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Chapter: 28

There was something surprising at the welcome banquet the Oro Fortress Lord had prepared.

It wasn't just an exaggeration; it was truly surprising. I was so surprised that I almost choked while trying to take a sip of cold water.

"I spent my younger days in Seopyung."

The Oro Fortress Lord had spent his youth in Seopyung. It seems he had traveled around before being appointed as the Lord of the Fortress.

It was an unusual case.

For a seasoned warrior who had roamed the borderlands, ending up in such a peaceful fortress was peculiar.

"Is that so?"

Hearing that he had lived in Seopyung, I felt a sense of kinship, like meeting someone from my hometown. Perhaps thinking I was interested, the Oro Fortress Lord started talking about various things related to Seopyung.

Some things I knew, and some I didn't.

"Have you ever met the Blood Cloud Fortress Lord?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I have met him."

"What kind of person is he?"

"Hmm."

The Fortress Lord hummed.

"At that time, it wasn't easy for me to meet the Lord of the Blood Cloud Fortress, so I only saw him from a distance. The one I saw up close was the successor to the previous lord, the current Blood Cloud Fortress Lord... I apologize."

My question was referring to our Fortress Lord, but it seemed the Oro Fortress Lord seemed to have understood it as referring to the previous lord, our Fortress Lord's father.

It seemed that the Oro Fortress Lord's time in Seopyung was much further in the past than I thought.

"Then, what is the current Fortress Lord's character like?"

The Oro Fortress Lord answered without hesitation.

"I consider him to be an exemplary individual."

I smiled.

"Then you must also be an exemplary person."

"I am flattered. May I ask why you say that?"

"I believe someone who can find exemplary qualities in others cannot be anything but exemplary themselves."

After saying that, I felt piercing gazes on the back of my head. Wondering what was going on, I turned around, and indeed, everyone was looking at me.

Embarrassed, I turned my head back.

As I turned my head, I noticed the Oro Fortress Lord's son.

The man frowned blatantly when our eyes met, then looked away, avoiding my gaze.

Was his name Jo Jegeon? He was only in his late teens. Was he too young to understand propriety?

He hadn't said a word since greeting me earlier. It was clear he had been dragged to this gathering against his will.

The Oro Fortress Lord wasn't happy to see me either, but he was trying to please me. However, Jo Jegeon just sat there silently.

Even if I was a crazy prince, to be ignored like this...

Technically, it was Jo Jegeon, not the Oro Fortress Lord, who should be trying to please the prince. The Fortress Lord was old and would soon pass away, but Jo Jegeon would inherit his position.

That was likely to happen unless something major occurred.

Does he think it's okay to offend me?

But I didn't think the ugly younger brother had already won over the Oro Lord's son and made him his ally.

The Oro Fortress Lord wasn't of much use anyway.

My situation was quite pathetic, to say the least. My predicament was to pick up and embrace those that that ugly guy had discarded.

Life is so damn easy to live, isn't it?

Of course, my thought that I could do anything remained unchanged.

It would remain unchanged forever.

As my gaze lingered on Jo Jegeon, the atmosphere subtly turned cold. The Oro Fortress Lord, with a hardened expression, drew attention back to himself.

"I heard that Your Highness has a taste for the finer things, so I have prepared some alcohol, though it may be lacking."

I frowned at his words.

Alcohol while I was trying to reduce my bellflower intake?

And I was planning to leave Oro Fortress tomorrow without delay.

"Finer things."

Above all, those words highlighted the fact that I was a madman.

Of course, I knew the Oro Fortress Lord didn't intend to mock me.

"I do enjoy drinking."

"Yes, Your Highness."

I quietly shook my head.

"I appreciate the gesture, but I'll decline."

"Yes... Pardon?"

The Oro Fortress Lord was taken aback. I ignored him and picked up a few more pieces of food in front of me.

* * *

Later that night.

Strangely, I couldn't fall asleep. Had I become so accustomed to living as a prince that I couldn't sleep anywhere but on a silk mattress?

I would have to return to Seopyung someday. If I really became like that, it would be a big problem.

"Maybe I should get used to sleeping on the floor..."

After tossing and turning for a long time, unable to sleep, I finally went outside.

Just in case something happened, I also carried a sword at my waist.

I walked along the castle wall with my hands clasped behind my back and looked up at the sky. The bright moon, with a cluster of stars behind it, rose and gazed down at the earth.

They would be looking at the same moon in Seopyung.

Just then, I heard a familiar voice from below.

Thump. I also heard the sound of something heavy being put down.

"I'll leave it here."

"Oh my. Thank you, Young Master."

"It's nothing. I'll be going now. It's late, so you should go in and rest too."

"Yes, please go in, Young Master."

Looking down, I saw it was Jo Jegeon.

Next to him was an elderly servant woman and a heavy-looking sack of grain.

I called out to Jo Jegeon, who was about to head somewhere.

"Young Master Jo."

When I called him, Jo Jegeon looked around and then looked up. Our eyes met.

