RGS Volume 3 Part 15

Oh, right. I fainted yesterday. Because of the wolf spider… Ack!

Just thinking about it made him shudder all over again.

Abel jerked his body as if having a seizure. His mind was filled with the wolf spider again, and he didn’t even notice the gray eyes slowly rising along with the black hair. All he could do was answer the whispered question.

“Why?”

“W-w-wolf spider. Ah, that’s why.”

With eyes wide in fear, he groped for an answer until he recalled the last words he heard before fainting.

‘It’s a lie.’

Karas said again as if confirming.

“No wolf spiders.”

Finally, Abel’s eyes calmed down, and a sigh of relief escaped his lips.

“Haah, y-yes? You said it was a lie. Wow, I was really surprised. I only faint when I see a wolf spider… or rather, hahaha, i-it’s not like I fainted because of a bug yesterday, um, I was just t-tired.”

He blurted out his words in a disorganized manner to avoid the embarrassment of fainting because of a bug. Although he had already shown his state of fainting and being disgusted just by mentioning the wolf spider, he added it forcefully to preserve his last bit of dignity.

“I am not a person who faints easily.”

If Melmond and the butler were to hear it, it would become a joke that they would laugh about for two nights and three days on the ship. However, Abel, who had made fainting a hobby, did not forget the days when he used to be healthy and even boasted about it.

“I can even race wild boars and lock eyes with them, you know. It’s true!”

“……”

“Haha, so, um, it wasn’t because of the w-wolf spider that I fainted…”

Abel’s words trailed off as he realized he was still covered by the person while only his head was up. Not only that, but the gray eyes nearby were staring at him intensely, almost uncomfortably so. But strangely, his eyes didn’t seem to have woken up like himself.

However, his body was different. Since earlier, the identity of the hard object that was pressing on his thigh and causing him pain was a sign of men that appeared whenever they woke up in the morning. At first, it was so big and long that he thought it was a dagger.

But it wasn’t.

It was hot.

He had never seen such a thick dagger before.

Of course, it was a natural phenomenon in the morning, and it was not embarrassing among men, but it was still awkward. Abel wriggled his body to avoid it, but in doing so, he only ended up pressing against the hot object even more, making it difficult to breathe.

Rather, it was moving and rubbing his body as he wriggled.

Was it because of that?

The gray eyes that were staring down at him became darker.

Gulp. Abel, feeling a burning sensation in his throat, involuntarily spoke up.

“Um, Commander-in-Chief. If you could just move a little.”

Instantly, Karas’ eyes narrowed, and he asked in a low tone.

“Why?”

Why? Because your, uh, erect d*ck is pressing against me, and it’s making me uncomfortable?

But Abel couldn’t dare to say such words to the Commander-in-Chief. Abel could only force a smile and replied.

“I think it would be uncomfortable for the Commander-in-Chief too, as two people are lying on a narrow bed.”

“It’s fine.”

“S-sure, o-of course, it’s fine! Haha, but it’s morning, so you should get up.”

“No.”

“R-Right! Haha, there’s no rule saying you have to get up just because it’s morning. Haha. Um, but you should still have breakfast, right?”

“Not eating.”

But Abel was hungry. It was natural to be hungry since he hadn’t eaten all night. Moreover, he wanted to get out of this suffocating feeling quickly. Determined to speak out firmly, even if the other person was the Commander-in-Chief, Abel tried to open his mouth with a smile on his face.

However, the person who had been looking down from above asked slowly. It was a dry, emotionless voice.

“….Do you dislike me?”

Abel couldn’t understand why his heart suddenly reacted to this question. However, one thing was certain. He felt that he shouldn’t give a negative answer to that question even as a joke. It wasn’t because the other person was scary, but rather it just didn’t feel right to do so.

“No.”

He barely managed to murmur the words, and Abel chuckled awkwardly.

“Of course not. I said it yesterday too, but I don’t dislike Commander-in-Chief at all, even if you have one eye and two noses.”

