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Chapter: 47

In the silent hall, a pair of wrinkled fists trembled slightly.

"...You said it was the reckless prince and his nineteen military escorts?"

So Gye-Du, the youngest elder of the So family, a direct lineage of Fortress Lord Son Cheon Geum of Wolhan Fortress, asked in disbelief.

Someone sitting in the corner cautiously replied, "Among those nineteen escorts, one is an old eunuch."

"Huh," a few chuckles escaped from around the room.

"So, there are only eighteen military escorts in total?"

"It seems so, yes, it must be."

"What do they think they can accomplish with such a small number..."

One of the elders asked with a grave expression.

"Is that truly the case, Fortress Lord?"

At the elder\'s question, Son Cheon Geum could only nod. There was no other option.

What kind of reaction could he possibly have? Sending the infamous, reckless First Prince Ikwon was the decision of the capital, and the king. He had no choice but to comply.

Even though he knew there was no other option but to follow the capital\'s decision, Son Cheon-Geum racked his exhausted brain for any other possible answer. But hisr weary mind refused to cooperate for long.

"Th-this is... This is, this kind of treatment is...!"

So Gye-Du exploded in anger. Another elder sitting next to him tried to calm him down, but to no avail.

Everyone tacitly agreed with So Gye-Du\'s outrage.

In this situation, how could anyone, even the Council of Elders, remain calm? Saying the wrong thing at this moment would only lead to blame without any gain.

Son Cheon Geum remained silent.

Then, another elder spoke up. It was the Grand Elder, whose face showed the most profound marks of time, even among the aged elders.

"Fortress Lord."

Son Cheon Geum\'s head quietly turned towards the Grand Elder, revealing the shadows cast on his face. His face was gaunt, almost skeletal. He looked so emaciated that he could be mistaken for a corpse. His complexion was so pale it almost appeared bluish.

The room fell silent.

"Yes, Grand Elder."

"What are your thoughts on this matter, Fortress Lord?"

At that question, Son Cheon Geum lowered his gaze without a word. His head followed his downward gaze.

"The atmosphere has been quite unsettling lately, hasn\'t it?"

It was a subtle prompt for him to answer quickly. Unable to meet the Grand Elder\'s eyes, Son Cheon Geum closed his trembling eyes.

"Contrary to expectations, he was quite a courteous person."

And then he opened his eyes again.

Although it had been a very brief encounter, the reckless Prince Ikwon he had met was not the crude person he had imagined based on rumors. There was an unrefined energy about him, but it wasn\'t a major flaw. Especially if his maternal family was a long-standing military lineage and he himself had aspirations in swordsmanship, such a trait could even be considered a virtue for a warrior, rather than a flaw.

"He was courteous, you say... And then? My Lord, there must be more."

The Grand Elder questioned again. Son Cheon Geum hesitated for a moment before answering.

"He went straight into the city as soon as he arrived."

A chorus of sighs erupted, competing with each other.

"Oh, dear..."

"Goodness!"

"Oh my... What is this!"

The murmuring grew louder. Even if each of the dozen elders only uttered a single word, the voices reaching Son Cheon Geum\'s ears multiplied tenfold. He swallowed his frustration and fatigue, scanning his surroundings.

There was no one around to help him.

He felt lonely.

Isolated amidst so many people.

No one comforted him, no one empathized. No one cared how difficult and tiring it was for him.

No matter how hard he tried, he remained stagnant. His efforts went unnoticed.

He had even questioned his reason for existence. What kind of state was he in?

Was he simply lonely?

Or was he simply tired?

Son Cheon Geum swallowed a sigh.

So Gye-Du exclaimed, "In this critical and urgent situation, they send a young prince who\'s barely an adult! And the first prince, the reckless one, who\'s considered useless no matter where you look!"

So Gye-Du\'s outburst startled the other elders into silence.

"This is, undoubtedly!"

Oh, Son Cheon Geum sighed inwardly.

"Undoubtedly! This is the king\'s scheme to destroy our Wolhan Fortress in these precarious times, a mistake born out of his inability to hide his dirty intentions!"

As the youngest among the elders, So Gye-Du was the most prone to losing his composure and raising his voice. But that wasn\'t entirely a bad thing.

He readily voiced the things others hesitated to express, fearing repercussions.

So, for those who shared So Gye-Du\'s sentiments, it was a relief to hear him speak his mind.

On the other hand, Son Cheon Geum was a cautious and methodical person.

Speaking impulsively and emotionally like So Gye-Du didn\'t suit his personality, and his position as Lord of Wolhan Fortress prohibited such behavior.

That was the right way, the way it had to be. But some people compared Son Cheon Geum and So Gye-Du, taking sides and judging who was right or wrong.

Naturally, this was a headache for Son Cheon Geum.

