The Prince from Another World Wants to Save the World

Chapter 32: The Awakened (2)

“And who are you?!”

Baron Rantel shouted at the soldier casually walking past him. The soldier ignored him, instead glancing at the pebble spirit still locked in a standoff with the mercenary knights. Then, raising his voice, he called toward the castle gate where Meredith stood.

“Is this Berit Castle, where Prince Claude resides?”

“I am Sir Kyle, knight of His Highness! And who might you be?”

Kyle stepped forward, shouting back. The soldier placed a large bundle wrapped in rough cloth on the ground and replied.

“My name is Linen! I was a trainee soldier from Dalton, a fortress village in Elston County!”

“…Dalton?”

“When the Undead Army attacked my village, and we were all on the brink of death, His Highness suddenly appeared and saved me as I lay dying! Ever since, I’ve been searching for him, determined to repay his grace. I’ll dedicate my life to serving him! Please, accept me—even as a soldier or a mere servant!”

“Uh…”

The situation was so abrupt that even Kyle, usually quick-witted, was momentarily stunned into silence.

What is he talking about? Does he not see what’s happening here? We’re in the middle of a fight!

It wasn’t necessarily bad that someone had shown up to pledge their loyalty to Claude, but in this dire moment, what difference could a mere trainee soldier from some remote village make?

Baron Rantel, however, had a different reaction.

“Claude! Claude! That damned Prince Claude! So you’re an enemy of our family as well! Kill them all! Wipe them out—leave no one alive to report this!”

“Yes, sir!”

At the Baron’s command, over a hundred soldiers behind him raised their weapons. 

Meanwhile, Linen scratched his beard and began unwrapping the bundle he’d placed on the ground.

“So… you’re saying you’re His Highness’ enemies, huh?”

Inside the bundle was a collection of slender spears, each about a meter long.

From the ten or so gathered in the pile, Linen casually grabbed one. As he gripped it, a faint glow flickered in his hand, though the brightness of the midday sun made it appear as nothing more than sunlight reflecting off the weapon.

“My strength is for Prince Claude alone…”

Linen murmured as if in prayer. Then, without hesitation, he hurled the spear toward the advancing soldiers.

“Shields up!”

The soldiers in the front line instinctively raised their shields, confident that a mere spear thrown by an ordinary soldier posed no threat.

But this was no ordinary spear.

Flash!

The moment the spear struck the shields, a brilliant burst of light erupted, scattering in all directions like shards of broken glass.

“Arghhh!”

The soldiers screamed as dozens of sharp fragments embedded themselves into their bodies. 

Even Baron Rantel, standing farther back, was struck by several tiny shards and shrieked in pain.

“Ahhhhhh! What is this?! It hurts! It hurts so much!”

“My lord!”

The leader of the mercenary knights, who had been focused on the spirit, broke formation and turned to assist. 

In the meantime, Linen picked up another spear from the pile, channeling light into its shaft.

“Wow, you’re fast!”

Calmly, Linen hurled the spear at the approaching knight leader. But for a Knight Expert, dodging such an attack was child’s play.

“Not today!”

The leader sidestepped, easily avoiding the incoming spear. However, the moment he did, the spearhead began glowing and exploded into fragments of light.

“What?!”

It was another radiant blast. The leader, caught in the explosion, staggered forward a few steps before collapsing face-first onto the ground.

“Urgh… My body…”

“Phew, just barely timed that right,” Linen muttered, already preparing another spear. With practiced ease, he aimed at the downed knight’s head and threw.

“Grrk!”

Even in his fallen state, the knight leader twisted his body, narrowly dodging the spear.

But once again, it made no difference.

Flash!

The spear, striking the ground instead, erupted in a burst of light, shredding the leader’s armor and body with its fragments. He convulsed violently, foam frothing at his mouth, his eyes rolling back.

“…”

Everyone—soldiers, knights, and even the one-armed spirit—fell silent, staring at Linen in stunned disbelief.

Unbothered, Linen nonchalantly grabbed a third spear and began imbuing it with light.

