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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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There were truly many ways to gain a person.
Of course, the best method would be to share affection with each other, work towards the same goals, and build a righteous and solid relationship.
But as they say, life is full of twists and turns.
How could a person achieve everything they want and accomplish everything they desire while living?
Prince Oliver and I were exactly in that situation.
No matter how much he tried and treated me with sincerity, I would never become his subordinate.
The prince’s leash would never touch me.
So the prince brought me another method.
One that took much less time, was effective, and could immediately gain my false loyalty.
“It was actually a coincidence. The girl named Sen was brought here by the Chokugen Faction for execution, and the girl named May seemed close to Elise, so we thought she might be useful and kidnapped her.”
The prince’s low voice provoked me without much effort.
I felt a slight dizziness from trying hard to suppress my anger that had risen in an excessively short time.
“We thought Rin and Ares might be related to the culprit who killed the nun of Demeter, so we pursued them, but we brought them in after seeing the divine marks they possessed.”
In the end, he was saying that everything had coincidentally fallen into place, but his attitude was different.
The world was revolving around him.
He was claiming to me that it was not a coincidence but an inevitability.
“From what I heard from Elise, you cherish the others quite a bit. Originally, I was going to threaten you at the academy, but I’m grateful that you came to find me in Batian like this.”
“……”
“Now, lion. The fierce beast that ran wild in the fields.”
He slowly reached out his hand to me and drew a smile filled with conviction.
“It’s time to put on the leash.”
“…… One thing.”
I forced myself to open my mouth.
I forcibly swallowed the feeling that something was about to pour out.
“Let me see that they are safe.”
Then the prince nodded with an even more satisfied smile.
“Ah, of course. If you take my hand, I will immediately guide you to them. However, I also have one thing to confirm.”
At the same time as he said those words, Priscilla clapped her hands once, and as the door opened, people wearing masks rushed in.
They all had their mouths covered with the same white hood, which was none other than the symbol of being an official member of the Chokugen Faction.
“I’d like to see how fierce my lion is.”
I thought he would immediately order me to fight, but Prince Oliver unfolded his crossed legs and called in a man with a red pattern drawn on his hood.
“Where is the madame? I wanted to see her fight too.”
‘Madame?’
It was the first time I heard that name.
Some of the Chokugen Faction members frowned as if they felt the prince was treating the madame too lightly, but the man who was called answered in a cold voice.
“The madame is currently outside chasing the culprit who assassinated the nun of Demeter.”
“Hmm, is that so? What a pity.”
The prince was genuinely disappointed, but the Chokugen Faction members seemed to have had their pride quite hurt, so they forcibly stretched their bodies excessively.
They seemed to be dissatisfied with the prince who needed not only this many people but also the existence of the madame to deal with just me.
As the prince gestured for him to go back, the man tried to return to his position, but the prince added, saying he had forgotten.
“If the boy wins here, I’ll take the girl named Sen.”
“…… Your Highness.”
The man, who had shown no reaction even when the madame was insulted, twisted his body and expressed clear dissatisfaction.
“Sen is a traitor who belonged to our Chokugen Faction. Letting that child go would be a great disgrace to the entire Chokugen Faction.”
“I’ll pay more gold coins.”
“This is not a matter of gold coins and requests.”
Seeing the Chokugen Faction acting so confidently, Prince Oliver made a displeased expression, and Priscilla finally drew the dagger hidden on her thigh.
In a situation where things could break out at any moment, I, who had been trying hard to suppress my emotions, intervened.
“Lets begin, you sons of bitches.”
Instantly, numerous gazes focused on me.
I, who couldn’t move a single finger properly because of the emotion that felt like it was about to burst out, couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“I just have to win against you, right? Then you can take Sen as you please, right?”
“But even if you win, claiming ownership of Sen is……!”
“Just once.”
I warned, glaring at the man who was about to argue with me with the intention of tearing him to death right away.
“If you talk about Sen like that, claiming ownership or whatever, one more time, you’re dead. That girl is not your property.”
“……”
A heavy tension pressed down on the entire room intensely.
Prince Oliver crossed his legs again, saying it was interesting, and Priscilla prepared wine, handing a glass to the prince, while the man with the highest position among the Chokugen Faction members was deep in thought.
“Boss, let’s just do it. We win either way.”
“That’s right, there are only ten of us. Moreover, we have them surrounded.”
“Honestly, this is embarrassing.”
Perhaps because the man called the boss was being too defensive, the members expressed their dissatisfaction.
“Okay, fine.”
The boss sighed and drew his dagger.
In the spacious room, ten elite assassins stood surrounding me. With the clear sound of Prince Oliver flicking the glass he received with his finger.
They charged at me.
“Ah……”
It felt like I had slightly opened the dam that I had forcibly blocked until now.
I grabbed the collar of the guy who rushed at me from behind first and flipped him forward.
