episode_0414

“Why can’t you find the way?! Even that pathetic bastard found it well!”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“If you had kept him from escaping, none of this would have happened!! Damn it!! Useless fools!”

“Please lower your voice a bit, Your Highness. We might attract monsters at this rate.”

“Monsters?!!!”

At that moment, not far away, the sound of a monster’s howl echoed.

Awoo-!!

It resembled the howl of a wolf, but within the contaminated zone where even insects transformed into monsters, there was no way a wolf could remain unscathed.

“Gasp!”

“!!!”

What he had yelled in anger had indeed summoned the monster.

Belatedly trying to hush their breaths, the subordinates turned pale and said, “It’s no use. They’ve already noticed us! We need to flee.”

The monster had already marked us as its prey.

“Flee? Is that what you’re saying now!? We should be thinking about killing him and bringing his corpse before me! It’s because of your incompetence that the plan failed!! It’s all your fault!”

He knew he should lower his voice, but with anger surging, it wasn’t easy.

Isn’t it absurd to think of fleeing rather than fighting when facing a monster?

“To trust these guys and come this far!”

He should have hired more competent individuals.

“It’s because of the fog. If not for the fog, we would have stood our ground and fought!”

“Yes, Your Highness. The fog is too thick, hindering our visibility. We can’t fight like this!”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses!”

What does the fog have to do with anything?

Awoo-woo!!!

“Gasp!”

“You mustn’t delay any longer now. We have to run. Your Highness!!”

He swallowed hard.

During the brief struggle, the monster had already drawn near.

Until now, they had somehow managed to evade the monster’s clutches, but it seemed hoping for such luck any longer would be futile.

“When facing a monster head-on, either we die or they die. Fight!”

“How can we fight when we can’t see anything? We don’t know where the attacks might come from! It’s too risky.”

“Did you bring us here to run from the monster?!”

The situation continued to deteriorate.

Ever since entering the contaminated zone, misfortunes had been following them incessantly.

“I should have killed Mona back then….”

Why couldn’t I kill her?

“My plan was flawless, but those idiots messed everything up!”

After creating a dense fog that obscured vision, the assassins hidden within the punitive force killed Princess Mona.

Their aim was to reduce the chaotic punitive force, escape smoothly, and return to the capital to mock Mona’s death and their victory.

“I had planned to stay by His Majesty’s side, comforting him in his grief over Princess Mona’s loss and regaining lost trust!”

Everything had failed.

The assassins couldn’t kill Princess Mona, and their attempts to harm the punitive force were fruitless.

Instead, the skilled individuals they had brought along fell to the punitive force’s attacks, leaving them frustrated but with no choice but to flee.

Moreover, someone had done something strange with the fog, causing them to lose their way and lose their subordinates.

With only a few remaining, there was nothing they could do.

While they were searching for Princess Mona, the current group was incapable of penetrating the punitive force and assassinating her.

“If she returns like this, she’ll become the successor. That must be prevented somehow….”

Their relationship with Princess Mona had irreversibly soured.

Having been targeted by the assassin’s attack, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

So, when that guy entered the contaminated zone, he had to kill him somehow.

“Whether I die or she dies. One of us.”

But why.

Awoo-woo!

Crackle…!

“What are you doing?! Go kill that bastard right now!!! Protect me!!”

The person who should die was alive and well, while I, who must survive to cause great trouble, was experiencing a life-threatening crisis.

Three monsters with massive builds, not quite wolves, attacked the group.

My body shuddered at the ferocious vitality of the monsters with red eyes, drooling saliva.

It was too late to flee; fighting was the only option.

Forcing subordinates who wanted to escape in front of the monsters, I stepped back.

Unable to guarantee 100% safety here, I scanned for hiding spots and escape routes diligently.

“I might end up achieving nothing and dying if I trust only them. I have to live. I must survive and return to seize an opportunity!”

The sight of my subordinates barely holding off the monster’s attacks was pitiful.

I never thought they could defeat the monsters from the start.

“If they were competent, there would have been no failure in assassinating Princess Mona.”

Leaving them as bait, I planned to escape this place.

The mist was becoming unbearable.

Failing to kill Princess Mona here was regrettable, but I intended to hide and strengthen myself for a while.

Even the sky is indifferent!

“Why are you subjecting me, a noble, to such trials?”

