episode_0060

The moment I heard the story from Camilla.

I couldn’t say I was bored.

A trip with just the princess. And it’s not like they’re just ordinary people, and it’s not hard to guess what will happen between them if there’s something secret going on.

“The journey is longer than I thought.”

All you can see around you is a vast expanse of trees.

It had been about two days since I entered the forest, but there was still no end in sight.

“The kingdom’s territory is vast. Especially since you’re moving along a route that people don’t travel, it may take more time.”

“I don’t care, but isn’t it too late?”

“There’s no need for the escort to worry about that. We’ve already set aside plenty of time. You can even consider taking into account getting lost in the forest.”

“ ···I heard that this is a move for important negotiations. Is that okay?”

“That’s why I’m going there myself.”

It’s not an entirely unreasonable story.

The princess has declared that she will come, so who would dare to spit on her?

I’ll tolerate being a little late.

“Still, I never thought I would be traveling alone with the princess.”

“ ···You know half of this is Glut’s fault, right?”

“Is it my fault?”

“We decided to do this because it was harder to hide the curse when we moved around in small groups.”

Oh, that’s what you meant.

It will definitely be a different feeling than having a large number of people with you.

Since there are so few people paying attention, it will be relatively difficult to spot opportunities.

Then, when it becomes difficult to suppress the curse, it is a disaster.

“ ···I guess it was my fault.”

“If you know, I can help you prepare for camping.”

“Okay, I see. But··· It’s quite unexpected.”

“What are you talking about?”

The person I’m traveling with is a princess.

In general, princesses felt like greenhouse plants.

I thought you’d leave all the camping preparations up to me.

“You’re not only following along without complaint, but you’re actually doing better than me, aren’t you?”

“Because I was educated in various things since I was young.”

“Come to think of it, you were pretty skilled the last time you made a surprise attack.”

It’s not a skill that royalty should have.

Usually, battles are left to the subordinates.

Of course, such pride caused problems, but it was not lacking in protecting one’s own body.

“ ···I don’t really want to talk about that.”

“Ah··· Sorry.”

Even though he said that, his expression didn’t show any sign of disgust.

Her flushed cheeks prove it.

The sight of the embarrassed princess was quite unique.

Even the ministers who served him for decades would have never seen it.

I felt like I wanted to tease him.

But I held back because I was afraid that if I provoked him now, I would be punished coldly.

Anyway, the time when the curse will manifest again is not far off.

“It would be a good idea to stay in that cave today. It would be good to avoid the rain, and the direction from which enemies can enter is limited.”

“I’ll get ready right away. But will the enemy come all the way here?”

No one knows exactly when we started.

Perhaps Navia and Sabrina also realized it long after they set off.

Of course, he did not inform his subjects in detail.

It was only known that he left much later to speak with the western nobility.

Even a great assassin is not easy to chase down.

Especially if you change your route in a way that makes it difficult to predict.

It had been some time since we set off, but we still hadn’t met a single person.

“I agree with that part, but it’s not good to let your guard down.”

“Well··· That’s true.”

“ ···I’ll tell you since you seem to be letting your guard down. How do you think the last escort was annihilated?”

The sudden question made me rack my brain.

The princess’s escorts are usually powerful people.

But the fact that they were annihilated means that there was an attack of that scale.

“Ugh··· It doesn’t seem like they would have barged into the bedroom··· Did they find out about my schedule and launch a large-scale surprise attack?”

“If that were the case, they would have been investigating the mastermind by now.”

“You did it without anyone knowing? And yet the escort was completely wiped out… It’s not easy to guess.”

“Actually, it was a group of monsters that attacked. They were moving according to schedule,”

Monster attacks are relatively common.

It is not uncommon for large guilds to hire adventurers as escorts.

But no matter what, the opponent is a princess.

Can the monsters you meet along the way annihilate the princess’s escort?

“That’s quite… strange. The monsters we encountered while traveling wiped out our escort. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to have more people with us rather than traveling alone?”

