Chapter 30: Survival Guide (2)

In the vast palaces of the Lontanian Empire, the 1st Princess’s palace stood out as the most splendid and grand, second only to the Emperor’s palace.

Princess Kaela was deeply troubled by the rapidly changing circumstances within the imperial family.

It all started with the 3rd Prince, Kenneth. 

Her half-brother had unexpectedly chosen to leave the imperial court to help a girl from a foreign tribe who had come seeking aid.

Though others might dismiss him as insignificant, his position as a prince was undeniable. 

Had he chosen to remain quietly in the background, he could have lived a comfortable life and died peacefully.

But he chose a path of hardship. 

He liquidated all his personal assets and, despite the threats to his safety, headed north.

“He really left, without any hesitation.”

His recklessness was just like his mother’s. 

The woman who had been his only ally, his servant, his friend—yet in the end, she betrayed him and became the Empress. 

Kenneth was her son.

Remembering her brought both a smile and a bitter taste to Kaela’s mouth.

Perhaps she should have reached out to her half-brother earlier and tried to build a relationship. 

She felt a pang of regret.

But Kaela was not one to dwell on the past and lose sight of the present.

What’s done is done. 

As long as they were alive, there would come a time when they could face each other and have a serious conversation.

After all, anyone of Lontanian blood would surely resolve their problems and return. 

Kaela firmly believed that.

The real problem lay ahead.

“His Majesty the Emperor has suddenly collapsed. He is unconscious, and the royal physician says his condition is critical!”

The shocking news reverberated throughout the palace. 

Even Kaela, who rarely showed emotion, couldn’t hide her dismay.

What could this mean? 

Her father, who had always been in good health, had suddenly collapsed?

Unless someone had poisoned his food or cursed him, this situation was hard to comprehend.

“I must see my father. Take me to him immediately.”

She couldn’t believe it without seeing him herself. 

Upon hearing the news, Kaela immediately headed to the Emperor’s palace.

In the distance, she saw a crowd of people—the imperial guards, various ministers, servants, and the 1st Prince, Kael.

Noticing her, he gave a sly smile and waved.

“Hey, Kaela.”

“…Brother.”

Though Kaela had been preparing for the inevitable conflict over the succession, she had thought it was still a distant future.

That’s why she had always kept her distance from her biggest rival, the 1st Prince Kael. 

She never expected to meet him like this.

“I heard Father is in critical condition. Aren’t you being too casual about it?”

“You seem quite uncomfortable. But what can we do? It’s already happened.”

Looking around, she saw only nobles who supported Kael. 

His influence within the palace, likely due to the Empress, was undeniable.

“I wish to see Father’s condition.”

“Unfortunately, the royal physician said he needs rest now. Come back later.”

Rest? 

How could someone unconscious need rest? 

What kind of nonsense was this?

Noticing the guard captain’s expression, it was clear he agreed with Kael.

Kaela sighed. 

It seemed pointless to stay any longer.

“I’ll come back later. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Ah, sister, wait a moment.”

Reluctant to engage further, Kaela turned back at Kael’s call.

“What is it?”

“Kade will be returning from Istian soon. I was thinking we could have a small family meal together. When would be a good time?”

“…Kade.”

The 2nd Prince, Kade, her half-brother and Kael’s full brother, who had chosen to study abroad in Istian.

Though he had seemingly withdrawn from the succession battle at the Empress’s behest, he was still a figure to be wary of.

“Not all the siblings will be there. Kenneth is missing.”

“What, are you joking? Did you really consider that commoner as one of us? If so, that’s quite disappointing, Kaela.”

“…”

“Anyway, I’ll let you know later. …If you’re still in one piece by then. See you.”

She really didn’t like him.

If someone like Kael were to become the Crown Prince, the empire’s future was bleak.

She had to stop him, no matter what.

“Keep a close eye on the 1st Prince’s movements. He might mobilize his private army at any moment.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

She was the only one in a position to do so. 

Feeling the weight of responsibility, Kaela took a deep breath.

Though she had no particular interest in the throne, to prevent the empire’s chaos, she had no choice but to ascend to it. 

Resolving her thoughts, she steeled herself.

Even if blood were to be shed tomorrow, she would remain unshaken and move forward firmly.

*

“How did the release of the Chimera go?”

“Four units were lost, but we managed to injure the foreign girl and sweep her and the prince into the river. One unit is still searching downstream to confirm the kill.”

“Not bad.”

By mobilizing the infected to attack the Shield Tribe, we anticipated they might send reinforcements.

We assumed they would leave non-combatants at their base, and our plan worked perfectly.

It would have been better if we had confirmed the kill, but this result is still good. 

They were expendable distractions anyway.

“The Lontanian brothers have also started to move.”

“Is that so? They’re moving faster than expected. Keep a close watch on the situation.”

“As you command.”

Originally, the plan was to slowly poison the Emperor, making it look like a natural death, and then incite a civil war among his children.

Once the empire’s strength was depleted, we could easily take over. 

However, the situation in the north didn’t go as planned, forcing us to accelerate our timeline.

But there was no need to worry.

Black magic is truly great. 

It overcomes humanity’s deepest, most primal fear—death itself.

Our homeland, ruled by the greatest black magician, could overwhelm any nation, even the empire.

Still, we proceeded cautiously to ensure a stable path. 

If things went wrong, we could always reveal our true intentions.

“Hehe, I can’t even sleep, looking forward to what’s to come.”

When the time comes, I, who led the charge, will also secure a place of honor.

