#744 (Patreon)

Dave (1)

An unnaturally dark sky for the time of day.  

A city where geography is jumbled and intertwined.  

People, half-mad.  

Amidst a situation that could be described as the worst.  

Someone spotted Philip and shouted, "There's the prince! Prince Albert!! The prince who seeks to offer us as sacrifices!!!"  

At that moment, it felt as though everyone in the city was looking this way again.  

The difference was that this time, they were actually looking.  

"Prince...?"  

"It's Prince Albert."  

"Is it really?!"  

Hearing this, the citizens of the capital flashed their eyes and surrounded Edith and Philip’s group.  

Though not a professional encirclement, it felt different than one from a professional, carrying a chilling pressure of instinct alone remaining, like wild dogs or ants gathering around a carcass.  

Gulp...  

However, the citizens only encircled and dared not take further action.  

Philip, lion-like, exuded a heavy aura of intimidation that no one dared confront.  

"I don’t understand what you mean. Please, let us pass."  

Philip asked the frightened citizens to step aside.  

He had decided that instilling a moderate amount of fear was better than wielding violence recklessly, and his assessment was somewhat accurate.  

Intimidated by Philip’s appearance, the citizens, unlike when they faced orphans, could not come out aggressively and only pressed with questions.  

"Where are you going?"  

"We're trying to escape the city. Why don't you all run away too?"  

"Don't you know the situation in the city?"  

"That’s exactly why I want to run away. At least I will, so please step aside."  

"What is that you are carrying?"  

"It’s none of your business."  

Philip's voice, calm yet heavy, made the rowdy citizens step back.  

Just when it seemed they might pass quietly, an elderly man suddenly came out shouting, "Exactly! I knew I was right! Aren’t you Colonel Philip?"  

The old man recognized Philip, though he got the rank wrong.  

"Isn’t it now Major General? Whatever, aren’t you Mr. Philip?"  

"Who are you?"  

"I was a soldier too, in the royal army!! I've retired a long time ago... but please help! I believe in the honor of Mr. Philip. You might not know, but thanks to you, I once saved my life. So please, Mr. Philip, step in and stop what's happening in the royal palace!! With you there, even the army guarding the palace can't do anything. I beg you!"  

The retired soldier who recognized Philip suddenly asked for help.  

Given the sheer chaos of the situation, it wouldn't have been surprising if anything happened, but it was still a rather perplexing event.  

Especially now, when they were trying to escape with Prince Albert.  

"I'm sorry, but it's going to be difficult."  

"Why not? Now is when you are needed most!! Aren't you a soldier of the kingdom? Have you forgotten your duty?!!"  

In the contradictory situation of asking for help to suppress the kingdom’s soldiers, Philip closed his eyes tightly.  

He agreed with the statement because he knew the honor and duty of a soldier, but for the same reason, he had to refuse.  

A soldier was not only a protector of his people but also a being who must fulfill his mission.  

At this moment, it was the latter.  

"I’m sorry. That’s all I can say."  

"What do you mean?!! Could it be...?"  

"Ah, cut the crap, really."  

While the old retired soldier was trying to say something, an annoyed voice interrupted.  

It was Edith's voice, heavily laden with emotion, making everyone listen intently.  

"Stop spouting nonsense and move aside, old man."  

Edith stepped forward past Philip and demanded the old man to move aside.  

It was an unexpected remark, and the face of the retired soldier, blackened by the smoke of a fire, turned red with embarrassment.  

"What, what did you say!?"  

"I said stop spouting nonsense. Old man. You don’t put out a fire, but instead take your frustrations out on orphans, and now you spout about honor and duty..."  

Edith unabashedly expressed his deep-seated contempt and disgust.  

His emotions acted like an invisible blade, piercing the hearts of those who heard.  

Philip tried to stop Edith.  

Agitating so many people in the current situation could lead to unpredictable consequences.  

Edith irritably shook off Philip's hand.  

