The Wastrel Prince Becomes Ruthless Chapter 59

Just when Yuwon, enlivened by his bout of venting, was about to beat the Count half to death, Hastings, who had been hoping to meet him, rushed straight to Valaris Castle.

So light were his steps that, before long, Hastings found himself standing before the gates of the Valaris main castle.

“Hmm… I’ve come this far, but….”

Valaris Castle, where the esteemed guests of the subjugation army were staying, was always heavily guarded. But now, with nobles among its visitors, the security seemed even tighter than usual.

‘How am I supposed to get in there?’

He was no longer the frail Hastings of old. Still, sneaking into the main castle of Valaris without permission was no easy task.

‘Then….’

Hastings looked up at the towering castle walls, then shifted his gaze downward. Amidst the strict guards, nobles of the subjugation army were passing freely through the entrance with nothing but their identification tags.

‘Tch, if only I could reveal who I am, this would be so much easier….’

But that was impossible. Though he still carried the name Hastings, soon enough he would have to abandon that name and become a crow.

‘If I reveal my identity and enter openly, things will get complicated. My senior gave me this time in secret—if the teacher hears of it, I’m finished. No, that can’t happen. I’m already someone who doesn’t exist. Soon, I’ll be gone entirely.’

He didn’t have the luxury to hesitate. In the end, there was only one choice—to force his way through.

‘Now’s not the time to worry about hot or cold water. Even if things get messy, I’ll meet His Highness first and think after.’

Once his resolve was set, Hastings acted immediately. Piercing through Valaris Castle’s tight security to secretly reach the guest room would be no easy feat.

‘Here goes.’

Every muscle in Hastings’ body tensed in preparation for the act ahead. Gathering strength in his toes, he burst forth.

Tak—!

A small sound, yet the result was far from it. Like a bird taking flight, Hastings soared upward.

Leaping high, he blended into the shadow of the wall and began to climb it swiftly and silently.

Fortunately, the Count had vacated his place at that exact moment, leaving a rare gap in the castle’s perimeter—a stroke of pure luck for Hastings.

‘This is easier than I thought.’

He didn’t realize that the only reason it was so easy was because Yuwon had stepped out.

Once inside the main building, things became even simpler.

Following faint traces left behind along the path Yuwon had briefly passed, Hastings quickly found the room where Yuwon was staying.

‘Here. This must be His Highness’s room.’

Hastings hung outside the window, peering in carefully. But there was movement inside.

‘Your Highness?’

If it had been Yuwon as he’d hoped, that would’ve been perfect. But Yuwon wasn’t there. Someone else was inside the room.

‘If it were His Highness, there’s no way he wouldn’t have sensed me getting this close… then who is that? With my skills, I shouldn’t be able to hide from him at this range…?’

Just as Hastings moved slightly to confirm the face of the stranger, the door on the far side of the guest room opened.

“Ah—!”

The unknown man inside jumped to his feet, startled. And then a familiar voice followed.

“Ah, what are you doing here? His Highness isn’t even in.”

The one entering through the door was Terrien.

And the one already inside—the unknown man—was Third Prince Bernid.

“Ah, nothing, really. I was just here to see my little brother. But he’s not here? Hahaha.”

Caught red-handed, Bernid laughed awkwardly.

He had been secretly trying to uncover the secret behind the antidote while Yuwon was away—but Hastings had caught him in the act.

“Ah~ don’t lie. I already heard from His Highness what’s between you two. Seems you were trying to snoop around while he was gone, but it’s pointless. After that rat Marcellus got what was coming to him, His Highness already took care of everything. You must’ve heard that much yourself. He wasn’t bluffing.”

“That can’t be… damn it… Am I to remain a magic slave forever…?”

Listening to their exchange, Hastings—still concealing his presence—found his thoughts tangled.

Terrien and the Third Prince, conversing so casually? It was a scene beyond his imagination, not knowing what had transpired in his absence.

‘Still, one thing’s clear. Whatever happened, His Highness has subdued the Third Prince completely. You’ve achieved much in such a short time, Your Highness.’

A faint smile tugged at Hastings’ lips. There was no more reason to hide. He revealed his presence at once and spoke.

“It’s been a while, Mr. Terrien.”

Neither of them had sensed even the faintest trace of another person nearby—and suddenly, someone appeared barely three meters away. Before they could even react to the shock, they froze at the sight of who it was.

“Viscount Bartlett?”

“You’re that… hostage?”

Both men wore expressions as if they’d just seen a ghost.