I wanted to rightfully secure the position of successor to the Emperor.

Despite my efforts, the indifferent sky forced me to become a ruthless ruler who had to overcome trials, not a rightful successor.

“I, who holds the most legitimate right to succeed the imperial throne…”

If His Majesty had shown even a little consideration, he would have appointed me as his successor long ago, securing the empire’s foundation.

The sin of having a foolish father was now demanding a price from the child.

“Grrrrr!!!”

“Aargh! My arm! Save me!!”

“Those bastards…!”

It’s absurd that the guards who should be hunting the monsters are instead being hunted.

Anticipating such a situation and pre-planning an escape route was a wise decision.

It’s only a matter of time before the monsters kill all the subordinates.

In the meantime, I had to flee to ensure my safety.

“Escaping is entirely possible.”

I wasn’t afraid to enter the contaminated zone because my ability excelled at erasing presence.

“Unfortunately, my escape route is more useful than my attack, which is problematic…”

This was both my only complex and the part that made Princess Mona feel inferior.

But when the need arose, I couldn’t help but be grateful for this ability.

The problem was that even if I escaped, I had no way out of the contaminated zone.

“I should have kept a better eye on the mist!”

Though frustrating and prone to raising my blood pressure during conversations, the guide had exceptional abilities.

One doesn’t realize the absence until it’s gone, leading to anger at the void left behind.

“Daring to abandon me and sneak away alone.”

If I meet the mist again, I will tear it limb from limb, burn it alive, and crush it to death.

“Where should I go?”

Using my ability, I successfully slipped away unnoticed.

Thinking I had come quite far, the distorted sense of direction due to the mist made faint cries for help audible.

The irritating noise might attract other monsters, adding to my annoyance.

“If you’re going to die anyway, at least die quietly.”

Their purpose was nothing short of using themselves as bait to save me.

“I can’t even estimate the direction.”

Having a compass would have been helpful, but I had no reason to carry one.

Alone in my escape, I had no subordinate to command for guidance.

“Do I have to do everything by myself? In this dangerous contaminated zone, alone?”

Alone in a dangerous place, belated fear creeps in.

Having always been protected by someone, the realization of being left alone was bewildering.

The fact that there was no one to watch over me, and that I had to ensure my own safety, was unbelievable.

“What if I encounter a monster again? There’s no one left to die for me now.”

Entering the contaminated zone, my thoughts were only on killing Princess Mona, never once considering the possibility of dying here myself.

And it was just like the days when I didn’t even consider the possibility of the punitive force failing.

Why did I not take it seriously before coming in? Regrets flood in too late.

“Even if I manage to evade monsters with my abilities…”

In a situation with no water or food, wandering for a long time could lead to a terrible death from exhaustion.

“If I die here, no one will know whether I lived or died.”

My body would be torn apart and devoured by monsters or unknown beasts, facing a disgraceful death without even leaving a corpse.

“No!”

At least my death must have meaning.

No, if even the gods had a plan, they wouldn’t let me die in a place like this.

Am I not of noble blood?

“I will survive and start anew. Even if it takes a long time, next time, I will definitely…!”

Thud!

Drip-drip!

Blood drops fall to the ground.

Thud!

The weakened prince’s body collapses to the ground, blood continuously flowing from his severed neck.

Hidden by mist, the monster’s jaws swiftly snatch the prince’s face.

And with its large, sharp teeth, it tears the prince’s face from his body.

Crunching sounds followed by a gulp are heard as bones are chewed and then swallowed.

Seemingly dissatisfied with the taste of the prey, the monster lets out an annoyed growl.

Despite circling around annoyingly, it killed him, but since the taste wasn’t good, it became irritated.

Losing interest, the monster returns to its resting area to fly lightly into the sky as its wings move despite its massive size.

Having cleanly killed the bothersome creature, it was now time to rest.

Meanwhile, the abandoned body quickly decays, becoming contaminated.

Buzzing insects swarm over the decaying corpse as if they had been waiting for it.

With its face completely gone, lodged inside the monster’s belly, the abandoned body lying on the ground remains motionless.

Who could guess that this decaying body was once the illustrious Prince Il?

Those who knew him would find it hard to believe in the pitiful death of Prince Il.

After all, there probably weren’t many people bold enough to venture deep into the contaminated zone to find him.