"Enough from you! Don't you see that this isn’t a situation to wiggle out of with smooth talk? Whether it's a civilian or whatever, if you're going to do something, do it right!"  

Philip quickly scanned the surroundings reflexively.  

The citizens, who had just been subdued by Philip's imposing presence, now had their eyes filled with venom again.  

"Warning, everyone please move aside."  

Philip, having collected himself, warned the citizens who were armed.  

It was not a request like before, but a warning.  

As the citizens did not comply, he took action.  

Boom!!!  

When the citizens didn't move aside but instead seemed to charge, Philip threw his reduced-size broadsword into the sky without hesitation.  

He then increased its size and weight dramatically before dropping it right in front of the people.  

As the massive blade of iron struck the ground, the earth shook with a loud noise.  

The physical impact and the aura of intimidation quickly calmed the excited citizens.  

"Ugh..."  

"Are you trying to kill us all!"  

"It's true, he has the prince!"  

"Everyone, get out of the way!!"  

Although the citizens screamed, Philip's shout engulfed them.  

Suddenly, he held a gigantic saber in one hand, and the sight split the crowd in two.  

They could escape this place now.  

"No, that won't do!"  

An ominous voice rang out among the frightened crowd.  

Immediately after, a figure as fast as a flash of light approached and kicked.  

Screech!  

Philip did not miss and swung his saber, severing the leg in two.  

However, Philip's expression hardened as he did so.  

Soon, he realized why.  

Crack!  

Zing...  

Thump!  

The leg-severed man's arm detached and grabbed Philip's shoulder.  

A thick wire connected the separated arm and shoulder, and it moved like a snake trying to bind Philip.  

"A corpse doll?!"  

Philip exclaimed upon seeing the man's form and quickly cut the wire with his saber.  

As the wire was severed, the corpse doll fell backward, yet it was smiling.  

Beep-beep!  

Just then, a strange sound emanated from the arm of the corpse doll attached to Philip's shoulder.  

Sensing something, Philip threw Albert, whom he was carrying, to Jane.  

Boom!!  

Right after throwing the prince, the arm exploded, engulfing Philip's upper body in graphite.  

The explosion was powerful enough to blow away an ordinary person.  

"Such tricks...!"  

Philip, reinforcing his body with magic, endured and shook off the graphite that enveloped him.  

However, anticipating this, an even larger man sprang out and rushed at Philip.  

The man grabbed Philip around the waist and dragged him far away.  

As a result, only Jane and Edith, along with Albert wrapped in a tent, were left, and the people around them had the look of predators spotting their prey.  

Bang!  

Bang!  

Bang!  

Just as the citizens were about to rush in, a gigantic sword fell from the sky once again.  

Philip, despite being dragged away by the giant man, had thrown the sword in the midst.  

Several swords fell around Edith and Jane, forming a makeshift barrier of iron.  

"Just wait a moment!!"  

Philip shouted as he stabbed and subdued the giant man holding him with a sword.  

The man resisted but fell bleeding, and as Philip tried to return to his original position, dozens of other people sprang from the crowd to obstruct him.  

From corpse dolls with ribs turning into swords and faces into machine guns, to those armed with magical equipment like Pinkman, the variety was vast.  

Philip pulled out numerous swords and blades to destroy and kill them, but eventually, his feet got tangled.  

"Now's the chance! We must seize the prince now!! Let's realize justice, everyone!"  

One of the citizens, seeing that Philip's feet were entangled, shouted.  

Those who had backed away from the huge mass of iron once again swarmed like ants.  

However, they had no means to remove the iron barrier and ultimately yelled towards Jane.  

"Hey, woman! Hand over what you're holding right now! It's the prince, right?! Hand him over!!"  

"He's not the prince, you pathetic humans!"  

Of course, Jane responded with curses instead of compliance.  

"Miss Jane?"  

Prince Albert, surrounded by a half-burned tent, called out to Jane.  

"Please, let me go."  

"Why would you say that?"  

"You'll get dragged into this too. It might be better if I go alone. Philip and Terence might not mind, but there's no need for you to be involved."  

