The Seventh Prince Wants to Bail — Chapter 12

URGH!

NGH!!

NNNNGH!!

URGH!

NGH!!!

AGONY FEEDUS IS A MAN WHO NEVER EXISTED.

THERE WILL BE NO FUNERAL. NO GRAVE. NO MONUMENT. NOTHING BY WHICH...

HE MAY BE REMEMBERED.

ANYONE WHO VIOLATES THIS SHALL BE PUNISHED SEVERELY.

ACTING HEAD, I HAVE A REPORT!

COMMANDER OF THE FEEDUS KNIGHTS JACK

AS ORDERED, WE APPREHENDED THOSE SPREADING FALSE RUMORS WITHIN THE SECOND KNIGHT ORDER,

HELD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, CUT OFF THEIR WRISTS, AND EXPELLED THEM.

THE PUNISHMENT FOR THE REMAINING OFFENDERS HAVE ALSO BEEN CARRIED...

YOU LOOK QUITE TIRED.

M-MY APOLOGIES!

WE'RE SO SHORT-HANDED THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THE NIGHT AS WELL...

...IN ANY CASE, YOU'VE DONE WELL.

AND THIS IS... THE LIST OF DESERTERS YOU REQUESTED.

WE ARE TIGHTENING SECURITY TO STOP THE RUNAWAYS,

BUT NEARLY HALF OUR MANPOWER HAS ALREADY DESERTED...

EVEN THE FAMILIES THAT ONCE SERVED THE FEEDUS FAMILY HAVE CUT TIES WITH US.

IF DISCIPLINE AMONG THE STAFF COLLAPSES AS WELL, THE FEEDUS FAMILY IS FINISHED.

I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF ERASING ALL TRACES OF DUKE FEEDUS ISN'T GOING TOO FAR.

WON'T IT ONLY PROVOKE THOSE WHO REMAIN LOYAL TO THE DUKE...?

DO YOU THINK "AGONY FEEDUS"

IS STILL THE HEAD OF THE FEEDUS FAMILY

M-MY... MY APOLOGIES, ACTING HEAD.

FOR A TIME, I TOO, STRUGGLED TO ACCEPT THAT THE DUKE... NO...

THAT MAN... COULD MEET SUCH A DISHONORABLE END...

HOW COULD SOMEONE SO LOYAL DO SUCH A THING...?

...IT'S AS THOUGH I'M STANDING BEFORE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PERSON.

HAS HE CHANGED THIS MUCH...

BECAUSE HE FEELS BETRAYED BY THE DUKE?

IT'S TIME.

LET US BE ON OUR WAY.

ACTING HEAD, THE SPEECH PREPARATIONS ARE COMPLETE.

UNDERSTOOD.

WHAT ON EARTH IS HE PLANNING TO SAY AFTER GATHERING EVERYONE HERE?

YESTERDAY, THEY SAY SOME KIDS WHO WORKED IN THE KITCHEN WERE CAUGHT TALKING CARELESSLY AND HAD THEIR TONGUES CUT OUT!

HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO LIVE LIKE THIS?

I GUESS THEY'RE AFRAID OF BEING BRANDED A FAMILY OF TRAITORS.

SHOULDN'T WE LEAVE BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE?

WHAT IF WE'RE CAUGHT TRYING TO RUN AWAY IN SECRET?!

WHEW...

HOUSE FEEDUS HAS SERVED SIERRA THE GREAT SINCE ITS FOUNDING.

FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS, IT HAS ENJOYED THE HONOR OF STANDING BESIDE THE IMPERIAL FAMILY AS ITS CLOSEST GUARDIAN.

HOWEVER, THE SITUATION HAS GROWN CHAOTIC OF LATE.

I AM SURE EVERYONE HERE KNOWS FULL WELL WHAT THE "CAUSE" OF THAT IS.

AGONY FEEDUS.

A TRAITOR WHO BETRAYED THE IMPERIAL FAMILY.

AGONY FEEDUS BETRAYED THE EMPIRE AND WAS EXECUTED BY THE IMPERIAL FAMILY.

THAT SINGLE FACT HAS SHAKEN THE WEALTH, UNITY, AND HONOR THIS HOUSE BUILT OVER A THOUSAND YEARS

DOWN TO THEIR VERY ROOTS.

EVEN AMONG THOSE GATHERED HERE NOW,

I KNOW THERE ARE MANY WHO DOUBT THE LOYALTY OF HOUSE FEEDUS.

...SO I WILL GIVE YOU ONE LAST CHANCE.

THOSE WHO WISH TO LEAVE MAY DO SO TODAY.

EVEN THOSE WHOSE CONTRACTS HAVE YEARS REMAINING...

WILL BE RELEASED WITHOUT PENALTY.

