RGS Volume 2 Part 10

Leading the charge of horses kicking up dust was Melmond. He dismounted and ran, panting harder than the horse itself, towards the place where the attacked soldier lay. However, the injured soldier was left lying on the ground, and the person who should have been beside him was nowhere to be seen. He was met only by the butler, standing there with a dazed expression.

“*Gasp* Haah… Is the soldier dead? But why are you alone?”

He asked loudly, but the butler just turned his pale face and could only barely open his mouth.

“…gone.”

“Huh? Say it properly. Why are you alone? Did that guy faint again?”

“H-He….disappeared.”

Standing still, Melmond’s body, who had been looking around, stiffened like a rock. He also turned pale and opened his mouth just like the butler.

“…Disappeared?”

With his eyes blinking without being able to speak properly, the butler nodded his head vigorously. He also stuttered as if he couldn’t speak.

“I went to fetch water… the well was dry, so… I was late… Ugh… the young master disappeared…”

The butler’s voice quivered as if it could burst into tears at any moment. Fortunately, he had a companion by his side.

“Ugh! The butler fetch water… from the well… then that guy… dissapeared…?”

Melmond also barely managed to speak with a hoarse voice. The butler quickly nodded his head with tearful eyes. The two of them looked at each other in that state for a moment. As if betting on who could hold their breath longer, they stood frozen without any movement, and then Ashler, who was next to them, intervened.

“Sir Melmond, who disappeared?”

Melmond’s shocked face turned towards Ashler. Ashler couldn’t help but be quite surprised when he saw his face turn pale like a corpse. He still remembers the day when he first had a formal conversation with Melmond.

He was an acquaintance who occasionally visited Abel, so his face was familiar. That’s why it was surprising when he came to the prince’s place of exile, requesting a meeting. And with Serene, no less. In a calm voice, he revealed the reason for Abel’s death.

Anger surged through Ashler as he had already suspected that the King’s Heart was the culprit, but compared to the truth he later discovered, it was insignificant. Melmond calmly presented the records he found in the library and finally smiled.

“I have risked my life to tell you this. So, if you can’t help, kill me here.”

His smiling face, asking to be killed, left quite an impression. Perhaps that’s why the memory is so vivid. Seeing Melmond, usually so composed even in the face of his own death, now so flustered piqued his curiosity.

Just who could it be?

Seeing the butler also startled and referring to him as the young master suggests he’s someone of high standing.

“…Sir Ashler.”

“Yes, please speak.”

When Ashler answered, Melmond grabbed his arm tightly.

“…bel.”

Ashler lowered his head at the very faint sound and asked again.

“Melmond, who are you talking about?”

And this time, the name was clearly heard. But it was an unbelievable name.

“Abel.”

Hmm. Hearing the name after a long time made Ashler feel somewhat unfamiliar. He blamed himself for being surprised for a moment, thinking of Abel from 12 years ago. The Abel that Melmond mentioned must be another person who is clearly the butler’s master. There can be easily many people with the same names.

But from Melmond’s mouth, who seemed to have lost his mind, strange words were coming out.

“Ashler, we have to find him quickly. The reincarnated guy is weak. Too weak.”

“What did you just say?”

Now Ashler grabbed Melmond’s arm and turned him around.

“Abel has disappeared.”

“Yes, I know. But a moment ago, you said he was reincarnated… Surely, you’re not talking about Abel from 12 years ago, are you?”

Even after saying it himself, Melmond nodded with a serious expression at his words and it made him laugh.

“Yes, that’s the Abel.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Abel considered it a miracle. The fact that the sword stopped leaving a gap of only a finger’s width on Abel’s neck and that his voice came out just before his throat was cut. The biggest miracle would be that the terrifying knight stopped moving at his words.

“I, I can find him.”

Abel repeated the words he had just managed to say and looked straight up at his gray eyes. The sense of familiarity he felt when he first saw those eyes had long since faded. Now, his only goal was to survive without being killed by the knight who seemed like a messenger from hell.

The miracle of surviving beyond 12 years must surely be because he had something to do. It must be for the prince, of course. So, he had to survive somehow to help the prince. With this determination alone, Abel held onto his consciousness with all his might, despite feeling like he was about to faint.

“I, I can find the Crimson Valley.”

He squeezed out his voice and looked up at the other person with desperate eyes. Hoping that he would show interest and spare him. However, Karas, tilting his head to the side, looked down at him with vacant eyes, not easily sheathing his sword. Only a single word slipped from his lips.

“Direction.”

“Ah, I don’t know the exact direction. But… uh!”

The blade of the sword touched his neck. The chilling coldness of the sinister iron seeped into his body, sending a shiver down his spine. Abel tried not to tremble and kept his gaze fixed on his gray eyes. He seemed dazed as if he were drunk. However, the owner of those eyes instinctively exuded a sense of vitality that could be perceived. He must be a very strong person. No, he might be a cruel person. That’s why Abel couldn’t look away. Because that’s what his master had taught him.

‘When you encounter a beast, don’t make eye contact. But if you unavoidably make eye contact, don’t be the first to avert your gaze. Some very cruel creatures even hunt when they are full. And the prey is an animal that fears them. It’s about chasing the animal that first averts its eyes and tries to flee.’

At that time, he thought it was truly useless advice. There were hardly any encounters with beasts, and back then, what mattered most was how to run faster than a wild boar. The reason these words came to mind now was because the knight, Karas, felt like a beast to Abel. He seemed more like a creature with only cruelty, and not a human. The problem was that his master’s teaching was not perfect. Abel had asked his master at that time.

