Wolf politely removed the Red Eagle Prince’s robe. The moment it slipped off, the prince’s complexion turned pale.
“Wolf? Just rinsing the blood off would be enough. You don’t need to wait on me like this….”
“Yes, it’s a simple task, just as you said. So please leave it to me.”
Wolf flashed a pleasant smile and continued removing the prince’s clothes. As a way of repaying the free luxury trip, Wolf had volunteered to handle the Red Eagle Prince’s meals and bathing while they traveled to Stol. Having grown up in the palace, Wolf had seen enough attendants at work to pick up the manner quickly. Still, the prince often declined, apparently uncomfortable with the attention.
“Wolf, I’m really fine. I mean it.”
“Come on. I told you not to feel burdened.”
Wolf bent down and splashed water over the Red Eagle Prince’s legs. When bathing a prince, one couldn’t splash around like dealing with a friend the same age. The posture had to stay composed, and the hands had to move with the elegance of a harpist plucking strings. Focusing with all possible seriousness, Wolf poured the water by handfuls with the refined grace of a duchess lifting a glass of white wine to her lips.
Above Wolf’s sweating head, the Red Eagle Prince spoke in a strangely awkward voice.
“Um, Wolf? Your head hurts from the hangover, right? I’ll wash up myself now.”
“What are you saying, Your Highness? My head doesn’t hurt at all. Please turn to the left.”
“No… Wolf, it’s just… this is something I should—”
“I appreciate the concern, but really, you don’t have to worry. Raise your right arm. And please spread your fingers one by one.”
Wolf finished washing the blood from the prince’s body and wrapped a towel around the prince’s waist. Then, following proper etiquette, Wolf sat with one knee raised and respectfully extended both arms toward the hot spring.
“Your Highness. Please bathe now.”
“Wolf, get up. Quickly.”
The Red Eagle Prince poked Wolf’s shoulder with the tips of the fingers—tap, tap, tap. At the urgent gesture, Wolf lifted the head. For some reason, the prince’s face had turned bright red.
“What’s wrong, Your Highness? Was the water too hot?”
Wolf asked in alarm. The Red Eagle Prince quickly turned the face away and waved a hand.
“That’s not it, Wolf. Just stand up first. Hurry.”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
Wolf rose automatically, then blinked in confusion. Black Weasel and Silver were staring this way. Both had their mouths twitching.
What’s with this atmosphere?
Silence.
「Puhahaha!」
The cavern echoed with booming laughter, shattering the silence in an instant. Black Weasel grabbed the forehead with one hand and roared with laughter.
「Good thing I didn’t kill the servant brat! I’ve never seen anyone this funny!」
Silver burst out laughing along with him.
「Wow, I’ve never seen someone this stupid! The prince was giving you obvious hints and you still didn’t notice until the end!」
“You two! You were just insulting me, weren’t you!”
Wolf shouted, face turning red like a carrot.
“No, why are you laughing! Whether in Atania or Stol, the prince is still a prince! I’m the prince’s attendant! I was just doing my job as an attendant—what’s the problem with that!”
“Wolf, calm down. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
The Red Eagle Prince grasped Wolf’s shoulder and sent a glance.
“If you keep up court formalities in a place like this, of course it’ll look ridiculous to them. We’re milk brothers, after all. While we stay here, let’s treat each other like friends our age. No stiffness between us. All right?”
“No stiffness…? That’s absolutely not happening. No way.”
“Wolf.”
“…Yes.”
Wolf answered reluctantly. The Red Eagle Prince gave another meaningful look and stepped into the hot spring, sitting opposite Black Weasel just as Wolf had instructed. Seeing that, Wolf gathered composure.
All right. Time to begin.
Right now, the fatal weakness for Wolf and the Red Eagle Prince was information. Their only source at the moment was Black Weasel. The problem was whether anything the man said could be trusted. In the short time Wolf had spent observing him, one conclusion had already formed: that contract killer was not someone to trust easily.
