[ Scene ]
The buggy moved slowly along the wide white road that curved through the center of Alias City like a bright river made of stone, and the two black horses pulling it snorted softly as their hooves struck the polished pavement that had been carved hundreds of years ago when the city was first built by the great charles leonhart in such a way that they pronounced the idea that their capital should look so beautiful that even travelers from distant kingdoms would stop speaking for a moment just to stare at it.
Tall towers stood on both sides of the road, their walls made of red marble that reflected the evening sunlight in golden shades, and long silk banners floated from the balconies where noble families watched the streets below as if the city itself was a stage artist for them every single day. And in this beautiful city the Strange magical creatures were drifting in the sky above, slow floating beasts that looked like glowing jellyfish with long transparent wings, and every time one of them passed above the road the light from its body painted the ground in soft blue colors that made the city looked dreamy like ocean.
Inside the buggy Otto sat straight with his hands folded calmly as if the movement of the carriage did not affect him at all, while Will sat in the most careless way possible with one leg stretched across the seat and the other hanging half outside the carriage as if he did not care about dignity, discipline, or the fact that half the royal guards would faint if they saw how he was sitting. Across from them sat the quiet boy who until yesterday had only been known by a strange marking number that even sounded strange when spoken aloud.
Otto finally broke the silence while looking outside at the passing towers, and he spoke in the same controlled voice that always made people feel as if every word had already been planned long before the conversation began.
Otto spoke:
"Now you will soon enter the Leonhart mansion as the personal servant of the Seventh Princess Lily, and your official work inside the mansion will include cleaning duties, messenger duties, assisting with daily tasks, and quietly observing everything that happens around her without attracting attention, because from this moment your most important responsibility will be to tell us every unusual movement or suspicious behavior that happens inside those walls."
Before the boy could even respond, Will suddenly turned his head toward Otto with an expression that looked half offended and half bored, and he let out a long exaggerated sigh that sounded so dramatic that even the horses outside seemed to slow down slightly.
"Wait a second, old man, because I feel like I missed something very important while I was sitting here enjoying the scenery and trying not to fall asleep from your political speeches, so let me understand this properly before my brain explodes. You are telling me that this silent skeleton sitting in front of me is going to walk freely inside my house, breathe the same air as Princess Lily, and move around the mansion like he belongs there, and somehow I am expected to sit quietly and clap for this brilliant plan of yours?"
Otto did not even look at him while answering.
You are expected to behave like a responsible guard instead of a loud child, because this arrangement is necessary for the safety of the princess."
Will immediately leaned forward, placing both elbows on his knees while staring directly at the boy with suspicious eyes, as if he was trying to see through his skull.
"Before we continue this ridiculous discussion, someone needs to explain something very important to me because I refuse to call this person by a number like he is some storage box inside a warehouse. What exactly am I supposed to call you, because if I have to shout 'Hey negative 9999' across the mansion corridor I promise you the maids will start thinking I have finally lost my mind."
The boy stayed silent for a moment.
Will waved his hand impatiently.
"See, this is exactly what I mean. He sits like a statue, he talks like a ghost, and now you want him inside the mansion where my cousin Lily lives. That girl already has enough problems without adopting a mysterious silent servant who looks like he solves puzzles in his sleep."
Otto slowly turned his head this time.
"Whether you like it or not, the boy will remain in the mansion because his mind is sharper than most people in the capital, and you should remember that he defeated me in chess during the very first game he ever played."
Will blinked twice in disbelief.
Then he leaned back dramatically while placing a hand on his chest as if someone had stabbed him.
"You lost a game of strategy to someone who learned the rules five minutes earlier, it's your mistake dont include me in this mess up you are own your own , I won't accept this guy as a personal maid, besides he looks pervy and I don't like his handsome face at all this person will not go princess lily's room and you are still speaking like you are the smartest man in the kingdom. Do you understand how embarrassing that sounds when I hear it out loud?"
Otto ignored the insult completely.
"You will act as Princess Lily's main bodyguard, and he will act as her servant."
Will snorted loudly.
"That makes absolutely no sense because I am already protecting her, and if anyone tries to harm Lily they will meet my sword before they even finish the thought. So tell me why exactly we need this walking imaginary number when I am already there."
Otto's voice became slightly firmer.
Because your problem, Will, is that you act before thinking and fight before observing, and protecting someone important requires patience, intelligence, and awareness of hidden threats that cannot always be solved with a sword."
