Zoo Incident

It had been two days since the welcoming party for the Third Prince Jedic was held. Word had it that due to injuries from the recent airship incident, they had decided to stay in the Polia Kingdom for about two weeks.

During this time, the Third Prince had essentially spent his days sightseeing in the capital. And the one assigned to guide him on these tours was none other than Ian. He wondered why him, but it became clear that the prince had personally requested him—revealing the intent behind the move.

‘Does he want Michelle to guide him too, not just me? Isn’t that a bit too obvious?’

Regardless, this sudden appointment stirred quite a bit of chatter among the nobles. Starting from how the prince even knew about Prince Ian, to rumors suggesting the two had communicated beforehand. All of it was a misunderstanding, but Ian figured that misunderstandings always start with how things appear.

‘More importantly, I’m supposed to be on leave—does this even count as a vacation?’

Currently, he was at a place called the zoo, located on the outskirts of the capital. It was fairly large and filled with various animals from all over the world. Ian had heard the king had spent a considerable sum to build it. Apparently, he was responding to remarks from the empires saying, “Why do we not have a zoo when the empires do?”

“There are even animals here that we don’t have in our Empire.”

“To acquire such animals, His Majesty spared no expense.”

“I see. It’s quite a sight to behold. Hahaha.”

While Ian and Prince Jedic were talking, Michelle followed the two under a parasol. Her thoughts were a mess. Though she felt genuinely sorry toward her fiancé Prince Ian, her heart and eyes kept drifting toward the smiling Prince Jedic.

He was simply so dazzling. And he made her heart flutter. Honestly, she had thought Prince Ian was charming too. But the way he looked at her sometimes felt more like he saw her as a little sister rather than a woman.

And truthfully, that hadn’t changed. But Prince Jedic was different. The way he looked at her was unmistakably as a woman, and the emotion in his gaze was full of sincere affection. That’s why Michelle, despite feeling guilty, couldn’t stop her heart from wavering.

‘I must be losing my mind.’

She told herself to control her feelings. From the start, she didn’t see herself as someone who could match with a prince of the Empire. Which is why she thought she needed to suppress and erase these emotions even more.

“What do you think, Lady Michelle?”

“Huh?”

“Oh my, did you not hear what we were saying?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize that much. You seem lost in thought, but since we’re out here, you should set those aside and enjoy yourself.”

Hearing the prince speak so gently and considerately, Michelle’s face turned red as she nodded. Meanwhile, Ian began to feel like he had become a mere extra. The expressions and looks the two exchanged were far from normal.

‘Hey, I’m still right here. The two of you are too much.’

Some might say he should excuse himself, but the important thing was that he was Michelle’s fiancé. And since he was assigned as a guide, he couldn’t just leave. Honestly, though, he didn’t feel particularly jealous. He just found the situation a bit absurd and awkward to watch.

‘Fine, whatever. But can’t you two exchange those looks when I’m not around?’

“Ahem. Let’s keep moving.”

He said with a hint of irritation, and only then did the two shift their attention and begin walking again as if in agreement. As they moved past various cages, they arrived at a spot where the sounds of wild beasts could be heard.

“This area houses beasts called ‘Kaisha.’ Back in the days when monsters still roamed, there was a type called ‘orcs,’ and these Kaisha were powerful enough to tear orcs apart and hunt them. It’s said that only about a hundred of them remain in the world today.”

Hearing this explanation from what appeared to be a zoo staff member, Ian felt intrigued. In truth, this was his first time visiting a zoo. A bit of a failure for a guide, but there was nothing to be done. After listening to the explanation, Prince Jedic nodded and said,

“There are fewer than ten Kaisha even in our Magnia Empire.”

“Have you seen them before?”

“I have, a few times when I was young. Still, to see them again like this is exciting.”

The prince smiled as he spoke and walked ahead, revealing a clearly different kind of enclosure. The cage had a diameter of at least 50 meters, and it was dug deep into the ground. The depth looked to be around 20 meters.

The habitat inside was arranged far down below.

‘So that’s a Kaisha. It’s massive.’

Its size couldn’t be compared to a lion or a tiger. Though the appearance was similar, it was clear this creature had survived through the monster age for a reason. Of course, now it was considered an endangered species, with only around 100 remaining.

“They really did dig deep. Our Empire’s zoos are like this too.”

“Why did they dig it so deep?”

“Curious?”

Prince Jedic smiled as he asked Michelle, who glanced at Ian before nodding. Jedic then shared what he knew.

“It’s because their jumping power is incredible. They can leap as high as 10 meters.”

“Really? That high?”

“Absolutely. Isn’t that right?”

He turned to the zoo staff, who, clearly nervous, nodded repeatedly.

“Yes, yes! The prince is exactly right. They can jump up to 10 meters, so we dug this enclosure 20 meters deep—twice that height. That way, there’s no chance of them escaping.”

Prince Jedic looked at Michelle as if asking how she found that explanation, and she nodded as if finally understanding. Meanwhile, Ian found himself wondering where they had even captured these creatures.

‘They probably didn’t get them from another zoo, so that must mean they were captured directly. If so, the king must’ve paid for a specialized hunting team.’

Just as he was thinking that, something caught his eye. The two Kaisha were not pacing around but instead stared fixedly at where they were standing. Ian found that odd. Was that normal? He decided to ask.

“Hey, do Kaisha usually just stare up like that?”

“Huh? No, not at all. They’re usually so aloof they just lie down and sleep. Most of the time, they don’t even look at visitors.”

“Even when people are around?”

