Chapter 217
“L-let’s go back inside!”
“No!”
I gripped his hand tightly, stopping him from re-entering the hut.
“It’s dangerous out here!”
“It’s just as dangerous inside. Anyone can tell it’s the chief’s hut. Whatever their purpose for coming here, if they’re looking to plunder, they’ll definitely start with this place.”
“Then where should we go…”
“Well…”
I didn’t know either. Or rather, I had to pretend not to know. We should stall for time here until Luwen arrives, and then follow him…
‘Wait. Where did the person guarding the entrance go?’
There was definitely a man guarding the hut, but he had disappeared. After standing guard faithfully like a loyal watchdog, he happened to leave his post right when we were attacked?
‘That’s suspicious.’
There were no bloodstains on the ground, so he wasn’t ambushed. I had a bad feeling.
“Follow me for now.”
Such intuitions usually proved correct, so I chose to leave, but the Third Prince didn’t move.
“What are you doing?”
“They’re probably after me. It’s dangerous to be with me. So you should go alone.”
The Third Prince shook off my hand and turned around. He looked like he was about to re-enter the hut.
“You said there were things you regretted. Don’t you want to change that?”
“You don’t know my circumstances. It’s too late now. There’s nothing I can do.”
What an exasperating fellow.
The attack had already begun. All that remained was to escape with him. Since I was planning to drop the act once we left the village anyway, would it matter if I revealed the truth now?
‘Skipping the process of probing into his situation…’
The fastest and surest way to shock him and prevent him from escaping was… If he had opened up enough in such a short time to draw a portrait, which he normally didn’t do, this might work.
“Idwen Rosi Tuaso.”
Well, I’d earn his hatred instead of friendship.
“…What did you say?”
The Third Prince’s face was filled with shock as he turned his head.
“What if you still have a chance? What if you could end the war with your own hands? Would you still cower? Would you meekly offer your neck to those who came to kill you, hiding in a hut? Without even putting up a fight?”
“Who are you?”
The Third Prince’s glare was quite chilling. So he could make such expressions too. I preferred this side of him.
“Someone who came to get you because I want to end the war.”
“You’re not Feilun, are you?”
“I’m a noble of the Empire. And Lukas is the only Ora Master on the continent. We have the power to protect you.”
Even as I explained, I couldn’t help but worry about the missing guard.
“So you knew all about my situation. That’s how you could say those things. As if you understood me… Was it all lies?”
“Is that important right now?”
“It is important!”
The Third Prince shouted. His voice cracked, sounding particularly sharp.
“It’s important to me. I’ve… never had friends before. I thought we could be friends, but you were deceiving me! You’re no different from the others! You approached me intending to use me!”
Listening to his hysterical outcry, I couldn’t help but realize this guy was inevitably a royal. Despite knowing why the war started and what he had forsaken, he was still…
‘The kind and gentle approach won’t work.’
Thoughtless people need harsh words. I don’t know how he’ll take it, but let’s try. Even if I fail, as long as I bring him to our unit, my sister will be there.
“Have you truly experienced the horrors of war? People are dying. Innocent people are dying because of your brother’s purely personal greed.”
“My brother wasn’t originally like that. He was… originally… a kind and gentle person…”
“You know that’s not true. Stop avoiding reality and face it. Truly kind and gentle people don’t start wars.”
“Ugh…”
The Third Prince bit his lip hard and lowered his head. His shoulders trembled intermittently.
Is he crying? Really… If someone like this became king of my country, I’d want to pack my bags and leave.
“What did I do wrong? I just… wanted to impress Father. I didn’t know it would make my brother hate me. I didn’t know he would go this far!”
“But you did know. Long before the war started. That’s why you ran away, right?”
“Don’t blame me!”
“I’m stating facts. Does that sound like blame to you?”
The Third Prince raised his head and glared at me. His tear-soaked cheeks glistened.
I briefly surveyed the surroundings. No suspicious signs yet. No screams could be heard from the entrance, suggesting they were holding it well.
I also spotted Luwen hiding behind a tree, watching us. He was close enough to rush over in an instant. If I gave the signal, he could knock out the Third Prince and carry him away. That was reassuring.
