Exiled Prince and Hi Chapter 45: Decision to leave

Chapter 45: Decision to leave

After two more rounds, Renji and Rei finally rested. Their breathing slowed, the tension in their muscles easing as the quiet of the shrine wrapped around them. The room was dim, lit only by a single lantern on the far wall. Shadows stretched across the ceiling, and Rei’s eyes followed them, though her thoughts were far more tangled than the gentle drift of the light.

She lay beside Renji, close enough to feel his warmth, yet she didn’t move toward him or away. She simply stared upward, her expression calm but troubled in a way she could no longer hide from herself.

The past days had changed her in ways she once believed impossible. The shrine had raised her on strict principles, trained her to live with purity, clarity, and distance from worldly desires. A shrine maiden’s path was rigid, and she had followed it without question for most of her life.

But now, sothing inside her was different, undeniably so. The succubi bond she felt toward Renji, the instinct to obey him, protect him, and stay by his side, pulsed faintly through her chest like a second heartbeat.

That bond wasn’t sothing she had chosen, yet now that it existed, she knew with absolute certainty that she could never return to the life she had before.

She swallowed and spoke softly, "Renji..."

He didn’t turn his head, but his eyes shifted toward her. He was just as awake, lost in his own thoughts, analyzing the days ahead and the decisions he would soon have to make. "What is it?" he asked.

"I can’t stay here anymore." Her voice didn’t waver. She wasn’t afraid of her conclusion, only of what ca next.

Renji blinked once, then fully faced her. "Why? What do you an you can’t stay?"

Rei kept her gaze fixed on the ceiling. That made it easier sohow. "I’ve broken the shrine’s commandnts," she said quietly.

"My purity, the vow I was supposed to uphold, I can’t return after that. They won’t accept . Even if they did, I wouldn’t be able to live the way they expect. I know myself now. I’ll break it again. I’ve already changed."

Her tone was steady, but sothing vulnerable lingered beneath it, a quiet resignation mixed with unexpected resolve.

Renji listened without interrupting. He wasn’t soone who dismissed emotions easily, but he wasn’t overly sentintal either. He processed her words carefully, as he did with everything.

"So if you leave," he said slowly, "you’re leaving for good."

"Yes."

He exhaled, long and thoughtful. "If that’s how you feel, then it’s sothing we need to think about seriously."

She finally turned her head toward him. "You don’t mind?"

"I didn’t say that." He tapped the back of his fingers on his chest, staring up again. "I’m thinking about what it ans. For you. For us. For the group."

Rei waited patiently. She wasn’t used to having choices. Being allowed to make one felt strange.

Renji continued, "We bought a carriage now. Traveling won’t be as slow or as dangerous, especially with Aya and Kaede guarding us. Rei, if you can’t stay in the shrine anymore, then... maybe it’s ti all of us leave it behind."

Rei’s eyes widened a little. "All of us?"

"Yeah. Why stay here any longer? It was only a temporary place for us anyway."

A faint breath escaped her lips. It wasn’t quite a sigh, nor was it relief, but sothing in between. The weight in her chest eased slightly.

That night, nothing more needed to be said. They lay quietly, both staring up at the sa ceiling, but thinking very different things. Renji thought of logistics, routes, threats, and preparations. Rei thought of the future she never imagined having, and how strangely comforting the uncertainty of it now felt.

??

Morning arrived with soft sunlight seeping through the windows. The shrine was always peaceful, but this morning carried a different atmosphere. A sense of transition, of finality, drifted through the corridors like an unseen breeze.

Renji, Rei, Kaede, and Aya gathered in the living room. Kaede yawned loudly, clearly not ready for the day, while Aya was sitting upright with admirable discipline, already focused. Rei sat quietly, hands folded in her lap. Renji leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

"Alright," he began, "we need to talk about our next move."

Kaede groaned. "Do we have to do it this early..."

"Yes," Renji answered imdiately. "We’re not staying here."

Rei’s eyes lowered a little, as though acknowledging the shift with silent acceptance.

Aya tilted her head. "So it’s decided? We’re leaving the shrine."

"There’s no reason to stay," Renji replied. "We’ve outgrown this place. Aya, your level is high enough that the forest won’t slow you down. Kaede is just as strong. And now Rei... she’ll level up faster while moving instead of staying still. We need to keep progressing."

Kaede rubbed her eyes. "We are going to a kingdom right?"

"The nearest one," Renji confird. "Once we reach it, we’ll rest, gather information, and figure out our long term plan."

Aya nodded thoughtfully. "It makes sense. The bandits weren’t the only danger in this forest. If they found us once, others could find us again."

Renji pointed at her. "Exactly. And I’m not risking that. We move today."

For a mont, no one spoke. They all looked around the room that had sheltered them, healed them, and given them a temporary peace after days of chaos. It wasn’t a sentintal farewell, but the weight of leaving was still present.

??

The rest of the morning was spent organizing, packing, and sorting through what they would take. The shrine had offered them supplies, but not all of it was portable.

Food, water containers, spare clothes, bandages, a few tools, and everything they had earned from hunting, those were packed into the carriage.

Kaede took the longest. She argued about what counted as "essential," constantly trying to sneak unnecessary items into the pile until Aya scolded her for it.

Rei worked quietly, surprisingly efficient. She kept mostly to herself, knowing the others had already adapted to the idea of leaving. Her mind was focused, clearer than it had been in days. She felt direction for the first ti.

Renji double checked everything. Then he triple checked it. When they traveled, mistakes could kill.

By late afternoon, the sun was dipping behind the shrine roof as they stood at the entrance, their belongings loaded and their carriage ready.

Renji took one final look back at the shrine. "Alright. Let’s go."