The Traitorous Prince

Ice Fortress (1)

Canis was an exemplary prisoner.

He kept the meal time and the time to the bathroom, and other than that, he was calm and motionless,

There was no particular demand, and he did not complain about the chains.

Groups of four soldiers monitored him alternately for 24 hours, and he had a device attached to his neck so that they could hit his neck at any time, and an iron core was inserted near his scapula, which was believed to be the outlet of mana.

However, the problem now was a completely different story from being so calm while in prison for a few days.

"Will it really be okay..."

Kay, who was riding her horse on the road, looked back anxiously. Canis, tied tightly to the saddle, was following from the rear row of the party. Canis1 horse was tied to Kay's.

Huey, Shion, Kay, and Canis left the main camp toward the Ice Fortress,

"In the back! You're slowing down! Hurry up and follow me!"

Huey in the lead shouted back.

Surprised, Kay quickly picked up the pace. Canis' horse followed as well.

Gallop gallop gallop-!

"Giddy up, giddy up!"

Huey kept speeding up urgently.

At the back of the party, the enemy's Dragon Knight was only tied up in a few layers of chains, and he seemed not to be worried,

"Uh..."

The situation was completely different from when soldiers were always watching him, Kay kept looking back.

She was worried that Canis might break the chains and run.

“…”

Kay flicked her head around for almost half a day to watch Canis, but Canis only looked at the surrounding scenery in a relaxed manner.

* * *

It was only after the sun had fallen and the surroundings were completely dim that Huey stopped the march,

The party set up a campsite near the stream. The tired horses licked the cold stream with their tongues.

Shion, who scouted the area and confirmed that there were no Brunhilt troops around, brought dry firewood and set a bonfire.

"...Uh, let's warm up."

Even at the end of winter, it was still cold. Kay shook her shoulders and sat close to the fire.

"Oh, I'm hungry! Let's eat, guys~!"

Huey shouted, taking out the food from the horse's back.

The meal was all dry bread and dried beef jerky.

"Ugh..."

Even if they were on an expedition, Kay was unhappy because she had eaten a very good meal in the royal capital, but she ate it without hesitation because she was hungry after running all day.

"Oh, it's tasteless."

Although Huey kept on moaning.

"Wow... You guys are amazing, too. Are you really eating this?"

Huey, who swallowed a bite of dry bread, put it down, hating it.

"Hey. Why don't we hunt deer around and grill them? Yes? I love deer meat."

Shion closed her eyes as she chewed her portion of beef jerky.

"If you don’t catch it yourself, shut up and eat."

"Yes..."

Huey sniffed and chewed beef jerky. He had a picky taste as a prince,

Kay, who was mumbling as Huey picked up an untouched loaf of bread, asked.

"Prince, haven't you been in prison for a long time? Isn't this better than prison food?"

Huey mumbled into thought.

"Not really. The place I was in was a special room inside the prison."

"Oh, were you fed good food?"

"No, I wasn't fed."

"What?"

What was he talking about? Kay opened her mouth wide.

"But how did you survive for three years?"

Huey had a disgusting look.

"It stinks to try to dig through other people's painful memories, Sir Kay."

'No, if it's your pain, I'd love to go through it...'

Kay thought to herself,

"Phew..."

Huey, who forcibly chewed and swallowed beef jerky, shrugged his shoulders and explained.

"The Royal dungeon was built hundreds of years ago, and there was a special magic hanging in the prison where I was trapped."

"Magic?"

Kay opened her eyes wide.

The days of such myths when dragons flew in the sky and wizards performed miracles had all become a distant past,

Hundreds of years had passed since the last dragon Krakelsus died and the last wizards disappeared, and the ivory tower had been in ruins for more than a hundred years, The Dragon Knights who followed the dragon's blood and the relics left by the wizards were the only remains of their existence.

It was an era when all the mysterious things were gradually disappearing, so it was natural for Kay to be surprised by the word magic.

"When the prison was built underneath the royal palace, a nobleman named the Great Wizard of the time cast a terrible spell on several rooms."

Huey closed his eyes and groaned in pain.

"The place where I was trapped was a room with life magic or something."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"No, it's the most hideous place!"

Kay, who did not understand, tilted her head. It looked okay just by listening to it?

"You don't have to eat, you don't have to go to the bathroom, and you don't get sick. Anyway, the point of the room is that the prisoner lives well without having to be managed."

"So, what's so terrible about that? Isn't it nice?"

"Damn it, think about it! If I had been in another room, there would have been guards to watch! There was no guard in that room!"

Huey put his hands on his face and screamed.

"To give me food, clean my bathroom, and take care of me if I'm sick! If it was another room, wouldn't the guards come and take care of all this? I mean, I could have seen someone!"

Kay gasped in surprise.

"Well, then, for three years...?"

"Yes, I was tied in chains in the air... and I was trapped alone in a prison where no one came! Ahhhhhh."

Even in the prison located under the royal palace, Huey was imprisoned in the worst prison, 'loneliness'. He did not meet anyone, just hung in the air for three years, and lived unnecessarily healthy.

"Alone, completely alone! For three years without doing anything in this place! Can you guess how terrible this is?!"

Kay nodded with a face that she thought she would know a little then.

"That's why you're so crazy, huh?"

Shion, who was listening quietly, immediately refuted,

"No, he was already like this before,"

"What? So you've been alone for three years and you didn't become crazy?"

