The Seventh Prince Wants to Bail — Chapter 4

UGH!!

WATCH OUT! DON'T GET SWEPT UP IN THE VORTEX!

EVERYONE, FALL BACK!

I AM THE FIRST PRINCE...

RASIA... ABIRAN.

THE ONE DESTINED TO BE EMPEROR!!!

SO THIS IS THE MANIS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY...

HURRAH!!

LONG LIVE THE FIRST PRINCE!!

HOLD THIS AND POUR OUT YOUR MANIS HERE.

A STONE...?

ARE YOU MOCKING ME RIGHT NOW?!

IT CAN ABSORB POLLUTED MANIS.

THOUGH, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE TREATED, YOU CAN JUST DIE LIKE THAT.

SINCE I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY DESIRE TO SAVE YOU AGAINST YOUR WILL.

THAT BOUGHT ME SOME TIME.

IT'S AN ITEM THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO APPEAR IN THE LATTER HALF OF THE ORIGINAL STORY...

BUT USING IT A LITTLE EARLY SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM.

S-SEVENTH PRINCE...!

I GREET YOU...

A-AS YOU INSTRUCTED... I BROUGHT THE BAG YOU LEFT WITH ME...

AH, YOU FINALLY MADE IT?

YOURE A GUY WHO CANT EVEN HANDLE A SIMPLE TASK PROPERLY.

YOU BROUGHT THE BAG JUST AS IT WAS, RIGHT?

DAMN IT! HOW DID HE EVEN MAKE IT HERE ON THAT CRAZY BLACK HORSE?!

THAT HORSE IS SO ROUGH THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INJURED BY IT.

THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT IT TO THE SEVENTH PRINCE ON PURPOSE...!

THEN, FROM THIS MOMENT ON...

THE ROYAL HUNTING COMPETITION

BEGINS!

SHOULD I TRY WINNING THIS SO THE EMPEROR GRANTS ME A WISH?!

DON'T BE SILLY. THE ROYAL FAMILY WILL PROBABLY TAKE THE WIN THIS TIME TOO!

EVERYONE IS RUSHING OFF IN SUCH A HURRY.

WELL, IT'S NOT AN IMPORTANT COMPETITION TO ME RIGHT NOW ANYWAY.

SHALL I KEEP LOW AND AVOID DRAWING TOO MUCH ATTENTION?

SO THAT I CAN FIND THE FORMER IMPERIAL KNIGHT COMMANDER...

"AGONY FEEDUS."

TOLLIN, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT

THE OPENING RITUAL FOR THIS HUNTING COMPETITION.

IT WAS TRULY THE POWER OF A GOD!

WHEN I WAS WATCHING THIS RITUAL,

I FELT LIKE THE EMPEROR WANTED TO BREAK THE SPIRITS OF THE NOBLES.

A-AH, DUKE...!!

PLEASE, ONLY SAY SUCH BLASPHEMOUS THINGS WHEN YOU ARE ALONE!

RELAX, TOLLIN.

THERE IS NO ONE AROUND WHO COULD OVERHEAR OUR CONVERSATION.

THERE'S A REASON I'M STILL BREATHING AT THIS AGE.

...AT LEAST FOR NOW, THAT IS.

THE IMPERIAL FOREST, WHERE THE HUNTING COMPETITION TAKES PLACE, IS DIVIDED INTO THREE MAIN ZONES.

THE FIRST IS A SMALL ANIMAL ZONE NEAR THE ENTRANCE, FOLLOWED BY A MEDIUM ANIMAL ZONE.

(LARGE)

(MEDIUM)

(SMALL)

THE LARGE ANIMAL ZONE IS THE FARTHEST INTO THE FOREST.

IN THE NOVEL, IT'S SAID THAT HE PRESENTED A GOLDEN FOX TO THE EMPEROR IN THIS COMPETITION.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT WAS JUST A PASSING MENTION IN A FLASHBACK SCENE,

SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND IT.

THAT'S THE REASON WHY I WAS EXPLORING THIS VAST IMPERIAL FOREST AS A CROW SO MUCH.

GOLDEN FOXES ARE HARD TO FIND, SO I HAD TO NARROW THE LOCATION DOWN.

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THAT IT SAID HE WASHED HIS HANDS IN THE WATER RIGHT AFTER THE HUNT,

I FIGURED THAT THE LOCATION HAS TO BE BY THE LAKESIDE IN THE SOUTHWEST DIRECTION.

LET'S GET AHEAD OF HIM AND WAIT FOR THE RIGHT TIMING!

...SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE HE UNDERSTANDS EVERYTHING I'M SAYING.

IT'S A RELIEF THAT SEIN MANAGED TO BRING THE BAG.

I WAS WORRIED FOR NOTHING BECAUSE HE WAS GETTING LATE.

AS LONG AS I CAN PROPERLY DELIVER THIS TO DUKE AGONY FEEDUS—

WHOA?!

WH-WHAT'S GOING ON?!

WHY ARE YOU SUDDENLY STOPPING?

ARE YOU SICK OR SOMETHING?

DID YOU SPOT A BEAST NEARBY?

DON'T TELL ME...

IS THIS BAG TOO HEAVY...?

STOP BEING SO STUBBORN!

OTHER HORSES PULL WAGONS, AND YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH JUST A BAG AND A PERSON...?!

FINE...! LET'S SEE HOW LONG YOU CAN HOLD OUT!

IF YOU KEEP ACTING ARROGANT, I'LL TELL THE STABLE MASTER TO STARVE YOU...!!

