The Youngest Prince

Liam stepped into the glowing portal and appeared on the 32nd floor. The familiar swirling energy faded away. 

He found himself standing on a cobbled path that led straight to an enormous kingdom. From afar, the towers of the castle spires touched the sky, while their stone walls were bathed in the glow of sunrise. All around him were sounds of life from merchants shouting prices to children at play and guards in polished armor patrolling while the sun shined on them.

The Tower Notification popped up before him:

[Challenge Initiated: Make the Youngest Prince Eligible for the Throne]

They have a king, his three sons, and one daughter. Your mission will be to make the youngest son eligible to sit on the throne.

Liam's brow furrowed. The youngest son? He had hardly taken up the challenge before it sounded impossible. Having been there before, he knew that the challenges would not be that simple.

Gather Information

Liam blended into the crowd, entering the kingdom. He stopped a local merchant near a cart that carried goods marked with the seal of the royal family.

"What's with this cart?" Liam casually pointed at it.

The merchant grunted while loading crates. "That one there is the royal cart. All the supplies, workers, and guests go straight to the castle."

Liam perked up his ears. "Workers, huh? When does the castle need workers?"

The merchant scratched his head. "Don't know. Better ask the guards."

That much information was acceptable for Liam. He went to the castle gates and asked the armored guards who stood watch there about it.

"Workers? Pfft," scoffed one guard. "We don't need anyone right now. Get lost."

Which left Liam sighing and cursing his luck. "So much for that plan." He looked up at the towering castle walls as evening began to fall. If he couldn't get in as a worker, he'd have to find another way to infiltrate the castle.

The Nighttime Penetration

As night closed in around the kingdom, Liam put on his cape and became invisible. "Nyx, stay in the bag," he whispered; his pet crawled unwillingly into the magical sub-space bag. Liam, now hidden, scaled the stone walls of the castle and passed soundlessly on the ledges and balconies. Now peering through a corridor dimly lit as he discovered a guard on patrol, Liam knocked him out by delivering the right blow to the rear side of the head and dragged him behind a pillar.

Just as he stood upright, another guard rounded the corner. Liam froze.

The man blinked bleary, drunken eyes over at him, rubbed his face, and staggered away mumbling something like, "Too much wine... seeing ghosts."

Liam exhaled his tension and went to stand in a dark corner until dawn.

The Youngest Prince

The next day, buzzing with excitement, the castle came alive with activity. With hunger pangs raging through him, Liam watched the servants as they brought in trays of food. One servant muttered, "Break fast for the youngest prince again. Poor little guy."

Liam's eyes narrowed. The youngest prince. Perfect.

"Nyx, a little help?" Liam whispered. Nyx peeked out of the bag and, with a flick of its glowing tail, cast a subtle hallucination spell on the servant of carrying food. The man stumbled and wandered aimlessly into another corridor. Liam took the tray.

Walking gingerly with the breakfast brought a new problem to Liam: the youngest prince's room. As fortune would have it, he literally bumped into someone while rounding a corner, and as dishes clattered, he steadied himself. In front of him stood a young woman with fiery red hair and sharp green eyes. She tilted her head as if trying to figure him out.

"You're new here, aren't you?" she asked, her voice oddly friendly.

Liam merely nodded without losing his calm, "I am here with the breakfast of the youngest prince."She smiled slightly. "Down that hall, second door left. But be careful-his health is delicate."

"Thank you," Liam muttered, walked away. He looked back as he was getting away -- her royal attire made it clear: She's the princess.

Liam entered the room; his eyes went wide. The youngest prince was sitting in a wooden wheelchair, illuminated by bright sunlight, and was endowed with a pale and frail body. From the looks, the child seemed to be younger than what Liam had assumed; at maximum age, he would not exceed ten.

Weakly, the boy looked up. "Is… that my meal?"

Liam offered the tray hesitantly, "Here. Eat up." Not sure how to respond, he offered the tray to the boy.

The child murmured courteously, "Thank you." But its attention quickly turned back to the food. Liam observed him for a while. Grief filled his heart. How can I make someone so weak of the throne?

A Suspicious Encounter As he came out of the youngest prince's quarters, Liam almost bumped into another.

Blocking the doorway of his room stood the second eldest son. His face twisted in frustration as he glared at the door.

Seeing Liam, His eyes went dark. "Who the hell are you?" he snapped.

Liam instantly looked down, keeping his face neutral. "Just a servant."

"Get out from here before I kill you," the prince spat venomously.

Liam bowed his head and stepped aside. While departing, he dared to take a glance over his shoulder. He saw the prince putting some hesitation and then putting a wide, cheerful smile on his face before stepping into the room. Unsettling, as if a mask was sliding into place.

There is definitely something wrong with this family, Liam thought. The tension between them is obvious.

He formed his fists into a tight ball and whispered to himself, "I need to figure this out seriously. If I am going to face this challenge, I'll have to play it cleverly."

Liam turned suddenly, looking back at the room of the youngest prince. He had made a silent promise to himself that he would expose the truth and help the delicate little child become worthy of a throne.

To be continue...