Chapter 47
Subjugation of the Southern Great Jungle!
In place of the hunting competition that had capped off the Houkijisu Tournament every year, a jungle subjugation was proclaimed.
It was a battlefield where one could die or kill — the hunting contest that had finished the tournament each year seemed like child's play compared to this shocking event.
This unprecedented new event made the blood of many Houkijisu participants boil.
The Third Prince’s fall and the Fifth Prince’s rise. The competition had been focused, as always, on the swordsmanship finals, but the field had been overturned in an instant.
All eyes turned to this new headline that had been announced immediately after the swordsmanship final.
“Ha… this year is different. Different. I thought it was all talk, but to actually think of sending them into real operations… this is astonishing.”
“Haha, true enough. I’d heard that recently monsters in the south had been crossing the river in fairly large numbers and causing trouble… but I didn’t expect it to connect like this. Sending the Houkijisu participants to the south — it’s a brilliant move.”
All the participants already knew that this year’s Houkijisu Tournament was not the ordinary one.
The tournament had started a month early, and even the lodging that had previously been assigned arbitrarily was left to individual choice.
It was as if the stage had been openly set for the long-hidden scramble for the throne to be played out to the fullest.
Up until that point, people thought the Emperor had permitted the full-scale beginning of the struggle for the throne.
So everyone had followed their own choices, stood under the banners of their prince-factions, and the tournament had begun.
“…But it had felt too quiet. I thought there’d be nothing to eat at a famous feast, but it turned out everything had been for this final act.”
Then, yesterday — four days before departure — it had been announced that they would be dispatched for the subjugation. Everyone had gone wild. There could be no flashier finale than this.
“Of course he wouldn’t have done it just to pair people off. His Majesty had been thinking about this from the start.”
The Houkijisu Tournament was a place packed with young people desperate to prove their strength and make a name. The Emperor had provided them a stage where they could fully display their abilities.
“Ha, haha… this… all the glory of this year’s Houkijisu Tournament would be decided here in the end.”
“Indeed. Judging by what’s happened so far, the Fifth Prince is clearly the greatest beneficiary of this year’s tournament… but after returning from the south, the situation will be reversed.”
“That’s right. It won’t be easy to form a subjugation party with that number of people… don’t tell me they’ll have to draft from the attendants and retinues brought for the tournament. For reasons of scale alone, the Fifth Prince would be overwhelmingly disadvantaged at the start.”
“To sit on the throne, one had to bear that weight… even if he was talented by himself, what could he do without substantial support? This time the Fifth Prince would surely take a step back.”
“Probably. He gained a lot from this tournament, so it was time for him to take a break.”
Similar conversations drifted through the palace. Whenever two or more Houkijisu participants gathered, it was as if by agreement the talk turned to the subjugation party.
The princes’ intrigue, which had been played out on the tournament stage, had entered a new phase. The stage had changed.
At the same time, in the Imperial Library.
In the place that was now more familiar to him than the Fifth Prince’s palace, Tang Yuwon’s faction gathered. Yuwon’s eyes swept over the faces at the round table.
He himself sat first, and beside him was his only knight, Terrien.
Next to him sat Renania Valaris, who had once been the Fifth Prince’s fiancée but was no longer — a relationship of peculiar status.
And one last person.
The sulky-faced Third Prince Bernid was there.
When Yuwon smiled faintly at that expression, the Third Prince returned a stiff, awkward smile.
“Good. It looks like everyone has arrived, so let’s begin immediately.”
Yuwon started the conversation as if nothing mattered. At that instant—
“Um…”
Terrien cautiously raised his hand.
“Yes. Terrien. Do you have a question?”
“Well… why is His Highness the Third Prince here…?”
“Oh, I hadn’t said? Things had been so busy these past two days I suppose I didn’t have time. My third elder brother, the Third Prince, would be joining our party this time.”
Terrien and Renania gaped at Yuwon’s bombshell announcement.
“What…?!”
“Wha—? Suddenly?”
