Wolf hugged his knees tightly with both arms and lowered his head. For a while Wolf just stared at the ground, then slowly lifted Wolf’s eyes in a furtive glance. The hair might look like a beggar’s mess, but the moment Silver’s face—pretty as a wildflower—entered Wolf’s view…
Wolf hurriedly dropped the gaze.
Ah. Wait. The instant I saw Silver’s face just now, my heart started pounding. Didn’t it?
Is it that? Is that what this is?
Wolf’s mouth went dry. Darkness swam before the eyes, and dizziness washed over Wolf’s head. The thought of being attracted to another man had never even crossed Wolf’s mind—and more than that, in Atania homosexuality was forbidden.
Though in truth that was merely a “doctrine” set by the clergy. After the <Ill Omen> invasion, the authority of religion had collapsed, and by the time Wolf was born Atania had already turned into a world dominated by humanism. Maybe it had mattered a hundred and fifty years ago, but now nobody cared as long as it wasn’t flaunted openly. Only the church still treated homosexuality with ruthless severity, and the condemned men Wolf had watched being executed in the public square were all priests who had raped young apprentice clerics.
No. Just because my heart pounded a little doesn’t mean I’m into men. My thing didn’t react at all, did it? So first… a test.
Summoning courage, Wolf forced a mental image of kissing Silver.
Instant nausea surged up!
Silver was a pitiful slave boy who had saved Wolf’s life. The way Silver spoke might be rough, but imagining something so filthy with a benefactor like that made Wolf feel revolted and disgusted with the self.
Still not reassured, Wolf began a second test. This time Wolf imagined lying beside Silver in a field bursting with wildflowers, the two of them staring at each other and smiling brightly. Anyone looking would think they were simply friends.
The image brought a warm, satisfied feeling.
Wolf shut the eyes and breathed silently.
Thank God. Really, thank God. I’ve never even had a wet dream before. There’s no way I’d suddenly awaken to that kind of taste.
It was just that Silver was a knife-wielding boy you’d never see in Atania. The eyes were unusually fierce, and that had stirred a deep curiosity. Nothing more than that.
At last Wolf relaxed.
Feeling ridiculous for having caused such chaos inside the mind alone, Wolf deliberately turned to look at Red Eagle. Red Eagle’s face and hair were a complete mess, soaked with blood.
“Your Highness, I’m sorry. Things were so hectic that I got here late.”
Wolf soaked a handkerchief in the river and carefully wiped Red Eagle clean.
Black Weasel, who had been watching quietly, spoke.
“Prince, you’ve got yourself a reliable attendant. Bit insolent, sure, but the kid’s pretty useful. And that fighting style—looked just like a Stol warrior.”
“What kind of fighting is ‘like a Stol warrior’?”
Wolf asked the question out of pointless defiance.
Black Weasel raised a fist with a sharp motion.
“A fearless charge! When Atania folk fight, they wrap themselves in armor from head to toe, right? Stol warriors just wear helmets and charge. The assault troops at the front don’t even bother with shirts. Half naked, no shields—just an axe in hand, running straight into the enemy lines! Brave as hell.”
That’s not bravery. That’s insanity, old man.
“Sounds impressive. Truly manly.”
“Manly and womanly. Stol’s got plenty of female warriors too. Hmph. Stol women aren’t like those weak, timid Atania women. Big builds. No shame even in front of men—digging their noses right there. They sit with their legs spread wide and drink like barrels.”
“How… charming!”
Wolf flashed a bright smile and raised a thumbs-up.
No matter what it took, Wolf swore to send Red Eagle back to Atania. If Red Eagle got stuck in Stol, marriage to a Stol woman would be unavoidable. Maybe Stol people found large women who picked their noses in front of men alluring—but by Atanian standards…
Darkness was settling in.
Bathed in moonlight, the river cut through the night while the ferryboat pushed stubbornly forward. Red Eagle, whose head had been bobbing drowsily, eventually slumped against Wolf’s shoulder and fell asleep.
Wolf fought off sleep and looked up at the night sky. The constellations served as a compass.
The boat was moving northeast.
