ã€ŠThe Third Princeã€‹


 The Tales that Began Hereafter

    In the tallest tower of a castle, there sat a child of about four or five by the windowsill.  His feet flailing, he looked down upon the entire town surrounding the majestic castle.  Though his tiny eyes could not see in details the world below him, he could still piece some things from the lively bustles here and there.  Being just some minutes after noon, the sun at its glory, yet the liveliness of the people around the castle reflects on how well the kingdom treats its people.  The child continued to gaze in deep thought.

    ¡°Prince!  Third prince!¡±

    A female in her late teens called loudly which caused a momentary frown on the child¡¯s face.  The child, the kingdom¡¯s third prince, turned his body to look at the person who distracted his thoughts.

    ¡°What is it, Yulia?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always told you not to sit there!  What if you fall down?  It will be me who will be in big trouble!¡±

    The child looked at the normal-looking face of the maid in front of him.  Although from the way the maid talk you would think that they¡¯ve been together for quite some time, but the truth was that the maid just began serving the young child 2 months ago.  Or more like, the young child picked her to serve him.

    ¡°And did I not always comply whenever you told me to?¡±

    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t really care where you go or whatever happens to you as long as I¡¯m not responsible for it, but you just have to make things hard for me!¡±

    The child just smiled innocently as he got off the window and walked towards his only servant.  He never thought badly of the maid¡¯s words which could very easily get her executed but instead smile upon hearing it.  Though her words were very harsh for a young child like him, a prince to boot, she was the only one who he could converse with.  The most of the castle treating his existence like the air.

    As the third prince of a mighty kingdom, even though he was not next in line for the throne, his value should have been high.  Countless nobles should have been proposing their daughters for him to take their hands from all around the kingdom.  But alas, his very existence was something to frown upon and could just really cause embarrassment to the whole royal family as all the people around him said.

    ¡°Ugh, where are we going now?  You understand it¡¯s not easy for a frail girl like me to walk around the castle for too long, right?  You hear me, right?¡±

    The child continued to walk down the stairs of the tower, his next destination already set in his mind.  He continued to ignore the complaining girl following behind him and exited the tallest tower.

    ¡°Third prince, can¡¯t we just rest now?  We¡¯ve been walking for a full ten minutes now!  My beautiful legs can¡¯t take it anymore!¡±

    The child turned around to give a look at the not-so-beautiful legs of the maid following him.  He then looked at her eyes and let out a mocking smile as he turned around once more and continued walking.  The maid following him couldn¡¯t do anything but stomp her feet in frustration as she walked towards her young master.  The sight of a grumpy maid walking behind a young child had already been a common happenstance in the palace, though the fact that the existence of the young child was not acknowledge was still present.

    ¡°Yulia, let¡¯s rest there.¡±

    The child pointed towards a small stone bench that was shaded by an apple tree.  This easily unnoticeable place had been the young child¡¯s favourite resting spot ever since he learned to walk and go on various places.  He loved how it¡¯s a place not disturbed by anyone else.  He¡¯s also fond of the thought that its circumstances resembled him a lot.

    Happy that her rest finally came, the maid dashed towards the stone bench faster than the one she serves.  The child could only smile at the ¡°unmaidly¡± display of his maid.  His pace was normal for a young child as he reached the bench.

    ¡°Yulia.¡±

    ¡°What is it?  Please don¡¯t disturb my well-deserved rest!¡±

    ¡°I just want to tell you that an apple is going to fall on your head right about now.¡±

    The maid¡¯s eyes widened as she immediately moved away from her relaxed posture on the bench.  Seeing her unscrupulous behaviour earned her a laugh from the young child.  She then heard a ¡®thud¡¯ sound as an apple mercilessly fell on the place she was sitting on earlier.  She turned to look at her master who was still laughing at her actions but couldn¡¯t get mad at him for he just saved her.  This just made her grumpier as she puffed her cheeks as if it was stuffed full inside.

    It was only after some minutes that the laughing sound stopped.  The young child, with some tears left from his laughter, picked up the slightly smashed apple.  He then proceeded to eat it without even washing it.

    ¡°This tastes good.  Have some.¡±

    He tossed the smashed apple to the still grumpy maid near him.  The maid caught the apple in her hands but her expression turned sourly as the apple was already smashed and only some parts of it were still edible.  She looked at the child with frown but as the child just smiled and nodded his head to her, she reluctantly brought the apple to her mouth.

    ¡°Tasty, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The maid did not reply as she was busy eating her fill.  The child smiled warmly.  And the birds continued to chirp and play around the tree.

    Half an hour had passed since they started to laze under the apple tree after the fallen apple was consumed.  Drowsiness was obviously present in the maid¡¯s eyes while the child only had calmness and tranquillity in his.  He just continued to silently gaze on the other trees and the various animals that could be seen on them.

    That was when a trumpet loudly sounded throughout the whole castle and the city around it.

    ¡°Yulia, wake up.  It¡¯s time to welcome my newest sibling.¡±

    The maid was still sleepy so he began to shook her shoulders but to no avail.

    ¡°No choice then.¡±

    The child trotted closer to the maid as he positioned his mouth next to her ears.  He inhaled for a moment before shouting.

    ¡°The king has arrived!¡±

    ¡°Y-your majesty!  I¡¯m not sleeping!¡±

    The maid stood up quickly to her feet as she straightened her back and corrected her posture.  There was nervousness on her face and some beads of sweat started appearing all throughout her body.  That lasted for a full ten seconds before she realized that the king really wasn¡¯t there.  She looked around her until she spotted the mischievous look on the third prince¡¯s face.

    ¡°You!  What¡¯s that for?!¡±

    Her face was red, teeming with anger, as she approached the still smiling child and knock his head hard.  From the first time she met the child three months ago up to now, all the child did was to disturb her or to make her mad.  There really was no joy when she was assigned as the personal maid of the child because of all those incidents.  It may seem ridiculous or silly for anyone but for the first time they met, she could only treat the child normally as she treated anyone else.  She paid no mind to the various ridicules and sneers the other servants in the palace made to her as she was assigned to the ¡°useless¡± and ¡°stupid¡± third prince.  The only little happiness she experienced was that there was no more need for her to do those tiring chores that most maids do.

    ¡°Come, Yulia.  Let¡¯s welcome my newest sibling.¡±

    The child turned around and started to walk.  The maid readily followed him, albeit her dissatisfied expression.

    ¡°Will I have another younger sister or perhaps a younger brother this time?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡±

    ¡°Will my newest sibling be amazing like my other siblings?¡±

    ¡°How could I know?¡±

    Whenever the child conversed with the maid, the usual answers he got were disinterested replies but that was fine for him.  He was even happy with that.  He never really got to talk or hold a conversation to other people aside from this maid.  He had a younger sister but she could still not speak or understand much of what he was talking about so this maid of his was really all he got, either as a servant, a friend, or a family.

    ¡®At least let me keep my selfishness for taking you away.¡¯

    The child knew that the maid didn¡¯t really especially want to serve him or anything.  In fact, he always made her mad.  He was aware of it all but he still wanted to at least stay selfish and stubborn about this one thing.  Or else he knew that the world would just turn colourless.

    The tandem of the ignored child and grumpy maid strode along the castle halls.  Their destination was the queen¡¯s chamber at the deepest and safest place in the castle next to the king¡¯s chamber.  They passed by various servants and nobles who brought with them unique and interesting gifts but no one paid attention to the two.

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    ¡°Is the new child like the first prince?  Will the new child also be infused with bravery and valour?¡±

    ¡°What if the child¡¯s like the second prince famous for his adept mind and profound wisdom?  Just one look at his eyes and you will see his brimming intelligence!¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t forget the cute first princess and her high aptitude for magic!¡±

    Talks like this could be heard from around the place the two were walking on.  The place was, after all, the waiting room assigned for this joyous day where the nobles and people from prestigious families gather to witness the birth of the king¡¯s child.  The room was fairly large and if you add the countless people gathered inside, it would be very hard to press on towards the queen¡¯s chamber so easily.  Without wanting to, one would certainly bump into a noble or another.

    The third prince was still smiling as he walked amidst the nobles.  He couldn¡¯t contain his excitement in his heart and wanted to get there as soon as possible but the sheer number of people would always stop him from doing so.  Still, he tried his best to get there even a second faster.

    ¡°Will the new child be another genius like the others?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for sure!  That¡¯s for sure!  Aren¡¯t all their children so talented and blessed?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting someone?  Isn¡¯t there a third prince somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Bah!  You dare bring up the useless and stupid third prince!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!  What if because of your words, the newborn would become stupid like the third!  You and your cursed tongue!¡±

    This conversation happened as the third prince passed by.  With how loud the nobles were talking, it was impossible for the young child to not hear it.  But instead of getting mad or doing anything, he just decided to not mind it as there was something he wanted to do.  Not that minding it will do anything.

    And so, he pressed on tightly holding the hands of his maid.  It wasn¡¯t because he was filled with burning emotions.  On the contrary, his mind and heart was calm and only excited about seeing his youngest sibling.  The reason for the tightly held hands was to restrain his maid.  The brows of her previously disinterested face twitched so often as they passed by other people.

    ¡°Yulia.¡±

    While still walking, the child looked back to face his maid.  Displayed on his face was a childish smile and on his eyes was not an accusing one but a kind one.  The tone of his voice when he spoke her name wasn¡¯t reprimanding or commanding but one filled with warmth.  The maid had no choice but to drop whatever feelings were collecting inside her and just follow the young child in front of her.  Her heart slightly warmed by the little warm hand holding hers.

    Upon seeing the maid calming down, the child smiled brighter.  He did not want the only person who talked to him do any rash things.  He knew that just one word against those nobles and the maid¡¯s life would be over.  She may even suffer something worse than death and he would not allow that to happen.

    Walking for a minute or two more, the young child turned his look towards a door they were nearing to.  Beyond that door was a hallway leading to countless rooms designed for the royal family.  There were lots of empty rooms as the royal family only had a small number of members at the present.  The queen¡¯s chamber was on the farthest end next to the king¡¯s.  And of course, with the way the third prince was being treated, his room wasn¡¯t in here but somewhere else.

    ¡°Yulia, isn¡¯t this hallway great?  There are lots of paintings on the wall.¡±

    The maid did not answer as she looked at the child walking in front of her.  She may not care much about the young child, but she still had a heart.  She didn¡¯t really care for the circumstances of this young child but she still knew the loneliness behind the third prince¡¯s smiles and eyes.  Since she met him, he would always only stay on four places:  the highest tower, the royal library, the stone bench under the apple tree, and the first princess¡¯ room.  She may have been serving him for two months now but she still hadn¡¯t seen the child¡¯s room.  Exactly at six in the evening, he would always dismiss her from her daily duties.  She even thought before if the third prince even had a room but that thought was just too silly so she didn¡¯t bother more, never knowing that it was the truth she arrived at.

    ¡°Halt!¡±

    A few more steps before their destination, a man wearing well-suited armour stopped the two from their tracks.  The young child¡¯s eyes looked questioningly at the man while the maid just stood there in silence.

    ¡°Maids are not allowed past this place.  I¡¯ll be kind enough to let you go now but never harbour any more thoughts of going here.  Now, scram!¡±

    The man spoke to the maid and only to the maid, ignoring the young child¡¯s existence.  She narrowed her eyes as she stared at the guard but a tug at her maid¡¯s long skirt prevented her from doing so.  The young child shook his head twice, to the left and to the right, and then smiled at her.  As if nothing happened, the child turned his back to the man and started to walk away.  She was still rooted in her spot, hesitating a lot as to whether confront the man blocking the way or to follow her master.

    ¡°Want to do something fun, Yulia?¡±

    A very childish and innocent voice, yet very warm, spoke to the maid.  She hastily dispelled all her thoughts and just smiled at the young child some steps away from her.  With her being a lot taller than the young child, she easily caught up to him and began to follow his lead once again.

    The two walked and walked, ignoring everyone around them as the latter also ignored the two.  Eventually some cheers of a new genius and trumpets sounding off could be heard but they were already in a distance away from where it was happening so they just paid it no mind and continued to walk away.  They walked and walked until they reached the top of the tallest tower.  Lacking was the constant complains of the maid as silence enveloped the two during their walk.  One hoping for a better future for the just born sibling, and one hoping for a better future of a young child.

    The child proceeded to sit on the window again as the maid copied him and also sat next to him.  The sky was already turning into orange as the sun was slowly setting.  There were also some clouds drifting away, being blown by a gentle wind.  The gentle and fresh wind, also blowing towards the two and the birds in the sky flying towards their own home.

    A few minutes of silence had passed since they started to gaze at the scenery in front of them.  The maid was busily keeping her hair in place as the wind continued to flutter it.  The young child, without turning his head away in front of him, spoke with tranquillity.

    ¡°Yulia, this place is nice, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The maid only gave silence as an answer, allowing the young child to continue with his words.

    ¡°The people around are always smiling and happy.  You can hear the sounds of laughter from the children and from some adults even from here.  Fights are seldom and few and everyone is living in peace.  Various businesses are alive and many more are wanting to live in this place, as a testament to how great the ruling family is.¡±

    The child paused to take a look at the city under him.  His gaze sweeping around the place, as if enjoying his one last look at the place.  His heart at peace, as if accepting something within.  Satisfying himself with looking around, he turned his head to look at the person in front of him.  To the person who gave colour to his colourless world.

    ¡°Yulia, do you like this place?¡±

    The young child slowly spoke, the winds softly carrying his words.  There was sincerity and a bit of seriousness in his voice as he asked.  The maid was sure that what the child wanted to hear was a genuine answer coming from her real thoughts.  That was why she took a look at the city under her as she collected her thoughts.  It didn¡¯t last long though, as her honest thoughts were always too easy to find inside her heart.

    ¡°Yes, I like this place.  I love it.  Because I¡¯m able to stay at your side like this.¡±

    Her last sentence was something she said within her mind and was not conveyed through her lips.  She felt a little embarrassed at the thought of sending those words across.  But she already said the most important thing, which was that she loves this place and that was already enough.

    ¡°I see.  That¡¯s good, then.¡±

    The young child looked in front of him, as if hiding his eyes away from the maid¡¯s face.  He could not let the maid see the loneliness in his eyes.  He knew that if he were to see her reaction upon seeing that, his heart would waver.

 Buddy

    Several days after the birth of the fourth prince, the young third prince was called into the castle¡¯s throne room.  As the young child entered, he found some ministers by the side with other numerous nobles.  His father, the twentieth king of the Ascalia Kingdom, was seated perfectly on his embellished seat.  Next to the left of the king was his mother, the queen.  Two empty seats were to the right of the king, signifying the absence of his two older gifted brothers.

    As the young child looked at the eyes of the various people around him as he walked, he could clearly sense some seriousness with a hint of mockery on their eyes.  Some of them even sneered and jeered at the young child.  Clearly, not a bit of respect was shown towards the kingdom¡¯s third prince.

    Even though the child already expected this outcome, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of loneliness deep within him.  What person would not desire the love of others, more so his own family?  Still, the young child walked towards the king with a smile on his face.

    There were still some ten steps before the king when the men in armour wordlessly stopped him from his tracks.  Left without a choice, the young child kneeled and bowed his head towards the king.

