The Seventh Prince Wants to Bail — Chapter 6

I CHECKED OVER TEN TIMES FROM THE SKY BEFORE COMING DOWN.

THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY WITNESSES, RIGHT?

TO THINK I DID SOMETHING SO TERRIBLE TO FEEDUS AND TOLLIN.

IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I'VE BECOME A VILLAIN FOR NO REASON...

AAH, RIGHT, I AM A VILLAIN.

NEXT, RIGHT WHEN THE COMPETITION ENDS...

OH MY, IS THAT YOU, RAN?

FIRST PRINCESS MENTIL ABIRAN

IT'S QUITE UNUSUAL TO SEE YOU WALKING ALONE IN A FOREST LIKE THIS.

THE FIRST PRINCESS?!

TO THINK I'D RUN INTO HER IN A PLACE LIKE THIS!!

I GREET HER HIGHNESS, THE FIRST PRINCESS.

YOU CAN SKIP THE STIFF GREETINGS.

WE ARE SIBLINGS WHO SHARE THE BLOOD OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY, AFTER ALL.

WHERE DID YOU LEAVE THE HORSE YOU RODE OUT ON TO BE COMING BACK ALONE?

AAH, THAT'S... I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A WALK AND GET SOME FRESH AIR.

SO I LEFT MY HORSE AT THE QUARTERS-

I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

WHY WOULD YOU LIE TO YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD?

...WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?

WHILE STROLLING THROUGH THE WESTERN FOREST DURING THE DAY, I SAW A MASTERLESS BLACK HORSE.

IT WAS AN UNFAMILIAR COLOR, SO I ASKED MY SERVANT,

AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS NONE OTHER THAN YOUR HORSE.

I PERSONALLY ORDERED THAT BLACK HORSE TO BE KILLED.

LIVESTOCK THAT FAILS TO OBEY ROYALTY DESERVES TO DIE.

I APOLOGIZE, SISTER.

I WAS EMBARRASSED BY THE FACT THAT I LOST MY HORSE, SO I INADVERTENTLY-

COME NOW, RAISE YOUR HEAD.

IT MAKES IT SEEM AS THOUGH I'M TRYING TO PUNISH MY LITTLE BROTHER.

I'M JUST GLAD YOU MADE IT BACK SAFELY ON YOUR OWN.

IF YOU EVER NEED ANOTHER HORSE, COME TO ME ANYTIME.

THIS FIRST PRINCESS MENTIL ABIRAN,

SHE'S A DIFFICULT PERSON TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL WHAT SHE'S REALLY THINKING.

BUT WHY IS SHE JUST LEAVING QUIETLY?

COULD IT BE THAT THAT ABILITY DOESN'T WORK ON ME?

NO, SO...

YOU WERE CHASING A BEAST, TRIPPED OVER A ROCK, FELL,

AND HIT YOUR HEAD ON ANOTHER ROCK?

I'VE SEEN ALL SORTS OF INJURIES AT EVERY ROYAL HUNTING COMPETITION,

BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN SOMEONE GET THIS HURT FROM A COUPLE OF ROCKS.

HOW LONG WILL HE NEED TO REST TO RECOVER?

IT MIGHT NOT LOOK LIKE MUCH ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT IT'S QUITE A SERIOUS INJURY.

HE'LL NEED AT LEAST A WEEK OF STRICT BED REST-

A WEEK? ARE YOU TELLING ME TO REST FOR THE ENTIRE COMPETITION?!

AS AN AIDE, I MUST STAY BY THE DUKE'S SIDE...!

I'VE DULY NOTED YOUR LOYALTY.

BUT YOUR RECOVERY COMES FIRST, SO JUST LIE DOWN AND GET SOME SLEEP UNTIL THE CLOSING CEREMONY.

JACK AND I WILL HANDLE THE REST OF THE HUNTING COMPETITION.

BUT DUKE...!

IF THAT IS TRULY WHAT YOU WISH, THEN DUKE...

I SHALL DO MY ABSOLUTE BEST TO REST!

AN AIDE COMING TO A HUNTING COMPETITION JUST TO TAKE A VACATION HAS TO BE A FIRST IN THE EMPIRE'S HISTORY.

YOU HAVEN'T GIVEN ME A SINGLE DAY OFF UNTIL NOW, HAVE YOU?

MY ACTUAL DREAM IS TO JUST EAT AND PLAY. I JUST DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT.

I'LL HAVE TO WIN JUST FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR DREAM.

THEN I CAN GIVE YOU THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TO A GOLD MINE AS MY WISH.

TRULY EXEMPLARY.

AN IMPERIAL DOG WHO DOESN'T EVEN BAT AN EYE WHEN HIS AIDE IS IN MORTAL DANGER.

YOUR SON WILL GROW UP TO BE A LOYAL DOG AS WELL.

...I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO FALL ASLEEP.

MAYBE I SHOULD GO OUT AND GET SOME FRESH AIR.

LET'S VISIT THE TEMPLE TODAY.

THERE'S SOMETHING I REALLY WANT TO SHOW YOU.

LONG AGO, WHEN THE WORLD WAS IN CHAOS AND TURMOIL,

A BEING OF SALVATION DESCENDED FROM THE HEAVENS.

I READ ABOUT IT IN A BOOK, FATHER.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SIERRA THE GREAT, RIGHT?

