At that time, the training ground.
Kali and Max were swinging their swords, pretending not to notice each other, while Ryan, Jack, and Rudy sat side by side, watching them.
“My Lord, what is your ideal type?”
Jack asked.
"Me?"
Ryan thought for a moment and then said.
“Um, I... a pretty girl.”
“Wow, you philistine!”
“You don’t like pretty things?”
“No, would you not like it?”
"Of course, there are other factors involved in falling in love, but the first thing you see is the face. Don't you usually develop feelings for someone if they're pretty and handsome?"
“So, does that mean Max also came to like the captain because she was pretty?”
“...? Um, oh, ah...”
Ryan's expression became serious.
Kali's beauty? It's quite impressive.
He doesn't know who her parents are, but her brother, Reevan, also has a noticeably handsome face.
But that beauty...
“Well, but she’s more of a handsome guy than a pretty girl.”
This is something he heard from the Cerberus mercenaries before, and Kali said she's had quite a few confessions while she was in the capital.
Surprisingly, all the targets are women!
So that was the first time.
He heard that Kali likes guys.
“The captain liked Max...”
Then Rudy muttered.
Ryan and Jack tilted their heads.
“What are you talking about? Isn’t she against it?”
"Yeah, don't you remember the captain's answer? She rejected him with an annoyed expression, saying, 'You're crazy.'"
“No, no.”
Rudy snapped his index finger.
"The Captain feels the same way about Max. Besides, calling him crazy was just an expression of surprise, not a dislike for him."
Rudy was somehow certain.
"Think about it. Why would the captain give Max the safest position?"
Max had been wondering why he was being placed in the rear.
It was certainly puzzling.
All of the Cerberus are equally strong, but if we were to rank them, the next strongest after Kali would be Max.
If Kali had wanted to deploy purely as a strong force, Max's position would not have been at the rear.
“I see? That’s not like the captain.”
Jack flinched as if he realized something.
“She gave Max the safest position, and she didn’t even tell him why she did it!”
Maybe Kali felt the same way as Max did that day?
It doesn't matter whether the opponent is male or female, strong or not.
“Crazy! Is everyone dating except me?”
Ryan, who had been listening to the conversation, said in a choked voice.
Jack and Rudy sighed.
“I don’t do that.”
“I don’t have any either.”
“There you go again. That damn slave of love.”
Ryan muttered, looking at the entrance to the training ground.
The sound of hooves. Someone is coming in, driving a black warhorse.
“You came this quickly?”
“What, what is it?”
“Who are you!”
Ryan remained calm, but Jack and Rudy jumped to their feet, alert.
An outsider suddenly barged into the training ground.
The man who stopped his horse and dismounted was an imperial knight. Judging by his attire, he was a knight stationed at the Belzer entrance.
But this is their first time meeting that guy...
“Greetings. Your Highness, the Third Prince.”
“Huh?”
"Yes?"
Ryan, who had said that, walked towards the knight, no, Nike.
"I was worried you might come out brazenly, since you're being followed, but my worries were unfounded. You're a wise man. Last time, you were a day laborer, and today's concept seems to be a new garrison knight."
“What’s going on?”
“From here on out, you can come back with a handsome face, since only trustworthy people will be there.”
Nike was annoyed by Ryan's constant ramblings when he was in a hurry, but he had no time to argue.
“Where is Vania?”
Nike ripped off his disguised face and asked again. Jack and Rudy, who had followed Ryan, greeted him in shock.
“Your Highness! How are you?”
“You’re here!”
“First, I apologize. The truth is, I lied to bring Your Highness here, but nothing happened to Vania...”
That's when Ryan was making excuses.
A loud roar was heard from the walking path behind the training ground.
Everyone turned around in surprise.
It seemed like a place not far away.
Ratan, a demon with huge horns and purple armor.
His head is prominent, and his body is large.
“Ta-da!”
Ryan turned back to Nike and smiled.
“Nothing happened, but it just happened!”
I had many thoughts as I watched Merchen transform into a monster right before my eyes.
“You are precious to me.”
The Prince succeeded in self-harming, even though I don't know how he did it, and let my guard down.
It means that he has already made up his mind.
Even if I could turn back time and stop him from harming himself, he would do it again.
