice calm and absolute. "I'll make you the loyal dog and most obedient asset of the Rich City government. I don't care if you like it or not."
"You are a great potential, and of course, you are still my nephew," he added.
Ren leaned forward, his eyes locked with Daniel's. He dismissed all titles and blood ties. In Ren's eyes, Daniel was merely an opponent on the board, and the stakes were his life and freedom.
"Fine. I hope you don't regret challenging this eighteen-year-old boy, Daniel," Ren said, taking a deep breath. He rejected the formal title and the family bond, accepting only the name that signified the challenge.
Daniel only nodded, a small, genuine smile appearing for the first time, as if he had just found a worthy opponent. He touched the White pieces, then glanced at Ren. "You are the challenged. As the host, I give you the honour of choosing the colour, Ren. White or Black?"
Ren leaned back slightly, feigning indifference. "The colour is irrelevant. My freedom is at stake, not the advantage of the first move. You may go first."
Daniel smiled wider, seemingly amused by Ren's cold arrogance. He took a White Pawn and moved it to E4. The movement was slow, measured—a classic opening that demanded central control.
Ren retaliated without hesitation. He lifted a Black Pawn, clamped it between his index and middle fingers, and slammed it down on E5. The move was faster, more aggressive, matching Daniel's challenge. He allowed the White Pawn to wobble for a moment from the impact of the Black piece.
"I knew you would show an interesting game," Daniel murmured, his gaze sweeping the board, then returning to Ren's eyes. "You never take a passive position."
"Passivity is only for those who wish to die," Ren countered, resting his elbow on the table. His voice was flat, emotionless, but carried the history of a dark life in the slave barracks.
Daniel smiled, this time a slightly sad smile. "A very good ideology for a Prince. You never waste energy."
He advanced his White Knight to F3. A standard development, but in Daniel's hands, every move felt like it had layered implications.
Damn it. A cheap psychological attack, Ren thought internally. He ignored Daniel's statement.
Ren was in no hurry. He leaned forward slightly, tilting his head, allowing the bare bulb light above them to fall sharply on his eyes, making his red pupils look like hardened drops of blood. He wasn't looking at the chessboard; he was seeing patterns, threats, and false symmetries.
"Why do you always try to cut the game short as early as possible?" Ren said, taking his Bishop, and moving it to C5, opening a diagonal attack toward F2.
Daniel chuckled softly, the sound only reaching his throat. "That's what politics teaches you, Ren. Don't let your opponent have choices. Choices always lead to unnecessary unrest."
The game continued in thick silence. Ren used his pieces like knives—fast, precise, and merciless. Each move was based not only on geometric calculation but on an instinctive understanding of human weakness. Daniel, on the other hand, played patiently, gathering his pieces for an inevitable counter-attack.
After eight cold and efficient moves, Ren managed to corner Daniel. In the middle of the board, Daniel made a seemingly careless move, allowing Ren's Black Knight to take the Pawn on G2.
Daniel sighed, as if the Pawn was a burden he had just released. "Are you sure about this? Even if it's a lure? Material advantage always distracts from the overall map."
Ren took the Pawn, then stared at Daniel. "Lures only work on those who are easily bluffed. I'm not," he said, his voice sharp. "Focus, Daniel, look how exposed your King's neck is."
Ren advanced his Black Bishop to E3 and delivered a Double Check, attacking Daniel's King with both the Bishop and the Knight simultaneously.
Daniel froze. His hands, which had been resting calmly on the table, now slowly clenched into fists. A Prime Minister, who controlled the entire political machine of the nation, had just been checkmated to death by an eighteen-year-old. In the world of chess, a Double Check almost always means an immediate loss, because the King cannot block two attacks at once and must escape.
Daniel's normally controlled face now showed a shadow of defeat. He stared into Ren's eyes, no longer as a chess opponent, but as a man who had failed a test.
"I only have one move, Ren," Daniel whispered, his voice containing a reluctant admission. "And I know you've already seen it. But it means sacrificing my Rook."
"Correct," Ren cut in, his voice flat again. "One more move. Then, you lose."
Daniel closed his eyes for a moment, accepting the defeat. He moved his King to G1. And just as Ren had said, the Black Knight he had previously dismissed as a lure now took Daniel's White Rook on H1.
The chessboard was silent, as if the pieces themselves were holding their breath, waiting for their next tactics.
Daniel opened his eyes, and his cold smile returned. It was a smile that acknowledged an honest defeat. He pushed the chessboard aside, making several pieces fall and clatter on the floor.
"Congratulations, you've won your freedom," Daniel said, his voice calm, carrying a newfound respect. "The capacity of a Prince forged in the dirty mud produces a truly fascinating soul."
