The Prince Wants to Retire

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The Crown Prince Wants to Retire

8. The Crown Prince’s Imperial Guard? (5)

What happens when four Knight Commanders gather?

The answer was simple.

If the enemy, under any circumstance other than being a Master, would have to flee.

However, the enemy before me had no such luxury.

A throng of soldiers had already surrounded us.

Bang! Bang!

With thunderous explosions, the ground shook and the earth cracked.

The mages turned to mush every time a monstrous man swung his great sword, while a woman charged forward, wielding a spear of flames that roasted flesh.

But they were the lucky ones.

The terrifying sight of a woman ripping and clawing like a beast and a madman hacking away at their bodies with grotesque weapons was far more frightening.

The problem was that these madmen had only one target in mind.

“That guy is mine!”

“No, he’s mine!”

Toto and Iris raced madly towards the mage deep in enemy territory, each claiming the target for themselves, while Arshuna prepared to cast high-level magic to take him out in one shot.

Meanwhile, Brion tried to stealthily throw his strange weapon to snag the mage first.

But the enemy mage, being adept at high-level magic, managed to fend off the attack.

“Tch!”

Brion clicked his tongue in disappointment.

“Th-these bastards…”

The mage, targeted by four lunatics, broke into a cold sweat, clearly panicking.

He had intended to make a clean getaway.

If successful, wonderful; if he failed, he believed he could escape easily.

However, the Crown Prince’s response was far too swift.

‘Where did such strong foes come from?!’

No matter how elite the Imperial Palace Knights were, it was impossible for them to protect the Crown Prince alone against such strength.

This meant they were gathered purely because of the Crown Prince’s abilities.

Certainly, the skills of these oddballs were not merely as simple as they seemed.

They were supposed to be average elite knights, but suddenly they had become powerhouse knight commanders, which left the mage utterly bewildered.

Kuwung!

“Gah!”

Toto’s great sword, now approaching, created cracks in the white barrier.

Following him, Iris swung her fist down with the force of a bear, and the barrier began to shatter.

Now even the high mage had no choice but to make a decision.

“Everyone, regroup around the Crown Prince!”

With the high mage’s orders, everyone hidden nearby rushed towards the wagon.

And the same went for the geniuses charging towards the mages.

Those who had been resisting with magic now began to rush towards the oddballs.

Seeing mages and attackers lunging towards them, the Imperial Palace Knights reacted swiftly.

In an instant, they beheaded foes, ensuring no approach to the wagon.

Amidst them, Talion spoke urgently.

“Push them back! Something feels off!”

Feeling something amiss, Talion commanded to cut down enemies while also pushing them back.

And the order proved effective.

The moment corpses of the enemies they had beheaded were kicked aside!

Boom!

The attackers that charged ahead suddenly exploded and perished.

Kariell’s expression turned grim as he witnessed it.

“Corpse Explosion?”

Kariell muttered in confusion, his expression twisting.

It was a method he had experienced countless times in his previous life.

“Why now…?”

In a state of confusion, not understanding why Corpse Explosions were occurring at this moment, Kariell hurriedly regained his composure.

“Surth.”

– Yes, it’s about time to step in.

At Kariell’s call, Surth began to gather his strength.

The Imperial Palace Knights were doing their utmost to hold the line, but it seemed they could not completely block the full force of the explosions, as shocks gradually piled up against the wagon.

The moment the wagon was destroyed, all the explosive force would focus on Kariell.

That would be the precise moment Surth needed to act.

Boom!

At that moment, another explosion caused part of the wagon to rupture, and Kariell summoned forth his fire energy.

Just then, the Imperial Palace Knights arrived like ghosts.

“Protect Your Highness!”

“Don’t kill the enemies, just push them back!”

The newly arrived Imperial Palace Knights hurriedly took their positions and pushed back the encroaching attackers.

As soon as the area was cleared of attackers, the strength of the Imperial Palace Knights was unleashed.

“Deploy the Mana Barrier!”

With the command of the Senior Knight, the Imperial Palace Knights released their mana all at once.

Then, their different magical energies harmonized, creating a formidable barrier around them.

This was a method devised by the Imperial Palace Knights to protect the royal family.

A technique that those who had mastered the same swordsmanship and mana control could achieve through advanced training.

This mana barrier, derived from the method employed by dozens of mages combining their energies into a single magic circle, demonstrated immense might at that moment.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Even amidst such tremendous explosions, the steadfast barrier held strong without a single scratch.

“Phew, it seems to be over.”

After witnessing the unyielding mana barrier through the immense explosions, Talion finally approached Kariell with relief.

Then, seeing the stiffened Kariell, Talion spoke worriedly.

“Were you startled?”

“Startled? By something like this?”

Kariell, who had been stiff, held a look of incredulity at Talion’s words.

Having gone through countless Corpse Explosions in his previous life, if this could make him feel startled, he would have died of a heart attack back then.

The reason for Kariell’s stiff expression lay elsewhere.

“I was indeed startled. I didn’t expect Dark Mages to openly target me.”

Kariell gazed at the dismembered body parts scattered around like fragments.

And even amidst the gruesome scene, he stared impassively at the advancing enemies.

“However, Your Highness, they’re using Light Magic…”

“Aren’t you being too simplistic in thinking that just because they’re using Light Magic, they can’t also be Dark Mages?”

At Talion’s words, Kariell clicked his tongue.

Yet, Talion’s point held some merit.

Typically, holy power and dark power were opposing forces, making it impossible to wield both simultaneously.

Even if one tried to eliminate dark power to regain holy power, the residual effects of the power accumulated from the past could lead to instant death.

The opposite held true as well.