But it was still scary. His thing, which seemed to have grown even bigger, also became more scary.

But is this really what I think it is? It’s too big, isn’t it?

With doubts in his mind, Abel swallowed the words he wanted to add and noticed a subtle change in Karas’s expression.

Even Abel, who considered it a subtle change, felt somewhat uncertain, but it seemed like he just smiled. Then, warmth spread through Abel’s startled heart mingled with a sense of pride he had felt when the prince had shown interest in his words one by one in the past. It was strange, but it made him feel good, so Abel smiled even brighter.

“Then since there’s nothing to do on the ship, should we just sleep more? Haha, bears sleep for several months during winter, but humans can’t do that! That’s right. But if you want to beat a bear, it’s better to have a comfortable bed alone to yourself….”

After deluding the other person with his serious nonsense as he was trying to convince him that he should get up, an unexpected sound helped him.

Creak!!

Suddenly, the door swung open roughly and a man who reeked of alcohol stumbled in. He was one of those b*stards who dressed up as soldiers and disguised themselves as part of the emperor’s army. It seemed the drinking spree from the night before had continued until the morning. The blond man couldn’t stand properly, swaying as he peered around with bleary eyes.

“Ah- sorry, sorry. I think I entered the wrong room.”

As he said that, he took a step back, but he didn’t forget to sharply scan Karas and Abel lying side by side on one bed. Particularly, he couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Karas seemingly ready to pounce on Abel.

“Well, looks like someone was having fun all by themselves.”

He narrowed his bleary eyes and waved his hand dismissively.

“Hey, move aside. I want to see the face of the kid you’re covering.”

His voice still sounded drunk, but his pronunciation became clearer. Moreover, his eyes lit up as if he had finally found what he was looking for. Then Karas, who didn’t seem like he would move, slowly stood up. He released his arms and legs that were holding Abel and straightened his upper body.

It was a slow movement until he fully stood outside the bed, but strangely, the blond thug couldn’t take his eyes off him. There was an imposing presence emanating from Karas’ seemingly ordinary actions that captivated him without realizing it. And when Karas faced him directly, he couldn’t help his breath get caught.

Handsome, but with a cold impression. A white shirt that goes down to the thighs and black pants. There was nothing special, but the pressure from his atmosphere was considerable. Karas tilted his head to the side and took a step back towards the intruder. And the moment their eyes met, an inexplicable chill surged from within the intruder.

He suddenly felt as if the alcohol had sobered him up, and he hesitantly stepped back.

What’s going on?

The question of fear arose within him, but embarrassment flooded in as well.

Who am I? Get a grip!

The opponent is unarmed and doesn’t even have a sword, after all. The intruder forcibly opened his mouth, ignoring the trembling inside him.

“Are you trying to keep such a pretty guy all to yourself? If you, if you hand him over right now, your, your life….”

His boastful words trembled thinly, contrary to his expectations. And driven by the instinct of survival, he couldn’t bring himself to utter another word.

Thud.

The sound of his opponent’s approaching footsteps echoed loudly like a drumbeat.

What on earth?

The intruder couldn’t ignore the unknown chill despite being confused by his own condition. It filled his inside again and grew fuller as the approaching person got closer.

It felt as if the opponent had cast a spell and added the cold water of fear to him. “It must be because I’m too drunk,”, he muttered, trying to retreat again as if fleeing, but a sudden voice was heard. It cut through the frozen air, separating the cold tension between the intruder and Karas in an instant.

“Commander-in-Chief, this person is an important figure to His Majesty the Emperor.”

Clack, clack.

The 1st Battalion Commander, who had disturbed the two, quickly entered the room. He deliberately stood in front of the intruder, blocking Karas’ gaze. Karas’ motionless gray eyes turned to the 1st Battalion Commander, and he pointed at the intruder with a calm voice.

“This person is the 1st Battalion Commander. Moreover, he is a member of a very prestigious family.”

The 1st Battalion Commander, who stopped speaking, looked at the intruder and continued his explanation.

