A King is Born on the Road

KBR C79.

Fortunately, Cadella was not far away. This abnormal maze brought them back to the village where Cadella was in just two days.

As soon as they entered the village, Cadella, who was diligently wandering around, found the three people just in time.

“Iris!”

Cadella came running with a bright face.

“Why did you get here so soon? I thought it would take longer!”

“Is it fast?”

When Iris asked back with a smile, Tamati said.

“Two months is a short time in this maze.”

“Sure, sure. Grandfather lived here for a long time, too?”

“Of course. I’ve lived 170 years.”

There was a strong consensus among the people in the maze, so they quickly became friends with each other and talked openly.

However, Cadella still didn’t like Hayer, so he ran and punched him once, ran away, and hit him again repeatedly.

Hayer didn’t get hurt anyway, and he wasn’t much of a threat, so he left it alone. Then Cadella said, holding him in one arm and panting from exhaustion.

“Why don’t I show you around town?”

“Yes, I’ll hold my breath if I fall under a spell.”

“Ah, it looks like you’ll be influenced by magic when you enter the village, right?”

“…You should have kept it a secret.”

Then Hayer said without malice.

“I don’t think I’m easily affected by the magic anyway.”

“Because you’re a monster.”

“Your body didn’t grow up, but your head didn’t seem to either.”

“When I grow up, I’ll kill you no matter what.”

Cadella threatened but did not say anything about Hayer lifting him and moving him, probably because his legs hurt.

The four people moved to where Cadella told them to go.

Soon they arrived on one side of the village and looked at the flower garden blooming from afar. The village was being covered with purple flowers.

Cadella said.

“I’m going to cover the whole village with these flowers. Then all the villagers will be happy inside with the flowers.”

Then Hayer asked.

“Can’t you tie them up in a smaller space? They wouldn’t know because of hallucinations anyway.”

“He has a serious disregard for life. That’s so pitiful.”

“You don’t even know you’re tied up, so what’s so pitiful about it?”

“When space narrows, imagination is limited.”

Cadella, who was talking like that, looked gloomy for a moment. Then eventually, he looked up and said to Iris.

“Can I do that?”

“…You won’t know that you’re tied up?”

Not knowing exactly what hallucinations were, Iris agreed with Hayer for the time being.

It was when Cadella, who couldn’t wait to follow the party, was sighing as if there was no choice. A roar was heard in the maze.

When Iris looked up with a startle, Hayer put down Cadella and said to Tamati.

“Please.”

“Don’t worry.”

Tamati picked them up, one in each arm, and ran toward the wall.

Iris asked in surprise.

“What are you doing?”

“Someone is coming, Princess.”

While saying that, Tamati held the two tightly with his arms so that they could not move.

Meanwhile, Hayer stood in the middle of the village with his sword drawn.

Iris’s eyes widened at the shadow that gradually lengthened.

“Hayer!”

The wall was collapsing towards them.

As the sun was in the middle of the sky, a short shadow slowly swept over Hayer. Then the huge wall fell on the village with a sound that shook the whole world.

Iris stopped shaking. It was because she could hear Tamati talking.

“I… In fact, he can actually break down the walls.”

“……”

It was as Tamati said. Hayer’s sword destroyed the wall.

Hayer, covered in stone dust, brushed his hair with one hand. Then, he trudged along and lifted the fallen villagers one by one.

Cadella ran frantically and said.

“There are seven people!”

“I don’t have two.”

Hayer, who was saying that, found the two people who were caught in a stone gap and died, and covered Cadella’s eyes with his hands as he ran over.

Then Cadella said.

“I’m not a child!”

“Still, you raised… They’re the ones you used to take care of.”

“Even if they die, I’m responsible for it.”

Hayer reluctantly pulled back at Cadella’s words. Then Cadella saw the two dead under the stones. And muttered in a bewildered voice.

“Someone is dead.”

“The labyrinth is broken.”

Tamati, who was protecting Iris, murmured.

Hayer knew that there was only one person in the land of Luwan who could break through the maze.

Hayer said to Iris.

“The Royal Knights are on their way. Let’s hurry and go to where the sacred tree is.”

Iris looked at the collapsed wall and asked Hayer in a slightly dazed voice.

“Can you break the walls?”

“Yes.”

“Then why…?”

“I was afraid something like this would happen. I was afraid you were behind the wall.”

Hayer gestured at the collapsed wall and continued, looking at Iris again.

“If I wait, you’ll come to find me, so there’s no reason to take such a risk.”

“How do you trust me?”

Hayer laughed at her quivering voice.

“Anyone who has met you would know that you are trustworthy.”

“……”

Iris felt at a loss for words.

She remembered the time when Hayer led the Knights of Tejas and went with her to the North Gate.

“My subordinates are hard to deal with. Everyone has their own voice. If you thought you couldn’t find the way, you would have lied so that you couldn’t go, but for you to have gone this far, you must have seen something while guarding the throne.”

He believed in her even then. And sacrificed himself.

She felt like she was going to cry again, but bit her lip and pressed it tightly. Then nodded.

Then Tamati rushed to Cadella, and Iris turned around.

A traitor who had escaped the hallucinations was trying to stone Cadella. Cadella looked up at the traitor and spoke in a voice full of loss.

“I helped you…”

In the end, however, the stone hit his head, and blood flowed from Cadella’s head. Then the traitors shouted at the place where the maze had been breached.

“Freedom!”

Already, other traitors were staggering over the broken wall. Thanks to Cadella’s hallucination, they all seemed unaware that such a long time had passed.

However, they seemed to be aware of Cadella’s hallucinations.

Cadella believed that since he killed the king himself to prevent his evil deeds, the other traitors would have had some good intentions for their treason.

However, society was more complicated than the idea of a boy who stopped aging at the age of eleven, and most of them were traitors who were only driven by their desires.

The traitor who attacked Cadella also ran towards the wall.

Hayer said.

“They’re all going to die.”

When Iris turned at those words, Hayer said.

“Looks like Kernin Lepos arrived ahead of schedule.”

“Ah.”

Iris understood and nodded.

Before Iris crossed the North Gate, he, who once coveted the throne, resigned and quit as leader of the Royal Knights when Iris married Sid and the eight great noble families eventually agreed to put him on the throne.

Sid would always grumble that if the war hadn’t started, he would surely have committed treason.

That’s what Iris thought too. It was because she always heard that Kernin Lepos was preparing for treason.

Even Iris knew how greedy he was for the throne.

If encountered here, even in a situation where death has become possible, Kernin Lepos will try to punish his competitor without hesitation.

Iris thought for a moment before saying to Hayer.

“Help me if I collapse.”

“…Why would you collapse?”

“And please go through the left door.”

Instead of answering, Iris said that and immediately ran to the place where the flowers Cadella planted were. Then, holding her breath, she tore the petals Cadella had planted, and spread them evenly in front of the two remaining doors after the walls collapsed and the other doors were in shambles.

As soon as she was about to collapse when she took a breath, Hayer ran and picked Iris up.

He said to Tamati, who held Cadella in his arms.

“It’s the role of a porter.”

“Let’s say it’s the role of a knight.”

Hayer laughed at Tamati’s reply.

The two of them each carried one of their companions in their arms and headed for the door on the left.