The Wastrel Prince Becomes Ruthless Chapter 63

At the same time.

The Fourth Prince did not attend the farewell banquet and remained alone in his guest room with the door tightly shut.

In the Fourth Prince’s hand was the sacred relic of the Church of Lehl, the red jewel. No— it was no longer red. The jewel had turned a dark crimson.

‘It had been roughly a full day since he used the relic. Soon those creatures would flock toward him…?’

The Fourth Prince quietly stared at the sacred relic, now dyed black.

That relic had been the foremost contributor that allowed the Church of Lehl to grow into the most prosperous religion across the entire continent, including the Empire.

The power of the relic was simple but overwhelming. When mana was infused, monsters responded and rushed blindly toward the location of the relic.

Even the Church of Lehl, who used the relic, did not understand the principle behind it.

Use the relic, and monsters would come.

That was all.

Hundreds of years ago, before the Aphahiel Empire came into being— slightly earlier by more than ten years.

At that time, the early Church of Lehl was already spreading doctrine and expanding its influence. With a relic that summoned monsters, it had been too easy.

‘They summoned monsters with the relic, then slew those monsters under the name of Lord Lehl before anyone else could react. Everything that followed must have been effortless.’

Those whose lives were saved by the paladins and priests of the Church of Lehl readily accepted its doctrines.

The members of the Church who orchestrated everything could have minimized the damage in advance, but they did not.

For dramatic effect, the sacrifice of a few was considered natural.

‘Small sacrifices were unavoidable in accomplishing great deeds. They too would be embraced by Lord Lehl and enjoy eternal life, so it was good for all.’

Of course, the Fourth Prince thought the same.

The number of people who knew the truth surrounding the relic was extremely small, counting only a handful even within the Church itself.

The Fourth Prince Mariel, who was elevated as a saint, knew it all too well.

‘In these times, monsters had all but disappeared across the continent, making it hard to see the relic’s true effect… but the South is different.’

And that relic had appeared once more in Valaris, at the Empire’s southernmost end— near the “Land of Monsters,” the Great Jungle, where the monsters defeated centuries ago still lurked.

‘Last time, because Arencar rampaged, everything went awry and that bastard Yurion ended up receiving attention… but this time is different.’

Just as the Fourth Prince steeled his resolve, a human silhouette slipped forth from the darkness— darkness so deep that light could not touch it.

The boundary of shadow enveloping the figure was faint, making it impossible to discern its identity.

“…Our side is ready.”

“Wait for the moment. Soon, chaos will erupt. When that happens, carry out the request I entrusted to you.”

“Understood.”

“The opponent is not easy. You will still handle it cleanly, yes?”

“…Do not worry. The request will be fulfilled exactly as ordered.”

“You are the finest assassins, so of course. I merely speak out of old habit. Then, I will trust you with it.”

“….”

No answer came.

The mysterious man disappeared as quietly as he had appeared before the Fourth Prince.

At last, the Fourth Prince’s wicked scheme revealed its form.

“Your Highness. So you were here.”

“Ah, you’ve come?”

After sending Terrien away, Yuwon avoided the attention of others and stood alone at a distance. Renania approached him.

“There are many people looking for you now. Are you here because you wanted to be alone? If I sit next to you, would it be discourteous?”

“No. It’s fine. I did want to be alone, but… staying alone continuously was beginning to feel lonely.”

“Then I won’t hesitate.”

Thud—

Renania sat comfortably on the dirt beside Yuwon without the slightest reservation.

It was behavior unimaginable from the Young Ladies of the Capital who hid behind their ornate fans and giggled demurely.

“You are leaving now.”

“Yes. By tomorrow, I’ll have to say farewell to the South that I’ve grown fond of.”

“Everyone else was delighted to finally escape the South’s dreadful heat, yet you say you’re fond of it… or are you being considerate because I’m from the South?”

“Well… who knows?”

Yuwon smiled, as if posing a riddle. Contrary to Renania’s assumption, Yuwon actually liked the South quite a bit.

