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Chapter: 66

I roughly organized the letters I hadn\'t yet sent and left the pavilion. The Wolhan Fortress Lord had summoned me again. However, this time, it wasn\'t a private audience.

"This is a bit worrisome."

I headed towards the conference hall with my hands clasped behind my back.The worst of my worries was the possibility that King Bonhyeon or the Northern Fortress Lords wouldn\'t respond positively to the letters I was going to send.

If that happened, my time here would essentially become an exile.

As I muttered to myself, Yoo Geung, who had followed me, asked, "Is there something troubling you, Your Highness?"

Yoo Geung had an innocent expression on his face. I couldn\'t tell him that I was worried about being abandoned by Bonhyeon. I glanced at him and made an excuse.

"It\'s nothing much. It\'s just that they\'re all tightly bound by blood ties. I have to have a meeting with them."

I glanced at a servant who was busily heading somewhere in the distance. Yoo Geung followed my gaze.

"Blood is thicker than water, and in my opinion, there\'s nothing stronger than blood ties."

Yoo Geung laughed awkwardly.

"Why are you laughing? Does it seem amusing to you, Captain Yoo, that I\'m stuck among the Son clan like a lone scarecrow?"

"It\'s not that... I just didn\'t expect to hear such words from Your Highness."

Having said that, Yoo Geung was startled the very next moment.

"I apologize. I misspoke."

I twisted my lips cynically.

Our Captain Yoo has grown up a lot, hasn\'t he? Even making jokes like that.

"Indeed. Then shall I give you some special help so your arm doesn\'t bend inwards?"

I let out a dark chuckle and brought my arms forward from behind my back, pretending to break his arm.

Yoo Geung watched me cautiously.

I decided to lightly kick his shin as punishment instead.

"I\'ll let you off just this once."

"I\'m grateful."

I put my hands behind my back again.

"You know, Wolhan Fortress doesn\'t exactly welcome us who are from the capital. While no lord would be happy with a prince visiting, most would at least pretend to welcome him. But here, it\'s somewhat blatant."

Ironically, that was also the reason why I had to win over Wolhan Fortress.

"Ah, yes. Even before..."

Yoo Geung nodded as if recalling the time we faced off against the Wolhan Fortress soldiers.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.

"If we had properly fought back then, do you think we would have won?"

As if his pride was hurt, Yoo Geung reacted a little defensively.

"I dare say, I can count the number of times I\'ve been defeated in a duel on one hand."

"Oh ho. You\'ve rarely lost, enough to count on one hand?"

"...Two hands, Your Highness."

I was curious not only about Yoo Geung\'s skills but also about the skills of other military officials, including Heo Seok-gyeom.

They were all outstanding individuals in their own right. If the Wolhan Castle warriors were those who survived by fighting in raw battles, as a natural-born swordsman, I couldn\'t help but wonder which side was stronger.

However, that was just my curiosity.

"By the way, you don\'t have much to do these days, so spend some time with me."

"I\'m honored. Please just give the order."

"I want you to be my sparring partner."

I had to become stronger. At least stronger than I was in Baek Yeon\'s final moments.

Only then could I smash that bastard Jincheon\'s skull.

Apart from having to win him over to my side, the grudge I held against him was significant.

Well, if he had saved my comrades as I had asked after my death, I might have considered letting him off with ninety-nine hits instead of a hundred, even though he deserved a hundred beatings.

That\'s how merciful I am.

It\'s quite troublesome being this good-natured, isn\'t it, Fortress Lord?

For some reason, I felt like I could hear our Fortress Lord yelling that I was crazy.

"Sparring..."

Yoo Geung looked at me with a strange expression.

I puffed out my chest and said, "The only ones suitable as sparring partners are you or Commander Heo, but he\'s..."

Those of too low status would be uncomfortable around me, and with Heo Seok-gyeom, I felt like I was being scrutinized whenever I was in the same room with him.

"If you refuse, I guess I\'ll have to go around picking fights."

"Excuse me? What do you mean... with whom...?"

"With the soldiers of this fortress, of course."

Yoo Geung\'s jaw dropped in disbelief.

"I will be Your Highness\'s sparring partner."

* * *

When I arrived at the conference hall, everyone except me had already gathered.

Dozens of pairs of eyes stared at me. Enduring intense scrutiny is the fate of someone who\'s late, I suppose.

As I stepped towards the empty seat of honor at the back of the hall, everyone in the room, led by the Wolhan Fortress Lord, stood up. Some seemed bewildered. They didn\'t appear interested in the meeting.

"We greet His Highness, the First Prince."

As the Wolhan Fortress Lord spoke, a chorus of greetings followed. I motioned with my hand, indicating that they could sit back down, and took my seat. Only after I settled on the chair did everyone else sit down.

Hmm. The taste of power.

Actually, I didn\'t quite know what this taste was.

"May I have your permission to speak?"

I thought the Wolhan Fortress Lord would lead the meeting, but unexpectedly, an old man spoke up. He appeared to be the oldest person present in the room.

"Go ahead."

"I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to His Highness, the First Prince."

The old man thanked me for personally coming all this way.

"The journey here must have been arduous, and we are deeply grateful that you have come."

"It was quite a troublesome journey."

The old man made an unreadable expression.

"Let us begin the meeting."

