The Seventh Prince Runs Away from Awkward Situations Chapter 81

Inside my chest felt stuffy and hot.

I wanted to pound my chest with my hand to cool down the heat, but like all dreams, my body didn't budge as if it were bound.

While I was groaning, the area near my heart was getting hotter and hotter.

Is it because my heart is beating too fast? Or is it because of the fire?

But why is my chest catching on fire?

What was I doing again?

My mind was hazy so I couldn't think properly.

Unpleasant sensations continued as if forcibly fitting together wrong puzzle pieces.

I was going to save something?

I was going to save the black hair.

But I have black hair too? Everyone has black hair.

-Save Ratel.

A voice inside my head whose owner I didn't know spoke to me.

Right, Ratel!

I have to save the protagonist of the novel.

Because without that guy, the world is in danger and I am in danger too.

But why do I feel like I'm going to be at a loss even after saving him?

***

The world is spinning round and round.

No, is it moving up and down?

"You reckless child! Wake up a little!"

Ah, I could be sure this time.

My head was shaking from side to side.

Is the owner of this worry-filled voice shaking me?

I'm grateful for the worry, but seeing how they are shaking a fainted person's head like this, it seemed certain they had no common sense.

"I said get up!"

Along with an urgent voice, a small hand patted my cheek.

At the opponent's effort that was hard to ignore, I lifted my eyelids with difficulty.

Golden eyes looking down at me filled my vision.

"......If you wanted to save me, didn't you think you should remove the two people on top first?"

My vocal cords scratched by the air hurt terribly.

Damn it, it seems the inside of my throat is swollen from being choked by Dito.

However, it was nothing compared to the pain of the unconscious Ratel and Jing pressing down from above.

"Do you know how surprised I was! All three of you collapsed and wouldn't wake up, and I......!"

El chattered while busily circling around me.

Ignoring the frantic guy, I pulled my body out from under Ratel and Jing with difficulty.

It was inside the secret passage connecting the temple and the capital.

Right, I collapsed because my stamina ran out while dragging Ratel and Jing.

It seems my transformation was undone as my stamina was depleted.

I sighed while looking at the two able-bodied men sprawled around me.

"What are you going to do now? People and Imperial Family members are spread out all over the vicinity. Even if we go to the central lands like this, we won't be able to escape the capital. The 2nd Prince must have already blockaded the capital."

El, who became calm along with me, muttered worriedly.

"......There is a carriage Tollin prepared to help the Little Duke escape. We will ride that and escape the capital."

At my answer, El crumpled his expression.

"Where did you hear my words? Didn't I say the road out to the capital is blocked now."

Letting the guy's words flow out one ear, I looked at the two people who couldn't wake up even at El's chirping voice.

If it went according to the original work, the two would have leisurely escaped the capital with the Red Book in their hands by now.

But what was in this place were two main characters who obtained nothing, got injured, and ended up defeated.

A sudden sense of reality washed over me.

The sense of reality that the original work has gone awry, I failed to escape, and now I have intervened in the protagonist's adventure.

It would be a lie if I said I wasn't anxious.

But there was no other option.

Because I couldn't imagine a future where Ratel doesn't save the world.

Feeling strength returning, albeit very little, I raised my body.

El, who had been chattering without rest until then, finally shut his mouth.

I looked down at the guy who was rolling his eyes anxiously.

"Your resolution hasn't changed yet, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The resolution to help the protagonist in order to destroy the Imperial Family."

At the question to receive the final pledge, something of unknown depth filled El's eyes.

"My one thousand years was all a wait for that. If it's now, even my life isn't a waste."

Then it's done.

It was an adventure starting under unfavorable conditions.

I couldn't refuse one more comrade who would dedicate their life to increasing.

Above all, I needed the guy's help right now anyway.

"If it's one carriage carrying Imperial Family members, it should be enough to escape the capital."

Even if they search for the carriage, it will be hard to find the guy who turned into a squirrel.

El nodded his head silently as if he understood my words.

I raised my body hoping the two wouldn't wake up.

It was impossible to move two large frames with my current appearance.

***

Thud.

The carriage caught on a stone root shook greatly.

The Duke, who flashed his eyes open at that shock, reflexively raised his hand to his waist and lifted his body.

