Chapter 93

“Bring me over.”

At Shion’s words, Amethus obeyed.

The Reclusive Prince who would be his new master couldn’t move a single finger, yet he had a strange sense of dignity.

Amethus grabbed him by the shoulder and hoisted him onto his back.

“Forgive me, Your Highness.”

“I told you not to call me Your Highness.”

“As you wish. Then… hmm…”

The jade-eyed man fell into thought for a moment.

He was choosing an appropriate word to address Shion.

“…Your Majesty?”

“Am I the Emperor?”

Shion was dumbfounded.

How could that have been his carefully considered answer?

“I guess we need to settle the titles first.”

He looked out at the distant sky.

With a conviction in the sun that would rise again.

With a belief that he would make it happen.

“We have a lot of work to do, Amethus. It starts now.”

“Yes, it seems so.”

“Where are my two subordinates?”

“They should be on the small rocky island up ahead.”

“Good.”

Amethus glanced at Shion’s face.

This prince of many secrets had readily promised to make Shadi and Ubias his companions.

It was a bit unexpected, but for some reason, it felt trustworthy.

He told lies and had many secrets.

But he would not break a promise.

Look at him now, hadn't he easily entrusted his helpless body to him?

“You’re light, Your Highness.”

“If my heart is heavy, my body should at least be light.”

“A wise saying.”

“Hmph.”

The island of Arete was a complete mess.

The dense trees and grass that had been untouched by human hands for so long had all evaporated, leaving only soot behind from the Breath of Light’s heat.

The old Aretion citadel and other buildings were also shattered by the Hunchback’s rampage.

The jade-eyed man carried Shion and left the island.

His ancestors’ island, he would return someday.

No, he had to return and he would build it up again, the Aretion family’s island.

It was still a distant task, but it would happen.

They crossed the night sea.

The Hill of Storms and the Thorn Wave were gone.

Numerous reefs were also sinking deep beneath the surface.

The Diviner Amethus leaped effortlessly.

His steps were lighter than when he had entered the island. He soon found a small rowboat.

“The boat Your Highness came in is intact. Let’s go. Zionis… no, uh, hmm…”

“Shion.”

The Reclusive Prince chuckled.

“Shion is fine.”

***

The night sea was exceptionally dark.

Was it because the Breath of Light, the incarnation of sunlight, had lost his life?

But it was not difficult to find the rocky island.

All he had to do was follow the lamp light.

Soon, a man standing on the rocky island was visible.

It was Ubias Uterbeum.

Amethus slowly steered the boat, flashing the magic lamp.

It was a signal for the Security Bureau’s Special Operations Unit members to identify each other.

Amethus docked the boat and carefully laid Shion down on the rocky island.

Then, he approached the subordinate who had been waiting for him.

“Ubias.”

“Captain Amethus…”

The jade-eyed man smiled.

“…Haha, I don’t know where to begin to explain.”

The smile on Amethus’s face, revealed in the flickering lamp light, was unusually human and so, Ubias felt a strange sensation.

It was because he had never seen Amethus smile this way before.

“First, pay your respects to His Highness.”

“I told you not to call me Your Highness.”

“Shouldn’t you be doing so now?”

Watching Shion and Amethus bicker, Ubias muttered blankly.

“…His Highness?”

Ubias’s face was ashen.

He was so surprised.

Amethus seemed to understand his feelings and smiled even more deeply.

“Yes, the 5th Prince, Zionis.”

“…Prince Zionis?”

His voice was a whisper of intense shock.

“…Wasn’t he dead?”

“That’s what I thought, too. But he was alive. I’m sorry for keeping it a secret until now; I wasn't certain.”

The jade-eyed man's face held the stirrings of emotion.

A feeling that could be called hope.

It was vivid even in the middle of the night sea.

Ubias’s face grew even paler.

Amethus spoke to him as if to soothe him.

“A lot has happened on the island of Arete. And I have decided to follow His Highness to the west. Will you come with me, Ubias Uterbeum?”

“…My God.”

It was surprising for a Cordian to mention a God.

Amethus could understand that feeling.

