The Seventh Prince Wants to Bail — Chapter 25

A GHOST...

AS A KID, I WAS SO SCARED OF GHOSTS THAT I KEPT THE LIGHTS ON ALL NIGHT.

BUT THAT FEAR DIDN'T LAST LONG.

COMPARED TO SOMETHING AS VAGUE AS A GHOST,

MY FATHER SHOWING UP WITH THE ELECTRICITY BILL WAS FAR SCARIER.

I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT GHOSTS AGAIN AFTER THAT DAY.

REALITY WAS FULL OF THINGS FAR SCARIER THAN SUCH ROMANTIC NOTIONS.

WELL, IN THE END, THE ONLY GHOSTS I KNOW ABOUT ARE THE ONES IN DARK HEADER...

WHATEVER ELSE I DON'T KNOW, I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING.

ONE LOOK IS ENOUGH TO TELL...

THAT'S NO GHOST.

GHOSTS IN THIS WORLD CAN'T HOLD THINGS LIKE THAT.

ANYWAY, WHO THE HELL IS THAT?

WHAT'S THEIR CONNECTION TO THAT BRAT, THE EIGHTH PRINCE...?

THE EIGHTH PRINCE OUTLIVES ME, BUT HE'S JUST A BACKGROUND CHARACTER TOO.

SO THERE WASN'T ANY BACKSTORY OR EPISODE I CAN DRAW CLUES FROM...

ALL I KNOW IS WHAT WAS IN THE NOVEL.

WAS THIS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN ALL ALONG, THEN?

OR IS THIS ANOTHER INCIDENT CAUSED BY THE DISTORTED TIMELINE...?

HIEEK!!!

LOOKS LIKE SELOS IS SCARED OUT OF HIS WITS.

WELL, I CAN'T BLAME HIM.

I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO LOOK THAT UNSETTLING, EITHER.

WELL... I'VE COME ALL THIS WAY. I CAN'T JUST HEAD BACK.

I DO FEEL A LITTLE BAD FOR MY COMPANION, THOUGH...

ALL RIGHT, LET'S...

S-SQUEAK...?!

GET STARTED!

SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!!!

AS EXPECTED, THIS ONE HAS NO SPECIAL ABILITIES.

ALL THEY CAN DO IS FLAIL AROUND.

HMM... I THINK I COULD SEE BENEATH THOSE RAGS IF I GOT BIGGER...

OH, RIGHT, I DO HAVE THAT FORM.

I MET A MAGNIFICENT CREATURE IN THE FOREST NOT LONG AGO.

SQUEAK!

WITH THAT FORM...

?!

INTO A GIANT EAGLE...!

LET'S GET A LOOK AT YOUR UGLY MUG...

WHAT'S HE...

DOING IN A PLACE LIKE THIS...?

WHAT SHOULD I DO? SHOULD I GO AFTER HIM...?

I'LL CHASE HIM ANOTHER TIME...!

IS THIS BECAUSE THE TIMELINE IS MOVING FASTER THAN IN THE NOVEL?

I HADN'T CONSIDERED A SITUATION LIKE THIS...

SQUEAK, SQUEAK...

WHEN WILL I BE ABLE TO RETURN THIS?

I NEED TO FIND THOSE CHILDREN SOON AND GIVE IT BACK.

PALE AND TOLLIN JUST KEEP SAYING THEY'RE STILL LOOKING...

BLACKIE!

WHY HAVEN'T YOU VISITED IN SO LONG?

LOOK AT ALL THE WALNUTS I'VE SAVED UP FOR YOU!

UGH...! I ONLY PRETENDED TO EAT THEM BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT'D HELP ME GATHER INFORMATION...

...SO I NEARLY GOT INTO SERIOUS TROUBLE.

LUCKILY, PALE CAME TO RESCUE ME, SO I WAS SAFE.

WE STILL HAVEN'T FOUND THOSE CHILDREN,

BUT TOLLIN SAYS WE CAN FIND THEM AS LONG AS WE HAVE MONEY AND POWER, SO I'M TRYING NOT TO WORRY.

