The Seventh Prince Wants to Bail — Chapter 13

AAAAH! AAAH!!

SERIOUSLY...!!

I'M REALLY GONNA DIE!!

WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?!

SQUEAK SQUEAK!

THANKFULLY, THIS ANIMAL TURNED OUT TO BE FRIENDLY TOO...

SO I JUST HAD TO TOUCH ITS NAPE AND GET OUT OF THERE...

GOOD BOY. GOOD BOY...

WHY DID YOU HAVE TO PICK A FIGHT WITH THE WOLF AT THAT EXACT MOMENT?!

IF YOU WANNA DIE, DIE BY YOURSELF!!

SQUEAK!

WHAT DO I DO?! IT'S GONNA CATCH UP SOON!!!

WHAT ANIMAL SHOULD I TRANSFORM INTO?!

NO MATTER WHAT LAND ANIMAL I CHOOSE, THAT WOLF WILL CATCH UP TO ME!

I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO FLY AWAY AS A CROW.

IF ONLY I COULD RUN AND FLY AT THE SAME TIME...

IF ONLY I COULD FLY...!

...SQUEAK?

GRRR...?

PHEW, ANYWAY, I'M GLAD WE GOT AWAY.

I HAD A FEELING, BUT THIS ABILITY...

IS ACTUALLY CUSTOMIZABLE?!

I HEARD THIS WHOLE AREA IS GOING TO BE FEEDUS FAMILY LAND FROM NOW ON.

APPARENTLY DUKE FEEDUS CLAIMED IT EVEN AT THE COST OF REBELLING AGAINST THE ROYAL FAMILY.

WHY WOULD HE WANT TO GET THIS LAND EVEN AT THE COST OF HIS LIFE?

MAYBE HE JUST WENT CRAZY?

WELL, THEY SAY THE CURRENT ACTING HEAD ISN'T IN HIS RIGHT MIND EITHER, RIGHT?

COULD THERE BE TREASURE BURIED SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE?

THEN WE SHOULD FIND IT FIRST!

...NOW IS OUR GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY.

MIR, ARE YOU READY TO PICK SOME UNSUSPECTING POCKETS?

THE FEEDUS FAMILY IS ALREADY ON THE ROAD TO RUIN.

WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT, TOLLIN?

TWO MONTHS.

ANY VAGRANTS REMAINING HERE AFTER TWO MONTHS,

WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED FOR DEFILING THE SANCTITY OF THE HOLY TEMPLE.

NO, IF YOU KICK US OUT OF HERE, WHERE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GO?!

AREN'T YOU JUST TELLING US ALL TO GO DIE?!

SEYA! WHAT DID THEY JUST SAY UP THERE?

STOP WORRYING ABOUT THAT AND JUST RUN AWAY WHILE YOU CAN!

HOW UNEXPECTED.

I THOUGHT THE SOFT-HEARTED ACTING HEAD OF THE FEEDUS FAMILY WOULD PITY THE VAGRANTS.

MAYBE HE'S TRYING TO TREAD CAREFULLY AROUND THE ROYAL FAMILY FOR THE SAKE OF PRESERVING THE DUCAL HOUSE...

WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU PLANNING TO BUILD HERE?

HOSPITAL.

THE FEEDUS FAMILY WILL BUILD A HOSPITAL HERE.

FURTHERMORE, WE WILL TEACH MEDICAL ARTS TO THOSE WHO WILL WORK AT THE HOSPITAL.

WHAT AN ABSURD IDEA.

ISN'T IT THE ROLE OF NOBLES TO BOTH TEACH AND LEARN MEDICINE?

WHAT CRAZY FAMILY WOULD EVER SEND PEOPLE TO LEARN FROM THE FEEDUS FAMILY?

THEY'LL FALL EVEN FURTHER INTO THE ABYSS OF RUIN BECAUSE OF THIS.

WITH THE FEEDUS FAMILY BEING SHUNNED BY EVERYONE,

THE ODDS OF THIS SUCCEEDING ARE VIRTUALLY ZERO.

IT SEEMS I OVERESTIMATED TOLLIN.

I WON'T NEED TO PAY HIM ATTENTION ANYMO—

WHO DARES TO LAUGH AT THAT MAN?!

MAKE WAY!

I, VESPER, VOUCH FOR TOLLIN CRYSA, ACTING HEAD OF THE FEEDUS DUCAL HOUSE...

IN THE NAME OF GOD.

L-LORD VESPER...!

HIGH PRIEST VESPER...!

IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOLLIN.

H-HIGH PRIEST...!

O LOST CHILDREN OF ABIRAN,

WE ARE ALL TRAVELERS BOUND FOR THE SAME DESTINATION.