“He is even connected to Duke Truyde, one of the King’s Hearts. It is said that his ancestors helped the Duke with an important matter a long time ago, and that’s how he obtained his territories and title.”

The intruder, who had sobered up thanks to Karas, narrowed his eyes at the words of the 1st Battalion Commander.

“Who are you? How do you know that?”

“Who wouldn’t know about the renowned 1st Battalion Commander? Or did I perhaps say something incorrect?”

“What? No, that’s not it.”

The intruder became flustered, and his face turned red. However, he soon realized that his situation was unfavorable and stepped back, putting on a stern expression. With the previous chill that still lingered and an additional enemy, it would be better to just run away.

“Ahem, I’m just letting it go for now to avoid tarnishing the name of my family, but next time, I won’t be so lenient!”

Until the very end, he didn’t forget to spout nonsense and glanced briefly at the 1st Battalion Commander and Karas before hastily leaving the room. As soon as the intruder disappeared as if fleeing, the 1st Battalion Commander bowed his head to Karas.

“I apologize. I made the judgment that it would be better to spare that person.”

Karas looked at the 1st Battalion Commander with his cold gray eyes and asked slowly.

“Just for that duke?”

Though his tone sounded languid and ordinary, however, the 1st Battalion Commander’s heart sank, wondering if he had made a mistake. Even the most loyal subordinate had witnessed countless lives lost due to a small mistake. And what if he had made a wrong judgment just now and offended Karas’ pride by stepping forward?

The 1st Battalion Commander looked up in confusion and noticed Abel standing behind Karas. The fairy, standing barefoot on the floor with wide-open eyes as if eager to join the conversation, quickly spoke up as their eyes met.

“Does that person have any connection to Duke Truyde? Moreover, if he helped with important matters and gained rank and territory, he might have important information about Duke Truyde.”

The 1st Commander wanted to nod at Abel’s words. That’s right, the upcoming battle with the King’s Heart was not an exaggeration to say it was a battle with Truyde. Thus, wouldn’t it be better to gather as much information as possible?

However, instead of receiving praise, Karas’ murderous atmosphere, who failed to kill the intruder, was focused on the 1st Battalion Commander. Abel also vaguely noticed that and cautiously approached Karas, persuading him.

“It may be presumptuous of me, but you did a really good job sparing the 1st Battalion Commander’s life. By investigating that person, we might find something that could be helpful to His Majesty.”

As the cold gray eyes stared at him, Abel forced an awkward smile.

“Ha, haha. I-it’s not that the Commander-in-Chief’s decision was wrong. Hehe, it’s just that if that person disappears…”

He had to say the benefits of getting rid of someone… but what good could come from killing a person? Abel racked his non-functional brain and blurted out whatever came to mind.

“If he’s gone… Right! There would be one more single room available! Then Commander-in-Chief, you could sleep more comfortably. Well, that’s actually a good thing, isn’t it?”

Worried that he had said something plausible, Abel was suddenly filled with concern.

Surely, he wouldn’t kill someone just to get another room, right?

Contrary to his worries, Karas’ reaction was a bit strange. His eyes widened as if he had been shocked by Abel’s words.

But why would he be shocked by what I said?

Abel thought he might have been mistaken, but Karas was now staring uncharacteristically into the space with narrowed eyes. It was as if he had suddenly realized something unexpected. Abel, thinking that Karas was offended by his nonsense, hurriedly apologized.

“I apologize. Of course, Commander-in-Chief, you wouldn’t kill someone just to get another room to sleep comfortably. Absolutely not, you’re not that kind of person.”

He certainly wasn’t that kind of person. If anything, he would reduce the number of rooms, not increase them. Karas, who had been silent, finally spoke up after a long, awkward silence. Strangely enough, his tone of voice was extremely awkward in the ears of the 1st Battalion Commander.

“If it’s related to Truyde, we should keep them alive.”

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T/N: I can’t with this chapter lmao Abel is just so innocent >.<