“Oh, and the sword I gave you, Terrien. That was actually one I received from this elder brother. Well, ownership passed to me and then to you, but since I got a good sword I expect a ceremonial greeting next time we have time.”
“Y-yes… I will do so.”
Terrien bowed awkwardly toward the Third Prince.
The Third Prince merely nodded slightly in reply.
Renania, who had watched the whole exchange, looked just as stunned as Terrien.
“The matter is urgent, so we can do greetings later… For now, to be clear: I am going to the south.”
At Yuwon’s words Terrien nodded as if it were obvious, and Bernid let out a large sigh.
“Terrien and Brother Bernid will, of course, go together… the problem is the Valaris young lady…”
“Me? What’s the problem with me?”
“If you come with us, I won’t stop you. However, if you go with me this time, it will be very difficult to shake off being called the Fifth Prince’s faction forever.”
“You always say that to me.”
“…?”
“You always tell me not to do things because I’ll end up like this or that. Fine. You always say that, so I’ll sit this one out.”
Renania surprisingly acquiesced and withdrew from this subjugation.
“That’s well considered. Then I won’t take more of your time; you may leave if you wish.”
“No. I’ve already come this far, and I owe His Highness in various ways, so I will remain. If it’s the south, the information I have might be helpful.”
“If you genuinely offer, I won’t refuse the help.”
It was an ordinary conversation that contained nothing odd. But Bernid and Terrien, who had seen and heard it up close, sensed something strange.
‘Hmm… did the two quarrel?’
‘They did. They quarrelled.’
Renania had tried not to show it, but something in her tone suggested she was somewhat sulky.
“Then it’s good to start with a southern expert who would generously provide advice.”
Whether anyone liked it or not, Yuwon had only been thinking of killing Marcellus without blinking.
Three days before the southern subjugation set out, Yuwon revisited the Third Prince’s palace.
The purpose of the visit was, as before, the Third Prince’s secret storeroom.
Bernid grumbled about Yuwon’s visit and opened the secret storeroom.
“You’ve already taken so much — what more do you intend to take?”
“Well? I should at least take something that might be useful in the south.”
“Fine… I don’t care anymore. Do as you please.”
Perhaps he had given up. Unlike the first visit, Bernid accepted Yuwon’s plundering with surprising composure.
Yuwon selected items with the care of someone preparing for war.
Whether herb or equipment, he chose nothing carelessly, and the Third Prince raised a question at the sight.
“Are you really going to do a subjugation? It’s obvious you’ll be hunting within the counts’ territory anyway — is there any need to prepare so thoroughly?”
“Don’t be mistaken. Our goal was Hastings’ safe return — this was not some child’s hunting game.”
“You’re not seriously going to follow that coordinate? What do you think’s there? You’ll actually die if you do that.”
“Don’t make a fuss. I was preparing carefully precisely so I wouldn’t die.”
“Ha… I’m losing my mind… why did I end up with this guy….”
“One minute.”
“Hm?”
At Bernid’s complaint, Yuwon didn’t even look at him and said.
“Let’s have you be sick for exactly one minute this time. Maybe you complain because you’ve been taking antidotes so easily.”
“…I’m sorry. No, I apologize.”
The Third Prince shut up again.
And fifteen minutes later.
“This should be… enough. Let’s head back.”
Having finished choosing the items he would take for the southern expedition, Tang Yuwon brushed off his hands and stood up.
“Yeah, yeah, sure. Good grief… you’ve packed quite a lot. So now we just have to move them, right?”
Without being told, Bernid picked up the items himself — though not with his hands, but with magic.
“Oh, and once we leave the storeroom, I’m going to have my men carry these, so don’t make a fuss about that. I’m still a prince — I can’t exactly play the porter.”
“Well, did I say anything about it last time? Don’t make it sound like something new. Do as you please. I’ve no intention of humiliating you.”
“Ha, that’s very kind of you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Just as the two were about to leave the secret storeroom—
Poke, poke.
