Chapter 225
My body felt heavy as a thousand pounds, probably from staying tense and moving around all night, so I collapsed onto the bed with a thud.
“Am I going to be trapped here?”
“Only until you’re ready to depart.”
After answering me, the 3rd Prince called for someone.
After waiting a moment, two people entered the tent. One was a medic, and the other seemed to have been brought in to monitor me.
“I’ll be back.”
Only after confirming their arrival did the 3rd Prince leave the tent.
“Please lie face down so I can treat you.”
Following the medic’s rigid instructions, I lay face down with my cheek against my arm while looking at the other man who had come with him. He alternated between looking at me and the medic.
‘How interesting.’
Who would have thought I’d encounter the card I had laid down here. I was puzzled as to why he was here, but anyway, what mattered was that I now had a card of my own that no one else knew about when I needed it.
‘Even after all this time, he’s still the same.’
The scar cutting across his right eyebrow, the hair he braided like a trademark, and even the large axe with its chipped blade here and there. Perhaps due to the passing years, I could see a strand or two of white hair, but he was exactly as I remembered the boss.
“Ugh.”
My neck stung as the treatment began. When I unconsciously grimaced and groaned, the boss raised his hand as if to grab his axe, then quickly returned it to its original position.
“Hey. Are you doing this properly?”
Then he strode over and interfered with the treatment. The medic sighed and replied without even looking at him.
“Mind your own business. What would a criminal of the Empire know about anything?”
“Did you forget that His Highness called him an important guest? The important guest is in pain.”
He emphasized the phrase “important guest” by repeating it twice.
“I apologize. Are you in pain?”
“I’m fine. Continue.”
“Yes.”
There’s no way to disinfect without pain. It would be possible if I were knocked unconscious or anesthetized, but it wasn’t that serious a wound. He was treating it appropriately.
After the treatment ended, I sat up and the medic, who had packed his supplies, handed me some ointment and left. The boss, whether he had received orders to guard me even after treatment was finished, stood his large frame tall in front of me.
“Why is the young master here?”
“That’s what I wanted to ask you.”
The boss let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded and shook his head.
“I was following the young master’s orders.”
“My orders?”
Had I ordered him to infiltrate the enemy forces? No, I hadn’t. What I had written in the letter was—
“You told me to watch the movements if any suspicious forces tried to cross from Tuaso to the Empire.”
Ah… So that’s how it turned back around?
Originally, that order was preceded by the content “guard the village when war breaks out.” The purpose was to prevent the army from being cut off and isolated by using the abandoned mine.
“The village?”
“The remaining guys are guarding the village. Taran is doing well too. That kid has become an excellent doctor. I’m grateful.”
Taran is doing well too. Hearing his name after so long brought a rush of both joy and longing.
But now wasn’t the time to indulge in sentiment. While the boss being here was unexpected, the fact that he had infiltrated by over-interpreting my orders was, in the end, a very fortunate thing.
“How many are here?”
“Five including me. I assembled an elite group that could each escape on their own if things went wrong.”
Five. That would be enough. The problem was timing… Should I do it before Ludwig returned? Or would it be better for me to escape first and then let Luwen know I was safe?
‘Ethan’s skills approach those of a Sword Master, but the boss is no pushover either. If we create a disturbance and take advantage of the confusion, we can definitely escape.’
What kind of disturbance should I create? A commotion that could reasonably occur. Or a level of disturbance that they’d know was suspicious but couldn’t do anything about.
Thanks to meeting the boss, memories of my first outing with Taran came to mind, and I could easily come up with an answer.
‘I wonder if there’s Dwean in the medical corps.’
Dwean was an herb with pain-relieving effects. Using the leaves and roots separately would create toxicity, but even so, it would only cause diarrhea or stomach pain, so there was a high probability it would be available.
“Boss. Can you help me with something?”
“Why are you even asking that? Just tell me what to do.”
Even though he answered in a gruff, indifferent tone, I felt a strange feeling of fullness in my chest. An absolute ally. Unconditionally on my side. I never would have imagined I’d feel this way about the boss.
“If Luwen weren’t here, I would have fallen for you, boss.”
“Cut it out. That brat’s face will turn red and he’ll come charging. I probably wouldn’t even be able to beat him now.”
