The Seventh Prince Wants to Bail — Chapter 7

A HERO.

THE HEAD OF THE FEEDUS FAMILY, WHICH HAS PROTECTED THE ROYAL FAMILY FOR A THOUSAND YEARS.

THE FORMER IMPERIAL KNIGHT COMMANDER, WHO MADE COUNTLESS CONTRIBUTIONS ON THE BATTLEFIELD FOR THIRTY YEARS.

AND THE ONE WHO COMMITTED THE FELONY OF INSULTING THE IMPERIAL FAMILY.

THE SINNER, AGONY FEEDUS.

IN THE NAME OF THE 1ST PRINCE OF THE EMPIRE, RASIA ABIRAN.

I HEREBY CARRY OUT YOUR SUMMARY EXECUTION.

?!

I-I CAN'T BREATHE...!

...THAT'S?!

TOLLIN...? WHY ARE YOU IN A PLACE LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW...?!

YOU SAID YOU WERE REALLY DIZZY... I KNEW YOU WERE FAKING IT.

...I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU LOOK HEALTHY.

TO THINK WE'D PART WITH ME IN SUCH A PATHETIC STATE.

TOLLIN, I KNOW IT'S SHAMELESS OF ME, BUT PLEASE TAKE CARE OF FLYN...

...WAIT.

THIS GUY...

THE 7TH PRINCE...?!

WHAT...IS HE SAYING...?

N-NOT

NOT YET...

I CAN'T... DIE...

....

I CAN'T REALLY TELL. IT'S TOO BLURRY INSIDE.

WHAT'S INSIDE IS...

A PERSON?

...DID I LOSE IT?

...DUKE.

TO THINK THE HERO, DUKE FEEDUS, WOULD MEET SUCH AN END...

THEN WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE DUKE'S FAMILY NOW?

WAIT, ISN'T HE THE DUKE'S AIDE...?

IT'S OVER.

U-UNDERSTOOD. THEN...

THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE ROYAL HUNTING COMPETITION WILL BE HELD AT NOON.

ALL PARTICIPANTS, UNTIL THEN...

HMPH, WE CAUGHT ONE LITTLE BUG.

WHEN YOU SHOW MERCY, THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW THEIR PLACE ARE BOUND TO POP OUT.

THE FEEDUS FAMILY IS FINISHED TOO.

TO THINK SUCH AN IDIOT WAS THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY.

HEY, TRAITOR!

TOLLIN'S HEART MUST BE BREAKING RIGHT NOW.

THEY WERE CLOSE, SINCE HE WAS HIS AIDE.

BUT HE WON'T BREAK.

...A LETTER?

THIS CREST... IT'S THE FEEDUS FAMILY'S...

IF YOU ARE READING THIS LETTER,

I AM PROBABLY NO LONGER IN THIS WORLD.

WHEN THAT TIME COMES, PLEASE PRAY THAT I CAN GO TO TERIRUM.

AND I REQUEST THAT YOU TAKE CARE OF MY SON, FLYN.

PLEASE GRANT THIS OLD MAN'S FINAL REQUEST.

...I HAVE A FEELING THAT I’M GOING TO MAKE A HUGE MISTAKE SOON.

IF THAT SITUATION DOES ARRIVE, JUST KNOW ONE THING.

THAT EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED IS ABSOLUTELY NOT YOUR FAULT.

I, THE HEAD OF THE FEEDUS FAMILY, AGONY FEEDUS, HEREBY DECLARE:

IN THE EVENT THAT SOMETHING HAPPENS TO AGONY FEEDUS,

I APPOINT MY AIDE, TOLLIN CRYSA, AS THE ACTING HEAD OF THE FEEDUS FAMILY.

MAY THE BLESSINGS OF SIERRA THE GREAT BE WITH YOU.

YOU’VE USED YOUR MANIS QUITE EXTRAVAGANTLY.

IF YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE COMPLETELY CURED, YOU ARE HORRIBLY MISTAKEN.

IN FACT, YOUR CONDITION HAS WORSENED SINCE THE ROYAL HUNTING COMPETITION.

SHUT UP!

YOU SAID THAT THIS STONE WOULD ABSORB THE POLLUTED MANIS!

