Princess Shu

Schuden had his eyes fixed on the opponent’s side, not even paying any heed to the Knights of Garth who were guarding him. 

There, a man was riding a brown horse. A red cloak worn over the man’s armor fluttered among the mind.

It was Leo Canute, the leading commander of the East. He approached, slashing the Gel knights without hesitation. 

While keeping his eyes on Leo, Schuden said.

“I’m going to engage in a one-on-one fight. Clear the area.”

“Yes, sir.”

Leo seemed to have given the same order to his knights guarding the area. After fighting hard, the surrounding soldiers gradually withdrew. The knights who followed each head had long gone far away to secure maximum space. But even if their leaders were having a one-on-one fight, the battle between the soldiers did not stop. The sound of weapons clashing could be heard countless times over the small hill. 

Two men with red eyes confronted each other in the vast plain with bodies rolling around.

“We’ve finally met Schuden Garth.”

“This is unexpected. I thought you’d rush fearlessly to cut my throat from the first day this war started.”

“I wanted to, but a lot of guys were dangling on me.”

Even so, Leo had no intentions of being reckless. Just as Schuden perfectly played the role of commander-in-chief, Leo had also not forgotten the duties and responsibilities of the leading commander. He did not act on his own just because he was swept away by his personal feelings. It was not until Schuden saw Leo’s manner and appearance over the past few months that he realized that the war was not his intention.

“I thought you were the one who proposed this war to the King.”

Leo scoffed as though he was speechless. 

“What power does a mere mercenary-turned-viscount have to suggest a war with the Empire? War will only create victims. As for me, just your neck is enough. I never wanted to do something of such a uselessly large scale like this.”

Leo used the King for his personal revenge and the King also used him for political ambition. This war would have happened even without Leo. If it was irrevocable, Leo wanted to personally declare the war to Schuden. That was why he even went through the trouble of going to the Empire. That was also the reason why he obediently accepted his position as the leading commander.

“I can’t let some other guy claim your neck.”

“You’re confident.”

“Because that’s the reason I survived.”

After giving a simple response, Leo drew his sword from his waist. Schuden also responded immediately. The well-sharpened blades were drawn out of their sheaths with a quick swish. Two pairs of red eyes changed at the same time. The horses stormed out. 

The two swords clashed hard.    

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

“Aarghhh!”

A sharp metal sound penetrated ears. Shaun had pierced his opponent’s heart with his sword, then he raised his foot and pushed the enemy’s chest. As the blade was pulled out, hot blood splashed everywhere. Though a considerable amount of blood had soaked Shaun’s armor, it was not very noticeable because he had already killed dozens of people.

However, the blue cloak flying on Shaun’s back was a little different. It was stained with countless drops of blood, creating a bizarre effect. As a strange atmosphere flowed from Shaun, the soldiers of the East could not rush in. They slowed down little by little.

“How long has the liege been gone?”

“It will be six hours soon!”

Shaun wiped the blood off his cheek and glanced over the hill. There was no signal yet, meaning that the one-on-one fight was still going on. In line with the term all-out attack and final battle, the battle on the plain had also continued for six hours. In no time, there were more dead bodies than there were stones on the battlefield.

“Stand your ground! Obey the liege’s order until the signal comes! Don’t break up your formation!”

“Yes, sir!”

Shaun had a blind loyalty toward Schuden, he never thought that Schuden would lose. It was an unchanging truth, just like how spring would come after winter had gone by. There was no one in this world who could knock his liege down. 

Shaun cut down the enemy troops that came like packs of dogs. The Knights of Garth also swung their swords frantically behind their commander.

“Sp, spare my life!”

It was just after Shaun had slain two people at once that Ark, one of the knights of Garths, screamed. Ark had been targeted tenaciously by one of the East’s second commanders and could not resist the gripping force on his wrist. When the enemy’s sword was heading to his head, Ark immediately threw his sword to the ground. It meant surrender.

“The Knights of Garth are nothing much after all.”

The East’s second commander coldly laughed. The head of a knight who had no will to fight was not of any use. Still, the head of a knight of Garth was different from the head of a knight of the Gel Empire. And capturing a knight of Garth alive would be the highest form of glory. So the fact that Ark was a knight of Garth was exceptional in and of itself.

Instead of cutting Ark’s head off, the second commander turned his sword to cut off his right arm. Ark would then be taken prisoner after his arm was cut off.

“Ark!”

However, the second commander’s sword swing was intercepted. It was Shaun. Before the commander could recover his sword and defend himself, Shaun’s sword split the air. In that brief gap, Shaun did not hesitate to take action. The time it took for him to pierce the neck of the second commander was simply during the blink of an eye. The commander spewed blood and fell down. 

Shaun turned back like the wind. His eyes were burning with fire.

“Are you out of your mind? How can a knight throw away his sword?”

Shaun yelled. The knight commander had always been solemn and serious, he did not raise his voice in most cases. Ark shivered with a disgraceful look.

“Is it the chivalry of Garth to surrender to the enemy? You have tarnished the liege’s name!”

Ark sprang to his feet and banged his forehead on the ground.

“I, I’m sorry! I must have been out of my mind for a moment!”

