While I was having a staring contest with Fluffy, the Black Prince finalized his proposal.

"Anyway, think about it. There's plenty of time."

I reluctantly nodded.

"Alright. I'll think about it."

I stared blankly at the Black Prince's tired face and noticed that the dark circles under his eyes still hadn't disappeared. No, they seemed to have gotten even darker. Was he still not sleeping?

When I asked about it, the Black Prince ran a hand through his hair and gave a faint smile.

"This is just the beginning."

"I see."

I had set the final goal as winning the decisive battle and placing the Black Prince on the throne. But it seemed the Black Prince had considered sitting on the throne as the first step. As expected, those who are destined to be king think differently.

My thoughts on that could be summed up in one phrase.

Damn. He lives a tiring life.

What if I had been born into the royal family? Given my personality, I don't think I would have been able to stay quiet. I probably would have beaten up a few other insidious princes like the Black Prince and run away from the royal family before a full-blown succession war even started.

No matter how I thought about it, I was not a man suited to be a king. Everyone has their own path, and their own life that flows according to its own current. And so, I cleanly erased the possibility of a king's life from my mind without any lingering attachment.

The Heavenly Demon, who had been listening quietly, interjected.

[Anyone who heard that would think you could become a king just by setting your mind to it.]

"...."

I have nothing to say. Why did I have such a delusion? It's all the Black Prince's fault.

Thinking that, I looked at the Black Prince, and he was staring at me. As if he had more to say.

"What are you looking at? Got something to say?"

The Black Prince said with serious eyes.

"Devil."

"What."

"I'll ask you one thing."

I thought for a moment, then nodded.

"I permit it."

"...."

Seeing the Black Prince's extremely serious gaze, it didn't seem like the atmosphere for joking, but it didn't matter. When have I ever lived by caring about what others think?

The Black Prince, having received permission, asked in a serious tone.

"Why... did you go that far?"

"What do you mean?"

"You had no reason to risk your life here. You needed the teleportation magic circle, but you weren't desperate. Because you could have returned to your hometown without the teleportation magic circle."

"How do you know where my hometown is?"

"I don't know for sure, but with your skills, you wouldn't have died on the way. It would have just taken some time. And since you obtained the legacy of Ophosis, you wouldn't have been short on funds either."

"Hmm."

The Black Prince looked at me with strangely deepened eyes. It was a gaze I had seen somewhere before. When was it? Was it when I saved Sir Wolfgang, who had been consumed by the demon sword?

"...But you didn't do that. Why?"

Hearing the Black Prince's question, a sigh escaped me automatically. Men, I tell you. Is it so hard to just say "thank you"?

[Can you say it then?]

"...."

Come to think of it, I probably wouldn't be able to say "thank you" to the Black Prince even if I died. Because I'm a man too, after all.

The Heavenly Demon snorted.

[See?]

But it's a different story with the Heavenly Demon. What can't I say to the benefactor who saved me when I fell off a cliff, the sky-like master who opened a new world for me?

'If it's my master, I can say it a hundred times. Want me to?'

[Forget it.]

'....'

There was no reason for me to say to the Black Prince what I hadn't even said to the Heavenly Demon. So instead, I answered like this.

"You. Did you think I was going to surrender?"

The Black Prince stared at me blankly.

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"Yes. When I saw the Royal Knights come out... honestly, I thought it would be difficult. No, after you barely beat the taciturn Victor. When you had to fight Van Dyke of the Iron Spear while injured. I was sure you would surrender."

"Why?"

"Because I think I would have surrendered too."

I let out a small laugh. Honestly, thinking about it now, it was a desperate situation.

"Black Prince."

"What is it."

I glared at the Black Prince.

"A fight is all about momentum, you bastard. I hadn't given up, but you dared to think about giving up? No wonder I felt my strength draining. You were the culprit. You despicable bastard. I've finally arrested the culprit."

"...."

The Black Prince was right. I could have just given up and gone around the Misty Cliffs to return to Maia. It would have taken a considerable amount of time, but seeing my injured state now, it seems the time difference wouldn't have been that much even if I had just gone. I'm not even sure when I'll be able to leave this sickbed.

