The Seventh Prince Wants to Bail — Chapter 17

WHAT DO I MEAN...?

I MEAN I KNOW YOU CANNOT KILL ME.

...-?!

"CANNOT KILL YOU," YOU SAY...

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT?

ISN'T THAT WHY YOU'VE KEPT ME LOCKED UP ALL THIS TIME?

IF YOU TRULY MEANT TO KILL ME, YOU WOULD'VE TORTURED ME LONG AGO.

YOU NEVER INTENDED TO KILL ME IN THE FIRST PLACE.

WHICH MEANS THERE MUST BE ANOTHER REASON YOU CAN'T LAY A HAND ON ME.

AND IF I LOOK CLOSELY, I CAN SEE THE FEAR IN YOUR EYES, ELDER.

YOU MAY THINK YOU'VE HIDDEN IT WELL...

...BUT I'VE SEEN EYES LIKE THOSE MORE THAN ONCE.

WHAT ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF?

FOR INSTANCE...

ARE YOU AFRAID THAT GOD AMICA CHOSE ME AND BROUGHT ME HERE?

RATEL. WHAT SHOULD WE DO ABOUT THIS?

ELDER...

WELL, WELL...

IT SEEMS WE'VE BEEN FOUND OUT, DOESN'T IT?

I HEARD YOUR NAME IS JING.

MY NAME IS REN.

THE ELDER ASKED ME TO SHOW YOU AROUND AMICA'S DOMAIN, SO LET'S GO.

AH... VERY WELL.

EVEN IF THIS IS FREEDOM UNDER SURVEILLANCE,

THEY'RE KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE ME A TOUR.

WHAT IF I TRULY WERE AN IMPERIAL SPY?

ARE THEY CONFIDENT I CAN'T ESCAPE?

THIS IS WHERE THOSE WHO SERVE AMICA LIVE IN HIDING.

BY AMICA'S BLESSING, WE LIVE HUMBLE LIVES...

...AND CARRY OUT A NOBLE MISSION.

I DON'T SEE ANY SOLDIERS OR PEOPLE FIT FOR BATTLE.

HAS THIS PLACE TRULY NEVER BEEN INVADED?

...HOW BEAUTIFUL.

IS THE SKY HERE TRULY DIFFERENT FROM ABIRAN'S?

GOD AMICA. A VANISHED GOD WHOSE FACE HAS LONG SINCE BEEN FORGOTTEN.

VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THOSE WHO STILL BELIEVE IN AMICA.

AROUND THE TIME I HAD JUST BEGUN MY EDUCATION AS THE HEIR,

I REMEMBER HEARING THAT EVERY LAST REMNANT OF THEM HAD BEEN CAPTURED.

MY FATHER PROUDLY TOLD ME THEY HAD WIPED OUT THE BARBARIANS.

THAT THE FEEDUS DUCAL HOUSE HAD ONCE AGAIN LED THE IMPERIAL FAMILY TO VICTORY.

THOSE DANGEROUS, VIOLENT HERETICS...

THEY HAD FINALLY BEEN ERADICATED.

AND I, TOO...

KILLED COUNTLESS HERETICS...

THE CONSTRUCTION HAS TO BE DELAYED? AGAIN?!

HOW MANY TIMES HAS THIS HAPPENED NOW?!

IT SEEMS THE NECESSARY MATERIALS STILL HAVEN'T ARRIVED.

THE IMPERIAL SIDE SAYS THEY'LL NEED UNTIL NEXT WEEK...

EVEN IF YOU ASKED FOR A WINGED WOLF, PEOPLE WOULD LINE UP TO OFFER ONE TO THE IMPERIAL FAMILY.

IT MAKES NO SENSE FOR SOMETHING AS TRIVIAL AS BUILDING MATERIALS TO KEEP GETTING DELAYED!

...AT THIS RATE, THE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE WILL NATURALLY BE PUSHED BACK,

AND IF THAT HAPPENS, WE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO OPEN THE HOSPITAL WITHIN THE ALLOTTED TIME.

THE FEEDUS FAMILY WILL INEVITABLY BE DRIVEN INTO FINANCIAL RUIN.