    ¡°Hopeless son of mine, do you understand why I¡¯ve called you here today?¡±

    The king¡¯s voice was as kind and gentle, the way deeply loved by the people, though his words towards his blood were harsh.  Not a single person in the throne room raised an eyebrow as they were already used to such treatment of the useless and stupid third prince.

    ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡±

    More than half of the nobles let out their own laughter as the young child answered.  Mockeries and insults were instantly hurled towards the still kneeling child.

    ¡°Silence!¡±

    The room then turned quiet but the look of the nobles towards the young child still had not changed.  The king continued on with his words.

    ¡°We all know here that you are just replying without even understanding anything, hopeless son of mine.  If only you aren¡¯t engaged with the second princess of the Lanissia Kingdom then I would have already thrown you away!  The alliance resulting from your marriage is the only thing still keeping you alive so be thankful for that!¡±

    ¡°Dear, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too harsh?¡±

    The queen¡¯s serene and lovely voice echoed out.  It may have hinted some affection towards her son but just one brief look on the expression on her lovely and perfect face betrayed that fleeting thought.  Not one even imagining such lovely and perfect face could display such expressions.

    ¡°As if he understood one thing we said!¡±

    As the king and queen laugh, laughter soon erupted as they were followed by the many nobles inside.  Even the rigidly-faced guards couldn¡¯t help their own chuckles.  The young child was soon enveloped by the oppressing and mocking air of the room and could only continue to keep his head lowered as he kneeled.  His eyes weren¡¯t teary but his heart felt like it was being wringed out.

    But there was no hatred in his heart.  Not one speck of hatred for the people laughing on him.  If there was someone he should hate, it would be the ungifted him.  He already accepted that he was the most useless person to have been born in the countless years that their family has ruled.  He was just thankful that he was able to talk to and face his father and mother again, for only the third time in his life.

    Upon his birth, the highest court mage evaluated him to be unable to harness the mana around him to use magic.  The high priest also performed his divine test to the just born third prince but he could only sigh and shake his head as the heavens told about the third prince¡¯s mediocre potential and fate.  At knowing this, the cheerful and happy expressions of the people around him instantly changed and he was immediately handed over to some maids to care for him.

    Only the old maid he was handed to was silently weeping for the third prince¡¯s fate.  To be treated unjustly just because he was born normal unlike the two brothers that preceded him!  That was why she swore to take good care of the infant in her arms, loving him with all her might so that the child would not long for his parent¡¯s love.  But alas!  Such sad fate that she was executed a month later after voicing out her feelings for the child¡¯s unjust treatment!

    And so, there was a continuous change of old maids caring for the third prince until he reached the fourth year of his age.  It was then that he was left to fend off for himself.  From finding food up to finding the place of his own sleep, he did it all alone.  No, he was forced to do it alone as no one even dared or tried helping him.  He counted himself lucky as he still had some common-looking clothes given to him years ago and some small sum of coins for his yearly expense.  The coins were too much for the expense of one child but for an adult, it was too few.  Still, the young child learned to become thrifty and was able to save some coins for later use.  He did not know when the yearly sustenance for him would last so he could only save for the future, the stable and the storeroom becoming his sleeping place.

    He wasn¡¯t allowed to leave the castle walls.  He tried asking but was not only not given an answer, he was also ignored.  The whole castle at that point already knew at what treatment the third prince should deserve.  Confined as he was, one of the few places he found comfortable was the royal library.  Inside there, no one was able to throw him some mockeries and insults.  The royal library was, after all, a rarely visited place.  Only a few historians and especially allowed mages going inside to read.  For the third prince, it was a haven of treasure and knowledge.  It was also there that he spent most of his efforts and time, painstakingly learning how to read the kingdom¡¯s language after two months.  As free as his time was, he also learned various languages of the different races on the continent.  The already dying and dead languages also unable to escape from his hungry thirst for knowledge.

    With the royal library being pointlessly large, with books shelved everywhere, the third prince found his bit of sparse happiness.  Though there were a few languages he could not perfectly learn as the materials and sources were few, he already became satisfied enough.  It was because he only not learned about the language; he also learned some interesting history from them.  There were also not a few exciting stories from the books he chose to read.  He was in bliss as he found the answers from the books he read like how a kingdom was formed and destroyed, how a certain law came to be, and how to successfully manage your own people.

    He was only just a tad bit sad that there would not be a chance for him to apply this knowledge as he was not fit to rule.  He did not have the outstanding bravery and martial spirit of his eldest brother nor did he have the wits and wisdom of his second brother.  The young third prince never felt envy, instead he felt proud of his older brothers.  He was too amazed at how developed and formidable his older brothers should be as they were heralded as geniuses in their own fields.

    Time passed by like that, as it was already the time when the young third prince was called.  He still had his head lowered, enjoying and treasuring every second that he was able to be in front of his parents that were well-loved by the people.  As a member of the royal family, he also had a tiny wish to be able to make the people happy, not just the kingdom he was born in but also the other kingdoms, empires, and numerous tribes on the continent.  Just his only tiny and earnest wish.

    ¡°My useless sons, I now order you to manage our lands in the north.  There you will spend the rest of your time until you are called.  And when I say our lands in the north, I¡¯m referring to the tiny little villages there.¡±

    ¡°Dear, there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll understand any words you told him.¡±

    A friendly and innocent laugh sounded out from the queen¡¯s sweet lips as she reprimanded her king.

    ¡°Ah, my queen, it was my bad.  Now, useless son of mine, just take this scroll with you and follow the guards.  Be off now, scram!¡±

    ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡±

    The young child raised his lowered head and looked deeply at the king and queen in front of him.  He was savouring the one last look of his parents, already knowing that the possibility of them meeting again was never high.  After satisfying himself for a full five seconds, he raised his body up and turned around.  Two men in armour stood before him and urged him to follow them to which he did so.

    ¡°Can he even read what¡¯s written on that scroll?  Won¡¯t it be just taken from him easily?¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha!  You¡¯re right!¡±

    ¡°Are you hinting about something there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to your imagination!¡±

    ¡°¡±¡±Hahaha!¡±¡±¡±

    As he exited the throne room, he was once again attacked by the mockeries and insults of the nobles around him.  He did not pay them any mind as he was already clutching something important in his hand.  It was the first time his parents expected something from him and even gave him a task to do!  It was never enough to just describe what he was feeling with the word ¡®excitement¡¯.  Even though it was very clear for him that the reason for being sent away wasn¡¯t because of them holding any expectations from him.  Still, he was just happy about that.

    But first, he needed to do something first.  Something that would certainly result in an indelible scar in his heart.  This was something he had to do even if it was something he would never want to.  He already heard her answer of loving this place so how could he, in his heart, bear to separate her and this place.  It was his selfishness that bound her to him so it was also in his selfishness that he would have to bear such pain and sadness of separation in his heart.  He already knew all too well that this kind of thing would eventually happen.

    ¡®Can I bear to move along this colourless world alone?¡¯

    A question that had left him baffled.  It was a question whose answer he would never find in any book.  It was up to him to find the answer to that all for himself.  And he had a duty to fulfil.  There was only the choice to bury that question deep inside him as he would complete the task given to him.

    The two armoured men and the young child continued their walk for ten minutes now.  As the men¡¯s strides were too wide, the young child could only run with his tiny body to follow their steps.

    ¡°What should we do about the guards?¡±

    ¡°His Majesty only told us to think of it ourselves.¡±

    ¡°You know that we really shouldn¡¯t waste any of our men just for this kind of thing.  True, we¡¯re not at war at the moment but if a war somehow breaks out, we¡¯ll need every single one of our men.¡±

    ¡°True, let¡¯s just pick up some squires then.  As long as we fulfil the guards¡¯ quota then it¡¯ll be enough.¡±

    ¡°Wise decision, my sir knight captain.¡±

    It may seem too harsh to think that they were talking of something like this with the young child just behind them but for the child, he already counted himself lucky.  He had thought that he had to make the travel all by himself and now that he learned that some other people will join him, then that was all for the better.  No knights may accompany him but he was already fine with the squires.

    With a smile on his face, the young child continued to follow the two men until they reached the training grounds in the castle.  There were numerous straw dolls tied up to a stick on one side while the other side had the marks needed for the practice of archery.  No horses were present because the training for horseback riding and horseback fighting was done on the wide plains outside the castle and the city.  In here, the knights and squires were trained for sword and bow handling.

    The third prince¡¯s eyes were all around the place as he excitedly viewed the people training here.  It was his first time in this place as he was not allowed before to even come near here.  That was why he was making full use of the limited time he would be given to burn everything in his eyes.

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    Of the people in the training grounds, there were some who wore their respective armours but there were more who were just wearing their basic attires.  On the side with the straw dolls, the males of varying ages from as young as seven to as old as in the thirties were forcefully hitting with their wooden swords.  Each of them was already drenched in sweat but they still persisted as they continued to hit with all their might, believing with every strength they¡¯re gaining from doing so.  Needless to say, the strikes of the younger ones were all too lacking with the strength or finesse of their older counterparts and the lack of skills were much evident but they¡¯re trying to compensate it with the liveliness and feeling of achievement which was rarely found in the adults.  All in all, everyone was giving it their all with their pride and honour, either swearing to protect the kingdom, their family, loved ones, or their own selves.  All of them were the valued knights and future knights of this kingdom.

    On the other side was the archery range.  Like the side with the straw dolls, lots of men were notching arrows on the bows on their hands, aiming true straight to their desired targets.  As the knights feared by the neighbouring kingdoms, this kingdom¡¯s knights were well trained to handle the sword, the spear, and the bow.  All of the knights were expected to be expert with these weapons.  That was why being able to accurately aim for the target was a much desired skill for the up and coming knights.  All of the already established knights were already tested and proven in their excellence to handle these various weapons.  Whether on horseback or by foot, they should be able to demonstrate their might against all who stand against them and their king.  This was also the reason for the very large respect the established knights were getting from the kingdom¡¯s people.

    ¡°Stay here.¡±

    One of the two men briefly said towards the young child before they went inside a stone building.  The young child didn¡¯t really mind to be told to stay here, in fact, he even liked the idea.  He would be able to observe the happenings in the training grounds here rather than inside that stone building.  Still standing up, his gaze swept around the whole training ground.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    A childish voice could be heard from behind the young child.  He never turned around for he knew that the one being called by the voice wasn¡¯t him.  He was already too used by being ignored.  He just continued to stand around and look at the people training themselves.

    ¡°Hey I said!  Don¡¯t just ignore me!¡±

    It was the pulling of his clothes that distracted him from his concentration.  As the pulling would seemingly not end if he did not turn around, he reluctantly did so.  Although he was hiding his very surprised mind beneath his still ever calm and smiling face.

    In front of him was another child, perhaps two to three years older than he was.  On the boy¡¯s right hand was a wooden sword which was just perfect for his size.  The boy was also not wearing anything extravagant, only some plain clothes normally worn by the commoners.  On his face was a curious face as he looked at the third prince.

    ¡°Why are you not holding a sword?  Not going to train?  Come, there are many swords there!  Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The boy holding the sword excitedly tugged at the third prince¡¯s arm.  It was the first time for the third prince to meet a commoner child as he was confined inside the castle.  All he met were the servants, the guards, or the nobles.  Of course, all the children he met before were all nobles.  He was feeling curious and excited about meeting a commoner child but his feelings of bafflement overwhelmed him more.

    ¡®Why is this child not ignoring me?¡¯

    The young third prince thought for a few seconds as he concentrated on his thoughts.

    ¡®Ah, he still did not know I¡¯m the third prince.¡¯

    ¡°I am told to stay here and so I will.¡±

    The boy holding the wooden sword frowned and looked down after hearing the third prince¡¯s words.  Feeling a tinge in his heart, the prince immediately followed up on his words.

    ¡°Though I would very much like to see how well you do with your sword there.¡±

    ¡°Really?!  Really?!  I¡¯ll show you how good I am!  You speak funny though but let¡¯s be friends!¡±

    The boy¡¯s face lighted up as fast as he became down earlier, making his earlier frowning expression seem as if it did not even happen.  The smile of the boy was very bright and full of excitement and happiness of meeting a new friend.  The third prince could only smile wryly as he knew that they would have to exchange their names and the boy would find out his identity.  It may result in him being ostracized again but he did not very much like to lie about him to this new friend of his.  Though young, he already knew the value of honesty and trust.

    ¡°I am the third prince of this kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Wow!  Really?!  Really?!  That¡¯s wow!  I am Lark!¡±

    The boy shook the young child¡¯s hands as soon as their greeting ended which baffled the third prince.  He could not help but to widen his eyes at the supposedly sudden change of the boy in front of him which never happened.

    ¡®Is he still uninformed about my situation by the adults around him?  Is it because he¡¯s a commoner¡¯s and not a noble¡¯s child?  What is the difference between the two?¡¯

    ¡°Now watch me as I strike the evil down with this sword!  I¡¯ll be a hero and I¡¯ll destroy all evil!¡±

    The boy pointed his sword towards a not so far straw doll whose height was perfect for someone of the boy¡¯s physique.  Calling the straw doll evil with all seriousness in the boy¡¯s eyes earned him some laugh from the third prince.  The third prince continued to cheer on the boy as the boy moved towards striking down this evil enemy of his.

    Though good things really did not last for the young child.

    Soon after, the two men who the third prince followed showed up.  The young child felt a little sad about the imminent parting between his just newfound friend but he already knew that he had a duty he had to fulfil.  Even though what he would do would not bring any joy to his parents, just knowing that he was able to help them even a little was enough for him.  Right now, he just didn¡¯t want this new friend of his to become sad by him leaving to somewhere far north.

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving now.  Just go to the northern gate and wait for a little time for your guards to appear.¡±

    The tone of the man who just spoke was very oppressive but the young child just smiled in return.  It just fuelled further the notion of the third prince being stupid in his mind.  He began to hate the child more as he brought disappointment to the king who he respects very much.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    The boy with the wooden sword, Lark, showed up next to the third prince.  He was still hitting his evil enemy earlier but when he turned around to show the prince how good he was, two men appeared.  One man talked to the prince and Lark felt that something wrong was happening so he ran towards his new friend.  Although he could not really explain what that something wrong was as the two men were not hurting his new friend, he still felt he should really go there and do something.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to leave this city.¡±

    ¡°Leave?  When are you coming back?¡±

    The young child paused for a moment for he did not know how to answer this friend of his.  He continuously tried to find words that would not leave his friend sad.  But before he got the chance to answer, one of the two men in armour spoke.

    ¡°Listen kid, he¡¯s not going to come back.  So just scram.¡±

    ¡°Why not?!  Where is he going?  I¡¯m his friend so tell me!¡±¡¯

    ¡°Oh?  A friend?¡±

    The man had a glint in his eyes as he heard Lark¡¯s words.  Then a sinister smile formed on his face.  The third prince immediately and repeatedly shouted ¡®Wait!¡¯ followed by some more but he was just ignored as the man continued on with his words.

    ¡°Then would you like to follow this friend of yours on a journey?¡±

    ¡°Sure!  Sure!¡±

    ¡°Well then.  Hey, list down this kid¡¯s name on the list of the guards bound for the north.¡±

    The third prince was continuing on his effort to stop the man from speaking but he stopped after the man was done speaking.  It was the first time that he felt something not good about being ignored.  After all, it could very much lead to a tragic fate of this new friend of his.

