The Seventh Prince Wants to Bail — Chapter 22

RATEL,

HOW HAS THE OUTSIDER SEEMED LATELY?

HE'S BEEN VERY ACTIVE.

I'VE SEEN HIM DILIGENTLY EXPLORING EVERY CORNER OF THIS PLACE EACH DAY.

VERY ACTIVE, YOU SAY.

YOU DON'T OFTEN SEE AN OLD MAN BUSTLING AROUND LIKE THAT HERE.

IT SOUNDS LIKE HE WAS LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT.

DID HE ASK YOU TO HELP?

NO, ALL I DID WAS SHOW HIM AROUND THE VILLAGE.

HMM. IS THAT SO? ANYTHING ELSE?

HE SEEMS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE LIBRARY BENEATH THE TEMPLE.

HE ASKED WHETHER HE COULD SEEK YOUR PERMISSION, ELDER.

WHAT?

THE LIBRARY...?!

DID YOU MAKE IT CLEAR TO HIM WHAT'S IN THERE?

YES. HE SAID HE WANTED TO READ THE BOOKS THERE.

A CITIZEN OF THE ABIRAN EMPIRE TAKING AN INTEREST IN HERETICAL WRITINGS.

WHAT ON EARTH HAS GOTTEN INTO HIM SINCE HE CAME HERE...?

HAS HE TAKEN IT UPON HIMSELF TO SEEK AMICA'S WILL?

O GOD AMICA, WHO HAS GRANTED US SURVIVAL...

IN YOUR BOUNDLESS MERCY,

MAY YOU CONTINUE TO WATCH OVER US...

AND MAY THOSE WHO REDUCED US TO THIS STATE...

MEET THEIR END SOON...

WHAT DO YOU THINK, JING?

THIS IS THE ONLY LIBRARY IN AMICA'S DOMAIN.

WELL, THIS IS QUITE A... COZY... PLACE.

IT'S A LITTLE UNTIDY, BUT ANYONE IS WELCOME HERE.

...IT'S MORE ORDINARY THAN I EXPECTED.

SO ORDINARY THAT I FEEL ALMOST FOOLISH FOR LETTING MY HEART RACE SO MUCH.

...ARE ALL THE BOOKS HERE RELIGIOUS TEXTS?

THEY WOULD HAVE NO REASON TO BE HERE OTHERWISE.

DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU WANTED TO LOOK AROUND?

YOU'RE FREE TO READ ANYTHING THAT CATCHES YOUR INTEREST.

"ANYONE" INCLUDES YOU TOO, JING.

THIS IS THE MOST BASIC TEXT.

IT CONTAINS THE FUNDAMENTAL TEACHINGS AND PRECEPTS OF GOD AMICA.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ IT?

...I TRUST YOU UNDERSTAND WELL ENOUGH FROM THIS?

TO READ SUBVERSIVE TEXTS IS TO BETRAY THE ABIRAN EMPIRE!

AND BETRAYAL IS TREASON!

TREASON AGAINST THE EMPIRE...!!

IS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH...

...IT SEEMS THE TIME ISN'T RIGHT YET.

THERE'S NOTHING TO BE DONE IF YOU'RE NOT READY.

COME BACK ANYTIME IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND.

YOU CAN HEAD BACK UPSTAIRS AHEAD OF ME IF YOU WISH.

I'LL STAY HERE AND DUST OFF THE BOOKS.

...WHAT WAS THAT JUST NOW?

WHEN HE BRIEFLY HANDED THE BOOK TO ME...

I FELT SOMETHING STRANGE...

YOUNG DUKE...!

ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? ARE YOU HURT ANYWHERE?!

I-I'M ALL RIGHT.

I'M SAFE THANKS TO PALE COMING FOR ME.

JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, NEITHER PALE NOR ANYONE ELSE IS TO BLAME.

THIS ONLY HAPPENED BECAUSE I TRIED TO VISIT THE SLUMS ON MY OWN.

W-WELL, THAT'S A RELIEF, BUT NEVER...!

YOU MUST NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN!

I'M SORRY, TOLLIN... I DIDN'T THINK IT THROUGH.

WAIT, THOUGH...

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR COAT?

DON'T TELL ME THOSE PAUPERS TOOK IT FROM YOU?! WHICH BASTARD DID IT...?!

OH DEAR. THIS IS TROUBLE.

I CAN'T GO NOW, CAN I? THOSE CHILDREN...

I PROMISED I'D COME BACK TO HELP THEM...

ARE THEY SAFE NOW??

WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE THINGS HAVE SETTLED DOWN FOR NOW.

THE YOUNG DUKE SURVIVING IS ALREADY A DEPARTURE FROM THE ORIGINAL STORY.

BUT AFTER COMING THIS FAR, I CAN'T JUST LET HIM DIE.

MORAL REASONS ASIDE,

I NEED THAT BOY.

I-I'M SORRY...

I'M SO... SORRY...

I... I'M SORR...

URGH...!!!

OH? YOU'VE KEPT YOUR EYES CLOSED ALL THIS TIME?

IT SEEMS YOU REMEMBERED MY WARNING THAT I'D KILL YOU IF YOU LOOKED UP.

JUST ONCE... IF YOU'D GIVE ME JUST ONE MORE CHANCE...

I DON'T UNDERSTAND. YOU'RE SO GOOD AT FOLLOWING ORDERS...

YET YOU COULDN'T EVEN DEAL WITH A SINGLE CHILD.

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU HAVE ANY CHANCES LEFT?

TH-THERE WAS INTERFERENCE!

SOMETHING WE HADN'T PLANNED FOR AT ALL!

INTERFERENCE?

Y-YES! IT SUDDENLY APPEARED IN THE ALLEY!

IT WAS, UM... THAT'S RIGHT! IT WAS A GIANT BEAR...!!!

A GIANT BEAR, YOU SAY...

IT WAS ENORMOUS! THE SORT YOU'D ONLY FIND DEEP IN THE FOREST!

IT ATTACKED ME, THEN VANISHED WITHOUT A TRACE!

I SWEAR BY SIERRA THE GREAT, IT'S THE TRUTH!!

...ENOUGH. I NEEDN'T HEAR ANY MORE.

I THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE A CLUE HERE, BUT THIS TRIP WAS A WASTE OF TIME.

IS THAT A SWORD BEING DRAWN...?!

D-DAMN IT...!

IS HE GOING TO KILL ME?!

IN A PLACE LIKE THIS...!

ME...!!

YOU THINK I'M GOING TO DIE HERE...?!

NO KNIGHT HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO BEAT ME!

I'LL TEAR YOU APART ALIVE!!

THAT LIGHT...!

...ROYALTY?!

F-FORGIVE ME...

H-HOW COULD I DARE... INSULT A GOD...

DIDN'T YOU SAY HE WAS RELIABLE?

YOU NEVER MENTIONED HE WAS A JUNKIE.

...MY APOLOGIES, SECOND PRINCE.

IT WAS MY OVERSIGHT FOR FAILING TO WEED OUT SUCH TRASH.

I BELIEVE YOU WOULD FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY OF TRASH AS WELL.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, YOUNG LORD CRYSA?

IF YOU WOULD GIVE ME JUST ONE MORE CHANCE...

I WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU.

...FIRST COUNT CRYSA... AND NOW HIS ELDEST SON?

HIS THIRD SON, TOLLIN CRYSA, IS GOING TO COLLAPSE FROM SHOCK.