The Prince Who Shouldn't ExistThe golden doors of the throne hall creaked open.Cian Archdemon stepped through, small, silent, yet radiating quiet unease that rippled through the crowd like a chill.The nobles of the Beastmaster Kingdom turned — their sharp eyes widening, their whispered voices falling low."There he is…""The prince… but… is that truly him?""He… feels wrong…"Cian heard everything. He registered their words, noted their tones, analysed their emotions — but displayed nothing.Emotion? Useless.Attention? Unwanted.Data? Essential.His footsteps echoed softly across the marble, measured, flawless. His posture betrayed no weakness, his sharp, pale face unreadable. His silver-white hair and unnaturally symmetrical features made him captivating — but there was no warmth in those eyes.Only calculation.Beneath his still exterior, his mind spiraled with quiet, terrifying precision."Room structure: 64 nobles, 23 visible guards, 17 beast companions. Mana density… above average. Emotional analysis: 72% unease, 18% curiosity, 10% hostility. Discomfort level… moderate. Growth potential: acceptable."The King sat atop his throne — towering, beast-like, radiating authority. His golden eyes gleamed, sharp as blades.Cian stopped before him, bowing his head slightly — perfectly polite, eerily quiet."Your Majesty," Cian spoke, voice soft, detached, "I have awakened."The King's eyes narrowed. His stare carried suspicion, calculation… and faint, hidden fear."You… have awakened," the King echoed, his voice heavy. "But the question remains… who truly awakened?"Cian tilted his head faintly, his expression blank — but behind his stillness, cold strategy churned."I am your son… as far as circumstances demand. Beyond that… irrelevant detail."The crowd stirred. Murmurs grew. Unease deepened.Inside Cian's head, the System hummed, its artificial voice teasing:💻 "Efficient ambiguity, Master. Emotional manipulation: optimal. Shall I scan these primitive organisms for exploitation potential?"Cian's grey eyes drifted across the nobles — emotionless, dissecting them like weak biological puzzles.One noble stepped forward — tall, draped in beast fur, eyes sharp with doubt. His beast — a black serpent — coiled beside him, tongue flicking in the air."The prince… speaks in riddles," the noble mocked, his voice confident. "Perhaps… he's less of a prince and more… a mistake."The hall tensed. All eyes fell on the boy.Cian didn't flinch.Didn't frown.Didn't retaliate with pride.Instead… his mind calculated."Public insult: low threat. Opportunity to establish control: present. Physical retaliation: inefficient. Mental dominance… optimal."Slowly, Cian approached — his small figure unnerving as silence followed him.The serpent hissed — sensing the anomaly buried within the child. The wrongness. The quiet, predatory, calculating force no child should possess.Cian reached out — fingers brushing the serpent's scaled snout.The beast recoiled — its instincts screaming, its eyes dilating with primal fear. It felt not a prince… but something else.Something worse.Cian's voice, soft and steady, sliced through the stillness."Even beasts know… when to lower their heads."The serpent whimpered, shrinking back. The noble froze, expression twitching — exposed, humiliated.The King chuckled darkly on the throne.The hall whispered, fear spreading like smoke.Cian straightened, his sharp features cool, bored, unreadable.Attention… neutralised.Doubt… replaced by fear.Hostility… catalogued.Power… insufficient.Universe… still beyond reach.His ambition soared far higher than royal halls and political games.His goal… was complete control.Inside his head, the System whispered:💻 "Discomfort rising. Cognitive efficiency increasing. Evolution… inevitable."Cian's lips curled faintly — not in arrogance. In calculation.The experiment had only just begun.---If you'd like, I can now write his first secret training scene, showing how Cian analyses his new body, beast bloodline, and system with scientific precision. Just say: "Private training scene."