“I consider you family, so I would do anything for you.”
It's a strange feeling. I feel grateful and a little sad at the same time.
A kind Prince who doesn't hesitate to show me a terrible monster for the sake of his family.
'What should I do?'
Sometimes I hear him crying in front of Merchen's room.
He still hasn't recovered from the pain of loss. He may suffer forever.
A terrible monster, Ratan.
He took away Merchen's beloved family and people, and at the same time, he gave him a guilt he didn't need to feel.
He'll want to tear it apart and kill it.
But that is not possible because he is one body with itself.
The being that Merchen hates the most, wants to shake off, and wants to hide...
Deliberately hurting and taking out Merchen himself, and making him face it again and again?
Even if you wrap it up in grand words about fighting for others and a greater cause, are you really just going to make them fight as battle slaves?
Why did poor Merchen have to sacrifice so much?
“I’m going crazy...”
I covered my face.
Merchen said it was okay, and if he could get some help, it would be a huge help.
Ratan joins the battlefield as a member of the royal family.
This is no different from taking away the place of those with special abilities.
The situation is such that both of Wassenberg's legs are cut off while he is maintaining his power by fighting the devil.
-...
Before my eyes, I see Ratan appearing with a roar as usual.
As soon as he came out, he looked down at me for a moment, then stomped down on one knee.
- Master, did you call?
When he came out, it was a very quiet situation.
It seems like he quickly decided that I had called him out on purpose.
This guy really seems to have no clue...
“How have you been?”
- Yes, thanks to you, I had a good time.
"I'm being sarcastic, but you don't understand. What are you doing, clinging to our poor Prince? Are you doing well? Do you want to get hit?"
- No... I’m sorry. I’ve been having a hard time...
Then something wet fell on my head.
It was sweat.
“Hey, do monsters sweat?”
- Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry...
Ratan is at a loss. He is trembling in fear.
Although he hasn't tasted the <Fountain of Purification> again since our first meeting, Ratan's fear still seems to remain.
How much does it hurt?
“Hey, for now...”
I still haven't decided what to do with Ratan, even if Merchen wants it.
So, first of all, let's educate them about the humiliation of the past.
“When you came out of Farnese last time, did you want to try it?”
- ...Yes, yes?
“Why are you calling me master?”
-? The master told me to call you that...
"You have to act accordingly, checking to see if there's anyone around! If a monster kneels before a human and calls him master, how will it look to others? Huh?"
- ...
“Huh? Aren’t you going to answer?”
- I'm sorry. My thoughts were short-sighted. I will correct them.
“Guess who was next to me then? Huh? My boyfriend was there~ What are you going to do, you punk!”
I raised my hand. Ratan flinched, shielding himself with his arm.
- Look, look, please! I won't do that again! I'll never use that title again when someone else is around!
“Yes. But is it short?”
- Yes?
“Shut up!”
I threatened Ratan by stamping my right foot.
“Aren’t you going to put your master behind you?”
- ...
"Oh, rebellion? Should I go to some training?"
- No! No! I'll definitely put it on when no one's around!
“Yeah! So now...!”
I paused as I spoke. Ratan's eyes were somehow fixed on me.
I looked back slowly.
'...Oh my god.'
And then our eyes met.
Nike.
Yes, I met Nike's eyes.
'This is a dream.'
I rubbed my eyes and looked again.
But Nike remained the same.
Ryan was next to him. He was staring at me with pity, his mouth shut, at the horrific tragedy.
I slowly moved my lips and asked.
“Uh, since when...”
Since when have you seen it?
Ryan understood the question that I couldn't bring myself to ask, closed his eyes tightly, and answered.
"Guess who was next to me then? Oh? My boyfriend was there~."
“...”
“I heard from... daughter.”
I have to wrap it up.
...the moment I thought that, Nike reached out.
"Don't do it."
“...?”
What are you not doing?
“Don’t touch it.”
...You’re quick-witted.
The owner of <Poem of Retrograde>, who had read it many times, immediately stopped me as if he knew how it felt.
"Why?"
“I couldn’t... I couldn’t hear.”
“...”
What do you mean you can't hear?
Kali and Max were swinging their swords, pretending not to notice each other, while Ryan, Jack, and Rudy sat side by side, watching them.
