"It'll be fine." Sen's voice was small but firm. "As much as you are greedy, you will endure it. That's what it means to dream of being an emperor."
…I was talking about Kyle, and she was worried about Belial.
She pretended to be calm, but in fact, she must have been upset too. Given the situation, he had left the banquet hall with Belial, but he must have wanted to be with him. Sen's eyes told me so. The same went for her nervously curled fists and the occasional backward glance. However, Sen didn't really want to find out. I wasn't the kind of person to force the other person to reveal what they wanted to hide.
We took a few more steps in awkward silence.
"Let's go to my room quickly. If you join the Blake Knights nearby, His Highness Kyle will be coming here in no time. There is not much left."
"Yes, that would be nice. Can I borrow some of your clothes? It's very uncomfortable to move around in a dress."
"Yes, and…"
Rustling.
The sound of moving bushes echoed over Sen's shoulder as she limped on. It wasn't just a sound caused by the wind.
"When you get the signal, run straight away."
"…Shu?"
"I can go straight back to the hamster, I'll take some time, so don't look back."
If I had been lurking here, I might have been the target. Then it's a good thing. I had the means to escape, and in the meantime, Sen could flee to the palace. Lorenz seemed to want to reduce not only Belial's power but also Kyle's power if given the chance. He was legitimate, but without any authority, he seemed to be trying to gain his footing by undermining his opponents.
"Everyone has been caught, but please stop coming out!" I shouted, pushing Sen hard in the direction of the palace.
She recognized the signal and ran without looking back, and I looked at the bushes swaying even louder than before, trying to calm her fears. Only three people showed up. Perhaps it was just a reserve who was looking for an opportunity, but their lives weren't great. Perhaps he looked down on them because he didn't know how to handle a sword.
Actually, a couple of people is enough.
Still, I didn't feel nervous or anxious because I had a corner of faith in it.
"Why do you want to kill me? After all, if you go up to the North, you will hardly come back down."
Is that all? If things go well, I'll go back to where I lived. Who will become emperor? If Kyle doesn't die, that's enough.
"They told me to capture them alive."
Was the purpose kidnapping? One more drink.
Perhaps he thought I was Kyle's weakness and planned to use me to control him. It was exactly what Lorenz thought. It was quite a cowardly method, but if it succeeded, it might have been a valid strategy. If I was arrested, Kyle would definitely not stand still.
"You will never be able to catch me, but it's a pity. If you can't take him, the Prince will be suspicious, right?"
I chuckled, and the soldiers frowned.
"Do you think you can escape from us?"
"You looked like a fool!"
It's ridiculous! Even if you don't usually exercise and don't have muscles! It's not like I'm weak!
But I grinned rather than getting angry. "You didn't say that the Prince didn't do it?" Looking at the way they used their heads, they couldn't be close associates, and they were probably just people who would be on their own if I ran away. By the way, it seemed that they were going to make a pretty big move. I was going to get even more tired in the future.
"What are you waiting for? All you need is your life, so grab them and drag them away!"
I looked down at my tailcoat with a distraught expression. Kyle matched it, but I was worried about leaving it behind. I wondered if I would have time to pick it up again later. Of course, the thought didn't last long. Those with drawn swords approached me with a threatening force.
And.
"Shu!"
Kyle's voice could be heard in the distance. Apparently, he was worried about me, so he sorted it out as soon as possible and followed me.
Unlucky and dirty…
Are you coming right now? I wanted to avoid a situation that could be considered more suspicious here.
However, there was no way. When they saw Kyle appear, they quickly pointed their swords at me. Maybe he thought it might be a big deal if he did it, but I felt him stop.
"See you later, Your Highness."
I didn't miss the opportunity. I didn't want Kyle to get hurt by dragging out my time here. As determined as he was to save him, he wanted to at least avoid being held back by him.
Soon, the moment the sword that stabbed in a straight line touched my hair.
['Load' will be unlocked.]
I glanced at Kyle through the white light, and he seemed to be looking at me with a bewildered and somewhat desperate gaze.
It disappeared again. And that's right in front of me. It wasn't the first time I faced a situation that was difficult to understand. Shu often casually did things that he didn't understand.