The Wolhan Fortress Lord took back the spotlight. Still, most eyes remained on me, or at least glanced in my direction. Even as the meeting progressed, the attention on me didn\'t diminish.

Well, this face is quite handsome.

One elder couldn\'t help but yawn while someone else was speaking.

It felt like a family meeting. It wasn\'t a very formal occasion, which allowed me to relax.

Then, an important topic came up.

"Yesterday, monsters attacked a village, injuring two civilians and killing one. The situation is becoming increasingly difficult, so shouldn\'t we take action quickly, Fortress Lord?"

One of the elders pointed at me.

"We wish to ask Your Highness for assistance."

Oh, so suddenly.

But it wasn\'t like I had nothing to say.

"I plan to contact the capital soon and personally summon the other lords of the Northern region."

The truth was, there was nothing I could do at that moment. However, they all knew that I was merely a representative of King Bonhyeon. Perhaps because of this, no one added any further comments.

Except for one.

"Ahem."

Suddenly, a middle-aged man cleared his throat. This drew everyone\'s attention to him.

"May I, Son Gye-du, the leader of Wiyeon District, have a word with Your Highness?"

Hmm.

I crossed my arms and looked at the elder who had stolen the attention that had been mine just moments ago.

He had merely asked to speak, but everyone, without exception, was looking at this Son Gye-du.

The strong discipline that only the Wolhan Fortress Lord had enjoyed in this place was also being applied to this elder, Son Gye-du.

This meant that he was someone more noteworthy than even me, a prince.

Perhaps I had already grown accustomed to playing the role of a prince, because I felt displeased at being removed from the center of attention.

Tsk.

"With all due respect, how can we trust Your Highness\'s words?"

Son Gye-du rose from his seat and turned his upper body to look directly at me. As our eyes met, he smirked.

Why is he laughing?

Then, he spoke in a solemn tone.

"In fact, there is no one here who is unaware of the rumors surrounding His Highness."

What\'s he talking about?

Who wouldn\'t know?

What else is new?

I stared at Son Gye-du with indifference.

"What is it? Speak your mind."

Son Gye-du continued in an even more solemn tone.

"The title by which the common folk refer to the First Prince, Ikwon, is \'The Madman.\'"

The moment those words were uttered, the atmosphere in the conference hall turned icy.

"From what I have observed, despite being the grandson of General So, you possess a regrettable aptitude for the art of war."

The faces of several others turned pale.

"That is what I have learned."

Silence fell over the hall.

I glanced at the Wolhan Fortress Lord to gauge his reaction, and his face was stiff. He seemed angry, but in a way, it was as if Son Gye-du had voiced what everyone had been harboring in their hearts.

Well, the latter is understandable.

But wait a minute.

"What gives him the confidence to be so loose-lipped?"

I muttered, and the elder sitting closest to me glanced at me. No one else seemed to have heard my words.

I was just starting to consider what kind of retort would be appropriate when...

"How dare you speak so carelessly! This is an insult to His Highness and the royal family!"

Suddenly, Yoo Geung, who was standing behind me, shouted. His roar echoed through the hall. I was startled because I hadn\'t expected Yoo Geung to raise his voice.

Our Captain Yoo has quite a loud voice. No, since he\'s here as my guard, I should say, Guard Yoo.

"Your Highness."

Yoo Geung called me in a low voice. He was clearly angry.

I was staying quiet, but Yoo Geung stepped up and expressed his anger on my behalf. Was the common ground of being from the capital that strong of a bond...?

Anyway.

"Well, this is..."

After Son Gye-du and Yoo Geung each spoke, the hall froze over like midwinter.

I waved my hand nonchalantly.

"I didn\'t know I had so much attention on me. This popularity of mine is something else."

I glanced at the Fortress Lord. I could discern a hint of disappointment in his fatigued face.

Or was it resignation?

I hadn\'t mastered the art of mind-reading, so deciphering his thoughts based solely on his expression was beyond my capabilities.

"Elder Son Gye-du, was it? Very well, you seem keen on labeling me a madman."

Gasps arose from the assembled elders.

"Allow me to inquire about my conduct. However, considering you hadn\'t laid eyes on me before this gathering, it would be more fitting to direct this question to the Fortress Lord, who has observed me over the past few days. Wouldn\'t you agree?"

Sohn Gye-du remained silent. A brief silence ensued, then the elderly elder who had previously extended his gratitude spoke up.

"Indeed."

The Wolhan Fortress Lord nodded in agreement.

Son Gye-du, with an air of defiance, lifted his chin and declared, "Inquire away."

He didn\'t flinch from my gaze. On the contrary, Son Gye-du\'s eyes widened in a provocative glare.

I wasn\'t angry. It was blatantly obvious he was goading me, hoping I\'d lose my temper and make a scene.

The trials I had weathered were far too harsh for me to succumb to such a transparent provocation.

However, curiosity gnawed at me. Why this deliberate attempt to rile me up? Surely, he wasn\'t orchestrating this level of provocation for mere amusement.

"I haven\'t been a guest in your fortress for a mere day or two. Do you still believe I\'m a madman?"

Perhaps my words were more blunt than they anticipated, as several elders gasped in response.

This was the expected reaction.

What could he possibly hope to gain by incurring my animosity?

"If that\'s truly how you feel, then I shall withdraw from Wolhan Fortress’s affairs and return to the capital."

Surely, this wasn\'t what they desired.