Chapter 5 : The Vengeance Priests decide the Third Prince’s Fate

The protagonist’s voice was sinister.

“Isn’t that your scheme to wait for your guards who are chasing us right now?”

“Answer me. Am I wrong?”

His voice was hoarse, as if caught on something, yet it had a sharp, piercing intensity that seeped in.

Receiving the gaze that poured out of the darkness, I frowned.

‘What on earth is his identity?’

I couldn’t be friendly with this unidentified individual who had naturally taken the place I was supposed to be in.

He was also incredibly stubborn, not revealing his face to me during the past three days of forced march.

‘Looks like he hasn’t even wiped the sleep from his eyes.’

Filthy guy.

Anyway, for the past three days, he hadn’t opened his mouth, so there was no way to find out anything, but today, he finally spoke.

‘Let’s try to figure out as much as I can.’

First, his eye level was slightly above mine, and his torso felt twice as heavy.

Considering that Gilloshian was quite tall and plump, it meant he had a physique as massive as a bandit.

And crucially, the aura he exuded was distinctly different from that of the debauched prince.

“Struck at your core, so you’ve locked your mouth.”

If Gilloshian was a pale, fattened domestic pig, this one was a wild bear.

“If your mouth won’t open, shall I tear it open from side to side?”

Sling.

I drew my blade.

Now he looks like a black bear with claws out, threatening a human.

He was truly growling like a beast.

“Do you think I don’t know your intention to screw us over by coming all the way here? Not a chance.”

My suggestion to wait here for a moment seemed to displease him greatly.

But instead of explaining, I quietly scratched my cheek.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t talk to people whose names I don’t know.”

“……!”

“That’s all. Don’t make a fuss.”

I was gently provoking him.

“This bastard!”

The bear began to tremble with rage.

‘Surprisingly simple, isn’t he?’

In that case, it becomes much easier.

I smirked, staring into the darkness of his hood.

“Did I say something wrong? That’s basic etiquette, isn’t it? What can you talk about with someone whose face and name you don’t know? Put yourself in my shoes.”

“I saved your life, and yet you dare to be so presumptuous…!”

“Enough, enough.”

High Priest Varmilo stepped between the bear and me.

And the way he looked at us both, as if scolding, made me feel quite wronged.

He started it first!

Why are you trying to dampen my spirits?

“Whew!”

The old man let out a deep sigh, then silently turned his gaze towards the bear.

It was as if he was seeking permission for something.

The bear pondered for a moment, then reluctantly gave a small nod.

This time, Varmilo turned back to me and introduced the bear.

“Third Prince, this is ‘Irgal’.”

“So, are you a priest?”

“No, Irgal is not affiliated with our priestly order, but he can be called a comrade who shares in the great cause of the revolution.”

‘As expected!’

One question that had been in my mind was resolved.

What I was curious about from the beginning wasn’t the bear’s name or anything like that.

Oh, he’d have some name, whatever it might be.

David or Juliet, it didn’t matter.

‘Rather, what kind of relationship does the bear have with the Vengeance Priests?’

This was more important to me.

‘So, he’s a mercenary, you mean?’

This was crucial.

In the original scenario of

I’ve never heard of an NPC with such a strange name.

No matter how insignificant an NPC, I should have heard their name, but it was completely unfamiliar.

It felt like a warning siren was blaring in my head.

‘This guy isn’t an NPC.’

Perhaps…

‘He might be a human from the original reality, just like me.’

I took a small step back.

If my prediction was accurate, we couldn’t be close.

I was the NPC Third Prince, but I intended to take what the player was supposed to take first.

At that moment, Irgal spoke again.

“Now that you know my name, you can answer, can’t you, Third Prince? Or not?”

“Well, I guess so.”

“Shall I tell you instead? We refer to the knights and mages you lead as ‘Bear’ and ‘Nightingale’, ‘Pig’.”

“The pig listening feels offended, constantly calling me ‘pig’.”

I grumbled, but Irgal acted as if he hadn’t heard me.