WAS THAT THE FIRST PRINCE'S GOAL FROM THE START?

DAMN IT! TIME IS ALREADY RUNNING OUT...!!

IT'S MY FAULT FOR FAILING TO MANAGE THIS SOONER...

...I'M TRULY SORRY.

...FINE.

I UNDERSTAND. YOU MAY LEAVE NOW.

...WHEW.

TOLLIN'S CONDITION IS REALLY BAD.

IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO...

BUT WHAT IF HE COLLAPSES AT THIS RATE...?

WHY DO YOU LOOK SO GLOOMY?

GAHHH!!

PALE...?

SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO STARTLE YOU...

Y-YOUNG DUKE?!

MY APOLOGIES, YOUNG DUKE. I WAS LOST IN THOUGHT FOR A MOMENT...

NO, NO. IT WAS MY FAULT FOR SPEAKING TO YOU SO SUDDENLY.

UM... IS TOLLIN IN HIS OFFICE RIGHT NOW?

AH, YES. HE IS!

IF YOU NEED HIM, I'LL GO TELL HIM RIGHT AWAY THAT THE YOUNG DUKE IS LOOKING FOR HIM...

AH, NO. HE SEEMS BUSY, SO I DON'T WANT TO DISTURB HIM.

IT'S JUST... I HAPPENED TO OVERHEAR SOMETHING THROUGH THE WINDOW.

...THE CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN DELAYED AGAIN, HASN'T IT?

AH, YES... WELL, YOU SEE...

IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO WORRY ABOUT, YOUNG DUKE.

THERE ARE JUST A FEW MATTERS WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT WITH THE IMPERIAL FAMILY.

I-IS THAT SO? THEN THAT'S A RELIEF.

I'LL BE GOING NOW! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

YES, SIR! TAKE CARE!

...HM?

BLACKIE!

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN SO LONG?!

I HEARD CROWS LEAVE IN WINTER, SO I THOUGHT YOU'D GONE AWAY!

OH, RIGHT! WAIT RIGHT HERE!

I SAVED SOME WALNUTS FOR YOU!

HE SEEMS TO HAVE RECOVERED QUITE A BIT.

WHEN I FIRST SAW HIM, HE CRIED DAY AND NIGHT.

HIS EYES WERE SWOLLEN FROM ALL THE TEARS.

HEHE, I LOOKED REALLY GLOOMY EARLIER, DIDN'T I?

ANYWAY, IT'S A RELIEF THE YOUNG DUKE ISN'T AFRAID OF CROWS.

ACTUALLY, LATELY TOLLIN...

THANKS TO HIM, I CAN LOOK AROUND THE DUCAL HOUSE AND GATHER INFORMATION, TOO.

...TOLLIN KEEPS TELLING ME NOT TO GO,

BUT I REALLY WANT TO SEE THE AREA NEAR THE TEMPLE WHERE THE POOR PEOPLE LIVE.

HUH? BLACKIE...?

AH! ARE YOU LEAVING ALREADY?

WE BARELY GOT TO TALK...

AREN'T YOU LEAVING TOO EARLY TODAY?

IF EVEN YOU LEAVE, THEN I...

AH, OKAY...

YOUR FAMILY MUST BE WAITING FOR YOU OUTSIDE TOO, RIGHT, BLACKIE?

GO ON, HURRY.

LET'S TALK AGAIN NEXT TIME.

BYE~! YOU HAVE TO COME BACK!

IT LOOKS SPLENDID FROM THE OUTSIDE,

BUT SOMEHOW, IT STILL FEELS OMINOUS.

"I WANT TO SEE WHERE THE POOR PEOPLE LIVE," HUH...?

...LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEGUN.

I DIDN'T EXPECT TO HEAR THOSE WORDS ALREADY.

THE DAY I MUST BEGIN KEEPING WATCH OVER THE YOUNG DUKE IS DRAWING NEAR.

THAT LITTLE BOY... A CHARACTER WHOSE NAME NEVER EVEN APPEARS IN THE NOVEL. ACCORDING TO THE ORIGINAL STORY...

...HE'S DESTINED TO DIE AFTER THE HUNTING FESTIVAL.