The plan was simple. While bathing together, they would lure the contract killer and the assistant into letting their guard down as much as possible. The Red Eagle Prince would observe Black Weasel’s expressions. Wolf would focus on Silver. That was the idea, though whether it would succeed was another matter. Black Weasel was a contract killer who had murdered over a hundred people. On this side were sheltered youngsters raised in a greenhouse.
Black Weasel and Silver were still laughing uncontrollably. Since Wolf had intended to look like a fool in their eyes anyway, Wolf took it positively. However the bread got baked, as long as it tasted good in the end.
Wolf removed the clothes. Just as Wolf was about to wrap the towel around the waist, Wolf flinched.
Black Weasel and Silver suddenly stopped laughing and stared this way.
Their expressions were openly astonished and curious.
Those lunatics—did they get something mixed up? That shouldn’t be possible. Even if its uses were limited, the size of Wolf’s junk was more impressive than the royal knight commander’s prized warhorse. That wasn’t arrogance; Wolf had heard it countless times from random old men at the public bathhouse back home.
A chill ran down the spine. Wolf gripped the towel tightly.
“Why… are you staring like that? I’m not a woman.”
“I know.”
Black Weasel looked Wolf up and down before adding,
“Servant brat, your body’s not bad. Already a finished product.”
So it was admiration for the sturdy muscles of a baker’s apprentice. Maybe. Either way, Wolf tied the towel firmly.
“Thank you. I do strength training and running every day.”
Brushing it off casually, Wolf slipped over and sat opposite Silver, in a position that kept Black Weasel within sight as well.
An odd silence drifted through the rising steam. Silver sat on a rock, legs dipped in the hot spring only up to the calves, eyes lowered. Beneath long eyelashes hanging like a sunshade, the alice-blue eyes moved quickly. From Black Weasel to Wolf. Then to the Red Eagle Prince. Then back to Black Weasel.
Soon Silver twisted the mouth and turned the head away. Watching that, Wolf got the impression Silver looked thoroughly disgusted.
Disgusted at what?
Well, the old man, probably. Living under a contract killer of a master must be unbearable.
Maybe pulling Silver over to their side wouldn’t be that difficult.
Running away from a brutal master like Black Weasel required courage. Wolf needed to secure a chance to persuade Silver while Black Weasel wasn’t looking. Their bargaining power would be the key.
“Um….”
At the Red Eagle Prince’s voice, Wolf snapped out of the thoughts. The prince spoke hesitantly.
“You said earlier that we’ll be staying here for a month. Could you explain the reason?”
“No reason I can’t.”
Black Weasel answered flatly and draped both arms over the rock.
“How much did I tell you already? Ah, right. I said the Stol king’s children called a temporary truce and started managing the tribal chiefs, didn’t I? Truth is, that happened two months ago. Which means it took place a month after you left Lebanon.”
That was completely unexpected. Once again, Wolf felt the painful absence of information on their side.
“Right now only one of the king’s children is still alive. That one’s the mastermind behind the mercenaries who attacked the prince yesterday. Name’s… well, does it matter?”
Black Weasel shrugged.
“Anyway, that one’s no pushover. Pulled it off while the siblings were busy keeping the tribal chiefs in check. Hosted a banquet, said everyone should unite in case they had to fight the chiefs head-on. And at a gathering like that, would the siblings come alone? Of course not. They all brought their key aides. After that….”
Black Weasel dragged a finger across the throat.
“If that person was influential enough to host such a gathering… then they must have been one of the most prominent among the king’s children.”
The Red Eagle Prince made the observation like someone raised in court.
“Exactly. The king’s fifth son. People had been pointing to that one as the next king for a long time—temperament, combat skill, everything. Hmph. The one who was destined for it ended up taking it in the end.”
Black Weasel circled a finger beside the own face.
“When you see the guy in person, you won’t feel like calling him ‘big brother.’ For a chick prince like you, that half-brother looks old enough to be your father. Everyone who’s seen him talks about the face. Apparently the mug looks vicious, like a wild dog whose mate got stolen.”
Wolf barely managed to clamp the trembling lips shut.
Coming from someone who looked exactly like a wild dog that had just had its prey snatched right in front of the nose.