Exiled Prince: I'm the Unexpected Extra in the Novel

A new day had dawned upon Veythral, following a day of incident, a day washed in blood and chaos.

As the city awakened, I was asleep on a creaking bed in my room at the cheap inn I'd rented.

Beside me, a small body was curled up under the quilt.

The fairy girl, after the traumas of last night, had fallen into a deep slumber.

I didn't know what she had been through in her past or what kind of life she had lived.

Nor did I fully understand why there was this strange, instinctual bond between us.

The theory that it was a result of Dr. Aris's cursed experiments was the only logical explanation I could conjure, but even that wasn't enough to fully account for the peculiar feeling inside me.

The only thing I knew for certain was that this little fairy girl felt precious to me, in a way even I couldn't comprehend.

I wanted to protect her, to take revenge on everyone who had ever harmed her.

It was an impulse that didn't feel like my own, yet at the same time, it stemmed from the very depths of my soul.

I stared up at the spiderweb-covered wooden ceiling of the room.

My mind was a battlefield.

I didn't know what to do with her.

There were so many things I had to do…

I had to conquer those damned ruins with Fredrinn. I had to go to the Frosthelm Duchy, stop the plagues, hunt down every last member of the Obsidian Dawn Cult—especially that silver-haired bastard—and make them experience a living hell. I had to obtain Mordret's legendary sword.

And even after all that was done, there were still so many things I needed to do, so many vengeances to claim.

My life was nothing more than a list of objectives and enemies.

I placed my right arm over my eyes and closed them.

On this complicated and bloody path, I had no time to babysit a little fairy girl.

Hours trickled by.

As the warm light of the afternoon filtered through the room's dusty windows, the fairy girl awoke.

Her emerald-green eyes first scanned the unfamiliar room with apprehension.

Then, as her memory seemed to return, she recalled the events of last night and how she had come to be here.

Her gaze found me, sitting on a wooden chair in a corner of the room.

With a steaming cup of hot tea in my hand, I was watching her in silence.

"You look like you had a good sleep," I said, my voice as soft and unthreatening as I could make it.

The fairy girl flinched at the sound of my voice and lowered her head in fear. Her tiny body was trembling.

"Can't you speak?" I asked. "I thought the hunters only cut off your wings. Or did they cut out your tongue, too?"

The girl said nothing, only shrinking further into herself.

I realized I was pressuring her.

I sighed.

I took one last sip of tea and placed the cup on the small table beside me. I rose from the chair, walked toward her, and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I don't know exactly what you've been through or who you are," I began, my eyes fixed on hers. "But there is one thing I do know: dwelling on the past, standing still in a sea of regrets, will gain you nothing. Your pain will never subside."

I moved a little closer to her.

"I don't expect you to pull yourself together right away. Just... at least try to feel a little more at ease. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm aware I don't seem very trustworthy after what I did yesterday, I know."

I paused for a moment.

"Ahh, speaking of which..."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a pair of small, emerald-green wings I had taken from that bald boss last night.

When the fairy girl saw her own wings, a look of fear and profound sadness filled her eyes.

It was clear these wings, torn from her by force, only brought back painful memories.

"Turn your back to me and bare your back," I said gently.

The fairy girl hesitated. I could read the distrust in her eyes.

"Trust me," I whispered. "I'm only trying to help you. I'm going to give you your wings back."

At these words, a tiny spark of hope ignited in the girl's eyes.

She slowly turned around and lowered the back of her small dress, revealing the smooth skin where her wings should have been.

I summoned the sacred mana.

With a warm, golden light emanating from my hands, I guided the wings toward the girl's back. The wings, as if finding their rightful place, fused perfectly, seamlessly, as if they had never been severed.

In that moment, the fairy girl's body glowed with a brilliant green light.

As if feeling the wings on her back, she gave them a slight flutter.

When the process was complete, the fairy girl slowly turned back to me. Her eyes were filled with tears, her lips trembling.

"Go on, try to fly," I said with a smile. "It will make you feel better."

Slowly and a bit clumsily, the fairy girl lifted off from the bed.

She began to fly around the room, at first tentatively, then with growing confidence. She swooped from one wall to the other, reveling in the freedom of her wings.

Watching her soar through the air, I felt a strange warmth spread through me.

I was happy for her.

It was a pure emotion, something I hadn't felt in a long time.

After flying around the room for a while, the fairy girl slowly descended and began to circle around me.

On her face, despite all her pain, a small, innocent smile had appeared.

Then she drew closer and wrapped her tiny arms around my neck.

"Thank you... big brother."

Those two words slipped from her lips like a whisper. It was the first time she had spoken.

