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Chapter: 102

Prince Ikwon was a difficult man to understand.

One moment he seemed rational, and the next he would rush into things without considering the consequences. It was impossible to know how to deal with him.

"It\'s only natural that you don\'t understand him well."

It had only been a few months ago that he had only been able to observe the prince from afar, harboring ill feelings.

Now that he was suddenly interested in the prince, it was perhaps natural that he couldn\'t grasp his true intentions. Heo Seokgyeom clicked his tongue inwardly.

He stood atop the wall, surveying the battlefield.

The rank of Commander was higher than even that of the fortress lord. Every soldier on the wall flinched when he passed by.

\'It seems they\'re less nervous in front of His Highness.\'

Heo Seokgyeom thought as he glanced at the soldiers who were trying to avoid his gaze.

However, this didn\'t mean they underestimated the prince. The soldiers simply trusted Prince Ikwon.

\'Were his actions intended to gain their trust?\'

The wastrel prince who had rushed out to face the giant magical beast alone. No, it seemed there was no longer any reason to call him a wastrel.

If they called someone who was performing his role beyond expectations a wastrel, it would simply be an unwarranted insult.

Heo Seokgyeom stood still, recalling Ikwon\'s past actions.

But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn\'t conclude that the prince had acted solely to gain favor.

\'If that\'s not the case...\'

Heo Seokgyeom\'s brow furrowed slightly.

\'Could it be that he has poor impulse control? If so, that would be troublesome, and I\'ll need to keep a close eye on him.\'

After briefly entertaining that thought, he turned his attention back to the battlefield.

The stench of magical beast blood and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. He had grown somewhat accustomed to the horrifying roars of the magical beasts.

Although it wasn\'t as pleasant to listen to as birdsong, he had come to treat it as part of the background noise and could mostly ignore it.

\'It\'s at a standstill.\'

The fact that Prince Ikwon was bedridden due to his injuries must have had an impact, but even considering that, morale had noticeably plummeted.

Everyone was exhausted from the endless onslaught of magical beasts.

Meanwhile, the troops were divided and deployed to the front lines in shifts, following the prince\'s instructions. This was to ensure they had sufficient rest.

"In any case..."

Heo Seokgyeom\'s gaze shifted towards the front lines, far beyond the walls.

"There will be progress only after he recovers."

* * *

It was only after four days that Soon Gang finally allowed me to get out of bed.

"Your recovery is remarkable. You should be able to move freely now."

"Tell me something I don\'t know."

How many times had I told him I was fine?!

Even though nothing much had changed...

As I opened my mouth to express my frustration, Soon Gang picked up an acupuncture needle as if he had been waiting for this. I flinched, and Soon Gang\'s nagging began.

"It would be best to refrain from strenuous movements."

"...Could you put that down?"

"Please remember my advice."

"I will. I will remember. So put it down, please."

Soon Gang glanced at me suspiciously and slowly put down the needle.

I glanced at him and then looked at the others who had come to check on me.

"You heard him, right? He said I\'m fine. So I can go out starting today, right?"

The aide sent by the Wolhan Fortress Lord, an elder friendly to the Fortress Lord, and Yoo Geung were standing next to him.

All three of them simultaneously expressed their lukewarm agreement.

"Congratulations on your recovery, Your Highness."

"Congratulations."

I was finally free!

These crazy people. They completely ignored what I, the person involved, said and only listened to that quack old man.

"Phew."

Getting up from the bed, I placed my hand on Soon Gang\'s shoulder as he sat on a chair, conducting his examination.

The frail old man\'s shoulder fit in my hand. I patted it a couple of times.

"Good work."

Soon Gang nodded with a faint smile. I left the room where I had been confined for days and quickly prepared to go out.

"Ugh, the smell of medicine. Will this smell ever go away?"

The first place I stopped by was the Wolhan Fortress Lord\'s office.

Creak-

As I opened the door, the Wolhan Fortress Lord, who was looking over documents, looked up and saw me.

"Your Highness."

Recognizing me, the Wolhan Fortress Lord hurriedly got up. In contrast to me, whose face had become smooth while lying in bed, his face looked haggard.

"Stay seated."

"I should have come to see you first..."

"It\'s alright, I know you were busy."

The Fortress Lord gestured for me to sit in his seat, the seat of honor. I shook my head.

"I\'m relieved to see you have recovered."

I scoffed. I felt wronged in this regard.

"I\'ve been fine for a while now. Everyone believed the physician and no one believed me, so I had to stay in bed. What\'s wrong with everyone? They listened to that quack physician more than me, the prince? Everyone, on all sides, was so eager to keep me bedridden."

I casually sat down on a chair in front of the meeting table and brought up the main issue.

"And no one even relayed the information properly. Were they afraid I would run off? I couldn\'t hear any reports on the war situation."

While I was bedridden, no one told me how the battle was progressing.