Unfortunately, the long-awaited reunion between Yuwon and Hastings did not happen.

By the time Yuwon returned to his quarters, having vented his frustration on the Count, Hastings had already long since left after their brief encounter.

Instead, Terrien and Bernid were waiting there for Yuwon. Terrien quickly rose to greet him.

“You’ve returned, Your Highness.”

“Oh, you’re here.”

“What’s this? Why are you both in my room? Did something happen while I was gone?”

“Please, have a seat first. There’s something important I need to tell you.”

“…?”

Puzzled by Terrien’s serious demeanor, Yuwon nonetheless sat down. As soon as he did, Terrien began to explain what had occurred during his absence.

“Please don’t be alarmed. While you were away, Viscount Bartlett paid a visit here.”

“What? Hastings?”

It was rare for Yuwon to show such visible surprise—his eyes widened like lanterns.

The man he had been so desperately searching for had come here of his own accord?

It was shocking.

“Yes, sir. I could hardly believe my own eyes, so I checked several times. But it was indeed Viscount Bartlett. The Third Prince even confirmed there were no traces of disguise or magic involved.”

“Then where is Hastings now… ah, you said he already left?”

“Yes. He said he couldn’t explain the details, but he made it clear there was nothing for Your Highness to worry about. He asked that I tell you he’s safe and will return to your side soon, so you needn’t be concerned.”

“Huh… Hastings….”

It was hard to believe, but Terrien wouldn’t lie about something like this. Yuwon let out a sigh of relief.

“Was there anything else he said?”

“Unfortunately, that was all. I didn’t get to talk with him for even two minutes. He appeared suddenly, asked me to pass along his regards, and left just as quickly.”

“Hmm….”

What secret was he unable to share? Yuwon couldn’t help but blame himself for stepping out at such a crucial time. Sensing Yuwon’s regret, Terrien continued.

“But he’s changed a lot in that short time.”

“In what way?”

“For a moment, I thought I was looking at Your Highness instead of the Viscount. He appeared out of nowhere without a single hint of his presence, then opened the window and leapt out—and within seconds, he vanished completely.”

What on earth was that supposed to mean? Hastings, who had never once even held a sword in his life—how could such a thing be possible?

“What? Hastings did what?”

“Exactly as I said. To put it simply—he’s become very strong.”

“What in the world….”

Even when he had awakened one morning in Yurion Aphahiel’s body after living as Tang Yuwon, he hadn’t been as shocked as he was now.

Someone he could only trust was saying something utterly unbelievable. Even Bernid, who had been quietly observing, stepped in to support the story.

“It’s all true. I saw it myself.”

At this point, Yuwon had no choice but to believe.

“He said it was a pity—he wanted to deliver this message to Your Highness personally.”

“…?”

“He also said that he’ll return soon and explain everything calmly in person.”

Hastings still needed a bit more time.

Two days had passed since Hastings had come to see Yuwon.

Though questions still lingered after Hastings’s visit, Yuwon, having heard that Hastings was alive and well, was finally able to rest peacefully for the first time in a while.

But Yuwon wasn’t the only one who changed after Hastings’s visit. Terrien had shown a noticeable shift ever since meeting him.

Around the evening of that same day, Terrien gathered the courage to speak up.

“Your Highness.”

“Hm?”

“I don’t know if I dare to ask such a thing of you, but… if you are not too busy, could you perhaps give me some instruction?”

“I wondered what you were working up the courage to say. If that’s all, I’m always happy to. How about right now?”

Terrien had thought of himself as Yuwon’s right hand. But after seeing Hastings display such divine power, it was only natural for him to feel restless.

He wasn’t sure if he could defend himself if someone like Hastings were to attack suddenly—and so he wanted to grow stronger as soon as possible.

Soon after, Yuwon and Terrien moved to the Valaris main castle’s grand training grounds. The subjugation army’s honored guests had long been granted permission to use it.

The two of them took a quiet corner of the wide arena.

It wasn’t a spar where one would come away without a scratch. Yuwon could have made it that way, but Terrien didn’t wish for such restraint.

“Let’s use wooden swords.”

“Wooden swords? I don’t mind, but… aren’t they too light compared to real blades?”

“Please don’t pull back your strikes at the moment of impact. I tend to learn faster when I take the hits directly.”

“Hmm… if that’s what you want, I won’t refuse. But even if I ease my strength, you’ll still get hurt.”

“A few bruises are nothing. Most of the wounded have already been treated anyway, and I can heal myself with holy power afterward.”

And so, instead of using training or real swords, the two gripped dull wooden blades and began their match.