Ren did not smile, hearing his true identity felt like an insult to him.
"I won't take that as a compliment." His eyes focused on noting the details of Daniel's defeated face. He had won the battle of chess, but he also knew that the larger game had just begun.
"And one thing, from the start I never intended to lose, Daniel," Ren said, reverting to using only the name. "I will use this freedom for my own benefit. Without disrupting your Rich City."
Daniel could only lean back. "I won't break my promise. I didn't give you freedom for no reason. I told you, I know your potential."
Daniel took a breath. "The Higanbana Terrorist group spent eight years shaping you, but what they created was an untamed Knight. Your mission records show an completion ratio with an 'emotional efficiency' level that cannot be replicated by Zero; he is the rigid product of the Palace."
"Zero?"
Daniel picked up and placed his white King on the table, producing a sharp clack! sound. "In short, my son will soon be at the peak of a corporation that may be very influential for Rich City. You can't fight a giant corporation with just a dagger, can you?"
Ren raised an eyebrow, making sure he hadn't misheard the sentence Daniel had spoken. "Look, the remnants of the Marble Kingdom will be killed by my dagger. But you want to pit your own son against me? Are you crazy?"
"The full details are long and complicated. I don't think you have time to hear them now." Daniel leaned in slightly and smiled thinly. "I won't interfere with your freedom. But it seems you're going to be very busy from now on."
Then he placed a small, folded piece of paper from his suit pocket. "You and the Higanbana Terrorist group succeeded in destroying the Kingdom, but my brother, King Henry, and his Queen disappeared, they did not die. The Marble Kingdom's Loyal Faction is also still alive and aiming for my seat of power."
"Consider it a bonus from me. The rest is your business." Daniel withdrew his hand. His thin smile remained.
Ren understood. Daniel's sentence was absolute. This was a tempting bonus. The paper could give him three advantages at once: money, clearance, and information.
Ren looked at the paper, then his eyes locked back onto Daniel with a cynical smile. "I wonder, how will your people react if they knew their leader was allied with this killer and former terrorist."
Daniel responded with a heavy sigh, then said with sweet sarcasm. "Having a nephew turns out to be quite troublesome, doesn't it?"
"More accurately, Henry is the troublesome one. I never even got pocket money from my own Father, haha." Ren did not refuse, with a quick motion he took the paper.
He looked at his uncle, who was now an unspoken ally bound by defeat on the chessboard.
Daniel was right; Ren didn't have time to hear about the family drama or Rich City's political affairs right now. His priority was to eliminate all members of the Marble Kingdom involved in his mother's death. Then, to pay off his moral debt to Riko in the past.
"Alright, I still have to deal with someone's birthday present. So, don't get in my way." Ren stood up, ready to carry his shadow back into the nightlife of the Merge District.
Just before Ren stepped away, Daniel interrupted.
"The Astra of Flame Pendant."
Ren froze, his eyes staring sharply at Daniel full of questions, "How much do you know—"
"I only wish to advise you, for now, keep it safe." Daniel said calmly. But that answer did not answer Ren's question at all; it only made him more irritated.
Ren, without another farewell, immediately bolted toward the bar exit, carrying with him the promise of freedom won on the chessboard.
This time, Daniel did not stop him. Forgive me, Ren. Thirteen years ago, I couldn't do anything. Even now, this is the only way I can help, he whispered to the figure who had been swallowed by the district's night shadows.
The Prime Minister knew that to put Ren on the same chessboard as Zero, he had to orchestrate a larger and more mature scheme. Although their playing styles were different, Daniel was certain Ren was a worthy and balanced opponent for Zero.
Or perhaps… even stronger.
Merge District, First Week of April, 2323
Almost a month had passed since Ren and Sid reached the agreement in the warehouse. Ren used that time to absorb the data Daniel had provided, and to perfect his escape matrix.
That night, approaching midnight, the air in the Merge District felt cold and silent.
Ren sat on the edge of the roof next to the cafe's storage room. The thin screen in his hand cast a faint blue light on his rigid face. His eyes were focused on the list of Higanbana terrorist fugitives released a week ago. His Code Name was there, 'Shiroi Hitsuji' (White Sheep), listed as a Tier Platinum threat.
The nominal price on his head was clearly stated: 10 Billion Marble Credit. A monumental figure—equivalent to about 18 million US Dollars—an amount enough to turn the entire Rich City into bounty hunters.
So this is the freedom you promised, Daniel? What freedom? My face is plastered on that list. Damn it. Ren cursed the air around him.
However, Ren breathed a sigh of relief. The photo used was an old mugshot of Ren when he still had silver hair, vastly different from his current external appearance. The risk of visual and name identification had significantly decreased.
