Extra S*ave Saves the Crown Prince Chapter 29

“This is the lodging?“

 

“Yes.“

 

“Who assigned it.“

 

His tone dropped. Suddenly, it felt as if the herb storage had gotten colder.

 

“Ah, there’s a separate slave lodging, but actually I’m the only woman, so the priest allowed me to stay here.“

 

“Allowed?“

 

“Yes…“

 

Sleeping with the scent of herbs was rather cozy for me. But why did his expression look so chilly? He strode right up in front of me.

 

“Uh…?“

 

Then, a chill crept up from my toes. Goosebumps prickled across my body and I trembled slightly. My fingertips felt cold, as if I’d been thrown into the cold. Thump, thump, I thought I could hear that sound in my head.

 

“Sez…?“

 

It was the moment he grabbed my arm.

 

Bwooooooo—.

 

The sound of a horn shattered the stillness of the night. The signal that a Beasts had appeared. He and I rushed outside together. The flag was fluttering vertically up and down.

 

That meant a Beasts had appeared inside the fortress, but something felt off. Some of the flags were desperately pointing ahead. As if telling us to look that way.

 

I walked past the storage, following the tip of the flag with my gaze, and saw black shapes moving.

 

“Gasp.“

 

It was the forest that served as the gateway into Enaphok. The Beasts’s head was poking out above the trees. Glancing down at my arm, I saw him slowly removing his fingers. I could see the emotions draining from his face in an instant.

 

“It, it’s a Beasts!“

 

“Outside! Get outside!“

 

“No! It’s safer here!“

 

Thud, thud! The sound of drums and the shouts of those awakened from sleep mixed together. Normally, as trained, everyone was supposed to go outside the fortress when the flag moved vertically. But since the Beasts was clearly far away, everyone was in confusion.

 

“This way! Gather in one place!“

 

In the end, the Thorn Knight gathered the panicking people together. Whether we went outside or not, he must have thought it best to gather everyone in one spot.

 

“Your Highness!“

 

A retainer brought out his black horse. On the other side, Baslo and Lekes were already armed and approaching.

 

Sihien simply looked at me silently for a moment, then turned away. I wanted to say something to him, but I didn’t dare call him back.

 

While I went to talk to Lekes, the retainer, as if used to it, helped him put on his armor and cloak.

 

Clack, clack, clack.

 

Meanwhile, the prepared soldiers lined up, facing the direction of the Beasts. The Crown Prince, after strapping on his sword, effortlessly mounted his black horse. His red cloak looked even darker in the moonlight. The tense atmosphere before battle made everything silent.

 

Clip-clop, clip-clop!

 

Him dashing out in the lead was itself a signal. As his black horse charged at full speed, the others shouted and followed behind. A cloud of dust rose and quickly swallowed their retreating figures.

 

Waaaaaaah.

 

That shout faded into the distance for quite a while. Instead of heading out the fortress gate, they were moving toward the entrance of Enaphok, and everyone wore grim expressions. Seeing the shapes moving above the trees, knowing they were Beasts, it was hard to believe—it was my first time seeing one alive.

 

“What if they start appearing farther away? What if a rift opens somewhere else, not Enaphok?“

 

“Shh, don’t jinx it.“

 

“They’ve never come out from there before. Now, who knows where they’ll appear?“

 

“Yeah, at least it’s near Enaphok so we’re prepared for battle. Imagine if they appeared in some random village in the Empire.“

 

“That would be horrific.“

 

“Damn it, why did they have to open that dimensional rift.“

 

“Damn Epilo, ptooey, gah.“

 

My shoulders hunched involuntarily. Everyone was gathered in the central square, which could be called the plaza.

 

Everyone was visibly anxious that the Beasts had first appeared in this area. Even though they were whispering, their words seemed to pierce right into my ears.

 

“Damn Epilo.“

 

Especially all the curses that followed were even clearer. Their faces twisted as if even pronouncing the word “Epilo” was disgusting.

 

‘Does Sihien think the same way?‘

 

He fought Beasts as part of his daily routine, like eating and sleeping. The soldiers and knights took turns going out to battle.

 

But he never once rested, always leading from the front. He never showed signs of fatigue or said he wanted to rest.

 

Would even he find Epilo that detestable…?

 

I sat in a corner, shaking my head, clasping my hands together. For now, I needed to stop thinking useless thoughts and focus on praying for his safety. I forced myself to block out the words coming from beside me, wishing he’d return unharmed.

 

‘Sihien, be safe. Don’t get hurt.‘

 

The touch and gaze that gently plucked each petal still felt vivid.

 

Only now did I realize just how peaceful and relaxed his expression had been then. If you only saw his face as he headed toward the Beasts, no one would ever imagine it.

 

The more I thought about that stark contrast, the more a dull ache throbbed in my chest. He was someone who could make such expressions and glances. To think he lived his whole life fighting Beasts in Enaphok—it was heartbreaking.