“I heard killing a knight as a commoner is grounds for execution… Oh well. If they’re His Highness’ enemies, it doesn’t matter.”

“Wait!”

Amidst the stunned crowd, Kyle was the first to snap back to reality. He shouted as he ran toward Linen.

“Stop! That’s enough! Don’t kill him! His Highness does not want unnecessary bloodshed!”

“Oh! Is that so?”

Startled, Linen lowered the spear he had been preparing to throw. Kyle grabbed his arm and began pulling him back toward the castle gate.

“Your name is Linen, right? Come this way.”

“Yes, sir, Knight! I heard rumors that His Highness now leads a knightly order… Are you one of those glorious knights?”

Linen’s eyes sparkled with admiration, while Kyle felt a heavy weight of responsibility as he reluctantly nodded.

“That’s right. But you said you were from Elston County? What’s your current status?”

“I have no affiliation now. Before I left Elston, I met with the Earl and explained my situation. He was delighted and released me from my duties so I could seek out His Highness.”

Claude had saved the Earl of Elston. Naturally, the Earl would have gladly let such a skilled individual go to assist Claude.

“So, you’re not a soldier anymore—just a civilian?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I see. Then I have no right to treat you casually. I don’t know your full story, but since you’ve come to serve His Highness, you are most welcome.”

“Oh, that’s too much, sir! You can just speak casually with me.”

“No, no. By the way, what was that technique? The spears exploding into light, immobilizing everyone they touched—what exactly was that?”

Kyle asked, keeping an eye on the retreating knights who had been facing the spirit. Linen scratched the back of his head, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Well, I’m not entirely sure myself. It’s a power I gained after His Highness saved me from the brink of death. The Earl called it ‘Holy Lance.’”

“Holy Lance?”

“He wasn’t entirely certain, but he mentioned hearing about someone in the past who wielded such power. He suggested visiting the Great Temple for more information…”

“Hey, you lot! Where do you think you’re going?! Don’t you dare abandon me!”

Baron Rantel, regaining his senses, began screaming in fury as the mercenaries supported their fallen leader and started retreating.

“You cowards! Stop! Get back here! Do you think you can continue your business in Emperoroad after crossing the Talisman family?! Come back here right now!”

But the mercenaries ignored him, disappearing from view as quickly as they could.

Seeing this, Linen casually threw a spear near the Baron, making sure it wouldn’t hit him.

Flash!

“Aaaagh! No! Get away from me!”

Baron Rantel fled, his terrified screams echoing as he ran.

Baron Rantel flinched and retreated, even though the shards of light hadn’t touched him. 

He glared at the pebble spirit standing tall outside the castle gate, grinding his teeth in frustration.

“Damn you, Claude and your servants! This isn’t over! The Talisman family never gives up! I’ll come back and free my uncle, no matter what! Fall back! We’re leaving!”

With that, he turned his horse around and fled in haste. Linen, who had been preparing another spear just in case, widened his eyes in surprise and asked, “Talisman? Isn’t that the name of the lord of this region? I heard they’re from a very prestigious noble family. This could be a big problem, right?”

“…”

Kyle gave Linen a look that said, Did you seriously not know who you were fighting? Before he could respond, Meredith shook her head and countered, “There’s no need to worry. In terms of rank, Prince Claude is far above Earl Talisman.”

“Oh, I see. That’s true,” Linen said, nodding in agreement.

Meanwhile, Kyle wondered how to even begin explaining the situation to these surprisingly pure-minded individuals.

No matter how high Claude’s rank is, this incident won’t be easy to sweep under the rug. 

The Talisman family wields significant influence in the Empire… Still, Prince Claude always acts with a plan in mind. He must have a backup strategy that I’m unaware of.

For now, all Kyle could do was trust in Claude’s foresight. At least the unexpected arrival of Linen meant they could continue carrying out the prince’s order to “keep Earl Talisman starved for as long as possible.”

But what’s the point of starving the Earl? Will it somehow make him repent and turn into a decent person?

This incident is nothing short of shocking, to the point that calling it ‘madness’ wouldn’t be an overstatement.

