Chapter 107: Prince Rodel in Frenzy (Part 2)
In the depths of the Subnock Plain, a boy lay collapsed on the ground, somewhat distanced from the center where the Master of the Demon Realm, the Magical Beast Sabnock, reigned supreme.
“Ugh… ah…”
The boy let out a faint groan. His body was battered and broken, limbs twisted at unnatural angles. Several ribs were fractured, and pain coursed through him, so intense that he couldn’t pinpoint its source.
(Why… am I… here…?)
The boy—Rodel Aiwood—struggled to think through his hazy consciousness. He couldn’t recall how he had ended up in this state. Had he suffered a tremendous shock? His memories were foggy, leaving him uncertain of where he was or why he lay there.
“It hurts…!”
The only clarity he had was the overwhelming pain that engulfed him. It was a wonder he was still conscious; the agony was unbearable, and he longed for the sweet release of unconsciousness. Yet, it felt as if some unseen force was punishing him, refusing to let him slip away.
(Right… today was the Monster Hunting Festival. I was supposed to be hunting monsters in the plain with Goura and Tony…)
“Gou…ra! Tony!”
Rodel strained to force air from his lungs, calling out the names of his retainers.
“Are you not here!? Hurry, come!”
Despite being the one calling for them, his loyal attendants showed no sign of coming. Rodel’s expression twisted in frustration as he mustered the strength to shout again.
“I am calling for you! Get over here…!”
He attempted to move, but the pain was so severe that he felt utterly immobilized. Still, he managed to lift his head and scan the surroundings, spotting a familiar large figure a short distance away.
“Goura!”
It was the back of his retainer, Goura Dora, Count’s Son. There was no mistaking the muscular build and the closely cropped hair. Goura stood with his back turned, facing the thicket that grew on the plain.
“Goura, what are you doing!? I’m over here!”
“…”
“Come help me! Can you not hear me!?”
“…”
Rodel’s desperate cries went unanswered as Goura remained motionless. They were only a few meters apart; there was no way he couldn’t hear.
“Goura…?”
After calling his name several times, Rodel finally sensed something was amiss. He stared at his retainer’s back, and suddenly, for reasons unknown, Goura’s body collapsed backward.
“Hi—!?”
Goura fell toward Rodel, but his body was only half—his lower half was missing. The sight of his attendant, reduced to a mere upper body as if dissolved by strong acid, made Rodel’s stomach churn.
“Gou…ra… this is a joke, right…?”
Of course, the dismembered Goura could not respond. His lifeless eyes, devoid of light, stared blankly at the sky.
“That’s right… I was…”
The death of a close acquaintance shook Rodel’s heart, triggering a flood of memories. He recalled advancing deeper into the plain, defeating monsters, until he reached the forbidden boundary. Beyond that lay the territory of the Magical Beast known as “Sabnock,” the Master of the Demon Realm. They had been sternly warned against entering this area before the festival began.
“Humph… how foolish.”
Yet, Rodel had scoffed at such prohibitions. No matter how powerful Sabnock was, he was just a beast—merely one insignificant monster. Rodel, blessed with the talents chosen by the gods, was certain that he was no match for him.
“Entering Sabnock’s territory… as long as I don’t cross that line, there should be no complaints, right?”
Rodel had commanded his retainers to retrieve a certain Magic Item. It was a torch imbued with the potent power of a “Magic Attractant,” provided by his benefactor, Marquis Aiger, for the Monster Hunting Festival. Unlike a “Magic Excluder,” which repels monsters, this item drew them in. The smoke emitted from the torch heightened the monsters’ aggression, luring them closer.
When Goura ignited the Magic Attractant, red smoke billowed forth. Almost immediately, a massive six-legged magical beast emerged from the depths of the plain, its footsteps echoing like thunder.
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
With a roar that pierced the eardrums, a colossal lion appeared, towering over Rodel. Its six legs supported a head adorned with multiple glowing red eyes, and its gaping maw dripped with foul-smelling saliva that corroded the ground beneath it, spreading death with every drop.
The Corrosive Evil Lion—Sabnock—had arrived, the Master of the Demon Realm who claimed the Subnock Plain as his territory.
“Wha—!?”
“What is this…!”
Even Rodel, faced with the emergence of such a formidable foe, froze momentarily. But he quickly recalled his purpose and began to gather his Magical Power.
“Alright, I’ll kill it! I’ll show everyone that I, Rodel Aiwood, am the true king!”
The calamity that had eluded past kings, including the former monarch, was now his chance to vanquish it. By defeating this beast, Rodel would prove himself as the next king and a historical hero to the people. He charged at the massive beast with his two retainers, but the outcome was clear.
Now, Rodel lay broken on the ground, his body shattered, one retainer dead, and the other missing, perhaps lost to the abyss.
“Why… how did it come to this…?”
For the first time in his life, Rodel felt a deep, crushing regret for his actions.
“I am… supposed to be the chosen one… yes. It must be so… my grandmother said so too…!”
His grandmother, the Queen Dowager, had proclaimed him a hero, a person chosen by the gods to change history. He had lived believing those words, yet was this truly the fate of one favored by the heavens? The Queen Dowager had never been wrong. She was always right, which was why so many revered her.
“Could it be… I was wrong…?”
Was he truly mistaken? Was he not the chosen one, but merely an insignificant being? If that were the case, what had his life been up to this point? What would become of those he had trampled upon, believing his special status granted him immunity?
“What am I…?”
“Oh, there you are, Prince Rodel.”
“…!”
“I have been searching for you, my lord.”
A familiar voice called out to him. Turning his head, Rodel saw a gentle-faced older man—Marquis Aiger—looking down at him.
“I have come to take you back. Let us leave the plain at once.”
As Aiger spoke in a calm tone, he cast healing magic upon Rodel. While complete recovery was impossible in this situation, it would suffice for first aid. Once the healing was complete, Aiger hoisted Rodel onto his back and began to walk away from the plain.
“W-wait! Please, wait!”
Rodel shouted in a panic.
“There’s Goura’s corpse… and Tony is missing! I cannot leave without them…”
“Ah, the body of Goura Dora, Count’s Son?”
Marquis Aiger glanced at Goura’s upper body, lying a short distance away.
“To die in service to your command… how enviable. Surely, he found happiness in that.”
“Happiness… in this death…?”
“Yes. He was able to dedicate his life to the prince recognized by the great Queen Dowager. What greater happiness could there be?”
Aiger declared with fervent breath.
“Tony Boyle, Viscount’s Son, has also become fodder for the monsters over there… but surely, he too is at peace. You need not concern yourself with such matters. You must live as a king, free to do as you wish… for that is the wish of the Queen Dowager.”
“…!”
Rodel could not see Aiger’s face from his position on the man’s back. However, he could sense the joy and madness that colored his voice.
(What… is this man saying…?)
In that moment, Rodel realized the abnormality of those who revered him as their lord. Those who invoked the name of the Queen Dowager—his grandmother—were clearly unhinged, as if they had lost their sanity.
(Should I… continue to believe and move forward…? Can I trust this man, trust my grandmother’s words…?)
As he was carried by Aiger, Rodel questioned himself. Though he had finally come to recognize his own foolishness, perhaps it would have been better for him to remain oblivious.
Awakened by Rodel, Sabnock left the depths of the plain and headed toward the outskirts. Driven by Sabnock, other monsters surged toward the Plain Entrance. The devastation that ensued weighed heavily on Rodel, who was crushed by guilt for the first time in his life, standing before the corpse of his fallen friend.