1.6 Like Rain That Soaks You Before You Realize It’s Seeping In

There are a total of eight representative large-scale dungeons within the Empire’s territory. Three in the north, one in the center, and four in the south. Among the southern dungeons, Mikhail himself had once closed the demon’s den in the Delwin mountains by completely destroying its core. The representative demon’s den in the north was the dungeon in the Igeria mountains. And the dungeon in the northeast was…

“Ah.”

After rummaging through his memories for a while, Mikhail recalled a brief explanation he had heard in passing. The demon’s den of Belgorg. Although it had been decades since monsters last burst forth, it was a dungeon that could reactivate at any time because the monster’s core had not been destroyed. Because of that, it was a region where all nearby residents had once been evacuated. It seemed people were now secretly gathering to live there again, however.

“But that place…”

Mikhail’s eyebrows twitched as he immediately harbored doubts. While it was a place where monsters could pop out at any moment, the power of the core was weak, so it shouldn’t be a place capable of causing a large-scale break. As Mikhail looked puzzled and unconvinced, Marcel listened to a messenger’s report coming through the communication orb for a moment before speaking.

“They estimate the scale to be at least Grade 7, and up to Grade 9. Orders have been issued to absolutely not open the gates.”

As Marcel answered with a stiff expression, Mikhail hurriedly asked again.

“Then what about the subjugation force? Are you saying they were ordered to move on foot as well?”

Generally, dungeon breaks of Grade 6 or higher were designated by law to be handled by the central government. The level a local lord could respond to independently was up to Grade 5. Anything beyond that required forces equivalent to a moderately sized war, making it a problem that could not be handled at the lord’s level.

Even if he could understand blocking the gates to prevent monsters from spreading through them, shouldn’t a subjugation force be dispatched? When Mikhail questioned the contradictory situation, Marcel gave a shocking answer.

“That’s…”

“Why? What on earth is happening…!?”

Marcel was momentarily speechless, wondering if he should convey this to the Imperial Prince, who was now frantic with worry that something might have happened to the Duke. Of course, the response was shocking to Marcel as well; he was practically appalled by whoever had come up with such an idea.

“…”

When Marcel remained silent, the Prince looked at him with an expression of agonizing anxiety. The Prince would find out eventually even if he didn’t tell him. Marcel took a deep breath and delivered the fact in a sorrowful voice.

“The Imperial Palace Knights have decided not to send a subjugation force.”

“What does that even mean?”

Not sending a subjugation force to a minimum Grade 7 dungeon break? Until a monster’s core was destroyed or its power completely exhausted, it would incessantly vomit out monsters. Leaving a Grade 7 or higher core unattended was the same as letting monsters ravage the entire area.

“Then does that mean they intend to abandon Parinel and all the surrounding cities?”

If not subjugated, monsters relentlessly absorb the life force of their surroundings to grow their power and influence. If the core is not destroyed immediately in the area where a dungeon break occurs, monsters will spread throughout the vicinity and harm civilians.

Unable to understand the situation no matter how he thought about it, Mikhail demanded a detailed explanation. Marcel pressed his brow with his fingertips for a moment and answered with a long sigh.

“I’m told that a boundary wall was recently installed along the Jerome mountains. The demon’s den of Belgorg is located north of that. The messenger says… there is Read on Read BL Novelsno need [stolen content]to [unauthorized copy]respond because there is no possibility of the monsters escaping outside of Quillan.”

Mikhail was speechless at the shocking answer. The situation was too exquisite. A super-large break suddenly erupted in a demon’s den that had been dormant, and just in time, a wall that monsters could not cross was completed, the gates were closed, and no subjugation force was planned to be sent.

Was it not exactly like a stage set up intentionally, hoping the monsters would turn Quillan into a wasteland? Mikhail shook his head at the deduction that seemed almost inhuman.

No matter how long the history of enmity between the Quillan Great Estate and Osbrant went back, Quillan was now Osbrant’s land, and those living there were subjects who paid taxes to Osbrant. Could they really have plotted something so absurd? Mikhail tried to deny it and asked Marcel again.

“Who gave that order? Was it Father?”

When Mikhail asked in a voice that didn’t hide his anger, Marcel was at a loss for words. Should he tell him? The Prince now wore a face of a man that Marcel had never seen before.

