Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Prince's Persistence
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The party was now just passing through the center of the Veldam Federation.
They still had another three weeks to go before reaching the Caliburn Duchy.
They were nowhere near their destination yet.
‘What's with him all of a sudden? Just go away and stop bothering me.’
I flatly ignored Raul’s request and simply remained vigilant of our surroundings.
With the third prince separated from his escort, I had no choice but to heighten my guard.
Oblivious to my concerns, Raul began to drink alone.
It seemed he intended to just have a drink since I wasn't coming out.
"Since you won't come out, I have no choice. I'll just wet my throat a bit."
The third prince downed the full cup of liquor in one go.
Then he poured another, staring blankly at the shimmering surface of the drink.
"Ahhh!"
After downing three cups in a row, his face flushed in an instant.
The smooth drink had gone down so easily that he'd kept drinking, which proved to be his undoing.
Soon, the slightly inebriated third prince began to mutter to himself.
"To think my own brothers would send assassins after me, that we'd trade venomous words the moment we meet…"
His words were a lament, filled with resentment for his cruel brothers.
They also held concern for the nation reeling from the war of succession and for its victims.
His rambling continued.
"I am not running away. My brothers may not know it, but the Caliburn Duchy is a land of opportunity for me."
The nobles who would flock to the relatively young third prince were likely the dregs of the aristocracy.
His eyes, staring into the darkness, were clearly those of a man filled with ambition.
The wooden cup in his tight grip trembled as if it would shatter at any moment.
"It may sound like the delusion of a weakling, but I will sever this vicious cycle, no matter what."
The Caliburn Duchy had close ties with the Vertos Empire.
It wasn't impossible for Raul to build a power base there and then advance into the empire's political scene.
The problem, of course, was that the process would be incredibly difficult and arduous.
After finishing his monologue, the third prince sat for a long while before dusting himself off and getting up.
"Thank you for saving my life. Well then."
Raul placed a hand on his chest and bowed toward the forest.
As the third prince returned to the campsite, I finally watched his retreating back.
‘Let's just get this over with quietly.’
It was true that the man was quite interesting.
But that didn't mean I had any intention of revealing myself to Raul.
I didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble.
* * *
The journey through the Veldam Federation to the Caliburn Duchy was excruciatingly dull.
Of course, there were a few assassination attempts, but they weren't much of a threat.
They continued to make camp for the last week of the journey.
This was because there were hardly any towns worth staying in after passing through Baron Kerodin's territory.
On the final day, the third prince once again took his liquor and cup and settled in the forest.
He was trying to lure me out, one way or another.
"This is the last time. Won't you join me for a drink?"
His earnest voice echoed through the dark forest.
When there was no response, Raul sighed and was about to get up.
But the third prince soon stopped in his tracks.
He had spotted me, having appeared out of nowhere.
"You're one persistent man, I'll give you that."
"Uh…"
Raul froze on the spot.
It seemed he'd managed to call me out but hadn't thought about what to do next.
I flicked the Black Dragon Sword toward the third prince.
*Swish!*
The blade slid perfectly under the base of the cup on the ground.
With a light pull, the wooden cup came sliding toward me.
It was a simple trick using mana, but Raul’s eyes widened in amazement.
"You asked for a drink. What's with the surprise?"
"Ah, yes. Let's have a drink."
I raised the cup slightly in the air.
The third prince, flustered, also adopted a toasting posture.
There was some distance between us, so it was merely a gesture.
Then, we each began to drink on our own.
Of course, I only wet my lips, not actually drinking the liquor.
I was still on a mission, after all.
"You're the benefactor who saved my life several times. It bothered me to think we would part ways just like that."
"…"
"I wanted to truly repay you someday, not just gloss over it with a single drink."
"I don't need anything like that."
"Still, my heart insists…"
"You should consider the recipient's feelings. If you force a gift on someone, it's no better than dumping trash on them."
"I-Is that so?"
Raul scratched the back of his head with an awkward expression.
But I had already seen through his intentions.
‘He's putting on an act. This guy is as sly as a fox.’
As the mission progressed, I'd learned quite a bit about the third prince.
Raul was highly intelligent, respected by his subordinates, and adept at reading the tides of the times.
So it was no wonder he was trying so desperately to summon his skilled shadow guard.
Putting down the wooden cup, I tossed out a casual remark.
"Just be honest. Didn't you call me here to ask for help?"
"…"
Raul didn't answer, merely gazing at his cup.
It seemed I'd hit the nail right on the head.
The third prince was at a loss for words, staring into empty space.
Then, he composed himself and spoke with a serious expression.
"Yes, I won't pretend anymore. Please help me. I want to restore the royal family… to restore Railharsche from its state of misery."
*Thump!*
Raul slammed his fist on the ground as he rose, staring directly at me with eyes full of longing.
