RGS Volume 3 Part 14

With his courage diminishing, Abel’s voice also grew quieter. However, he didn’t forget to make the little beetle squirm and scurry away from his hand. Towering over Abel with a considerable height difference, Karas’ gaze hovered above Abel’s head. Moreover, as Abel’s shoulders hunched lower and lower, Karas appeared more threatening.

Unable to bear looking at him, Abel could only look down and barely raised his eyes when he heard no sound.

He must be really angry this time, right?

With a fearful heart, he expected a life-threatening gaze full of anger, however, there was none. Karas had his eyes closed, completely still and silent.

It felt as if he was suppressing something, and Abel could only stare at him blankly as if possessed. His heart started to raised uncontrollably. Abel also held his breath, and slowly, his gray eyes opened. However, they were the same eyes as usual, without any difference. The atmosphere from earlier suddenly disappeared, and an emotionless question was heard from him.

“Do you like bugs?”

Did I misunderstand earlier?

Unable to adapt to his usual atmosphere, Abel stuttered in response.

“Bu-bugs? Yes, I, I like them. Um, they are all hardworking creatures. Although, there is one thing that I am really scared of. Haha, isn’t it funny? Being scared of bugs.”

“……”

“Ahem, anyway, it wasn’t because of that that I let the bugs go. Of course, the Commander-in-Chief probably hates bugs.”

“I do.”

With a lowered voice that sent shivers down his spine, Karas’ eyes locked onto him intensely.

“Especially the bug behind you.”

Behind me? Abel was about to turn his head when he heard a whisper in his ear.

“Wolf Spider.”

Ack!!

As Abel held his breath, his heart plunged endlessly into that abyss. Then, a shiver ran down his spine. A creepy, eerie feeling as if wolf spiders were crawling all over his body made him involuntarily scream.

“Ah, ahh!”

Abel rushed forward like a half-crazed person. Of course, in front of him was Karas, so he ended up leaping into his arms, but for Abel, who was truly half out of his mind, there was nothing visible. All he could do was scream with a heart that felt like it would stop at any moment.

“Ah! W-w-wolf spider!”

He swung his uninjured arm vigorously. It was a gesture to move forward, but his body, already caught by someone, couldn’t move. He was tightly held, to the point where he couldn’t even breathe. He realized this because of the lips that touched his ear. The warm breath that entered his ear conveyed a whisper.

“It’s a lie.”

A, a lie? R, really? However, Abel was already trapped in a fear where he couldn’t breathe, so he couldn’t interpret the meaning of those words right away. Still, his struggling arm stopped. Before he could feel relieved that there was no wolf spider, his consciousness abruptly cut off.

Strangely, the other person held his collapsed body tightly for a long time without letting go. Burying his face into the nape of the neck for a moment, he then slowly moved away. After revealing his teeth, he sank them into his white shoulder. As blood flowed from the torn flesh, his gray eyes transformed like a snake’s, darkening ominously.

What’s mine is back.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

“It’ll be okay. Ah, just sit down for a moment.”

Melmond tried to calm the butler, who was pacing around anxiously. Truthfully, Melmond also wanted to run to the single room, open the door, and check what was happening.

What on earth was Karas thinking, staying in the same room with Abel?

Moreover, there was only one bed!

The fact that there was only one bed particularly bothered him.

Considering the emperor’s behavior so far, it didn’t seem like he particularly cared for Abel or had recognized his true identity, thus, the likelihood of anything happening between the two was low. Karas was one of the people Melmond had seen who showed the least interest in the reincarnated Abel’s appearance. Even so, it kept bothering him. There was only one bed.

“Melmond, aren’t you worried about the two of them sharing one bed?”

When the butler’s question was heard, Melmond quickly responded. It seemed that he wasn’t the only one worried after all.

“Actually, I’m a little worried too. If the two of them are in the same bed, it’s inevitable.”

Unable to voice his thoughts directly, Melmond clasped his hands together to imply his concern. The butler nodded seriously.

“Indeed. If they share one bed, the space will be tight, and I’m worried that the young master’s injured arm might get pressed, and the wound could worsen.”

“……”

“So Melmond, you had the same thought.”

“……Yeah.”

While Melmond was reflecting on his corrupted self, someone’s voice echoed loudly in the third-class cabin.

“Ah, it was an incredible battle. His Majesty’s order to annihilate the enemies without mercy was given, so even those who surrendered had their throats cut without hesitation.”

The slurred voice, likely due to drunkenness, was loud enough to wake the sleeping passengers. It belonged to one of the thugs Melmond had seen before boarding the ship. Judging by his presence here, he wasn’t probably the leader but a subordinate, though his arrogant tone was no different from his master’s.

The thug group, consisting of over 15 men, had already taken up more than half of the best seats and were causing trouble by drinking and disturbing the other passengers. Their loud conversations added to the chaos, but no one dared to confront them. After all, who would challenge the emperor’s soldiers?

Consequently, everyone had to endure the drunken men’s loud and boastful stories, even the terrified commoners they had cornered.

“Especially in our battalion, we were so covered in blood from head to toe that by the end, we couldn’t even recognize each other. We killed so many people that I couldn’t tell if I was slaughtering humans or pigs! Hahaha!”

His laughter was echoed by his comrades who were drinking and chattering behind him. The scrawny man forced to listen to his stories, however, couldn’t bring himself to laugh, trembling in fear instead. When the lack of reaction irritated the drunken soldier, he suddenly turned hostile.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t you want to hear it? Or are you scared and peed your pants?”