‘But it would be better if this guy moved on his own rather than being carried like luggage.’
Most importantly, the fact that Luwen hadn’t approached yet was a significant hint. It meant we had time.
He was probably waiting because we were having a heated conversation. He must believe I would convince the Third Prince.
“I want to save people. If the war continues like this, millions will die. Are you okay with that? Doesn’t it bother you?”
“Of course it bothers me! Why do you keep attacking me? What have I done, why are you treating me like this!”
I took one large step toward the Third Prince and struck his cheek mercilessly. Slap! My palm stung with the sharp sound.
“Stop avoiding. Stop cowering. Snap out of it and look straight ahead.”
“Y-you dare to hit me? You dare-!”
“Yes, I dared to hit you. You’re not a prince here, are you? You said you’re going to die here. What’s the big deal about getting slapped? You’ll be hacked to pieces by blades anyway.”
The Third Prince held his slapped cheek, trembling and grinding his teeth.
“I won’t let this slide!”
“To do that, you need to survive first. And despite appearances, I’m not just any noble. My real family name is Vinter. I think it’s a name you should recognize.”
He might not know all the noble families of the Empire, but he should be familiar with some important ones. Our family wouldn’t be missing from that “some.” Sure enough, he seemed to recognize the significance of my surname.
“Even if you’re lucky enough to survive, staying in a place like this, you won’t see a single strand of my hair. But as the Emperor of Tuaso, hmm. There might be a chance?”
I smiled slyly. I thought this would be enough provocation, but the Third Prince’s reaction was quite different from what I expected. He relaxed his shoulders and laughed dejectedly.
“Let me ask you one thing. Do you… think I have what it takes to be an emperor?”
Why is he asking me this? I considered lying, but decided to be honest. I had already decided to antagonize him, so there was no need for pleasantries.
“No. If you become emperor, Tuaso won’t improve. But it won’t regress either. You’ll be able to pass down a country that’s the same as now, but peaceful, to future generations.”
“That’s harsh.”
“Call it honest.”
The Third Prince, who had been touching his stinging cheek repeatedly, lowered his hand.
“If I become emperor, I might demand you as retribution for slapping me. Won’t you regret it?”
“Taking me won’t be easy. My sister and Luwen are quite overprotective. Feel free to try if you want.”
“You were a complete liar. Now that I think about it, even having a brother was a lie.”
Why? Why has he become so docile? I feel like I’ve only said mean things, it’s strange. Anyway, there’s no time to dwell on this now, so I got straight to the point.
“If you’ve calmed down, shall we escape?”
“I want to live. I want to survive.”
“Good.”
“I’ll return to my homeland, overthrow my brother, and end the war.”
“Well thought. Earlier you said it was too late, but it’s not too late yet. If you act now, you can save countless lives.”
“Is that really all? When you said you came to get me because you wanted to end the war, was that sincere?”
“What else would I want from you? You have absolutely nothing. You’re even poorer than I am.”
Suddenly, the Third Prince burst into laughter. I wondered if he had gone mad from being cornered too much.
“Thank you… for scolding me. It’s my first time being scolded. The reason your words hurt was because they hit the core truth I was avoiding. I ran away and cowered. I was afraid of wearing the crown and terrified of the responsibility of ruling a country.”
Contrary to my worries, it was fortunate that he seemed to have come to his senses, but couldn’t we save the sentiments for later? Time is of the essence, why is he being so long-winded?
“But thanks to your words, I’ve found courage. Passing down a peaceful country to future generations. That’s something I’m confident about. I think I can do it.”
The Third Prince’s eyes sparkled.
“Help me.”
I smirked. He’s using what I told him to ask for help right now. But since this was exactly the request I wanted, I nodded readily.
“I can’t help you become emperor, but I’ll get you safely back to your homeland. Luwen!”
The conversation was over. The Third Prince had made his decision, and now we just needed to return safely to our main unit.
“Banya!”
But just before Luwen could join us and we could escape, the missing guard came running breathlessly. He was holding up his pants with both hands, causing the spear on his back to rattle.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