Thanks to that, the two members who were rushing at me from the front stepped back, but other members were already charging in from both sides.
I immediately pulled my body back, grabbed the wrists of the guys holding daggers with both hands, and roughly pulled them towards me.
Squish.
The sound of flesh being torn and daggers piercing echoed simultaneously.
The blood of the guys who couldn’t withstand my strength and stabbed each other’s chests poured out, soaking the red carpet even deeper.
The assassins said nothing.
However, the situation itself was screaming so many things.
Anger towards me.
Their humiliation of struggling in this situation.
Their fear that they might lose.
Feeling all of that with my skin, I continued to expressionlessly take care of the members who kept charging at me.
It would be more exciting to clean the room than this.
Faces swelling, vomiting blood, bones shattering.
I didn’t kill them to the point where it might cause trouble again, but.
Crunch.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
I grabbed the neck of the man called the boss, who was the last one standing, and broke his arm.
The man was used to pain, so even though his arm was broken, he didn’t let out a single breath, but that rather grated on my nerves.
I immediately put strength into my hand holding his neck and charged forward.
I thought I was going to slam him against the wall, but he tried to escape in a hurry.
Wouldn’t it bother my eyes to just slam him into the wall?
The glass shattered, and fragments scattered.
The curtain that had been hanging was torn off, and the sunlight from outside poured into the room where only a faint light had been flowing.
Crunch.
“Aaaargh!”
“S-Someone fell!”
There seemed to be a commotion outside due to the boss falling out the window, but I didn’t bother to look down.
Clap clap clap clap.
Rough applause poured towards me.
Unlike the previous play stage, it was a simple and sparse cheer, but for Prince Oliver, it was nothing short of high praise.
“Excellent! Excellent! Beast! My lion! On the day I ascend to the throne, you will roar by my side!”
“Enough, just show them to me.”
“Ah! Yes! Of course!”
At the prince’s words, Priscilla took out a thick iron handcuff from the bag on the bed as if she had been waiting.
“Hold out your hands.”
They seemed to have prepared it in advance, judging that I might take some unexpected action if they let me meet them right away.
The anger that could melt my entire body surged up again in the emotion that had been somewhat vented while dealing with the Chokugen Faction members.
However, I judged that there was nothing I could do for now, so I held out my hands.
The iron handcuffs immediately restrained both of my hands.
“Go. It’s a reunion, so Priscilla, make sure to leave appropriately.”
“I understand.”
Leaving behind Prince Oliver, who was drinking wine with a satisfied smile, we headed to the hotel basement.
Of course, I thought we would go to a different location, but the hotel basement had guest rooms just like the upper floors.
However, instead of luxurious wooden doors, there were rough iron bars and rooms without any cheap furniture.
“A prison?”
“This hotel was made by renovating an old detention building. It has close ties with the royal family.”
Priscilla provided me with only the minimum information.
Following her echoing steps in the basement, I continued to follow her.
“I didn’t put them in multiple cells but detained them in the largest cell, so it will be easy for you to talk.”
“Just shut up.”
If I listened to Priscilla’s words any longer, I felt like I would lose control, but she was a very steadfast woman.
“Also, be careful with your words in front of His Highness in the future. I will instruct you on the basic courtesies and etiquette you should have when meeting His Highness.”
“You bi…….”
I almost blurted out a curse but managed to hold it back.
There was no benefit in getting on her nerves here.
“Here it is.”
Priscilla pointed to the largest cell with her hand.
“……”
But there were none of my starving or visibly exhausted friends.
The warmth of someone having been there was faintly felt, but the actual someone was not there.
“Huh?”
Even Priscilla’s expression distorted as if she didn’t understand the situation.
“Wait, this can’t be.”
Priscilla hurriedly tried to go and report to the prince but couldn’t.
She was hit in the abdomen, her waist bent, and she rolled on the prison floor.
“Haa……”
I let out a heavy breath.
I immediately struck the iron bars with my hand and started breaking the handcuffs.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The handcuffs were so sturdy that a few of the old iron bars couldn’t withstand and collapsed.
Crunch.
All the restraints that had bound the lion were severed.
“I’ll make it clear.”
I declared to Priscilla, who was still running away with a pained expression.
“Don’t do anything.”
During the fight with the Chokugen Faction, I had only slightly opened the dam.
I was still trying hard to suppress my surging intense emotions.
Just as the handcuffs that had wrapped around my wrists shattered and rolled on the prison floor, the numerous chains of patience within me crumbled into dust.
“Don’t run away.”
It’s futile.
“Don’t shed tears.”
That is also futile.
“Don’t kneel, don’t beg for your life, don’t hide.”
Any struggle will not serve its purpose.
“Even my handful of mercy has missed you today.”
[T/N: HOLY FUCKING SHIT LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO]
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Ayo, what a horrible cliffhanger to leave us on…