“My Lord, what is your ideal type?”
Jack asked.
"Me?"
Ryan thought for a moment and then said.
“Um, I... a pretty girl.”
“Wow, you philistine!”
“You don’t like pretty things?”
“No, would you not like it?”
"Of course, there are other factors involved in falling in love, but the first thing you see is the face. Don't you usually develop feelings for someone if they're pretty and handsome?"
“So, does that mean Max also came to like the captain because she was pretty?”
“...? Um, oh, ah...”
Ryan's expression became serious.
Kali's beauty? It's quite impressive.
He doesn't know who her parents are, but her brother, Reevan, also has a noticeably handsome face.
But that beauty...
“Well, but she’s more of a handsome guy than a pretty girl.”
This is something he heard from the Cerberus mercenaries before, and Kali said she's had quite a few confessions while she was in the capital.
Surprisingly, all the targets are women!
Half confessed thinking Kali was a man, and half confessed even knowing Kali's gender.
He heard that Kali likes guys.
“The captain liked Max...”
Then Rudy muttered.
Ryan and Jack tilted their heads.
“What are you talking about? Isn’t she against it?”
"Yeah, don't you remember the captain's answer? She rejected him with an annoyed expression, saying, 'You're crazy.'"
“No, no.”
Rudy snapped his index finger.
"The Captain feels the same way about Max. Besides, calling him crazy was just an expression of surprise, not a dislike for him."
Rudy was somehow certain.
"Think about it. Why would the captain give Max the safest position?"
Max had been wondering why he was being placed in the rear.
It was certainly puzzling.
All of the Cerberus are equally strong, but if we were to rank them, the next strongest after Kali would be Max.
If Kali had wanted to deploy purely as a strong force, Max's position would not have been at the rear.
“I see? That’s not like the captain.”
Jack flinched as if he realized something.
“She gave Max the safest position, and she didn’t even tell him why she did it!”
Maybe Kali felt the same way as Max did that day?
It doesn't matter whether the opponent is male or female, strong or not.
Just because she likes him. She hopes it's the safest option, but maybe she's just worrying...
Ryan, who had been listening to the conversation, said in a choked voice.
Jack and Rudy sighed.
“I don’t do that.”
“I don’t have any either.”
“There you go again. That damn slave of love.”
Ryan muttered, looking at the entrance to the training ground.
The sound of hooves. Someone is coming in, driving a black warhorse.
“You came this quickly?”
“What, what is it?”
“Who are you!”
Ryan remained calm, but Jack and Rudy jumped to their feet, alert.
An outsider suddenly barged into the training ground.
The man who stopped his horse and dismounted was an imperial knight. Judging by his attire, he was a knight stationed at the Belzer entrance.
But this is their first time meeting that guy...
“Greetings. Your Highness, the Third Prince.”
“Huh?”
"Yes?"
Ryan, who had said that, walked towards the knight, no, Nike.
"I was worried you might come out brazenly, since you're being followed, but my worries were unfounded. You're a wise man. Last time, you were a day laborer, and today's concept seems to be a new garrison knight."
“What’s going on?”
“From here on out, you can come back with a handsome face, since only trustworthy people will be there.”
Nike was annoyed by Ryan's constant ramblings when he was in a hurry, but he had no time to argue.
“Where is Vania?”
Nike ripped off his disguised face and asked again. Jack and Rudy, who had followed Ryan, greeted him in shock.
“Your Highness! How are you?”
“You’re here!”
“First, I apologize. The truth is, I lied to bring Your Highness here, but nothing happened to Vania...”
That's when Ryan was making excuses.
A loud roar was heard from the walking path behind the training ground.
Everyone turned around in surprise.
It seemed like a place not far away.
Ratan, a demon with huge horns and purple armor.
His head is prominent, and his body is large.
“Ta-da!”
Ryan turned back to Nike and smiled.
“Nothing happened, but it just happened!”
***
I had many thoughts as I watched Merchen transform into a monster right before my eyes.
“You are precious to me.”
The Prince succeeded in self-harming, even though I don't know how he did it, and let my guard down.
It means that he has already made up his mind.
Even if I could turn back time and stop him from harming himself, he would do it again.