“We leave tomorrow morning, so the sparring match you mentioned before seems impossible now. I was looking forward to it…”

“Right now… it would indeed be difficult.”

With the affection formed between them thus far, giving Renania at least one look at his sword would not have been difficult. But the timing was bad.

Because this farewell banquet resembled more a memorial service than a celebration, he could not simply rise from his seat. He could have slipped away quietly to another spot, but more than anything, Yuwon wished to remain here.

“It’s all right. There will be another chance someday. Your Highness will remain in the Imperial Palace, and I may have a reason to visit the Capital again. Or perhaps Your Highness will have a reason to come to the South once more.”

Such a thing was unlikely for quite some time. But Yuwon pretended not to know and nodded to Renania’s words.

“Very well. Then let us postpone that sparring match until next time.”

After the topic of sparring, neither of them could easily speak again.

They simply sat side by side, watching the distant flames burning far ahead. Renania found Yuwon’s silence strangely resentful.

‘His Highness truly feels nothing at all.’

Since their broken engagement, the two of them were officially nothing to each other. Thus, for Yuwon, who was leaving the South, such a reaction was correct. Only Renania’s heart felt differently.

‘I’m not all right at all…’

Two people sitting side by side before dying flames. But the paths they saw beyond that fire were utterly different.

Even when looking at the same thing, they saw something different.

Their relationship was like that.

For a moment, their paths had overlapped due to an old connection. Nothing more, nothing less.

On the path of bloodshed Yuwon would walk from now on, there was no place for Renania.

Tak— crackle, tak—

All they shared was the sound of burning firewood.

* * *

The night had already grown deep before anyone realized. Even the fierce flames that had brightly illuminated the banquet had burned through all the firewood and were slowly dying down.

Amid the acrid scent of charred charcoal, the end of the banquet approached.

The subjugation soldiers who had laughed, talked, and at times even cried before the fire… Once the flames weakened so much that it was difficult to see what expressions they wore, the Supreme Commander, Marquis Carson, who had quietly nursed his drink until then, rose from his seat.

The Marquis carefully filled his cup with new liquor, then threw the entire cup into the fading flames.

Clang―

Only the brief sound of a shattering glass rang out. A single cup of low-proof liquor could not rekindle the fire.

This marked the end of the southern people’s ritual of sending off their departed comrades.

Although the Marquis was not a man of the South, he knew the custom well from his many long years on the battlefield. Taking his eyes off the dying fire, the Marquis finally opened his firmly closed mouth.

“Everyone.”

His voice was calm but carried strength. All the subjugation soldiers focused their gaze on him.

“…We fought bravely here in the South. Though we struggled in a battle far beyond our expectations, in the end, we managed to defeat all our enemies. However… in return, we were forced to lose precious comrades.”

At the Marquis’ words, the atmosphere quickly grew solemn. No one dared to speak carelessly.

“Having to lay the Empire’s young, who had not even had the chance to bloom, to rest in our hearts… it tears at my chest as well. But… we must overcome this pain and take another step forward.”

The subjugation soldiers remained silent. They only bowed their heads quietly, signaling that they shared Marquis Carson’s thoughts.

“Although today we are returning as if fleeing after losing far too many comrades in a single battle, one day, when we return here again, things will not be as they are today. When we come back to the South and head for the Great Jungle once more! Then, we will finish what we could not accomplish today!”

The Marquis’ voice, which began calmly, spread wider and deeper, carrying a heroic force.

“Indeed!”

Shouts of fiery agreement rose from all around in response to Marquis Carson’s speech.

Some shed tears while thinking of the comrades who had passed, but their hearts were the same.

Riding the momentum, Marquis Carson cried out.

“Tomorrow, we retreat. But one day, we will return and accomplish the great task of wiping every last monster from this land. By then, this old and sickly man may no longer be here. However! I do not worry. For such valiant young warriors of Aphahiel stand here before me. Do not forget this weakness…! The weakness that forces us to return while leaving our comrades buried in this far southern land. Remember this day and grow stronger. The era ahead belongs to all of you. I entrust Aphahiel’s future to you.”

