By Zephyria =======
Silver and Black Weasel flinched simultaneously.
「What did you say, Uncle? Who is mar-mar-marrying whom…?!」
Red Eagle stammered, asking back. Black Weasel rubbed his chin, muttering, “Ah… hmm…” before breaking into a wide grin.
「Exactly what you heard! Your half-brother and your mother got married. Thanks to that, the Prince gained a stepfather and eight step-siblings all at once! If you count the dozens of half-siblings, our little Brown Chick Prince probably has the most siblings in the world, hahahat! My bad, I forgot to explain this beforehand…」
Red Eagle’s eyes went blank. Wolf covered his mouth with both hands, looking like a monk seeing a female nude painting for the first time. Silver spoke bluntly.
「You hate it, don’t you? Not only do you have half-siblings, but now you’ve got eight more step-siblings. You’ll get a headache just trying to memorize their names.」
「Um, Silver? We’re just shocked by the fact that the Prince’s mother and half-brother married…」
Wolf’s voice trailed off. Black Weasel raised an eyebrow. Silver also tensed up. The flow of the current reaching the oars was slowing down.
The white wake that had been rising wherever the warships passed gradually subsided. They were decelerating. And then, a metallic scent drifted in on the wind…
Are they planning to dock there? But that river port pier is far too small to accommodate that many ships.
“Silver.”
Black Weasel gave a signal with his eyes. It was a sign to move forward. Though reluctant, Silver rowed. The small boat entered the shadow of the warships as if seeping into them. At the bow of each warship, bone stakes gleamed white like birch bark. Above all, it was quiet. As they drew closer to the lead ship, not even a single faint voice could be heard.
The pier appeared in the distance. Only two warships had dropped anchor and docked. As they approached the waterfront, the metallic scent carried by the wind grew stronger. Red Eagle seemed to realize where they were heading. He trembled all over, clenching his teeth as if trying to suppress the urge to vomit.
On the other hand, Wolf tilted his head and stared straight at the pier. His blonde hair whipped by the wind, his large hands gripping the gunwale—everything was a cool, faded silver. His expression was invisible. He didn’t utter a word. Only the creaking sound of wood echoed from the grip of his hands on the gunwale.
Silver suppressed his discomfort. He had never imagined returning here after only one day. Following the metallic scent, sounds began to drift on the wind. The screams of dogs, horses, and livestock. The howling of animals exhausted by hunger.
Even from a distance, the traces of slaughter strewn across the pier were visible at a glance. Piles of corpses lay scattered in circles, like rain puddles. They were mere nobodies. Flocks of crows covered them like black cloaks. A few cats had their snouts buried in the bodies.
“You there! Who are you?”
Silver snapped back to his senses at the shout. Several warriors from a nearby warship were looking down at them.
“You bastards, you’ve been following us this whole time, haven’t you? What do you think you’re doing!”
“We followed you because we want to live! Our families were taken by bandits…!”
“I know, you brat! Your voice is as loud as a trumpet, we heard everything! We’ve got nothing for you. Get lost.”
“Please, don’t be like this. A fragrant smell was wafting from the warships! Just one piece of jerky, please…!”
Right on cue, Black Weasel’s stomach let out a loud, rumbling growl. Laughter erupted from the warship.
“A big guy who doesn’t act his size. Fine, tell us everything you know about this river port. If the answer pleases me, I’ll throw you a piece of jerky.”
“This village?”
Black Weasel’s eyes narrowed.
“I’ve heard rumors. People at the inn where I stayed yesterday morning were chatting that overnight, this place… there were many speculations that warriors throwing a victory party killed the villagers for fun. That’s all I’ve heard. Ah, I’ve stayed here a few times while wandering. It was a small, quiet village where kin lived together.”
“Damn it. Starve to death then.”
“Oh dear, was that a story the warriors already knew? By the way, is the future King and his spouse also aboard these warships?”
Black Weasel suddenly got straight to the point. Without realizing it, Silver gripped the dagger inside his robe with one hand. That Ice Armor Warrior bastard is too fast. There’s no way that face of his can keep acting like a pitiful widower.