If anyone had scoffed, wondering who could possibly think of the Prince—who only knew how to smile kindly and airily—as the hero of the Delwin mountains, the current Prince had eyes full of a resolve to cut down anything that stood in his way.

“You know, don’t you? Don’t hide it, tell me.”

Marcel hesitated for a moment and then told the truth.

“…It was the Crown Prince.”

At that moment, Mikhail’s eyes glowed with a blue light tinged with rage. Until now, Mikhail had always shown the Crown Prince the respect due to an elder brother. Even knowing that becoming the Crown Prince was the only way to save the one he loved, he had not dared to even imagine pointing a blade at him.

But what if he betrayed his faith as a monarch? If he was a person who thought civilians could be sacrificed as much as necessary for his own gain? Such visit our sitea person should not sit in the seat stolen contentof the ruler. Mikhail had no intention of compromising on this point.

“I’m returning to the Imperial Palace. I’ll go see Elder Brother immediately.”

Marcel had a feeling that a new storm was about to hit the Imperial Palace, which had been quiet until now. Although Marcel was not yet forty, having spent most of his youth working as an informant, he had a keen intuition in certain areas. For the sake of the Imperial Family’s peace, he would have to try his best to sugarcoat it by saying the Crown Prince must have had other plans and thoughts.

‘Even if it is a territory seized from an enemy nation, isn’t this… isn’t this too foul and inhumane a method?’

Marcel, who had to watch his colleagues become vile looters as punishment for being involved in the operation to rescue the Prince, could not comfortably ignore the current situation. However, as a mere powerless pawn, there was nothing Marcel could do personally. Therefore, pinning his hopes on the Prince and helping him was the only way Marcel could prove his twisted conscience.

The Prince passed through the gate first and arrived at the Imperial Palace, followed by Marcel, who stepped onto the highest-grade carpet. When the Prince, who had previously lacked any presence, suddenly stormed into the Crown Prince’s palace and requested an audience, the attendants of the palace ignored him and sneered.

“The Crown Prince is currently attending to business. Please visit again another time.”

Mikhail replied with a stiff expression.

“There is something I must see him about right now. Open the door.”

However, the attendants still turned a deaf ear to Mikhail’s words. Did they think they should be afraid of some snot-nosed Prince picked up from a mercenary company just because he was angry? They were people who had long wielded a tiny bit of power as they pleased by riding on the Crown Prince’s coattails. Since the Crown Prince ignored the Prince as if he were a bug, it was only natural that they also viewed Mikhail as insignificant.

“It is not possible. Please go back.”

Mikhail did not respond further to that cynical sneer and simply grabbed the door handle.

“Ha, really. Did I not tell you the reason you cannot have an audience? To what extent do you think the Imperial etiquette is a joke…”

The attendant’s sarcasm did not last until the end. It was because Mikhail ripped the office door right off its hinges, handle and all.

“No, oh my, my goodness…!”

Mikhail ignored the screams of the attendants behind him and walked straight forward to stand before the Crown Prince. The brown-haired man, who had been staring at the documents on his desk without once lifting his head despite the loud commotion outside, finally turned his gaze toward Mikhail. He tried to act calm and settle his startled heart after seeing the massive iron door ripped away like a fallen leaf, and faced his angry younger brother.

“You are noisy. Isn’t it about time you learned that an audience is only possible when the other party agrees?”

Mikhail ignored his brother’s remarks about his attitude and asked bluntly.

“Is it true that you are the one who forbade the dispatch of a subjugation force to the dungeon break in Quillan?”

At Mikhail’s rage-filled question, the Crown Prince answered without even hiding a vulgar sneer.

“Yes. I told them to do that.”

“Why did you do that?”

Seeing a thick vein stand out on Mikhail’s forehead, unauthorized copythe Crown Prince spoke with a [unauthorized copy]look of utmost pleasure.

“Why? Because it is for the sake of Osbrant. Those people are the ones who dared to show their teeth toward Osbrant just a few years ago. They are holding their breath now, but why should I help people who will point their blades at Osbrant again as soon as they are well enough to do so?”

Mikhail immediately countered.

“It is not about helping. Since they have been incorporated into Osbrant, and as long as they are subjects of Osbrant who pay taxes as proof of their loyalty to His Majesty, they are strictly subjects of Osbrant who should receive the protection of the Imperial Palace Knights.”