He wasn't wrong. Philip and Terence were soldiers, and Edith had acted of her own volition. But Jane wasn't.  

"No. I'm doing this of my own will now."  

Jane moved away from the people reaching through the iron barrier and responded.  

"Why, why...?"  

Prince Albert asked, not understanding.  

Jane chuckled.  

"Don't make that face. It's for a very personal reason. I just don't want to do something embarrassing because of someone."  

"Who?" Albert asked reflexively.  

Just as Jane was about to answer whom, she felt someone grab her ankle.  

It was a man who had crawled through the blades of the barrier.  

He had managed to squeeze through the narrow gap and grabbed Jane's ankle.  

He was bloodied from being cut by the blades several times during his entry, and his eyes were filled with venom because of it.  

"Damn it...! Hand over that kid!! Can't you see how many lives depend on this?! Don't you see the tragedy of the city, you—"  

-Crunch!!  

As the man crawled in and spoke, a gigantic hoof mercilessly stomped on his face without a trace of mercy.  

The heavy weight crushed the man's face.  

"Can't see..."  

Edith replied in a voice full of disdain, then spit on the head of the unconscious man.  

"Ugh... Ptui!"  

While it wasn't a pleasant action given they were surrounded by an angry crowd, Edith didn't care.  

Edith was just being Edith.  

Instead, he brandished the club he held and began to fiercely strike the heads of people trying to come through the gaps of the barrier like the unconscious man.  

"If you have complaints! You should have bitched! About it earlier! Why! Only now! You start this nonsense! You! Miserable! Bastards!!"  

With an agility that belied his stout build, Edith swung his club, each strike resulting in cracked skulls or broken jaws.  

The destructive force emanating from his heavy frame and his venomous shouts made people flinch.  

"What are you doing?!!"  

"Can't you see? I'm smashing these pigs' heads! It's what I've always done!"  

"Are you an idiot? Don't you understand the trouble we're in if we can't capture the prince? Do you think you'll be safe?!!"  

"Who are you calling an idiot? The real idiots are you lot, trusting whatever nonsense comes on the radio and causing this mess!! Shut your mouths, idiots!!"  

People were left speechless.  

Edith had hit them where it hurt.  

Yes, the sky had darkened and the city's geography twisted.  

There were anomalies, but the chaos was triggered by words from a radio broadcast and a coincidental fire.  

They had caused all this commotion without any other proof, just because they were scared and saw an easy target.  

"But still, it's undeniable that Prince Albert is key to this! Why else would he be running?!"  

Someone in the silent crowd spoke up, but Edith scoffed.  

"Look, a smart fool here. If you'd used that brain of yours sooner, we wouldn’t be in this mess!"  

"Please! Hand over the prince! With him, this chaos will calm down!"  

A woman holding an injured child in her arms shouted.  

The child appeared to be her own, likely injured during the city's disturbances.  

"There's another idiot here! You should be protecting your child, why ask for help? You're incompetent and lack conscience! Why don't you just die!?"  

"What did you say!!"  

A man yelled.  

Edith didn’t stop.  

"I said just die!! After ignoring the warnings on the radio and now this mass hysteria! Ah, now I see why they want to use you as sacrifices! You're spineless and conscienceless pigs!!"  

With each venom-filled word Edith spat, people's faces hardened, and eventually, those who lost their rationality were willing to risk being cut by the massive blades to get inside.  

Bang━!  

Right then, Edith pulled out a hidden gun from within his fleshy body and fired it into the air.  

The gunshot made the crowd hesitate.  

Edith looked in one direction.  

At the end of his gaze, Terence was running towards them, stepping over people's heads and shoulders.  

He had finally regained consciousness from the initial explosion.  

Edith had drawn attention and provoked the crowd to buy time.  

Click.  

From a distance, as Terence was running, someone deftly entered through the iron barrier.  

Unusual agility.  

Edith raised his club with one hand and aimed the gun with the other, but before he could pull the trigger, the man's arm transformed into a whip-like iron chain and struck Edith aside.  

