The Traitorous Prince

Expedition to Death (2)

Huey, four knights, and soldiers marched along the capital's road leading to the entrance to the outer castle.

Citizens were coming out to the side of the bou levard to see the departing death squad of the Kingdom of Eindel, Huey smiled at the citizens.

"Hi, everyone~? Nice to meet you. The weather is nice, right~?"

“…”

However, the citizens who saw Huey did not look good.

There was contempt, anger, and hazy fear on their faces.

It was not an atmosphere to send off those who left with the fate of the Kingdom. Huey puffed up his cheeks.

"What's wrong with everyone? Even three cheers while sprinkling tears and petals will not be enough."

"It's because of you."

Shion pointed out calmly.

"The resistance zone was the home of half of the citizens of Eindelgrass. You burned it all down."

"But did I burn it because I like it? It was all to stop the enemy."

"Will this excuse sound right to the citizens who have lost everything?"

Shion looked around one after another at the burnt inner castle and the outer castle that had been destroyed by the battle.

"The outer zone was devastated by the enemy and the inner zone by fire. It will take at least decades to recover from this damage."

“…”

"Whether you tried to stop the enemy, you're the one who set the fire anyway. It is futile to expect citizens to welcome you with a smile,"

Listening quietly, Huey snorted.

"Well, I'm looking forward to it."

"What do you mean?"

"When I win the war, what kind of faces these idiots will make to welcome me."

Huey grinned angrily.

"I'm already looking forward to it."

“…”

She wanted to give him a lesson, but Shion held it in. Apart from this prince's annoyance, that future was also what she wanted.

* * *

Huey and the soldiers marched to the outer entrance, catching the harsh eyes of the citizens.

Sti II, the outer entrance was collapsed and the maintenance had just begun. Next to the pitifully collapsed pile of stones, the high priests and King Turin III stood waiting.

Huey, who marched to the front of the King, got off his horse. The knights followed and did the same.

"The Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Army of the Kingdom of Eindel, the Third Prince Huey' Star Seeker1 Eindel greets His Majesty,"

Huey greeted him gracefully with his handcuffed hands,

"As of this time, the 500 men of our death squad are on their way to destroy the Brunhilt army. Your Majesty, please give us your encouragement."

Huey looked up at his father and smiled grumpily after speaking.

“…”

King Turin III, who looked around his son, knights, and soldiers, slowly opened his mouth.

"First of all, I'm sorry."

The King's sudden apology surprised everyone.

But he continued.

"I, the King, did not make the rightjudgment, so I allowed the enemy to I nvade, and the fate ofour Kingdom reached the pointofalarm."

The King's wrinkled face slowly bowed down.

"Such valiant knights and loyal soldiers... All this is my responsibility. I'm sorry to all of you... I'm embarrassed to see my ancestors."

“…”

The lieutenants, priests, servants, surviving knights and soldiers all had complicated expressions.

"Well, well. Of course you should be embarrassed."

Except for Huey, who nodded his head.

“…”

Shion gave him a ferocious side glance. Huey whistled.

"But the war is not over."

Turin III went on to speak.

"The enemy is strong. Ridiculously strong. But five days ago, we defeated a Dragon Knight and annihilated one of the most vicious corps."

Turin III said it was annihilated, but did not use the expression of victory. He could not bear to say that in front of these miserable ruins.

"They are not invincible but are mortal like us. You must have realized that."

Instead, the old King's hoarse voice was filled with anger and hatred like a burnt fire.

"Don’t forgive them. Don't forgive them for trampling on the Kingdom of Eindel, our hometown."

The faces of the soldiers, who were dark because they had to leave for the battlefield, were filled with creepy life one by one.

Yes.

If you can't come back alive anyway, you'll have to take revenge on the enemy who trampled on the country.

"Defeatthem and kill them, and wetour land with their blood. This country is th irsty for the blood of the enemy. Satisfy its thirst with your swords and spears!"

The King, who had a high reputation for kindness, gritted his teeth and urged revenge. His old voice felt chagrin and fury.

This was the first time that the King looked like this.

The hands of the soldiers holding their weapons were energized,

"You may be few, but you are the best surviving of this half-year war and the only unit with experience in annihilating the enemy... I believe that you will be able to exert the power of one thousand people."

Turin III, who made eye contact with the soldiers one by one, clenched his fists with trembling wrinkled hands.

"I will not give up because there is a chance to fight and win. I will not surrender if there is at least one person left to fight."

Standing at the entrance of the ruined royal capital, the old King's eyes were trembling but shining.

"I hope you will fight to the end,"

The King raised his fist high.

"May God and the ancestors bless you."

Chuck!

The knights and soldiers all held their weapons in front of their chests. Huey, who was listening to the King's speech with his back bent, slowly stood up,

"Come on-!"

Looking back, Huey smiled and raised her arm.

"For Eindel!"

As Huey led, the knights and the soldiers shouted after him.

"For Eindel!"

Huey and the knights climbed back on their horses, Huey shouted without delay.

"All troops, come on~!"

The last 500 men of the Kingdom of Eindel set out immediately.

"Then I'm leaving, father."

As he passed by the King, Huey rolled up one side of his mouth.

"Please, hold on to that tough personality?"

"...Huey."

Turin III called the name of his youngest son.

The eyes of the prince on the horse and the King standing below met in the air.