“You could think so. But··· the timing and the monster’s strength didn’t seem ordinary.”

“Did someone do this on purpose?”

“At least that’s what I think. So··· don’t let your guard down.”

Camilla’s eyes were almost certain.

Perhaps the object of suspicion is the prince competing for the throne.

It’s not unreasonable to be suspicious.

But even a prince cannot perfectly understand secret movements.

“I will be careful. But it is also a problem to be too suspicious and lose your mind. Since I escaped quietly, even if there is a trace, it will take more time.”

“Common sense would say so. Of course, what Glut says is true, so I will trust him with my escort today.”

Camilla walked away with an uneasy expression on her face.

As I watched the back of the person heading into the cave, I also felt uneasy for some reason.

“Even though I committed an impious act, I must protect you well as your escort.”

Just as I was about to follow the princess in with firewood.

Strangely, the back of my head itched.

But when I looked back, all I could see was a vast forest.

“···I just saw something looking at me from behind. Was it an animal or something?”

It’s not a place where people would come.

Perhaps he mistook the sound of a passing animal.

Because the forest is a place where numerous animals live.

“I guess I’ve become sensitive because of the princess. I should go in quickly and rest.”

*****

“I almost got caught.”

Mierdan quietly cleared his throat.

Because the person I was watching suddenly turned around.

“He’s a guy with good sense. If he only has one escort, he must be quite skilled.”

He is one of the most skilled people among the demon tribe.

I don’t think I would lose in a head-on confrontation.

But given the importance of the work, no amount of caution would be enough.

‘If we complete this mission as the prince says, the prosperity of the Demon Tribe will be guaranteed. However… if we fail, we will fall without a sound.’

The blow has already been struck.

The responsibility for Butadon’s death was a considerable burden.

Although it wasn’t Mierdan’s fault, it wasn’t unrelated either.

“I should have been the one to step forward from the start.”

If this fails, the prince will definitely abandon the demon tribe.

Even though the Demon’s ability is useful, it is still too risky to accept.

“···I will definitely make it a success. More than the prince thinks.”

Mierdan approached the cave cautiously.

Without going inside, I quietly observed the situation inside.

There was no sign of movement inside.

‘It’s time to fall asleep now. But if I go in, I might wake up. If I don’t go in and achieve my goal…’

The other side of the cave didn’t seem to be connected.

The entrance and exit were the same.

These are not very good conditions for sneaking in.

Due to the nature of the cave, even the smallest sound could reverberate.

“Entering the cave was a hurried action.”

Mierdan’s hand was holding a pink blade of grass.

The plant looked so different to anyone that even the herbalist couldn’t tell the difference.

It is a special plant that the demons have preserved in small quantities, although it became extinct hundreds of years ago.

‘If you smoke at the entrance, the smoke won’t be able to escape and will stay inside. The effect will be doubled. Then… the princess will become our puppet.’

A small spark was carried into the pink grass.

I even deliberately adjusted the heat to prevent light from leaking out.

Smoke drifted quietly toward the cave, as if burning plants to repel mosquitoes.

‘It’ll take some time, but they won’t notice the human inside. As for the escort… we can handle it here.’

The grass brought by Mierdan.

The effect was identical to that of the plant from mythology.

It is a plant that causes a state of hypnosis when you light a fire and smell it.

In mythology, it was recorded as a plant so powerful that it could control goddesses.

His plan is not only to kill the princess, but to take her as trophy.

Even the prince has no choice but to admit it when he sees the results.

‘If you use the magic of the Demon Tribe while in a hypnotic state, you can control them permanently. Even if things go wrong, it will become a tool to fight against the prince.’

Before we knew it, the inside of the cave was filled with pink smoke.

Resistance was impossible unless one was a human who could not breathe.

I was originally aiming for sleeping time.

“This is the last plant, but fortunately it doesn’t work on the demons.”

Mierdan’s first thought was to kill the escort.