At that, the Crown Prince burst into loud laughter.

“What? Subjects of Osbrant? In all my life, I’m hearing a truly terrible, low-quality joke from your mouth. The one who was kidnapped by those people five years ago, causing His Majesty’s elite knights to be sacrificed, is now defending them. Do you even know how many soldiers lost their lives at their hands that day!”

In that short time, the Crown Prince had long since figured out Mikhail’s temperament. This idiot, who it was hard to believe shared half the same blood, was excessively kind and naive.

He was the type who would be unable to say anything if one remained silent about how much property the soldiers of Osbrant had looted that day and only mentioned the sacrifices made to rescue the Prince. As expected, Mikhail could not answer and bit his lip hard. To firmly secure his victory, the Crown Prince drove the point home once more.

“Therefore, I can absolutely not permit the dispatch of a subjugation force to Quillan. Isn’t this actually a good thing for you? In the future, when you start a family and become independent from the Imperial Family as a Duke, that estate will be yours. Wouldn’t it be better to wipe out even one more bug?”

And at that moment, Mikhail reflexively felted his belt to find the scabbard at his waist. Naturally, since he could not storm into the audience chamber armed, Mikhail’s waist was completely empty except for decorations. Mikhail ground his teeth and barely managed to speak politely.

“Then I will ask one more thing. Did you perhaps lay a hand on the demon’s den of Belgorg?”

Surely, if you are human, you won’t confess that you orchestrated all [stolen content]of this to purge the stolen contentresidents of Quillan. As Mikhail asked, hoping [unauthorized copy]the answer to his question would be a denial, the Crown Prince tilted his head and spoke.

“I wonder. Hmm…”

The Crown Prince hummed as if thinking deeply, then immediately continued.

“Come to think of it, you used to do work purging monsters. If you plan to clash with them in the future, be careful. I heard that monsters go wild when they smell the scent of karma flowers. I don’t know for sure since I haven’t seen it myself.”

Mikhail stormed out of the audience chamber before the Crown Prince’s laughter had even stopped. There was no meaning in continuing this nauseating conversation. Having confirmed that his worst suspicions were true, Mikhail could barely hold himself together from disgust.

“Your Highness…”

Seeing Mikhail’s deeply distorted expression, Marcel instinctively felt that the situation was going poorly. For the sake of safety, it would be right to distance himself as much as possible from the Prince’s affairs now. If he stepped down, using the excuse that he was no longer qualified to serve Prince Mikhail because the Prince’s health had once deteriorated, everyone would pat him on the back, saying they suffered to turn that wild colt into a human.

But if he let go of the Prince here, what would happen to this guilt he had carried heavily in his heart since that day years ago? The nightmare he had ignored, believing it was the way to serve his homeland, would remain entirely as his own sin. Marcel hesitated, unable to make a choice. And then, Mikhail lowered his head for a moment and clenched his fists tight.

“…Marcel.”

The voice, which he expected to be completely disheartened, surprisingly held a strong power. Marcel listened intently to the Prince’s words, tense.

“Where is the closest gate to Belgorg?”

“I will find it immediately!”

Marcel quickly searched the gate map and found the coordinates of a small gate, the closest one after Parinel.

“If we ride horses from Torkan, we should be able to arrive within two hours.”

“We leave right now.”

It was less than ten minutes before Mikhail finished preparing to leave. Marcel, flustered while preparing for combat, asked.

“Just how did you pack to be finished so quickly? There are so many things we need to take…”

As Marcel complained while hurriedly packing items, Mikhail smiled bitterly.

“At the site of a dungeon break, monsters don’t wait patiently for us to get our weapons ready.”

Only then did Marcel realize that the young man before him, whom he had been belittling all along, was also someone who had survived on the battlefield for a very long time. Mercenary companies are always short-handed. Even a nine-year-old child, as long as they had the courage to make traps and fire a crossbow from afar, was typically added to the headcount to maximize the daily wage.

“So you don’t have to worry about me. Just pack things that can protect yourself.”

Marcel didn’t feel particularly good hearing that from a brat who had lived only a bit more than half his age. However, for now, Mikhail was the only way he could relieve this heavy guilt.

“Understood. Let’s leave right now.”