That was why in his previous life, he had only discovered the presence of Dark Mages among the priests too late.

“The artifact of a Dark Mage came out from the temple.”

“That means…”

“It doesn’t matter if they’re not Dark Mages. There could be factions among the priests collaborating with Dark Mages.”

As Kariell spoke, he continued to observe the corpses still exploding around them.

“Corpse Explosion is the most horrifying magic boasted by Dark Mages. If they leaked the methodology to the priests, then the priests too could be able to use Corpse Explosion.”

The notion that Corpse Explosion magic could only be executed with dark power was nothing more than a fixed mindset.

If adjusted to be possible with Light Magic, then that was all it would take.

“Moreover, it doesn’t seem like they’re working alone.”

“Are you referring to the nobles?”

Talion immediately understood.

Being one with the shadows, he could perceive what Kariell was thinking just by observing the current situation.

“Indeed… For them to prepare such a large-scale operation near the capital, it would surely require someone’s assistance.”

This wasn’t something that could be set up by only one or two individuals; such extensive preparations would necessitate external help.

“Find out who holds dominion over this area. Look into merchants or mercenary groups that have been frequenting this place recently, and investigate the flow of funds that may have been funneled to them.”

“Yes!”

While Kariell issued commands to Talion, the sporadic Corpse Explosions gradually came to a complete halt.

Even so, the Imperial Palace Knights did not lower their mana barrier, as they could not ascertain what further dangers lay ahead.

The obstinate barrier was finally lowered only after troops from the Capital Defense Force had gathered nearby.

“We present ourselves before Your Highness!”

“Have the attackers been subdued?”

As Kariell casually acknowledged the greeting from the Legion Commander who bowed his head, he asked in return, and the Legion Commander appeared apologetic.

“Yes, but…”

“Did they self-destruct?”

“… Yes.”

“There couldn’t have been a single one that you couldn’t capture, right?”

“Well, it’s true, but…”

“They’re a bunch of worthless scum, aren’t they?”

Understanding what the Legion Commander was implying, Kariell nodded.

It was obvious that those who resorted to Corpse Explosions wouldn’t leave behind any evidence.

‘They must’ve prepared this much thinking they could ambush me.’

Kariell thought to himself and then said to the Legion Commander.

“Let’s take care of one more task while we’re at it.”

“Aren’t you returning to the palace?”

The Legion Commander looked surprised as he regarded Kariell.

Then, with a smile directed at the astonished commander, Kariell replied.

“Why let such an opportunity pass by?”

Kariell’s words left everyone perplexed.

Even the guy who had just been threatened with death now wore a mischievous grin.

Yet the moment they heard his next words, that smile morphed into one resembling that of a devil.

“We need to capture the nobles who fled the capital. Ensure they can’t escape, Legion Commander.”

“Pardon? Y-yes, but…”

“Ah! I know. You likely can’t bring them in yourselves. Just prevent their escape. I’ll be the one to pay them a personal visit, so just wait for me.”

Kariell wore a chilling smile.

“Your Highness, we can’t be sure what dangers still lurk ahead.”

As Talion voiced his concerns nearby, Kariell merely gazed at the ragtag oddballs returning.

“Didn’t catch anyone?”

“… I apologize.”

Toto, in a ragged state, gritted his teeth as he spoke.

His frustration mirrored that of the other oddballs as they ruminated over the mages who had self-exploded at the last moment.

“Are you mad?”

At Kariell’s question, the oddballs bowed their heads.

All of them displayed faces that couldn’t contain their fury, prompting Kariell to say.

“Then don’t just sit there sulking. Get moving.”

“Yes?”

With Kariell’s words, Toto and the oddballs tilted their heads in confusion.

To them, Kariell declared, “All four of you are more than enough, right?”

“Yes?”

Once again taken aback, Toto looked at Kariell with disbelief as he expressed his disappointment at their sluggishness.

“There must surely be remnants around here. Find them and wipe them out.”

As Kariell issued commands, the oddballs stared blankly, prompting Talion to hastily gesture for them to snap out of it.

Only then did the oddballs regain their wits, quickly kneeling and replying.

“We heed Your Highness’s command!”

Acknowledging their response with a nod, Kariell ordered them to move.

Then the oddballs and some troops rapidly scattered.

After giving his instructions, Kariell mounted a nearby horse.

“We’ll capture the rat-like scum lurking in the vicinity before we return. Protect me well until then.”

“We obey Your Highness!”

The Imperial Palace Knights and soldiers answered loud and clear.

With a satisfied expression, Kariell nodded and urged his horse onward.

Observing this, Talion asked with admiration, “Your Highness, when did you learn to do this?”

“Isn’t this basic understanding? I did learn it before, after all.”

In response to Talion’s inquiry, Kariell boasted that it was nothing special.

Hearing his answer, Talion cocked his head.

He had displayed such poor horsemanship during the brief riding lessons he took when not at his worst.

“I seem to recall you crying out in fear back then…”

“Stop with the nonsense, let’s go.”

Kariell hastily interrupted Talion, heading toward his destination.

Though laughter echoed from behind, he pretended not to hear as he quickened his pace.

This humiliation would be dealt to the rats.

As Kariell bent his rage deep down, heading towards the traitor’s estate, he fully unleashed his accumulated grudge and the stress from the earlier ambush.

The oddballs were no different, bursting with madness as they sought out and obliterated the remaining enemies.

By the time Kariell and his oddballs returned to the capital after dishing out their revenge, the moon hung high in the night sky.

“… By tomorrow morning, things will settle down.”

Talion murmured, eyeing the nobles and remnants of the attackers behind him.

And the next day, the situation unfolded just as he expected.