The Seventh Prince Wants to Bail — Chapter 5

AGONY FEEDUS...!

I CAN'T RUN INTO HIM HERE...!

THIS WASN'T THE ORIGINAL PLAN.

I WAS GOING TO WAIT AT THE GOLDEN FOX'S HABITAT IN ADVANCE,

AND WHEN FEEDUS ARRIVED, I WOULD INSIST HE WAS TRYING TO STEAL A ROYAL'S PREY.

THEN I WOULD GIVE HIM AN UNREASONABLE PUNISHMENT, FORCING HIM TO CARRY AROUND A BAG OF STONES THROUGHOUT THE COMPETITION...

THAT'S ALL I HAD TO DO...

BUT...!!

WHAT DO I DO NOW?!!

THINGS HAVE GOTTEN SO INCREDIBLY MESSED UP...!!

THIS IS QUITE A HEAVY STONE.

SOMEONE DEFINITELY THREW IT ON PURPOSE, BUT...

I CAN'T SAY THEY WERE AIMING ONLY FOR TOLLIN.

WAS IT AN ASSASSIN TARGETING ME?

U-UGH... DUKE...

TOLLIN?

TOLLIN, ARE YOU COMING TO YOUR SENSES?!

IF YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING, PLEASE SPEAK.

THE FEEDUS FAMILY HAS PROTECTED THE ROYAL FAMILY FOR OVER A MILLENNIUM, AND IS THE MOST POWERFUL FAMILY IN THE EMPIRE.

I'M ALREADY THE SEVENTH PRINCE, TREATED LIKE THE WORST,

SO IF RUMORS SPREAD THAT I TRIED TO KILL DUKE FEEDUS...?!

WHAT... I SAW WAS...

THINGS WERE ALREADY GETTING MESSED UP!

DAMN IT, WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO?!

WHAT DO I DOOOOO?!!

...I'M SORRY, DUKE.

IT ALL HAPPENED SO SUDDENLY...

DAMN IT! THANK GOODNESS!!

YES, I UNDERSTAND. IF YOU HAPPEN TO THINK OF ANYTHING...

THIS IS MY CHANCE! I NEED TO RUN!

I MUST RUN AWAY AS FAR AS POSSIBLE!!

WAIT HERE FOR A MOMENT!

I'LL CATCH THE ATTACKER AND BRING THEM BACK!

MY STAMINA IS ALREADY COMPLETELY SPENT!

RUNNING WHILE CARRYING THIS HEAVY BAG IS KILLING ME!!

BUT HAVEN'T I RUN FAR ENOUGH BY NOW?

I SHOULD EASILY BE ABLE TO LOSE AN OLD MAN LIKE-

THAT CRAZY OLD MAN!

I THOUGHT HE RETIRED?!

REVEAL YOUR IDENTITY! AN ANTI-IMPERIALIST? A CULT?

I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE, BUT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SHAKE OFF AGONY FEEDUS!

THIS IS BAD! HE'S GOING TO CATCH ME SOON!!!

DO I HAVE TO DITCH THE BAG AND TRANSFORM INTO A CROW?!

IF ONLY I HAD THAT DAMN BLACK HORSE RIGHT NOW...!

NO, I'D RATHER JUST...

AT LEAST BE ABLE TO RUN FAST...

BE AB...

I THOUGHT I CAUGHT UP, BUT HE SUDDENLY GOT FASTER?

IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE HIS SHAPE CHANGED...

MAYBE MY EYES ARE GETTING DIM, HOW FRUSTRATING!

...DID I LOSE HIM?

MY BODY SUDDENLY FEELS LIGHTER.

DID I END UP BECOMING A CROW AGAIN?

BUT IT FEELS LIKE I'M STILL RUNNING...

THE SOUND OF HORSE HOOVES?

DID THAT DAMN HORSE COME BACK?

OR COULD IT BE...

...THIS IS CRAZY!

WOW, THIS... OH MY...

DID YOU REALLY CATCH THIS, BROTHER?

WHY, IS IT HARD TO BELIEVE?

THE VICTORY FOR THIS HUNTING COMPETITION IS YOURS, BROTHER.

HAVE YOU DECIDED ON WHAT WISH YOU'LL ASK OF THE EMPEROR?

A WISH...

I DO HAVE SOMETHING IN MIND.

WHEW...

I'M SCREWED.

I LOST THE BAG WHILE RUNNING AWAY.

UGH! I LOST THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!

THERE'S A LIMIT TO HOW MUCH THINGS CAN GO WRONG!

HAA... WHAT'S GOING TO CHANGE BY AGONIZING OVER IT HERE?

I SHOULD RETRACE MY STEPS AND CHECK.

AH, DUKE, YOU'VE RETURNED?

IS YOUR HEAD FEELING A BIT BETTER?

I'M ALRIGHT. THOUGH I'M STILL A BIT DIZZY...

MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT HAPPENED?

I'M ASHAMED. I ENDED UP LOSING HIM.

WHETHER HE WAS JUST FAST, OR I'M JUST GETTING OLD...

BUT WHAT IS THAT?

THIS BAG? I PICKED IT UP ON THE WAY BACK.

IT WAS DROPPED IN THE GRASS.

IT'S QUITE A LUXURIOUS BAG,

BUT WHY IS IT FILLED WITH STONES?

HOW WOULD I KNOW?

SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE PLAYED A PRANK-

AH! THAT BAG!

S-SEVENTH PRINCE...

PRINCE...??!!

WE GREET THE SEVENTH PRINCE!

W-WE GREET THE SEVENTH PRINCE...!

BY ANY CHANCE, IS THIS BAG YOURS, PRINCE...

...YEAH, I WAS WONDERING WHERE IT DISAPPEARED TO.

WHY IS MY ITEM OVER THERE?

DID YOU STEAL IT?

STEAL IT? THAT'S ABSURD.

I SIMPLY FOUND IT BY CHANCE WHILE WALKING THROUGH THE GRASS.

HMM, ANYONE WOULD MAKE THAT KIND OF EXCUSE.

SINCE NO ONE WANTS TO GET THEIR WRIST CUT OFF.

I SWEAR UPON MY WORTHLESS LIFE AND THE HONOR OF MY ENTIRE FAMILY.

WHY IS YOUR AIDE BLEEDING?

THAT WAS FROM A SHORT WHILE AGO...

THERE WAS A SUDDEN ACCIDENT...

SEVENTH PRINCE, B-BY ANY CHANCE...

AN INFERIOR DARED TO INSOLENTLY INTERJECT IN A CONVERSATION BETWEEN ROYALS.

WHAT A POORLY EDUCATED BRAT.

IF IT'S BECAUSE HIS HEAD HASN'T HEALED YET, COULD YOU LEND ME A SWORD?

I CAN FIX IT MYSELF.

P-PRINCE... I...

MY AIDE HAS MADE A GREAT MISTAKE.

IF YOU SHOW MERCY, I'LL MAKE SURE TO DISCIPLINE HIM HARSHLY MYSELF.

AH, DUKE FEEDUS. YOUR LOYALTY IS TRULY ADMIRABLE.

TRULY EXEMPLARY.

AN IMPERIAL DOG WHO DOESN'T EVEN BLINK WHEN HIS AIDE IS ON THE VERGE OF DEATH.

YOUR SON WILL ALSO GROW UP TO BE A LOYAL DOG.

MEETING LIKE THIS IS FATE.

I'LL TRUST YOU AND ENTRUST THIS BAG TO YOU TODAY.

IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT ITEM.

EVEN IF YOU DIE, DON'T LET IT LEAVE YOUR BODY.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

I WILL HUMBLY OBEY..

THE PRINCE'S GLORIOUS COMMAND.

I'LL BE GOING BACK FIRST.

HAVE A FUN TIME HUNTING.

WHEW, NEVER MIND ALL THAT, MY BODY FEELS SO LIGHT...!

EVEN I THINK THAT ACTING WAS LIKE TRASH.

I FEEL SORRY FOR TOLLIN, BUT I HAD TO PLANT AT LEAST THIS MUCH OF A SEED.

I'M SORRY, DUKE. BECAUSE OF ME...

JUST CONSIDER YOURSELF INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE THAT YOUR LIMBS ARE STILL INTACT.

LET'S GO BACK AND REST FOR TODAY.

DUKE, I REMEMBERED SOMETHING.

...ABOUT THE PERSON WHO THREW THE STONE AT ME.

IT WAS THE SEVENTH PRINCE.

I DIDN'T REALIZE IT AT FIRST, BUT SEEING HIM IN PERSON-

STOP.

YOU DON'T NEED TO SAY ANYTHING MORE.

IN THE NOVEL, FEEDUS COMMITS “THAT INCIDENT” DURING THE HUNTING COMPETITION NEXT YEAR.

BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THE DEATH OF HIS SON WITHIN THAT YEAR BROUGHT ABOUT A CHANGE OF HEART.

SO IN ORDER TO MAKE “THAT INCIDENT” HAPPEN DURING THIS COMPETITION,

I NEEDED A STRONG ENOUGH STIMULUS.

THE WISH I WILL ASK OF THE EMPEROR THIS TIME IS...

DEVELOPING THE AREA AROUND THE TEMPLE.

THOSE VAGRANTS PARASITIZING IN THE IMPERIAL CAPITAL LIKE BUGS,

I WILL CLEAR THEM ALL OUT!

DUKE FEEDUS, YOUR FUTURE IS SET...

YOU WILL REBEL AGAINST THE ROYAL FAMILY.

BECAUSE THAT IS YOUR DESTINY.