War leaves scars on everyone. That was true for Marcel as well, who had been taught effective killing methods as an apprentice knight from his late teens. Even though his daily life as an investigator was peaceful enough, he often had nightmares from the guilt of having to stand by and watch an act that should never have been committed.

Thinking that starting a family in this state would only lead to unhappiness, he had to postpone his wedding with his fiancée. Today, he was going to pay for that sin. Marcel swallowed a deep sigh and followed behind Mikhail.

And at that time. At the frozen lake exile site, they had discovered a purple mist shimmering beyond the distant ridge and instinctively felt that something unusual was happening.

“I-it’s not a big deal, right? Surely nothing is happening all the way out here… we’re in the middle of a lake…”

As the caretaker’s wife paced anxiously with a terrified face, the caretaker quickly looked for the communication orb. The communication orb that could connect directly with the person in charge at the Imperial Palace did not respond, no matter how many times he placed his hand on it.

“Why is it, why is it acting like this today?”

“What’s wrong, honey? D-don’t… don’t joke at a time like this! It’s scary!”

“No, I’m telling you, I’m not joking!”

While the caretaker couple stamped their feet with pale faces, only Hyeon looked out the window with a calm face. Judging by the spreading purple mist, this was definitely the work of monsters. Using the knowledge the real Duke had left in his head, Hyeon recalled which dungeon was located in that vicinity.

‘But the core there is so weak that it shouldn’t be able to cause a big problem…’

Hyeon thought deeply and then suddenly asked the caretaker couple.

“By any chance, has there been any new construction on the Quillan boundary recently? Like building a wall, or cutting down the forest…”

At Hyeon’s sudden question, the caretaker couple answered in surprise.

“Eh? Construction…”

“Ah, I think I heard that construction to clarify the boundary line was completed there recently. All the way from Etlan to Cafen.”

“Was that so? When?”

“I told you, that’s why Vichenko was busy for a while.”

While the caretaker couple went back and forth, Hyeon realized that the worst possible situation he could imagine had occurred.

In the original novel, it was only after Mikhail became the Crown Prince that he completely defeated Duke Transis. Until then, Mikhail believed his only role as an Imperial Prince was to support his elder brother, the Crown Prince, and keep the citizens of the Empire safe.

The reason Mikhail eventually decided to become the Crown Prince was entirely for the sake of the powerless. This was because his elder brother, the Crown Prince, was an absolute piece of trash.

Edwin Onegin Osbrant. Born to the Empress, this arrogant man had never once considered in his life that he might not inherit the throne. He viewed everyone around him as mere consumables to be sacrificed for his own benefit.

The difference between him and Hyeon was that while Hyeon viewed managing people as a process of exchanging things each party desired, Edwin believed he possessed a natural right Read on Read BL Novelsto manipulate everyone at will. He kept several maids [unauthorized copy]and servants [visit our site]whom he could whip whenever he felt displeased, filling his self-esteem by watching them tremble in fear. That foul hobby was reflected without reservation in his political maneuvers.

‘Since you admitted with your own mouth that you committed a mortal sin, I shall take your life as payment.’

The manual of torture methods he wrote as a hobby contained things that, by modern standards, would warrant being dragged to the guillotine immediately. Despite being described like a final boss, the reason he exited the story as an early-stage villain was entirely because he was executed far too early relative to his atrocities.

‘Come to think of it, the protagonist should be starting to notice the Crown Prince’s misdeeds around now.’

Perhaps this incident was the catalyst. Hyeon swallowed a deep sigh. In the original work, the protagonist eventually could not stand by and watch the Crown Prince’s evil deeds and rebelled against his elder brother. The plot then unfolded with Duke Transis constantly extending his clutches toward the protagonist, who had become the Crown Prince and gained fame across the land.

‘In the current situation, since I’m not resisting anymore and am quietly recuperating, the role of the mastermind—which originally belonged to Duke Transis—might have shifted to Edwin.’

Either way, there seemed to be no doubt that the one who triggered this situation was the Crown Prince. It would have been difficult to push for the reconstruction of a boundary line of that length without help from the Imperial Family.

‘Since Duke Transis, who should have been the focal point for Quilan, is staying quiet, he’s probably taking this chance to crush and annihilate Quilan entirely.’