Thump-!  

Struck by the whip, Edith's body tore apart and he slammed into the iron barrier.  

The man who entered was a corpse doll, and after checking on the thrown Edith, he reached for Prince Albert.  

Jane reflexively shielded the prince with her body, and the corpse doll attempted to clear the obstruction with its tentacle-like arm.  

Bang━!  

A gunshot rang out, and the corpse doll's head snapped to one side, its skin cracking.  

The shot had hit.  

The shooter was Edith, struggling to breathe after being whipped.  

"Ugh... The coward hiding behind a corpse... where..."  

Perhaps provoked by those words, the corpse doll sharpened its whip-like arm and stabbed it right into Edith’s abdomen.  

Thuck━!  

A damp, unsettling sound of flesh being pierced echoed, and Edith's shirt soaked up red.  

The tentacle passed through Edith’s back, knocking down someone in the crowd behind him, causing people to gasp and retreat.  

"Grrrr..."  

"Who's calling who a coward?"  

The corpse doll asked the groaning Edith.  

Sweating profusely, Edith managed to speak.  

"Not... a coward. You're a fool."  

In that moment, a fist powered by magic slammed down on the corpse doll's head, crushing it from top to bottom.  

The corpse doll shattered, scattering its internal mechanisms all around.  

However, the tentacle that had pierced Edith’s abdomen did not disappear.  

"Edith!"  

Terence called out to Edith in alarm.  

Edith responded.  

"It's too late..."  

Jane approached, holding the prince tightly, and with a shocked face, she handed the prince to Terence.  

"Edith..."  

Jane called out to Edith in a dazed voice.  

It was a scene she had dreamed of, but it felt unreal.  

It was like a dream.  

"We must go."  

Terence gritted his teeth and grabbed Jane's wrist.  

"We need to get out of here now."  

He was right.  

They needed to escape now.  

But Jane couldn’t.  

She couldn’t understand why he had fired the gun and provoked them earlier.  

He could have just ignored it, or played dead.  

She knew that was the way to survive.  

Watching this, Edith, breathing thinly, gestured to Jane.  

Jane moved closer as instructed, and Edith immediately grabbed her by the hair.  

"Ugh...!"  

Jane groaned as her hair was suddenly yanked, but Edith only tightened his grip.  

"Why are you making that face? Are you moved? You think I sacrificed myself for you...? Should I remind you what I did to your mother?!"  

Edith looked straight into Jane's eyes.  

"I crushed your mother under money! I discarded her! And you too! Your pathetic name, Jane, it’s because it’s the most common name given in orphanages."  

"Ah-"  

"-Don't call me father! I abandoned you! You’re the same! You approached me for my money, didn't you?! Isn’t that right?!"  

Edith's face, pale from the bleeding in his abdomen, flushed red like a dying candle at the end.  

Perhaps because of the pain, his eyes seemed slightly moist.  

"That's our relationship. Abandoning and using! It's clear-cut! Don’t dirty it. Be glad I’m dying instead and cling to life with all your might...!!"  

As new corpse dolls entered the iron barrier, Terence urged Jane to hurry.  

However, Jane didn't move.  

Towards her, Edith made one last effort to speak.  

"You've got your inheritance, so you don't need to keep up the dumb pretense anymore, just get out of here!"  

"I’ve heard that line before."  

"..."  

A voice incongruent with the oily situation rang out like a drop of water.  

The strange voice changed the air in this chaotic place, making everyone pause.  

Only their eyes moved.  

Through those eyes, they looked towards the direction of the sound, and there stood a man with a quarterstaff, seemingly natural as if he had always been there.  

"The duty of escorting Miss Jane is over, and it’s similar to what I told Miss Jane when we met in Sapphire."  

With the sudden appearance of Oliver, the dying Edith, a tearful Jane, Terence, and Prince Albert, even the corpse dolls, all widened their eyes and looked at Oliver.  

Feeling their gaze, Oliver waved and greeted.  

"Hello."