‘Ugh, it's creepy when a guy stares at you like that, you bastard!’
I posed a question to the third prince.
"Do you happen to have a younger or older sister?"
"What? Why all of a sudden…"
"Judging by your face, if you have one, she must be a beauty. So, do you have one or not? Spit it out."
"Uh, I don't?"
With a disappointed look, I turned from the third prince and started to climb a tree.
"Tch. And here I was getting my hopes up."
Raul wore a dumbfounded expression I'd never seen on him before.
He probably never imagined he'd hear something like this out of the blue.
"W-Wait a moment!"
At the third prince's urgent voice, I glanced back and slid down the tree.
‘Did he suddenly remember a long-lost sister from his childhood?’
I came down with a sense of anticipation, but what I got was an absurd reprimand.
"We were having a serious conversation. How can you suddenly act like this?"
"If you want to recruit someone, there has to be a give and take. Don't you know that? You have no business ethics, none at all."
"…"
As expected of a smart guy, Raul quickly understood what I was saying.
But that didn't mean an answer came immediately.
Yeah, I get it.
He's probably never met anyone like me.
How could a royal brat, raised like a greenhouse flower, possibly understand the profound ways of a wildflower that grew up in the harsh wilderness?
Smacking my lips with a bitter taste, I started to turn away.
Just then, the third prince's voice stopped me.
"Um… does it just have to be a beautiful woman?"
"Hmph! What do you take me for?"
"Then what other conditions are there? I will try to arrange a meeting that suits them."
It was an absurd condition, but Raul quickly accepted reality and showed his willingness to comply.
But I had no intention of rattling off a list of my ideal traits to him.
"Ahem! I have my pride. How could I possibly demand such a thing?"
"It seems to me you've thrown your pride to the dogs."
"Close enough, but I don't feel like telling you."
"Are you telling me to figure it out on my own? I'm not an astrologer, how am I supposed to know your tastes…"
"I'm not asking you to guess. You really don't get it."
"Ah!"
Raul let out a small gasp, as if he finally understood why I was acting this way.
"It was your way of refusing."
"If you had a sister, I might have considered it."
"Don't lie. You never had any intention of agreeing from the start, did you?"
"Ah, you caught me. Look here. Do I look like a guy who's desperate for a woman?"
"I can barely see your eyes because of the mask."
"Oh, right. Why the sudden sharp tongue?"
"This isn't a matter of being sharp or not…"
"Whatever. Thanks for the drink."
I shrugged and got up from my spot.
I'd only touched the cup to my lips, but I had gotten a small taste.
My little chat was just a courtesy in return.
I had no intention of forging a long-term connection with this guy.
It was time to stop the nonsense and get back to my real mission.
But then, Raul suddenly pulled something from his coat and tossed it to me.
I easily snatched the slowly flying object.
"What's this?"
"It's a secret map."
"Oh?"
"Seeing your skills, I doubt you have any need for money. So I decided to give you something not easily obtained."
"Why are you giving me this all of a sudden?"
"It's a token of my gratitude for protecting me all this time."
The escort fee had already been paid in full by the Railharsche royal family.
It was probably paid by one of the other princes involved in the power struggle, one who wanted Raul to stay alive.
So there was no need for him to give me an additional reward.
Besides, it wasn't an item but a map, which came with the difficult condition of having to go there myself.
"Not much of a gift if I have to go get it myself."
"This isn't a map to buried treasure. It marks the way to the forest of the ancient fairies."
"Hoh… is that so?"
Raul's subsequent explanation made my expression turn to one of interest.
A rather unexpected name had come up.
Fairies. Wasn't there something mystical about them?
‘But is there anything to gain by going there?’
It was tempting, but it wasn't something I needed right now.
There was always the chance that fairies weren't friendly to humans.
In any case, there was no way he was giving me this out of pure goodwill.
"I'm not taking it. Feels shady."
I waved my hand dismissively and started to turn away.
I'd made my refusal clear enough. It was really time to go back.
But Raul's final words stopped me once again.
"You don't have to join my cause. That's not why I'm giving it to you."
"Suddenly?"
"Please think of it as a bribe to be friends."
"What kind of way is this to make a friend?"
"Because I've never made a friend before. Aren't you the same?"
"I'm not."
I denied it, but the faint smile on Raul's face didn't change.
‘Damn, this guy hits where it hurts.’
In truth, he was right.
Where would one find a friend in this godforsaken assassination guild?
"Will you… be my friend?"
The third prince approached with an awkward expression and held out his hand.
After standing still for a moment, I had no choice but to take Raul's hand.
"That's one hell of a fee for friendship."
It wasn't like I accepted because I was captivated by the unique reward of a secret map to the Fairy Forest.
No, really. I mean it.