Suddenly, Ren's movement senses reacted. Silently, he turned off his encrypted phone screen and slipped it into his trouser pocket.
Sid walked slowly, silently, exiting through the small window in the storage room. He carried two ceramic mugs that were still steaming, one for himself, one for Ren.
"A high school senior shouldn't be sitting on a roof at two in the morning, staring at the Rich City sky," Sid said, his voice calm, handing over the mug of hot coffee.
Ren accepted the mug with his left hand, inhaling its strong aroma. He knew Sid was subtly referencing the "runaway from home" lie and his young age.
Sid did not wait for Ren to answer; he sat beside Ren, his legs dangling below. "I'll turn a blind eye to the reason you ran away from home. How about we talk a bit, a man-to-man chat."
Sid sipped his coffee, then pointed to the distant silhouette of the Arena District. "There's the Noble Council, then the Library building, all the way to Green Belt Prison. Their facades are slowly shifting to the modern era, but, as their blueprint creator, I'm stuck here. An irony, isn't it?"
Ren turned slightly, looking at Sid with new respect. Sid was not just a barista; he was a former part of the weary Marble Kingdom, who chose to bury his knowledge for the sake of his small cafe.
"Even so, I don't regret leaving my job. Now, I just need to focus on Ciel, and live a peaceful life in this district," Sid continued, his gaze wistful behind his glasses.
Ren broke the long silence after sipping his coffee. "Coffee from an architect's hand, huh? A unique taste. Even in these conditions, you're a great older brother to her."
Sid smiled faintly, shaking his head. "Ciel isn't my sister. We've just known each other since childhood, and our fate wasn't much different. That's why we feel mutually responsible for each other, but our blood is not tied."
It was an emotional bond irrelevant to Ren's life, so he didn't know how to respond.
The coffee in Ren's mug felt cold. A week had passed since his mugshot was released, but there were no signs of a leak regarding his position. During that time, Ren had also transferred a good amount of money to Sid, to buy primary and tertiary needs. And to exchange it for cash, the total amount he received was all accurate.
"I owe you a great debt," Ren said, his gaze returning to the city's darkness. "But, I also need to move soon."
Ren turned slightly to Sid, his sharp eyes scrutinizing every thread of tranquility on the cafe owner's face. They don't even know my status, or the fantastic price on my head, Ren thought coldly.
Sid simply nodded, his eyes showing calm understanding. "We understand," Sid replied briefly. Without asking where Ren would go next. He just believed Ren's promise to return was not a lie.
The next day, an hour before the cafe closed, Sid was tidying up the wooden chairs, while Ren, in his characteristic silence, helped Ciel clean the kitchen utensils—a job he did unasked, fulfilling a small part of his debt of obligation.
Suddenly, the cafe door creaked open, and a man in a suit, who looked far too fashionable for the Merge District, stepped inside. He carried the aura of false assertiveness typical of low-level promoters.
The man went straight to Ciel, ignoring Sid. "Ciel. I told you, this is a golden opportunity. CLOVER is a new idol agency fully supported by the city government. You have unmatched visual potential; don't waste it in this dingy cafe."
Ciel looked up, her eyes showing sharp annoyance. "I've rejected you three times, Mister Giovanni. My job here is perfectly fine."
Sid, who had been quiet, moved quickly to stand beside Ciel. His posture was lean, but his presence radiated an inviolable boundary. "She said no, Mister Giovanni. Find your 'visual potential' in the Arena District, not here."
Giovanni scoffed. "You won't hide your sister's potential here forever, Sid. Corporations will come here sooner or later, and you will regret not capitalizing on her." The man then left, slamming the door, leaving a tense atmosphere.
Ren, who had been standing in the corner of the kitchen, washing dishes with efficient movements, said nothing. However, his red eyes narrowed. He had noted the name: CLOVER. He wasn't interested in Ciel's talent drama, but the agency's name and the pressure applied felt too organized for a new idol agency.
After the cafe was completely deserted, Ren left through the back door. He moved silently, following Giovanni's escape route, which he predicted led to the nearest metro stop.
Ren found Giovanni standing under a flickering streetlamp, brooding as he flicked away his finished cigarette butt. When he reached for a new stick, the cigarette box was empty.
"Damn it, I should have brought two packs."
Ren approached from the shadows, his voice low. "You look troubled."
Giovanni was startled, almost dropping his empty cigarette pack. He turned, seeing Ren wearing a black jacket, his posture stiff with a cold, red-eyed gaze. "Who are you?!"
Ren didn't answer. Instead, he took a slim pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered a stick to Giovanni.
"I don't mind sharing, Mister."