TEMPTATION AND THE TOUCH OF EVIL WILL ALWAYS LURK ALONG THE JOURNEY.

YET HOW NOBLE IS THIS ONE...

WHO CASTS THEM ASIDE AND CONTINUES TO WALK THE RIGHTEOUS PATH?

THE FEEDUS FAMILY WAS TAINTED BY A SINGLE SINNER,

AND THAT SIN CAN NEVER BE WASHED AWAY.

NEVERTHELESS, THERE IS ONE WHO STILL TRIES TO WALK THE PATH.

MAY THIS JOURNEY OF ATONEMENT UNDERTAKEN BY THIS PITIFUL CHILD OF ABIRAN...

BE FULFILLED BENEATH GOD'S BLESSING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. I AM DEEPLY MOVED BY YOUR PRECIOUS WORDS.

NOT AT ALL, NOT AT ALL. WHEN THE FEEDUS FAMILY IS UNDERTAKING SUCH A FAITHFUL PROJECT,

HOW COULD I JUST SIT BACK AND WATCH?

LET US RIDE THE CARRIAGE TOGETHER AND ENTER THE TEMPLE.

SINCE WE HAVE COME ALL THIS WAY, WE MUST PAY OUR RESPECTS TO SIERRA THE GREAT.

THOSE ARE TRULY GRACIOUS WORDS.

WHAT A LOAD OF BULLSHIT.

YOU BASTARD, YOU ONLY CRAWLED OUT HERE TO PUT ON A SHOW.

TO BEGIN WITH, THE FEEDUS FAMILY IS PAYING FOR ALL THE PROJECT EXPENSES,

YET YOUR CONDITION WAS THAT THE TEMPLE RECEIVES HALF THE PROFITS FROM THE HOSPITAL AND THE ACADEMY.

WHEN YOU READ MY LETTER ACCEPTING THOSE TERMS,

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW WIDE YOU MUST'VE SMILED.

WELL, EITHER WAY, I HAVE NO REGRETS ABOUT MY DECISION.

TO PROCEED WITH THE PLAN, I HAD TO WIN OVER THE HIGH PRIEST.

IT WAS NICE TO SEE YOU TOO,

YOUNG MASTER MILIO.

SINCE WHEN DID HE NOTICE...?

THE WORLD ISN'T SO EASILY OVERTURNED, YOU SEE.

WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THAT DAMN OLD GEEZER?!

WHY IS HE SUDDENLY SHOWING UP HERE?!

THE ACTING HEAD SIMPLY PUT HIS BRAIN TO USE.

IF THE HIGH PRIEST PUBLICLY SUPPORTS THEM, THE NOBLES WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO FOLLOW.

SO THAT LITTLE INSECT ACTUALLY TRIED USING HIS HEAD FOR ONCE!

THERE IS NO NEED FOR THE NEXT EMPEROR OF ABIRAN TO WORRY.

I TOLD YOU I HAD A WAY—

I'LL HEAR IT LATER!

I'M TOO PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW. I NEED TO KILL SOMEONE TO COOL OFF!

WOW, HOW GENEROUS. THERE ARE PLENTY OF INSECTS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU TO CRUSH.

...HMM.

DID YOU SAY THE CURRENT ACTING HEAD OF THE FEEDUS DUCAL HOUSE IS TOLLIN CRYSA?

THAT IS CORRECT. AS THE THIRD SON OF COUNT CRYSA'S FAMILY,

HE SERVED AS THE LATE DUKE AGONY FEEDUS'S AIDE FOR THIRTEEN YEARS.

LATELY, SOMETHING JUST KEEPS GETTING ON MY NERVES.

JUST YOU STANDING THERE

IS ENOUGH TO PISS ME OFF EVEN MORE.

I APOLOGIZE.

YOU DON'T SCREAM OR EVEN FLINCH, SO YOU'RE NO FUN.

WELL, THAT'S WHY I KEEP YOU AROUND, THOUGH.

I APOLOGIZE.

WHATEVER. IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE BORING, AT LEAST BE EFFICIENT.

INVESTIGATE THE TAX RECORDS OF COUNT CRYSA'S FAMILY OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS.

IF YOU FIND EVEN THE SLIGHTEST IRREGULARITY...

ARREST COUNT CRYSA IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU DON'T FIND ANYTHING, FABRICATE IT AND ARREST HIM ANYWAY.

AND CLEAN UP THAT MESS ON YOUR WAY OUT.

YES, YOUR HIGHNESS.

IT'S A SUNNY DAY. THAT MAKES IT EVEN MORE ANNOYING.

THE FIRST PRINCE'S BODY DETERIORATING FASTER THAN EXPECTED— ANNOYING.

...AND HIM RECOVERING AGAIN—ALSO ANNOYING.