By the time the moon had climbed high, the ferryboat turned toward the riverbank. Wolf shook Red Eagle awake.
“Your Highness, wake up. I think we’ve reached Lady White Deer’s tribe.”
“Huh… already?”
Red Eagle blinked and looked around in confusion.
“That rat said it would take two days on horseback to reach Lady White Deer’s tribe. But we came by boat, so we got here faster.”
Wolf peered past the approaching riverbank.
The darkness was thick. Only the faint outlines of a line of massive mountains were visible.
Black Weasel brought the ferryboat alongside the bank and jumped to the feet.
“Get off.”
“Your Highness, take my hand. It’s slippery here.”
Wolf helped Red Eagle down onto the bank.
Then suddenly froze and stepped back.
Black Weasel and Silver had lifted the ferryboat and were carrying it toward a nearby thicket. In the pitch-black darkness, their faces were impossible to make out. Speaking Stol to each other in low voices, they looked like grave robbers.
Wolf swallowed.
Those villains… they’re hiding the boat in the bushes. Why? What are they saying right now?
「Silver, you planning to feed that attendant yourself?」
「You were the one hinting at it.」
「Never hinted. But you should feed your attendant anyway. Though what about this master here? Not even a scrap of meat for me?」
「Nope.」
Cold sweat broke out across Wolf’s body.
Speak Atanian, you barbarians! Why are you hiding the boat?!
「Wait a second. Why are just the two of us carrying this boat? Let’s make the attendant work too.」
「Should’ve said that earlier, you idiot slave brat. Whatever. We’re here anyway.」
The villains finished hiding the ferryboat perfectly in the bushes and walked back.
Wolf clenched the fists and stepped in front of Red Eagle.
Black Weasel rested a hand on the waist and chuckled.
“Nice courage, I’ll give you that… but kid! Do you really think this will protect the prince? You’ve got no fear at all.”
“Explain yourselves. Why—”
“Wolf. I’ll say it.”
Red Eagle pushed Wolf aside and stepped forward.
“If this truly is my mother’s tribe, then there would be no reason for you to hide the boat. Which side are you on, warrior? An enemy of Red Eagle—or an ally?”
“Oh?”
Black Weasel whistled.
Wolf stared at Red Eagle’s back, cheeks flushed. Red Eagle had stepped forward personally in case Black Weasel tried to kill them again. The gesture filled Wolf with emotion.
“You’re starting to look a little more like a Stol man. No time to waste, so I’ll answer straight. Prince, I’m on your side. If I wanted you dead, I would’ve killed you back at Morgan Harbor.”
“You might have been hired to kidnap me.”
“Prince. Let me explain something. I only take murder contracts.”
Red Eagle and Wolf flinched at the same time.
The statement was chilling—and contradictory.
“Didn’t you say you were my escort? That’s not murder.”
“To be precise, the job was to kill anyone who interfered while delivering the prince to the prince’s mother. Understand? Most killings have causes behind them. Especially when money’s involved.”
Black Weasel turned around.
“Don’t ask anything else for now. Just follow me. And you two keep calling me ‘warrior.’ I’m not a warrior rank. I’m just a hired killer. So call me uncle.”
* * *
The forest stretched deep and dark.
To make matters worse, the path climbed up the mountains. For Wolf and Red Eagle, who had grown up in the plains of Lebanon and had never even seen a hill before, the journey was a march through hell.
Wolf was even carrying two rabbits and a baby goat over the shoulders.
One body, yet forced to serve simultaneously as butcher and pack mule.
Ah… Compared to this mountain path, the steps of the temple bell tower were flat ground…
Still, after some time the lungs and heart adjusted.
Wolf grabbed Red Eagle with one hand.
“Your Highness, how are you holding up?”
“Wolf… I… I…”
Red Eagle couldn’t finish the sentence and whimpered.
But Wolf understood immediately.
Because for quite a while now, the stomachs of both prince and attendant had been growling together without pause.
Red Eagle had grown up delicately in a palace. That went without saying. As for Wolf, there had been days of eating four or five meals while learning baking, but going completely without food—this was the first time.
Prince, never run away from home again.