The Traitorous Prince

Huey was hanging inside a prison cell.

Underground, behind iron bars where no light could come in.

His whole body was shackled with dozens of chains, hanging in the air, motionless.

Messy and overgrown blonde hair, and a lifeless skinny body. One could believe that it was a corpse.

“…”

How much time passed?

With his eyes closed, Huey's shoulders, which seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, suddenly flinched.

Thud. Thud.

He heard a sound from afar. Footsteps.

The sound of leather boots was echoing in the underground hallway, with modest steps.

“…”

Huey slowly opened his eyes.

A creepy shroud veiled his bright red eyes.

Creak-

Someone holding a torch opened the prison door and came inside. Huey frowned a lot at the light he had not seen in a long time.

"...Are you still al ive?"

The person with the torch asked,

Cool, sweet. It was the voice of a very familiar woman.

The corners of Huey's mouth unknowingly went up. He tried to hold it in, but he could not hide his joy.

His dry lips opened and a cheerful voice popped out.

"Oh? Oh my, oh my. Who is this~?"

“…”

Pushing the darkness away with a torch, a female knight with short black hair coming down to her shoulders appeared in front of Huey.

Even in the deep darkness of the dungeon, her blue eyes shone like jewels.

She would have looked like an ordinary beauty if it were not for her straight mouth, livid gaze, and her armor that had a metallic smell of blood,

Looking at her, Huey smiled brightly.

"Isn't it Sir Shion, the knight of justice who threw me here? Oh, how! Long time no see, how have you been?"

“…”

"You've gotten prettier! I guess you liked it when you sent me here. Huh?"

“…”

"Oh, my. You, really! Come on, say something~ It's embarrassing to talk by myself, you know?"

Still shackled with all the chains, Huey spoke cheerfully.

After looking at him for a while, Sion sighed softly.

"It's been a while, Huey 'Star Seeker' Eindel."

Her blue eyes gleamed coldly, as if carved out of ice.

"...The Traitorous Prince."

Huey laughed when he heard that title, His body shook in the chains, making a huge noise that could be heard outside the prison.

"Aha, hahahaha! Hey~! I'm also happy to see you, too, Shion! It's so nice to see you, haha!"

"I never said I was happy to see you."

"You're always so cold! Still, it's nice to see you! But it's terrible that you're the first person I see after 3 years!"

"Sigh..."

Shion sighed again and approached Huey.

"You're more terrible, so please shut up. Traitor."

"Hey, I'm still a prince, but you call me like that?"

Huey winked. Stars seemed to be jumping from his refreshing wink.

"Call me 'Prince', just like the old days!"

“…”

Shion, who looked u p at Huey with a disgusted face as if she just had chewed dirt, replied coldly.

"There's no way I can treat the bastard who tried to kill his father like a prince."

"When the king dies, the prince becomes the next king, I don't know why everyone can't understand this simple principle, eh."

"You're too noisy for a regicide. Stop talking nonsense."

"Hey, say it correctly! An aspiring regicide! I'm tired of people omitting half of it..."

Huey stared fiercely at Shion while grumbling.

"In addition, I failed because someone betrayed me. And now I'm hanging like this."

“…”

The two glared at each other for a moment.

Huey's bright red eyes showed fierce hatred, but Shion's eyes were just cold.

Huey finally looked up and let out a deep sigh.

"Sigh... Never mind! I'm glad you came. Kill me while you're here. I'm going crazy because I've been hanging like this for 3 years! No, am I not already crazy?"

“…”

"Oh, are you here to do it? Finally, the death penalty order has been issued?"

Standing right in front of Huey, Shion drew the sword from her waist. The blade that reflected the light of the torch flashed red.

Huey's face became as bright as a child who received a birthday gift,

"You're finally killing me! Oh my! Long live His Majesty the Merciful King! Thank you for killing me! I'll go to hell first and wait for you!"

Shion raised the sword high and asked him quietly.

"...Are you done talking?"

The sword struck with a flash of light.

Instead of Huey's neck, the swift sword cut off the chains that had kept his body hanging in the air.

"Ahh!"

With an unsightly scream, Huey rolled down on the floor, Shion calmly put her sword back into its sheath.

"I wou Id like to cut your throat right away if I could, but unfortunately, I didn't come here to do that."

"Huh?"

"His Majesty the King wants to see you."

What was she talking about?

Huey did not understand her words at the moment and just blinked. Shion pointed to the door with her chin.

"Aren'tyou going to leave?"

"Eh, really? I really can?"

"I wish I was lying..."

"Ya-hoooo!"

Even before Shion's words were over, Huey cheered and jumped up.

"...Sigh."

Shion touched her aching forehead.

"Oh my god, what's happening? A day like this has come in my life! Am I pardoned? Really? I'm pardoned!"

“…”

"God bless our majestic King, who is reverently generous! Kyahaha!"

With one hand, Shion grabbed Huey, who was running around in the prison excitedly.

"Don't expect too much. Because you're still a traitor."

"Hey, what? Sigh, The prince is disappointed!"

Huey blew through his cheeks and grumbled.

Shion sincerely wanted to hit Huey's head, but managed to hold it in.

"Then why are you taking me out? Father suddenly wants to see his youngest cute son? Right, am I not a bit cute? It's worth being missed by Father!"

"...You'll find out when you go there."

When Shion beckoned, two soldiers waiting outside the prison came inside.

The soldiers grabbed one chain from each side, which were still wrapped around Huey's upper body. And they dragged him out like this.

"Hey, hey! Slower, ah, slower!"

Huey screamed at the violent touch.

"I've been stuck in there for 3 years, 3 years! I'm as fragile as a newborn baby now. Treat me like you're stroking your wife's ass!"

Shion, who was ahead, growled coldly.