In that moment, my brain froze.

Big brother? What did she mean by that?

Did this girl know something I didn't?

Was this the reason for the inexplicable, instinctual closeness I felt for her? Dr. Aris... had that damned pervert used this girl's brother as a test subject?

As these thoughts raged like a storm in my mind, a sharp knock came from the door.

I turned to the fairy girl.

"You stay here for now, and don't you dare leave this room until I get back, understand?"

The girl nodded obediently.

I stepped out of the room.

Standing before the door was Rod, one of Fredrinn's most trusted men.

The expression on his face was not exactly one of affection for me. Clearly, he hadn't yet gotten over the unpleasant memory of our first meeting.

"Good morning, Cassian," he said, his voice cold and distant. "Lord Fredrinn said he wishes to see you. Therefore, I must ask you to come with me."

"I have more important things to do right now. Tell Fredrinn I'll come another time," I said, turning my back to re-enter the room.

But Rod moved with surprising speed, catching the door with his hand and preventing me from opening it.

I shot him a threatening glare over my shoulder.

Rod must have felt the deadly chill in my gaze, because he quickly snatched his hand back from the door.

"Lord Fredrinn... said it wasn't a request. You need to see him now. He... seemed quite angry."

I sighed.

"Fine. If Fredrinn is so eager to see me, then let's go."

As I walked past Rod, I placed my hand on his shoulder.

"And if you ever do something like that again, I'll roast you alive," I whispered.

With those words, I left Rod behind. After a moment of shock, he composed himself and walked after me.

When we arrived at Fredrinn's study, Rod left me at the door and departed. I sauntered inside with my usual casual demeanor.

"Good morning, partner! Did you miss me so much you had to summon me at this hour?"

Fredrinn looked up from his desk, his eyes weary.

He spoke in an irritated tone. "I have no time for your foolish chatter."

Then, his voice growing more serious, he asked, "Did you do it?"

I moved to the guest chair I always sat in and sprawled out.

"'Did I do it'? What do you mean by that? Could you be a little more specific?"

"Stop playing games, Cassian! I know you did it! I know you massacred one of the most influential slave traders in the city and everyone working in his establishment!"

"Sorry, my friend," I said with an innocent expression, "but I don't know what you're talking about. I have no knowledge of the horrific massacre you speak of."

"CASSIAN! Dozens of people disappeared overnight without a single trace! The only person I know who could pull off such a silent and flawless massacre is you! Some of the slaves and beasts in that slave trader's building were set loose and attacked civilians! Even though no one lost their life, the situation was extremely dangerous! Can you even imagine what would have happened if the city guard hadn't intervened in time?"

This time, my voice turned serious.

I sat up straight in my chair and fixed my eyes on Fredrinn.

"So what? Are you blaming me for cleaning up some trash that deserved to die?"

"What did those people do to deserve to die!" Fredrinn yelled.

"They hurt someone important to me. Isn't that reason enough for them to die? Perhaps if you paid a little more attention to what goes on in your own city, these situations wouldn't happen in the first place, what do you say, partner?"

"Someone important to you? You don't even have a single friend in this city, what are you talking about?"

"Ahh, it's a bit hard to explain, but... I think I have a sister now."

"A sister?" Fredrinn asked, bewildered.

"Yes, yes, a sister. I just met her yesterday. She's a bit introverted, but she's a very good girl."

Fredrinn leaned his head back against his chair and put a hand to his forehead.

"Why... why can I never have a proper conversation with you?"

"I don't care about the people you killed, Cassian," he said in a tired voice. "But because of what you did, we're in trouble now."

"In trouble? What do you mean?"

"Those people you slaughtered were hosting a special property that belonged to the Imperial Family. And the Imperial Family is not pleased that said 'special property' was damaged and has disappeared. And guess in whose territory all of this happened? Yes, you guessed it: MINE!"

"Now, because of you, I have to deal with a ton of headaches and diplomatic procedures. Soon, special investigators and knights will be arriving from the Empire to look into the incident."

A sarcastic look crossed my face.

"Do you want me to get rid of them, too? That way you won't have to deal with it. What do you say, good idea, right?"

Fredrinn's patience had run out.

"DO NOTHING!" he roared.

"No, seriously, DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! No more incidents! You can at least do that much, can't you?"

"Of course, partner. You can count on me," I said, springing up from my chair.

As I was heading out the door, I turned my upper body back toward Fredrinn.

"Friend, you should get a second armchair for your room. This chair is getting really old. You shouldn't be so cheap."

"See you later!" I called, waving cheerfully, and left Fredrinn all alone in the middle of the mess I had dragged him into.