BUT REMEMBER THIS.

HOUSE FEEDUS...

STILL HAS SOMEONE WHO WILL UPHOLD ITS THOUSAND-YEAR OATH!

AS ACTING HEAD OF THE HOUSE FEEDUS,

UNTIL YOUNG LORD FLYN FEEDUS SUCCEEDS AS DUKE,

I WILL CONTINUE PROVING OUR LOYALTY TO THE EMPIRE AND THE IMPERIAL FAMILY.

AND ANYONE WHO ABANDONS THEIR LOYALTY TO THIS HOUSE...

WILL RECEIVE NO MERCY WHATSOEVER.

KEEP THAT IN MIND.

?!

HIS TONE IS SOMEWHAT THREATENING...

BUT LORD TOLLIN IS RIGHT.

HOUSE FEEDUS STILL HAS A LEGITIMATE HEIR,

WHICH MEANS THERE ARE STILL COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVE OUR LOYALTY TO HIS MAJESTY.

THE MORE FIRMLY HE STEADIES THE HOUSE, THE SOONER HOUSE FEEDUS WILL REGAIN ITS FOOTING.

THE ONLY THING I'LL MISS IS SEEING LORD TOLLIN FLUSTERED

WHENEVER THE SERVANTS TEASED HIM.

YOU DID WELL, ACTING HEAD.

PALE, DID THE TEMPLE RESPOND TO OUR REQUEST FOR AN AUDIENCE?

THEY SAID THAT AFTER "THAT INCIDENT," THEY WILL NO LONGER RECEIVE ANYONE FROM HOUSE FEEDUS.

I EXPECTED AS MUCH.

THEN SEND THIS WITH THE NEXT REQUEST.

TELL THEM THEY WILL NOT REGRET READING IT.

DUKE.

I STILL DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOUR INTENTIONS WERE.

WHY DID YOU REBEL AGAINST THE IMPERIAL FAMILY WHEN YOU KNEW YOU WOULD DIE?

WERE THE VAGRANTS LIVING IN THE SLUMS AROUND THE TEMPLE...

TRULY WORTH THAT MUCH TO YOU, DUKE?

THOUGH I'LL NEVER KNOW YOUR TRUE INTENTIONS NOW,

THERE IS ONLY ONE THOUGHT IN MY MIND.

YOUR DEATH...

I WILL NOT LET IT BE IN VAIN.

PLEASE WATCH OVER THE LAND YOU ENTRUSTED TO ME, AND WITNESS WHAT I MAKE OF IT.

PLEASE WATCH OVER ME FROM THERE.

IS THIS THE PLACE?

SO THIS IS THE TEMPLE... IT IS MAGNIFICENT.

ALTHOUGH I'VE ONLY BEEN GIVEN A YEAR...

EVEN IF IT TAKES EVERYTHING I HAVE...

I WILL NEVER LET THINGS UNFOLD THE WAY THE FIRST PRINCE INTENDS.

THEY HAVE GATHERED IN DISGUSTING NUMBERS.

I IMAGINE MANY PEOPLE ARE CURIOUS.

AFTER ALL, THIS MUST BE THE FIRST OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE ACTING HEAD OF HOUSE FEEDUS.

WHENEVER I SEE SWARMS OF INSECTS LIKE THIS,

I GET THE URGE TO CRUSH THEM BENEATH MY FEET.

HMM... THIS SHOULD BE THE MEDIUM-SIZED ANIMAL ZONE, RIGHT?

I'VE SECURED ENOUGH SMALL ANIMALS LIKE FOXES AND RODENTS,

SO SHALL I START AIMING FOR BIGGER ONES?

...YOU LITTLE PUNK, ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP SNEAKING AFTER ME?

THIS PLACE IS FAR MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE SMALL-SIZED ANIMAL ZONE.

SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!

IF THINGS GET DANGEROUS, IT'LL BE HARD FOR ME TO PROTECT YOU.

SO TODAY, YOU REALLY MUST NOT COME OUTSIDE, OKAY?

I DEFINITELY CHECKED THAT YOU WEREN'T IN THE BAG, SO HOW DID YOU GET IN?

COULD THIS LITTLE GUY HAVE BEEN TRANSMIGRATED INTO THE NOVEL TOO?

...HAVE I FINALLY FOUND IT?

FOLLOWING ITS TRACKS FOR OVER AN HOUR PAID OFF.

GRRRR...

HI. NICE TO MEET YOU.

IT'S NOTHING MUCH. I JUST WANT TO QUIETLY TOUCH YOUR NAPE AND LEAVE.

I TOUCHED THE OTHER ANIMALS EASILY ENOUGH, SO YOU SHOULD BE THE SAME—

MY WRIST... IS GOING TO SURVIVE THIS, RIGHT?