“First, the ‘Bear’ is the 6-star knight who follows you like a shadow, ‘Karls Silion’. In society, he’s considered a promising talent too good to be assigned to a debauched prince. I strongly agree with this assessment.”

“Yes, thank you for the vivid explanation and heartbreaking sentiments.”

“And the ‘Nightingale’ is ‘Tirvaen Sui’, whose reputation as a 7-star witch has fallen since she became your magic teacher, but she’s still highly renowned. Again, she’s too good to be by your side.”

“Your detailed explanation seems a bit wasted on me too; why don’t you shut your mouth and clear off?”

A short silence, then the next moment.

Whoosh.

With the sound of cutting through the wind, a blade touched the tip of my nose.

A lightning-fast sword strike, too quick for even Gilloshian’s eyes to properly see.

“Pig, stop trying to scheme. If you wait for them, you’ll die here. I’ve never forgiven anyone who held me back.”

“I…”

The murderous intent was so palpable that I raised both hands.

With Giloshian’s current body, it felt like I couldn’t even withstand one of Irgal’s fingers.

But I quietly smiled.

“You decide that?”

Then Irgal’s momentum abruptly broke.

“What?”

“Whether I live or die is decided by the Vengeance Priests, isn’t it? Why are you trying to decide that, you idiot?”

“Idiot?”

“Yes, idiot. High Priest Varmilo, am I wrong?”

As I pointed out earlier, Irgal was a mercenary, not a priest.

So, whether I was killed, forgiven, or sweet-talked, it wasn’t within this bear’s authority.

I knew that precisely.

“The Vengeance Priests decide the Third Prince’s fate…”

The old man chewed on those words, then nodded.

“That is indeed true.”

At that, Irgal stiffened slightly.

As expected, old man! I trusted you!

“…But.”

Before my inwardly exhaled cheer ended, the old man’s cold gaze pierced my face.

“I also agree with that point. Why should we wait here?”

High Priest Varmilo sided with Irgal.

“As you said, the Third Prince’s guards must be chasing us with burning eyes, right? Do you really intend to wait for them? Is that your shallow scheme?”

“There’s no time. Let’s turn him into a corpse and take him now, High Priest.”

The two people who didn’t trust me seemed ready to draw their swords again at any moment.

But the moment I opened my mouth, they had no choice but to fall silent.

“Marquis ‘Elon Reith’, Commander of the Special Knights. Do you know him?”

“?”

“Do you know? Or not? Don’t just put question marks above your heads, just answer.”

Then Varmilo swallowed hard and said, “Of course I know him. You don’t think I’d be unfamiliar with one of the Empire’s three great swordmasters, do you? But surely…?”

“That settles it, then.”

I turned to Irgal and asked, “Can you win a fight? If you go one-on-one with Marquis Reith?”

Silence from Irgal.

“Then what if you fight him with the entire Vengeance Priesthood? Could you win then?”

Still the same.

Even if ten or more priests joined in, they couldn’t defeat Elon Reith.

I sighed.

“If we go straight ahead, you’re not going to be held back by me, you idiot, but by Elon Reith.”

If that monster gets a hold of you, it won’t end with just a severance.

“You’ll just be completely devoured. Don’t you know?”

In the original setting, Marquis Elon Reith was a monster who had achieved the 9th realm with his sword.

‘From a player’s perspective, that means he reached level 90s.’

As you reach higher levels, the experience points required for leveling up increase exponentially.

So, such a realm was incredibly powerful, to the point of being countable on one hand across the entire continent.

And now you want to rush headfirst into his presence?

“If you want to commit suicide, do it alone. But the water temperature in the silver river to the south is warm, so that would be better. Just for your reference.”

If you truly want to disappear without leaving a single piece of your corpse, challenging Marquis Reith isn’t a bad choice, but…

“…Is the Empire’s sharp blade really right in front of us?”

Irgal’s voice grew heavy.

This is a bit unexpected.

‘I thought he’d be yelling about how he couldn’t possibly believe it.’

So I was planning to push him to go and feel it with his own body if he really couldn’t believe it.

“As you say, that would be suicide.”

