When I returned to my hamster form, the situation had already been resolved. Luckily, we had gotten out of the forest and reunited with the Blake Knights, who were waiting nearby.
"Your Highness is about to die," Sen's voice was devoid of hope, as if darkness had consumed her. "He tried to protect me… Shu, would something have been different if I wasn't there?" Her voice sounded infinitely sad. "I was just an enemy. He was merely the son of an enemy. So, I thought I'd just use him and throw him away. I believed I could. What an arrogant idea…" Her gaze sank low. "…If I had known that love was such an unfortunate emotion, I would never have loved His Highness. Prince Lorenz is right. Love is just a weakness. It makes people weak, miserable, and vulnerable…"
I cowardly thought that I was lucky to be a hamster now. I didn't have to worry about what to say to her. I cowardly hid behind my current situation and remained silent. Sen didn't seem to expect any answer from me; she just shook her head and endlessly dwelled on all the pain she had suffered.
I know. I am incompetent and immature. In the end, I chose neither Belial nor Lorenz. I hesitated simply because I couldn't take responsibility for one person's life, but in doing so, I couldn't prevent Belial's predestined death. The weight of another responsibility, placed upon me for refusing to take one, was heavy.
[Kyle Jane Meinhardt: Approximately 170 days before the expected time of death.]
There was only one system window in front of me. Even if things weren't like this, perhaps I would have been a little happier that Kyle's lifespan hadn't decreased. I thought about it for a while, then called up the system window again.
[Belial Serena Meinhardt: Approximately 0 days left before the estimated time of death.]
Belial's life was flickering precariously like a candle in the wind. His complexion was pure white, and the slow rise and fall of his chest were growing weaker and weaker. It wouldn't be strange if he died at any moment.
"I found a hemostatic agent in the carriage. Wait…" A medic who had been waiting near the forest approached. Rather than curing Belial, he was merely trying to keep him alive for a little while longer.
I turned my head to look at her, mesmerized. Sen's profile, visible through her unkempt brown hair, looked like she was crying without making a sound.
I wanted to ask anyone: Why is our life so difficult and full of miserable moments?
[Do you want to use 'Import'?]
It was the first morning I felt unwelcome at the sight of that phrase.
Now that I was able to use "recall" again, I reverted to human form and borrowed some extra clothes. I was warming myself by the fire, wrapped in the cloak Kyle had given me, while the last knight from our side went to find the bodies of his comrades and discuss funeral matters with the others.
Kyle tended to his wound, bandaging it with a gloomy expression. I offered to help him, but he gently refused, saying it wouldn't look good. Even though the pain must have been considerable, he handled it without a single complaint. It was as if I was upset by this situation, and it made my stomach churn.
"You're here." At that moment, Lorenz, who had finished his preparations and emerged from the forest entrance, approached us. Kyle and the knights sprang to their feet, but Lorenz waved his hand dismissively. "Let's see…"
Lorenz's eyes scanned over Kyle's shoulder. Sen glared at Lorenz, clutching Belial's dying body. Her eyes were filled with anger and profound sadness. Lorenz's eyes narrowed after assessing Belial's condition.
Belial was no longer worth the effort of taking his life. If left alone, he would die. And, why take the risk here, where Blake's knights were encamped? Lorenz smiled lazily and spoke.
"Because of Prince Belial's misfortunes, it seems that the winner of this hunt has been decided."
His voice was exhilarating, vibrant. It was the voice of someone who couldn't possibly have just stabbed his own brother moments ago. His tone, devoid of any bitterness, seemed to tremble with joy, as if he had been waiting for this very moment for a very long time.
I turned my gaze to Sen. The hand clutching Belial's shoulder was shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't even fathom how she was feeling right now.
"That's not true," I took a deep breath and walked to Lorenz, dragging the sack that was lying near me. Then, I turned the heavy sack upside down.
'Tokens' poured out. The blue ore, extracted from the corpses of the demon beasts, shone as if holding all the grief in the world.
"You said that the one who brings more wins, right?"