"Shut up. Before I put you back in."

Huey immediately became as docile as a gentle sheep.

"Yes! I'm sorry! I won't do that again! Soldiers? Just take me away~!"

"Ha... Bring him here. Hurry up."

Hesitating, the soldiers dragged Huey out again violently. He groaned in pain, barely following them barefoot.

* * *

Only a bleak atmosphere remained in the prison after its inhabitant left after three years.

The party escaped from the prison and advanced to a long curved underground corridor. Walking through the moist and damp corridor, Shion and the soldiers did not say a word.

However, Huey chatted without a break.

"By the way, why did His Majesty the King ask you to bring me out? The son who tried to kill him,"

“…”

When he peeked at Shion's disapproving face, Huey giggled.

"Don't frown like that, Shion. I know you hate me so much."

“…”

"No matter what order is given from above, soldiers should do what they're told. Isn't it right, Vice Commander~?"

"I'm not the Vice Commander anymore."

Shion, who had been silent, answered briefly. Huey tilted his head.

"Huh?"

"Now I’m the Commander of the Knights of the Kingdom of Eindel,"

"Oh my."

Huey opened his red eyes and his mouth wide.

"Crazy, look at the speed of your career! You caught me and became the Commander at once. Are you a Master Knight now?"

“…”

"Hey, congratulations! Our Shion grew up a lot! Right? A kid who was this small when I first saw her has succeeded!"

"You're noisy."

Shion angrily pushed Huey, who was sticking to her.

Huey giggled and tilted his head.

"Oh, what about William? Did that Mr. Stone retire? He said he would be the Commander for the next 10 years. Did he go back to his hometown to farm?"

“…”

"Although he is strict and good at his work, he still handed over his post to a young child like you? There must have been a lot of opposition. Old-fashioned mentalities have become quite flexible, haven't they?"

“…”

"The world must have improved a lot in the past 3 years!"

At the end of the underground corridor, a heavy iron door was firmly closed. Shion opened it without hesitation.

"Ugh."

His eyes were burning because of the sun he saw for the first time in years, Huey blinked several times.

His vision slowly managed to adapt. Huey smiled and tried to capture the beautiful scenery of the castle after three years.

The castle was enguIfed i n a sea of fire.

"...?"

The sound of arrows pouring in, weapons and shields hitting each other, screams and explosions ringing everywhere.

The underground passage was through the corner of the outer fortress outside the royal castle. Running next to the wall, Huey looked around with his mouth open.

Death was everywhere.

The bodies of the soldiers were scattered, and the number increased further every time a flurry of arrows poured out from the outside.

"This..."

A huge projectile flew from somewhere and smashed the spire of the outer fortress. Along with the soldiers1 screams, the archer's bodies and piles of stones fell. Dark smoke rose from the fortress where the fire spread.

"What the..."

The beautiful ivory-colored walls turned into red blood and black ash, covered with dead bodies.

When the astonished Huey stood still, Shion came next to him with a grin.

"The world has improved a lot, right?"

"What's going on- Ah?!"

"The Brunhilt Empire attacked. As you can see, this is the result."

Only then could Huey's eyes see the flag waved by the enemy soldiers attacking the royal castle.

A pattern of a dragon breathing fire on a black background. There was only one country that used that unlucky color and symbol.

"The Brunhilt Empire?! What happened to the northern front for these salamanders to come all the way to the royal capital?!"

The Brunhilt Empire was located at the northern end of the continent, and the Eindel Kingdom was at the southern end. They had a common border, but there was a long distance between the border and the capital.

"So you managed to catch me, the Commander of the Northern Front, but didn't maintain the front properly?"

Shion explained coldly.

"Thanks to your treason, all knights in the North were purged, imprisoned, or kicked out. There was no way that these war maniacs would miss that gap."

"Because of me?!"

Ignoring Huey, who shouted back, Shion continued to explain.

"Sir William died two months ago at the Ice Fortress. So, I, as the Vice Commander, took over the position of the Commander temporarily... Do you understand the situation now?"

"Not at all, Sir Shion?! I don't get it?!"

Huey jumped in place. The chain rattled along.

"What about the Knights of the Kingdom who boasted that they were the strongest in the world? What about our 100,000 elite soldiers? What about the handsome crown prince? Where did everyone go?"

"They lost. All of them."

"Real ly? Ha hahaha!"

He could not believe such powerful kingdom soldiers fall out in vain like this. He laughed sadly.

A flurry of arrows poured right next to them. Shion, who calmly pulled out her sword and cleared the arrow at once, gestured to Huey.

"So now, can you guess why I brought you out?"

"No way..."

"Yes."

Shion and the soldiers dragged Huey to the innermost (first) section of the castle.

The inside of the royal castle was busy, with wounded soldiers groaning, priests treating them, women carrying stones, arrows, and oil.

Their faces were all pale, Huey felt despair floating in the air. He swallowed his dry saliva.

It smelled like defeat.

Walking without hesitation toward the royal palace located inside the castle, Shion spoke clearly.

"As the former Commander of the Northern Front, you have more experience in dealing with the Brunhilt Empire than anyone else, so you should be able to stop the enemy..."

After passing through the royal hallway, where there was no proper secu rity, Shion stood at the door of the throne room and stared coldly at Huey.

"...That's why His Majesty called you."

Shion opened the door, and Huey's eyes got bigger.

King Turin III was sitting on the throne.

His hair and beard had grown out, It had only been three years since Huey last saw him, but the King looked 30 years older and emaciated.

Shion and Huey entered the room. The officials, who had been arguing next to the throne, became quiet all at once. And they stared at Huey with a look of vigilance and contempt.

"Haha."

Huey walked to the throne with his own feet, and grinned.

"Long time no see, Father,"