"Not only did no one borrow a carriage, but no one borrowed a horse to go to Hwangseong."
"There was no young man named Shu in that village."
'Your Highness. The day you arrived at the Imperial City. There was a strange rumor at the top of the castanets. Have you heard of it? A pervert in a strawberry sweater came and went to pick up the goods. The branch that said he left his clothes and money bag, but the thing left…'
'Where on earth is the Demon Matheist sleeping? He has never been in the room at night.'
There were a few oddities, but Shu was always on my side. Kyle believed in his sincerity. I believed in his existence in front of me more than in the questions that followed. But when he realized where his suspiciousness was pointing, Kyle was confused for the first time.
…No way.
The suspicion that blossomed in this way led him to various assumptions. It was the worst move imaginable, and then it was the one that could be passed off with laughter.
"…"
Kyle picked up the clothes that had fallen to the floor. Pondering something, he stepped forward, shoving away the sprawling men. There was something more important than being suspicious of Shu. I had to make sure he was safe.
As soon as I got back to the hamster, I called the nut shop. Fortunately, the new product prepared by the system had arrived.
I worked hard.
It seems quite useful.
NEW! [Gentle ointment in walnut shells | Uses 3% miracle value | Makes sure any wound is clear!] NEW! [Pine nuts painkiller cape gammal | Miracle level consumes 1% | 20 minutes without feeling any pain.]
Sen didn't have the energy to change his clothes, so he was leaning against the wall of my room, slowly pouring water over his injured leg and wiping it off with a handkerchief. He frowned as if he was in pain.
…Taking painkillers doesn't mean everything.
It may leave scars, so ointment is good. I waddled over to Sen with a walnut the size of mine, or rather, a soft ointment in the walnut shell.
"Shu?"
―Take. (Wait.)
I wrote a miracle figure of 3 percent, but it's really the size of a walnut. If there is no medicinal effect, know how not to leave it alone.
I twisted the walnut shell in half, pulled it out, and dipped my arm in the translucent ointment. Then he climbed onto Sen's lap and began to apply ointment to the wound.
"Where did you get this?"
―Gee. (It's a trade secret.)
"I don't know if you say that, Shu."
―Shoot. (Then stay still.)
I dipped my hands in the ointment and began to diligently poke over the cut. A smile appeared on Sen's tired face. I tried to dissuade myself from doing it, but it seemed cute to see me diligently going back and forth.
"But I escaped well, thank goodness. Where did you get hurt?"
―Crack. (No, there isn't.)
"Your Highness Kyle is coming, right?"
―Taken. (Maybe soon.)
Oh, I see. Kyle might come in, so I have to stay back home.
After confirming that I had applied ointment evenly to the wound, I put the walnut shells in Sen's hand. Since the work wasn't done yet, I thought it would be better to give it to her. Fortunately, the effect of the ointment I bought by consuming 3 percent of the miracle level was quite good. The wound, which had been oozing blood little by little, began to heal as if it had never been before. It will probably take a little more time to heal completely, but it's much better than waiting for herbs to heal.
"The wound is healing…" Sen muttered in surprise and lifted me up.
"Shu, you're amazing! Is this also magic? Like you're a hamster?"
―Shoot. (Let go, I have to go in.)
"The more I know about you, the more amazing you are. Am I dreaming right now? No? It's amazing no matter how you look at it."
―Chiik. (You're the only one who admires you, I have to go in before Kyle comes in!)
"Do you have any more ointments? If you sell this, you can really get rich…"
Then, the door swung open without knocking.
―Chii… (It's ruined…)
Kyle was looking at me and Sen. His hair was unkempt, his clothes were torn in places, and he was breathing heavily while holding a sword dripping with blood… He was like a ghost fresh out of hell. It's really not a joke. It sent chills down my spine.
Kyle stared at Sen and me and then spoke. "Where's Shu?"
"Huh… That's…"
That look is not something you can just pass over. His eyes were half-confident. A question that everyone knows is here.
Oh.
It's coming. Even though it was something he was preparing for, he felt a chill down his spine.