ISN'T THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR TREATMENT METHOD?!

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE, YOU'D BETTER GIVE ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER!

IT WOULD BE BETTER TO RELEASE YOUR MANIS MORE SLOWLY.

IF YOU RELEASE IT SO HASTILY, IT WILL ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE.

WHAT?!

"DAMN IT, JUST YOU WAIT, YOU LITTLE BUG!"

"AS SOON AS MY BODY FULLY RECOVERS, I'LL TEAR YOU TO SHREDS!"

...IS PROBABLY WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.

THAT "DISEASE" ISN'T SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CURED ALL AT ONCE.

YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT YOU'RE ONLY STILL BREATHING THANKS TO THAT STONE.

BY THE WAY, RUMOR HAS IT THAT TOLLIN IS STILL IN A COMA...

IT'S MAKING ME FEEL GUILTY FOR NO REASON.

HE WON'T... ACTUALLY DIE, RIGHT?

...WHERE AM I?

A-ACTING HEAD!

YOUR BODY ISN'T FULLY RECOVERED YET, AT LEAST LET ME HELP YOU UP...!

I'M FINE, SO COULD YOU STEP ASIDE?

YOU'VE BEEN UNCONSCIOUS FOR OVER TWO WEEKS.

YOU COULD COLLAPSE AGAIN AT ANY MOMENT!

I NEED TO SEE THE YOUNG DUKE FIRST.

WHAT IS THE FAMILY'S CURRENT SITUATION?

...TO BE HONEST, THE SITUATION ISN'T VERY GOOD.

ALL OF THE FEEDUS FAMILY'S BUSINESS PARTNERS HAVE TURNED THEIR BACKS ON US,

AND THE INTERNAL STAFF HAVE ALL LEFT AS WELL.

OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION IS DIRE, BUT WE ARE IN NO POSITION TO ASK THE ROYAL FAMILY FOR HELP.

I SUPPOSE... IT'S BECAUSE OF THAT INCIDENT.

AND CURRENTLY, THE YOUNG DUKE IS...

TOLLIN...?

YOUNG DUKE!

ARE YOU FEELING ALRIGHT?

I AM FINE, YOUNG DUKE.

MY APOLOGIES FOR CAUSING YOU CONCERN.

IT SEEMS THAT A LOT OF PROBLEMS HAVE ARISEN WHILE YOU WERE AWAY.

EVEN MY FATHER'S FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS STILL HAVEN'T...

AH, REGARDING THAT...

IS THAT TRUE?

I'M TELLING YOU, IT IS!

THE REASON THE FORMER DUKE FEEDUS DID SUCH A CRAZY THING...

WAS IT BECAUSE THE YOUNG DUKE IS A VAGRANT, OR SO THEY SAY?

I KNEW IT. I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE HE HAD A CHILD AT SUCH A LATE AGE.

SHOULD WE HURRY UP AND ESCAPE BEFORE WE'RE TREATED LIKE TRAITORS TOO?

TRAITORS TO THE EMPIRE...

THIS STIGMA WILL BE DIFFICULT TO ERASE FOREVER.

PALE.

YES, ACTING HEAD.

CUT OUT THE TONGUES OF THOSE GOSSIPING OUTSIDE AND BRING THEM TO ME.

IT IS THE PUNISHMENT FOR SPREADING FALSE RUMORS ABOUT THE YOUNG DUKE.

Y-YES...?! THAT'S...

DO I NEED TO REPEAT MYSELF?

...I WILL DO AS YOU COMMAND.

AND WE WILL NOT BE HOLDING A FUNERAL.

TOLLIN...?

BECAUSE HE CAN NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED A MEMBER OF THIS FAMILY.

I HOPE YOU WILL UNDERSTAND, YOUNG DUKE.

TOLLIN, WHY WOULD YOU DO SUCH A THING...?!

I AM CURRENTLY THE ACTING HEAD OF THE FEEDUS FAMILY.

THEREFORE, UNTIL YOU BECOME THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY LATER,

I HAVE A DUTY TO PROTECT IT.

FROM NOW ON, FOR THE HONOR AND SURVIVAL OF THE FEEDUS FAMILY, I...

WILL USE...

ANY MEANS NECESSARY.