“You have every right to be bewildered. But can you still trust me? I'll explain everything gradually. I need you and Shadi.”

“…”

“By the way, is Shadi asleep? I don't see her.”

“…Captain Amethus.”

Ubias’s face seemed to be melting away.

His cheeks looked like mud from emotions he couldn't put into words.

Amethus couldn't help but ask his subordinate, who had instantly lost his vitality.

“Ubias, what’s wrong…?”

Another intuition swelled up.

It was a feeling named anxiety that squeezed his chest.

Ubias’s face seemed to be melting away even more.

It was so similar to the state of the wretched ‘Hunchback’ when he screamed.

“Captain, I, I, I… I…”

“?”

“I… I…”

Ubias finally collapsed.

He missed his footing on the uneven rocky ground, and his palm was torn open.

It was a wound that would soon start bleeding, yet Ubias only stammered.

The anxiety intensified.

“…Ubias?”

He asked his subordinate, who was kneeling.

No answer came. I, I, I… His muttering just drifted vainly over the night sea.

In the darkness, a quiet chuckle was heard. It was Shion’s.

“Amethus.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“That's Your Highness again…”

Shion wanted to shake his head, but his body wouldn't move, so he clicked his tongue softly and continued.

“May I give you your first command?”

“Anything.”

“Good attitude.”

The Reclusive Prince raised his eyes.

Even in the darkness, it was clear where his gaze was directed.

Shion stared intently at Ubias, the man who was sitting dazed and confused.

“Kill him.”

***

“…Pardon?”

Amethus’s gaze dropped in a hurry.

Shion, who was lying down, was smiling.

It was the smile of a man of secrets, but there was no hint of a joke.

He urged him on.

“What are you doing? I commanded you to kill him.”

“…He’s my subordinate.”

“I know. Ubias Uterbeum, isn’t he? The subordinate of the current Special Operations Unit captain.”

Shion already knew Ubias.

It was a name he had heard of even before the regression.

He knew and yet he still ordered him to be killed.

“…You said you would take him on as a subordinate, Your Highness.”

“Exactly. If he is to be my subordinate, the right to his life and death belongs to me. Hurry and kill him.”

“A reason…”

It was a command he couldn't understand, so he had no choice but to ask again.

“…Can I not hear the reason?”

“I’ll tell you after you kill him.”

Shion did not hesitate.

“And I guarantee you’ll be convinced once you hear it.”

“…”

Amethus placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

But he couldn't bring himself to draw it.

His jade eyes sank deeply.

Was Shion serious?

Yes, he was.

Then should he really kill Ubias?

He had no choice but to agonize.

The torment he thought had subsided rose again.

His confused head ached at the temples.

Shion sneered.

“Are you going to refuse my first command?”

“No matter what…”

“No matter what? Was your sworn loyalty based on the idea of only listening to the commands you want?”

The Reclusive Prince’s voice was almost heartless.

“I clearly gave you an order. You’re not going to pretend you didn’t hear it, Amethus!”

A thunderous roar erupted.

“A master has no obligation to make himself understood!”

In stark contrast to his helpless, supine state, he had a spirit that resonated to his very core.

He couldn’t help but be impressed, thinking, "Is this truly a descendant of Continua the Great?"

“Prove your loyalty! If you refuse, cut off my neck while I’m lying here and take it to Ferbias!”

“…”

The silence was long.

It was a cruel command.

In just a little over a day, he had been forced to make too many choices.

He thought his tormented heart could finally heal, that he could finally catch his breath.

Chewing on his torment, he drew his double-edged sword anyway.

The sound of it sliding out was chilling.

“What, what is happening…”

The hand holding the sword trembled.

Even in front of the Breath of Light, even when he heard his family’s secret, the hand holding the sword had not trembled.

But now, the tip of his sword trembled like an aspen leaf, not knowing where to go.

“…Are you going to kill me?”

Ubias’s behavior was also strange.

Even though he heard them talking, he didn’t move.

Even in the middle of the night sea on a rocky island, he didn't even try to defend himself.

Instead, he just sat there, tears streaming down his face.