Whether I waited for the teleportation magic circle to be ready or just surrendered and walked, it would have been the same.

Why did I fight so desperately, bleeding all over? I don't know either. I just didn't want to lose. Rather than not wanting to lose to Van Dyke, I didn't want to lose to myself. I didn't want to see my spirit break.

A perfectly fine Van Dyke had entered the arena fully prepared to fight, but I had used up most of my internal energy fighting Victor and had also sustained an injury to my shoulder. It was a disadvantageous situation, but... I didn't want to use that as an excuse. I didn't want to comfort myself by saying it couldn't be helped. I didn't want to cowardly make excuses for my weakness.

What more needs to be said? If I lost, it was because I was weak. If I had been stronger, I would have won. The loser talks a lot, and the winner is silent. It's probably because they don't need to say anything. They've shown it through their actions, so what more needs to be said?

I didn't want to be a talkative loser. So, I just fought with all my might. That's all.

But... I couldn't just sit here and explain all this. So I just said whatever came to mind.

"It's just that what that guy said was annoying."

"...What?"

The Black Prince stared at me with a dazed face. This is the first time I've seen this expression on him.

"No, do you know what that bastard said as soon as he saw me?"

"What did he say?"

"He lowered his voice all seriously and said, 'Can you fight?' Don't you want to beat him up? Huh? You want to beat the shit out of him, right? Don't you?"

The Black Prince's face contorted.

"Pfft... Puhahahaha!"

The Black Prince tried his best to hold back his laughter, but eventually burst out. I stared at the laughing Black Prince with wide eyes. No, I'm seeing a lot of different sides of him today. I've seen him sneer with a sly grin a lot, but this is the first time I've seen him laugh so loudly.

Has he gone mad?

The Black Knights were also staring at their laughing lord with wide eyes. I asked Fluffy with a bewildered face.

"Did I say something that funny?"

Fluffy replied with a serious expression.

"It seems so."

The Black Prince, who had been laughing like a madman for a long time, ran a hand through his hair and looked at me. He now had his characteristic sly sneer on his face.

"That's just like you."

"Got a problem with it?"

"What are you going to do if I do?"

"I'll have to beat you up too."

"Kek... alright, I get it."

The Black Prince, not wanting to get hit, shook his head and ran a hand through his hair again, looking at me.

"Well then, I'm leaving. Take care of yourself."

"...Go."

The Black Prince, who had laughed his fill, turned around without any lingering attachment and strode away. Sir Smith, who had been standing by his side, gave me a nod and followed him. I remember him also sustaining a not-so-small injury in the decisive battle, but he was now following the Black Prince, looking perfectly fine. Either he had already healed, or he was overcoming such a trivial injury with sheer spirit. One of the two.

Well, it wasn't my business anyway.

"Devil."

Fluffy also bid me farewell.

"I'll be on my way."

I gave him a nod.

"Go. You must be busy following the Black Prince around."

Before leaving, Fluffy asked a question.

"When do you plan on going to see Knight Frost?"

Ah, there was that. I scratched my head at the unexpected question. Come to think of it, it occurred to me that Knight Frost's hospital visit might have been because of that.

"I don't know. I have to be able to move first before I can go anywhere."

Sir Fluffy nodded as if he understood.

"Then let me know then. We decided to go together, didn't we?"

"You're busy following that guy around. How are you going to come?"

"I can take a vacation."

"Aha."

Being a knight is a proper job. It seems they can take vacations too.

"Alright, so don't worry and focus on assisting that annoying guy."

Sir Fluffy gave a slight nod.

"Well then."

He said goodbye to me and the others who were restraining Linda, then quickly followed after the Black Prince.

The Black Prince was standing crookedly by the door, waiting for Sir Fluffy to finish his business, and when he approached, he asked.

"Are you done?"

"Yes. I am."

The Black Prince didn't leave right away, but looked at me. Did he have more to say?

"Devil."

"What, you bastard."

"I'm just saying this just in case."

"Say it."

"Be careful of the king."

What is this out-of-the-blue nonsense?

"Be careful of you?"

"No, not me. The former king."