Will crossed his arms stubbornly.
"I don't care about hidden threats, secret enemies, or mysterious nonsense because anyone who wants to hurt Lily will have to walk past me first, and I promise you that nobody in this kingdom is stupid enough to try that."
Otto looked out the window again where a group of children were chasing a tiny horned creature that jumped between rooftops.
Then he spoke slowly.
"The princess may be in danger because of something she was born with, something ancient that might be connected to knowledge older than this kingdom, something that may even reveal secrets about the origins of the world and the sixteen Lokas."
Will's joking expression slowly faded.
"You are saying someone might target her because of something written on her body since birth."
Otto nodded once.
"Yes."
Will ran his hand through his hair with frustration.
"She is not even the heir to the throne, she is only the seventh princess, and half the kingdom barely notices her existence unless she appears at some boring ceremony, so why would anyone go through so much trouble just to reach her?"
Otto answered quietly.
"Because sometimes the quietest person in a palace carries the most dangerous secret."
The buggy rolled deeper into the city while the palace towers slowly appeared ahead like giant white mountains.
After a moment Otto leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.
"What I am about to say stays inside this carriage. You will not tell Claire, you will not tell Christian, you will not tell Richard, and you will not tell anyone else because this arrangement must remain secret."
Will frowned.
"Even Claire?"
"Yes."
Will scratched his head.
That girl already calls me stupid every morning and now you expect me to hide secrets from her too."
Otto's tone did not change.
"This information stays between the three of us."
Will looked at the boy again before sighing heavily.
"Fine, but if this turns into another one of your complicated political games and something happens to Lily, I swear I will drag both of you into the training yard and settle the argument with swords instead of speeches."
The buggy finally stopped near the palace gates as the evening sun painted the entire city in golden light.
Inside that quiet carriage sat three very different people who had just agreed to protect a princess who probably did not even know how dangerous her existence had become.
[The Training Ground of the Leonhart ]
The noisy training ground slowly returned to its usual rhythm after the soldiers finished marking the nine experimental warriors with the royal seal, yet Claire's attention had already moved away from the soldiers and fixed itself on the quiet tenth boy standing among them, because the more she looked at him the more something about him felt strange and out of place, and Claire was not the type of person who ignored strange things, especially when she was responsible for the safety of the royal family.
She took another lazy bite from the half-finished bun in her hand while walking toward him, chewing slowly like someone who had all the time in the world even though dozens of soldiers were still training around them, and when she finally stopped a few steps away from the boy she looked directly into his crimson eyes with a sharp curious expression that showed she was now completely serious.
"Tell me something honestly," Claire said while wiping crumbs from her fingers on the side of her training coat, "because I have seen many servants, many soldiers, and many nobles in this kingdom, and none of them stand the way you stand right now like you are completely calm in the middle of a military training ground, so I want to know who exactly you are and from where Otto dragged you into this place."
The boy remained silent for a moment, not because he was refusing to answer but because he seemed to be thinking carefully about what he actually knew about himself, and after a few seconds he finally spoke in a calm voice.
"I do not know where I came from," he said slowly, "and the man who sold me said my memories were already gone before he met me, so I cannot tell you anything about my origin except the mark he gave me, which is simply the number… negative nine nine nine nine."
Claire blinked once.
Will immediately started laughing behind her.
"Wow that is a terrible name," Will said while shaking his head with fake sympathy, "imagine living your entire life being called numbers like some forgotten warehouse box."
Claire ignored Will's joke and continued looking at the boy thoughtfully.
"Fine then," she said, "if you do not remember your name then we will deal with that later, but for now you will answer whatever questions I ask because you are standing inside my training ground and I like to know what kind of strange people are walking around my house."
The boy nodded slightly.
Before Claire could ask another question, however, something suddenly caught the boy's attention on the far side of the training ground, and his eyes moved toward a massive creature standing near the stone stables behind the arena.
The creature was magnificent.
Its body was tall and powerful like a warhorse, yet far more intimidating than any normal horse could ever be, because it possessed eight strong legs that moved with unnatural balance, allowing it to run across rough terrain without ever losing speed or stability, and its fur was deep black like the night sky yet thin streams of fire constantly flickered across the surface of its body as if flames were quietly breathing through its skin.