It was a reaction the body remembered and showed from the crisis situation before losing consciousness.

"Don't move. It's shaking."

Although his pulse relaxed at the voice far from an emergency.

Duke Piteos discovered Ran Abalan sitting on the opposite side scanning a map with a serious expression.

"Wh, where is this."

At the carefree appearance that had a gap from his last memory, he asked blankly.

The black-haired prince took his eyes off the map only then.

Deep and black eyes turned towards the Duke.

"We left the capital a little while ago. At the next village, we will abandon the carriage and go by horse."

"What?!"

Feeling his chest that had calmed down a little, jumping wildly again, the Duke examined outside the carriage window.

It was as he said.

Behind the running carriage, the capital was getting farther away.

Various faces that would remain in the capital flashed past inside the Duke's head.

"We, we must go back again. My son and Tollin, the remaining retainers of the Duke's family......"

The Prince, who was quietly watching him rushing about, spat out.

"......You don't need to worry about Tollin and the Little Duke for the time being."

"What do you mean by that? If they even catch someone else's eye in the capital......"

"Since I put both of them inside the Academy, there probably won't be anyone harming them."

This time, the Duke also had no choice but to shut his mouth.

If it's the Academy, they won't die.

The problem would be that it's not easy to come out either.

However, just by the fact that their lives were saved, the Duke could regain a little bit of composure.

Then things that weren't visible to his eyes started to slowly come into view.

For instance, the existence of a young man boasting a presence that was surprising he hadn't perceived.

The Duke sighed while looking at Ratel who couldn't open his eyes yet.

"......We really survived. Like a miracle."

"You shouldn't be relieved. Since death will continue to chase us from now on."

The black-haired prince, who brought up a quite despairing story as if it were nothing, folded the map he was holding and put it down next to him.

The Duke stared blankly at that appearance, then turned his gaze back out the window to look at the receding capital.

Even if they took refuge inside the Academy, that was nothing more than a temporary measure.

"We must go back again. Since we cannot leave the two inside there forever."

"We are leaving in order to save them."

The Prince, who gave a simple answer again, pointed next to the Duke with his finger nonchalantly.

Only then did the Duke perceive the existence of the young man sitting on his opposite side.

To think I didn't even be conscious that such a huge human was here, thinking I must have had quite no composure, the Duke looked at him.

Ratel, who still couldn't open his eyes and was sleeping as if dead.

"You must have already noticed. That man is the only key who can win against the Imperial Family."

At Ran's question, the Duke slowly nodded his head.

Hadn't he already confirmed it with his two eyes.

He had the power to deal with the Imperial Family.

Although he was defeated.

"He will become stronger. The journey ahead is for him."

As if reading the worry, Ran Abalan added.

Perhaps his words will be right this time too.

Because it was likewise Ran Abalan who created a miracle every time.

Duke Piteos had no other option now.

No, even if there were another option, he would have followed Ran's words.

Because Ran Abalan was his life's benefactor and his family's benefactor.

***

"Then where are we going now? Is it the East as expected?"

Duke Piteos asked the 7th Prince who buried his head in the map again.

"No. We have to go to the closest place first. We will go to the West."

He, who raised his head belatedly, looked at the Duke.

"By any chance, is there a reason we must go to the East?"

"No, that's not it."

"Since we are going to a place we can arrive at as quickly as possible, do not worry too much."

Ran, who looked suspiciously at the Duke answering urgently, turned his gaze back to the map and spoke.

He didn't worry.

Because he had a sort of belief that the 7th Prince wouldn't trap them.

He owed Ran Abalan his life too much to harbor suspicion.

Of course, the methods weren't very humane, but.

Still, the fact that he saved himself and everyone didn't change.

A life had to be paid with a life for the balance to match.

"Your Highness, if a dangerous situation comes on the way, please hide behind me. I will protect you somehow."

At the Duke's proposal containing gratitude, the 7th Prince frowned his eyebrows as if hearing some strange nonsense.

"Of course you have to protect me. I'm the only one who knows the way here, and I'm also the one who fights the worst."

While thinking he was very confident compared to the content of what he was saying, the Duke nodded his head.

"Yes, so do not worry."

At his refreshing answer, Ran narrowed his eyes as if something wasn't to his liking.

"And it would be difficult if you keep calling me Your Highness."