    ¡°Now, just go to the northern gate and show the scroll.  They¡¯ll know what to do.¡±

    The two men soon left, leaving the two behind.  As the two men were no longer on the sight, the third prince called for his friend.

    ¡°Lark, there is no need to go with me.  I¡¯m sure that they won¡¯t even notice that you did not come.  No one would bother checking about it.  You still have other friends with you, right?  I¡¯m only one friend for you and leaving behind all your other friends will make them all sad.  You don¡¯t want that, do you?  And there are your parents too.  I¡¯m sure they will miss you so much so parting with them at your young age is definitely not going to be beneficial to you.¡±

    Facing a barrage of words, Lark could only tilt his head as he tried to seep all the words into his young mind.  It was only after a full minute that he was able to comprehend it all and answer back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have parents¡­  No mama or papa for me.  So no one will be sad.  No friends too.  Only you.¡±

    ¡°No friends?¡±

    Judging by Lark¡¯s personality, the third prince found it hard to believe that this young boy didn¡¯t have any friends.  His personality was bright; he was joyful, playful, and even friendly.  If those traits would fail you to earn a friend, then what would?

    ¡°They all tease me as I don¡¯t have papa or mama.  They also say I¡¯m stupid.  I am stupid¡­ and no one wants to be friends with someone stupid, they said¡­¡±

    The boy¡¯s watery eyes brought pain to the young child.  In his heart he thought how fate could be this cruel towards such a good boy.  Even though he also had no friends and he was ignored by almost everyone, he still had his parents.  But the boy in front of him not only lost his parents, he also had no friend.  The young child¡¯s vision turned misty but he still held back the urge to let those tears flow.  With a single strong pat on the boy¡¯s shoulder, the young third prince spoke as he pointed to himself.

    ¡°You know what they call me?  They call me the useless and stupid prince!  See?  I¡¯m also stupid so it¡¯s perfectly fine for us to be friends!  No, aren¡¯t we already friends?  Come, let¡¯s go!  We still have a place we should be heading to.¡±

    For the first time in his life, the third prince felt joy about being called stupid instead of just feeling indifferent about it.  That was because by being stupid, he was able to become friends with a wonderful person.

    The boy looked up with tears still streaking down his unsightly face.  The young child in front of him did not avert his gaze as he still looked straight towards the boy.  Lark could somehow feel that the third prince¡¯s words were the truth and not like the words the adults always told him while looking at him with pity in their eyes.  Their gazes met each other, trying to ascertain the friendship they had just formed.

    ¡°How long are you going to cry there for?  Aren¡¯t you someone who will become a hero and destroy all evil?  I¡¯ve read that heroes are all strong and do not cry just because of this.  Instead, they will strive harder and become stronger.  You want to be a hero, right?  So stop those tears now and let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The two smiled towards each other as their hearts were filled with something new and something good; the joy of finding their first friend.

 Days of Dash

    Two hours had passed since the third prince and his friend reached the northern gate.  There were already nine squires near them and they were just waiting for the carriage and the horse to take them away the city.  Aside from the two friends and the squires, there was also a young girl with them who looked like she was at the same age as the third prince.  She seemed to prefer to be left alone as she just stood alone.

    ¡°This really is the worst!¡±

    ¡°You bet!  Aren¡¯t they just getting rid of us, the awesome guys?¡±

    ¡°You mean the problem makers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just the same!  And we¡¯re here to escort THAT thing over there?  Give me a break!¡±

    ¡°But think about it, if we complete this successfully, they said they¡¯ll make us full-pledged knights!¡±

    ¡°Really?  I think they¡¯re just lying though.¡±

    ¡°Argh!  If only we are not stuck with this stupid prince then I could have started being a knight next month!  I¡¯ll be turning twenty by then and will be able to pass the test!¡±

    ¡°You wish!  You can¡¯t even aim properly with a bow.¡±

    ¡°Why you!¡±

    These talks continued since the third prince met with the bunch of squires.  Their ages ranged from thirteen to nineteen but from their ongoing conversations, it seemed that these squires were the most problematic of the lot.  Some were lacking the required skills while some lacked the steadfastness that was needed for a knight.  Some were just too lazy and unmotivated.  They also got into quick fights a lot in that small span of two hours.  The third prince couldn¡¯t help but think of the later troubles they¡¯ll have to face while on the road.

    ¡°The carriage is here!  Let¡¯s hurry up and get this thing done.¡±

    All the necessities for their travel were all already loaded within the carriage.  It contained their water, food, and some other things that would last until they reach the northern villages.  According to the distance, the travel should last for a week and a day before they reach their destination.  It would certainly be a boring travel but as some of the squires who were coming still hadn¡¯t been given a knight-like job like protecting someone, they all had a bit of excitement within them.  They couldn¡¯t wait to finish this and triumphantly return, boasting their deeds to their peers and earning them some points for their knight promotion.

    With the two friends boarding the carriage, together with the lone girl, they immediately departed from the northern gate.  According to the map, the group only had to follow the road straight north and they should reach their destination.  There was no need for them to stop on the cities or villages on the road as they already had their travel necessities taken care of.

    The squires accompanying them were all riding their own horses, making them look like real knights.  The only thing missing was the well-smitten armour and the essential dignity around them that knights usually possess.

    ¡°Hey Embrick, why is your sister travelling with us?¡±

    ¡°Hmph.  I also don¡¯t know the reasons but my dad told me to take her with me and protect the third prince.¡±

    ¡°Sounds tough!  Protecting both your sister and a stupid prince!¡±

    ¡°You got that right.  Haa¡­  I just want to go back right now¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s only been about two days since we left!  We¡¯re going to be promoted once we come back, you know?¡±

    The squire, Kell, did not even bother to reply as he stared straight towards the road they¡¯re travelling on.  His mind was still full of questions on the orders his father gave him.  He knew that protecting the prince, even if he¡¯s the stupid third prince, was very important but what he couldn¡¯t figure out was the reason why his father said something about his grandmother¡¯s will and making his sister even come with them.  He may not be getting along well with his sister and the roads in the kingdom were all safe from bandits but there was still some kind of danger.  He kept those thoughts inside himself as he continued to be wary of any potential harm that may befall them on the road.

    Inside the carriage, the third prince and Lark were sitting across from each other as they talk about various things.  The girl who was seated far from them just let herself inside without any permission.  As the ¡®master¡¯ of the carriage, the third prince had the say as to whoever can enter the carriage but he didn¡¯t really mind the girl entering of her own accord.  He thought that letting such a small girl walk while he was comfortably riding on a carriage was very unsightly.  That was why he did not voice out any objections towards the girl¡¯s actions; instead, he even planned to talk to her.  If only the girl wasn¡¯t so unsociable like there was a cold air keeping them away from her or some kind of barrier around her?  Not that the girl actually knew those magic or magic of any sort.

    ¡°These people always saying you¡¯re stupid.¡±

    ¡°Let them be.  I¡¯m not even mad about them saying so.  Aren¡¯t we able to become friends because I¡¯m stupid?¡±

    ¡°Yes!  We¡¯re stupid!¡±

    ¡°¡±Ahahaha!¡±¡±

    The stupid duo laughed together loudly inside the carriage.  They¡¯ve been talking about what things they both did and would also laugh occasionally.  And their continuous and seemingly endless laughter continued to torment the ears of the other aloof passenger.

    ¡°Both stupid.¡±

    As if the girl wasn¡¯t able to bring down her irritation, she spat out her harsh words.  Her plan was to silence the two noisy boys of their unceasing noise.  She was very much frustrated already that her parents forced her to join her elder brother for a journey; she also had to put up with the noise that these two noisy kids are creating.  She, who preferred the silence much, couldn¡¯t stand with the two.  At a very young age, she had already learned how to be independent and could take care of herself on her own.  Of course, that didn¡¯t include fending off people or beasts attacking her but for the daily things, she could do it herself.  At five years of age, she could already do all things by herself.  Those, paired up with her love to be alone, earned her a not so large amount of friends.  In fact, she had none, not even being close to her sibling.

    But as seemingly mature as she was, she wasn¡¯t able to turn things out as she desired.

    ¡°She spoke, right?¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°She called us stupid, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very much the case there.  Though denying it would prove to be very difficult.¡±

    The stupid duo looked at each other and could already convey their aim wordlessly.  Leaving the fact that the telepathy-like ability only works on doing stupid things, they were still able to convey their thoughts through just eye contact alone.  As the saying on this world works, stupidity is really on a different level.

    Silently, with a wide stupid grin on their faces, the stupid duo slowly crept their way towards the lone girl.  If only they were twenty years older, then the scene that was playing right now could very well lead into a crime that would put the stupid duo in jail.  But since they were still kids, all were forgiven, hopefully.

    With the widening of the girl¡¯s eyes, an indescribable sense came into her.  It was as if it¡¯s telling her to run.  It was a warning that her whole life would change drastically to another direction which she could not really ignore.  So with haste, she looked around the carriage to find a spot to hide into.  Too bad for her as the stupid duo was already too close to her and within arm¡¯s reach.  She shivered in thought as her eyes began to form tears on the side as she looked at the creepy faces of the stupid duo.  She even forgot in fright that there were others outside the carriage and all it took was just a single scream.  That could probably have altered her fate.  Hopeless and left with nothing else to fend herself with, she forcefully closed her eyes.

    A minute had already passed but nothing happened.  Full of questions, she raised her head only to find the stupid duo with bright smiles on their faces.  The look on their faces was as if they had just found an invaluable treasure that no one would be able to get.  Excitement, joy, hopes; those were present in the eyes that were looking directly at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m the third prince!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Lark!¡±

    With a smile that sent a little warmth through the girl, the stupid duo pointed at themselves while they introduced their names.  The girl became confused on as to why the two boys did not stay away when she spoke but instead even went towards her and introduced themselves.  From her minimal life experience, all the other kids would distance themselves from her upon hearing her sharp words.  The girl began thinking that maybe it was because of their stupidity that what she wanted to convey didn¡¯t reach the stupid duo.

    ¡°Hey, hey!  What¡¯s your name?  It¡¯s a beautiful name!¡±

    ¡°You may be correct with that one, Lark.  We may have not heard her name yet but I¡¯m sure that it could only be beautiful just like her.  What¡¯s your name?¡±

    There were glitters in the eyes of the two.  Add the level of excitement they had, the girl was pressured as her mind was going in circles.  She certainly wasn¡¯t happy about the compliments she received but she was afraid of the tiny yet sudden tinge in her heart.  She could not describe what exactly was happening to her at the moment and could only reply, just like a conditioned move.

    ¡°¡­in¡­  Kurrin.¡±

    The stupid duo looked at each other for less than a second before they both nodded to each other and smiled mischievously.  They then, at the same time, pulled both of the little girl¡¯s hands and shook them.

    ¡°¡±Nice to meet you Kurrin!¡±¡±

    ¡°¡­Un.¡±

    Contrary to the over energetic tone of the two, the girl¡¯s reply was with an unenthusiastic tone.  After a few moments of their introduction, the little girl was finally able to calm her mind down and was able to think properly once more again.  What escaped her tiny mouth was a resigned sigh as the two continued their noisy conversation beside her.  What made it the more irritating for her was that she did not feel even the bit uncomfortable now with the noisy and stupid duo.  She shook her head vigorously at the thought of getting used to these two and possibly be infected by their stupidity.

    Just like that, the stupid duo continued to talk with each other and also to the little girl.  Even with the little girl¡¯s uninterested replies, they still did not decide to ignore her, only making them want to talk to her more.  And after three more days, her guard eventually fell as she joined the conversation on her own, albeit with tiny responses here and there.

    Around the hastily made campfire, six people sat around in a circle.  Three were children who were busy with themselves while the other three were the squires with a tired look on their faces.  The squires were also young and in their teens but their energy paled in comparison to the bustling energy of the three children, or of the two children.

    The other squires who had not yet tired themselves were busy with their own things.  One squire was polishing her blade while the other was checking up on their valuable supplies.  The others were chatting with each other about various things they deemed important like who the most beautiful girl in the entire squire squad was and where the other girls ranked.  That left only two squires who were quietly and keenly watching the surrounding forest for anything that may possibly be harmful for the group.  One was a brother of the little girl while the other one was the one who could be considered to be his friend.

    ¡°Hey, is there really a need for us to be this cautious?  We¡¯re just a few distance away from the road and this place is very safe!  In all the years that this road was travelled on, no attacks or the like ever happened.¡±

    The young squire, Embrick, grunted in reply.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that the case will always be like that.  And even without all of those, we are tasked with this so we should just fulfil it without fail as the knight aspirants we are.  Though I must admit I¡¯m not very happy with this.¡±

    ¡°Ha!  Why not be happy for the easy promotion?  You¡¯ll also get some bragging rights after protecting a royalty!¡±

    ¡°As if the ¡®third prince¡¯ counts as a royalty!  I¡¯m actually quite surprised that they even went out of their way to ask for some escorts for ¡®that¡¯.¡±

    The two young squires continued their talks without care for their loud and audible voice.  It would be weird if the three children were not to hear this but even if they heard it, not even an ounce of attention was put into it.  They basically just ignored it and continued on with their childish conversations.

    As if it was a basic understanding between all the squires, the presence of the third prince was altogether ignored, not even sending him a glance or tending to his needs.  Treating someone of royal blood like that would warranty anyone on the guillotine but if it was the stupid and useless third prince that was the target of such actions, no one would even bat an eye.

    ¡°So, what you two do every day?¡±

    After telling some funny jokes and scary stories, the oldest of the three children asked the two younger than him.

    ¡°I read books most of the time.  If not that, stroll around the castle with my maid or play with my younger sister.¡±

    ¡°Books?  You can read?¡±

    ¡°For the most part, yes.  I still haven¡¯t completely learned the other languages though.  Making a conversation with someone proficient or fluent with it will help me greatly though.¡±

    ¡°Do you read books about heroes?  The old grandma in the potion store often reads me one!  I like about the three heroes!¡±

    ¡°Three heroes?¡±

    The little girl asked.  She was no longer as reserved to the two as she was when they first met and could actually already hold some conversations with them.  The topics the stupid duo would often talk to were very interesting for her so she could not help but ask some questions midway their conversations.  Her mind that matured early for her age caused the desire for some knowledge.  She would be greatly surprised if she looked at a mirror just to find her wonderful smiling face, not that she even noticed that she was smiling herself.

    The stupid duo saw the little girl¡¯s smile but they did not say anything as they only smiled in return and diligently answer all her questions.  These three days that the three were together proved greatly of their strengthening bonds.

    ¡°Lark, are you referring to the Hrim¡¯s Tales?  The one with the magic swordsman, the elusive archer, and the arrogant but well-liked healer?¡±

    ¡°Rimu teyls?  I don¡¯t know about that but I know about the three heroes!  The hero who holds a sword and can use magic is awesome!  The archer man is also very fast!  I don¡¯t like the other one though¡­  She always boasts!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just the same?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Lark tilted his head on the side after Kurrin said out her thoughts.  She could only narrow her eyes upon seeing the boy¡¯s reply but she did not say anything more.  Instead, she looked towards the other half of the stupid duo.

