The Seventh Prince Wants to Bail — Chapter 26

WHEW... TOLLIN WAS RIGHT. THERE REALLY AREN'T ANY CHILDREN AROUND HERE.

STILL, ALL FIVE OF THEM... HAD TROUBLE BREATHING...

ARE YOU SETTLING INTO YOUR NEW POST?

NOW, I DIDN'T SUMMON YOU HERE FOR ANYTHING PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT.

I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE TIME THE YOUNG DUKE BRIEFLY WENT MISSING.

I HEARD PALE CALLED ALL THE GUARDS TO THE FRONT AT THE TIME. IS THAT RIGHT?

AH... YES, SIR.

PALE CALLED US OVER, SAYING SOMEONE HAD BEEN INJURED.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT INCIDENT... THAT DOESN'T SIT RIGHT WITH ME.

WHY DIDN'T A SINGLE ONE OF THE FIVE GUARDS REMAIN WITH THE YOUNG DUKE'S CARRIAGE?

WAS THERE SOME PARTICULAR REASON?

AH, WELL... THE TRUTH IS...

I... CAN'T QUITE REMEMBER.

YOU CAN'T REMEMBER...?

DO YOU THINK GUARD DUTY IS A JOKE?!

YOU'D BETTER GIVE ME A PROPER ANSWER, UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO TORTURE IT OUT OF YOU!

KNIGHT COMMANDER...

I'M TRULY SORRY...

BUT NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY...

I REALLY...

CAN'T...

...REMEMBER.

YOU DAMNED FOOLS...!

YOU COULD'VE AT LEAST TOLD ME WHETHER YOU'D BETRAYED US OR BEEN THREATENED...

...BEFORE YOU DIED...!

...WHEW. I SHOULD FOCUS ON MY CURRENT ASSIGNMENT.

LET'S TAKE THIS CHANCE TO CALM DOWN.

EXCUSE ME. I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU SOMETHING.

I'M LOOKING FOR SOMEONE.

HAVE YOU SEEN ANY YOUNG CHILDREN AROUND HERE LATELY?

Y-YOUNG CHILDREN...?

WELL, THESE DAYS, CHILDREN LIKE THAT...

OH, RIGHT. HAVE YOU TRIED THE BACK OF THAT ALLEY OVER THERE?

?

THERE'S A RUNDOWN BUILDING WITH A BLUE ROOF.

I THINK I USED TO SEE ORPHANED KIDS GOING IN AND OUT OF THERE...

THIS MUST BE IT...

GOOD GRIEF. ONE STRONG GUST OF WIND WOULD PROBABLY BRING THIS WHOLE BUILDING DOWN.

COULD IT BE...?

IT WASN'T LOCKED.

WELL, I SUPPOSE THERE'S NO POINT LOCKING IT WHEN THERE'S NOTHING WORTH STEALING.

I'M THE KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE FEEDUS KNIGHTS!

I'VE HEARD THAT HOMELESS CHILDREN HAVE BEEN STAYING HERE.

I'M NOT HERE TO HURT YOU, SO THERE'S NO NEED TO BE AFRAID!

I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, SO COME—

...!

L-LET GO OF ME...!

I TOLD YOU I WASN'T HERE TO HURT YOU...

I SWEAR, I'M NOT SUSPICIOUS OR DANGEROUS IN THE SLIGHTEST!

EEK!

LET LEO GO!

ANOTHER CHILD...?!

WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, BARGING IN HERE LIKE SOME THUG?!

LET GO OF LEO RIGHT NOW!

SEYA!

W-WAIT! I'M HERE TO—

LEO! NOW!

ARGH! MY HAND...!

ARE YOU HURT?

NO! THANKS, SEYA!

WE'RE NOT SAFE YET!

LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!

YOU BRATS! HOW DARE YOU TREAT AN ADULT LIKE THAT...?!

STOP RIGHT THERE...!

GOT YOU!

ARGH!

YOU THINK I'LL LET YOU TAKE LEO AWAY?!

YOU LITTLE BRATS...!

JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU...!

?!

THEY'RE GONE?

WHERE ON EARTH DID THEY...?!

UP HERE, YOU SLOW-WITTED IDIOT!

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BEGGING HERE! GET LOST!

YOU DAMNED OLD GEEZER!

O-OLD GEEZER...?!

I MAY BE GETTING ON IN YEARS,

BUT I'M NOT THAT OLD YET...!!!

THOSE BASTARDS.

SO NOW THEY'RE COMING TO CATCH US IN BROAD DAYLIGHT?

LEO, HOW'S IT LOOKING?

I DON'T THINK HE'S FOLLOWING US ANYMORE!

WE HAVE TO STAY ALERT AND BE CAREFUL AT ALL TIMES.

I HEARD THE KIDS WHO WENT BEGGING NEAR THE TEMPLE A FEW DAYS AGO STILL HAVEN'T COME BACK.

R-REALLY...?!

THE ONLY PEOPLE WE CAN RELY ON TO PROTECT US...

...ARE OURSELVES.

...DID YOU HAPPEN TO VISIT MY CASTLE LAST NIGHT?

IT'S RATHER SAD TO SEE YOU LOSING YOUR MIND AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE.

WHAT HAPPENED? DID YOUR BIG BROTHER SHOW UP IN YOUR DREAMS INSTEAD OF A GHOST?

OF COURSE NOT! ...SIR!

...TSK. THAT GHOST APPEARED IN THE CORRIDOR AGAIN LAST NIGHT.

AFTER IT VANISHED, I WENT TO INVESTIGATE THE SPOT...

...AND FOUND THIS ON THE FLOOR.

...AHEM. AN ACORN, EH?

AND YOU ACTUALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS PROOF

THAT I BROUGHT THIS SQUIRREL TO YOUR PLACE LAST NIGHT?

I-I KNOW IT SOUNDS STRANGE!

I JUST THOUGHT I'D ASK, ON THE OFF CHANCE...

ACORNS AND GHOSTS... THAT DOES REMIND ME OF SOMETHING.

I HEAR THERE'S A COUNTRY IN THE EAST WHERE THEY USE ANIMALS TO DRIVE AWAY GHOSTS.

SQUIRRELS, IN PARTICULAR, ARE SMALL AND AGILE,

SO APPARENTLY THEY'RE ESPECIALLY GOOD AT CHASING GHOSTS AWAY.

...REALLY?!

OF COURSE! I BET THE GHOST DISAPPEARED THAT NIGHT THANKS TO THE SQUIRREL, TOO.

...IN THAT CASE, I'LL SEND THIS LITTLE FELLOW OVER TONIGHT...

...TO DRIVE THE GHOST AWAY FOR YOU.

IF YOU'D DO THAT FOR ME...!

...OF COURSE, THAT WAS ALL A LIE.

HOW WOULD I KNOW HOW PEOPLE IN SOME EASTERN COUNTRY WARD OFF GHOSTS?

I CAN JUST CLAIM MY MOTHER TOLD ME ABOUT IT WHEN I WAS LITTLE.

THANK YOU, RAN ABIRAN'S MOTHER, WHEREVER YOU MAY BE.

I'LL BE PUTTING THAT BACKSTORY OF YOURS ABOUT COMING FROM THE EAST TO GOOD USE.

DON'T WORRY. I WON'T BE SENDING YOU.

AFTER ALL, THERE'S SOMEONE RIGHT HERE WHO CAN TURN INTO A SQUIRREL.