"Where are you wandering around in the middle of the night?"

Jo Jegeon's eyes widened. He reacted as if he had encountered a ghost in the middle of the night.

"...Your Highness."

I jumped down from where I was standing, and Jo Jegeon flinched and stepped back as if he had been attacked by bandits.

His wary expression was amusing.

"Haha."

"...The night is deep, Your Highness. Why are you not in your chambers..."

"You're also wandering outside your chambers late at night, aren't you?"

When I interrupted, Jo Jegeon's face crumpled. Then he quickly smoothed it out, but I could clearly see what he was thinking.

The events after the Second Prince's rebellion and ascension to the throne, and the First Prince's death, came to mind. After that, the Huawei Kingdom invaded, and Seopyung was devastated. But before that, something else happened.

It wasn't something I paid much attention to at the time, as it had little to do with me, a mere soldier in Blood Cloud Fortress at the time.

- "Did you hear that?"

- "Hear what?"

- "They say the northern regions and somewhere in the south have risen up."

- "What's going on? Are they coming here?"

- "Would they?"

- "Then why did they rise up?"

Regional clans across the country revolted.

- "They say they're choosing a new king themselves."

- "Crazy bastards."

"Hahahaha."

Laughing heartily, I put my arm around Jo Jegeon's shoulder. He grimaced at my feigned friendliness.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You seem like a good person."

"...Pardon?"

As I recall, the Oro Fortress Lord didn't participate in the rebellion.

Not in the treason that killed the First Prince, nor in the rebellion of the regional clans who rose up without distinction.

So, was he worthless?

"The Fortress Lord said you have outstanding swordsmanship talent."

"It's a trivial skill."

"If you say so, then the Oro Fortress Lord's praise becomes trivial as well. Is that truly the case?"

Jo Jegeon closed his mouth.

"If your skills are trivial, then is the Oro Fortress Lord a liar?"

Still no answer.

I asked the now silent Jo Jegeon.

"I'd like to see it with my own eyes. Would that be possible?"

* * *

The crazy prince is coming.

At his father's, the Oro Fortress Lord's words, Jo Jegeon immediately frowned.

Even without a proper title, it wasn't difficult to guess who it was about.

It was the First Prince, infamous for being a madman for years. He committed atrocities almost daily, and his favorite pastime was said to be assaulting palace staff. His eccentric personality was beyond words.

What sins did the people commit that the heavens sent such a prince?In these peaceful times, he was the sole blemish.

It was said that he wrecked such havoc that even his maternal relatives shunned him.

No one could predict what path he would take once he ascended the throne.

And such a prince was coming to Oro Fortress. The worry that the mad prince would cause chaos in the fortress kept him awake.

He just hoped it would pass quietly.

He was also displeased that his old and frail father had been waiting outside all day for the arrival of the mad prince. What did it matter if he was a prince? A prince known for his madness didn't deserve such treatment.

He probably wouldn't even appreciate it.

Even if he's a mad prince, it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on him.

His father had said that, but Jo Jegeon didn't need the mad prince's favor. If the prince's temperament was as rumored, then the Second Prince, Jaean, should be the next king.

But what if something unexpected happened? The world doesn't always go as planned.

His father was worried about his stubbornness. He understood his intentions.

He bowed his head at his father's admonishment, but he still disliked the mad prince.

He firmly believed that he would become a military officer, even without bowing to such a person. Even if he didn't inherit the position of Oro Fortress Lord, he would live and die as a warrior. It was an unwavering belief.

As expected, the mad prince he saw in person was no different from the rumors.

Despite his father's efforts to please him, the prince participated in the conversation half-heartedly. He showed no interest in listening to anything. Even an old man of his father's age would usually at least pretend to listen, but the prince showed no such inclination.

Then, he briefly showed interest in the story of Blood Cloud Fortress, a remote fortress in Seopyung.

This was the same prince who had barely listened when they talked about Oro Fortress, where he was staying.

He must have looked down on Oro Fortress even more than such a remote place.

He was well aware of the prince's position, competing with his younger brother for the throne. It was natural for anyone born a prince to want to become king. If he was looking for allies to speak up for him, the influence of Oro Fortress would be more useful than that of some remote region.

"The Fortress Lord said you have outstanding swordsmanship talent."

He knew the mad prince was interested in swords. But he had no talent. Considering that his maternal relative was the Supreme Commander, it was a ridiculous outcome.

The prince hadn't caused any trouble yet. If they didn't provoke him, he might leave quietly.

He bowed his head.

"It's a trivial skill."

"If you say so, then the Oro Fortress Lord's praise becomes trivial as well. Is that truly the case?"

He closed his mouth at the unexpected response.

"If your skills are trivial, then is the Oro Fortress Lord a liar?"

What was he thinking?

The mad prince asked.

"I'd like to see it with my own eyes. Would that be possible?"

Only then did Jo Jegeon notice.

A simple-looking sword hung from the prince's waist.

A single sword that seemed to contradict the rumors about his personality.