No Regression for the Victor - Chapter 44

“Whew… They really do keep coming without end.”

He had known the prince would be stronger than he remembered, but he’d expected that long period bedridden would have weakened his abilities.

Yet the prince’s animal-like reflexes and precision were enough to leave even Marcel, an experienced veteran in his own right, speechless.

“We have to get to the lair as quickly as possible. The monsters will just keep multiplying there.”

Mikhail, face serious, spoke in general terms as he quickened his pace. Even on a path that would leave most people breathless just from conversation, the prince climbed swiftly without showing a hint of difficulty.

He slaughtered every last monster lurking beyond the bushes with no sign of fatigue, his stamina truly monstrous.

‘No wonder the Crown Prince is so anxious about someone who has no interest in the throne.’

The Crown Prince had never had any talent for martial arts. He could barely twitch his fingers while sitting, and the only time he’d ever held a sword himself was at his investiture as Crown Prince. He much preferred all manner of ostentatious torture devices that could carve flesh with minimal effort.

He was always talking about war, but he had never set foot on the battlefield himself, nor had he ever received proper military training—yet he swung his private army around as he pleased. It was only natural that he never won the favor of the military officials.

Military men generally disliked mercenaries. They were often insulted as warriors who sold their pride for cheap. Yet, throughout the Empire, there was no one who did not acknowledge the prince’s abilities.

The prince may have come from a mercenary company, but even before reaching adulthood, he had managed to defeat the greatest sword in the Empire, and he was both exceptionally handsome and exceedingly unpretentious, so it was no exaggeration to say that all the warriors of the Empire admired him.

On top of that, though no one had ordered him to do so, he traveled throughout the Empire subjugating troublesome monsters, giving even the local lords reason to like him. Undoubtedly, the prince was the beloved young hero of the people.

‘The only problem is that this hero is now so smitten with one man…’

While Marcel’s thoughts briefly wandered, the two soon reached a village at the foot of the mountain, where the fortress gates were tightly barred and the villagers trembled as they watched monsters battering the walls. At the top of the fortress, thick smoke billowed, perhaps as a signal for help.

“It looks like there are survivors inside, doesn’t it?”

Marcel called out in the direction where the prince had just been standing. But there was no response.

‘……?’

Just as he thought, “Where did he go—?” he saw the prince sprinting straight down the slope as if gliding.

‘No, you might be able to do that, but I’m just an ordinary human! If I tried that, I’d die!’

Marcel, appalled by this reckless behavior, screwed his eyes shut and ran after where Mikhail had vanished.

“Your Highness! Huff, huff— Take me with you too!!!!!!”

At this rate, it seemed he might not make it back alive, in another sense. Swallowing back tears, Marcel tumbled down the slope.

A short while later, it took less than an hour for Mikhail to destroy the core of every monster surrounding the fortress and sheath his sword.

‘Ugh, I’m going to die, seriously.’

Marcel, nearly dead from trying to keep up with Mikhail’s forced march, looked around at the situation outside. When he saw the rope ladder lowered from inside the fortress, he let out a brief sound of amazement.

“Looks like they want us to come inside, doesn’t it?”

Mikhail, as if he didn’t have time for that, brushed past, ready to move on to the next destination. At that, someone called down from the top of the wall.