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While the contingent’s knights were busy unpacking, Hansen left the dormitory with the task of examining the atmosphere of the city. It wasn’t that difficult of a task overall.

“Are you a soldier from the north?”

“My! That means you’re a ranger from Balahard!”

The citizens were particularly friendly to the soldiers of the north and more so to those from Balahard. Hansen did not need to ask any questions; they readily informed him about the central region’s status.

“It’s a tragedy that those four villages have been ruined, but it’s still fortunate that the carnage did not spread further.”

“To be honest, I thought the true end had come. The rumors were all very nasty.”

“I can still hear ugly rumors here and there, but I believe everything will soon calm down, what with the knights riding around.”

The central part, which had been chaotic before Hansen had left it, had become stable during winter.

“This is all thanks to the royal family’s quick steps.”

“Who can deny that? Long live our royal family.”

The citizens started cheering the royal family until their throats became dry. The name most frequently mentioned was that of the Crown Prince, Adrian Leonberger.

When none knew of the troubles that would come to the world, Prince Adrian urged the royal family to deploy the central army and the champions.

Knowing the monsters’ existence without seeing them, the prince’s wisdom had proven the secret weapon that defeated them.

At first, the citizens had merely fervently admired the Crown Prince; now, they began singing his praises. Eventually, they began talking again, this time of the battle on the Rhinethes, many years before the current troubles. They later also began to praise the Crown Prince for his achievement of defeating the Imperial Army on the border.

It was a viewpoint Hansen could not sympathize with, as he had begun to wander the world with his backpack after suffering from the tyranny of nobles. And at that time, the nobles’ greed had reached extreme lengths while the royal family merely watched on.

Give them the disease, and then give them the medicine? Wasn’t it the call for independence that caused the war and cost the lives of so many people?

After Hansen had lived some years as a peddler, he came to believe that those who live in fine clothes and enjoy bountiful dinners throughout their lives were excessively lustful.

Hansen had chatted about this with the Winter Castle rangers just once. He had spoken his thoughts.

“Good clothes, good food? This cub is making funny sounds.”

The rangers looked at Hansen and started laughing, finding his statement interesting. On that day, he was pushed to the brink of death.

“Good clothes? Rarely have I seen his Highness wear fine clothes, asshole,” a ranger growled after the training as he grabbed onto Hansen’s ragged shirt. The man’s voice was bloody and his expression sharp, as if dealing with an enemy, so Hansen dared not complain even after the rough treatment. It was only around dawn the next day when he was able to shake off his anger about the rough training session. Since then, Hansen never spoke of the royal family, and especially not about the prince.

He grew more cautious after he learned that the Balahard Rangers supported the Crown Prince like a god. Criticism of the prince was taboo, at least in Winter Castle. Hansen had enough experience with how terrifyingly pleasant rangers can turn when a taboo is committed. Still, he did not change his thinking.

Whenever he spoke, he would only half-heartedly mirror the feelings of those Crown Prince fanatics he lived amongst. It was the same now. Hansen became lost in his thoughts as he watched the citizens fervently praising and chanting the Crown Prince’s name.

If only the royal family had done the job properly from the start. Hansen didn’t dare tell these people that if so many had not died in the war against the Empire, then the remote villages would not so easily have been ravaged by monsters.

Instead, Hansen turned around quietly and headed for another neighborhood. There, he again asked about the kingdom’s situation. At first, the citizens spoke about the surrounding area; then, they quickly praised the royal family and the Crown Prince.

And each time, Hansen left them without a word, hiding his uncomfortable mind.

In the meantime, the citizens told him the news that other countries have failed to calm the chaos early and that it was spiraling out of control. It was said that even the Empire was in a state of peak confusion. Hansen went straight back to the lodgings, and he told what he had seen and heard to the commander of the contingent.