    ¡°Explain more.¡±

    ¡°Well, where should I start?  Let¡¯s see¡­  It was a story about a poor commoner who accidentally discovered a magic sword.  This magic sword can talk and¡ª¡°

    ¡°Yes!  Yes!  The funny sword too!  It¡¯s really, really cool!  So amazing!¡±

    The oldest of the three interrupted the third prince which earned him a very cold look from a certain young girl.  He may be stupid but he still understood danger so he immediately shrank back and hid behind the third prince.  The third prince could only smile wryly as the girl told him to continue.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°The magic sword had the ability to transform into a young girl.  The sword and her newly found master often talked to each other and because of this, the knowledge about the art of using swords and magic were also shared between them.  During their adventures, they met up with the healer who always boasts of her awesome healing powers and a very silent but deadly archer.  Well, countless things happened and they defeated the demon king and saved the world.¡±

    Lark already forgot about the fear he felt earlier and was already raising his hands in the air and waving them around in joy.  For him, it was the only story he knew, hence the joy.  He had no parents or any relatives to look out for him and all he got was an elderly woman who found him one day when he was about to die from starvation.  This grandmother would often teach him about what is right and what is wrong.  She would also read him this particular story about the three heroes.  Of course, she omitted the things that couldn¡¯t be read towards a child but she still read him the important parts nonetheless.  Sadly, the old grandmother passed away suddenly without him knowing of the reason.  The first and last story he knew was about the three heroes.

    Kurrin, on the other hand, was staring seriously at the third prince.  She already had inkling about it before but now she could ascertain something.  For this third prince in front of her to be called stupid with all the knowledge he displayed, she couldn¡¯t fathom how brilliant the ¡®genius¡¯ older brothers of the third prince would be.

    The third prince, misunderstanding her gaze, talked as he shrugged.

    ¡°Though whether all of this happened in reality or not is unknown.  I¡¯ve checked out some books and found some things that may point out that this may have happened but I couldn¡¯t find any conclusive evidence.  This story was, after all, really old.¡±

    ¡°No!  This story is real!  Really real!¡±

    Kurrin then shot another cold glance at Lark but this time, he did not falter.  It seemed that his strong belief and admiration for the heroes in the story won over the fear sent by the little girl¡¯s gaze.  The two were looking at each other and the third prince walked in between them to stop anything negative to build up between the two.

    ¡°Now, you two.  It really doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s real or not, right?  Shouldn¡¯t the most important thing here be the lessons taught by the story?  Ok, if you two are so adamant about the story, let me read the story to you two as I remember it.  It¡¯s more or less six volumes with 600 or so pages each.  This will take some days to finish so bear with me, ok?¡±

    The third prince smiled childishly towards the two but they only felt a cold chill down their spine as they stared at his smile and his mostly closed eyes.  Exactly looking like a mischievous and tricky fox, they shuddered and immediately stepped back from each other.  Both their minds were in sync on the thought that the third prince would really read the story for them from start to finish, without any pauses, which will surely exhaust their minds out.  Even if the story was Lark¡¯s favourite one, for the story that he had been read to for months to be read for continuously would fry his brains out.  As for Kurrin, she was definitely interested in the story but to hear that it was that long, if presented a choice, she would undoubtedly choose not to hear about it.

    Seeing the reaction of his two friends in front of him, the third prince laughed inwardly.  Although what he said was true, he wouldn¡¯t want to put his two friends in such pain with listening to a very long story.  The book itself contained various mature contents inside that he would not dare make the two listen to.  The two would have to grow older first before the whole content of the story could be told to them.

    The three continued to talk after a few more minutes.  The night was already too deep with the countless stars in the sky hidden by the leaves of the trees.  Instead of the cheerful chirps of the birds during the day, it was the owl¡¯s that echoes throughout the night.  There were already some squires that were lying down in sleep while the others were still arguing as to whether a girl was more beautiful than the other.  They just couldn¡¯t agree with the rankings that each of them gave, which even involved some grappling here and there.  A few female squires looked at those arguing men with disdain as they sat near each other and talked about who the good looking males were.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    The young squire who was talking to Embrick earlier shouted in alarm.  The other squires, hearing his loud cry, immediately got up on their feet with their hands on their weapons.  Mostly had their swords drawn while the few had an arrow notched on their respective bows.  They may just be squires, but most of them were already trained well.  They were already scanning their surroundings with caution.

    ¡°Ah!  Bandits!¡±

    The young squire who screamed earlier once again screamed on top of his lungs.  This may have pointed their location to the bandits but what he deemed more important was to let the other squires know of the situation.  And his decision proved well as his squire companions were already prepared to fight.

    Because the third prince was treated like air, the two children who was often with him were also regarded so.  The squires¡¯ heads were now all heated up and full of thoughts of having their first real fight outside their training place.  Many were confident, some were calm, while a few were somewhat scared.  But all of them had some kind of excitement mixed inside their hearts.  With that, they already forgot the existence of the three children, excluding Embrick who still regarded the safety of his sister with importance even though they really didn¡¯t go along well.  The only unlucky thing was that he didn¡¯t really had the chance to go to them as numerous bandits had already showed themselves and surrounding him and the other squires who rushed towards them.  He gritted his teeth and his hand grasping his weapon tightened with impatience.

    Upon hearing the young squire¡¯s cry, the first to react between the three was the third prince.  He immediately grabbed the hands of his two newfound friends as he decided to not stick around the place any more.  He did not know the objectives and motives of the bandits so he had no way of knowing what they really wanted.  It could be their supplies or the bandits just so happened to pass by and they were just really unlucky, though the thing that had the most probability was that the bandits were sent here for him.  Even though he was treated really as nothing back at the castle, no one was still so daring that they would attack a prince amidst the security there.  But now that the third prince was out of the castle, the chance had presented itself for those that hated the royalty.  They all knew that asking for ransom was useless if it was the third prince, but they could still satisfy their hatred by killing him as he was still of royal blood.  All of these, the third prince understood, that was why he grabbed the other two and began to lead them away from the impending bloodshed.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    Lark, who was suddenly pulled by his hand, asked loudly.  He did not know of the situation even after hearing the young squire¡¯s cry.  The malicious feeling sent by the bandits did not still envelop the place they were in earlier so he did not understand the meaning for their hasty run.

    ¡°Shut up, just run.¡±

    Kurrin, on the other hand, noticed the change in the surroundings as she let the third prince lead their way.  What was on her thought was the reason for the third prince running away instead of just making the squires protect them.  There was no way for her to know that the numbers of the bandits far outnumbered the squires with them.

    The third prince did not speak as he was trying to find a place where his friends could hide themselves in.  He already judged the situation critical as he noticed the sheer numbers of the ones who were seemingly here for his life.  Undoubtedly, if the two were found with him, they would be killed without a single thought.  If he, himself, was really their target, then having these two separate him would be for the best.  He could just leave the two right now as they were not the targets but he was still cautious as he did not want to lose them.  Various emotions filled his heart as he continued to search for a hiding place.

    Meanwhile, the squires already stopped no their tracks as they stared wide-eyed at the bandits that surrounded them.  There were at least forty men armed thickly with swords, shields, and bows.  This caused the fire in their hearts to be extinguished immediately as some of them had their weapons lowered in resignation.  Embrick¡¯s face grimaced upon seeing the group of bandits.  Alarm signals quickly shot up from within his body as his senses began to deepen and his heartbeat quickened.  He knew for sure that there was something wrong with the bandits and his body screamed out with thoughts of running away.

    ¡°Relax little ones.  We¡¯re not bandits.  We¡¯re just hunters.¡±

    The one in the middle of the bandit group spoke towards the young squires.  The voice was deep and calm but with some fierceness lying beneath it.  It was as if you were being ordered and you had no choice whether to follow it or not.  A very commanding voice.

    ¡°Ah!  We thought you are bandits!  That really scared the life out of me!¡±

    Some squires had the fires of hope relit within them as they lowered their weapons and their guards one by one.  Embrick did not do so as he knew that something was very wrong.  What kind of hunters hunts with this many?  And if they were bandits, what kind of bandits would be this heavily armed?  And from their manners, it was clear that they were not just simple bandits.  Embrick thought of all this as he glanced around.  His eyes met with a female squire that was at a distance and calmly analyzing the situation.  He did not know this female squire¡¯s name but she was really all he could rely on at the moment.  Most of the squires were already too near with the group of men and only the two of them were at a distance.  They stared at each other as they both nodded and began to turn their back and run.

    ¡°So, what are you guys hunting?  With this many, maybe a fearsome monster?¡±

    ¡°No.  The ones we¡¯re hunting are humans.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡°

    The young squire was unable to complete his words as his head rolled to the ground.  The other squires also met the same end while the few who were left alive were rooted on the spot as if awaiting their judgement.  They were easily hacked away by the other bandits.

    ¡°Find ¡®that¡¯ and bring him to me alive.  We need him alive so we can get our payment for this.¡±

    The bandits, no, the group of assassins dashed quickly without making sounds towards various directions as they began the search for their target.  They all knew the circumstances surrounding their target and how his death would be grieved by no one.  But even without that fact, just the hefty sum presented to them was already enough to get them all motivated.  With grin on their faces, they hunted for the third prince enthusiastically.

    The two who quickly ran away did not have a destination in mind but they still ran away.  One of them was hoping to see his sister quickly while the other one was just hoping for her safety.  They sped up, seemingly uncaring about their unsightly appearance.

    They were already running for a full ten minutes in full speed without any pause which left them panting and gasping for the sweet air.  The set of armour that once adorned their bodies were already discarded on the way as it only served as dead weight and would not really offer any real protection against the men they thought were mysterious bandits.  The two were so focused that they didn¡¯t even speak a word to each other and only communicated with their eyes and nods.

    It was only after ten more minutes when the two decided to stop and catch some badly needed rest.  They did not dare to sit down as they feared that the fatigue would overcome them, making them unable to stand up once again.  They only leaned against a sturdy tree as the two of them continued to catch their breath.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡±

    A loud noise from somewhere prevented them from resting for a little more.  The two scanned their surroundings in alarm as they lowered their bodies to avoid being spotted.  They then heard a familiar voice, sounding deep and calm with force.

    ¡°Just take the brat in the middle!  We have no need for the other two!¡±

    The commanding voice echoed throughout the forest and Embrick, who was still cowering in fear, dashed out without a thought.  He understood the situation quickly and went towards the direction of the voice with haste.  The female squire that ran with him hesitated for a full five seconds before she reluctantly followed the male squire.  She was unsure of the reason of the male squire¡¯s sudden action but she could not just very well leave him to his own.  If needed be, she would drag him forcefully away.

    As to Embrick¡¯s dismay, he was spot on with his earlier thoughts.  The group of men was already standing a few metres in front of the three children.  Weapons already drawn and placed in their hands, they snickered towards each other as they felt the promised lump of sum that a certain high standing person offered them as reward.  Thankfully, they did not notice Embrick who was hiding behind a tree.

    ¡°It¡¯s over for them.  We have to leave now.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    The female squire who caught up with Embrick frowned at the reply given to her.  She did not know the person in front of her well but she at least knew that he was not an impulsive person.  But he also wasn¡¯t a man who would risk his life for others.  He was a man who would do anything, even some bad things, to achieve his dream of being a knight.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to stick with our mission here.  Even if we fail this, we won¡¯t be punished.  And it¡¯ll be easy to become a knight even without this.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.  My sister is there.¡±

    Embrick shook his head and then gritted his teeth as fires lit up seemingly in his hazel eyes.  He knew it was out of character for him as he had already abandoned many people for the sake of his goals, yet his mind was still full with saving his only sibling.  Even though that sister of his wasn¡¯t someone that he got along well.

    Calming down his thoughts, he silently made his way out of the tree he was hiding from and walked in between the children and group of men.  He already discarded away his armour but he still had a single handed sword in his hands.  He knew that doing this would do nothing or change anything but he still pointed his weapon towards the group of men.  His face was so calm yet his gaze was so intense that made a small number in the group of men shudder.

    ¡°Tch.  Why did you not leave?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask that myself.¡±

    The female squire shook her head as she also took her sword out of its scabbard.  Her tone of voice may indicate some signs of resignation but the fierce look on her face extinguished any signs of it.  Aside from a sword on her left hand, there was also a small wooden stick on her right hand.  It wasn¡¯t just a simple wooden stick as it had some simple carvings on it, making one know that it was a magic wand albeit a very simple and weak one.  She had already begun to silently chant her magic as she stared straight at the group of men.

    ¡°You two, lower your weapons and come here.¡±

    A childish voice sounded out from behind the two which startled them.  They did not want to leave their eyes away from the group of men so they just shot a quick glance at the group of children behind them.  What they both found was a smiling third prince, a confused boy, and a girl with cold looking eyes.

    ¡°Hurry or you¡¯ll both die.¡±

    The two were unable to comprehend the words of the young child but upon hearing of the word ¡®die¡¯, they did not spare a single thought and quickly withdrew towards the children.  Screams soon sounded from behind them as they made their way towards the children.

 You Are... Not Here

    Some minutes had passed since the three young children began to run away.  Though energetic they may be, their stamina still had its limits and once they went deeper into the forest, all of it was but spent.  Lark sprawled down the ground and breathed heavily while Kurrin just silently sat down.  Only the third prince was left standing as he searched around him.  His mind was continuously searching for a single thread of hope.

    ¡°That is¡­¡±

    He narrowed his eyes as he stared at a trunk of a certain tree.  It had three deep holes on it which formed a triangular shape.  He immediately searched for his memory and his eyes lit up at the answer in front of him.

    ¡°Lark!  Kurrin!  Quickly find other trees that have those holes in it!  If you see a tree with four holes on it, point it out immediately!¡±

    The two were still resting their tired bodies when the third prince spoke to them with a hurried voice.  They were both confused at his sudden shouting but they still both nodded and stood up.  The three started to walk around the forest as they searched for a tree with four holes on it.

    ¡°Hey!  I see it!¡±

    After five more minutes, Lark pointed towards a tree in a distance.  The other two stopped and looked at the direction he was pointing at.  It certainly was a tree that had holes bore through it but it definitely wasn¡¯t the correct number of holes.  The tree Lark pointed at only had three.

    ¡°This one only has three holes, Lark.  We need to find one with four holes.¡±

    ¡°How many are four?¡±

    ¡°Stupid.¡±

    The little girl commented sharply while the third prince smiled bitterly.  He, however, did not hold out thoughts of derision towards Lark as he explained with a kind and warm voice.

    ¡°You know the three heroes, right?¡±

    ¡°Right!¡±

    ¡°If we add another person with them, let¡¯s say the wandering alchemist they met in their journey, then that makes them four heroes.¡±

    ¡°Ah!  So that¡¯s how many four are!¡±

    Lark¡¯s voice was full of delight while the third prince smiled widely.  They resumed their search when the little girl spoke soon after and pointed towards a tree.

    ¡°There.¡±

    ¡°You know how many four are?  Four are...  Ah!  Yes, four are¡ª¡°

    ¡°I know something simple like that.¡±

    Lark¡¯s shoulder drooped down as his explanation was quickly shot down with a cold voice.  He was murmuring something to himself as the third prince just gave him a pat on his back.  They then looked at the tree Kurrin pointed at.  The two stared at the tree with wide eyes before looking at each other and raising their hands up in the air.  They were running around Kurrin happily which greatly tested her patience.

