A King is Born on the Road

Hayer searched his pockets and asked Ato, the leader of the Kawat warriors fighting with the Knights.

“Do you have a cigarette?”

“Why do you remove the flea’s liver every time?”

《t/n: saying when you take something that isn’t there/take money from the poor》

While complaining, Ato handed over a cigarette and lent him a lighter, saying,

“Even I, who lived a lot longer than you, can hardly remember the full moon. I always look at a moon that’s a little less full. Isn’t it the first time that a full moon appeared in Luwan after the death of the late king?”

“It’s the first time.”

“The fact that the full moon has risen now means that a new king has appeared somewhere in Luwan.”

Ato said that while looking at Hayer.

Ato also did not regard himself as a Luwan like any other Kawat, but he was confident that he would change his mind if Hayer became king.

Hayer laughed when he heard the excitement that Ato had hidden in his voice.

“I suppose so.”

“Ah, why didn’t you answer so well? Yes, maybe the captain is not of the king’s blood. But isn’t it true that the queen gave birth to you?”

“Even if I’m my father’s real son, I have an older brother. How am I supposed to covet the throne when the enemy exists?”

Eswa, who grew up believing that he was his father, had a great sense of inferiority in his bloodline.

When he had a hunch that his second son was not his own child, his inferiority complex became stronger and he wanted to find and kill Hayer right away.

If one day a sage came over from another country and revealed the truth, it was clear that the king would take everything Hayer had and execute him at any time.

Both the Knights and the Kawats thought Hayer’s lack of greed for the throne was due to his lineage.

They all found it more interesting to look at Hayer than the full moon.

As if white milk had hardened, eyes first went to the clean skin and healthy and beautiful body, and when he kept his mouth closed, eyes went to his elegant and dignified face.

Hayer looked up at the moon, and was moved by the hearts of those who expected him to become king, and asked Dylan, who was clenching his fists to somehow hold back tears.

“Kid, was the last time the moon was full 25 years ago?”

“…I don’t know.”

Hayer laughed silently at the curt reply, then looked at the moon more calmly than anyone else here.

Then the maid came running with his coat.

“Augh, it’s January, January!”

《t/n: pointing out how cold it is bc it’s january?》

“Ah, thank you.”

Hayer wasn’t very cold, but he had no choice but to bundle up in his coat because his servants and subordinates looked so worried.

Recognizing his desire to have a drink, he poured alcohol into the cup that Ato brought and said.

“That moon is for the captain. You’ll see. It will definitely be so.”

He was sure, and Hayer put the drink in his mouth one more time and looked up at the sky without answering.

The cold white full moon was mysterious. Hayer, who was looking at the moon like that, headed straight to the stable.

Dylan asked as he ran with his saddle in his hand.

“Where are you going?”

“To the Asheri family.”

“Wh-what brings you there… Ah!”

Dylan’s face lit up.

“You’re going to get treatment!”

“Yes.”

The fact that the full moon has risen means that a person who will become the king has appeared.

Hayer saw the moon and saw hope that he might become king. Dylan believed so.

Dylan hopped excitedly and said.

“This is a revelation. I’m sure there’s a way!”

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Yes, Captain!”

While Dylan was replying, Hayer immediately speeded up and his horse started to gallop.

Dylan waved and shouted to Hayer, who was moving away.

“Buy me something delicious!”

As if he could hear the child’s words, and just looking at his back from afar, he could feel that Hayer burst into laughter.

* * *

As soon as Iris fell into the ice, she tried to come to her senses.

She knew it was over if she fainted here.

Originally, she was raised in a convent that was so cold and had no heating, and the memory of the harsh cold she experienced on the way to the North Gate had an effect on her body.

She covered her head with her hands so that she wouldn’t get swept away by the waves, so her arms were bruised and bleeding all over.

It was not long before she reached the shore.

It was helpful that she had been practicing holding her breath for a week and increasing her lung capacity. Nevertheless, she was short of breath, so her mind was far away.

With the strong wind blowing, Iris suffered from the uncontrollable cold.

But she couldn’t rest and moved toward her destination. The wind seemed to scratch her whole body, but she couldn’t help it.

After walking for hours, the sun rose.

It was as if the ground was pulling her body with all its might. Iris, who had been holding out, eventually collapsed on the spot.

Was it an impossible escape?

As Iris was thinking, warmth touched her.

When she opened her eyes, a fox with white fur was licking Iris’s face.

“Ah, the white fox…”

The white fox was a symbol of the Asheri family.

Iris realized that she had safely arrived at the estate of the Asheri family.

The white fox must have liked people very much. It licked her face for the first time, so excited that it even dug into her arms to share its warmth.

Thanks to the warmth of the animal, Iris barely came to her senses and sat up.

“Thank you.”

Whether it knew whether Iris was saying hello or not, the white fox shook its wet fur from hugging her wet body.

At that time, a relaxed footstep was heard, and a 70-year-old man showed up.

“Who are you? You seem to be from the Lepos family, but…”

Iris looked at the old man with the white fox in her arms. He was 70-year-old Ritero Asheri, the head of the Asheri family.

The white fox became the symbol of the Asheri family because of the cunning tendencies of the people of this family.

As far as Iris remembers, the Asheri family, which was located at the border even after the war began, did not take Luwan’s side or Siere’s side for a while.

When Luwan asked to send troops, they whined that Siere was nearby and they would perish the moment they sent troops. Then, the moment Luwan felt defeated, Siere pushed Luwan.

They hid their claws for a perfect victory.

These were the people who would unconditionally stick to the winning side, and among them, Ritero Asheri, the head of the house, was a person who clearly retained the clever family’s tendency.

Iris stared blankly at Ritero Asheri.

By this time, the real power of the Asheri family was already being transferred to Ritero’s eldest son, Flodin Asheri.

The current Ritero Asheri was only able to move as his son wanted.

The eldest daughter, Peonia Lepos, was the queen, so he could ask for some help there, but she lost her remaining power as soon as there was that rumour after she gave birth to Hayer.

In fact, Luwan’s nobility did not value education very much.

In such an atmosphere, the Asheri family was the only family that allowed internal successors to study until just before they died.

Iris thought it would have been education that the Asheri family, who once produced traitors and were completely ostracized, realized would be needed to survive.

The old man asked again when Iris only stared at Ritero and didn’t answer.

“Are you uncomfortable with anything?”

She thought that it was only fitting for the head of the Asheri family, who was called a white fox, to greet an intruder who suddenly appeared in the middle of the night with the utmost respect just because she appeared to be a member of the Lepos family.

Iris opened her mouth.

“My name is Iris Lepos.”

“A name I’ve never heard of… Ah.”

Ritero smiled.

“You’re the daughter of Princess Celios.”

Iris was sure, perhaps, that the old man knew who she was the moment he saw her. Nevertheless, when she saw the side of the snake pretending not to know, Hayer Asheri suddenly came to mind.

He also had something like this. She could see where that tendency came from.

Ritero motioned to the butler, who was following right next to him, and soon the butler had the servants bring blankets and start a fire.

afterword

hopefully you can see the faint orange glow (check Asheri) on the map! it shows where iris currently is!!