Chapter 34: Save the teacher! (2)
Prince Idon said in a hesitant voice:
“I see... but are you sure I can come with you? Really?”
She said quietly, looking at him:
“His Highness was the one who personally requested to accompany me.”
Eddon's eyes widened as he responded stubbornly:
“When did you say that?! I only said that it is not right for you to go alone to look for my teacher!”
She smiled coldly, raising her eyebrows:
“Let's leave it at that. Now get up quickly, we have to leave immediately.”
Edun pursed his lips as he climbed into the carriage, complaining:
“Okay, okay… stop scolding.”
I had rented this carriage from outside the palace, so that our departure would leave no trace in the records of the imperial stable.
Idon said, breathing anxiously:
“But… if anyone finds out that we went out, we will be in big trouble.”
I answered him calmly:
“Don’t worry, I arranged with Catherine to cover our absence.”
In law, princes may not leave the capital before their coming-of-age ceremony, but in reality the first and second princes visited their mothers' homes dozens of times every month. The rule was only ink on paper.
Eddon muttered in a hesitant voice:
“But if we are exposed, Catherine will be punished as well.”
I replied:
“Rest assured, she said she was happy to help us.”
If she had heard me now, she would have fainted immediately. She objected until the last moment and did not agree until I convinced her that I would seek the help of guards from outside the palace.
I added as I adjusted my seat:
“We agreed to spread the rumor that you had severe colic and had been running between the room and the toilet all day. This way no one would suspect.”
Idun let out a long sigh:
“What excuse is this...!”
But he quickly regained his enthusiasm, and the smile returned to his face. It was clear that the mere thought of leaving the palace for the first time was enough to make him forget his anxiety.
He asked me spontaneously:
“Where exactly are we going?”
I looked at him seriously and replied:
“To Locsen Village.”
Edun gasped, a look of shock on his face, as if the name alone was a nightmare.
He shouted as he fell backwards:
“You don't mean that village, right? There must be another village with the same name!”
I shook my head:
“Since when has the empire had more than one village with that name?”
Idon was confused, his eyes widening in horror:
“No way! Put me down immediately! I don’t want to go!”
He tried to open the carriage door and jump out, but the carriage had already sped off on the road leading directly to… Luxen Village.
The one destination that everyone fears.
Plague village.
Inside the cart
Idon asked me in a hoarse voice, with tears shining in his eyes:
"Does Katherine know? Did you tell her we were going there?"
I answered him, removing the hand with which he was biting his nails:
“Yes, she knows.”
He shouted angrily:
"Liar! I knew you were lying!"
Of course she didn't know. If she had known we were going to an infested village, she would have tied us with ropes to prevent us from getting out.
I looked at him calmly and asked:
“Are you that scared?”
His body trembled and he said:
"Of course he's afraid! It's the plague village, whoever goes there dies!"
I understood his fear. Luxen's vertebra is a quarantine place for the disease "Skin Scales", a disease that can only be cured through massive amounts of sacred energy, a treatment that is only granted to the very wealthy and noble. As for the common people, they just have to wait for death.
I said coldly:
“When I stopped you from coming, you were the one who insisted. You said you wouldn’t regret it.”
He answered out loud:
“That was before I knew we were going to Luxen! If I had known, I wouldn’t have let you go alone in the first place!”
“That's why I didn't tell you.”
He shouted as he tried to open the window:
"What if we get sick?! We'll die! Stop the car right now!"
I grabbed his arm tightly and said sharply:
“Calm down, you're going to fall! Trust me, we won't get sick.”
"Liar! How can I believe you?!"
I finally said:
“Because I've been there before...and I came out fine.”
His eyes fixed on me with astonishment, but he could ask no more questions—
Because the carriage suddenly stopped amidst the terrified neighing of the horses.
She whispered:
“Shut up...there are those around us.”
I felt that there were dozens of people stalking us from outside.
elsewhere
The leader of the Jerry gang was spitting on the ground as he looked at his miserable men:
“I never imagined that a day would come when we would starve like bandits!”
His men trembled silently, knowing that speaking in his presence meant being beaten.
He shouted:
"You idiots! Don't any of you have a tongue?!"
One of them raised his hand hesitantly and said:
"G-Boss... Maybe we chose the wrong path. Luxen's path is rarely taken by anyone..."
He was right. Since the plague broke out twenty years ago, the road has become almost deserted, with no doctors or merchants daring to cross.
But suddenly one of the scouts rushed out, panting:
"Boss! We've found a target!"
Jerry's eyes widened with joy.
“Goal?!”
The scout said:
“A car with no guards...in it is only a woman and a small child!”
Jerry smiled slyly, his men's eyes shining with greed.
A young woman and child without protection... easy spoils that can be sold or her family extorted for ransom.
Jerry laughed as he got up.
“Finally! Our luck smiled! Come on, men, get ready to receive our guests!”
They screamed excitedly as they rushed towards the road, unaware that their end was near… and it would be covered in blood.
On the road
The bandits gathered around the carriage, shouting:
“Get down quietly, girl!”
“Don't force us to violence!”
The carriage door opened quietly, and I got out alone.
As for Edun, he lay inside it, pretending to be asleep.
The men froze for a moment, because the woman who came down showed no fear.
She looked at them with cold eyes... completely silent.