    ¡°Thanks, Kurrin.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, thanks!  But you know how many four are?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t I said it earlier?¡±

    ¡°But!  But!  How you know how many four are?¡±

    ¡°Because my mother taught me, stupid.  Didn¡¯t yours teach you too and you just forgot about it?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ have no mother¡­¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    The third prince watched the two as they talked to each other.  Upon seeing the frown on the older boy¡¯s face and the lowered head of the little girl, he approached them with a childish smile on his face.  He put both of his hands on the shoulder of the two as he looked at them in their eyes and spoke cheerfully.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we all friends here?  Don¡¯t be so gloomy, you two!  You¡¯ll just ruin our discovery of the tree.  We should be happy, right?¡±

    The third prince wanted to ease the situation but he still was not used to comforting others so he just said what was on his mind, as it was.  He knew he was just forcing it but he just didn¡¯t want to see the pained expressions on his friends¡¯ faces.  And, as if rewarding his earnest effort, the two raised their heads and looked at each other.

    ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±

    Hearing the soft voice of the little girl towards him, Lark¡¯s face brightened up faster than a blink of an eye.  He smiled so brightly towards the girl which brought a small smile too on her usually cold-looking face.  The third prince smiled warmly as he brought the three of them closer with his arms.

    ¡°Ok, you two, can you find a fruit of this shape around here?  It normally grows on a small plant so it will be very easy to find.  It should be just around here, if the book I read was correct.¡±

    The third prince grabbed a stick on the ground and drew a circular shape with a crown of leaves on top of it.  He informed the two that the fruit bearing plant should grow around ten metres of the tree with four holes.  The three of them began their search around the vicinity of the tree as the third prince found it within just seconds.  The fruit was too easy to find because of its distinct fragrant smell that allures anyone who pass by it to take a mouthful of bite of it.

    ¡°Here, this is the fruit.¡±

    Plucking the circular fruit from the small plant, the third prince held it on his palm.  The two looked at the fruit curiously as they were drawn by its mouth-watering smell.  Lark, who already had drools leaving from his mouth, tried to take a bite from the fruit only to be stopped by the third prince.

    ¡°Don¡¯t eat this fruit, Lark.  I know it smells so deliciously but eating this will kill you in seconds.  It¡¯s a very poisonous fruit and it¡¯s called the Danba fruit.¡±

    ¡°Danba fruit?¡±

    The little girl asked as the older boy was still in trance from the fruit that was constantly being kept away from him.  His mouth was trying to bite it again and again as the third prince skilfully controlled his hands and kept the dangerous fruit away from his friend.

    ¡°Yes, according to a book I¡¯ve read, this is called Danba fruit.  The name is derived from the only creature that could eat this deadly fruit.  A monster called Danba.  And that Danba is exactly what we need right now.¡±

    The two were making confused faces as the third prince¡¯s explanation was very lacking.  He forgot to explain the details of his plan as he was still trying to figure out any possibilities of success or failure in his plan.  This could very well lead them to their deaths so he was very careful in considering the various outcomes of his actions.

    He then sense a number of men approaching the place they were at as he hastily told the other two with him to move away from the tree with four holes.  A distance of fifteen metres was spaced between the tree and them as the third prince finally told them to just stand in place.  Lark was still confused on the actions of his first friend while Kurrin narrowed her eyes with frown at the sight of some men nearing.  Her eyesight was very exceptional which also helps her see well in the dark.  While still eyeing the approaching men, she saw the third prince beside her smashed the Danba fruit on the ground.  She was surprised that the very fragrant smell of the fruit disappeared as if it was dispelled.  She looked questioningly at the third prince¡¯s action but was only replied with a childish smile on his face.

    The group of men were now already in front of the three children, with wide grins on their faces.  The burly man in the middle issued some commands for the other men when a blonde haired young squire cut in between them.  Even without seeing his face, Kurrin knew that it was her older brother.  The third prince already knew that the young squire was hiding behind a tree earlier but he was surprised that the young squire came in front of them.  Lark was still standing there with a question all over his face.  A few seconds after the young squire showed up, a female squire showed up too.

    Seeing this, the third prince couldn¡¯t help but smile.  But as he knew what was about to happen, he hurriedly made the two come closer him.  The two looked puzzle but they moved towards him after a second persuasion.

    ¡°Lark, Kurrin, close your eyes.¡±

    Kurrin narrowed her eyes before closing them while Lark nodded and closed his eyes.  They both somehow understood that the third prince they¡¯ve been with would not tell them to do something for no reason.  They may have had some questions but they decided to just follow his words for now.

    And a carnival of blood soon happened.

    Screams, dying screams came from the direction of the group of men.  They were greatly alarmed at what was happening behind them so they all turned around just to see a four metre tall monster that looked like an ape, save from the hard scales protecting its body and the long claws on its fingers.

    The group of men was a group of veteran assassins that were known by some nobles as they accomplished their tasks swiftly.  They also never failed a mission before as a testament to their great skills.  But to have not noticed such a huge monster behind them also meant that the monster was not something of their level.  Their happiness and carelessness also served to dull their senses allowing the scene of carnage within them to happen.

    Embrick and the female squire were already pale-faced as they watched what was happening to the group of men.  Most were slashed in three, while some mere pounded to the ground.  The more unlucky ones were ripped in two.  They could see some form of fear enveloping the group of men as only a number managed to retaliate back, only to be clawed through.  The once blue scaled monster was now dyed red all over as he finished the group of men in less than two minutes.  Those who decided to flee were the ones who had their fate ended first.

    The scaled monster, the Danba, stared at the group of young teens and children.  This made Embrick and the female squire tremble in fear, their bodies shaking and their knees already almost failing them.  From behind the two, the two children still had their eyes closed even when they heard the agonizing screams earlier.  Only the third prince calmly looked at the monster directly on its eyes.  He then strode forward to meet the monster and then bowed his head slightly.   The two squires also did the same thing as they clumsily tried to copy his actions.  The scaled monster just grunted in response as it walked away from them.

    ¡°Haa¡­  I really thought I¡¯m going to die.¡±

    ¡°Same here.  What kind of monster is that by the way?¡±

    ¡°No idea, but whatever it is, it helped us.¡±

    The two young squires breathed a sigh of relief as fatigue overcame their bodies.  They talked to each other as they were sitting on the ground.  They both thought that it was already the end of their lives as they stood against the group of men only to see that group of men be destroyed by a blue scaled monster.  They were surprised by what happened but they once again thought they¡¯re going to die when the monster approached them.  The slight intention to even draw their weapons wasn¡¯t even on their mind as they trembled.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°It¡¯s called a Danba.  They were usually found in the western parts of the continent so I¡¯m surprised to find one here in the central part.¡±

    ¡°How did you know about that?  More importantly, why did the monster not attack us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve read it in a book in the royal library.  There was a book full of known monsters recorded there which were explained in great detail, with various illustrations to match.  Sadly, not all the monsters had illustrations.¡±

    The third prince explained as he sighed at the end.

    ¡°Ah, we¡¯re straying off the topic.  As for why it did not attack us, it was written in the book that the Danba was a peaceful monster; just that it was very territorial.  It would attack on sight any that was armed with a weapon in its territory.¡±

    The two squires stared wide-eyed at the third prince.  They were very much surprised by the knowledge he showed them.  They both thought if the talk about the third prince being stupid was true but they quickly shook their heads.  If their generous and kind king said he was, then he was.  Now, they just couldn¡¯t fathom how intelligent and wise the genius brothers of this third prince were.

    ¡°Why did you smash the fruit?¡±

    Kurrin, who already had her eyes open, asked the third prince.  Lark, who was beside her, still had his eyes closed as he awaited the third prince¡¯s words.  Seeing this, the third prince laughed a little as he told Lark that he could already open his eyes.  He was still laughing a little when he felt cold down his spine.  The little girl was already staring daggers on him as he awkwardly smiled.

    ¡°You remember earlier when the fragrant smell disappeared after I smashed the Danba fruit, right?  Even though our noses can¡¯t pick up its smell, the Danba¡¯s very sensitive sense of smell could, even if it was far hundreds of metres away.¡±

    ¡°And the holes?¡±

    ¡°Those were marks of territories for the Danba.  The four holes meant it was an important place for the Danba as a Danba plant was around it.¡±

    The little girl nodded in response to the explanation.  The two squires were already in a world of their own as they continued to talk to each other while laughing together, seemingly trying to bury the scary memories deep within them.

    ¡°Hey, hey!  What is a Danba?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you listening?¡±

    Kurrin¡¯s sharp eyes penetrated easily through the older Lark as he scurried away to hide behind the prince¡¯s back.

    ¡°Basically, it¡¯s a big and scary monster.¡±

    ¡°And why you have us close our eyes?¡±

    ¡°What happened wasn¡¯t something that children should see.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ok!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re also a child though.  And we can still see the remains of what happened.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha.¡±

    The third prince averted his stare after Kurrin¡¯s words.  He really didn¡¯t thought of it well when he should¡¯ve changed places first before letting the two open their eyes.  He deeply understood that he still wasn¡¯t used to having people with him or even caring for others.  Deciding to learn from his mistakes, he patted the two who were still in their own world.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave.¡±

    ¡°Ah!  You¡¯re right.¡±

    The two stood up as they fixed themselves.  It was already far too late for them to find and retrieve their armours that were thrown away.  They just patted their clothes to remove some dirt from sitting down and it only took them a minute to be prepared to leave.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!  The carriage should still be there on the place we hid it so our first destination should be there.  Our supplies are also in it after all.  Can¡¯t travel on an empty stomach now, can we?¡±

    With Embrick leading the group and the female squire following him closely, they began to walk.  Their feet were already light as if it was freed from being bounded by fear.  The mood was also already light and their faces were smiling, almost humming.

    ¡°No.  That¡¯s a bad idea.¡±

    Embrick ignored the third prince who tried to stop them from their steps.  In his mind, the one that saved them from earlier was his luck and no credits were given to the third prince.  It was already deeply engraved in everyone¡¯s mind to ignore everything about the third prince, even the tiniest bit of accomplishments.  The only reason for talking and listening to the third prince was due to the fear and panic that they faced.  Now that everything was back to normal, the third prince¡¯s treatment should also rightfully be back to normal.  It also shouldn¡¯t be needed to explain that his earlier actions were all for his sister and her seemingly new friend, not one bit caring for the third prince¡¯s welfare.

    The female squire had the same stance at Embrick when it comes to the third prince.  These actions were already considered normal for all the people living in the city where the royal palace was situated.  You would be looked down upon and treated badly if done so otherwise.  This continued on for the five years that the prince had lived so it already became sort of a habit for them.  Only the children of those who were not nobles didn¡¯t think like this.  Their minds still weren¡¯t engraved with that thought but would all soon learn of it as they age.  No one was spared from having this thought towards the third prince, not the generous merchant, not the heartily innkeeper, not even the kind old priest.

    ¡°Wait, it really may be dangerous!¡±

    The third prince was already too used to this kind of treatment that he didn¡¯t feel bad about it.  Never in his mind appeared the thought of rejecting the attitude others were showing him.  But only now could he not concede.  Things involved his two friends so he would not back out from this.

    ¡°We still don¡¯t know if those men left behind others to guard this forest!  Our carriage may also already be found by them!  We should just head towards the north and proceed with caution.¡±

    All of the third prince¡¯s effort was just ignored by the two squires.  The two children were dumbfounded by this.  Previously, they both thought that the others didn¡¯t talk to the third prince because he was of royal blood.  But now, seeing as how the two squires older than them were blatantly ignoring the third prince, they knew they were wrong.  Lark was still confused while Kurrin narrowed her icy cold eyes towards her brother.

    ¡°Brother.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Embrick have not been really close with his sister but he still cared for her a lot.  His previous actions of sacrifice were already evidence to this.

    ¡°What are you doing?  Didn¡¯t you hear?  There may still be bandits around!  They could also have found the carriage already!¡±

    The male squire stared wide-eyed at his sister before putting his hand on her head.  A proud smile appeared on his young face as he also spoke with pride in his voice.  Kurrin was puzzled by her brother¡¯s actions as she awaited his next words.

    ¡°That¡¯s my sister for you!  So calm and thoughtful!  How did I not think of that earlier?¡±

    Embrick immediately talked to the other squire, leaving Kurrin in shock.

    ¡°Hey, Rachel, we should be more cautious.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, my sister¡­¡±

    The two of them talked about the possible dangers inside the forest, crediting Kurrin for all the ideas.  Kurrin wanted to shout out and say that it was wrong but another person had already done so before her.

    ¡°Hey!  That¡¯s wrong!  That¡¯s the third prince¡¯s idea!  Aren¡¯t you listening?  Can¡¯t you hear?!¡±

    Lark was already shouting, his face full of disbelief and amassing some anger within him.  He couldn¡¯t accept how his first friend was being treated as nothing.  He wasn¡¯t so good with understanding lots of things but one thing he understood the most were emotions.  And he could clearly sense that there was something wrong from and that his first friend was being bullied.

    Rachel, the female squire, squatted down and placed her hand on Lark¡¯s left shoulder.  Her face had a smile on it while emitting some form of motherly warmth that Lark never experienced.  In her eyes appeared kindness.

    ¡°Boy, that isn¡¯t right.  You should credit the little girl for her achievements, alright?¡±

    The female squire smiled gently at Lark who had his mouth open in disbelief.  He looked towards the direction of the third prince, only to see the third prince shook his head once and then smiled.  He clenched his hands as he look down.  Rachel, taking Lark¡¯s actions as understanding what she said, gently pat the child¡¯s head.

    ¡°Good child, good child.  Embrick, let¡¯s go.  We have to leave this forest fast and get to the nearest city.¡±

    ¡°Ok!  Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The two squires began to walk again, this time more hastily.  They both held the hands of the two young children so as to not lose them.  Kurrin had an ever icier look in her eyes and face which excludes coldness.  Her small closed heart that was slightly pried open by her two friends was immediately closed once again by what she witnessed.  Now, not only was it closed; it was also barricaded by a very sturdy and icy wall that would freeze anyone who dare go near it.  The little warmth that was accumulated inside her in the last few days was instantly chased away.  She once again saw the darkness within people¡¯s hearts that made her vow never to approach anyone again.

    With relief in his heart, the third prince followed the group.  He did not care about credits or all; he just wanted to make his friends safe.  He understood the value and weight of one¡¯s life compared to something like accomplishment and pride.  He walked as he remembered these values that were once taught to him by a certain someone.  His most precious treasures.

    He didn''t realise that something within him was already collapsing.  The ideas of happiness he forcefully put in his head were only just false imitations.  The harshness of reality that he knew too well but still pretended not to see would slowly erode his hastily constructed heart.  The weight thrown upon him would forever continue to pile up and he would soon learn...

    That there was no repentance for him in this world.

 A Wish for the Stars

    Some hours have passed since the group started walking to reach the nearest city or village.  They didn¡¯t have a map but they still could remember some of the places in the map.  In half a day¡¯s time, there was a small city to the north.  They were still far from their original destination so they need to resupply.  And this small city was perfect for resupplying.

    The small group managed to reach the small city around noon.  The hot sun was shining brightly overhead making the heat unbearable for the tired group.  Without waiting for anything, they went inside the small city.