Something inside Yuwon’s chest pocket jabbed at his chest.
“Hm?”
Then the Dragon-Scaled Serpent slithered out of his pocket on its own. That had never happened before.
“Why are you…?”
Yuwon wasn’t the only one surprised. The Third Prince beside him flinched in shock.
“What the— you keep a snake? Even if you do, why on earth carry it in your shirt pocket?”
“Shh. Quiet for a second.”
The Dragon-Scaled Serpent Yuwon knew was clearly no ordinary creature. He calmed the Third Prince and watched the serpent’s movements closely.
‘It wouldn’t act without reason.’
Though only the length of a palm, it moved with astonishing speed, sliding down Yuwon’s body.
Slither—
Once on the floor, the Dragon-Scaled Serpent dashed furiously in one direction. Yuwon followed it.
And the place where the serpent stopped was—
“…?”
In front of a shabby-looking leather bag. The excited serpent let out a shrill pip-pip! and then slipped smoothly inside. The sight left Yuwon speechless.
“Hm… well, it’s still an animal before it’s a spiritual creature… dark and smelly places… sure, it could like that sort of thing.”
But Bernid’s reaction, who had watched the same thing, was strange.
“Urgh…!”
“Hm?”
It was the same sound he had made when Yuwon had picked out the masterwork sword among countless blades. Yuwon smiled slyly. As expected, the Dragon-Scaled Serpent was indeed a spiritual creature.
“Aha. So that’s what it was.”
Few words, but all the more frightening for it. Bernid’s face quickly turned ashen gray.
“W-wait! I’ll— I’ll take it out myself!”
For some reason, Bernid rushed toward the leather bag in a panic.
“No, I’ll do it.”
Thwap—!
Of course, Yuwon moved like the wind and snatched it first.
“What’s in here that’s got you so worked up? It’s not like you can fit much…”
As he spoke, Yuwon opened the bag and looked inside — and his words froze in his throat.
“Ha, haha… a subspace bag… so this really works?”
Inside the ragged bag, a pocket of subspace — something thought to exist only in old legends — unfolded before Yuwon’s eyes.
Pip! Pip!
A space large enough for ten grown men to lie down.
The Dragon-Scaled Serpent twirled inside, circling proudly as if to show off its discovery.
“Good creature. Well done.”
Yuwon grinned brightly at having gained such a precious item. And that grin turned into Bernid’s groan.
“Urgh… so it’s finally been found out…”
‘Now that priceless thing will leave my hands and become the personal storage of some ignorant brute who doesn’t even know the “ma” of magic… It was the only clue left to study the lost art of subspace…’
Now that the item was in Yuwon’s possession, it would never return to Bernid again. Then, as if something occurred to him, Bernid suddenly shouted.
“Ah! Wait! The serpent! The serpent!”
“What? Why?”
“Get that damn serpent out, quickly!”
“What for? Why talk that way to my cute little one?”
Bernid was too frantic to back down.
“Get it out now! There’s a phoenix egg in there!”
A phoenix’s egg!
A treasure so rare that it might appear once in a century, its value beyond all price.
It was said that consuming it could bring a dying man back to life, and even someone who had never felt mana in their life could instantly wield it.
At the words phoenix’s egg, Yuwon’s eyes widened, and he quickly pulled the Dragon-Scaled Serpent out of the subspace.
“Hey, is the egg inside?”
“Uh… I don’t see it?”
“What? Look again! That’s where I kept the phoenix egg! If it’s not there, then—!”
Burp—
Just then, the Dragon-Scaled Serpent let out a small, cute belch.
That chilling sound froze both Yuwon and Bernid, who had been searching the subspace bag, as they turned their gaze to the serpent.
For some reason, faint black smoke rose near the serpent’s mouth. Feeling their eyes on it, the creature tilted its head.
Piiit—?
That was the last straw.
“It ate it! That little bastard ate it! Do you have any idea what that was, you damn tiny snake—!”
Inside the secret storeroom, Bernid’s scream echoed for a long, long time.