Crown Prince Sells Medicine

[Heart: From this point forward, we intend to abduct the queen larva, hahaha.]

[Lungs: Hmmm, hahaha.]

[Large Intestine: Impressive, our conscience, hahaha.]

[Liver: This individual, this individual, deliberately remained silent until now and then chose to inform. Observe that demeanor, hahaha.]

[Stomach: Well, if we disclose it prematurely, they might escape, hahaha.]

[The Five Viscera and Six Bowels critique your character and deduct HP as if offering rice cakes to someone they disdain.]

[The Five Viscera and Six Bowels have deducted 100 HP.]

[Your current HP: 5,500]

“……”

There’s no rebuttal to such criticism. Raciel intentionally kept them in the dark until now. If he had informed them earlier, they might have all refused to accompany him or insisted on returning to the camp.

‘Well, anyway, the plan is a resounding success.’

A sinister grin spread across Raciel’s lips. His companions were all immersed in a cauldron of horror.

‘It’s not unreasonable. Apfros, the giant honey bee, is a fairly strong monster, even when it’s outside its usual habitat deep in the forest. Each individual bee might not be much of a threat, but they become formidable when they swarm.’

Suddenly, a recollection from the “Devil Sword Emperor” flashed in his mind. It was in the latter half of the book that Apfros was mentioned.

‘Apfros is, in truth, a docile creature. They’re not typically aggressive. Even if humans or intruders approach their hive, they rarely attack first. But if you touch their nest or larva, it’s a different story.’

They become more aggressive than any other monster, pursuing the intruder to the death, ignoring even their own lives.

‘Especially if you mess with the queen larva? That goes without saying.’

It was an extremely perilous undertaking.

But it was more than worthwhile.

‘The substance secreted by the queen larva possesses remarkable antibacterial properties.’

That’s what “Devil Sword Emperor” stated. Demian survived thanks to that secretion, and the book described how elves extracted it in detail.

‘They used their unique animal-communication abilities. Of course, I can’t do that, but… I’ll find my own way to extract it.’

So, he had to obtain the queen larva. If he could extract that substance? He could save many wounded soldiers in the camp from infection. He could rescue them. He could extend their lives significantly. He could revel in a luxurious royal lifestyle.

“…”

He felt a rush of excitement for a moment.

But Raciel quickly composed himself. This was just the beginning. He lifted his head, gazing at his companions who were still in shock.

“Why do you all look like that? Is there a problem?”

“Of course, there’s a problem,” Demian replied with a puzzled expression.

“Do you realize how perilous it is to suggest kidnapping a larva, especially the queen larva?”

“Yep.”

“So, you understand the kind of predicament that will unfold when we put this plan into action?”

“Yep.”

“And you still want to proceed?”

“Yep.”

“…,” Demian’s expression hardened.

“I know you occasionally undertake reckless endeavors. I’ve served you long enough to recognize that. But this is different. You’ve crossed a line.”

“Crossed the line? Me?”

“Yes. Who will you assign to kidnap the queen larva? Whoever takes on that role will surely become the target of all the bees in the Apfros hive.”

“Yep, that’s likely to happen.”

“And they will probably fail to escape and meet a gruesome fate.”

“Yep, that’s a possibility.”

“You’re not suggesting you’ll assign one of us to this task, are you?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Are you in your right mind?”

“Yep.”

“…You can’t be serious.”

“Hm?”

“You’re not implying that you’ll personally undertake this insane task, are you?”

“Nah, of course not.”

Raciel grinned, causing a crease to form on Demian’s forehead.

“Then who will…?”

“You.”

“… Pardon?”

“You. I said you.”

“I must have misunderstood.”

“Stop pretending. I said you. You.”

“…”

One of Demian’s eyebrows twitched.

Raciel’s lips also twitched, and he continued with a smile, “It’s alright. You won’t get hurt. You won’t die. There’s a safe way to do it.”

“A safe way, you say?”

“Yeah, thanks to this little guy.”

Thunk.

Raciel tapped his chest pocket, and an immediate response came from within.

“Kooo!”

Hearing the response, he explained, “Speaking of my plan, you need to approach the Apfros nest. Then, give it a hard strike on the side with a sword—the swarm of bees in the nest will get angry, right?”

“Most likely.”

“Yes. Then, in front of the swarm of bees that rush toward you, dance for just 10 seconds.”

“That will make them even angrier.”

“Yep, that’s the point.”

“…”

“Anyway, you have to make the Apfros in the nest as furious as possible. All their attention should be on you. Make them target only you.”

“What about me?”

“You have to run away. As far as possible, and for as long as possible. Lead the entire swarm of bees away. Keep it up consistently.”

“It’s a diversion, then. Am I correct?”

“Yes.”

“But I may not be able to outrun them indefinitely.”

“Then use this.”

Thump.

“Koo koo kooo!”

The response from Kozumi came again.

“Feed this little one red sunflower seeds. It will grow.”

“When it grows, what should I do?”

“Lie beneath it.”

“Pardon?”

“Kozumi will shield you with its belly and erect its thorns. That should do the trick.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“You get the idea?”

“Yes. Apfros are sizable, at least a meter… they won’t be able to penetrate Kozumi’s dense thorns.”

“Exactly. Operation Cactus.”

“…”

“That way, while you lure all the Apfros from the nest and hold your ground, we will sneak into the nest and capture the queen larva.”

“…”

“Understood?”

“But there are still uncertainties.”

“Such as?”