“Take Ark Roylon to the barracks! He will be punished severely by the knight’s law!”

“Commander! I’m sorry! Commander!”

Ark was half-dragged by the other knights of Garth. Shaun chewed his lips with a face that had turned red. As the commander, he was ashamed that he had not properly taught his subordinate knight.          

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

“We’ve been fighting for quite a long time.”

Schuden breathed heavily. It was just now that Leo’s sword was flown behind his back. A knight missing his sword meant death. Driven by Schuden’s violent sword, Leo fell backward. The commander-in-chief’s sword was pointed at his throat. The cold and sharp blade gave off a creepy sensation near his neck.

Six hours.

It had been no less than six hours, and it did not last long. Leo was pushed back little by little after four hours. And finally, he lost. Leo’s neck would be entirely up to Schuden Garth. Leo looked up at Schuden and said.

“You’ve got all kinds of fancy modifiers on you. I guess it’s not a lie. Have you only started cutting people’s threats when you became the heir?”

Schuden replied indifferently.

“You couldn’t beat me even when we were young.”

“…You’re so full of yourself.”

Leo muttered and violently rubbed his bloody mouth. His cheeks were swollen after having been punched. And his arms were broken and swollen. He did not know why that crazy guy could not just cut his head off nicely instead of breaking his whole body. Even with all those injuries on Leo’s body, Schuden’s body was only full of small wounds. There was some blood from the scratches and cuts he got, but there wasn’t anything broken. That made Leo even angrier.

“You lost to me, Leo Canute.”

“I know! …I know, so stop blabbering and just kill me, damn it. Otherwise, I will kill you.”

“Do you still have to kill me?”

“Yes! I promised that brat!”

Leo’s face was a mess. Their little brother was young, bright, and had often smiled. But now, that child is dead. Leo cared for his younger brother as much as he loved Schuden. If someone treated his younger brother badly, he would always chase them and kick their butts. While applying medicine to his injured face, he even made a pinky promise. If someone bothered his younger brother, he would make sure to teach them a lesson. 

But that child died. 

It was the previous Marquess Garth who released the poison, but there was certainly a chance of saving him.

Why did I swallow the cake? I should have spit it out instead of swallowing it. I should have at least put the mushy cake in Eden’s mouth. I should have done that somehow. He died because of me.

The sense of guilt did not hang only on Schuden. Leo was in so much pain that he could not breathe. His ruined emotions burned with vengeful thoughts that turned toward Schuden. Deep down, he knew it was irrational, but Leo tried to ignore it. He did not have the confidence to survive without relying on those heart-eating feelings he had.

“Shit, shit, shit.”

Leo bit the inside of his mouth hard. He had lived with such twisted hatred inside him, but in the end, he still could not win. Eventually, the one who had his brother’s blood on his hand did not end up being Leo, but Schuden. If the previous Marquess Garth was in front of him, he would have crawled on all fours to rip out his neck.

“Why did the devilish old man die so early? He lived as if he would eat people’s hearts his whole life. So why…”

“Because I killed him.”

“…What?”

Leo suddenly raised his head. The red eyes looking at him were as calm as usual, making it difficult to find emotion within. Even while confessing that he took his grandfather’s life, Schuden’s expression remained unchanged. Leo thought; perhaps he would always have that look on his face. Funnily enough, he felt relief knowing that Schuden would be just as cold and indifferent even after killing him.

“Leo Canute.”

Then, with his cold eyes, Schuden let go of his sword. Leo could have jumped up at the opportunity and grabbed his sword but he did not do that. He just stared blankly at Schuden’s behavior.

Schuden loosened the small pouch that he had been holding firm on his left wrist. He held out a small sphere with a golden mist and threw it beside Leo’s face.

“Stop being so daft and pick it up.”

“…For you to tell me to pick it up or not, what is this?”

“Are you going to live with those eyes forever?”

Leo’s eyes were of mysterious color. The effects of the potion he had taken before the war were disappearing. A foreign purple slowly emerged from the vivid red. Schuden saw the change with a blank face on his face and said.

“There must be temples all over the East, just go to any temple and ask them to authenticate the sacred relic. The priests will also tell you how to use it. Don’t be foolish enough to get it taken away from you.”

“Are you fooling around with someone who’s about to die?”

“I’m not free enough to fool around with you.”

After giving a simple reply, Schuden pulled out his sword that was stuck in the ground. The sound of the sharp sword being returned to its sheath was cold. Schuden said indifferently.

“That brat said something just before he died.”

Schuden and Leo’s brother—the last child of their mother.

“He told me not to die.”

People die in the order in which they were born, and Schuden was the oldest among the brothers. Leo was born one year after him, so they barely only had a one-year difference. However, his younger brother was nervous, he was afraid that Schuden would die first. His younger brother could not even sleep and ran around on the duvet, telling him not to die. Schuden promised his younger brother that he would not die. And that was also the last word he heard. Because of that one sentence, Schuden did not die and kept on living even after killing the Marquess.

“On second thought, he did say one more thing. I mean…”

Schuden murmured. Leo stayed still like a deer in headlights. He also seemed to be holding his breath. Schuden, who was about to continue his words without much thought, frowned slightly.