After his long speech, Marquis Carson bowed deeply to the subjugation soldiers. It was both the Supreme Commander’s request to each soldier and his farewell.

Then, lifting his head once more, Marquis Carson raised his voice with all his strength and began the chant.

“Aphahiel, glory! Glory to His Majesty the Emperor!”

The subjugation forces did not leave Marquis Carson to shout alone.

“Aphahiel, glory!”

“Glory to His Majesty the Emperor!”

The clearing soon filled with vigor and spirit. The voices of the soldiers who attended the banquet joined as one and covered the dark sky.

In that single united voice, there was no room for divisions such as the Crown Prince’s faction or anything else.

It was the moment when Aphahiel’s subjugation forces—who had been bound under different princes’ factions and regarded one another as enemies rather than comrades—finally became one.

Yuwon, too, had shared in that moment. At some point, Terrien had returned to his place and quietly stood beside Yuwon.

“…Marquis Carson is no veteran for nothing. I’m sure every soldier present today… will never forget the vow they made tonight. Living up to that resolve is another matter of effort, though.”

“Indeed. Even I feel my chest burning.”

“Truly? That is good. It will become the reason for you to work even harder.”

“Haha, one day I will surely become someone His Highness can trust and entrust his back to, so please wait just a little longer.”

Terrien’s expression was bright.

Until now, Terrien had no friend with whom he could evenly cross blades except Yuwon, but it seemed he had managed to make a few during this expedition. This, too, was a positive change for Terrien.

‘…Once we return, I will begin in earnest.’

In this subjugation mission, Yuwon had earned trust. Perhaps trust was even harder to obtain than personal might or influence. And Yuwon, having won that trust, no longer intended to hesitate.

‘Even the silent Fourth Prince has bared his claws—so I cannot simply remain passive and only counter their attacks. From here on, I move first.’

Yuwon, who had awakened in Yurion’s body and struggled desperately to survive, had ultimately decided to become Emperor in order to live, for the throne lay at the end of survival. But now, Yuwon wanted more.

‘A fate that began with Yurion and has now been handed to me. I will become Emperor. Before they shed blood entangled in this struggle, I will end everything with my own hands.’

The subjugation soldiers greeted Yuwon with bright smiles. To prevent them and their families from becoming entangled in the princes’ struggle and shedding needless blood, the fight for the throne had to be settled as soon as possible. With thoughts of what needed to be done once he returned to the Capital, Yuwon steeled his resolve.

And then, at that moment—without warning—Yuwon’s intuition surged.

‘This is…!’

A sticky murderous intent and the scent of blood appeared like a mirage before vanishing.

The intense sensation made the back of Yuwon’s head tingle, then sting, and a chill rushed over him.

The danger signal he felt now was far more savage and violent than the one before—it spread through his entire body and heightened his alertness.

‘Why is this happening again…!’

Hiss, hiss―!

Even the Dragon-Scaled Serpent, which never revealed itself unless Yuwon personally summoned it, slithered up his shoulder and hissed at the unseen threat.

Coiled around his heart, the Black Serpent also bared its fangs, entering battle posture.

‘Even these two… then this time, it is certainly different.’

A massive, unprecedented threat was closing in on the subjugation forces. Yuwon parted his heavy lips.

“Terrien.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Yuwon’s tone had changed. His calm voice rang cold in Terrien’s ears.

Terrien knew well—whenever Yuwon spoke in this tone, something serious always followed.

‘Don’t tell me… something again…?’

Terrien’s foreboding was not wrong. With Yuwon’s next brief sentence, his drunkenness vanished instantly.

“Be on guard. Something… is coming.”

Summer arrived suddenly from the far southern ends.

Real summer had come—along with the tempest that would change Yuwon’s life entirely.