“Even if we successfully abduct the queen larva, what about me and Kozumi? Apfros are notorious for their persistence when it comes to intruders.”

“That’s true. They probably won’t relent until they starve to death unless there’s a fire in the nest.”

“…”

“Have another idea?”

“Lord… you are truly a ruthless individual.”

“Yeah, my apologies for being ruthless.”

“…”

“I’ll just set a small fire, enough to dampen the outer surface of the nest. The bees that were surrounding you will all return to the nest. They can extinguish the fire with their secretions, so they won’t be harmed. In that time, you and Kozumi can make your escape.”

Raciel spoke with a wide smirk on his face, prompting a sigh from Demian.

“Whew. So, I’ll be taking on the role of bait, right?”

“Yes. Do you want to apply for hazard pay?”

“Yes.”

“What amount are you thinking?”

“I think 30 times my weekly salary is fair.”

“Tsk, you’re quite greedy.”

“Do you want me to resign today?”

“Is that a threat?”

“I’m serious.”

“So, you want to become very wealthy?”

“As much as possible.”

“Let’s settle at 20 times.”

“I’ll consider resigning.”

“How about 25 times?”

“Thank you.”

And that’s how Demian reached a dramatic negotiation resolution!

*****”

The party continued to move forward steadily, although they couldn’t completely shake off their anxiety. No matter the plan, Apfros were still dangerous monsters. However, their trust in Raciel had grown slightly stronger.

‘After all, he’s the Crown prince of Magentano. He wouldn’t engage in excessively risky behavior, right?’

…thought the knights who had accompanied Princess Adeline on her visit to the Empire of Magentano. They were devoted followers who knew Raciel’s true identity, which is why they didn’t lose faith.

What about the guide soldiers?

‘I heard that military officer worked miracles. So even if we get injured, he could save us with one of those miracles, right?’

They recalled the rumor that had spread throughout the camp, describing the portly military officer as if he were a saint who performed miracles. This belief gave them confidence that they would be safe even in dangerous situations.

Half a day passed in everyone’s collective misunderstanding(?) During that time, Raciel made sure everyone understood their roles.

And finally.

“…I’ve found it. Up ahead, across the creek, I spotted a nest in the clearing near the slope.”

The scout soldier had located the Apfros’ nest. Tension filled the faces of the party.

“Good. Let’s verify it first.”

They crouched down in the tall grass.

They moved forward cautiously, and just as the scout had described, they saw the nest.

“Wow, look at the size of that thing.”

It wasn’t just a beehive; it was massive. Almost the size of a small neighborhood store?

At least, that’s how big the dome-shaped nest appeared, firmly situated on the ground. Bees the size of Jindo dogs buzzed around it.

‘Buzzing? That’s almost like a motorcycle.’

It was as if dozens of delivery motorcycles were flying around. Raciel glanced back at his party.

“Let’s begin. According to the plan.”

“…”

Everyone nodded silently.

From that point onward, everyone moved methodically. They took out wildflowers they had gathered along the way and rubbed the flowers and stems all over themselves. Raciel did the same. His exploration suit quickly became saturated with the juice from the petals and stems.

‘Doing this should make the Apfros less hostile towards us.’

It was a tip from the Devil Sword Emperor.

It would cloak them with the scent of wildflowers, making it less likely for the bees to perceive them as enemies. With this in mind, they vigorously rubbed themselves with the flowers.

“Next, torches.”

“We’re prepared.”

The knights retrieved their torches and thoroughly coated them with resin, ensuring that a small spark would ignite them.

‘This should work.’

Raciel took a deep breath and looked at Demian.

“Do you feel confident?”

“No.”

“But we have to do it, right?”

“…Sigh. Pass me the small torch.”

He was handed the small torch.

Demian relaxed, distancing himself from the party, his focus locked onto the nest. He observed the Apfros swarm with suddenly sharpened eyes.

He familiarized himself with their movements, timed his approach meticulously, and gripped his sword tightly for the most powerful strike.

But then,

Buzzzzzzz!

The movements of the Apfros swarm circling the nest underwent a dramatic change. They became more frantic, their wing beats faster, more aggressive, as if they had encountered an adversary or sensed an intruder.

“…!”

Demian flinched.

Had they already caught wind of his intentions? Was that why they were behaving this way? He glanced back at Raciel, his eyes glaring in protest.

‘What’s happening here?’

Raciel returned the glare.

‘Didn’t you reveal yourself too soon?’

‘Not at all. I kept my presence as discreet as possible.’

‘Seems like you didn’t do a good job of it.’

‘So, what’s the plan now?’

‘Well, given the circumstances, let’s go for a hit-and-run.’

‘…Understood.’

Tsk.

Demian clicked his tongue, gripping his sword once more. This wasn’t the time to hesitate.

‘So, let’s unleash the most powerful strike I’ve been perfecting.’

Crack!

His back, arms, and upper body tensed up, the Mana Heart embedded in his chest roared fiercely.

He swung his sword.

No, he was about to swing.

Kwaaaaa!

A sudden, thunderous noise erupted from the sky. A massive silhouette descended, crushing an unfortunate Apfros instantly. It bit, tore, or rather, sliced it. In an instant, without giving it a chance to react.

And then it let out a roar.

Kiiiiiaaaaak-!

“…!”

It was a hornet as large as a rhinoceros. But it wasn’t alone. The initial attack was just the beginning.

‘What is this…?’

Before Demian could widen his eyes, dozens of giant hornets descended upon the Apfros’ nest.

It was a merciless hunt.

The beginning of a massacre.

(To be Continued)

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