His surprisingly docile acceptance took the wind out of my sails.

Tch.

Still, he wasn’t completely brainless, regrettably.

“…So what do you propose we do?”

Varmilo questioned me again as I pouted.

“As the Third Prince says, if Elon Reith and his knights are truly blocking the gate, there’s no way for us to break through, no matter what we do. What solution will waiting here provide?”

“Hmph!”

I picked my ear.

Did they really think I’d just let that blatant disregard slide?

“Just moments ago, you were…”

“So polite now, aren’t we? Where did all those esteemed gentlemen go, who wouldn’t believe a word I said and only spoke their minds? Suddenly, they’re like sheep! Ha! Seriously! This is why they say never to take in creatures with black hair!”

“…Ahem.”

“Oh, a throat-clearing? I can clear my throat too, you know! Ahem! Ahem! Ahem!”

“Th-that, I apologize.”

“Show some sincerity then!”

If words alone could solve everything, the world would be endlessly peaceful, and there would be no bloodshed! Don’t just gloss over ‘sorry’ with words.

I deliberately raised my voice, provoking Irgal.

But he showed no particular reaction.

“Sincerity, you say?”

To Varmilo, who was frowning, I raised a finger.

Listen closely, old man.

“If you follow my words exactly, we will all pass safely through the gate without anyone getting hurt, and we will enter Aurax now.”

“……!”

“So, if that happens!”

“?”

My finger twitched.

I got to the point.

“Let’s make a promise in the name of God. That you’ll get me one item.”

“An item? What item?”

“First, the promise. Get it for me no matter what. Promise in the name of the God Eolem.”

Then Varmilo’s eyes trembled greatly.

He seemed flustered, looking at Irgal, then at the other priests, his pupils shaking as if an earthquake were happening.

I threatened him.

“If you don’t trust me this time either, we’ll all just die together. Especially you people, you’ll be torn to shreds by that Sword Master. Understand?”

My real message was this: ‘Shut up and follow me.’

Otherwise, you’ll die.

Anyway, this imperial territory was an enemy stronghold for both me and the priests.

The Third Prince who couldn’t return to the Imperial Palace.

And assassins who had infiltrated an enemy nation.

Like it or not, we had to join hands.

Realizing it belatedly, Varmilo sighed and said, “The situation seems to be going strangely, but I’ll do as you say. After all, if it’s an item I can’t acquire, God will somehow make it happen.”

That’s quite an irresponsible and good statement for a priest.

‘Alright, then.’

I turned my head towards the path we had come from.

Quiet forest paths and thorny bushes.

I shouted loudly towards that direction.

“Karls!”

“……?”

“Hey, you’re listening now, aren’t you? I know you’re all here!”

I could feel everyone’s expressions freezing.

‘Surely not here?’

‘Already? Since when?’

‘How? It’s impossible!’

But I was certain.

It had been three whole days.

I, who was slow-footed to begin with, had walked along, leaving traces everywhere; how could they not have seen this?

Unless their eyes were knot-holes, that couldn’t be.

“Come out quickly!”

The moment I screamed, two shadows rose from among the bushes.

The 6-star knight ‘Karls Silion’ and the 7-star witch ‘Tirvaen Sui’.

They were the ‘Bear’ and the ‘Nightingale’ who protected Gilloshian, the ‘Pig’.

“Your Highness! Why…!”

The camouflage magic disappeared, and Karls’ handsome face was revealed amidst his light blonde hair.

His bewildered expression asked why I was ruining their chance after they had been hiding and waiting.

But I had little interest in his brilliant features.

Only that platinum blonde hair…

‘That’s the symbol of the Reith Ducal House.’

Not Karls’ earldom!

The symbol of the Reith Ducal House!

That’s right.

The 9-star knight Elon Reith, who was blocking the path ahead, and Karls Silion, my escort knight, were blood relatives.

They were connected by something more powerful than anything, inseparable…

‘They were, in fact, father and son.’

Why did it turn out like that?

That’s just how secrets of birth are.

It often appears in morning dramas, doesn’t it?