Of course, I was able to hear the general gist. Only the most important things. Everything else was forbidden.

I could only hear that they were holding the current front lines and not making any progress.

They used the excuse that it was for my own good, which was absurd.

But I couldn\'t say anything because it was Commander Heo, whom I had brought from the capital, who had instigated it.

"I heard it\'s at a standstill. Is there a problem?" Wolhan Fortress Lord said with a tired expression.

"Morale has fallen."

It wasn\'t an unexpected answer. It was natural for them to be exhausted. Unlike fighting human enemies, magical beasts never lost their momentum. It was an understandable situation.

I nodded.

"I understand."

"I apologize."

"Well, there\'s no need to apologize. We just need to do well. I also bear responsibility for being absent from my post as commander."

The Wolhan Fortress Lord stared at me intently and then asked, without much expectation, "Do you... have any plans in mind?"

Plans.

Against the tireless magical beasts that just kept charging, there was only one plan.

"Of course, I do."

As I answered, the Wolhan Fortress Lord\'s expression brightened noticeably despite his fatigue. He seemed doubtful, but he also seemed to trust me.

"We strike first, before they come."

I grinned, offering an excellent answer that met his expectations.

"All the way to their nest."

If we just kept defending against their attacks, there would be no end to it, so we would go straight to their base and eradicate them at their root. Wasn\'t it the simplest and most certain method?

"What do you think?"

Of course, there was no need to wait for an answer. There wouldn\'t be a better strategy.

As expected, the Wolhan Fortress Lord didn\'t say anything.

"Ah..."

He just didn\'t smile along with me.

* * *

After declaring the extermination, it took time to persuade Wolhan Fortress’s Council of Elders. However, there was no opposition from the commanders who would actually be leading the operation.

Once we shifted from defense to offense, I ordered the preparation of barracks. It would be a waste of energy to travel a long distance and then immediately return.

Of course, the soldiers who had been sufficiently rested wouldn\'t be exhausted by a mere march, but there was no reason to waste energy unnecessarily.

I finished my preparations and went outside.

The sunset was painted with the colors of war. Standing before the fortress gate shrouded in twilight, I looked around at the soldiers.

They were lined up on both sides of the gate, fully equipped in their armor and helmets. Their armor gleamed faintly under the dim torchlight.

In the stillness, where I could hear the tense breathing of those beside me, the sound of a trumpet echoed. It was the signal to depart.

"Advance!"

The commanders\' voices reverberated through the walls. The largest number of troops since the start of the battle were being deployed. Perhaps because of this, the atmosphere was strangely heavy.

The commander\'s voice faded into the air, and the fortress gate opened. Beyond the gate, the eerie air of the demon realm and the presence of magical beasts could be felt.

"Your Highness."

As I was about to step forward, Yoo Geung called me from behind. I paused in putting on my helmet and turned to look at him.

"Commanding the troops from the rear..."

Everyone was worried about me going to the front lines.

It was understandable that they were concerned about my safety, as it would be a disaster if one of the only two princes in the country died, but...

Still, I stubbornly went. No matter how much anyone worried, I had no intention of dying here.

I shook my head.

"No."

"Your Highness."

"Don\'t worry, I won\'t die."

If I didn\'t want to die here, I wouldn\'t die here.

In a way, hadn\'t my death last time been my own choice? If I had abandoned the others and run away alone, I definitely would have survived.

I surrendered because I couldn\'t guarantee the lives of the others.

It was all because of that Jincheon. But now that he was in my grasp... It was a strange feeling.

I put my helmet back on, mounted my warhorse, and went forward. I could see the horde of magical beasts approaching from afar.

I wasn\'t the only one who noticed, and I could feel the tension rising.

As the magical beasts drew closer, the trumpet sounded again.

As the troops advanced, the roars of the magical beasts echoed, followed by the familiar stench of blood.

I charged at the forefront, wielding my spear among the cavalry.

"Push forward!"

The commanders moved according to my instructions. Although the results weren\'t immediately visible, the situation wasn\'t bad.

I looked back and saw Yoo Geung, who had followed me. I nodded towards him.

"Captain Yoo."

Yoo Geung, who had approached, replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

"What did I order?"

Yoo Geung pointed towards the rear.

"I have deployed him as you commanded."

"Good."

Yoo Geung was referring to the soldier who had been working in the prison, Jo Seunghoe. He had brought him to the front lines as I had instructed.

"But why is he...?"

Just then, a magical beast charged towards Yoo Geung.

I swiftly pulled him aside and swung my spear, sending the magical beast\'s head flying through the air before it landed on the ground with a thud.

"This is not the time for idle chatter."

"I apologize."

Yoo Geung, his face slightly pale, returned to his position. I continued fighting while keeping an eye on Jo Seunghoe.

I planned to discreetly take him somewhere when the time was right. Since we were going to build barracks anyway, it would be easier.