“I consider you family, so I would do anything for you.”
It's a strange feeling. I feel grateful and a little sad at the same time.
A kind Prince who doesn't hesitate to show me a terrible monster for the sake of his family.
'What should I do?'
Sometimes I hear him crying in front of Merchen's room.
He still hasn't recovered from the pain of loss. He may suffer forever.
A terrible monster, Ratan.
He took away Merchen's beloved family and people, and at the same time, he gave him a guilt he didn't need to feel.
He'll want to tear it apart and kill it.
But that is not possible because he is one body with itself.
The being that Merchen hates the most, wants to shake off, and wants to hide...
Deliberately hurting and taking out Merchen himself, and making him face it again and again?
Even if you wrap it up in grand words about fighting for others and a greater cause, are you really just going to make them fight as battle slaves?
Why did poor Merchen have to sacrifice so much?
“I’m going crazy...”
I covered my face.
Merchen said it was okay, and if he could get some help, it would be a huge help.
Ratan joins the battlefield as a member of the royal family.
This is no different from taking away the place of those with special abilities.
The situation is such that both of Wassenberg's legs are cut off while he is maintaining his power by fighting the devil.
-...
Before my eyes, I see Ratan appearing with a roar as usual.
As soon as he came out, he looked down at me for a moment, then stomped down on one knee.
- Master, did you call?
When he came out, it was a very quiet situation.
It seems like he quickly decided that I had called him out on purpose.
This guy really seems to have no clue...
“How have you been?”
- Yes, thanks to you, I had a good time.
"I'm being sarcastic, but you don't understand. What are you doing, clinging to our poor Prince? Are you doing well? Do you want to get hit?"
- No... I’m sorry. I’ve been having a hard time...
Then something wet fell on my head.
It was sweat.
“Hey, do monsters sweat?”
- Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry...
Ratan is at a loss. He is trembling in fear.
Although he hasn't tasted the <Fountain of Purification> again since our first meeting, Ratan's fear still seems to remain.
How much does it hurt?
“Hey, for now...”
I still haven't decided what to do with Ratan, even if Merchen wants it.
So, first of all, let's educate them about the humiliation of the past.
“When you came out of Farnese last time, did you want to try it?”
- ...Yes, yes?
“Why are you calling me master?”
-? The master told me to call you that...
"You have to act accordingly, checking to see if there's anyone around! If a monster kneels before a human and calls him master, how will it look to others? Huh?"
- ...
“Huh? Aren’t you going to answer?”
- I'm sorry. My thoughts were short-sighted. I will correct them.
“Guess who was next to me then? Huh? My boyfriend was there~ What are you going to do, you punk!”
I raised my hand. Ratan flinched, shielding himself with his arm.
- Look, look, please! I won't do that again! I'll never use that title again when someone else is around!
“Yes. But is it short?”
- Yes?
“Shut up!”
I threatened Ratan by stamping my right foot.
“Aren’t you going to put your master behind you?”
-? Stop it, don't stick it on...
“Wow, are you stupid? You gotta stick it on when no one's around!”
"Oh, rebellion? Should I go to some training?"
- No! No! I'll definitely put it on when no one's around!
“Yeah! So now...!”
I paused as I spoke. Ratan's eyes were somehow fixed on me.
I looked back slowly.
'...Oh my god.'
And then our eyes met.
Nike.
Yes, I met Nike's eyes.
'This is a dream.'
I rubbed my eyes and looked again.
But Nike remained the same.
Ryan was next to him. He was staring at me with pity, his mouth shut, at the horrific tragedy.
I slowly moved my lips and asked.
“Uh, since when...”
Since when have you seen it?
Ryan understood the question that I couldn't bring myself to ask, closed his eyes tightly, and answered.
"Guess who was next to me then? Oh? My boyfriend was there~."
“...”
“I heard from... daughter.”
I have to wrap it up.
...the moment I thought that, Nike reached out.
"Don't do it."
“...?”
What are you not doing?
“Don’t touch it.”
...You’re quick-witted.
The owner of <Poem of Retrograde>, who had read it many times, immediately stopped me as if he knew how it felt.
"Why?"
“I couldn’t... I couldn’t hear.”
“...”
What do you mean you can't hear?
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