He shoved the scrawny man with his hand roughly, scowling.

“What, it’s either you piss yourself, or you must not want to listen. How dare you act so arrogantly when I’m sharing my precious experiences.”

Thud! Crash!

The drunken soldier finally kicked the scrawny man hard. The man rolled on the floor several times, clutching his side that was struck and groaning. The soldier and his comrades burst into laughter at the sight.

“Hahaha, look at that pathetic little b*stard. To think I risked my life fighting enemies for scum like him. I’m a member of the most valiant 1st Battalion Army, having survived countless brushes with death! Do you understand? I’m the one who always charged into the enemy lines first, from the 1st Battalion!”

Melmond and the butler, who were listening from afar, quietly turned their heads. In the corner of the cabin, a rough-looking man in his 40s was reading a prayer book in a neat posture. His complete stillness and concentration on the prayer book showed how often he read it. He seemed completely unfazed by the drunken soldier’s ranting.

If it was true that he always held a sword with one hand while praying, it was certainly evident now, with the veins in his hand bulging from the tight grip.

Melmond and the butler simultaneously took a stepped back and cursed the drunkard. Why did he specifically mention the 1st Battalion? There is also the 2nd Battalion, the 3rd Battalion, right? They glared at him thinking if they could just shut that drunkard up, the tension would ease. Just then, a voice of admiration came from another direction.

“Wow! So, you must know the famous 1st Battalion Commander who is known for not hesitating to swing his sword when facing enemies.”

“Hmph, of course! Not only does he have no hesitation, but he is also a terrifying person who will immediately cut down anyone who dares to cross him. What’s worse is that lately, there have been idiots pretending to be him and causing trouble and scamming people, hmm, right? But when the 1st Battalion Commander encounters such people, he simply slaughters them without mercy. He is not a fool who will tolerate his honor being tarnished.”

The 1st Battalion Commander has tarnished his honor and become a fool.

Melmond and the butler retreated as far away as they could. The 1st Battalion Commander closed the prayer book with a thud. While the cold winter air spread on one side of the room, the heat of the drunkard rose even higher. As he received people’s attention, his voice became even more boastful.

“Moreover, he is on this ship!”

The person on the ship holding a sword raised his body halfway. Melmond and the butler couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the energy emanating from him and pressed their hands together as they clung themselves against the wall. The sound of people whispering spread as the news of the famous 1st Battalion Commander being on the ship circulated.

It was said that the 1st Battalion Commander had killed more people than the King of Slaughter. In fact, rumors spread among the people that the emperor couldn’t fight and that the 1st Battalion Commander was the real King of Slaughter. Without realizing it, people were embellishing stories about the commander while someone in the corner, holding a sword and rising, was casting a shadow with their sword.

At that moment, the 1st Battalion Commander tried to draw his sword. However, the drunkard, who had become in a better mood, blurted out valuable information about the 1st Battalion Commander he was serving.

“And let me tell you how prestigious his family is. They’re connected to Duke Truyde’s family, the King’s Heart! The 1st Battalion Commander’s ancestors served as knights to the Duke family, and thanks to their significant collaboration on some important matters, they were granted titles and even territories!”

The drunkard, who was making a lot of noise, suddenly closed his mouth, realizing that he had said something he shouldn’t have.

“Ah, no, I said it wrong. Forget it! Anyway, our 1st Battalion Commander is so brave….”

The drunkard quickly changed the subject in confusion, but there were those who didn’t forget what he said.

The 1st Battalion Commander, who had put down his sword and sat back down in his seat, and Melmond, whose expression had hardened, were among them.

Duke Truyde, important matters? Melmond pondered over the drunkard’s words and met the 1st Battalion Commander’s gaze. And he also realized that the Commander knew about the black potion.

Being the closest person to the emperor, he must know to some extent, right?

As he speculated, he heard the low voice of the 1st Battalion Commander.

“I will tell you. In the morning.”

Ah, yes. It’s dark now.

Melmond turned his head and looked at the door from the cabin where he couldn’t see anything from the outside. The forgotten worry came back to his mind.

Did the two sleep together in one bed?

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

It was suffocating. He tried to take a deep breath, but his chest felt heavy as if pressed by something, and he couldn’t properly fill his lungs with air.

What is this? Why is it so suffocating?

He unconsciously turned his body to avoid it, but his body didn’t even move as if he were pinned down by a rock.

Finally, Abel managed to open his still drowsy eyes a little.

Blink. Blink.

He saw a dirty wooden ceiling stained with black dirt. It was an unfamiliar place, but he soon remembered boarding the ship. And sure enough, when he lowered his gaze a little, he saw the wall of the single room where he had stayed yesterday.

Next, he tried to figure out the cause of his suffocation. Fortunately, it was not difficult to find out. In fact, something was pressing down on most of Abel’s body as he lay upright. To be precise, someone was.

Huh? What is this?

As he struggled to move his head, he caught sight of black hair resting against his neck.

The owner of a physique that was more than twice the size of Abel was lying diagonally on top of him, pinning him down with one arm and leg. Abel’s small body was covered by him, and only his head could be seen. Fortunately, his injured arm was not crushed, which was a relief.

As Abel assessed his situation, he also realized that the owner of the black hair was none other than Karas.