“Why? You gonna snitch?”
Unexpectedly, the warriors asked back without any sign of caution. Silver, puzzled, soon realized why. The warriors were giggling and pointing at Red Eagle. Ah, it’s because of this crybaby…
“Yes, that’s right! I shall report the heartless actions of the warriors! O future King and spouse! Are you listening—!”
At Black Weasel’s brazen act, the warriors burst into laughter. One of them doubled over, clutching his stomach.
“You think you can intimidate us? You idiot, if you’re that hungry, go down to that river port and loot any house! Everyone’s dead, so there’s no one to stop you!”
“Surely you’re not afraid of corpses!”
Jeers rained down. Black Weasel rubbed his temple and quickly grabbed the oars.
“Silver. Let’s dock.”
“What?”
Silver’s shoulders jerked.
“You’re not seriously planning to loot that place? Are you crazy?”
“No. My intuition tells me the future King and spouse are having a late dinner in that village.”
“…The future King and spouse? Did you hear their noses were cut off in a pair?”
When Silver asked back in disbelief, the answer that returned was:
“I don’t know about that, but I know well that the couple are indomitable warriors. They are the kind of people who could tear into meat using the fishy stench of rotting corpses as incense. Well, maybe their noses really were cut off. Most warriors give a part or two of their bodies to the crows anyway.”
“No, I mean… forget it. Let’s just stop.”
“Just row. They don’t suspect us over there, so it’s no problem.”
Left with no choice, Silver rowed. Red Eagle’s face turned pale.
「Uncle, we’re going there…」
Red Eagle swallowed the end of his sentence, covered his mouth, and hunched over. With a violent sound of gagging, vomit escaped through his fingers and fell into the river. The warriors burst into another round of laughter.
“Look at the son!”
“Afraid of corpses! Just drown in the river, you moron!”
Amidst the noisy jeering, Wolf never once lifted his head. Like the base of a charred pyre, he remained motionless, his gaze fixed solely on the river water. The hand gripping the hem of his robe was bloodless. The hem fluttered in the wind, but his hand didn’t budge, as if frozen. If someone were to hand him an iron skewer right now, it might just bend instantly.
Belatedly, Silver became curious. Wolf, what is he thinking about?
Moreover, he seemed extremely enraged. About what? A skeleton wraith?
Before he could think further, the small boat reached the pier. Silver let go of the oars, stood up, and wrapped the rope around a stake. The cries of crows tore through the winter wind. Bloodstains, clinging like spots here and there on the stone floor of the pier, glistened.
「Let’s go. Everyone follow me.」
Black Weasel hopped up onto the pier. Just as Silver was about to follow, Red Eagle waved his arms and shook his head.
「N-no. I, h-here, I hate it…」
「Prince, please calm down. You’ll be able to see Mother soon.」
Wolf, who hurriedly supported Red Eagle, looked at Black Weasel.
「Right, Uncle? You think White Deer landed here, don’t you?」
「Hmm?」
Black Weasel looked back at Wolf.
「Correct. However, it’s strictly my guess. We might come up empty.」
「Then, do we really have to…」
「We’ll just look around briefly and come back. What’s the problem? There are only corpses here.」
At those words, Wolf’s expression changed. Even to Silver, it was a remark so indifferent it was irritating. After glaring at Black Weasel for a moment, Wolf shifted his gaze to the Prince.
「Prince, please hold my hand tightly. I will be careful so that not a single drop of blood touches your shoes.」
「W-Wolf…」
「I will stay by your side. Just close your eyes and walk while sticking close to me.」
As Wolf soothed him, Red Eagle squeezed his eyes shut. The Prince and the Attendant held hands tightly and stepped onto the pier. Silver scanned the surroundings with only his eyes. Warriors were also descending from the warships. Each held a torch in one hand, with axes and swords at their waists. And various other things. At a glance, they did not look like they were descending to serve the future King and spouse’s dinner.
63 – Hell Execution Order