“…”

The King tried to say something by moving his cracked lips, but soon stopped. Instead, he smiled.

"Go and come back."

It was a gracious smile for Huey for the first time.

Looking at his father with round eyes, Huey quickly turned to the front.

As soon as he came out of the outer castle gate, Huey shouted,

"I’m going to the Ice Fortress! Fast forward!"

Then he drove the horse by himself and ran first.

''...?"

"...Huh?!"

"What?"

The bewildered knights exchanged glances. Shion came to the front of the group and took the lead.

"Move forward! I take the lead. Speed me up!"

Grain asked.

"Well, what about the Prince?"

"Leave him alone."

Shion glared blankly at Huey, who was running forward alone.

"He'll be back soon."

Clip clop clip clop

Huey, who had been running for a long time, slowly opened his mouth, as if to move a little further away from the royal castle.

"...Damn it, you damn old man."

Huey gritted his teeth,

"Don't get so old all of a sudden..."

Huey glanced back at the royal castle, which was now quite far away, and then turned his gaze forward again.

"Giddy up!"

He kicked the horse lightly and drove it forward,

He ran to the battlefield, which would be long and endless. And never looked back again.

“…”

Turin III stood at the gate and looked silently.

The last troops left... He stood watching his son, who tried to kill him, until he could not see his back far away.

* * *

It was a five-day walk from Eindelgrass to the Ice Fortress.

Even if the road was well paved, there was a limit to the daily march of soldiers with armor and weapons. On top of that, the speed of the supply unit carrying the military and equipment was slower, so it would take five days to reach the fortress.

"We'll be there in three days."

But Huey talked nonsense again,

A brief break during the march.

The soldiers who walked were tired and sat on the side of the road. And that was what Huey suddenly said at the place where the leading knights were gathered.

"It's impossible."

Shion immediately objected.

Huey asked.

"What? Why not? Huh?"

"Huey, how do you think it's possible to get there in three days?"

When Shion shot back, Huey shrugged.

We will speed up the march and increase the march time. It's simple, isn't it?"

"It's not simple!"

Shion refuted one by one.

"If you increase the marching time, of course, the soldiers will get tired, and lose their ability to fight. It's suicide to move too fast when you don’t know when you'll encounter an enemy!"

Handel and Kay also helped.

"Yes, You ngest Prince. The military horse of the supply unit will be exhausted, and itwould a big deal to lose the military horse if the speed is increased too much. We are not in such a rich situation right now."

"The roads were damaged because of the war. We can't go fast so because you sat so. Well, who's the bird head..."

Toward the grumbling Kay, Huey covered his mouth and smiled.

"Oh, you remembered the bird head? Sir Kay."

"What?"

As Huey hit the nail on the head, Kay flinched.

"Oh, n-no?"

"It's all right. People can get upset. I do that often, too, I understand!"

"No, I’m not upset. It's not like that,"

"I won’t make fun of you as a bird head from now on. I'm so sorry, Sir Kay, 4th in the Knights' ranking."

"Hey! I told you not to call me that!"

"Sir Kay, the new boss."

"I'm going to kill you! Really!"

Handel managed to stop Kay, who pulled out her mace and spewed fire from her mouth,

"Well."

Huey, who was contemplating for a while, looked around the knights.

"So what if we leave the soldiers behind and the riders go first?"

Gray pointed his finger at himself with a sullen air.

"The riders... You mean us?"

"Yes, we can be there in about three days, even if we go leisurely. We can go check first and wait for the rest of the soldiers to come,"

Kay was annoyed,

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"What?"

"The Ice Fortress has blocked the enemy for three months. It won't change in a few days."

"We shouldn't judge the situation by such complacent speculation,"

Huey's expression was rare and serious.

"The commander always has to be prepared for the worst."

Shion, who was listening quietly, narrowed his eyes.

"The worst, you mean if the Ice Fortress has fallen?"

"Yes."

To be exact, if Luna fell into the hands of the enemy.

"That would be the worst."

Huey swallowed his words and stood up. He announced.

"Sir Handel, Sir Grain. You two will stay behind, lead the soldiers and follow."

Handel and Gray faced each other. Handel grazed his beard.

"I have no complaints, but is there a reason for the selection, Youngest Prince?"

Huey pointed to Handel and Grain in turn.

"You're old, you're young. You'll slow us down. I want to go as fast as I can."

“…”

“…”

Handel and Grain's expressions darkened at the same time.

Regardless, Huey turned away, this time pointing to Shion and Kay.

"Sir Shion, Sir Kay. The four of us are the advance team. After conducting prior reconnaissance, we will identify the situation of the Ice Fortress and establish subsequent operations."

Kay, who was listening quietly, looked around with a frown.

"...Four? Aren't we three?"

Kay raised her hand and counted the numbers.

Except for Handel and Grain, there were only Huey, Shion, and Kay. That made them three.

"There's one more person."

Huey looked behind him. Everyone turned to that direction.

"...?"

A cart pulled by a horse was approaching.

Canis, who was lying down and dozing off with his whole body bound by chains and his mouth gagged, suddenly noticed the pouring gaze and raised his head.

The wolf's beastly yellow eyes flashed ferociously as if looking for food. Huey muttered indifferently.

"I'm taking him with me."

Shion and Kay look pale.