There were even rumors that So Gye-Du had almost become the Fortress Lord in place of Son Cheon-Geum. To Son Cheon Geum, So Gye-Du was an inconvenient obstacle, too large to simply remove.

"What state is our fortress in right now!"

From the northern border, magical beasts continued to cross over. For now, it was at a level that could be handled by mobilizing the current troops. However, there was no way to stop the growing unease within and outside the fortress.

"It\'s a time when we should be reinforcing our troops and crushing those monsters right now!"

So Gye-Du\'s impassioned speech heated the atmosphere in the room. Son Cheon Geum grew anxious. His fingertips were still cold, but the air was stuffy and warm.

The Grand Elder spoke.

"Fortress Lord."

"Yes, Grand Elder."

"So Gye-Du\'s words have some merit. Are we in a position to withstand a siege?"

This was the cold and barren north. Food was always scarce, and even the few trees that grew had to be burned for fuel. Could they close the gates and endure for months? It was an impossible scenario. What good was victory or glory if there were no comrades or citizens left to celebrate with when the gates finally opened?

In truth, even what the elders knew was only a part of the whole story. Beyond those blue mountain ridges, ominous, unknown entities were stirring.

When would they arrive?

It was a frightening thought. They would soon set their filthy, savage feet on this land.

* * *

The reckless prince who had gone out to the village returned. The image of the reckless prince wandering around Wolhan Fortress was partly the same as the rumors, and partly so different that one might mistake him for an entirely different person.

For instance, the part that matched the rumors was his handsome appearance, almost like a courtesan. Some might even call him strikingly beautiful.

He certainly didn\'t look rough or rugged as the vague rumors had suggested.

And his luxurious attire was the cherry on top. Such silk clothes in the barren north were a comical sight.

If the reckless prince paraded outside the fortress in such flashy clothes, he would surely attract the attention of magical beasts and become their next meal.

On the other hand, the part that differed from the rumors was that the reality of the reckless prince didn\'t quite live up to his reputation.

Still, a reckless prince was indeed reckless.

"Ah! Seriously!"

The reckless prince yelled at the soldier following him. The soldier\'s face contorted in embarrassment.

"I said I can handle myself, alright!"

The soldier, who had stepped back hesitantly, replied.

"I cannot allow that."

"Ah, why not!"

It was an order from his superiors. To properly monitor the reckless prince. It was a direct order from the Council of Elders, so he couldn\'t neglect it.

As a mere soldier, how could he disobey the orders of his superiors?

Following the customs of the North, where blood ties were strong, Wolhan Castle also valued the elders within the family.

At times, the orders of the Council of Elders could even outweigh those of the Fortress Lord.

However, the reckless prince, true to his nature, did not cooperate with the soldier\'s duties.

"Get lost! Get lost! All of you, get lost!"

"Your Highness, with all due respect..."

"I told you, I like being alone!"

He was on the verge of throwing a tantrum. Several people had already witnessed him jumping up and down on the spot.

And yet, the prince felt no shame. Everyone who saw him understood why he was called the “reckless prince” and turned away.

"Get lost!"

However, the soldiers assigned to watch over the reckless prince couldn\'t turn away from him, even though they now understood why he was called that.

They were occasionally terrified that he might suddenly draw the sword hanging from his waist.

But according to the rumors, the reckless prince was incredibly unskilled in swordsmanship.

If his skills were that poor, even ordinary soldiers like them could easily subdue him, couldn\'t they?

Flashy, unapproachable, and troublesome. That was the first impression the people of Wolhan Fortress had of Prince Ikwon.

Just then, a man walked towards them with a purposeful stride from one side of the fortress.

"Your Highness."

Yoo Geung approached the reckless prince, Yegyeong. The prince\'s tantrum subsided slightly.

"Ah, Captain Yoo."

"Yes, Your Highness. It\'s me. But for a moment..."

Yoo Geung glanced at the soldiers surrounding the reckless prince. There was something he needed to discuss with the prince in private.

Even someone as dense as the prince could sense that the people in the fortress didn\'t welcome them.

Moreover, there was Heo Seokgyeom, who was even more perceptive. How must this atmosphere have appeared to the soldier who had lived his entire life relying on his intuition?

They were all aware of the subtle but distinct hostility within the fortress.

Everyone felt it, so how could the prince not know?

With that thought, Yoo Geung had stepped forward, ignoring Heo Seokgyeom\'s attempts to stop him. But when he actually saw the prince...

The prince seemed completely oblivious to the hostility within the fortress.

Yoo Geung spoke to the soldiers guarding the prince.

"Could you give us a moment alone?"

But the soldiers had their duties. They didn\'t back down even under Yoo Geung\'s gaze.

"Hey, you guys! Captain Yoo is telling you to scram! Can\'t you hear?"

Thanks to that, the reckless prince\'s outburst resumed.

"Argh!"

The reckless prince\'s screams echoed.

Wolhan Fortress did not welcome Yegyeong.