The boss chuckled. When I reunited with Luwen, I wouldn’t even be able to call him a brat anymore… Huh?
“What? You know about Luwen and me? Did you hear from Taran?”
“Do I need to hear about it to know?”
His tone was teasing and mischievous. Back then Luwen was young and my feelings were pure too, so how did he know? I unconsciously tilted my head, wondering if I had shown something that obvious.
‘Oh wait. This isn’t what’s important right now.’
The boss’s attitude was so carefree that I got caught up in it too.
“Act normal for now. And I’d like you to continue monitoring me if possible. Can you do that?”
“I’ll try, but it might be difficult. It seems like the leadership is going to change. The smell of blood is strong.”
The boss’s expression grew slightly tense as he sniffed.
‘Just in case, I should prepare a second plan.’
I asked the boss several questions. He answered faithfully while looking puzzled, and I confirmed that my second plan was quite feasible.
First, there were enough monsters around. He said there weren’t many strong ones, but when they came in numbers, the story would be different. Also, he said the soldiers’ level seemed to be that of those who hadn’t received professional training. There was a separate elite group, but they had left their posts a few days ago. They were probably the ones who had gone to attack the Kans den.
If I was going to lure monsters to cause chaos, it seemed I needed to hurry before they returned.
“There’s something I need to find.”
I told him the appearance and scent of an herb that wouldn’t be in the medical corps.
“Ah. I know that one. Taran told me it was good to use when hunting.”
Fortunately, the boss added that he had seen it around and grinned. Since he recognized what herb it was, he seemed to have caught onto my plan as well.
“But the guy who came with the young master has considerable skill, so ordinary ones won’t work. Something that could divert that guy’s attention… Oh!”
Oh? Did he think of a good idea?
The boss’s suggestion to me, who held some expectation, was brilliant enough to make me change the sub-plan to the main plan.
“But didn’t you say it had gone missing?”
“It did, but there are many young ones born in the village now, so I was worried. Since it might come back, I was tracking its traces and keeping watch.”
That place wasn’t very far from here. Should I call this good luck? Or should I break out in cold sweat at the fact that potential danger was right under my nose?
“Luwen will come with Tuaso’s Sword Master. I’ll give you a signal then. Get ready.”
“Okay. Trust me and leave it to me.”
The boss patted his chest twice. Then he hurriedly changed his expression and went back to guard the entrance with a stern face.
Not long after, the 3rd Prince returned. The smell of blood he carried was nauseating enough to make me automatically frown.
“I’m back. Fei, how’s your wound? Did you get proper treatment?”
I nodded and scrunched up my face. It didn’t seem like a single drop of blood had splattered on him, so why was it so…
“That’s a relief. Ah. Lord Blight will arrive tomorrow. I told Ludwig to bring him tomorrow. But I can’t keep you together. You understand, right?”
“Why ask when you wouldn’t bring him over even if I disagreed?”
“Ahaha. That’s true.”
Could this guy really become king of an enemy nation? The current Crown Prince of Tuaso is also a madman, but the more I see of this guy, the more he seems no less crazy.
‘Should I not just escape but take this guy with me too?’
Rather than becoming emperor like this, wouldn’t he return to normal if he received some mental education from our Crown Prince and sister?
‘That’s not bad, is it?’
If I just get beaten like this, I’ll be too frustrated to sleep, so if I pay him back in the same way, I’ll feel better, and a pacifist emperor might be born in Tuaso. Most importantly, the Crown Prince would be able to determine if Tuaso’s current situation was real. If he judged that support was needed, he would handle the rest himself.
‘Which means Luwen and I don’t necessarily have to go.’
I guess my altruism only goes this far. But the fact that I had decided I wanted to save a large number of people I didn’t know well, without calculating gains and losses, was itself surprising to me.
“3rd Prince.”
“Yeah?”
“I want to wash up. And I’m sleepy. I’m hungry too.”
“Ah! How terrible. I brought you as a guest but haven’t properly hosted you. Wait. What should I prepare first? A meal? A bath?”
“A bath and food. Then I’ll sleep.”
Was he pleased with my request? The 3rd Prince, his face bright with joy, called for someone, saying he’d prepare everything right away.
‘It’s better than being neglected.’
If my body hurt, it might interfere with my escape plan. First, I needed to take good care of myself so I could plan for what comes next.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