“They didn’t completely drive away the monsters, yet it seems that the extermination team has made great gains. There are many who praise the knights and soldiers who have spread throughout the kingdom. On the other hand, it seems that other countries are struggling, having failed to suppress the monsters’ movement early.”

In fact, most of what Hansen had heard had been compliments toward the royal family, but he did not wish to praise the Leonbergers with his own voice.

“It seems like everything has been in a relatively calm state, but I don’t know why the Crown Prince has ordered the mustering of knights all over the kingdom at this time.”

The knight tilted his head.

“Well, if you meet his Highness, you will know.”

The knight then straightened himself and gestured with his hand, eventually showing Hansen out.

“It would be nice if we are going to fight again.”

Only Hansen frowned. By all means, he hoped the royal family would not do reckless things, but as the knight had said, there was a reason for the Crown Prince to summon the knights.

However, no matter how much the reluctant ranger considered things, he could not reach a conclusion. He struggled to shake off his thoughts, finally falling asleep.

The next was terribly bright when the contingent left the city. After two days of marching, they met up with Count Brandenburg’s cavalry. Guided by them, the force rode toward the extermination’s headquarters, located a day away.

And finally, they reached the little old fortress. Hansen saw colored flags upon the main building, which must have been hoisted when the abandoned fortress was reclaimed.

There was the golden lion of the Leonberger royal family, the unique shields of Balahard, and the strung bow of Brandenburg. Many flags of families unknown to Hansen also fluttered in the wind.

The command center contained at least twenty families’ troops, all in all.

It was a sight that seemed more like a war camp than a subjugation campaign. Hansen was surprised by the size of the operation; it was larger than he had expected. However, there were not so many troops staying in the fortress. At best, a hundred or so soldiers and several knights were garrisoned here.

Through Count Brandenburg, who met the contingent, they learned that most other lords and knights had left the headquarters to defeat the monsters.

And-

“His Highness is not currently at command.”

The prince was among those who were away.

“I heard that his Majesty forbade his Highness’s direct participation in the subjugation, under royal decree…”

“I know that too,” Count Brandenburg responded with a conflicted face and passed the explanation to someone else.

“His Highness is not here.”

Vincent Balahard, Lord of Winter Castle, explained the current situation on behalf of the count.

“When I was off-guard for a moment, he disappeared, just leaving a note saying he was going to come back soon.”

It was an absurd thing for Hansen to hear as he listened to the distant conversation between the duke and the knights.

“It looks like he couldn’t stand it and secretly escaped.”

“But this time, he was patient for half a year — he truly was.”

However, the contingent’s knights showed no surprise at the duke’s words.

“How long has he been gone?”

“About fifteen days have passed. He disappeared immediately after hearing the news that a horde of monsters appeared in a town two days to the west.”

“Maybe he’s headed some other place?”

“I’m sure he’ll do that, but since I’m responsible, I have to think of the former possibility as sufficiently probable.”

Hansen listened to their conversation with a grim face.

“The palace knights and Jordan are pursuing his Highness, and I only hope they will return with him before he gets in trouble.”

Hansen couldn’t tell whether the current conversation was about the Crown Prince of a country or casual gossip about a naughty child.

“His Highness did give his word.”

“Oh my God, a guarantee from him? That is quite a big deal.”

“He’ll not break his word this time.”

“I bet you’ll swallow those words once his Highness comes back.”

“No. Never.”

Vincent clutched at his bushy head and complained that he would become bald at his young age because of the Crown Prince.

“Everything is still fine. I don’t know about later, though.”

The contingent’s knights all burst into laughter. Hansen decided to give up on understanding their actions. He had thought the rangers were weird, but Commander Balahard and the knights were insane. Hansen couldn’t stop himself from shaking his head. Suddenly, the subject of the conversation turned to him.

“Who is the guy named Hansen?”

Hansen stepped forward, coming to stand before Winter Castle’s lord.

“Me! I am Hansen!” he cried, his body extremely tense. When Hansen had seen the duke from a distance, he had not felt it. Now, standing before the man, he knew Vincent Balahard was no joke.