Short curved horns rose from the sides of its head, glowing faintly red from the heat spreading through its body, and every time it exhaled a small breath of smoke escaped from its nostrils.
The boy stared at it for several seconds with clear curiosity.
Then he asked in a calm voice.
"What is that creature?"
Claire immediately followed his gaze and saw where he was looking.
Her expression instantly changed into pride.
"Oh that?" she said while placing her hands on her waist proudly, "that beautiful monster over there is called Sleipnir, and if you have never seen one before then you should consider yourself lucky today because creatures like him are extremely rare and almost impossible to tame."
Will walked closer and leaned his shoulder against a wooden training post while grinning.
"Rare is an understatement," he said casually, "because people in other kingdoms would probably start wars just to steal that horse from our stable."
Claire pointed toward the creature proudly while still holding her bun.
"He is my personal war companion," she explained with a satisfied smile, "and before you ask, yes he can easily pull ten royal buggies at the same time without slowing down even a little, which makes him one of the strongest beasts inside the entire kingdom."
The boy watched the creature carefully as the flames continued flickering along its dark fur.
Claire continued explaining, clearly enjoying the moment.
Sleipnir is not just strong," she said, "because he is also extremely fast, and when he runs during battle his eight legs allow him to cross mountains, forests, and rocky fields faster than most flying beasts can travel through the sky."
Will nodded while pretending to sound bored.
"Yeah yeah we all know you love that horse more than you love your own brother," he said with fake sadness.
Claire immediately threw the remaining piece of her bun at him.
"You should be thankful I only threw bread and not a sword."
Will caught the bun midair and took a bite from it.
"See this is why your horse respects me more than you," he said while chewing loudly, "because at least I share food."
Claire ignored him again and turned back toward the boy with crimson eyes.
"And one more thing," she added while pointing toward the flaming horse, "I take him with me in every battle, and when enemies see that creature running toward them with fire on his body they usually start praying to their gods before the fight even begins."
The boy continued watching Sleipnir quietly, and for a brief moment something almost unreadable passed through his crimson eyes, as if the sight of the legendary beast had awakened a small fragment of curiosity deep inside his empty memory.
The flames on Sleipnir's fur danced slowly in the wind.
The training ground remained loud and busy.
But the strange new servant kept watching the mythical horse like someone who was silently studying the world around him piece by piece.
The afternoon sun had begun to slide slowly toward the western towers of the palace, and the golden light pouring through the tall glass windows of the royal corridor made the marble floor shine like calm water, while soft wind carried the distant sound of bells and birds across the castle gardens. It was the quiet hour of the palace when most of the royal servants were busy with their duties, guards were changing their watch posts, and nobles usually stayed inside their chambers discussing matters of politics or trade.
Inside one of the inner halls, a young girl sat near the open balcony where white curtains moved gently with the wind, and the moment anyone entered that hall it became impossible not to notice her presence because she carried a kind of beauty that did not look loud or arrogant like many royal women, but instead had a calm elegance that made people pause for a second before speaking.
This was Princess Lily Reinhart, the seventh princess of the kingdom.
[ we see a lady emerging from a makeshift curtain and we get to see the glimpse of her beauty]
Her beauty felt like something borrowed from a quiet piece of magic. Soft golden hair fell around her face like threads of morning sunlight, framing a gentle heart-shaped face that seemed almost too delicate for the ordinary world. Her eyes, a clear and luminous shade of blue, shimmered like tiny lakes beneath a spring sky, always glowing with innocent warmth and quiet wonder. Her small nose and naturally rosy lips gave her the sweetness of a storybook princess, and when she smiled, it felt like a soft spell had been cast—simple, pure, and warm enough to make the world around her feel a little brighter and kinder.
Her figure was slender and graceful, not exaggerated but naturally elegant, with the posture of someone raised in royalty since childhood. The long white dress she wore was simple compared to what most princesses preferred, yet it suited her perfectly because it allowed her calm presence to stand out more than the clothes themselves.
At that moment she was reading a small book near the balcony when a palace servant hurried inside and bowed respectfully.
Princess Lily," the servant said carefully, "Lord Otto has arrived, and he has brought someone with him. He says the matter is important and related to your personal security."
Lily slowly closed her book and nodded gently.
"Please let them enter," she said in her soft voice.
A few seconds later the doors opened again, and Otto stepped inside the hall with his usual calm expression, while behind him stood the quiet boy with crimson eyes, the one who still carried the strange number -9999 as his only identity.