...I'M FUCKED.

NORMALLY, CATCHING A COUPLE OF WOLVES OR DEER WOULD HAVE BEEN A BREEZE BY NOW...

BUT IT SEEMS LUCK JUST ISN'T ON OUR SIDE TODAY.

I GUESS I'VE GOTTEN OLD TOO.

I'VE LIVED MY WHOLE LIFE AS A SWORD AND SHIELD, BUT I CANNOT DEFY TIME.

PLEASE DON'T SAY THAT.

YOU ARE ALREADY A LEGEND, DUKE.

HAVEN'T YOU ACHIEVED COUNTLESS MILITARY EXPLOITS AS THE IMPERIAL KNIGHT COMMANDER?

NOW, I'M JUST A RETIRED OLD MAN.

...TOLLIN, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE ROYAL FAMILY UP CLOSE?

NO... ONLY FROM A DISTANCE LIKE TODAY...

YOU'LL UNDERSTAND ONCE YOU FACE THEM DIRECTLY.

THEN, YOU'LL SEE WHO THE TRULY MAGNIFICENT BEINGS OF THIS EMPIRE ARE.

THEY ARE "GODS" THEMSELVES.

OUR FAMILY HAS PROTECTED THE EMPIRE OF SUCH GODS FOR A THOUSAND YEARS NOW.

TAKE A LOOK OUTSIDE

AT THE MAJESTY OF THIS BEAUTIFUL AND GRAND IMPERIAL CAPITAL.

I HAVE GROWN OLD NOW, SO YOU MUST TAKE OVER MY PLACE.

WE MUST ALWAYS BE PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE A LOYAL FAMILY OF THE IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD.

YES, FATHER!

LOOK OUT THE WINDOW. THIS IS OUR FAMILY'S MERCHANT GROUP.

WE PROUDLY SUPPLY GOODS TO THE IMPERIAL FAMILY.

AND AFTER THIS COMES THE TEMPLE...

HEY, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?!

GOOD HEAVENS, MY LORD. I AM TRULY SORRY.

SOMETHING GOT CAUGHT IN THE WHEEL...

PLEASE, GET BACK INSIDE THE CARRIAGE.

I WILL HANDLE THE CLEANUP...!

IT SEEMS TO BE A VAGRANT FROM AROUND HERE...

IT LOOKS LIKE THEY WERE CAUGHT TRYING TO STEAL IMPERIAL TRIBUTES FROM THE TEMPLE.

AROUND HERE, WELL...

IT'S A COMMON SIGHT.

FATHER, WHAT'S HAPPENING?

I WANT TO GO OUTSIDE TOO—

DO NOT COME OUT!!

...FATHER?

YOU MUSTN'T COME OUT... THIS IS...

THIS IS...

...JUST NOTHING.

HE'S NOT EVEN... TEN YEARS OLD, HUH?

THEN HE MUST HAVE BEEN EVEN YOUNGER THAN MY SON.

THAT CHILD WAS PROBABLY... BURNED IN THE INCINERATOR.

...IS THERE DARKNESS EVEN IN SUCH A NOBLE EMPIRE?

WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO LEISURELY ADMIRE THE SCENERY, DUKE!

EVEN IF WE DON'T WIN, WE MUST SAVE FACE FOR THE DUKE'S FAMILY!

AH, MY APOLOGIES. LET'S HEAD OUT IMMEDIATELY.

IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT I KNOW A PLACE AROUND HERE WHERE A GOLDEN FOX APPEARS.

RUNNING WHILE CARRYING THIS IS KILLING ME...

WHEN I GET BACK, I'LL DEFINITELY TURN YOU INTO HORSE ROAST!

SINCE I HAD TO BRING THE BAG, I CAN'T EVEN TRANSFORM...

IT'LL BE REALLY TROUBLESOME IF I LOSE TRACK OF DUKE FEEDUS AT THIS MOMENT.

...SHOULD I JUST TRANSFORM AND GO BACK?

I REALIZED THIS ONCE AGAIN WHILE EXPLORING AS A CROW,

BUT EVEN THOUGH THIS IS THE SMALL ANIMAL ZONE, IT'S STILL QUITE DANGEROUS.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN SOME WILD ANIMAL MIGHT POP OUT...

UGH...!

IS SOMETHING FINALLY COMING OUT?!

DAMN IT! WHAT SHOULD I DO?! IT'S A WASTE TO LEAVE THE BAG BEHIND.

I DIDN'T EVEN BRING A SIMPLE WEAPON BECAUSE IT WAS ANNOYING...

AH, WHATEVER!

IF IT GETS REALLY DANGEROUS, I'LL JUST RUN AWAY!

I DEFINITELY SAW IT!

A BLACK HORSE RUNNING FROM FAR AWAY—

????

THAT HAIR COLOR... DON'T TELL ME...

TOLLIN! TOLLIN!! WHAT WAS THAT NOISE?!

ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!

THAT BLUE HAIR...

THAT'S DEFINITELY DUKE FEEDUS' AIDE...

TOLLIN CRYSA...?!

I'M IN BIG TROUBLE!

I NEVER EXPECTED TO RUN INTO HIM LIKE THIS!!

THE FORMER IMPERIAL KNIGHT COMMANDER AND WAR HERO...

DUKE AGONY FEEDUS.

HE WILL BECOME THE TEACHER OF THE NOVEL'S PROTAGONIST,

WHO WILL ONE DAY TURN THE WHOLE EMPIRE UPSIDE DOWN!