The Traitorous Prince

Expedit’on to Deatn (1)

Snip snip snip.

The scissor followed.

The cut hair dropped on the floor,

The palace hairdresser, who even finished shaving with hot water and foam, picked up a towel and carefully cleaned the guest after a long time.

Finally, he whispered to the guest, who looked at the condition of his hair from all angles.

"Prince, it is over."

"Hmm!"

Huey, who was lying down with his back buried in a chair, jumped up. The palace hairdresser stood in front of him holding a large mirror.

His blond hair, which had been messy and scattered, was cut short and neatly arranged. After washing his face clean and shaving, Huey's appearance became much more acceptable.

"Whoa!"

Huey twisted his eyebrows and swept his hair back,

He nodded his head with satisfaction.

"Oh, that's pretty good! As expected, the original version is good, so it's cool!"

The palace hairdresser explained, removing the mirror.

"It's the most popu lar style in the roya I capital this year. All the you ng people who area bit stylish have tried. But none of them looked as good as the Prince."

The hairdresser added with a blank look.

"...Well, all the young people in this country are dead anyway, so the Prince is the only one with that hairstyle."

"Puhaha!"

Huey, who burst into laughter, patted the hairdresser on the back.

"I like how you talk, what do you think of becoming my exclusive hairdresser?"

"There's no such thing. Prince, I don't work for a traitor but for the royal family."

"Then that's another reason to take over the royal family. If I become king, I'll make you my exclusive hairdresser."

"Then be careful. A hairdresser is the only job that can legally hold a knife to a king's neck."

"Puhahahaha!"

The palace hairdresser did miss a word, and Huey laughed at all.

A royal hairdresser brought Huey's coat that was hanging on a hanger. It was a colorful knight uniform in white, black, and red. The left chest was decorated with three swords crossed. It was the symbol of the Supreme Commander of the Royal Army of Eindel.

"Wow! So the day came when I can wear this."

Huey did not put his arm in his overcoat and just put it on his shoulder. After that, the hairdresser brought a military cap. It had the same colors and the decoration with the three swords,

"Hmm~"

Huey, who slipped the military cap over his head, grinned at the mirror. His fangs stood out and a dangerous smile appeared on his thin face.

"So handsome!"

Huey praised himself and looked back at the royal hairdresser.

"What do you say, hairdresser? Don't you think I look good?"

The royal hairdresser patted his mustache and observed Huey from top to bottom.

"I know how to read physiognomy."

"Oh, really? How do I look?"

"I'm sure you know that..."

Removing the scissors and razor, the court hairdresser shrugged.

"It's a rebellious statue."

"Rebel lious?"

"It's the face of a traitor."

"Puha haha!"

Huey brushed his face with satisfaction.

"Does it look IIke that?"

"Yes, it's all over your face."

"Hahahaha! Good, good! What can I do if my face is like this?"

Huey patted the royal hairdresser on the shoulder and went outside.

"You did a great job today. Well, see you again, friend~!"

"...Yes."

The hairdresser, who bowed politely, stared at Huey's back with complicated eyes, and then started cleaning up again.

* * *

"Let’s go~"

Coming out of the palace, Huey raised his arms up and stretched.

Eighty percent of the royal palace was burned, but the remaining twenty percent could be recovered and used. The place where Huey just trimmed his hair was a palace in a decent state, Huey alternated between the burned-out royal palace and the rest of the still intact part.

"Well, there's still a fifth left..."

Although he was the arsonist behind it, Huey, who was positively convinced by himself, nodded his head.

Then he fluttered his arms in the air. Now that the chains that had been tied to his body for three years disappeared, he felt the lightest. With his hair in order and a decent garment on, I felt like I was about to fly.

"Wow, the weather is so nice!"

Maybe the weather recognized Huey's feelings, but it was great.

"It's perfect..."

Under the bright sunlight, Huey breathed in,

It smelled a little burnt, but the air was still clear.

"Haa."

It was the best conditions.

Huey closed her eyes with a peaceful face and put his hands in front of his chest. He wanted to enjoy the perfect moment even a little more.

Chack!

At that moment, there was an unpleasant sound of iron.

"...?"

Huey opened his eyes in bewilderment.

Both of his hands, which had been enjoying freedom until just a few seconds ago, had now iron handcuffs.

"What?"

As he turned around, he saw a familiar cold stare shooting at him. It was Shion, with fine black short hair and blue eyes. Shion handcuffed Huey and tilted her head to the side.

"Do you think you have a good life?"

Huey shouted.

"You punk, Shion! How dare you! How dare you, to the Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom of Eindel!"

"Temporary Commander-in-Chief. And you are still a high treason criminal."

Shion responded without a word of agitation, Huey cried.

"Ugh, hey! Father said that if I win this war, I'll be pardoned, and he'd let me return as a prince!"

"You haven't won yet."

Shion grabbed Huey's handcuffs and swung them up and down, Huey's hands also swung along,

"So, I can't remove these handcuffs until you are officially pardoned."

"There's no such thing! Let me go! How can I be the Commander-in-Chief like this!"

"Well, it's better than chains. At least you can move your arms."

