149. Trimmed Down. And Picking Up the Loser (1)
Thanks to the help of the elf rangers, Yushin and Allen were able to descend the labyrinthine Akiteon Mountains far more quickly than expected. They headed east first. Slipping past the border guards without detection, they entered Lourdes, the kingdom's city right next to the border.
"I heard the Rocksfield family recaptured this city from the citizen militia just a few days ago," Yushin said, leaning against a wall in a deserted back alley as he explained why Lourdes lay in ruins. Countless people had lost their lives. The wails of women clutching cold corpses wouldn't stop. Most of the bodies littering the streets were those of citizens who had joined the militia only to die at the hands of the Rocksfield family.
"...Don't care."
Allen's response was curt. She felt no sympathy for the citizens' grief, nor any particular emotion toward her own family for the one-sided slaughter. Death and sorrow always went hand in hand. Every veteran who fell on the battlefield had a story. Having served on the front lines for so long, Allen appeared almost cold-blooded in her composure.
"Want some bread?"
"Hmph!"
Yushin offered her a wrapped loaf, but Allen turned her head away with a scowl. He scratched his head, at a loss with his still-fuming little sister. Ever since his relationship with Ardena had been exposed, Yushin had suffered multiple bruises and fractures. That had forced him to use the elf rangers' precious potions unintentionally. Without them, he would've been delayed descending the Akiteon Mountains by at least a day.
The border guards are too few. Is the chaos that bad? No, even so... how long has it been since the recapture?
The garrison in Lourdes numbered barely two hundred. The city's security was a total mess. Dead bodies rolled freely in the streets, and opportunists were looting amid the disorder.
"It's a long way to the Rocksfield Earldom. Let's head to the next city quick."
"Got it."
Allen had been openly hostile toward Yushin just moments ago, but worry for their mother in the earldom made her comply meekly. They slipped out of the back alley together, leaving the grief-stricken citizens and their wails behind as they headed for the city gates.
This is way worse than I imagined...
Yushin had heard the rumors nonstop, but witnessing the devastation firsthand was far grimmer. The Valua Kingdom was spiraling into catastrophe—hard to watch with eyes wide open. That's why he'd decided to hurry to the next city; he couldn't bear to keep watching the citizens suffer. Lingering might trigger his meddlesome side. He'd steeled himself and moved on.
"...You okay?"
Allen's question caught him off guard. Unlike her own detachment, Yushin was clearly tormented but forcing himself to hold it in, numbing his heart. It tugged at her. Was he blaming himself, thinking this might be his fault somehow? She'd tried to play dumb to the end, but seeing his vulnerability crumbled her walls in an instant.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You could help people, y'know. It's not a crime."
Yushin shook his head at her words.
"It'd just be half-assed aid. Until the war between the royal army and the citizen militia ends, slaughters like this will keep happening in other cities too."
He had no choice but to harden his heart. Apologizing for worrying his sister, Yushin resolved to get his head straight. Their destination was the Rocksfield Earldom. To get there, they needed to keep heading north. Warp gates might speed things up, but unfortunately, the Valua Kingdom wasn't like the Liberia Elf Kingdom with its systematic network.
"Hurry up and give us bread!"
"We came all this way 'cause they said they'd distribute food here!"
Hundreds of citizens swarmed what seemed to be a food distribution center—likely for refugees who'd lost their homes. It was a pitiful sight. Yushin turned away from the desperate pleas for rations.
"Yeah, that smell..."
Sniff sniff.
Allen started sniffing like a wild animal. Yushin muttered, "Did she catch rabies or something?" and took a step back from her bizarre behavior.
"Smells nasty."
"Of course it does. City's a wreck, refugees everywhere—bound to stink."
"No, not that..."
At Allen's alert reaction, Yushin scanned the surroundings. Nothing stood out. Just refugees crowding the distribution center, hands outstretched. No obvious threats to trigger her instincts.
Wait, that shitty smell...
Yushin started sniffing too, picking up on something as he moved toward the center. He checked the chaotic crowd one by one. Wrinkled elders, women cradling infants, orphaned kids. Then his eyes landed on a man with a sackcloth hood over his face.
"Gah! W-what the hell?!"
The man yelped in surprise at Yushin's approach, yanking at the hood. Yushin pulled back his own hood, revealing his face. The man's eyes widened in shock. And for good reason—he was as good as Yushin's sworn enemy.
"Y-Yushin Gilliard...! H-how are you here?!"
His shout confirmed Yushin's suspicions. Gaunt beyond recognition, clad in rags under the sackcloth, but it was Alpons, the former second prince of Valua. No trace of his former flabby gut or bloated frame—just filth and misery.
"That godawful sweat stench you always masked with heavy cologne... Yeah, Prince Alpons."
"G-godawful...? How dare you!"
"Dare? You're a commoner now, aren't you? World's gotten better—commoners mouthing off about decorum."
"Grrgh!"
The beggar-prince twisted his face in rage at Yushin's barbs but could do nothing. What could a starving wretch begging for scraps accomplish? His life of luxury had come solely from being born the king's son. Now, nothing remained. Cast off by his father and brother, he groveled for soldiers' pity just for a meal.
"Y-you gonna kill me...?"
Yushin bared his teeth at Alpons's plea.
"Why dirty my hands? Reveal who you are here, and the angry mob'll rip you limb from limb."
"N-no! Stop...! I've already been punished!"
"That's just the crown prince cleaning up royal disgrace. It doesn't atone for the soldiers who died because of your dogshit orders."
Yushin grabbed Alpons by the collar, glaring with bloodshot eyes. He remembered the soldiers' screams. Those who'd met gruesome ends in the war with the elves due to their idiot commander's folly. To appease their spirits, Alpons had to die.
"What's going on?"
Allen peeked over, curious about Yushin's actions. Her blue hair spilled out. Alpons spotted it and realized who she was.
The Rocksfields had built their fame on unwavering loyalty to the Valua royals. Thinking the family's lady would protect him, Alpons dropped to his knees, clinging desperately.
"L-Lady Allen! It's me, Alpons!"
The sackcloth fell, revealing his gaunt, wretched face—opposite of his old oily, trembling jowls. Allen stared blankly, not recognizing him.
Definitely smells shitty... Who is it? If bro's this pissed, must be a scumbag...
Alpons. Alpons. Then it hit her—the Valua second prince she loathed even thinking about shared the name. Same name, probably. No way that bloated blob could slim down to this.
"It's the second prince."
Yushin's words barely landed before Allen's fist smashed Alpons's face.
"Oh, that motherfucker!"
His face crumpled horribly with the curse. Teeth scattered, nose collapsed, and he rolled on the ground.
"Gack! Hack! Graaah!!"
Alpons clutched his nose, groaning as blood poured between his fingers. Bystanders backed away, not wanting trouble. From pampered prince to begging tramp, no one would help him now.
Whoa, fuck. Running into him here? Red string of fate or what? Lost the weight, but the shitty smell's still perfume-level...
It was pure chance. Who'd expect to cross paths with his hated foe in this obscure border town? Gazing down at the trembling, bloody wreck eased some of Yushin's pent-up rage. The soldiers' grudges lingered, though.
"W-why hit me...? Y-you're the loyal Rocksfield lady, aren't you?!"
Alpons's desperate cry twisted Allen's face as she shouted back.
"Fuck off, you retard."
She kicked him away as he tried clinging again.