The former king? That well-built old king? To be honest, I didn't have much memory of him. I wasn't very interested, and he didn't have a particularly unique impression. I was also busy fighting.

"Why the former king?"

The Black Prince said in a rather serious tone.

"I think he's up to something. ...It was as if he had predicted that I would win the decisive battle."

"Even though he sent three monster-like Royal Knights?"

"That's the strange part. It's as if he predicted that I would win even with that."

Does that make sense? Even I didn't expect to win. It sounded like nonsense.

I frowned and said.

"What's with the sudden nonsense? Your Majesty. Get some sleep. You're having such delusions because you can't sleep."

The Black Prince, unconcerned, continued to mutter in a serious tone.

"It was as if... he was trying to test someone."

"...What is that bastard saying?"

The Black Prince stared at me blankly, then left a final word and strode out the door.

"Anyway. Be careful."

The Black Prince left the hospital room with his two knights, and a brief silence fell in the room.

"The former king..."

It wouldn't hurt to be careful, so I decided to keep that fact in mind.

At that moment, Linda, who had been freed from her restraints, came flying at me with a body slam.

"Waaah! Devil!"

"Keok...!"

I was just pretending not to be. My body was still not normal, and the aftereffects made my whole body hurt like hell. Was it because of that that my body was startled?

Suddenly, I felt sleepy. It wasn't strange, as it's common to feel sleepy after a major injury. I didn't resist and let my body sink into sleepiness.

Then, I heard Linda's startled voice.

"Don't die! Devil!"

Ugh, so noisy.

"Linda..."

"Yeah?"

To the worried Linda. I don't know for sure, but I think I reassured her not to worry in my sleep.

"Just shut up..."

"Okay."

Or maybe not.

***

I opened my eyes. It was night, and completely dark. A faint moonlight was seeping in from the window. When I woke up, my right shoulder was damp. I checked and saw green hair glinting in the faint moonlight. My right shoulder was being held by Linda.

"Mmm... Devil... your blood is tasty..."

"...."

What kind of dream is she having?

I frowned and pushed Linda's cheek away.

"Ueeh..."

"Aish."

When I pushed Linda away, a thick string of drool stretched from her mouth. I thought the dampness was tears, but it was drool. Well, was this girl the type to worry about someone and spend the night in tears?

I wiped the drool on her clothes.

The hospital room was quiet. It seemed a priest had come and gone while I was sleeping, as I felt some strength return to my body. Though it still hurt.

"Keuk...!"

As I sat up and moved my body slightly to check my condition. I suddenly spotted a pair of eyes that had appeared in the darkness.

"Ashuban."

"Aah, you scared me."

Shushruta, who had appeared out of nowhere in the darkness, blinked her eyes.

"What are you so surprised about?"

"Surprised? It was an act."

"An act, in the middle of the night?"

"How was it?"

"Terrible."

"Well, I'm a person who has never been surprised in my life, so my acting is a bit awkward."

"Not that. Your acting of lying."

"...You weren't asleep?"

"I just woke up. Because you were tossing and turning."

It seemed she had been sleeping curled up at the foot of the bed.

"Go back to sleep."

"I can't sleep."

"Then stand guard or something."

"Alright."

I grumbled and pushed the drooling Linda to one side and sat cross-legged. Shushruta, who was watching me blankly, asked.

"Ashuban."

"What."

"Are you really planning on going back?"

I looked at her, sitting alone in the darkness. She was staring at me with quiet eyes.

"...I have to go back. It was a journey for that."

Come to think of it, this whole journey had started to return to Maia. It was a journey whose end was decided before it even began. But I didn't ask why she was asking that now, of all times.

"...I see."

Shushruta slowly nodded. It was too dark to see her face properly, but was it just my imagination that she looked lonely?

Shushruta closed her mouth after those words, and I also closed my eyes to begin my energy circulation.

***

The next day. An unexpected guest arrived.

A man with a very chilly impression and deep blue hair. And three Royal Knights, covered in bandages.

The woman with a long sword at her waist waved her hand cheerfully.

"Sir Ashuban, we came to visit you~"

"...What is this now."

(End of Chapter)