    The small city of Hendun had around twenty thousand people living within it, consisting mostly of commoners.  Only about ten percent of the population here were nobles who were mostly controlling the happenings inside the small city.  Sturdy walls of about ten metres were erected all around Hendun giving it a certain sense of security.  Though whether these not so high walls would prove effective against invasion was another matter.  At least, it could provide protection against small groups of bandits and some occasional wandering monsters.

    The city wasn¡¯t that lively or that gloomy.  There were merchants scattered around the streets and were trying to sell their own wares.  Most had small smiles on their faces as they faced with their various customers while some were calling out desperately with all their might just to attract some potential customers.  Haggling customers could be seen everywhere which caused a lot of frowns on most merchants.  The very experienced ones could only chuckle though as their eyes gleamed with gold and silver coins lining up their pocket.

    Alongside the not so narrow road stood the various houses of the people living in the city.  It was lacklustre compared to the city in the capital but it was not too shabby.  Most houses were two-storey tall while a few had three floors or higher.  One could easily distinguish a noble¡¯s house from a commoner¡¯s from the decorations and style of the house.  The nobles had a large amount of space that had fences and gates on it.  Although not as lavish, the richer merchants were also enjoying a larger plot of land which they embellished with their own personal tastes.  There were also guards employed who were standing in front of those gates so a noble¡¯s or rich person¡¯s house could easily be distinguished.

    The group in which the third prince belonged continued to walk as they looked for a place to stay during the night.  Lots of inns were placed around the small city but finding a good but cheap one would be hard as they were already all fully booked.  What was left was some shabby looking inns, suspicious looking inns, very expensive inns, and some rundown inns.  The one leading the group, Embrick, frowned as the money they had on hand was too little and could not even afford those shabby looking inns.  There were other things he had to buy if they were to continue on their journey.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t good.  It may take us all day to find a good one.¡±

    Embrick stopped walking and leaned on a wall as he sighed.  He noticed Rachel slowly approaching him as she covered her mouth with her hand and whispered silently to his ears.

    ¡°Our money would be enough for an inn if we only had four people, right?¡±

    ¡°Four people?¡±

    ¡°Yes, four people.  Aren¡¯t there just four of us here?¡±

    Rachel smiled innocently as she looked at the wide-eyed Embrick.  A second passed as he also returned her smile with a smile of his.  Things were exactly as the female squire pointed out as the money they had on hand would be enough for four people to stay at a shabby inn.  The two were just in their teens while the other two were children.  He felt vibrant as he nodded to the idea, berating himself how he did not thought of it.

    The group walked towards a certain direction as they followed Embrick.  He already found a shabby but nice inn that could accommodate the four of them.  It was a cheap inn but a clean one at that.  It took them ten minutes of walking before they arrived at the inn.  Embrick walked up to the counter as he talked to the young girl behind it.  He was asked to put the names of their group and he gladly did so.  He wrote his name, the female squire¡¯s, his sister¡¯s, and his sister¡¯s friend¡¯s.  He placed some silver coins on the young girl¡¯s hands as she led them to their room.   The two girls would share a room while he would share one with his sister¡¯s friend.

    They were up on the second floor as the two girls went inside a room.  Embrick and the two children behind him followed the young girl to the farthest room in the back, in which she quickly left after showing them their room and giving him the key.  Embrick stepped inside the room and found the place suitable.  As expected, the place wasn¡¯t too luxurious with only the basics inside like the bed and some drawers but it was also sparkly clean.  Being able to sleep in this place for that price was a bargain for them.

    Lark followed Embrick inside the room as he heard the door closed behind him.  He saw that the one who closed the door was the young squire who entered before him.  He was puzzled and began to ask Embrick the reason for his actions.

    ¡°Why you close the door?  Third prince is still outside!¡±

    The young squire shook his head as he sighed.  He placed his hand on Lark¡¯s shoulder as he kneeled down and looked at the young Lark¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°There¡¯s another room.  Another room, okay?¡±

    Lark tilted his head on the side but then he nodded after he understood what the young squire meant.  Sadly, he was a good child and doubting people wasn¡¯t really in his nature as he wasn¡¯t able to see through the lies.  He smiled as he thought the third prince was lucky as he had his own room.  Earlier, he thought this person in front of him was bad as he ignored the third prince but it looked like the case wasn¡¯t like that.  He was even thankful to him as the young squire provided the third prince with a room of his own.  Lark was excited as he thought of visiting and playing at the third prince¡¯s room later.

    Outside of the room, the third prince could only smile wryly as he sighed softly in his heart.  Dwelling on this would achieve nothing so instead of staying still like that and pondering, he decided to just go outside and explore the city.  Even though it could not be compared to the large cities that had hundreds of thousands of people living within them, a small city like this would also take some time to fully explore.  He was also admittedly bored so exploring and seeing new things would be fun and exciting.

    The young girl at the inn¡¯s counter did not give him any look as he exited the place.  Lots of people were walking outside and various noises could be heard all throughout the street.  He had no destination in mind as his intention was to explore so he just went where his feet would take him.  This experience was refreshing as he only had stayed in the castle the entire time for more than five years in this world.

    As he walked on the streets, there were some objects being sold that caught his eye.  He didn¡¯t have any money though so he could only shake his head as he tried his hardest to avert his eyes from them.  There was also this particular pendant that would surely suit the maid that worked for him for a few months.

    ¡°I wonder what she¡¯s doing now.¡±

    He looked at the direction of the capital.  He left the place without telling the maid as he was sure the maid would be forced to follow him even though she told him she loved the capital.  She may not look like it but she was stubborn in her duties and even if not told to accompany him, she will do so, albeit reluctantly.  He did not tell her of his leaving but he did leave her a letter telling her of his gratefulness.  He wasn¡¯t used, no, he didn¡¯t know how to be emotional so he just wrote what he thought as is.  Also, he left her all the money he saved up so that she can use it.  He understood that the short period she served him managed to sever or block some ties of hers to other people so having a bit of money would help.  He also knew about the situation of her family so the amount he left was enough for her and her family to live comfortably for many years.  It was all his money as the third prince after all.

    Dismissing his worries, he continued his pace.  Like in all cities, some places that you could call slums exist.  These places were known for being scary; some lawless while some were full of misery.  One wouldn¡¯t be able to complain if he was instantly robbed or killed in these places.  Poverty was rampant so crime was also rampant.  The number of crimes and atrocities committed in these places would make anyone shudder so the wise would do their best to stay away.  Only fools would step inside of their own accord as a foolish third prince also did so.

    Wearing gaudy clothes fitting for a prince, he continued walking within the slums.  The stench was unbearable for many but he walked on without giving it a care.  There were people sitting and leaning on the walls.  Their eyes were devoid of life and hope.  It was as if they were just waiting for their deaths as they laze on the ground.  There were also other people who had menacing eyes.  A group of them was looking at the young child who just entered their territory.

    ¡°Looks like we hit the jackpot.¡±

    A young man said so as he licked his lips.  He had a wide grin on his face filled with something sinister.  The three men around him were also wearing the same expression as his as one would even lick his rusty knife.

    ¡°Boss, we have to be careful.  He is wearing such a dress so his family may be very influential.  One wrong move and this place may be cleansed.¡±

    Another young man, a distance away from them, talked to the other four.  He was skinny like the others as they were not graced with proper meals but if one would look closer, one could see how lean his muscles were.  His skinny appearance belies his strength.

    ¡°What are you worrying about, Drivk?  Money is right in front of us!  This is why I hate newbies!¡±

    The one who replied at him with a husky voice was another young man standing closer to the one they call ¡°Boss¡±.  He was always seen standing close to the ¡°Boss¡± and there was never at time when he would leave his side.  Literally not a single time.

    Drivk, who just joined their group, frowned.  He just joined yesterday and this was the first time he would be in action.  During the twenty or so years of his life, he had lived poorly but with pride.  He never harmed others or stole from them like what most people do in the slums.  In fact, he would help them even with the meagre amount of money he had with him.  His parents were already deceased but he had his little sister with him.  She was a lovely and lively child who would always smile at him.  Their lives were tough with almost nothing to it but he still tried his best to give her everything she would need.  He only did low paying but honourable jobs.  He didn¡¯t want to put any shame to his name and his sister¡¯s.  He wanted her to live a happy and fulfilling life, if not only for that despicable illness.

    One day, half a year ago, he went back home to their poorly constructed house.  He was tired from doing multiple jobs and was really sleepy but he told himself that sleep can wait until he saw his sister¡¯s very happy and excited face.  After all, it was her birthday that day and he had a little surprise for her.  He couldn¡¯t wait for a second more as he hurriedly stepped inside their house and called for his sister¡¯s name.  Their house was small so he could easily see everything inside, as so his lively sister who was now crouching on the ground, clutching something in the middle of her chest.

    He immediately rushed towards her as his heart wrenched in pain.  His sister was very cold making her previous warmth disappear.  He repeatedly asked himself how his very lively sister turned out like this.  Could it be that he just did not notice it?  Could it be that the care he gave was not enough?  Was it some food he gave her?  His thoughts swirled as he placed his sister in a more comfortable place in their house, the creaky wooden bed.

    He did not know what to do and did not want to take some actions as he did not want to cause harm to his sister.  Some actions may just further worsen her condition.  Luckily, he knew a kind old doctor that he once helped.  There was some distance away from the old doctor¡¯s house so he quickly ran with all his might to fetch him.  Nothing misfortunate happened as he and the old doctor made their way to his sister.  The old doctor instructed him to prepare some things which he hastily did.  He was a little happy that his sister would now be saved but proved him very wrong.

    ¡°She is safe now but¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­But?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot cure her.  I¡¯ve treated lots of sickness but this is the first time I encountered something like this.¡±

    The old doctor had a very guilty look on his face as Drivk clenched his fist.  He knew how good a person the doctor was so he understood that he was not tricking him or anything.  The reason why he clenched his fist was because of how helpless and weak he is.  What reason was there for him to even be here if he could not even save his only family?  Tears soon rushed down his face as he remembered how lively and lovely his sister was.  The doctor patted his shoulder.  The cute doll already forgotten, lying down on the dirty floor.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to alleviate her from pain as much as possible.  I¡¯ll also try to compound some medicines for her.  There¡¯s no guarantee though.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­  At least there¡¯s hope now.¡±

    Of course, medicines and their ingredients cost money and he could not possibly force the burden for the old doctor to bear.  The kind old doctor was also persistent as he said that he would only take half of the money needed.  His impression of Drivk was, after all, a very favourable one.  A very diligent and honest young man even though he was part of the slums.

    All of his savings already had all been used up after six months so although he really dislike things like robberies and such, he couldn¡¯t find any other work that would earn him big in such a little time.  There were high paying jobs in the city but they had all refused someone who lives in the slum, saying he was someone who couldn¡¯t be trusted at all.  Dejected, filled with worries about his sister¡¯s situation, coupled with the continuously rising amount of medicine his sister needs, he turned to the only feasible solution; to rob others.

    He thought he had already fully resolved himself to turn into this despicable ways but imagining how the family of that young child they were about to rob and perhaps kill made him stop.  As someone who was about to lose his only family, he could somehow understand how hard it would be to lose someone.  He didn¡¯t want to create someone like him through his actions.  He¡¯d just have to try harder to find a very high paying job, he thought to himself.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Boss, will a rich-looking child like him just walk through here?  Think of it, there hasn¡¯t been a case like that here in the slums.  I¡¯m sure that there are powerful people guarding him.  They¡¯re just too skilled that we can¡¯t see them right now.¡±

    Drivk was trying to persuade the leader of the group.  He, himself, didn¡¯t very much believe the words coming out from his own mouth but he had to so that the group would believe him.  He also thought of just shouting towards the kid to make him scared so that the kid could run away.  But that would be his last resort as he didn¡¯t want to make himself the target of the thieving group, subsequently bringing harm to his younger sister.

    ¡°Is that the case?¡±

    The ¡°boss¡± made a grumbling sound as he still did not avert his stare from the wandering child.  The luxurious clothes pretty much tempted him to make his way to the child as soon as possible.  The others around him were making similar expressions.  Drivk was about to sigh in relief until the person sticking to the ¡°boss¡± spoke.

    ¡°If there really are guards, then where are they?  And if they really are hiding, then we can just kill the child quickly and take his belongings.  After that, we can just run away fast!¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re going to see our face!  Even if we succeed, they¡¯ll just hunt our families!¡±

    ¡°You just have to cover your face, right?¡±

    The ¡°boss¡± and the others nodded in agreement.  Drivk felt cold sweat running down his back as the group began to put masks around their faces.  The preparations only took some seconds as the group in front of him menacingly looked at their target, or as the situation would call it, their prey.  Hesitation filled Drivk¡¯s eyes but it soon disappeared as he readied his next move.

    ¡°That clueless child over there, run!!!¡±

    He shouted on top of his lungs as he ran to position himself between the child and the group.  Only tens of metres separated the child and the group so he was able to position himself easily with his back towards the child.  The group of thieves were a little delayed in their action thanks to Drivk¡¯s surprising actions.  His action was just something out of their expectations.

    ¡°What are you doing, newbie?¡±

    The boss¡¯ tone of voice was cold with a hint of fury.  The other members stood to his side while they held their knives and daggers in hand.  They were giving looks of intimidation that would easily make others scared stiff.  Adding the murderous look in their eyes and their rough looking faces and one would already run away for life, leaving the valuables behind.

    ¡°I already told you, this is dangerous.  Let¡¯s just give up and look for an easier target, okay?¡±

    Drivk knew that even if he could handle two or three of them alone there was no way for him to handle five people at once but he still had a smile on his face.  It was a smile full of confidence as his eyes held something deep within them.  A sort of conviction, or was it perhaps some sort of will?  He himself didn¡¯t know what it was but he still stood against the group of thieves.

    ¡°Hmph.  Two is always better than one.  Get that newbie and the young child.  Let¡¯s teach them the meaning of pain!¡±

    The group was slightly taken aback by Drivk¡¯s demeanour but they quickly recovered seeing as how Drivk was unarmed.  The group dashed towards the easier prey as they didn¡¯t want the child to flee.  They knew where Drivk lived so they could easily pursue him later if he decided to run away.  Ignoring the ¡°newbie¡±, they were fast approaching the young child.

    ¡°Like I¡¯d let you!¡±

    Drivk brought his arms up and turned his hands into sturdy fists.  He didn¡¯t have any weapons but he knew how to fight using his fists.  He got to practice a little six years ago when he worked under an adventurer.  The job lasted for half a year and that span of time allowed him to be trained enough for combat even against those who were armed with weapons.  But he still knew he could not win and would just buy enough time for the young child to run away.

    But why is this child not running away was what he thought as he bit his lips.  He could pick the child up in his arms and run but the extra weight would make it easy for them to be caught.  The only choice was for him to block all five men alone, at the same time.  He gritted his teeth as the distance grew shorter and shorter.

    The group of thieves though was already well-experienced.  They easily saw through Drivk¡¯s plans as two of them split up from the group and made a runabout way towards the child.  The remaining three charged toward Drivk as they managed to surround him.  They were full of smiles as they had accomplished their plan without a hitch.  Now, with the newbie surrounded, the two thieves who aimed for the child wouldn¡¯t have to worry anymore and could focus all their attention on the easy prey.