Reminding himself of why he was working so hard, the masked man smiled with satisfaction.

*

As soon as they entered the cave, the prince quickly lit a fire and stacked stones to create a makeshift oven.

Once the fire was hot enough, he placed fish on top.

The sizzling sound of the fish cooking made Werhe’s mouth water.

Hoho, hoho.

The prince, testing the fish, tore off a piece and tasted it.

“Hmm! It’s really savory. I didn’t even add salt, but it’s perfectly seasoned. Must be the turtle’s doing.”

His reaction confirmed it was genuine.

Churp, watching him, Werhe suddenly remembered she hadn’t eaten in over a day.

Grrr, her stomach growled, and her face turned red.

Glancing at the prince, she saw he was too focused on cooking to notice.

Let’s see, ten, eleven… though small, there were about twenty fish.

With so many, surely he’d offer her some, right? 

At least one or two…

Just as she was about to reluctantly accept his offer,

“Wow, this is amazing. Really delicious!”

The prince, ignoring her, started eating alone.

Despite her obvious hints, he slurped and chewed noisily, devouring the fish.

Was he really going to eat them all? 

His eating pace was alarming, but surely he’d leave one or two. 

Werhe’s hope turned into torture.

…

‘Is he really going to eat them all?’

By the time only one fish remained on the grill, Werhe, with bloodshot eyes from hunger, stared at the prince. 

Their eyes met.

Gulp.

‘You should give this to me. You’ve had enough.’

Telepathically sending her thoughts, the prince just smiled. Werhe smiled back.

And then the last fish went straight into the prince’s mouth.

“Ahhh! The last fish!”

Werhe instinctively cried out in despair.

“Huh? Didn’t you say you didn’t want any earlier?”

You jerk! Heartless! 

You’re -500 points! 

Do you know what I’ve been through because of you?

Food issues make anyone sensitive. 

Feeling wronged, Werhe’s eyes welled up.

“Uh, are you crying?”

“You’re so mean. I’ve been through so much because of you. This is too much!”

Her hunger amplified her emotions, and Werhe vented in her tribal dialect.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was just teasing.”

The prince, flustered, hurriedly searched his coat and pulled out a large, sturdy fish.

“…Where did that come from?”

“The turtle caught another one earlier. I set it aside since you seemed reluctant to eat the others.”

“You should have said so earlier!”

Thump! Thump!

Feeling embarrassed, Werhe hit the prince’s arm.

But seeing her reaction only made him want to tease her more.

With a sharp stone, he quickly cleaned the fish, skewered it, and placed it on the grill.

“Werhe, it’s not good to expect others to read your mind. You should speak up.”

Got it? 

The prince’s gentle scolding made her feel small.

Perhaps it was the hunger, but Werhe nodded, listening to him.

“Here. It’s hot, so eat slowly.”

As the prince handed her the skewer, Werhe took it with grateful eyes.

Chomp!

Biting into the fish, the savory juices filled her mouth.

“It’s delicious!”

They say hunger is the best seasoning, and this fish was the best she’d ever had.

She continued to devour the fish without pause.

“Whoa, you’ll get a stomachache. Eat slowly.”

Seeing her enjoy the food made him happy too.

After all, to handle any situation, one shouldn’t be starving, especially since she was the only one who could fight.

“Shall we sleep after eating?”

Blushing at the memory of her earlier behavior, Werhe nodded.

To regain control of the conversation, she divided the area around the fire in half.

“Cross this line, and you’re dead. Absolutely forbidden! Got it?”

Though her wariness was understandable.

“Got it. Let’s sleep now.”

Lying down on either side of the boundary, they faced each other.

It was quiet. 

With a full stomach and the warmth of the fire, she felt good.

If the prince felt the same, perhaps he’d answer the question she’d been curious about.

“Prince, what will you do after the northern problem is solved? Will you go back?”

Over the past few days, she had grown close to the prince. 

Close enough to call him a friend.

Unlike that annoying prince from the kingdom, he was simple, easygoing, and fun to be with.

If he were to return to the empire, she’d feel lonely and sulk for a while.

But she hadn’t forgotten Svioha’s advice.

Between friends. 

Cheering for a friend’s love or standing by as they died—she couldn’t choose either.

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it yet.”

“…I want you to leave, but I also don’t want you to leave.”

“What’s that? Are you teasing me?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know what I’m saying.”

You wouldn’t understand how complicated my mind is right now.

“What is it, making people curious?”

As the prince grumbled, Werhe closed her eyes and smiled, saying, “Goodnight.”

At least in sleep, she could escape all these worries.

Soon, the quiet space was filled with the sounds of crickets.

…

The night sky over the northern plains was pitch black, making it impossible to see even a step ahead.

The uncertainty of vision would make anyone shrink back, yet a fearless creature strode confidently along the river.

With the face of a wolf, the body of an ox, the arms of a lion, and the legs of a bear, this monstrous creature exuded an eerie aura, making even the predators of the plains tremble and hide.

Though it seemed to wander aimlessly, the creature had a clear goal. 

A target imprinted in its mind—to kill.

The Chimera, prowling the riverbank, stopped. 

The changed scent in the air signaled it had reached its destination.

“Kiiii…”

Its activated olfactory sensors glowed as it tracked the trail.

Even after long years in the lab, its animal instincts remained sharp, naturally following the target’s footprints.

The trail along the riverbank, though partially erased, wasn’t a problem. 

It would find them all.

Before long, the creature discovered a hidden cave.