 

I hugged the cloth pouch I wore tightly to my chest. Just thinking about the petals I’d secretly tucked inside calmed my complicated feelings a little.

 

“Oh? There’s smoke!“

 

I don’t know how much time had passed when someone shouted. Black smoke was rising from the forest. It was the smoke from burning the Beasts’s corpse.

 

“Sez.“

 

“Yes! Priest.“

 

I stood up, looking around for anything I could help with, and met Priest Oment’s gaze. I followed him to the storage, where bundles of cloth were piled up. Without a word, I hugged as many as I could and carried them out.

 

Stretchers for the wounded were laid out one by one, and I set the cloth bundles down beside them. Knowing now what those cloths would be used for, my heart felt heavy.

 

“Someone help here!“

 

Turning at the sound, I saw a familiar face. He was struggling to carry a water jar alone, clearly unable to manage.

 

“Sez? You came right away—were you watching me?“

 

Rond hadn’t changed at all since I’d last seen him. He ran his hand through his hair for no reason and lifted his face confidently.

 

“I’ll carry this side.“

 

“I could do it alone, but I was worried I might spill it.“

 

I rolled up my sleeves and grabbed one side of the water jar. Thinking it was for the soldiers to drink, I wanted to carry it without spilling a single drop.

 

“We need to bring more, right?“

 

After setting the water jar down in the plaza where the soldiers would arrive, I asked Rond.

 

“Yeah. There are a few more left. Don’t worry.“

 

Don’t worry about what? I led the way to the well. With so many wounded, the more water, the better. Everyone had their own tasks, so there weren’t enough hands to carry water jars.

 

“One, two!“

 

Still, he wasn’t the type to slack off. I could see he wanted to bring as many water jars as possible. We matched our steps, walking briskly so the water wouldn’t slosh.

 

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

 

I don’t know how many times we went to the well and carried water jars back. The welcome sound of hooves drew closer and closer. Turning around with the water jar still in hand, I saw the Crown Prince returning at the very front.

 

I checked him from head to toe to see if he was hurt, and saw blood dripping onto the ground by his feet. I didn’t know if it was Beasts’s blood or his, and my throat tightened.

 

“I’ll walk a little faster.“

 

“Huh? But Sez, what are you looking at?“

 

I kept my eyes fixed on the Crown Prince in the lead as I walked. The priests were lined up in two rows, preparing to bestow Divine Power on the soldiers.

 

As the Crown Prince dismounted, I saw him scanning the people.

 

“Bow your head. You shouldn’t stare like that.“

 

Rond hurried after me, whispering worriedly. The returning soldiers reeked of blood, filling the air. The Crown Prince’s scent must have been especially strong.

 

A small puddle formed at his feet as he looked around. The dirt darkened quickly. I could only hope it was the Beasts’s blood.

 

The Crown Prince looked around as the retainer led his horse away. I didn’t know what he was looking for, so I just followed his gaze.

 

“Sez, let’s put it down here.“

 

Out of breath but pretending to be fine, Rond gently tugged the water jar. Grateful for the suggestion, I set it down as well. There was already plenty of water in the plaza, so putting it here would help the soldiers in the back quench their thirst.

 

As I straightened up after setting the jar down, I saw the Crown Prince turning his head this way. Normally, I should have bowed my head and avoided his gaze, but I ended up meeting his eyes, checking to see if he was hurt.

 

Luckily, there were no bloodstains on his face. I carefully scanned him to see if he was injured anywhere else. On the outside, he looked perfectly fine.

 

“Aagh!“

 

“Careful, careful!“

 

“Lay him down here.“

 

Even as the priests bestowed Divine Power, more wounded arrived. People passed between him and me, and I asked him with my eyes.

 

‘Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?‘

 

The corner of one of his eyes twitched slightly. Was he hurt? I bit my lip, and saw his head move just a little.

 

It was such a tiny movement, his hair barely stirred, but I knew it was his answer to me. Even though I hadn’t spoken aloud, he read my heart and nodded, and it made my heart thump.

 

He kept looking at me, so some of the knights around us glanced this way.

 

We were about twenty paces apart, but everyone passing between us felt like a blur. It was as if only he existed in my world, filling my vision completely.

 

As he quietly watched me, he took a step toward where I stood.

 

“!“

 

A chill ran down my spine as if ice water had been poured over me. The cold was so sharp it felt like it would tear my skin.

 

Feeling like something was about to escape my lips, I hurriedly covered my mouth with one hand. The ground beneath me seemed to sway, my head spinning. Now that I knew what this sensation was, I opened my eyes wide.

 

Bwooooooooo—!

 

The horn sounded more urgently than ever. Looking up, I saw the flag fluttering vertically. Its violent movement made it hard to breathe.

 

“It, it’s a Beasts!“

 

Turning around, I saw a huge black mass appear by the well where we’d just been.

 

Crash, the sound of a barrack collapsing rang out as its full form appeared. It was a Beasts.

 

The dimensional rift had opened again.