Judging by the situation, especially since the communication orbs had been cut off, it seemed the subjugation force would either not be dispatched at all, or would be sent much later as a mere formality. Hyeon’s heart throbbed involuntarily at the thought that the end had come much sooner than expected.

If he stayed still like this, the monsters would soon cross the lake and find their way to this remote island. Or, before that, that deep blue demonic energy might cover the lake, turning it into poison and melting the soil, causing the entire mansion to be submerged. Either way, it was evident that he would die if no one helped him.

If there was a single shred of hope, it would be for the protagonist to not overlook his brother’s evil deeds and save Quilan from the monsters…

‘…Ha.’

Hyeon barely suppressed a bitter sneer. No matter how much of a protagonist he was, would he really save a villain who had tried to kill him here, even if he would for innocent residents? Abandoning any impossible expectations, Hyeon perched on the windowsill. Then, in a self-mocking voice, he spoke to the caretaker couple who were wailing while desperately clutching the communication orb.

“It’ll be useless. Seeing as they’ve cut off communications, the subjugation force will likely arrive only when there are no more signs of survival north of the boundary.”

At that, the couple screamed sharply, denying reality.

“No, t-that can’t be… We, until now, h-how much loyalty have we given… Sob…”

“How could His Majesty… how could he abandon us… We are people born and raised in Obern…”

“Surely there is some other plan…”

It was another thirty minutes before the couple, who had tried several more times to get a signal or even a response to mana from the communication orb, collapsed in despair. Gradually, the purple smoke began to swallow a wider area, absorbing the fief.

Hyeon looked out the window with composure, and suddenly, a missed face came to mind. He had sent a letter two weeks ago, so it should have arrived at the Imperial Palace by now. By the time Misha read that letter and thought of him, he would no longer be of this world.

Compared to almost closing his eyes suddenly due to an accident, his lifespan had unintentionally been extended. Meeting someone he could rely on during that short period had been an unexpected stroke of luck.

‘I should have told him thank you more.’

Why had he been so stingy with his gratitude, as if a few words were so difficult? Instead of saying he was sorry for always being a burden, he should have just said thank stolen contentyou. Hyeon stolen contentfelt a belated regret. Though it was meaningless now.

If he left a final letter, would it be delivered to Misha even after he was torn limb from limb by monsters? Recalling this nearly impossible imagination, Hyeon looked out the window again with a self-deprecating laugh. Beyond the purple mist, which had grown thicker than before, white smoke was suddenly billowing up.

“W-what is that?”

The caretaker, who noticed the white smoke after Hyeon, pressed himself against the window, clinging to a sliver of hope. Hyeon, knowing what it was, felt his heart sink for a moment.

“C-could it be that the subjugation force has arrived?”

“Right? His Majesty couldn’t have abandoned us…”

“……”

Hyeon bit his lip for a moment before explaining.

“…Those are distress signals lit by civilians.”

In the current situation, lighting a beacon was no different from announcing one’s location to the monsters. Nevertheless, Hyeon knew better than anyone who the people of Osbrant were desperately hoping their signals—sent in a code unknown to those from the Empire—would reach.

The fallen King of Transis, Isaac Tion Transis. He was a man whose temperament was as eccentric and arrogant as the Crown Prince of Osbrant, but he was more sincere than anyone about gathering his people to rebuild the Kingdom of Transis. The residents of Quilan, who had painfully realized that the Osbrant Empire would not leave them alone, still regarded the fallen Duke Transis as their spiritual pillar.

“N-no… His Majesty really…”

Even as the purple mist continued to expand its territory, white smoke billowed up in various places. Hyeon could no longer bear to watch the distress signals being sent at the risk of their lives, as if their fallen king were their last hope, and turned his head away. Their king was no longer here. The one wearing that shell was not Isaac, but someone else. Hyeon had entered this world through Isaac’s unilateral coercion without consent, and he had no obligation to follow Isaac’s wishes.

Hyeon no longer wanted to live so fiercely. Since the end was ultimately being betrayed by those he had struggled so hard to be loved by, he had no intention of stepping onto the battlefield again in rags without a single piece of armor. All expectations carry the risk of betrayal. That would be fair not only for him but for them as well.

However, without realizing it, Hyeon tried to search through the memories Isaac had left behind to find a breakthrough. Was there no way? If there was a way to make monsters run wild and amplify their power, wouldn’t there be an opposite method? After scouring Isaac’s knowledge and memories countless times, Hyeon found a passage through the mansion’s dungeon that allowed one to escape to land even if no ships could enter from the outside.