We had collected a lot of tokens. That probably meant those damn wizards had sent endless hordes of enhanced beasts to kill us. They must have been waiting for an opportunity to kill Belial, so they couldn't have hunted properly. No, even if Lorenz had hunted properly, he would never have been as desperate as Kyle. The anger and hatred that the knights of Blake's territory harbored for these beggarly beasts was unimaginable.
Clink.
The ores made a clear sound as they piled up at Lorenz's feet. Lorenz didn't count how many stones there were. No, he just stared at me, as if he didn't even need to count. He was like a hunter waiting for the right time, or a snake waiting to swallow the most delicious prey. It didn't matter either way. I didn't want to fall into his trap, nor did I want to die on his terms.
"I see. The true winner. Do you have any wishes?"
"..."
"Kyle Jane Meinhardt."
Kyle stepped forward, clutching his injured shoulder.
"This is Kyle Blake."
The words carried many meanings. This meant he did not identify himself as "Prince of Meinhardt," but as "Grand Duke of Blake." Kyle's cold voice continued.
"If you say yes, will you listen to me?"
"That's the rule of the hunt."
"Do not invade my territory. In any way," Kyle growled low. The beastly cry from his throat made the knights standing behind Lorenz flinch as if they were about to draw their swords. However, Lorenz was still looking at Kyle with a smile on his face.
"Do you mean not to touch the North?"
"Do not touch the North, its migrants, or my people. If you do that, you will find no one willing to oppose His Highness. Not even half of them."
"Hmm." Lorenz's gaze passed by Kyle, Sen, and the Templars, stopping at me. He looked at me for a long time and nodded as if he understood. "Yes. I promise. I, Lorenz Serena Meinhardt, will not invade Kyle Blake's territory."
Before Lorenz's last words had even fully fallen, Kyle led me away. The knights, who were arranging their belongings, carried the casualties to the wagons, mounted their horses, and grabbed the reins.
"I'm going back!"
As I followed Kyle, I turned my head and glared at Lorenz until he seemed very far away. The brutal and shameless man still had a smile on his face, as if celebrating a perfect victory.
A few days after the hunt, the emperor, who had been guarding his bedside the whole time, died. Naturally, the person who succeeded the vacant position was the First Prince, Lorenz Serena Meinhardt. This happened while we arrived at Hwangseong, packed up some simple things, and were preparing to return to the North.
The enthronement ceremony was held with great grandeur. Every road was decorated with colorful adornments, and there was no shortage of alcohol and food in Hwangseong. Children and adults alike came out of their homes to celebrate the enthronement of the new king and rejoice in the arrival of a new era.
It was truly a festival. Even though a prince of the country had crossed a line in battle with his brother, no one felt any pity for the fallen. Moreover, the emperor had died suddenly. While it wouldn't have been strange for him to die at any time, wasn't the timing too coincidental? However, no one questioned his death. As the emperor's long absence had caused a period of confusion, there were more people who felt relief than sorrow.
"Didn't the people support Belial more? But how…" I muttered to myself, staring blankly at the bustling street, and Kyle replied flatly, "It's to piggyback on power. The powerless people can only be swept away by the waves."
"Still…"
"They are also looking for a way to live. The momentum has already waned. This is how the lives of the powerless usually go. Adapting and adapting."
"..."
I didn't mean to look for any deeper meaning in Belial's defeat. There was no guarantee that the Meinhardt Empire would have been better if he had become emperor. However, wasn't it too much to erase someone you once believed in as if they never existed in the world? Wouldn't a life forgotten like that be miserable and lonely?
I got into the prepared wagon. Leaving behind the view of the empire, which seemed happier and sunnier than ever, I was greeted by a dark silence. Sen and Kyle were almost buried in its shadow.
Soon, I reached out and closed the curtain of the carriage, separating our existence from the gorgeous scenery.
Rattle. Rattle.
The carriage leaving the imperial city began to move, carrying three people with the most unsuitable and unhappy faces in this place right now.