WHAT ON EARTH HAS TOLLIN BEEN TELLING THIS KID...?

THAT WAS A REALLY HARD DAY.

I WAS FRIGHTENED OF THOSE SCARY PEOPLE,

AND TOLLIN GAVE ME A REAL SCOLDING FOR GOING OUT ON MY OWN...

IF THIS BOY HAD DIED THAT DAY TOO, TOLLIN PROBABLY WOULD'VE...

BECOME A LITTLE MORE LIKE HIS ORIGINAL-STORY SELF.

BUT YOU KNOW...

I ACTUALLY LIKED THAT TOLLIN WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT ME.

MAYBE I SHOULD SNEAK OUT JUST ONE MORE TIME AND LOOK FOR THOSE CHILDREN TOO?

PLEASE, ANYTHING BUT THAT...!

SOMETIMES IT REALLY SEEMS LIKE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE SAY.

C-CAW...

I'LL HAVE TO LEAVE FIRST TODAY.

MY NANNY WORRIES IF I STAY IN MY ROOM TOO MUCH.

I'LL LEAVE THE WINDOW OPEN, SO YOU CAN GO WHENEVER YOU LIKE.

BUT PROMISE YOU'LL COME VISIT AGAIN, OKAY?

I ONLY CAME TO HEAR WHAT THE YOUNG DUKE HAD TO SAY TODAY...

BUT SINCE I'M HERE, WHY NOT HAVE ANOTHER LOOK AROUND?

...THEY'RE ALL DEAD?!

IS THAT TRUE?

YES, SIR...

EVERYONE ASSIGNED TO ESCORT THE YOUNG DUKE THAT DAY.

THEY ALL SUFFERED SUDDEN SEIZURES AND DIED AT AROUND THE SAME TIME.

COULD IT HAVE BEEN SUICIDE OR POISONING?

I'M TOLD THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF EITHER, AND THEIR BLOOD WAS CLEAN.

THE ESCORTS LOSING TRACK OF THE YOUNG DUKE THAT DAY...

WAS NO COINCIDENCE AFTER ALL.

BUT... HAVE THEY GOTTEN THE BETTER OF ME?!

JUST LIKE THAT, WITHOUT LEARNING A THING, LET ALONE WHO WAS BEHIND IT...!

WHOEVER DID THIS KNEW I SUSPECTED THE ESCORTS.

EVEN SO, WHO...?

AND HOW ON EARTH...?

WHY USE SUCH AN OBVIOUS METHOD...?

IS THIS A WARNING? THAT I SHOULDN'T DARE DISPLEASE THE IMPERIAL FAMILY?

...INVESTIGATE EVERY MEMBER OF THE KNIGHT ORDER.

REPORT ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY.

...UNDERSTOOD.

JACK IS NO EXCEPTION.

B-BUT, SIR...

THINGS AREN'T UNFOLDING ALL THAT DIFFERENTLY FROM THE ORIGINAL STORY,

EXCEPT THAT THE YOUNG DUKE IS STILL ALIVE THIS TIME.

ANYWAY, HE MUST HAVE REALIZED THAT SOMEONE IN THE IMPERIAL FAMILY IS RESPONSIBLE,

SO HE'LL DRAW HIS SWORD IN THE END.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS PARTICULAR "PERSON" KEEPS INTERFERING...

DEATH FROM UNEXPLAINED BREATHING DIFFICULTIES.

THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST PRINCESS' FAVORITE METHODS.

THE FIRST PRINCESS, MENTIL ABIRAN, HAS THE POWER TO CONTROL MINDS.

SHE HAS TWO WAYS OF CONTROLLING PEOPLE.

PEOPLE BRAINWASHED OVER A LONG PERIOD ARE CONTROLLED SUBCONSCIOUSLY,

BUT THOSE BRAINWASHED OVER A SHORT PERIOD MOVE UNNATURALLY.

JUST LIKE LAST NIGHT..

WHEN IGO CRYSA MOVED IN THAT ODD MANNER.