“However, considering Prince Claude’s intentions to serve the Empire and the circumstances surrounding the event, it’s clear that this was not an act of treason. I believe it would be wise for Your Grace to show leniency in your judgment.”

“We all know that deep down, His Majesty cherishes Prince Claude and holds him dear. You’ve already set an example with your fiery response during the council meeting. Perhaps it’s time to forgive Prince Claude and lift his house arrest?”

“Cherish him? Like hell I do!”

Jess shoved the pile of petitions off the table in anger.

“That wretched brat has only been locked up in the Azure Lion Palace for two days! Just two days!”

If he had his way, he would have accused Claude of treason and had him executed by now. But with the officials clearly siding with Claude, Jess couldn’t act rashly.

“Damn it! Damn it!”

He slammed his fists on the table until they bled.

Had he been in his office at the main palace, Pyren might have intervened to calm him down. But this was a secret chamber in his private residence, so there was no risk of anyone overhearing his outburst.

Hiss!

Blood from his fists splattered onto the table, producing white smoke as it sizzled. Jess snapped back to his senses and pulled out a handkerchief to staunch the bleeding.

“This can’t go to waste… not a single drop…”

He stared at the handkerchief, now stained red.

Blood.

This blood was the essence of the poison that would bring down Claude, the Emperor, and the Crown Prince alike.

Of course, Jess hadn’t been born with such extraordinary blood.

He had been an ordinary prince. While his intellect was above average, he wasn’t a genius. His frail body made him feel like an outcast among his healthy siblings.

As a result, Jess had been plagued by an inferiority complex since childhood.

The constant comparisons to his talented elder brother, the Crown Prince, only made things worse.

Desperate for recognition, he poured all his effort into studying and accumulating knowledge. But no matter how hard he tried, the Emperor paid him no attention.

To make matters worse, as time went on, the Emperor began showering affection on his youngest son, Claude, who was born of a different mother.

Jess’ frustration reached its breaking point.

But his frail health meant he spent more than half the year bedridden, wallowing in despair.

Then, one fateful night, everything changed.

“Cough… cough…”

That night, Jess awoke in the middle of the night, burning with fever.

His throat was parched, and he desperately wanted a drink of water. But his body was too heavy to move, and his pounding headache kept him immobilized.

“W-water…”

His weak call went unanswered.

Was it because it was so late at night? Or was his voice too faint for the attendants outside to hear?

Either way, it filled him with dread.

The fear of being utterly ignored by the world. Even as a prince, one of the most noble beings alive, he was abandoned.

“Are you thirsty?”

In that moment of despair, a stranger silently approached, handing him a glass of water.

After drinking, Jess found himself able to sit up on the bed. He turned to the mysterious figure, dressed in strange attire, and asked, “Who are you? You don’t look like an attendant… What’s with your appearance?”

“I am your benefactor.”

“Benefactor?”

“That’s correct. I’ve come from a very distant place just to meet you.”

The man, who introduced himself as a benefactor, was wrapped head to toe in bandages.

He claimed to have come from another dimension. Then, without warning, he ran his finger across Jess’ face and licked it.

“Hmm. As expected, you have an exquisite taste.”

“What insolence… What are you doing?!”

“Forgive me. I needed to confirm something.”

“Confirm? Confirm what?”

“Just something important. But what matters is what happens next.”

With that, the stranger made Jess an irresistible offer.

“I crossed dimensions to grant you three wishes, Your Highness. What is your heart’s desire?”

“Wishes?”

“That’s right. I will grant you three wishes with no cost whatsoever. Tell me, what do you wish for?”

It was suspicious, to say the least. Who would believe in wishes without a price?

But in his feverish, pain-ridden state, Jess didn’t care. Through clenched teeth, he voiced his long-held desire.

“I… I want health.”

“I expected as much. This will sting for a moment, but bear with it.”

The benefactor swiftly pulled out a transparent vial from his bandages. At the end of the vial was a sharp needle.

Was this man an assassin?

Jess instinctively tried to resist but quickly gave up.

In his misery, he thought it might be better to die than continue living in such pain.