‘What about looking into each other’s eyes? We can’t keep doing that forever.’’

His master replied.

‘You have to endure. The one who endures wins. Did you think just because he’s a beast, he wouldn’t get annoyed?’

On that day, he wanted to skip his Regas training and everything else. However, the next moment, a fateful wild boar appeared, and he had to forget about skipping classes and just run away. And now, facing a beast that was trying to kill him, he realized how great his master’s teaching was. It didn’t work at all for the knight in front of him.

He had to find a way to survive on his own.

When the sword was about to move again, Abel raised his trembling hand.

“E, even if I don’t know the direction, I can retrace my steps.”

The place Abel pointed to was where the soldiers’ corpses were scattered.

“If they came from the Crimson Valley, we can retrace their steps. We can find them.”

“……”

“When people walk through the forest, they leave traces. Especially if so many people have moved together, it will be easy to find them. I am good at tracking animal traces, but it is easier with humans so…..”

Despite trying to calm himself down, the voice flowing from his lips was infinitely small and trembling. Nevertheless, Abel continued to speak to him, who remained unresponsive.

“The stems of grass trampled by people moving, or branches broken, become traces. If you’re lucky, you can even find footprints. Of course, compared to animals that walk on their front paws, humans walking on the soles of their feet find it harder to leave marks. Animals that eat grass only jump with their front paws, so their marks are deeply imprinted on the ground… But still, it’s possible to find them.”

How else can I convince him?

Abel tried to think, but he couldn’t take his eyes off those gray eyes. However, with a confused mind, this was the extent of his pleading.

“I-I really mean it, sir!”

The gray eyes narrowed for a brief moment at the title of “sir.” Abel quickly corrected himself, knowing that he was displeased.

“……Captain?”

“……”

“Oh! Captain, or… Commander? Wow, you have achieved great success at such a young age!”

His congratulations were not well received. Feeling like the sword was pressing harder against his throat, Abel stretched his neck as much as possible and muttered.

“Still, Prince… No, thank you for helping His Majesty today.”

“……”

“Well, I don’t know much, but it seems like this was a trap set to endanger His Majesty. The soldiers who collapsed at the entrance of the forest said we had to stop it… Ah, but still, thank you, sir, or rather, Commander, for resolving this. His Majesty is a kind person, so meeting an enemy would have surprised and confused him. He is a delicate person who couldn’t easily harm even a bug…”

Abel realized that he had been murmuring without realizing it and snapped back to reality. He felt his gray eyes had changed slightly. The daze disappeared, replaced by a cold gleam. But before he could confirm that fleeting feeling, it was already gone. And so, a long silence soon flowed.

Karas was the first to move. His head, tilted to the side, slowly rose, and then with a smooth movement, the blade of his sword grazed past Abel’s shoulder.

Gulp.

When Abel involuntarily swallowed his saliva, he heard Karas’ indifferent voice.

“Find them.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

It must be a side effect of the antidote.

That was the first thought that came to Ashler’s mind. He should have stopped Melmond when he experimented with the black potion on his own body. No matter how small amount the antidote was, 12 years was a long time. It was clear that he had gone mad.

“Sir Melmond, I think you need to rest first. Nani!”

Ashler tried to bring Nani, who was close to Melmond, to take him away. However, Melmond resisted strongly.

“No! Ab-!”

Melmond was about to shout Abel’s name loudly, but he lowered his voice, knowing that someone might hear.

“I have to find Abel. He is in a weak state, as his body is the reincarnation of the weakened young master. I don’t know where he might have collapsed!”

Ashler nodded his head, thinking that he needed to calm him down.

D*mn that black potion.

The King’s Heart turned this perfectly fine man into a mess.

“Yes, yes. Understood. I will instruct the soldiers to search the area right away.”

Ashler gestured to the soldiers and gave them brief instructions before returning.

“Alright, are you feeling better now? Sir Melmond, it would be best for you to rest in the carriage for now.”

“No! I will also search! I need to see with my own eyes if he is okay!”

Then, the butler standing behind them shouted as well.

“I will also search!”

Ashler felt a headache coming on. At that moment, Nani, who had approached from behind, also shouted along.

“Wow, what are you looking for? I will also search!”

Melmond’s condition worsened due to Nani’s encouragement. He twisted his body as if he really wanted to follow the soldiers who were about to search. Ashler grabbed him again.

“Sir Melmond, leave the search to my soldiers.”

When Ashler spoke in a stern voice, Melmond frowned as if he was about to cry and muttered.

“But Abel…”

“Abel? Wow, I haven’t heard that name in a long time. I used to hear it a lot from Melmond 12 years ago.”

Nani interrupted with a chuckle. Ashler glared at him with a stern look, and Melmond froze in surprise. However, Nani, who had a sociable personality, was oblivious to the atmosphere. He suddenly greeted the butler and cheerfully asked.

“Hello. Is the person who disappeared Abel? Don’t worry, we will find him soon. But it’s really amazing. 12 years ago, Sir Melmond was worried about Abel, and now he’s worrying about someone with the same name…”

“It’s the same person!”

“Yes, the same person… Huh?”

Unlike the bewildered Nani, Ashler’s brow furrowed even more.

Did the butler perhaps also experimented with black potion?

“We must quickly find our most beautiful young master in the world! Of course, he is not only the most beautiful young master in the world but also the one who reincarnated after 12 years, Abel.

The butler seemed more serious than Melmond. Who would believe in reincarnation?

“My goodness! Abel has been reincarnated! What a miracle!”

Nani believed it. He was surely clueless and gullible.