That was amazing, too. While Kay was about to admire, Shion refuted again.

"No, he was originally crazy, so he could not become it."

"Ah. That's how it was..."

"Shion, is that what you should say? Not 'my Prince, are you hurt? I'm going to cry? No?"

Huey whined, but Shion and Kay ignored him refreshingly. It was then.

"I see."

Canis, who was silently chewing bread from the back, suddenly opened his mouth.

"I thought you had died when I heard the news that the rebellion had failed, but that was how you stay alive, Huey."

Chack-I

As soon as the words were over, Shion and Kay pulled out their long sword and mace toward Canis.

Canis chewed the bread without a blink.

"No, put down your weapons, are you scared with a few words?"

"If a prisoner who has not said a word suddenly opens his mouth, of course we should be wary."

"You're right, I was gagged except for meals."

Canis, who had swallowed all the bread, shrugged his shoulders.

"Why are you so wary? Are you afraid I'll escape?"

Kay looked at Shion with urgent eyes. Shion glanced back at Huey. Huey was yawning leisurely from afar.

"Oh, I ate well. I'm sleepy after eating."

"Huey!"

"Yaaaawn... Well, what?"

"With no troops, we have no means to stop this man if he ends his recovery and tries to escape."

"So what?"

"I suggest we cut his neck here!"

"No way."

Huey replied, pushing himself into the blanket on the floor,

"He is a diplomatic card to use in negotiations with the Brunhilt guys. You can't kill him."

"Using him as a card is only possible when we can control him!"

Shion pushed the tip of the sword close to Canis.

"When all his injuries are recovered and the Brunhilt army gets closer, no one knows what he will do!"

"Hey."

Then Canis opened his mouth again. Surprised Shion and Kay flinched their shoulders.

Canis said calmly.

"I'll tell you in advance, I won't escape. I won't rebel."

Of course, Shion and Kay did not seem to believe him at all. Canis opened his mouth again,

"I swear. On the honor of the Dragon Knights of Brunhilt, I will obey your instructions."

"How could we believe that?"

"What if you don't believe me?"

Canis smiled,

"For example, if I suddenly broke this bond and tried to surprise you and kill you, what would you do? Is there any way you guys can stop me?"

“…”

No, there was no way.

At a time when this man was not killed and kept alive, it was something to come one day after day. A cold sweat ran down Shion's spine.

"I was defeated by you. But you didn't kill me, you healed me and you saved me."

Canis glanced at Huey. Huey had turned around without looking this way at all.

"I'm in debt."

“…”

"I am your enemy, but I am a knight. Whether you kill me or save me, I will remain calm until my fate is decided as a prisoner."

Grinning.

Canis smiled like a wolf and pushed the weapons aimed at him.

"So, don’t be so wary. Eindel's knights,"

“…”

Kay was at a loss for what to do.

Shion pulled back her sword first and put it in its sheath,

"All right."

"Shion?"

Panicked, Kay shouted, but Shion was calm as usual, Shion nodded, looking at Canis' yellow eyes.

"Let's believe in the oath of the Dragon Knights... no, of the Silver Wolf."

"Ah, you can trust me, I'm a man of my word."

"Well, apart from that."

Shion winked at Kay.

Kay took the gag that Canis had released while eating.

"You are still a prisoner. Don't forget your situation."

Canis, who had been displeased for a while, soon burst out laughing.

"Haha, this is so... That's thorough."

Canis closed his eyes and opened his mouth. Kay gagged his mouth with a quick and sophisticated touch unlike her.

Canis, who was gagged, smiled with his eyes. The light wrinkles engraved around the eyes were both attractive and threatening.

“…”

Kay rubbed the sweat off her hands on her pants.

It was like putting a dog leash on a wolf's neck. Was this really meaningful?

"Anyway, I don't like this situation..."

Kay, who complained, turned her head toward Shion,

"It's late. It's time to get some sleep, but what's the watch order?"

"Sir Kay, please watch first for two and a half hours. I'll go last."

Shion glared at Huey with cold eyes.

"Snoring, snoozing..."

Huey was already snoring in the blanket.

"He'll do the middle part."

"Haha. Leave it to me."

Kay felt better when she thought of waking up that unlucky prince in the middle of the night and making him watch the night shift.

'If you don't wake up, I'll kick your butt.'

Shion, who quickly washed up in the stream, dug into her blanket and got ready to sleep.

"Then good night, Sir Kay."

"Yes. Good night."

Within seconds, Shion fell asleep quietly. Her long lashes went up and down with breathing.

“…”

Kay squatted in front of the bonfire and picked up a few more firewood and threw it into the bonfire.

Kay looked at Huey, who was snoring and grinding his teeth while drooling, at Shion, who fell asleep without moving, and turned to Canis.

Canis was sitting still, looking up at the sky.

'What are you looking at...?'

Kay looked at the sky, wondering.

'Ah.'

The full moon was shining brightly in the dark blue night sky.

With a gag on his mouth, a chain on his upper body, handcuffs on his hands and feet, and a knife on his neck, Canis looked up at the moon with unwavering eyes.

“…”

He looked like a real wolf.

He looked like he was going to cry like a wolf if they ungagged him, Thinking, Kay put more firewood in the bonfire.

Crackle crackle

The dry wood burned with sparks.

It was a quiet night where nothing could be heard except the sound of the frozen stream melting and flowing and the sound of firewood withering.

The first night of the expedition was deepening.