‘But that…’

The moment that passage was exposed, the caretaker would report the flaw in this place of exile to the Imperial Palace. If he wanted to use it, he would have to sneak out alone, or… Hyeon grit his teeth for a moment.

The caretaker couple had a granddaughter who was born recently. The elderly couple, who usually only treated Hyeon with hostility and caution, had spent an hour bragging about their granddaughter while showing him a sketch of her; that memory remained vivid in Hyeon’s mind. While it would be better than dying and leaving a young daughter behind, they likely didn’t want to die in a place like this either.

‘……’

While he hesitated, unable to decide immediately, Hyeon remembered what today’s date was. The third Friday of every month. It was the day Misha came to the ice lake with his master.

In that moment, Hyeon felt as if the ground were collapsing beneath him. Could he be coming this way? What if he had already crossed the barrier? Of course, if the Imperial Family had any thought, they would have told the investigator to prevent him from coming here, but what if Misha, worried about him, had acted impulsively?

All sorts of anxiety and worry coiled around Hyeon from his toes up. He probably hadn’t come, he shouldn’t have, but the anxiety of what must not happen in reality was enough to push Hyeon’s back. He was simply that kind of man. Even if it was something he didn’t want to do, once it fell into his hands, he would give it his all. Since he had been educated since childhood to carry a sense of responsibility twice as heavy as others, he could never tolerate anything half-hearted.

“……”

For a long time, Hyeon clenched his fists so hard that his blunt fingernails dug into his palms. Then, he rose from the windowsill and headed toward the bedroom.

Hyeon opened the safe Isaac had hidden with magic and took out the key to the underground labyrinth. A moment later, when he stood before the caretaker couple, who were exhausted from sobbing, they looked up at him weakly.

“Take this key, go down to the dungeon, and insert it into the third groove of the blank dead-end wall on the far left. Then, a long labyrinth will appear that leads to the other side of the lake. Run straight east without looking back. Monsters hate fire, so make sure to pack plenty of flint before you leave.”

As Hyeon finished speaking and pressed the key into the caretaker’s cold hand, the caretaker asked with a face stained with shock.

“T-this…”

He probably wanted to ask why and how. Hyeon immediately shook his head.

“There’s no time to explain, so leave quickly.”

With that, he immediately turned around to look at the mountain range where white and purple smoke were tangled together. Before the elderly couple, who had hurriedly prepared to flee, stepped onto the stairs leading to the dungeon, they asked Hyeon.

“T-then, what about Your Highness…?”

Just a moment ago, they had faces that looked as if they were about to scream, Because of this brat, I’ve come all the way here to die a dog’s death. At the return to the title “Your Highness,” Hyeon replied with a bitter smile.

“Can a sinner leave his place of exile? This must be my fate.”

The couple paused for a moment, then bit their lips and ran down the stairs without looking back.

Meanwhile, Mikhail and Marcel, who had painstakingly crossed the barrier by bypassing Torkan, frowned and coughed, covering their mouths against the suffocatingly thick demonic energy. The situation was much worse than expected. Mikhail took the lead over Marcel, cutting through the vines that filled the forest and sprinkling ash to prevent them from regrowing.

“Kieeeeek-! Kyaaa-!”

Because low-rank magic beasts disguised as animals popped out everywhere the moment they let their guard down, Mikhail pierced the cores of the monsters at a speed faster than the eye could see, fearing that Marcel might get hurt.

“Whew… they really keep coming endlessly.”

He knew the Imperial Prince would have become stronger than he remembered. He had expected that the strength would have weakened because the Prince had been bedridden for so long. However, the Prince’s beast-like reflexes and accuracy were enough to make even Marcel, a fairly experienced trainer, shake his head in admiration.

“We have to approach the demon’s den as quickly as possible. They’ll keep multiplying there.”

Mikhail urged them forward, speaking in generalities with a serious face. The Prince leaped forward quickly, showing no sign of fatigue on a path that would leave one breathless even if they were just talking. He was a monster of stamina, slaughtering every single monster hiding beyond the bushes as if he wouldn’t leave a single one alive, without a single hint of panting.

