Chapter 61
“So. How old are you again?”
“As I mentioned at the last luncheon, I am twenty, Father.”
“Oh. Right. I remember now. You said twenty.”
Anyone could see the face of a man who clearly didn’t remember. But Anaka wasn’t upset. If he had been hurt by such things, he wouldn’t have survived in this royal palace.
“You called for me to discuss the envoy’s schedule, correct?”
“That’s right. Let’s not stand here; let’s walk and talk.”
Ahyul smiled, feigning tenderness, and patted Anaka’s shoulder. Anaka, in turn, offered a manufactured smile and nodded.
Ahyul led the way, his steps heading towards the underground dungeon. All the Ahyuls throughout history possessed cruel natures. Conquer and destroy. Tribes that accepted his rule survived, but those who resisted to the end were annihilated. That very cruelty forged the kingdom as it stood today.
“Ahyul! Ahyul!”
“Please, give me medicine! My leg is festering, Ahyul!”
As they drew closer to the underground dungeon, the cries calling the King grew louder. Amidst countless screams, Ahyul alone remained unperturbed.
Anaka followed behind him, subtly furrowing his brow. The underground dungeon reeked of death. The smell of rotting flesh. The stench of vomit from the prisoners. Yet, Ahyul seemed utterly unfazed by such odors.
“I like this place, my son.”
“As do I, Father. Is this not where the accomplishments of the first Ahyul are gathered?”
It was revolting. To like this hell. But if he uttered such a thought, he knew he’d only be told he lacked the qualities of a king, and that it was a blessing he was merely the fifth.
Anaka, too, was of royal blood. It was only natural for him to covet the throne, having been born with this lineage. Every time the King spoke like this, he would obediently reply, ‘Yes, I agree, Father,’ but inside, he had to suppress his seething emotions.
“Do you know? The cruelty that runs in the bloodline of the Golden Lion is a double-edged sword.”
“You mean that while this cruelty forged the kingdom we have today, it also incites rebellion among the people?”
“Exactly. I knew you would answer immediately. If only your other brothers were half as capable as you.”
If you know that, then why can’t you consider giving me the throne?
Anaka skillfully concealed his discomfort.
“But it will be soon. Once this envoy visit concludes, all discontent will be directed outwards, not inwards.”
“Indeed. Your role is truly important.”
Ahyul walked down the aisle between the rows of iron cages. His steps halted before a goat beast-man.
“Ugh…”
The beast-man, sprawled on the floor, couldn’t even rise at the sight of Ahyul. Perhaps due to illness, the skin on the side touching the floor was entirely bruised and crushed.
“He won’t last long. We’ll have to use him as much as possible before bringing in the next hostage. Give the order to Wayne, Anaka.”
“Are you going to comply with the Empire’s demands?”
“It was a condition of the alliance, so we must at least feign compliance.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Alliance. An awkward word to utter when dealing with a nation currently in a truce. However, this wasn’t about an alliance between nations. It was a personal alliance forged between the Emperor and Ahyul.
‘Poor Wayne.’
Anaka offered his silent condolences to Wayne. This mission of his would fail. A mere herbivore wouldn’t be able to accomplish what even great warriors couldn’t achieve during wartime.
Yet, Wayne had no choice but to accept the mission, even knowing this. That was the meaning of being a hostage.
‘What kind of expression will he make when he realizes his family, whom he thought were living in luxury, are dying?’
Anaka turned his head to look at the man confined in the adjacent cell.
The man with silver hair and gray eyes, though his body was dying, still held a defiant glint in his eyes.
‘Will you… resent me?’
The person whose expression he truly wanted to see wasn’t Wayne. It was that man’s daughter.
Anaka pushed the ring, piercing his lip with the tip of his tongue. The tongue, having nudged the ring, clicked against his teeth, forming a single word.
‘Katie.’
He could meet that girl if he went to the Empire.
The day was not far off.
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