    Horror filled Drivk¡¯s face as he understood how he easily fell to the group¡¯s plan.  The child would meet a gruesome fate without a doubt so with desperation, he attacked the three surrounding him.  He just wanted to make some sort of opening so that he could rush towards the kid.

    Drivk threw his right fist towards the one in front of him.  The boss, who was in front of him, put together his arms in a cross to block his face.  The punch connected but he was surprised at the weak power behind the punch.  Then he heard a sound of someone falling on the ground.  He removed the arms blocking his face only to find that one of them was kicked away by the newbie.

    No matter how desperate he was, Drivk still maintained a calm mind.  He was taught by the adventurer to always maintain a calm mind in a fight.  That was why he was still able to throw in some feints with his attacks.  Luckily, the one in front of him blocked with his arms, blocking the vision, so he was able to throw a side kick to the one in his right.  The thief in his right wasn¡¯t able to react properly in time as his right foot went deep into the thief¡¯s stomach.  That sent the thief flying, hitting the wall making him unconscious.

    The boss was only still beginning to be filled up in anger as the thief remaining close to him made a move.  He swiftly thrust his rusty dagger to the open side of Drivk¡¯s body.  This happened as soon as the other thief hit the wall so there was no time for Drivk to evade or even block his attack.  And that was where he was wrong.

    Drivk already sensed the thief approaching his side as he brought his left knee and left elbow to block the rusty dagger.  There was a look of shock on the thief¡¯s face as his weapon was placed in between the newbie¡¯s elbow and knee.  He thought that doing that was impossible but seeing it happening before him told him otherwise.  He still did not let go of his weapon which earned him a hook punch from Drivk.  With sounds of a nose¡¯s bones breaking, the thief was also sent flying.

    Drivk smiled.  He was glad that his body still remembered how to fight properly even though he was just doing routine training now and no more fighting.  He was about to charge towards the boss when a scene in the corner of his eyes prevented him so.  Two thieves with knives on their hands were already about to swing their weapons towards the child.

    His face was filled with regret and guilt.  He scolded himself as he forgot what his goal was.  It wasn¡¯t about beating the ones in front of him nor was it about reliving the feeling of fighting.  It was to save the unfortunate child!  He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists so hard that blood could be seen dripping from within them.

    ¡°¡±Huh?¡±¡±

    The two thieves were surprised.  Indeed, it was surprising that their knives hit each other but that wasn¡¯t the reason they were surprised.  Instead of backing away or running away, the young child took a single step forward.  That little action made their attacks miss their mark, even making their weapons hit each other.  They both had wide eyes but they once again focused on their attack, dispelling their earlier thoughts.

    Seeing the young child so close to them that their bodies were already hitting, they grinned widely as they raised their weapons high up and brought it down to the child, hitting nothing but air.  The child once again took another step forward to their surprise.  Normally, a child should already be cowering in fear of their weapons but the child in front of them was clearly not normal.

    ¡°Grab him, you fools!¡±

    Hearing the voice of their boss, they regained their senses as one of them rushed to grab the child.  The thief¡¯s right hand was about to grab the child¡¯s shoulder when he felt something on his feet as he tripped forward, nose first.  That made his nose bleed as his thoughts became disoriented.

    The other thief looked at how the boy continued to walk after stopping and tripping his comrade.  Blood boiled within him at the fact that a mere child was able to greatly humiliate them.  With blood rushing through his head, he dashed towards the young child.  Fortunately, the child still wasn¡¯t running as the child still calmly walked straight forward.  It¡¯s just ten metres between them so he successfully grabbed the child¡¯s shoulder.  He smiled widely at his success but was puzzled as the young child looked at him with a smile.  He then felt something on his back.

    Just like the other thief, the thief who fell down was full of anger in the humiliation he suffered from the child.  His thoughts were already full of how to torture the young child, on the ways of how to get the best scream out of the child, and how to laugh in delight as the young child would eventually lose the life in his eyes.  With his still hazy mind, commendably, he still managed to grip his knife and throw it towards the direction of the child.  He passed out soon afterwards.

    Drivk watched as the scene which he considered was absurd happened in front of his eyes.  He didn¡¯t know whether to think whether the child was truly lucky or was just truly skilled.  The same could also be said to the boss of the thieves just a few distance from him.  Both of them stood still but the first one recover his bearing was Drivk who instantly rushed to the boss and did an uppercut with his right fist that knocked out the boss out cold on the floor after experiencing how to fly in three seconds.

    Drivk panted as he was mentally exhausted.  The fight didn¡¯t drain much of his stamina but him being full of worries did much damage to his mental health.  Gladly, the young child wasn¡¯t hurt in any way as he breathed a sigh of relief.  He soon ran up to the child who resumed his walking.

    ¡°Hey!  Are you alright?¡±

    Even though he saw how the whole scene unfolded in front of him, he still had to ask.  There may have been some injuries or something to the child so checking for it was important.  The young child turned around and smiled in response.  It was a childish smile devoid of any fear.

    ¡°Thank you, kind mister.  I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s good then.¡±

    The young child bowed his head towards Drivk as the latter scratched his head.  He didn¡¯t know what to think of the child¡¯s calmness even with the thing that just happened to them.  He was thinking if perhaps the child was already too used to these kind of incidents.  But he thought that if that was the case, he felt sad at the kind of life the child could have been living.  How nice it would be if that wasn¡¯t the case, is what he earnestly thought.

    ¡°Drivk!  Hurry!  Your sister!¡±

    What break the small silence was a shout from an old man.  The old man was wearing a white robe that covered most of his other clothes.  His hair was white just like the long beard under his chin.  Sweat beads formed on his face especially on his forehead as he continued to pant.  He rested his hands on his knees as soon as his face saw Drivk¡¯s.

    ¡°What happened?!¡±

    A look full of anxiety was displayed on Drivk¡¯s face.  Judging from the doctor¡¯s words and expression, something terrible should have happened to his dear sister.  He wanted to rush straight away to his house but he felt the need to hear the doctor¡¯s words first.

    ¡°Ha¡­  Ha¡­  It¡¯s terrible!  I don¡¯t know what happened but she¡¯s losing her life fast!¡±

    ¡°Damn!!!  What can we do?!¡±

    ¡°Maybe someone who knows a healing magic could help.  I don¡¯t know anyone who knows that magic but maybe you do.¡±

    Drivk tried recalling all the persons he met from the various jobs he did all his life but he failed to find someone who knew healing magic from his memory.  No one really studied healing magic as it was harmful to one¡¯s body.  Feeling helpless once again, he gritted his teeth hard.

    ¡°Why?!  Why should this happen?!  My sister haven¡¯t done anything to deserve this!!!¡±

    Drivk began to scream on top of his lungs while staring straight to the sky.  He did not believe in gods but if there was one, he would like to have some help in exchange for anything.  He was so desperate for help that tears began streaming down his cheeks that were tired from screaming his heart out.  He powerlessly fell on his knees as rain began to pour down upon him.

    The old doctor approached the young man with sorrow and pity in his eyes.  He tapped Drivk¡¯s shoulder and spoke with a calming voice.

    ¡°At least¡­  At least stay at her side till her last moments.¡±

    Drivk made no response as he looked at the old doctor with lifeless eyes.  It took him some seconds before he understood that even if there was nothing he could do to save his most beloved sister, he could still at least stay by her side and make her smile until her final moments.  He wanted his sister to feel happy before everything came to an end.

    With renewed determination filling his eyes, he grabbed the old doctor¡¯s outstretched hand and stood up.  The falling rain was indeed very cold but it would not deter the feelings burning inside him the slightest.  The two of them began to walk towards the direction of the young man¡¯s house.  They were so filled with emotions that they did not notice a young child was following them from a distance not too far away.

 Rainbow

    A little girl, of about four of five was lying on the ground.  Her body was curled up and was cold.  The once lively pink complexion of her skin turned into deathly pale white.  No one would believe if they were told that this was the same girl who was so bouncy and lively just half a year ago.  She looked just like a person who was bedridden all her life.

    She was in deep pain but she didn¡¯t cry or scream in pain.  Only some sounds of groans escaped her tiny pale lips as she thought of her brother.  She didn¡¯t want the brother that was so important to her to worry about her.  She loved his kind smile that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t want to see any more of his worried or helpless face.  Her brother tried his best to hide these from her but she knew.  She knew her brother was, like her, also in pain.  That¡¯s why whenever her brother comes back tired from a job, she would always try her best to display the best smile in the world.  And she hated herself for being unable to do so these past weeks.

    ¡°Bro...ther...¡±

    The pain she was feeling at the moment couldn¡¯t be compared to the previous ones.  It was as if the control she had over her body was slipping away from her.  Her consciousness was also beginning to get blurry and fade little by little.  She was mustering all of her strength just to stay awake.  The dripping rain from the broken roof wasn¡¯t helping her at all.

    She didn¡¯t know how long had passed but her brother and the kind old doctor was now in front of her.  Her brother brought her in his arms as he hugged her tightly.  But it pained her that she couldn¡¯t feel anymore of her brother¡¯s warm hug.  He looked at her and was saying something as he made a big smile.  She couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying but she could somehow understand with how clumsy the smile of her big brother was.  Ah, was it time; was what she thought.

    The end was near for her so she wanted to give her brother one last present from her.  She had no material things to give him but she still had something that made her brother smile every time.

    Yes, she could still manage to give him one last smile.  The best smile out of all the best smiles that she gave him.  She really loved her brother so she wanted this last gift of hers to make him smile, just like how they did so in the past.  She wanted her brother¡¯s honest and happy smile to be etched as her final memory.

    That was why she...

    ------------------------------------------------------------------

    The third prince was following the two men as they reached a rundown house.  They entered with him following behind as he scanned the place.  Rain was leaking from the broken roof which dripped on various places.  There were signs that the place was kept clean but dust still accumulated due to the broken and cracked walls.  The furniture inside were all old but one look at them could tell that they were somehow properly maintained.  Aside from the costly roof and walls, everything inside was well-maintained.

    The two men did not pay him any attention as they rushed inside the house and crouched down on the floor.  A little girl of about his age was lying there, with skin as pale as snow.  He could tell how deep in pain she was but he was surprised to see her trying her best to not show it.  Even though it was obvious that the pain could make anyone easily cry or scream.

    He closed his eyes as he heard the young man comforting the little girl.  He was telling her sweet words, promising her beautiful things, and saying how much he loves her.  The third prince could also the silent weeping of the old man next to the young man.

    The third prince never cared for people he did not know.  If one wasn¡¯t his family or friend, then he could care less.  He just wasn¡¯t one who could help someone out of nothing and for nothing.

    But is he to blame?  In all his lives, there was not a single time when he was showered with kindness or love.  How could he know something he did not know?  Certainly, he valued his family and friends but the feeling he had for them couldn¡¯t clearly be described as love.  It was something entirely different.  It wasn¡¯t something as beautiful as love. There was one time when he almost learned what love and happiness was but, alas, it never came to be.

    That¡¯s why he just closed his eyes.  No, even if there was this stubborn intention of wanting to help the little girl, he could do nothing.  The girl was obviously already in her death¡¯s bed and he didn¡¯t know any healing magic.  There was nothing he could do.  He couldn¡¯t notice the blood dripping from his tightly clenched fists.

    The third prince opened his eyes and narrowed them down as he stared at the little girl being held in the young man¡¯s arms.  His purple eyes then turned to the girl¡¯s face and saw the girl¡¯s smile.

    ¡®Will this lead me to the thing I wanted to find?¡¯

    Seeing the girl¡¯s smile, his purple eyes continuously flashed as he stared at the girl¡¯s body.  He knew that doing that would change nothing as he could do nothing to heal her but he was thankful that he did.  It was because he saw a thin white thread connecting the girl¡¯s body and something on the wall.

    ¡°Hey!  Quick!  Hit that part of the wall!  If you still want to save your sister¡±

    The third prince shouted loudly which reverberated throughout the small house.  The third prince pointed towards a certain direction as he stared intently on the young man who turned his head in surprise.  The young man quickly put down the little girl and punched the part of the wall the third prince was pointing at.  He did not know why he should listen to the young child but the gaze of the child was so serious.  There were also the words ¡®if you still want to save your sister¡¯ so he abandoned all hesitation and crossed the distance between himself and the wall in the blink of an eye.  Earlier, he had no hope at all but now, even if it was only the tiniest of hope, he would desperately cling on it.  Now, he had something he could do!

    The moment he punched the wall with all his might, the young man felt something hit his fist.  He put more force on his fist as black blood began to cover his fist.  He did not even mind this strange thing as he continued to put more pressure on the something that he hit.

    Ten seconds passed as the something showed itself.  Drivk took a step back as he was shocked at seeing what he just hit.  That something dropped lifelessly on the ground, covered in black blood, the same blood that covered his right fist.

    ¡°What...is this?¡±

    He stepped closer to see what the something was.  It looked like a spider but at the same time it was not.  Compared to a house spider¡¯s size, it was a lot bigger but not to as big as a monster spider.  Also, instead of having eight legs, it only had four legs that were very sharp.  He was glad that the legs did not hit him as those legs effortlessly dug down on the ground even if the thing was already dead as it fell down.  The other noticeable difference too, was that the thing lacked a head.  It was only composed of the legs, a black body, and a small opening on that body.

    ¡°I do not know too.  I haven¡¯t seen that in all the books I¡¯ve read.  Probably a variation or an unrecorded one.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t exactly an answer, but the one who answered him was the third prince.  Drivk did not pay attention earlier but now he was full of questions on as to why the child was here, why he knew that there was something on the wall, and what good would ridding it would do to his sister.  There were many questions in his head but the most important thing for him was his sister.  He rushed up to her but someone already beat him.

    The third prince knelt down and examined the body of the little girl.  Finding nothing of concern, he breathed a sigh of relief as the old doctor and the young man came towards him and the still unconscious little girl.  The third prince distanced himself a little bit to give way to the two.  The old doctor then began to look attentively at the little girl.

    ¡°This...  Don¡¯t tell me?¡±

    ¡°What is it, doctor?¡±

    ¡°Although her body is still weak, it seems her life is no longer in danger...  But how?  Why?¡±

    ¡°I do not know what that creature is but it was sucking the life force from that little girl.  Luckily, we had severed the connection between them before all of her life was drained.  Just give her time to rest and she¡¯ll be fine afterwards.¡±

    It was the childish voice of the third prince who answered the old doctor¡¯s questions.  The old doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise at the knowledge of the young child but he had his priorities first.  He would first give some instructions to the little girl¡¯s brother before satisfying his curiosity.

    Drivk, too, was curious about the young child but he decided not to pursue it so eagerly.  He did not want to be rude to the person who just saved the most important person in his life, be he a child or not.  The fact that he was the one he was most indebted to would never change.  He was very thankful to this young child that he knew no amount of words of thanks or material things would suffice.

    While the old doctor was giving instructions to Drivk, the third prince silently made his leave.  There¡¯s the reason that he did not want to intrude any more, but there was a greater reason.  His heart was in turmoil.  Just what is this?  He asked himself.  He was confused on what the feelings forming inside him were.  Feeling suspicious and wary of it, he dismissed these budding feelings immediately before it could do any harm to him.  He automatically and naturally perceived it as a threat that needed to be immediately removed.  Feeling as if he lost something important, he shook his head as he continued his tour of the small city.