"Then may I call you Ran-nim from now on?"

"Just 'Ran'."

He emphasized the name without the honorific 'nim' and didn't hide his uncomfortable demeanor, but the Duke didn't mind.

"Then please just call me 'Jing'. Since you can't keep calling me Duke."

Ran spread out the map he was scribbling on with a disapproving face and pointed to one spot with his finger.

"To tell you in advance, the place we have to go first is here."

It was an outskirts region in the West not far from the capital.

"Yes, I will follow Ran will."

At his willing answer, Ran's expression crumpled further.

"......Travel expenses will be enough. Tollin packed necessary things in the carriage."

The Duke opened his eyes wide for a moment at the fact that the person who prepared this carriage was Tollin, but soon nodded his head willingly this time as well.

"Yes, I will leave that to Your Highness as well."

"Why do you leave that to me? The original owner is the Duke, so the Duke should manage it."

"Yes, understood."

Ran, who was looking at the Duke with an uncomfortable demeanor, eventually sighed and gave the last order.

"And please stop using honorifics if possible."

Having said that, he threw his gaze out the carriage window without hearing Duke Piteos's answer anymore.

An early snowflake came in through the crack of the open window and settled on his black hair.

***

Just the fact that a strong Emperor candidate met a questionable death by a cause-unknown illness, nobody wanted to come to Rasia's funeral.

His funeral, which even the Emperor did not attend, proceeded in his castle on a scale where only the name of an Imperial Family member's death wasn't shameful.

Opinions were divided on how to handle his corpse from which Manis didn't come out, but the conclusion was reached faster than expected.

-Burn it.

Because there was nothing as important as the Emperor's order that came out as if it were annoying.

Rasia's corpse, for whom splendor suited best, went not into a coffin full of jewels, nor a splendid coffin painted with gold, but into a wooden coffin most easy to burn.

Firewood was piled up in the backyard of the castle where Rasia lived, enough to completely cover the wooden coffin and leave some over, and it formed a huge tower.

His funeral was held very quietly.

It was because rumors that he passed away from illness circulated secretly.

That 'something' capable of killing those who were free from disease and poisoning was discovered meant a lot.

One of the reasons death is fearful is exactly suddenness.

In that sense, the Imperial Family members had no immunity against the fear presented by sudden death.

Even a viper was fearful enough.

But what if he really died of illness?

If a disease that kills Imperial Family members, which no one found for 1000 years, is spreading?

Rasia's death planted a new fear called 'death by illness' in them.

Sticky fear clung between the Imperial Family members.

Since it didn't fall off, anxiety grew, and everyone became sensitive.

And an incident that burst the anxiety that had swollen as much as it could occurred at the funeral.

Rasia's coffin revealed its appearance amidst the firewood collapsing from burning.

A coffin without a single scorch mark.

As Rasia's corpse didn't burn, screams burst out from here and there.

"Who dares to play such a prank! Won't you stop right now?"

Among them, those who had reason remaining remembered the fact that the only people who could control fire were Imperial Family members and shouted.

"Among the guys who use fire, there isn't a guy who has that much power!"

Although it became quiet quickly at someone's hysterical rebuttal.

Rasia's coffin was not damaged even a little until the firewood all burned and the flames weakened.

Just before the remaining fire went out, someone opened their mouth.

"Let's postpone the funeral."

A voice that wasn't loud rang out as if filling the room.

People's gazes gathered in one place.

It was Dito, who was rarely seen after Rasia's death.

He, who wiped off the smile that hung on his face every day, slowly approached the place where Rasia's coffin was placed.

Everyone watched with bated breath as the remaining flames calmed down following his hand gesture.

"Since he left so suddenly like this, we can't say our last goodbyes like this, can we. Let's hold the funeral again from the start. Respectfully, everyone, this time."

As if he wasn't afraid of things like illness, he opened the coffin and lifted Rasia's corpse that was lying as if sleeping.

Rasia, lifted along with the cloth covering the corpse, looked peaceful in Dito's arms.

Dito ordered others to prepare the funeral anew and took Rasia's corpse to another room for a moment.

There was no one who looked strangely at the appearance of him taking care of Rasia, as he was close with Rasia.

Therefore, the only one who saw the vivid arc drawn on Dito's face as he left the door was Mentil.