Pick Me Up!

Chapter 292: Han Israt (3) (1)

‘Just now, what did the prince say? Israthio Al Ragnar?’

It was a name I had never heard before.

I thought I might have misheard him and mulled it over, but I quickly shook my head.

I wasn’t so out of my mind that I’d start hearing things.

The prince standing before me had clearly called me Israthio Al Ragnar.

Al Ragnar.

This title was undoubtedly an ancient and prestigious surname passed down exclusively within the imperial family.

It was said that unless one inherited the bloodline of the emperor, no one in all of Townia could bear the surname Al Ragnar.

‘If that’s the case…’

Was there some hidden backstory to Han Israt?

I took a deep breath to calm myself and began recalling all the information I had about Han Israt.

A dry chuckle escaped me.

The bizarre scene I had witnessed during the promotion ceremony, and the suspicious oddities I’d noticed during missions—

Everything pointed to a single conclusion.

‘Han Israt was royalty.’

I exhaled deeply.

Though I was a little surprised, I managed to regain my composure quickly.@@novelbin@@

Han Israt was just a temporary identity I was borrowing. There was no reason to be shaken, even if his hidden lineage had come to light.

‘Maybe our identities got entangled during my process of becoming a hero.’

Well, according to Iselle, I had replaced him during Townia’s prologue stage.

Since I was originally from Earth, there wasn’t much connection between him and me to begin with.

Having calmed down, I turned my attention back to the prince.

He was scattering bait to the fish in the lake.

Splash, splash! Dozens of carp squirmed and splashed about in the water.

“Israthio,”

the prince muttered while gazing at the school of fish.

Then, his transparent golden eyes glanced in my direction once more before pointing toward the exit on the right side of the garden.

“If you wish to know, see for yourself. The truth lies there.”

“…You.”

There was no way the prince could see me.

He shouldn’t even be able to hear my voice. The time axis between us was misaligned—it was only natural.

And yet, he acted as if I were right in front of him.

“You’re as irritating as ever.”

The prince showed no reaction to my words. He simply continued watching the fish leisurely.

Tch.

I spat on the ground and turned my back to him.

Though I was momentarily thrown off, it was all in the past now.

‘Whatever Han Israt has hidden, it has nothing to do with me.’

Once the promotion ceremony ends, I’ll be forcibly sent back to Earth anyway.

I began walking down the dirt path in the garden, heading toward the right exit. There seemed to be something more, and since I had come this far, I decided I might as well see it through.

When I exited the garden, a long open corridor appeared before me.

The wide corridor was adorned with marble pillars and various sculptures.

I strolled down the corridor at a leisurely pace.

After about ten minutes of walking, I arrived at an opulent terrace situated at the end of the corridor.

Next to the terrace, decorated with silver embellishments, someone was seated.

[The Empire’s Illegitimate Child]

[Han Israt Lv. ???]

A black-haired boy in shabby leather clothes.

At most, he looked to be in his early teens. The boy gazed blankly at the sky with vacant eyes.

It was an expression unbefitting someone his age.

‘This kid…’

Han Israt.

He didn’t leave a particularly favorable impression.

If he had gotten in my way, I might have kicked him aside without hesitation.

‘An illegitimate child, huh.’

I could tell just from his title.

Unlike the prince or Pria, Han Israt had an exotic appearance.

Even at a glance, it was clear he was of mixed blood. He probably carried the lineage of some foreign tribe dwelling in the eastern lands of Townia.

It wasn’t surprising they had hidden his existence. In an empire that sanctified the golden bloodline, a black-haired royal was unacceptable.

“Your Highness, I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

I turned to look behind me.

A middle-aged woman in a maid’s uniform entered the terrace, pushing a cart.

On the cart was a luxurious tea set, including a teapot and teacups.

“Due to the evacuation orders, we’ve been rather pressed for time. I must apologize for the slight against Your Highness. I am truly sorry.”

The maid, her face lined with age, bowed deeply to the boy.

The boy, with a somewhat embarrassed expression, waved his hand dismissively. He didn’t seem accustomed to such treatment.

“…”

“However, Your Highness, you are still a legitimate heir of the Empire.”

The boy let out a long sigh and opened his mouth to speak.

Though his lips moved, no sound came out.

“…?”

“Her Highness the Princess is already waiting in her chambers.”

I frowned.

I couldn’t hear him. I could understand the maid’s words, but the boy’s voice seemed to be muted.

The two continued their conversation across the table.

“…”

“It has been a long time since you last met Her Highness the Princess, so she is preparing herself.”

Click.

The maid set the teacup on the table.

“You’ve had a long journey. Please, have a cup of tea.”

“…”

“Yes, this is the finest tea, personally prepared by Her Highness the Princess.”

I noticed the maid’s right arm.

She concealed the cup with her sleeve and discreetly dropped a white powder into the tea.

‘A sedative.’

The boy appeared unaware.

Without a hint of suspicion, he picked up the teacup.

And downed it in one gulp.

It didn’t even take a minute before his body slumped over the table.

The maid hoisted the boy’s small body over her shoulder and left the terrace.

I had no choice but to follow.

The “truth” the prince spoke of would surely lie ahead.

I exited the terrace. And then…

“…”

I gripped a pillar for support.

‘What is this unsettling sensation?’

A wave of nausea churned within me.

I went over it in my mind several times.

“That… isn’t me.”

I was born on Earth.

Before the age of ten, I was abandoned at an orphanage.

All my parents left me with was a single sentence: “We’ll come back for you.” I couldn’t remember their faces, but the sound of their voices before they left was etched into my memory.

Thud!

I slammed my fist into the pillar.

‘None of this makes sense.’

A being from a lower dimension cannot ascend to a higher one.

Iselle and Yurnet had repeated it to me several times. Even if a passage connecting the dimensions were created, the process of moving through it would rip the being apart under dimensional pressure. The reason I needed to reach Seven-Star status was to withstand that pressure.

‘Stop messing around.’

I quickened my pace down the corridor.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard a woman’s voice.

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!