Extra S*ave Saves the Crown Prince Chapter 47

 

There was barely a sound of footsteps, but as he approached, the surroundings grew quiet. People, unsure how to greet such a high-ranking person, instinctively lowered themselves.

 

The faces of those kneeling showed their respect clearly. He was the one who had saved their lives, but most of all, they admired him as the Empire’s hero.

 

Those who had cried out “demon” turned into meek lambs in an instant.

 

“Your Highness, the rear guard has arrived.”

 

From behind, Arnic’s voice reported in. Baslo, the knights, and the priests all bowed to Sihien in turn.

 

The rear guard had stopped a little distance away from the villagers, as if to park the carriage. Having just rushed from the ruins, their faces were all shadowed.

 

Hesitation.

 

Sihien paused for a moment. One corner of his eye twitched slightly. He had spotted me among the tall figures.

 

His previously emotionless eyes wavered ever so slightly. Just as he seemed about to turn his body toward me—

 

“Your Highness!”

 

“Please, punish this demon!”

 

A plea, thick with resentment, blocked his path. The once docile people suddenly raised their voices in excitement.

 

“Your Highness! Please kill him!”

 

“Let us kill him!”

 

“He’s the demon who summoned the Beasts!”

 

Those who had crawled forward on their knees formed a wall in front of Sihien. He slowly shifted his gaze from me to the man they called “demon.”

 

His indifferent gaze swept the man up and down, making the onlookers even more anxious.

 

“He’s an Epilo, Your Highness.”

 

“He must be executed immediately.”

 

“Please give the order!”

 

Every time I heard the word “Epilo,” it felt like my heart was being struck with a hammer. With just a single command from Sihien, the man’s life would be over. No, even just a nod from him would be enough.

 

The villagers looked ready to punish him cruelly at any moment. Even Sihien’s smallest movement made them tremble, their hands clasped together as if in prayer.

 

“Bring him down. I’ll check for myself.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

The knights moved to lower the man hanging from the tree. Every gaze fixed on him was filled with hatred and anger. Just seeing those intense emotions made my throat go dry.

 

“Ugh.”

 

The man, nearly collapsing, let out a groan as he was seated. The villagers surrounded him in a tight circle.

 

As if to say, don’t even think about running. Their desperation to do something to him was palpable.

 

“Are their words true?”

 

“Cough, no! There’s no way I could have such power—cough! Cough!”

 

His voice was full of misery, but to the people, it was like pouring oil on fire.

 

“How dare an Epilo speak before His Highness!”

 

“Let us kill him!”

 

“No, let’s keep him alive and make him suffer until he dies!”

 

If not for the knights standing in the way, some of them looked ready to attack him right then.

 

“Your Highness.”

 

The man tried to drag his powerless legs to bow. His face, swollen and covered in blood, looked deeply sorrowful.

 

“I too… have lost someone precious.”

 

His voice, not even trembling, sounded all the more like a scream. I covered my mouth with both hands. An Epilo is just an Epilo, not a demon. He was just living like everyone else. Even though he had lost someone precious too, he was being trampled just for being an “Epilo.”

 

It was a completely different issue from being looked down on as a slave. If he really had the power to summon Beasts, perhaps he would have done so again right now.

 

“You shameless…! How dare you say that!”

 

“Bring my grandfather back! Bring him back, you demon!”

 

“Kill him! Kill him!”

 

Their own grief was nowhere to be seen; to them, his words sounded only like a demon’s babble.

 

People wailed and hurled insults at him. They poured all their immense grief and anger from the Beasts attack onto that man. The noise swelled so quickly my ears rang.

 

Sihien, still perched on the stone table, didn’t move a muscle. Some of the knights, swept up in the emotion, glared at the man or even wept. The priests, too, busied themselves talking about the Epilo in front of them.

 

While the voices of rage echoed, Sihien alone seemed calm, as if he were in another world. My lips grew parched just waiting for whatever command would come from his mouth.

 

He was the one who had to fight almost daily because of the dimensional rift the Epilo had supposedly opened. It would be no surprise if he hated the Epilo more than anyone.

 

I knew that, but I’d tried not to think about it. I’d only resolved not to get caught…

 

“We never should have let that demon in. How did this happen…!”

 

“Kill him now! Right now! Why keep him alive!”

 

“Please, give the order!”

 

“Your Highness. I am Priest Oment.”

 

Because I was focused entirely on Sihien, I could hear Oment’s voice even amid the near-screaming.

 

“With all due respect, what if we sent him to the Grand Temple?”

 

“Epilo are to be executed on the spot.”

 

A low voice. Sihien didn’t look at Oment, but kept his eyes on the man. Whether from pain, sorrow, or humiliation, the man trembled violently.

 

And I, too, trembled at that voice. My legs shook so badly I could barely keep from collapsing to the ground. It felt as if the earth were crumbling beneath me.

