The Seventh Prince Wants to Bail — Chapter 29

DAMN IT...! STOP SPOUTING NONSENSE!

I JUST WANT MY SON...!

THE BOY'S NAME IS RATEL.

RATEL ROERA

WHAT WAS THAT LIGHT JUST NOW...?!

ELDER...?

DON'T WORRY. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.

...SO THIS IS HOW IT TURNED OUT.

WILL YOU REALLY... BE ALL RIGHT?

WHY WOULDN'T I BE?

THAT OUTSIDER...

FOR ALL WE KNOW, HE COULD BE AN AGENT SENT BY THE IMPERIAL FAMILY.

I'VE SERVED YOU FOR MANY YEARS, ELDER... BUT THIS TIME, I SIMPLY CANNOT UNDERSTAND YOUR DECISION.

RATEL STILL HAS MUCH TO LEARN.

TO ENTRUST A BOY WHO REQUIRES SO MUCH MORE TRAINING TO A MAN LIKE THAT...

TELL ME. DOES STRIKING A SWORD WITH A HAMMER, WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT OR SKILL, MAKE ITS BLADE SHARPER?

WE AREN'T BLACKSMITHS. NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE HAMMER AWAY AT IT, WE'LL ONLY DULL ITS EDGE.

WE MIGHT EVEN TURN A PERFECTLY GOOD SWORD INTO A SPADE FIT FOR TILLING FIELDS.

DO YOU TRULY BELIEVE THAT OLD MAN POSSESSES THE SKILL OF A MASTER BLACKSMITH, ELDER?

...IF NOT HIM, THEN WHO?

YOU WERE RIGHT, LORD TOLLIN. THERE WASN'T A SINGLE YOUNG CHILD TO BE SEEN.

I QUESTIONED THE LOCAL MERCHANTS AS WELL, BUT NONE OF THEM SEEMED PARTICULARLY CONCERNED.

THEY SIMPLY ASSUMED THE CHILDREN HAD EITHER DIED OR RUN AWAY WHEN LIFE BECAME TOO DIFFICULT.

AFTER ALL, VAGRANTS ARE TREATED AS LITTLE MORE THAN VERMIN ON THESE STREETS.

...THAT STILL DOESN'T EXPLAIN EVERYTHING.

CONSTRUCTION MAY HAVE STOPPED, BUT HASN'T THE RELIEF CENTER REMAINED IN OPERATION?

THAT'S CORRECT. THE LEDGERS ALSO SHOW RECORDS OF FOOD DELIVERIES.

THIS ISN'T SIMPLY A MATTER OF FOOD SUPPLIES BEING SIPHONED OFF.

THE YOUNG DUKE SAID THE CHILDREN WERE STARVING, TOO.

THERE MUST BE SOME REASON THEY WERE DEPRIVED OF RATIONS UNTIL THEY REACHED SUCH A DESPERATE STATE.

I THOUGHT WE'D BE ABLE TO RECOVER THE YOUNG DUKE'S COAT FAIRLY QUICKLY AS WELL...

ARE THOSE CHILDREN CLEVERER THAN I THOUGHT?

OR ARE THEY ALREADY DEAD?

JACK, CONTINUE SEARCHING FOR ANY CHILDREN STILL IN THE AREA.

PARDON? ...YES, SIR!

THOSE FEROCIOUS LITTLE BRATS AGAIN...?!

AND PALE, INVESTIGATE WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE RELIEF CENTER.

BE DISCREET.

UNDERSTOOD.

...I CAN ONLY HOPE THOSE CHILDREN ARE STILL ALIVE.

THE YOUNG DUKE WOULD WISH FOR THAT AS WELL.

WELL, NOW...

THIS IS A FINE MESS.

I'VE COME BACK HERE BECAUSE I HAVEN'T GOT ANY BETTER LEADS...

BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK AS THOUGH THEY'RE HERE ANYMORE.

THEN AGAIN, I'VE ALREADY SEARCHED THIS PLACE ONCE.

CHILDREN AS WARY AS THOSE WOULDN'T BE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO RETURN.

WHAT'S THAT SMELL? IS IT JUST THE MUSTINESS OF THIS ROTTING OLD HOUSE?

IT SMELLS A BIT LIKE CHEMICALS, TOO...

...GOOD, THERE'S A CHILD HERE AFTER ALL.

COULD I ASK YOU SOMETHING...?

WAIT! STOP!!

DON'T BE AFRAID, LAD!

I CAME BECAUSE I HEARD RUMORS ABOUT CHILDREN DISAPPEARING AROUND HERE!