“Are you going to kill me, Captain Amethus…?”

“…”

“…I see.”

Silence was the answer.

Ubias slowly moved his body and knelt.

Then he stretched his neck out and managed to pull up the corners of his mouth.

He smiled with an inexpressibly strange and sad face.

“Do as you… wish, Captain…”

Blood flowed from Amethus’s bitten lip.

He regretted it.

To have to kill his subordinate to prove his loyalty.

Was he only capable of that?

But his loyalty had already been sworn.

“…I’m sorry.”

He raised his double-edged sword.

It was so well-maintained that its blade was a sharp, stark blue.

“…Captain Shadi was right.”

Ubias muttered.

“I should have trusted Captain Amethus…”

Then, silence fell.

***

Ubias’s head rolled on the ground.

His headless body began to fall forward, but Amethus caught him and laid him down.

He very carefully laid down the body of the subordinate whose life he had taken.

“…I have followed your command.”

He spoke, suppressing his immense grief.

“Now, are you satisfied… Your Highness?”

“Hmm, I have a bitter taste in my mouth.”

“…If that’s the case, why?!”

A righteous anger swelled up.

Shion, lying there, frowned.

“Oh. You might just kill me. Are you going to be like this from the very beginning?”

“…No.”

“I’m not trying to mock you, so sheathe your sword. This is the explanation part now.”

Shion continued.

“I’ll tell you why he had to die.”

He gave a small nod.

With all his might, he was able to move his head slightly.

“Search Ubias’s clothes.”

“…”

Amethus searched Ubias’s clothes.

Befitting a Special Operations Unit member, there were numerous small tools and weapons, but nothing seemed out of place.

Amethus’s hand stopped at Ubias’s armpit.

A strange texture, a secret pouch to hide important items.

It was locked with magic, but he twisted it open with brute force.

A small, square magic tool and a few folded papers came out.

“What did you find?”

“…A communication tool and a confidential document printed with it.”

“It looks like the 3rd type of cipher used by the Special Operations Unit, doesn’t it?”

“…It appears so.”

“But you would have recognized it, right? That it’s actually a Vercian cipher disguised as the 3rd type of cipher. It’s the kind used by the Imperial family.”

“…Yes.”

There was no way he wouldn’t know.

Amethus was the right-hand man of the 1st Prince, Ferbias, and the former captain of the Imperial Security Bureau’s Special Operations Unit.

Shion twisted the corner of his mouth.

“Why would a document with an Imperial family cipher be in Ubias’s pocket?”

“…”

“Shall I even guess what the document says?”

Even though he was drained and lying down, his tongue was remarkably sharp.

“Amethus is of the Aretion family, so block his access to the island of Arete. The Imperial family has never granted him permission! He is a criminal who used lies to move the Special Operations Unit, so you must kill him if you can’t prevent him from entering the island of Arete! In the name of the next Emperor, Ferbias Caseptus!”

“…”

The silence was long.

The content of the document was very similar to Shion’s words.

However, the slightly different part was that the document's expressions were even more brutal and cruel.

The command was given in the name of Ferbias Caseptus and it felt like his heart was being torn apart again.

“Ubias Ubias Uterbeum, a pawn the Imperial family planted in the Special Operations Unit. He must have been relaying your every move.”

“…”

“I was worried he might have told them I was alive, but it seems that was a groundless fear.”

He was relieved when he saw Ubias’s shocked reaction to the name Zionis.

He almost had to completely revise his plan.

“He must have kept his mouth shut, thankfully.”

“…Why, no, how…”

“Oh. Don’t be shocked just yet. That’s not a good enough reason to kill him. Are you seeing me as too cruel?”

I’m a human who knows the value of life too.

“Is there something else there? Something about the size of a person.”

“…Something is wrapped in a blanket.”

“That’s it. Open it quickly. It'll be better for you.”

The jade-eyed man trembled.

He had experienced too much in one day.

His damned intuition whispered the answer again.

A bundle the size of a person, and a person who wasn't visible, someone who was more precious than anyone else even though he hadn't spoken of her…

“Ah…”

A gasp.

“…Shadi?”

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