The moment the boy stepped into the room he felt something strange happen inside his mind.
His crimson eyes lifted slowly and met Lily's blue ones.
For a brief moment the entire world seemed to become quiet.
And suddenly—
Fragments appeared inside his head.
Blurred memories flashed like broken glass pieces scattered across darkness.
He saw a small wooden house.
He saw a woman smiling gently while brushing his hair.
He heard a young voice laughing.
"Pixcy! Pixcy! Hurry up!"
A small boy running beside him.
A warm voice calling his name again.
"Pixcy, come here."
The boy standing in the palace hall suddenly froze for a moment as those broken memories rushed through his mind like a storm trying to open a locked door.
His chest tightened.
His breathing paused.
But just as quickly as the memories appeared, they shattered again like smoke disappearing in the wind.
His chest tightened.
His breathing paused.
But just as quickly as the memories appeared, they shattered again like smoke disappearing in the wind.
The palace hall returned.
The princess was still standing in front of him.
And the boy blinked once, slowly returning to the present.
Lily had noticed the strange expression on his face.
She tilted her head slightly with curiosity.
"Are you alright?" she asked gently.
The boy lowered his eyes respectfully.
"Yes… I am fine."
Lily studied him quietly for a moment.
Her gaze slowly moved toward his eyes again.
Those crimson eyes.
Bright like burning rubies.
Yet strangely calm.
She smiled faintly.
"Well," she said thoughtfully, "if you do not remember your name, then perhaps it is unfair to keep calling you by numbers like some kind of warehouse item."
Otto crossed his arms while watching the scene silently.
Lily looked at the boy again.
"Your eyes are crimson red," she said softly, "but they are not frightening… they actually look very warm and gentle."
She paused for a second as if thinking carefully.
Then she smiled again.
"In that case… I will call you Ruby "
The name sounded soft and simple.
"Ruby," she repeated kindly.
The boy seemed surprised by the wordsuddenly "
"Yes," Lily said with a small laugh, "because your eyes shine like a red gemstone, and I think it suits you much better than a number."
Otto nodded slightly.
"That works."
But then Otto's expression turned serious.
"There is still another matter," he said while looking toward Moisis who stood near the door with his usual strange grin.
"Moisis," Otto said calmly, "place the tongue seal."
Lily looked confused.
"A seal?" she asked. "Why?"
Otto answered without hesitation.
"For your safety, Princess."
Lily frowned slightly.
"But if he is working under me, then why would I need to place such a seal?"
Before Otto could answer, the boy suddenly spoke.
"If it is required for the work, Princess… then please place the seal on me."
Everyone looked at him.He continued speaking quietly.
"If I refuse, then the trust of this household will never fully exist, and without trust my duties as your servant would never be useful."
Lily seemed uncomfortable with the idea.
"I do not like forcing such things on someone."
Moisis suddenly laughed with his strange eerie laugh.
"Heheheh… are you two sure about this?" he said while scratching his bald head. "Because this seal is not some cheap magic trick. It is painted using dragon blood, and if something goes wrong while forming the contract, both the master and the slave could die instantly."
Lily looked even more hesitant now.
But Otto spoke firmly.
"Do it."
Moisis shrugged.
"Well… if you insist."
He stepped forward and removed a small metal box from his coat.
Inside the box was a dark red liquid glowing faintly.
"Dragon blood ink," he muttered.
He began drawing a complex magical symbol across the boy's tongue and then onto Lily's hand while chanting a low spell.
For a few seconds the entire hall filled with glowing red light.
The chains that were still attached to the boy's wrists suddenly trembled.
Then—
CLANG.
The chains shattered and fell to the floor.
The seal had been completed.
Moisis wiped his hands lazily.There," he said with a crooked smile, "now if this boy ever tries to harm his master, the seal will destroy him before he even finishes the thought."
The boy remained calm.
Lily looked at him quietly for a moment.
Then she turned toward a nearby servant.
"Bring some proper clothes."
A few minutes later a set of clean servant clothes was brought and handed to the boy.
Lily placed them gently in his hands.
"If you are going to stay here," she said softly, "then you should at least look comfortable."
The boy looked down at the clothes.
Then he bowed his head slightly.
"Thank you… Princess."
And for the first time since arriving in the kingdom, the boy who had once been called- 9999 stood there holding a name that felt almost real.