“Of course. Most visitors just hope they’ll move. But the beasts usually just sleep or do nothing.”

“Then why are they staring at us like that?”

“Pardon?”

The staff member looked down into the enclosure in confusion and soon spotted the two beasts staring directly at them. With a curious and amazed look, he spoke as if it was the first time he had witnessed such a thing.

“I’ve never seen them stare like that before. Normally, that kind of behavior only happens when they’ve spotted prey.”

“Could it be… they’re seeing us as prey?”

Prince Jedic said playfully, and though the staff member was tempted to respond in kind, he held back and explained calmly.

“Haha, there’s absolutely no reason for them to see humans as prey. To those beasts, humans are far too weak.”

“Is that so? I wonder about that.”

As he spoke, Prince Jedic’s gaze shifted to someone standing off to the side: a man named Lacen, one of the escorts. Jedic found himself wondering—could that man actually take on a Kaisha and win? Meanwhile, Ian was watching the Kaisha and wondering if his Mental Manipulation might work on them.

‘Their intelligence is likely lower than a human’s, so it might actually be easier. Should I try it?’

Driven by curiosity, Ian decided to give it a try. Fortunately, the distance wasn’t too far, so his powers should reach. With that thought, he activated Mental Manipulation. A familiar surge of mental energy coursed through him.

‘Hmm?’

But something felt off. There was a strong resistance. It was the first time he had encountered this kind of pushback. He thought perhaps it had a mental defense mechanism, or maybe something else was already manipulating it.

‘I don’t remember hearing that Kaisha has mental defenses. So someone else already got to it?’

He began to wonder—who had done it, and how did they block his ability? His pride was slightly stung. He felt a strong urge to break through it by force.

‘Handling both at once might be too much. Let’s start with one.’

With that thought, he focused. As he activated Mental Manipulation, one Kaisha suddenly flinched, lowered its head, and began to stagger. Michelle, who witnessed this, let out a small gasp.

“Ah! Look over there! The Kaisha looks like it’s about to fall!”

“Whoa. What’s happening to it?”

“It really looks like it’s about to collapse.”

Even Prince Jedic looked puzzled. Meanwhile, Ian felt a powerful resistance. Far stronger than what he’d felt manipulating a human mind. The mental barrier was unexpectedly solid, and it unsettled him.

What had started as a test of curiosity now felt like a battle of will. But despite the pushback, Ian could tell—he was winning. Slowly, but surely, he was pushing through.

Just as he felt he was close to taking full control, the other Kaisha, which had been watching from outside the enclosure, suddenly moved.

“It’s moving!”

As someone shouted, the beast suddenly leapt. While most were startled, they remembered the enclosure was 20 meters deep—enough to keep it safely confined. The Kaisha soared high into the air.

Normally, it would jump 10 meters at most. But this time, it reached nearly 15 meters. Thud! Its sharp claws struck the wall. They pierced the concrete—something it shouldn’t have been able to do.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The Kaisha started climbing, driving its claws into the wall. Scratch! Its talons raked across the thick cage bars. While the bars were built to withstand a lot, the beast was shaking them violently. It looked like one or two more strikes might snap them.

“What are you doing?! Stop it now!”

At the shouted command, soldiers immediately raised their guns. Though the Kaisha was an endangered species, Prince Jedic’s safety came first. Soldiers from both the Polia Kingdom and Jedic’s escort team raised their weapons and fired.

Bang bang bang! Bang bang! Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang bang!

A barrage of gunfire tore into the Kaisha’s flesh, but its thick hide resisted the bullets. Kaisha had always had bullet-resistant hide, but today it seemed even tougher.

Kyaooo—!

With a ferocious roar, it smashed through the bars. Panic spread as more shots were fired. Bullets struck its head and torso repeatedly. Whump! One bullet managed to hit its eye.

Normally, that would’ve sent it howling in pain. But it didn’t even flinch. It crouched down, ready to charge. Just then, Lacen—Prince Jedic’s escort—stepped forward. In his hand was a sword.

He faced the Kaisha head-on, ready to slash it down. Just before the beast lunged, something else moved. Another Kaisha appeared and bit down on the first one’s neck. The two beasts clawed at each other, locked in a savage fight.

Kuuoong! Kaaaargh!

Claws flew and teeth snapped. The onlookers had no idea what was happening. Suddenly—snap! A loud cracking sound rang out. The first Kaisha’s body went limp.

The newly arrived Kaisha had crushed its spine with a vicious bite.

As it pulled back, letting go of the neck, soldiers raised their guns again and swallowed nervously. They expected this second Kaisha to charge next. But before anything could happen, someone moved.

Slick—! The Kaisha’s head was sliced off in a flash.

The man who did it was none other than Lacen. In his hand, his blade shimmered faintly with a blue light.

“An Expert!?”

“My god, there’s a superhuman here?!”

“Oooooh!”

Cheers erupted at the revelation that a sword Expert—a rare class of elite warrior—was among them. But Ian, in that moment, cursed under his breath.

‘Damn it… I was just about to take control of that Kaisha with Mental Manipulation.’

He couldn’t help but feel disappointed. At the same time, he realized he’d gained something. He had managed to break through the mental defenses of a creature. His power had clearly grown.

And Lacen’s movements had impressed him too.

‘He’s quite the formidable man.’

Just as Ian thought that, his eyes widened. Prince Jedic was holding Michelle in his arms protectively. The scene looked like something out of a painting.

That thought didn’t last long, though. Soon, commands rang out to protect the prince. It had been a dangerous situation—no laughing matter. Ian realized he too bore some responsibility for what had just happened.