AS AN INCARNATION OF A GOD, HE WIELDED MYSTERIOUS POWERS,

AND IS KNOWN TO HAVE SUBJUGATED THOSE WHO ENDLESSLY WAGED WAR.

AND SO, OVER A THOUSAND YEARS AGO, HE NAMED THE UNIFIED EMPIRE ABIRAN.

HE IS THE VERY FOUNDER OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY WE SERVE.

MY SON FLYN,

MY PRECIOUS TREASURE,

PLEASE FOLLOW IN MY FOOTSTEPS AND BECOME A PROUD SWORD FOR THE IMPERIAL FAMILY.

IT'S HEAVY...

WHY AM I CARRYING AROUND THESE STONES?

IS IT OUT OF LOYALTY? OR...

COULD THIS HORN BE...?!

M-MY WORD...

ALL OF THESE IN JUST ONE NIGHT...?!

I HEARD THE SOUNDS OF BEASTS DIDN'T STOP ALL NIGHT?

IT SEEMS THE FIRST PRINCE WIPED THEM ALL OUT.

THEN THE HUNTING COMPETITION IS ALREADY...

O-ORIGINALLY, THIS ROYAL HUNTING COMPETITION WAS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE OVER FOUR DAYS, BUT...

AS THE FIRST PRINCE OF THE ABIRAN EMPIRE HAS, IN A SINGLE NIGHT...

ACHIEVED AN OVERWHELMING HUNTING RECORD!

HE IS HEREBY DECLARED THE WINNER OF THIS HUNTING COMPETITION!!

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR VICTORY.

THANK YOU, YOUR IMPERIAL MAJESTY.

AS PER TRADITION, FIRST PRINCE, STATE THE WISH YOU DESIRE.

WHAT WISH WILL HE ASK FOR?

DIDN'T THE FOURTH PRINCE ASK FOR THE RIGHT TO PURGE THE NOMADS OF THE BORDER REGIONS LAST YEAR?

RECENTLY, VAGRANTS HAVE BEEN INFESTING THE AREA AROUND THE TEMPLE OF SIERRA THE GREAT,

POSING A THREAT TO THE DIGNITY AND SECURITY OF THE TEMPLE.

IN ORDER TO RESTORE THE RUINED AESTHETICS OF THE TEMPLE,

I HUMBLY REQUEST THE AUTHORITY TO CLEANSE THEM.

...FATHER?

FATHER!

A LOYAL IMPERIAL DOG...

BUT THAT CHILD...

I'M SORRY,

MY SON, FLYN.

H... E...

H... EY, Y...

HEY YOU.

W-WHO ARE...

HEUK! I GREET HIS HIGHNESS THE SEVENTH PRIN- UGH!

MOVE SLOWLY. YOU'LL BE DIZZY FROM THE BLOOD RUSHING TO YOUR HEAD.

MAKE SURE YOU GET A DOCTOR TO PRESCRIBE ANTIBIOTICS... NO, OLIVE LEAVES LATER.

EXCUSE ME...? YES! B-BUT WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE...

WELL, THE REASON... ASIDE...

DO YOU NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT KIND OF SITUATION THE DUKE IS IN RIGHT NOW?

THE CLOSING CEREMONY SHOULD HAVE STARTED BY NOW...

THE CLOSING CEREMONY... YOU SAY?

YES, YOU'D BETTER RUN OVER THERE RIGHT AWAY.

E-EXCUSE ME!

I'M SORRY!

COMING THROUGH!

EXCUSE ME...

...ND,

DUKE...?

D-DUKE FEEDUS...

WHAT IS GOING ON...?!

THE FEEDUS FAMILY SERVED SIERRA THE GREAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING,

AND WE HAVE PROTECTED THE IMPERIAL FAMILY FROM THE CLOSEST VANTAGE POINT FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS.

IT SEEMS OUR FEEDUS FAMILY IS MORE SUITED FOR THE LOWLY TASK OF DEALING WITH THE VAGRANTS AROUND THE TEMPLE.

SO I, AGONY FEEDUS, HUMBLY MAKE THIS REQUEST BEFORE YOUR IMPERIAL MAJESTY.

IN HIGH REGARD FOR THE LOYALTY YOU HAVE DEVOTED YOUR ENTIRE LIFE TO,

I SHALL GRANT YOUR REQUEST.

HOWEVER... IT IS QUITE COMICAL

TO THINK THAT YOUR GREAT LOYALTY WOULD LEAD YOU TO BLOCK THE WILL OF ROYALTY.

DID YOU THINK THE FIRST PRINCE WOULD SHOW MERCY?

YOU MUST HAVE LOST YOUR MIND, DUKE.

HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT YOUR CURRENT ACTIONS WARRANT IMMEDIATE EXECUTION?

THE SIN OF INTERRUPTING YOUR SACRED CEREMONY,

I SHALL PAY IT WITH MY LIFE.

DUKE...!!!

IT'S FINALLY STARTING.

IT WOULD BE NICE IF THAT GUY WAS WATCHING FROM AFAR TOO.

WHAT IS THIS?!

CAN YOU SEE IT CLEARLY, THE EXECUTION CEREMONY OF AGONY FEEDUS?

CAN YOU SEE THE MANIS OF THE ROYALTY YOU WILL BE FACING,

TRUE PROTAGONIST OF THE NOVEL “DARK HEADER,”

RATEL?