The next morning.
The Crown Prince and Danos stood face to face in a meadow that was shining brightly in the sunlight.
Danos, who was leisurely looking at the Crown Prince with a heavy longsword slung over his shoulder, raised the corners of his mouth.
“I thought you’d be scared when it actually happened and just beg me to let it go, but you have a more calm expression than I thought.”
“Even though I am only a human, I am the Crown Prince of the empire. I will not be afraid or flinch when crossing swords with anyone.”
“Hahaha. I like your spirit. Yeah, you need that much spirit to be worthy of crossing swords with me.”
Danos, who had been laughing out loud, seemed quite satisfied with the Crown Prince's lofty answer, but suddenly the smile on his lips disappeared and his eyes lit up.
“Take out your sword. I will treat you specially.”
“It is an honor.”
The Crown Prince unsheathed the sword he had on his waist.
Bam.
The empty scabbard landed a short distance away, and the Crown Prince took up his stance.
The eyes of the two men, who were assessing each other without moving from where they had stood, shone sharply.
The tension from the prolonged standoff made me feel like my throat was being strangled.
That time when I was holding my hand tightly.
Dadada.
The Crown Prince and Danos rushed toward each other without saying who would go first.
Chaeng! Chaeng chaeng chaeng!
A close fight continued without an inch of concession.
Unlike the Crown Prince, who was serious from moment to moment, Danos leisurely smiled broadly.
“You’re quite the expert. I didn’t know a human could block my sword like this.”
My heart sank at that smile that seemed to be amused.
At first glance, it may seem like they are neck and neck, but Danos' skills are not limited to what he has shown so far.
Since the other person is human and a Saint, he may be being lenient, but if the Crown Prince's considerable skills pique his interest, and if he shows off his true abilities...
It was when I was biting my lips hard.
Chae-Ang!
Danos swung his sword down hard as if it had been child's play up until now.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince managed to block it this time as well, but the weight of his entire body pressing down on it was too much, as deep wrinkles formed on his flat forehead.
It seemed as though he was barely able to stand now.
But once Danos was set ablaze, he seemed unwilling to stop.
Pavabak!
Sparks began to fly, and a bright red flame enveloped Danos' sword.
"What!"
The Crown Prince hastily put down his sword as the heat burst out in front of his nose.
But Danos didn't give him time to regroup.
The sight of him swinging his flaming sword and continuing to chase the retreating Crown Prince felt as cruel as a devil crawling out of hell.
“What kind of archangel would do something like that to a human...”
Even as I was biting my lip, the two continued to clash their swords.
Attack, dodge.
Attack again, dodge again.
Anyone could see that it was a one-sided flow.
The moment I gasped for breath at that urgent sight.
“What is that...”
Smoke rose from the Crown Prince's sword.
The sword began to melt in Danos' strong fire.
With a sword that is so flabby, it would be impossible to continue the duel, let alone block it properly.
“Your Highness, it’s dangerous! Stop it now...!”
Just as I was about to shout, "Surrender!"
Parsak!
The Crown Prince's sword, unable to withstand the heat, was split in two.
The Crown Prince looked at the broken sword with puzzled eyes for a moment, then quickly dodged when he saw Danos attacking again.
But the speed at which it flew was so fast that it ended up cutting off his shoulder.
“Ugh.”
Bright red blood flowed down onto the black uniform covered in dust.
"Your Highness!"
I cried out to him with a pale face, but Danos still showed no mercy.
“You wouldn’t surrender with just that level of injury, would you?”
He pushed the unarmed Crown Prince to the end.
His brightly curved eyes were almost mad.
“Stop it, Danos! You’re dealing with humans!”
“Are you planning to kill the Saint appointed by Hethel?”
Chihara and Netanya, who had been quietly observing the situation, came forward to try to dissuade him.
But Danos, who was excited about his first duel in a long time, seemed to not hear a word.
Feeling dizzy at the sight, I quickly turned my head towards Bayen.