Shion looked up and down immediately at him.

"The chains have only been turned into handcuffs, nothing has changed, Huey."

“…”

Huey bit his lips and looked at Shion discontentedly.

"You are just a sinner with temporary military rights. I will always keep an eye on you."

"Thank you for your generosity and warm consideration, Sir Shion! I'm so moved that I'm about to cry!"

"I'll tell you in advance, it's no use crying."

"...Even if I cry very loudly?"

"It's no use crying very loudly."

"Pff..."

Huey pouted.

Regardless, Shion, who ignored it, motioned toward the outside of the palace with her chin. It was on the side of the resident gate.

"Well, I think we're ready, so let's go, Temporary Commander-in-Chief."

"What? To where?"

"Why are you asking when you know? The soldiers are on standby."

Shion led the way.

"It's time to go."

Huey opened his eyes wide and quickly followed suit.

* * *

In front of the Inner city gate of Eindelgrass.

About 500 royal soldiers were lined up in an orderly fashion. Their armor and weapons were in good condition, and the equipment and supplies were abundant, but the soldiers' expressions were not very good.

"Something's wrong with the atmosphere."

Among the three leading knights, the boy knight Grain muttered in a cold sweat.

"Everyone doesn't look so happy."

He had not seen the ceremony often, but he thought that he had never seen such a gloomy atmosphere before.

"That was to be expected... Think about who the commander is."

Kay grumbled discontentedly.

"The only strategy coming from a criminal who committed treason is suicide attacks. They must be happy."

On her back was a shield carved with a bull instead of a skull like in the last battle. Maybe that was not enough, but three more small shields were on her back.

Not knowing what order Huey would give, she was taking all the armaments she could take to protect herself. Grain stammered at Kay's sharp response.

"Well, yes, but... But we won, didn't we?"

"What's the point of winning a war? If I die, it's over."

"Ugh..."

Grain, who was mumbling his lips, turned around.

"What do you think, Sir Handel?"

"Yes? What do you mean?"

Still wounded from the last battle, the old knight Handel grunted and faced Grain. Grain asked cautiously.

"About Prince Huey."

"Well, it's a desperate measure."

Handel still swept his bandaged chin. He was pouting through the bandage.

"When someone is cornered, they do dangerous things. Our country is in a similar situation now."

“…”

Grain pondered bitterly.

"Dangerous...?"

"It means that it's a terrible situation to have a man who put his sword on the King's neck as commander-in-chief."

Handel kicked his tongue.

So many talents had died that they had to take out such a guy. Handel shook his head as he recalled the young juniors who had left before him.

"Well, I have no choice but to pray that His Majesty's judgment was correct..."

“…”

"And you, Grain?"

When Handel asked the thoughtful Grain again, he was surprised.

"What? What?"

"I’m curious about your thoughts, what do you think about the youngest prince?"

"Well, I..."

Choosing his words, Grain murmured quietly.

"... I think he’s all right."

"All right?"

Handel twisted his white eyebrows. Kay also turned to Grain. Grain asked them.

"Do you know what it means that I, the youngest of the apprentices, was made a Holy Knight?"

"What does it mean?"

"It means all my seniors are dead,"

The priests of the Anghelan Church were called to the Holy Knights in wartime. They were precious people who could act as medical officers in the field.

However, most of their combat capabilities were low, and the odds that they could live in the face of the Brunhilt army's reckless offensive were hopeless.

"The war began, and all the seniors of the temple were called to the battlefield one after another... I haven't heard of a victory in the last six months when one of their bodies hasn't returned."

“…”

"Then it finally came to my turn."

Recalling that morning, Grain closed his eyes tightly.

"On the day I was knighted, I prayed. Please, let me face a relatively comfortable death."

“…”

“…”

Handel and Kay shut up.

Grain smiled bitterly.

"I never imagined victory."

Victory... Kay tried to roll the strange word quietly in her mouth. Obviously, even though they had won a few days ago, she did not feel it because they lost more.

"I think I'll die anyway. I have thrown away all my hopes in the first place. So, if only we could win, no matter the cost..."

Grain slowly raised his head.

"I will follow Prince Huey."

Kay and Handel looked away along Grain.

Clop. Clop.

From the royal palace, Shion and Huey were riding this way.

"Why is everyone so desperate?"

Huey, who reached the lead, glanced at the soldiers and grinned,

"Come on, cheer up! The fate of the Kingdom is in our hands, so let's cheer up and go!"

Huey raised his hands. The handcuffs tying his hands reflected the sunlight.

"Soldiers of the Kingdom of Eindel, let's go!"

Huey, who spoke alone, drove his horse first and passed the city gate. The bewildered soldiers looked blank, and Shion looked back at them.

"Didn't you hear the Commander?"

Shion, who spoke briefly, kicked the horse lightly in the sides and followed Huey first.

"Oh... me too! I'm coming!"

Grain followed behind Huey in a clumsy manner.

“…”

“…”

Kay and Handel exchanged glances, then were forced to follow suit.

One by one, the soldiers followed the commander reluctantly. Even though they knew that they were walking to their death.