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—“
“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 novel; please report.
“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—“
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.