“Your Excellency, now...!”
Bayen nodded at my words.
It seemed like he remembered the promise he made to me last night.
Swish.
The air that had been hovering over the meadow began to gather around him and transform into a large whirlpool.
Wheezing— Wheezing—
The vortex that had been swirling around Bayen with an ominous sound soon flew towards them at a terrifying speed.
But unfortunately, before the whirlwind could separate them, Danos' sword reached the Crown Prince first.
“Ah! No! Your Highness!”
I screamed desperately as the sword blade aimed straight at the Crown Prince's neck.
At that moment.
Phew!
A terrible explosion and black smoke enveloped them.
An inexplicable pungent smell enveloped us as we watched the duel from a distance, but I didn't even think to cover my nose.
"Your Highness...."
If the aftermath was this strong, it would have been an attack that was incomparable to anything that had happened before.
Even if he was the Crown Prince, there was no way he could avoid it.
Bam.
My body fell to the floor along with my sinking heart.
'I shouldn't have sent you away. I should have stepped forward.'
His moderately strong power only stimulated Danos's competitive spirit, which ultimately led to his death.
I was blaming myself for a moment, but then my body froze for a moment.
'Dead? His Highness?'
Even though I had expected that he would never survive, I felt suffocated when I thought of him being dead.
I was breathing heavily, feeling as if I had been hit in the head with a giant sledgehammer.
Still, the trembling that dominated my entire body did not stop, and hot tears flowed ceaselessly from my eyes.
A natural confusion took over my head.
'Why am I like this?'
Of course, it was truly a terrible shock to see someone die right before my eyes.
If it's like that even for a complete stranger, how much more so for a colleague you've been with for months?
What I just can't understand is why my heart breaks so much.
Why do you think it would be better for me to die than for the Crown Prince to die?
Isn't this too much to say that it's just a feeling toward a colleague?
As if bestowing a favor on me who was confused, my mind continued to play memories of him and me.
The sight of them happily welcoming me back alive.
The sight of my house, which I thought had been auctioned off, being returned to me after winning the bid.
He expressed his gratitude, saying that thanks to me, the people of the empire could smile again.
The image of him being furious when he found out that I was a fake saint.
It was as if he was trying to pay the price for deceiving the people of the empire.
The way he worked me without resting even for a single day.
The way he pushed me into an area where an infectious disease was rampant without any hesitation.
And yet, the way he reached out to me at my most miserable moment.
I wonder if my mother's spirit will listen, she said, "You can hold me in her arms and cry as much as you want, I will hold you all in my arms."
All those memories, one by one, played back in my head as clearly as if it had happened yesterday.
And when all those memories were over, I was finally able to name my feelings.
'I like him.'
A man with a stiff speech, no humor at all, and who only cared about this empire and its people.
But he didn't ignore me when I was in the most miserable moments and gave me strength.
I started to love that man, who hid his affectionate heart behind his blunt face.
My heart was filled with warmth as I realized it belatedly.
Very passionately, even though I know there is no one else I can convey these feelings to.
“Ahh!”
That fact was so sad that I screamed and cried.
It was terribly painful to know that there was no one to comfort me or cover my cries during such a difficult time.
That was the time when I was shedding tears without stopping.
“That’s...!”
Chihara, who was looking at me with a pitiful expression but unable to approach me, muttered softly.
It was a voice that seemed surprised at seeing something.
I unconsciously raised my head at him and soon my body froze.
Through the smoke that had slightly thinned in the summer breeze, I saw Danos's figure, who had fallen out.
“Why did he....”
Why is Danos lying there?
It was definitely the Crown Prince who was affected...
"No way...!"
I looked around Danos urgently.
I felt the spark of hope that I thought had been completely extinguished being rekindled.
And then the next moment, I burst into tears.
'There is.'
He was there.
That man stole my heart without me knowing, and I thought he had just left.
Declan Garnazzo.
He is holding a complete sword wrapped in white light and is breathing heavily, but he clearly looks like a living person.