“You’re that nasty recruit who will kick Jordan’s ass?”

Hansen had by now turned completely pale.

He hadn’t thought that a single mistake would spread so far, and he never knew a man who was lord of a castle would show any interest in a ranger’s words. Hansen wanted to confess he never knew Jordan was an excellent ranger, he wanted to correct the misunderstanding, but the duke spoke first.

“Your Highness’s disappearance is quite the unfortunate event for everyone, but in the end, it’s lucky for you. If his Highness had not disappeared, Jordan would not have been away.”

When Hansen heard the words, he realized that his remarks had reached Jordan’s ears, and he became even more pale and tired.

“Well, I’m sure they’ll be back soon,” the duke smiled, fueling Hansen’s anxiety.

A week passed by and the once-empty fortress became crowded with knights and rangers returning from the subjugation.

“You’re that rumored recruit!”

Every Ranger I met came to Hansen and talked about his infamy. Through them, he heard that the palace knights and rangers were returning with their Highness.

As time passed, the fortress began to overflow with energy, and Duke Balahard’s face also became noticeably brighter. In contrast, Hansen’s visage gradually darkened.

Again, some time passed. The fortress became so crowded that it seemed as if it would burst apart if more troops arrived, not to speak about the knights summoned by the prince or even the knight wannabes flocking here.

And another few days had passed when the contingent arrived at the fortress. The day Hansen had dreaded arrived.

“The Crown Prince is back!”

Early in the morning, the knights and rangers from the fortress gathered before its gates to welcome the returning prince. Prince Adrian appeared some distance away on the plains, riding a white horse. He was pressing his cloak tightly to his body, and while Hansen saw only his chin and mouth, it was enough to know that the prince wasn’t feeling well. Prince Adrian’s mouth was bloody as if teeth had been knocked out.

“I don’t know how lucky you are to return safely.”

The Winter Commander greeted the Crown Prince on behalf of everyone, his teeth tightly clenched. Even while he pretended not to be, Hansen saw in his anger in his gaze.

The prince spoke after he rode up to the duke.

“Vincent,” he laughed awkwardly, raising his head.

“Let’s go in and hear the details. I hope there was a reason you had to leave without saying anything.”

After Vincent had spoken in a crushed voice, the Crown Prince’s face became cow-like as if he was being led to the slaughterhouse.

Hansen’s face was no different as he looked at them. He wasn’t even concerned about the fact the royal heir and the hero of the north was in front of him for the first time in his life.

Hansen looked at the ranger standing behind the prince. His scarred face looked somehow disgusting; a look that exactly matched what Hansen had heard in Winter Castle. He intuitively knew that this was Jordan. The Ranger’s eyes glanced everywhere, scanning over the soldiers and the knights until they settled upon the newly arrived contingent.

The rolling eyeballs stopped, coming to rest exactly on Hansen. The ranger laughed, and to Hansen, it seemed like the smile of a reaper.

“What do you see that’s so funny?”

The prince, who had been walking toward the fortress like a doomed cow, suddenly turned around to follow the ranger’s gaze. The Crown prince’s eyes also settled on Hansen.

“You are the guy who’s aiming for Jordan’s ass!”

It wasn’t something Hansen had ever thought would come up, yet the prince’s words sounded misleadingly friendly.

“Let’s see whether you are capable of your ambition-”

The prince suddenly closed his mouth and widened his eyes. Hansen blinked, not understanding the royal’s sudden behavior.

Then he suddenly realized that the prince was looking at a spot above him instead of at him. Prince Adrian’s eyes, staring at empty air, constantly moved as if reading.

Then, after a while, when those busy eyes stopped, the Crown Prince said with a wide smile, “I wondered why the rest of you guys didn’t appear.”

Hansen was confused for a moment, as the voice had suddenly become so harsh. Maybe he was only now seeing the true Crown Prince.