    Not one of them realised how the rain had already stopped falling, replaced by the kind and warm rays of the sun.

    Minutes had passed as he left the slums.  Luckily, no other attacks happened as he calmly walked down the streets and narrow alleyways.  He found himself surrounded by lots of people who carried weapons and were wearing armours.  Most were walking throughout the streets while a number were entering a particular house that had two floors.  The house was wider than the other he had seen earlier so as to satisfy his curiosity, he walked towards it.

    What greeted him was the so called adventurer¡¯s guild.  According to what he read, in this world, there exists people who did various jobs that rewarded them with either money, items, or reputation and honour.  These people were commonly referred to as adventurers and the ones that manage the jobs provided for these people was the adventurer¡¯s guild.  The adventurer¡¯s guild was a very large entity that it had branches in almost all cities that housed the human population.  There were also branches in non-human cities but they only number a few and the number wouldn¡¯t even exceed the fingers of both your hands combined.

    The third prince pushed through the wooden door and was already drowned in noise which made his ears ring a little.  Although the smell of alcohol and beer was not present, the place was filled with the scent of various food, mostly of meat.  Tables and chairs were placed all around the place with people sitting on them.  Most were noisily chatting, laughing, and telling jokes.  There were some who were just talking in moderation while a little number were keeping to themselves in a dark corner.

    The place was so boisterous as if the various voices were trying to drown out each other.  It was a lively place that made one feel comfortable a warm inside.  The third prince were still scanning the place when a female in her twenties approached him.  Unlike most females inside the place who were dressed in armours, she was dressed in clothes made of silk and cotton.  There was a trace of make up on her face while a necklace hung on her neck and two earrings adorned her ears.  The female knelt down so that her eye was level with the third prince.

    ¡°What brings you here, child?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a little curious.¡±

    ¡°Curious about what, young one?¡±

    ¡°About you.¡±

    ¡°Me?!¡±

    The female was surprised at the unexpected answer the young child gave her.  Normally, children who wander inside were asking questions about adventurers and their various adventures.  As someone who worked in the adventurer¡¯s guild for years, she already amassed countless tales to tell the children.  But the one in front of her right now was different.  Now she was curious on why the child was curious about her.

    ¡°Hey, Prinda, you got yourself another admirer huh?  Hahaha!!!¡±

    ¡°Shut it, pointlessly big man!¡±

    ¡°And a child one at that!¡±

    ¡°Shoo, shoo!  Those big muscles of yours are going to scare the young child!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!!!  Alright, alright!  Hahaha!!!¡±

    ¡°Sheesh!  He¡¯s usually keeping to himself but when someone approaches me, he would always interrupt like that.  Just what¡¯s with him?  Anyway, young child, why are you curious about me?¡±

    Oblivious of the feelings of the earlier man, the female asked the young child.  She stared at him and found his purple eyes beautiful.  Judging from the clothes the young child was wearing, she knew that the child was either a noble or a son of a very rich merchant.

    ¡°Why are you so different from the others here?¡±

    ¡°Different?  Oh, you mean my clothes?¡±

    The young child shook his head before turning his gaze on her eyes.  Something swirled in the child¡¯s purple eyes which made her wonder if what she saw was real or was just a trick of her eyes.  The child then smiled childishly towards her, making the child look somewhat cute and irresistible for her.

    ¡°I mean, aren¡¯t you a mons¡ª¡°

    Before the child could even complete his sentence, the female already hat placed her hand on his mouth to prevent him from talking any further.  Surprisingly to her, the child did not struggle but only continued looking at her.

    ¡°Come with me.¡±

    Noticing that the child would not speak any further from his eyes, she removed her hand from his mouth.  He was still smiling childishly in front of her but instead of the earlier adoration she felt earlier, what she felt right now was fear and anxiousness.  She hastily led the young child to a room behind the counter of the adventurer¡¯s guild.  She then proceeded to close the door and locked it tightly.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°You...  How did you know?  Did someone send you here so that you can tell me that?  No, that surely is the case...¡±

    The female, Prinda, remembered the figures of those that continued to chase her down endlessly.  She finally was able to lie low for a few tens of years donning a human form but she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to run away forever.  The group that was chasing her would use various underhanded methods to capture her, and now she berated them even more for sending a young child like this to act as a messenger for them.  How despicable!, she thought.

    But before any of that, she first needed to find a way to escape from their grasp.  She hadn¡¯t done anything that would warrant anyone chasing after her, nor had she done any bad deeds.  She was only being chased for being a bit different from the usual monsters that had been plaguing the land for countless of years.  They were planning to experiment on her but there was no way she would let them do that to her.  She enjoyed living with the ones around her so she would never agree to that.

    ¡°No.  I¡¯m not sent here by anyone.¡±

    ¡°Huh?  Then how did you¡ª¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s just that your mana is different from the people here.  Theirs was white while yours were black.¡±

    ¡°What?  You can see the colour of mana?!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The purple eyes of the young child flashed as if in response to Prinda¡¯s question.  It was something very unbelievable for her but for the young child to figure out that she was different just from looking proved otherwise.  She had to believe the power of the young child¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°So that¡¯s it.  Mine is black, huh...¡±

    Even though Prinda¡¯s mind was just like a human¡¯s caused by some variation, she was still basically a monster.  The appearance she had now was due to a magic she learned during the years of escaping from her pursuers.  But, still, she never let her instincts take over mind.  She never attacked anyone, nor did a bad thing to anyone.  She tried to act as humanely as possible so that she could spend her every day with the people around her.  She just loves others that much.  There was a little hope in her heart that she too, would someday be considered as one of them.  But in the end, a monster was a monster.  This was further proven by the colour of her mana.

    Prinda¡¯s heart was in pain as she did not notice how sad her expression turned out.  This caused some form of irritation to the third prince.  He couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact reason, or any reason, but he felt he should say something here.  Sadly, the third prince didn¡¯t know how to console others with sweet talking so he only did what he knew; to say what was on his mind as is.  He went towards the door, holding the knob as he spoke with his back towards Prinda.

    ¡°I find that pure black mana of your more beautiful than those corrupted and dirty white mana by most people though.¡±

    The third prince opened the door and exited the room as if nothing happened after speaking.  He had no way of seeing what kind of face the female made or hear what kind of words she said in response.  His curiosity was already satisfied so the only thing left for him to do was leave the place.  And that was exactly what he just did.

    Hours had already passed since he began exploring the small city as the sun was about to set.  Night would soon come and he should find a place to sleep in.  He reached out deep in his pocket but failed to find the familiar sensation of coins inside it.  Thankfully though, he was already used to sleeping in various places, too used that he was just a step away to completely master the art of sleeping anywhere.

    The sun was about to disappear in the horizon to be replaced by the moon but the city was still full of various noise.  Almost every city was the same as the so called ¡°night life¡± was starting to begin.  There were some similarities to the activities done during the day but most of the ¡°night activities¡± happening during the night were mostly off limits to minors, especially a five or six year old kid.  The third prince had an idea on what these activities were although he had not experienced it himself.  Words do go around after all.

    The third prince was curious to those ¡°activities¡± but he persuaded himself that a minor like him should not go to places like that.  He also didn¡¯t really have any interest in doing those activities himself, just merely curious on what the places looked like and what kind of people existed there.

    Abiding by his own words, his feet started to take him towards those places where these ¡°activities¡± were being done.  After all, he was not there to do anything, just taking a brief look.  He convinced himself so.

    The small city was still large for a young child like him to travel completely so he wasn¡¯t sure where the place he wanted to go was located at.  He could only follow the groups of young men and old men who were merrily grinning while talking about this and that.  A few minutes to an hour later, he arrived at a place that the groups of men refer to as ¡°red-light district¡±.  The third prince approved of the name as there were red lanterns lighting the place up.

    ¡°The streets are full of men.  The buildings are full of women.¡±

    That was the conclusion the third prince reached as he looked around him while calmly walking.  The men that littered the street were all glad looking and full of enthusiasm.  The women who were on the various balconies were wearing lovely dresses and scented perfumes.  They were lively calling to the men down on the streets as if they were inviting the men to come and join them in their fun.  The place was lively but the only thing that puzzled the third prince was...

    ¡°How come the men that exit those buildings are all tired?¡±

    Naturally, no answer came to him as his curiosity peaked.  Originally, he was not that thirsty for knowledge but as the days grew boring with nothing much to do, he turned to reading books which gave birth to his deep curiosity.  And, as he wanted to satisfy this new curiosity of his, he naturally walked towards one of the establishments with a calm look.  He was a little frustrated though as he was immediately turned back or thrown out from the other places he calmly walked into.  He couldn¡¯t figure out just why he was rejected from those places as he properly told them he came there to just watch as he knew doing the ¡°activities¡± were not for minors like him.  What the third prince didn¡¯t know was that the knowledge of his pertaining to those ¡°activities¡± were really not correct.  The things he read were obviously toned down so the ideas he had were completely different.  It was only at the level of ¡°having fun together with the different sex¡±.

    Frustrated, the third prince leaned on a wall in a dark alleyway and crossed his arms in front of him.  He then closed his eyes as he began thinking of what he did wrong and what he could do next to satisfy the growing curiosity of his.  Facing these obstacles were beginning to look like a challenge for him which only just fuelled his curiosity even more.  It was then that he noticed two figures deep into the other side of the alleyway.

    ¡°You runt!  Do you still want more beatings?!¡±

    The little girl just stared at him without saying a single word but her face was filled with determination.  There was a certain strength and defiance inside her eyes that just made the burly man more irritated.

    ¡°Hah!  You want some more then!¡±

    A burly man started to punch and kick a dirty looking girl who only wore tattered robes.  The girl¡¯s face was already full of bruises and cuts and were bleeding in some places, just like her whole body.  But despite that, there was determination in her eyes which only made the burly man wanting to hit her more.  The girl was being punched and kicked around that one kick from the burly man sent her flying directly in the ground before the third prince.

    The third prince looked at the scene without a single hint of expression on his face.  He recalled a certain faint and fleeting memory.

    ¡®Why do you go so far to help others and make them happy?  There¡¯s no reason.  There are no rewards too.¡¯

    ¡®You see, the moment I see someone smiling or laughing, it somehow makes this chest of mine filled with warmth.  And that warmth makes me happy.¡¯

    ¡®I...still don¡¯t understand.¡¯

    ¡®Then I¡¯ll pray that you¡¯ll understand it soon.  For now, let me share this warmth with you, okay?¡¯

    Without caring for the burly man, the third prince approached the little girl lying on the ground.  He wore a smile on his face as he reached out his hand towards the girl.  Seeing this made the burly man frown in anger.  He thought how dare a little child take away his fun from him.  He approached the two children but he was stopped in his tracks by a momentary single glance from the third prince.

    The third prince was a originally heartless and cruel person but the fleeting memory of a smiling face was giving its best to thaw his frozen heart.  He asked himself, like he always had all these years; ¡®Why was I born here?¡¯.  He wasn¡¯t a selfless person that would go out of his way to help someone else.  In fact, he already knew how deep his selfishness was.  He wanted to taste what happiness was.  Not something superficial, but a genuine one.  But he did not know the methods of attaining genuine happiness so he turned to that certain person that lived her short life in happiness.  He would just imitate that person¡¯s actions and words, hoping that even a small piece of happiness would come his way.

    The little girl lying on the ground looked at him dumbfounded before reaching out for the third prince¡¯s hand.  She forced her body which was aching all over to grab the hand that was outstretched to her.  On the instant that their hands touched, she felt an indescribable warmth from the hands she was holding onto.  It made her feel secure and safe as she looked at the smiling face of the person in front of her.

    At the moment the little girl took his hand, the third prince helped her stand up.  As her body suffered from severe fatigue from the continuous pain inflicted upon her, her balance became unstable as she leaned on the third prince¡¯s body.  A bit embarrassed, she lowered her head and softly apologised.

    Being ignored would anger someone greatly and that was what the burly man was feeling.  He scolded himself for getting scared from a young child¡¯s glance.  Feeling more anger than shame, some veins of his bald head bulged as if they¡¯re about to pop out.  He considered giving the young child the same fate as the girl he was toying around with.  After satisfying himself with their screams, he would toss the two children to the abandoned well where he tossed the little girl¡¯s parents, or their cold bodies to be exact.  A hint of sadism appeared together with a smile on his rugged face.

    He cracked his fists before walking towards the two children.  There was no fault on him becoming so confident as his opponents were just two children, one even badly injured by him.  He was taking his time as he made his presence more intimidating at every step.  But then he was puzzled by the actions of the young child who interrupted his fun.

    The third prince crouched on the ground and took something in his hands.  It was something that tumbled down as the girl was sent flying his way.  A jar full of marbles was hit and now the contents were spilled on a corner of the alleyway.  The marbles were round and small in size, about the size of a pebble.  The designs painted on it were also the common figures painted on most marbles of the kind.  These marbles were usually used by children to play with.

    The burly man laughed as he saw what the young child took from the ground.  He didn¡¯t know whether the child took it because he would play with it later or he took it to attack him.  But if it was the latter, then it was all too laughable!  How could a simple toy marble do any kind of damage to his body that was forged through the countless battles he fought in and the large number of dungeons he took part in raiding in.  He felt no danger at all even as the young child a few metres away from him raised his arms and threw a single marble.  Yes, no danger at all, until the marble was about to accurately hit a very soft part of his body, his eye.

    He grumbled at how lucky the child was to be able to luckily aim at his eyes.  There was surprise in him but if this was all it took for him to be injured, then he should have already died multiple of times in his life.  By tilting his head a little, he managed to dodge the marble.  Only to find another marble already almost arriving to his left eye.  He bend his body backward a little which made the marble miss and fly to the end of the alleyway.

    He shouted as he cursed how darn lucky the young child was.  But that was replaced by an anxious face as another marble was going to hit his right eye the moment he pulled his body back to place.  It was at this time that he understood that the young child really do have skill with the marble.  He went with various parties but not even the best archer he teamed up with could aim so accurately in advance as the child in front of him.  He put his body on guard as he could no longer belittle the young child in front of him.

    He twisted his body so fast that he was certain he hurt a few of his muscles just to dodge the eye crushing marble.  Another marble was surely aimed to where his eyes would be so he immediately put his arms to block his eyes as soon as he dodged the marble.  True to his thoughts, a marble hit the part of his arm just in front of his left eye.  The marble stung his arms a little but it really did no significant damage to him but it was a different case if it was his eyes that would take a hit.  He thought about closing his eyelids but it would not provide an ideal cover for his eyes.  Putting his arms in front of his face to block the marble should do the trick.  Now, even with his sight covered by his arms, he advanced step by step.  The alleyway was narrow to begin with so he should just walk forward and he¡¯ll be able to punish the young child.  A sinister smile formed on his face as he thought of how to return the favour to the young child by grinding those marbles into the little eyes.

    He already walked eight steps before he realised something.  Removing his arms in front of his face, he was filled in fury when he found that the children were no longer in front of him.  He was tricked!  His face was filled with fury that when he punched a wall, it left cracks on it.  Then, he roared furiously.

    ¡°You will pay for this, you damn brat!¡±