I'M HERE TO HELP YOU...

!!

MIRU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE?!

Y-YOU'RE...!

THAT BOY FROM BEFORE...?!

...????

W-WAIT...!!

SEYA!!

I WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU, SO I FOLLOWED YOU WITHOUT TELLING YOU!

WHY DID YOU COME BACK HERE?

SORRY, SEYA. THERE WERE A FEW THINGS I LEFT BEHIND.

I TOLD YOU, I'M HERE TO HELP YOU!!

STOOOP...!!!

MY STAMINA... ISN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE...

...YOU'RE HIDING SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE, AREN'T YOU?

IT'S ALL RIGHT TO COME OUT NOW.

DAMN IT, HE'S ESPECIALLY PERSISTENT TODAY.

SEYA... WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?

I THINK I TWISTED MY ANKLE WHILE WE WERE RUNNING AWAY.

WHAT...?!

DAMN...! I CAN'T RUN WITH SOMEONE ON MY BACK...

...IF WE STAY HERE, WE'LL BOTH GET CAUGHT.

IT'D BE BETTER IF ONE OF US ACTED AS BAIT.

I'M ALREADY HURT, SO I'LL DISTRACT HI—

DON'T BE STUPID!

YOU SERIOUSLY THINK I'D TAKE THAT CHANCE TO SAVE MYSELF AND LEAVE YOU BEHIND?!

MIRU, CAN YOU WALK?

HUH? Y-YEAH... BUT I CAN'T RUN FAST...

THEN THAT'LL DO. MIRU, LISTEN CAREFULLY.

I'LL GO OUT FIRST AND LURE THAT OLD GEEZER AWAY.

ONCE YOU THINK I'VE LED HIM FAR ENOUGH, RUN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

SEYA, THAT'S...

DON'T WORRY TOO MUCH.

I'LL LOSE HIM IN NO TIME AND CATCH UP WITH YOU.

AND WHEN YOU GET BACK... MAKE SURE YOU TELL JIN AND JIL SOMETHING FOR ME.

THEY MUSTN'T TRUST ANY ADULTS.

SEYA...

HUH? WHAT? HEY! THERE YOU ARE!

WAIT A MOMENT...!

AS IF I'D STOP JUST BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME TO, YOU OLD GEEZER!!

PLEASE BE SAFE... SEYA...

...I'M BACK.

MIRU! WHERE'S SEYA...?!

MIRU, I'M HUNGRY... DID YOU BRING ANY FOOD?

THAT BIG MAN CAME TO CATCH US AGAIN.

ALL BECAUSE I WENT BACK THERE WHEN I SHOULDN'T HAVE...

SEYA ACTED AS BAIT TO SAVE ME.

I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT MAN CAUGHT HIM...

SEYA GOT CAUGHT?! NO...

NOT AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TO LEO... WE CAN'T LOSE SEYA, TOO...!

...LEO?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WHAT HAPPENED TO LEO?! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT...?!

SEYA SAID... HE FOUND LEO LYING IN A CORNER OF AN ALLEY THIS MORNING.

HE MUST HAVE GONE TOWARD THE CENTRAL LAND TO LOOK FOR FOOD... AND THEN...

LEO...

...LEO MUST BE COLD. LET'S COVER HIM WITH THAT COAT.

THAT NOBLE'S COAT?

BUT WHAT IF WE TAKE IT OUT AND SOMEONE SEES IT?

IT'S SAFE HERE. IT'LL BE ALL RIGHT.

...PLEASE.

...GOT YOU, YOU LITTLE RASCAL!

I KEEP TELLING YOU I'M HERE TO HELP. WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN?

HMPH! YOU THINK I'D BELIEVE SUCH A BLATANT LIE?

JUST YOU WAIT! I'LL AVENGE LEO...

NO MATTER WHAT!

MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE AT THE SAME TIME.

STOP RIGHT THERE, YOU THIEVES!!

YOU THINK YOU CAN LAY YOUR HANDS ON MY THINGS AND GET AWAY WITH IT?!

TO THINK I'D BE TREATED AS A THIEF THE MOMENT I GOT OUT...!

WHY ON EARTH DID YOU DO THAT?!

...WELL, SINCE THINGS HAVE ALREADY COME TO THIS... WHY DON'T WE JUST BEAT THEM UP AND TAKE EVERYTHING THEY'VE GOT?

ROB THEM?! ARE YOU JOKING?!

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION OF BECOMING A THIEF!!!