 

“Yes, Your Highness. That is so, but if by chance he holds a clue, perhaps His Holiness the Pope should interrogate him personally. I dare to ask.”

 

He probably meant clues about the Beasts or the dimensional rift. Sihien stayed silent, giving no answer. He looked as if he were deep in thought, or perhaps not interested at all.

 

In fact, even saying the Epilo were to be executed sounded as emotionless as saying “that is a tree.”

 

But all I could do was hold my breath. The villagers were waiting for the order to kill.

 

Of course, I hoped for the opposite, but if Sihien actually said he’d spare the man, all their resentment might be directed at him instead.

 

‘It’s already out in the open, so just move away. Leave. Please.’

 

I kept praying silently for the man. Now that everything was revealed, if only he could vanish with a teleportation spell. No one would be able to stop him. Why was he just trembling there, doing nothing? Please, just disappear right now.

 

Was he out of strength? Or was he too sad to focus?

 

Or maybe… he just didn’t want to leave this village.

 

If that was the reason, if he didn’t want to leave, I didn’t even want to imagine how he must feel.

 

I just desperately wished the man would disappear right before my eyes. I was afraid Sihien might end up being involved in his death.

 

“If permitted, I will escort him to the Grand Temple. I know the way.”

 

Oment bowed once more to Sihien, who remained silent. At last, Sihien, who hadn’t moved at all, slowly stood up. He still didn’t look at Oment.

 

“Your Highness!”

 

The people, weeping and pouring out their anger, all bowed their heads to Sihien. Every eye was on him.

 

“Recently, the range of Beasts appearances has been expanding.”

 

Under the moonlight, Sihien’s golden eyes looked even colder. Everyone focused on him, listening intently to his overwhelming presence.

 

They were hoping for a verdict: the demon must die because the Beasts were appearing.

 

“He will be sent to the Grand Temple for the Pope to interrogate personally. This is to prevent another incident like today’s, so everyone must cooperate.”

 

The air was silent. It wasn’t hard to understand that he meant to investigate the Epilo to try to stop the Beasts.

 

But since they couldn’t immediately vent their hatred on the man, the mood turned despondent. Some slumped to the ground with a thud.

 

“Huuuuh…”

 

“Why did this have to happen to us. Why.”

 

The grief and sorrow that had been poured onto the man erupted into fresh wailing.

 

“Your Highness. If you permit, we will depart immediately.”

 

As Oment spoke from the side, Sihien nodded.

 

“Divine Power will likely be needed as well.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

Oment bowed deeply and began sharing information with the other priests. The priests began to take their places among the weary, grieving villagers.

 

Divine Power couldn’t heal their sorrow, but I fervently hoped it could at least bring some comfort.

 

“Can you stand?”

 

Oment approached the one everyone called a demon without hesitation. He grabbed the man’s trembling arm and helped him up.

 

The man, perhaps in shock, couldn’t walk properly. I wanted to help too, but all my strength was focused on just standing, so my legs wouldn’t move.

 

Sihien looked at me for a moment, then turned and walked away. Perhaps he was leaving to avoid the Divine Power. I thought about following, but something in his gaze made me feel he didn’t want me to. Was it a sign that I, too, should receive comfort from the Divine Power?

 

“Aaaaaaah!”

 

The man was being half-dragged by Oment toward the carriage. Then, suddenly, a shriek rang out.

 

“No!”

 

The short scream was Oment’s. A woman, apparently a villager, appeared out of nowhere, breathing heavily.

 

Clang.

 

A knife fell from the woman’s hand. At the same time, the man collapsed to the ground. Everything seemed to move in slow motion.

 

“Because Epilo like you are alive, things like this happen.”

 

She wept as she poured out her hatred. It was hard to even look directly at those venomous eyes.

 

Die, die, die!

 

A curse-laden voice kept spilling from her lips.

 

“Cough, cough.”

 

The man, struck by the surprise attack, groaned in pain. With each cough, thick blood poured from his mouth. Oment, stunned, stood frozen, not knowing what to do.

 

“Get him in the carriage first.”

 

Baslo, who was nearby, rushed over to check the man’s condition. As the priests stopped channeling Divine Power, the villagers hesitantly began to get up and move closer.

 

“What are you doing? Can’t you hear me?”

 

When the knights remained still in the confusion, Baslo shouted.

 

“We need to stop the bleeding first…”

 

“Priest, let’s just go. Treat him on the way.”

 

The man, supported by the knights, was moved to the carriage. By then, he looked completely unconscious.

 

“You, and you. Escort the priest to the Grand Temple.”

 

“Yes!”

 

“There should be another village just ahead. If you want to save him, it would be best to take him to the doctor there.”

 

Baslo glanced at the man, then at the villagers approaching from behind. Oment, understanding, climbed into the carriage with a resolute expression.

 

The carriage soon departed, but the blood the man had spilled remained on the ground.

 

And though it was brief, I saw it.

 

The look in Baslo’s eyes as he watched the man. There was unmistakable hatred there.