The Crown Prince and Danos stood face to face in a meadow that was shining brightly in the sunlight.
Danos, who was leisurely looking at the Crown Prince with a heavy longsword slung over his shoulder, raised the corners of his mouth.
“I thought you’d be scared when it actually happened and just beg me to let it go, but you have a more calm expression than I thought.”
“Even though I am only a human, I am the Crown Prince of the empire. I will not be afraid or flinch when crossing swords with anyone.”
“Hahaha. I like your spirit. Yeah, you need that much spirit to be worthy of crossing swords with me.”
Danos, who had been laughing out loud, seemed quite satisfied with the Crown Prince's lofty answer, but suddenly the smile on his lips disappeared and his eyes lit up.
“Take out your sword. I will treat you specially.”
“It is an honor.”
The Crown Prince unsheathed the sword he had on his waist.
Bam.
The empty scabbard landed a short distance away, and the Crown Prince took up his stance.
The eyes of the two men, who were assessing each other without moving from where they had stood, shone sharply.
The tension from the prolonged standoff made me feel like my throat was being strangled.
That time when I was holding my hand tightly.
Dadada.
The Crown Prince and Danos rushed toward each other without saying who would go first.
Chaeng! Chaeng chaeng chaeng!
A close fight continued without an inch of concession.
Unlike the Crown Prince, who was serious from moment to moment, Danos leisurely smiled broadly.
“You’re quite the expert. I didn’t know a human could block my sword like this.”
My heart sank at that smile that seemed to be amused.
At first glance, it may seem like they are neck and neck, but Danos' skills are not limited to what he has shown so far.
Since the other person is human and a Saint, he may be being lenient, but if the Crown Prince's considerable skills pique his interest, and if he shows off his true abilities...
It was when I was biting my lips hard.
Chae-Ang!
Danos swung his sword down hard as if it had been child's play up until now.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince managed to block it this time as well, but the weight of his entire body pressing down on it was too much, as deep wrinkles formed on his flat forehead.
It seemed as though he was barely able to stand now.
But once Danos was set ablaze, he seemed unwilling to stop.
Pavabak!
Sparks began to fly, and a bright red flame enveloped Danos' sword.
"What!"
The Crown Prince hastily put down his sword as the heat burst out in front of his nose.
But Danos didn't give him time to regroup.
The sight of him swinging his flaming sword and continuing to chase the retreating Crown Prince felt as cruel as a devil crawling out of hell.
“What kind of archangel would do something like that to a human...”
Even as I was biting my lip, the two continued to clash their swords.
Attack, dodge.
Attack again, dodge again.
Anyone could see that it was a one-sided flow.
The moment I gasped for breath at that urgent sight.
“What is that...”
Smoke rose from the Crown Prince's sword.
The sword began to melt in Danos' strong fire.
With a sword that is so flabby, it would be impossible to continue the duel, let alone block it properly.
“Your Highness, it’s dangerous! Stop it now...!”
Just as I was about to shout, "Surrender!"
Parsak!
The Crown Prince's sword, unable to withstand the heat, was split in two.
The Crown Prince looked at the broken sword with puzzled eyes for a moment, then quickly dodged when he saw Danos attacking again.
But the speed at which it flew was so fast that it ended up cutting off his shoulder.
“Ugh.”
Bright red blood flowed down onto the black uniform covered in dust.
"Your Highness!"
I cried out to him with a pale face, but Danos still showed no mercy.
“You wouldn’t surrender with just that level of injury, would you?”
He pushed the unarmed Crown Prince to the end.
His brightly curved eyes were almost mad.
“Stop it, Danos! You’re dealing with humans!”
“Are you planning to kill the Saint appointed by Hethel?”
Chihara and Netanya, who had been quietly observing the situation, came forward to try to dissuade him.
But Danos, who was excited about his first duel in a long time, seemed to not hear a word.
Feeling dizzy at the sight, I quickly turned my head towards Bayen.
“Your Excellency, now...!”