‘No wonder the Crown Prince is so anxious to guard against someone who doesn’t even want the throne.’

The Crown Prince had long lacked talent in physical arts. He only knew how to flick his fingers while sitting; he likely hadn’t held a sword in his own hands for a single moment other than at his investiture ceremony. Instead, he preferred all sorts of flashy torture tools that could carve flesh without requiring much strength.

He always talked about war, but he himself had never been to Read on Read BL Novelsa battlefield, and [Read on Read BL Novels]despite never having received proper military training, he swung his own army around as he pleased. Thus, it was perhaps natural that he failed to win the hearts of the military officers.

Military officers generally disliked mercenaries. They often insulted them, saying they were martial artists who sold their pride for a cheap price. However, there was no one in the entire Empire who did not recognize the Imperial Prince’s skill. Although the Prince came from a mercenary company, he had managed to defeat the Empire’s Greatest Sword before reaching adulthood. Combined with his outstanding appearance and easygoing personality, it was no exaggeration to say that all the warriors of the Empire admired him.

Furthermore, without being asked, he traveled all over the Empire subjugating troublesome monsters, so there was no reason for the local lords not to like him. Without a doubt, the Prince was the young hero most loved by the people.

‘The problem is that this hero is currently doing this because he’s fallen for a man…’

While Marcel was momentarily lost in thought, the two soon discovered a village at the foot of the mountain where the fortress gates were tightly locked, and the people were trembling as they watched monsters destroy the walls. From the top of the citadel, thick smoke was billowing up, likely to send a signal.

“It looks like there are survivors inside, right?”

Marcel spoke toward where the Prince had been. However, there was no answer.

‘…?’

The moment he wondered where he had suddenly gone, the Prince was already gliding down the slope. No, that—that might work for you, but I’m an ordinary human, and I’ll die if I do that! Horrified by the action that seemed to disregard his own life, Marcel squeezed his eyes shut and ran in the direction Mikhail had disappeared.

“Your Highness! Huff, huff, me too! You have to take me with you!!”

It seemed that, in a different sense, it might be difficult to return alive. Marcel swallowed his tears and tumbled down the slope.

A short while later. It took less than a few dozen minutes [Read on Read BL Novels]for Mikhail to destroy unauthorized copyall the cores of the monsters surrounding the fortress and sheathe his sword.

‘Ugh, I’m seriously going to die.’

Marcel, who looked like he was on the verge of death from trying to keep up with Mikhail’s forced march, checked the outside situation and let out a short gasp of admiration upon seeing a rope ladder dropped from inside.

“I think they want us to come inside?”

Mikhail, as if he didn’t have time for that, tried to move on to find the next destination. Then, someone shouted from atop the wall.

“I don’t know who you are, but thanks to you, our lives were saved. Please, let us express our gratitude while you moisten your throats!”

At this, Marcel nodded toward the Prince with a face that said this is perfect.

‘Is it necessary?’

Mikhail didn’t feel the need, but seeing Marcel struggling so much due to lack of stamina, he thought it would be better to leave him in a safe place and move on alone.

‘Then it’s better to stop by for a moment and leave Marcel there.’

If Marcel were to be attacked by a monster while he was exhausted and off-guard, Mikhail wouldn’t be able to face his fiancée. Since he had forced someone who probably didn’t want to come along, Marcel’s safety was of utmost importance.

Soon, as Mikhail stopped opposing and slowly climbed the unauthorized copyladder into the fortress, what awaited them was [visit our site]an elderly woman who appeared to be a priestess unauthorized copyand about six or seven groups of families huddled together.

“Thank you so much. Thanks to you, our lives were saved.”

As one of the family members stepped forward as a representative and bowed his head to Mikhail, an old woman dressed as a priestess, who was standing behind him with a dissatisfied expression, snorted.

“Who are you thanking? From the looks of it, he smells like he’s in league with those bastards.”

Oops. He hadn’t brought anything that would identify him as being from Osbrant, so how did she notice? As Mikhail, wearing a robe, flinched in surprise, the old woman approached and pulled off the robe he was wearing.

“…!”

Thanks to Mikhail’s quick reflexes in bowing his head, his face wasn’t revealed, but the bright hair color characteristic of those from the central and southern regions stood out.

“See, I told you! What could people who view our lives as less than animals’ possibly want by coming all the way here?”