“...I see.”
I hadn’t expected them to cooperate.
“I’ll just cut off an arm and drag you back!” barked a bald rcenary as he swung his sword at .
“Ugh!”
Crack!
A quick jab sent him flying, blood spraying as he tumbled to the ground.
“This bastard is strong! Surround him!”
“You won’t make it to the princess alive!”
Soon enough, I was surrounded by rcenaries.
‘Looks like she’s got quite a following now.’
I smiled faintly.
She was a far cry from the neglected princess she had once been.
“Attack!”
Five rcenaries charged at once.
They were well-trained, veterans who had clearly seen real combat, but...
Thud!
“Gah!”
“What... What’s going on?!”
They collapsed as soon as I brushed them off with a light strike.
I’d only tapped them on the chin, so they wouldn’t be in too much pain.
The rcenaries tried to get back on their feet, but they kept falling, their limbs giving out beneath them.
“You... You won’t get to her...”
“Quick, send a ssage...!”
Well, it couldn’t be helped.
They wouldn’t know my face anyway.
I flicked the blood off my hand.
“So, where’s Pria?” I asked again.
“Do you think we’d tell you! Even if... even if we have to die...!”
“She’s over there, isn’t she?” I said, glancing at the direction the rcenaries kept glancing toward.
“W-What...?! How did you...!”
“You’ve been giving it away by constantly checking behind you. Honestly, it was obvious.”
“D-Damn it, this can’t be happening... We can’t let you get to her!”
“Can’t let ? We’ll see about that.”
I muttered as I began walking downhill toward the location they had been trying to protect.
It took about ten minutes to get there. In a remote corner of the plains, I spotted a luxurious tent, standing out in stark contrast to the battlefield around it.
The tent was made of pristine white silk with gold threads lacing its edges, a clear sign of importance.
‘Well, this is just too obvious.’
Anyone could tell that soone important was inside.
Clicking my tongue, I made my way toward the back of the tent.
“Wait...”
As I approached, a few rcenaries spotted
and reached for their whistles to call for reinforcents.
“Don’t make this more annoying than it has to be,” I muttered.
Before they could blow the whistle, I knocked them all out with swift, non-lethal strikes. Then, without missing a beat, I continued toward the tent’s rear.
‘If I ◆ Nоvеl??g??t ◆ (Only on Nоvеl??g??t) climb down that tall rock wall, I can avoid drawing too much attention.’
I jumped off the rock face, landing near the tent.
Surprisingly, there weren’t many guards posted around the tent.
I shrugged and proceeded toward the tent’s entrance.
‘...Now then.’
I slowly rested my hand on the hilt of my sword.
Before I could take another step—
Shing!
Without a sound, a blade ca slicing toward my forehead.
I reacted instinctively, drawing my sword in an instant.
Clang! Clang!
The two blades clashed, sparks flying.
If I had been even a second slower, the blade would have pierced my skull.
“Who are you?” the attacker asked.
The man stood across from , sword at the ready. His posture was perfect, a clear indication of his mastery.
No wonder Pria hadn’t posted any other guards—this guy was clearly skilled enough to handle most threats on his own.
“Where’d you learn your swordsmanship? You’re no amateur,” I said.
“You are...?” The young man’s eyes filled with confusion as he studied my face.
“Wait... Are you...?”
“What now?”
“...The Sponsor!’”
“...Sponsor?”
At that mont, Yoshua’s tension dropped, and he lowered his sword with a deep sigh.
“Phew, I thought you were an assassin. I was ready to finally settle my debts, but then, you disappeared without a word. Would it have killed you to let us know where you were going?”
He scratched his head in frustration, his tone filled with exasperation.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction.
“You’ve grown,” I remarked.
“Of course, I’ve grown. Ten years can change a person. But you, you haven’t changed at all.”
Yoshua eyed
up and down with a crooked smile.
‘The rcenary King, huh?’
Yoshua’s appearance had changed dramatically from when he was younger. His once soft, boyish face was now marred with scars, and a thick beard covered his chin.
The kid who once had his face plastered on wanted posters had grown into a hardened man.
“What happened after you disappeared? Princess Pria searched for you for ages.”
“I had my reasons. Besides, I’m here now, aren’t I?”
“Three years is ‘soon’ to you?”
I furrowed my brows.
“Three years?”
“Yeah, it’s been three years since the battle in the forest. You didn’t know?”
I took another long look at Yoshua.
There was no trace of the boyish innocence he used to have. He was now fully a man.
“And Pria...?”
“She’s been waiting for you for three years.”
For , it had only been a month.
Three years? Had that much ti really passed?
“So you’ve been in a civil war for three years.”
“Yes. It’s been three years since we started the war against that treacherous prince. Do you know how much Princess Pria has been looking for you all this ti? She cried herself to sleep almost every night. It’s pitiful, really.”
“...”
“This tent? She had it set up here because she thought you might show up one day. Even though it puts her at risk of being found by the enemy, she insisted.”
“To make sure I could find her?”
“Of course.”
Yoshua grumbled under his breath. I could hardly believe what I was hearing.
“She must have sensed you by now.”
Yoshua sheathed his sword and took a step back, allowing
to pass.
From within the tent, I could hear faint footsteps approaching.
‘Three years...’
While I had been on missions and training during what felt like a short period of ti to , three entire years had passed here.
“You haven’t aged a day, Hyung.”
“It’s a special condition.”
Yoshua chuckled in response, and I turned toward the tent.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed aside the curtain and stepped inside.
Reviews
All reviews (0)