Bayen nodded at my words.
It seemed like he remembered the promise he made to me last night.
Swish.
The air that had been hovering over the meadow began to gather around him and transform into a large whirlpool.
Wheezing— Wheezing—
The vortex that had been swirling around Bayen with an ominous sound soon flew towards them at a terrifying speed.
But unfortunately, before the whirlwind could separate them, Danos' sword reached the Crown Prince first.
“Ah! No! Your Highness!”
I screamed desperately as the sword blade aimed straight at the Crown Prince's neck.
At that moment.
Phew!
A terrible explosion and black smoke enveloped them.
An inexplicable pungent smell enveloped us as we watched the duel from a distance, but I didn't even think to cover my nose.
"Your Highness...."
If the aftermath was this strong, it would have been an attack that was incomparable to anything that had happened before.
Even if he was the Crown Prince, there was no way he could avoid it.
Bam.
My body fell to the floor along with my sinking heart.
'I shouldn't have sent you away. I should have stepped forward.'
His moderately strong power only stimulated Danos's competitive spirit, which ultimately led to his death.
I was blaming myself for a moment, but then my body froze for a moment.
'Dead? His Highness?'
Even though I had expected that he would never survive, I felt suffocated when I thought of him being dead.
I was breathing heavily, feeling as if I had been hit in the head with a giant sledgehammer.
Still, the trembling that dominated my entire body did not stop, and hot tears flowed ceaselessly from my eyes.
A natural confusion took over my head.
'Why am I like this?'
Of course, it was truly a terrible shock to see someone die right before my eyes.
If it's like that even for a complete stranger, how much more so for a colleague you've been with for months?
What I just can't understand is why my heart breaks so much.
Why do you think it would be better for me to die than for the Crown Prince to die?
Isn't this too much to say that it's just a feeling toward a colleague?
As if bestowing a favor on me who was confused, my mind continued to play memories of him and me.
The sight of them happily welcoming me back alive.
The sight of my house, which I thought had been auctioned off, being returned to me after winning the bid.
He expressed his gratitude, saying that thanks to me, the people of the empire could smile again.
The image of him being furious when he found out that I was a fake saint.
It was as if he was trying to pay the price for deceiving the people of the empire.
The way he worked me without resting even for a single day.
The way he pushed me into an area where an infectious disease was rampant without any hesitation.
And yet, the way he reached out to me at my most miserable moment.
I wonder if my mother's spirit will listen, she said, "You can hold me in her arms and cry as much as you want, I will hold you all in my arms."
All those memories, one by one, played back in my head as clearly as if it had happened yesterday.
And when all those memories were over, I was finally able to name my feelings.
'I like him.'
A man with a stiff speech, no humor at all, and who only cared about this empire and its people.
But he didn't ignore me when I was in the most miserable moments and gave me strength.
I started to love that man, who hid his affectionate heart behind his blunt face.
My heart was filled with warmth as I realized it belatedly.
Very passionately, even though I know there is no one else I can convey these feelings to.
“Ahh!”
That fact was so sad that I screamed and cried.
It was terribly painful to know that there was no one to comfort me or cover my cries during such a difficult time.
That was the time when I was shedding tears without stopping.
“That’s...!”
Chihara, who was looking at me with a pitiful expression but unable to approach me, muttered softly.
It was a voice that seemed surprised at seeing something.
I unconsciously raised my head at him and soon my body froze.
Through the smoke that had slightly thinned in the summer breeze, I saw Danos's figure, who had fallen out.
“Why did he....”
Why is Danos lying there?
It was definitely the Crown Prince who was affected...
"No way...!"
I looked around Danos urgently.
I felt the spark of hope that I thought had been completely extinguished being rekindled.
And then the next moment, I burst into tears.
'There is.'
He was there.
That man stole my heart without me knowing, and I thought he had just left.
Declan Garnazzo.
He is holding a complete sword wrapped in white light and is breathing heavily, but he clearly looks like a living person.
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