Tak—!

Yuwon’s sword struck Terrien’s wrist. Though Yuwon lessened his strength right before impact so Terrien didn’t drop his sword, the bruise was unavoidable.

After each bout, another bruise appeared somewhere on Terrien’s body.

“Once more. Please, just one more.”

Terrien was relentless. Even after losing again and again, he stood up each time, unyielding, and asked for more instruction.

From morning until evening—skipping even lunch—they lost themselves completely in their swordplay.

And by the second day of this routine, for some reason, more and more people began to gather around the training ground.

“Feels like there are more people here today than yesterday.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Seeing you personally demonstrate, it seems the others have found their motivation.”

“Well, it’s a good thing if everyone’s working hard. The training grounds are vast anyway. No harm in that.”

Word of Yuwon and Terrien’s sparring spread across the castle within a day.

The Fifth Prince, unmatched among his age group in swordsmanship—

For such a prince to personally instruct his knight in the open training field? There wasn’t a single swordsman who wasn’t curious. Before long, the once-quiet arena was filled with onlookers.

They weren’t merely watching; they were circling Yuwon discreetly, hoping to snatch even a few lessons with their eyes and ears.

Then, one brave soul approached Yuwon directly.

“Um… Your Highness, if you wouldn’t mind… could I also receive some instruction?”

It was Erol Hampton, the young heir of the Hampton Family, who had previously expressed his gratitude to Yuwon for saving his life.

Terrien, meanwhile, was lost in deep contemplation after two days of constant defeat—he seemed to have grasped something crucial. Yuwon knew well that unnecessary advice at such a time would only hinder growth.

In short, there was no need to keep sparring with Terrien at the moment. A match or two with someone else wouldn’t hurt.

“Sure. I happen to be free.”

“Oh, really? Then I’ll get ready right away! Please wait just a moment!”

Erol Hampton ran off, almost leaping with excitement, to prepare for the duel.

Yuwon’s skill, demonstrated first in his match with Curington and later in the battle against the orc horde, had earned him the reputation of being the new Sword of the Imperial Family.

Those who had witnessed his prowess on the battlefield even rated him higher than the Second Prince at his prime.

And now, in such times, Hampton had asked for his instruction—and Yuwon had accepted. Everyone in the training grounds stopped half-heartedly swinging their swords and instead focused all their attention on Yuwon and Erol’s duel.

“Come.”

“Yes, then I’ll begin. Please give me your guidance.”

Yuwon could have ended the duel in a single strike, but that wouldn’t be teaching. He matched Erol’s level and moved accordingly.

Tak—!

“If you keep such a wide stance, you might withstand one attack, but you won’t react fast enough to the follow-up feint.”

“Y-yes! Understood!”

Tak—!

“Blocking after watching the sword’s path is fine for beginners, but once you reach a certain level, it becomes useless. Watch this for a moment.”

“Y-yes.”

Yuwon briefly widened the distance between them, then swung his wooden sword swiftly through the air.

Sweeek—!

The blade cut through the air, creating a terrifying sound. It was incomparably faster than the strikes he’d shown while matching Erol’s pace.

“If I swing like this, could you block this strike with your eyes alone?”

“Uh… I don’t think I could.”

“Exactly. So train yourself to watch your opponent’s eyes first, then shoulders, then feet. It’ll be difficult at first, but once you get used to it, it’ll help greatly.”

Each time their swords clashed, Yuwon’s advice followed—each one a precise, shining gem suited perfectly to Erol’s level. After about five minutes, the match ended.

“Thank you, Your Highness. I’ve learned so much.”

And by the time their duel ended, no one in the training grounds was pretending to train anymore. Every eye was fixed solely on Yuwon.

Then, in that charged silence, another brave soul raised his hand.

“U-uh, may I also humbly request some instruction from Your Highness?”

It was always hardest to be the first, but once someone started, the rest came easily.

Missing such a rare opportunity to learn would be foolish.

By that logic, the man who had spoken up was surely the smartest among them.

“Well, there’s no reason to refuse. Come.”

And when that duel ended…

“M-me too, please teach me!”

“Me as well!”

“Here! Over here too!”

“Now, now, form a line! Don’t you see there’s a line here?”

One after another, they stepped forward eagerly like children, all holding their swords before Yuwon.

By rough count, there were easily thirty to forty people longing to spar with him.

Yuwon chuckled softly and gripped his sword.

“Next.”

Thus began a long night.

That night, the magic lamps of the training ground burned bright until late into the night.