I felt, on seeing Crown Prince Reynold, that he didn’t resemble Kyle at all.
He had swept his golden hair neatly back and wore an elaborate uniform.
“Long time no see, Your Highness.”
Kyle bowed, and the party behind him followed suit. I waited a moment, then mimicked their bow.
“To run into you here, of all places.”
“Since Your Highness followed after me, it was inevitable we’d meet.”
Kyle forced a laugh. Reynold’s face briefly darkened at the slight in his tone.
“You’re coming out of the forest, so I assume you faced the Black Flame Dragon. Why are you empty-handed? Where is the dragon’s severed head?”
Reynold perched on the desk at the tent’s center and asked.
“We reached the Black Flame Dragon’s lair, but he’d already fled. We destroyed the lair and were returning through the forest.”
“He fled?”
Reynold’s shock made him startle; the soldiers behind him inhaled sharply.
“Are you sure it was the right lair?”
“Yes, Your Highness. We found it correctly, but the dragon had already emptied it and escaped.”
“Nonsense!”
Reynold slammed his fist on the desk, and the startled soldiers all dropped to their knees.
“You told me yourself that building a lair takes ages! Yet he abandoned it and ran?”
Reynold was angrier at Kyle than Kyle had been at finding an empty lair.
“I don’t know what happened. Seeing it deserted, we assumed he moved on elsewhere. We should have pursued him quickly before he rebuilt…”
Unlike before, Kyle spoke with grave composure.
Before he could finish, Reynold sprang to his feet and roared, “Don’t you dare lie to me!”
Kyle frowned and met Reynold’s gaze. No one present understood why Reynold was suddenly furious.
“Lie? What are you implying?”
“Did you enter the lair, see the dragon, and flee in fear? Or were you beaten by him and woke to find him gone?”
Reynold’s absurd theory made me involuntarily exhale.
Then I recalled the original story: this Crown Prince Reynold had been a villain. He’d manipulated the weak Emperor Perosen to persecute the Hero’s party and brand them criminals.
A villain confronting a villain—hardly a pleasant reunion.
“That’s not it.”
“Then why would the Black Flame Dragon flee? How will you explain this to Father? Do you know how much expense went into assembling this army, thinking this was the final battle?”
Reynold’s furious assault silenced the tent, but his rage didn’t abate.
“If we’d arrived first, we’d have slain him already. I foresaw this when you played the hero to gain Father’s attention.”
“His Majesty said he believed in me, so I did my best to track the Black Flame Dragon…”
“Then you should have brought me his head! Stop prattling about fleeing with that stupid look on your face!”
At Reynold’s shout, Kyle fell silent. Reynold, regaining his composure, strode forward and grabbed Kyle’s chin, lifting his head.
A mocking sneer twisted Reynold’s face.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay hidden in peace and not overstep yourself? You must know your place, or you’ll be punished.”
Elonen stepped forward, unable to hold back.
“Your Highness, Prince Kyle did his utmost. We can soon trace the dragon’s tracks.”
Reynold shifted his cold glare from Kyle to Elonen. Though kind, Elonen’s presence here earned Reynold’s contempt.
“The temple dog barks.”
Reynold released Kyle’s chin and circled the party.
“Whether he lives or dies is Father’s decision. I’ll have you all detained for abetting the dragon’s escape.”
“What are you saying?”
Kyle, who’d held his anger, now flared up. Reynold ignored him and motioned to the guards.
“Why are you standing there? Can’t you hear the Crown Prince? Seize them and load them into the prisoner wagons!”
“Brother, wait! Please hear me out!”
The guards lunged and began restraining the party.
“Kyle, what will you do?”
Gerard, having easily subdued one guard’s arm, looked to Kyle. Though unarmed, the party could overwhelm these few guards—but that would pit them against the entire army and the empire itself.
“Don’t resist. Disobeying a royal order is treason.”
Reynold, annoyed, waved dismissively—then suddenly noticed me at the tent’s entrance. His eyes widened.
“Hold on….”
At his voice, the busy guards froze.
“I’ve never seen this one before. Who is he? Another of Kyle’s lackeys?”
Hearing the word “lackey” from his refined lips felt off. I remained silent.
Reynold, thinking I didn’t understand, pointed and asked again.
“I asked what you are.”
“I am….”
I spoke quietly. All eyes turned to me. I glanced at the party, hoping someone might help—but they all waited for my answer.
I was on my own. After a moment’s thought, I spoke deliberately.
“Just a passerby.”
My priority was to dissociate quickly from the Hero’s party. Luckily, Reynold didn’t take offense at my blunt tone—perhaps my fearsome appearance deterred him.
“A passerby, huh….”
Reynold let out a hollow laugh, though I couldn’t tell if it was amusement or disgust.
“Your Highness, Rishian has nothing to do with us!”
Kyle, still held by a guard, shouted in my defense. I’d wanted to say the same.
“If he’s unrelated, why has he been with you?”
“I met him passing through the forest. I was lost, so he helped me.”
I offered this half-truth, and Reynold’s expression shifted as he weighed whether to believe me.
“You got lost in a miasma-infested forest? You wandered there alone?”
Reynold’s obvious question came next.
“Yes. I’m a woodcutter harvesting Magicwood.”
I borrowed from Gerard’s notes to craft a plausible excuse. It quickly defused Reynold’s suspicion.
“I see. You must have been startled being dragged in here. I hadn’t seen your face at the departure ceremony.”
At last, someone genuinely listened—though his character seemed dreadful. But I didn’t care, so long as he let me go free.
“I was just going to continue on my way, now that I’d safely left the forest.”
Relieved at clearing the misunderstanding, I let joy color my calm tone.
Reynold watched me and then gestured to the guards.
“Leave him here; take the rest.”
What? I’d thought I was free. Startled, I spoke carefully.
“I really must be going. I have my woodcutting business…”
“I have a few questions for you. Wait here.”
The guards ushered the Hero’s party out of the tent, leaving it silent. I stole a look at Reynold, who kept his gaze locked on me.
“All guards are to remain outside.”
He dismissed the remaining soldiers, then suddenly strode close.
“Strip.”
“…What?”