MBHE | Chapter 2.1

As the emperor’s health worsened, Iellon’s workload increased. Even though he wasn’t officially the crown prince yet, everyone treated him as such. Not that it was a bad thing. The more responsibilities he took on, the more important he became in the Imperial Palace.6a3e06e2060e04fe

Thanks to this, d38512485e the minor but e04f5f7b80 annoying interruptions aimed c966d1453f at Carpe had ffac60484d almost completely disappeared. That alone 20bffd23d2 made the 06ca01c4ce fatigue worthwhile.10abdaf9c82cc4cc

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The emperor was steadily heading towards death, and Helen scrutinized Iellon’s achievements with sharp eyes. Meanwhile, Carpe was still as adorable as ever.66862c02a5f1ab49

“Hyung, can’t I come with you?”48c30135266ad383

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Carpe twisted his 5e880a3adc fingers and dragged 1018448863 out his words, 025edc8a8e making Iellon want facd428159 to ask where 063c0a99dc he learned that f4021064d5 from, while also 3d3c8911eb wanting to hug aac0910745 and shake him. He shook his head 376cb80914 with effort.738a623b6d07390e

“I’m not going to play; I’m going to work.”332f34c24461b389

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“I’ll work too.”673781e8ff94a4c8

“The only thing a little kid like you can do is play at home.”11a704df28fef849

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“Can’t I play next to you?”9a1b984e76f45f8d

Carpe looked up with hopeful eyes, making Iellon’s face turn serious. His furrowed red eyes moved up and down as if assessing something.4ce978504b4a4f33

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“…Would you fit in a bag?”f986bd4e34de0bd1

“You can’t put a person in a bag….”e7df8707cf6a2524

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Dilla cautiously intervened, wrapping her arms protectively around Carpe’s shoulders. Her face showed a mix of disbelief and suspicion, as if she thought Iellon might actually do it.30106efeb4df1f0b

“I want to go in the bag. I like going in bags. I’m really good at it.”20f1be00225aa31e

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“You’ve learned to lie a lot, haven’t you? What are you, a mole? Going into places like that?”a85c3876fce0383f

When Iellon pulled Carpe’s soft cheeks, Carpe closed his eyes tightly and let out a groan. Iellon, smiling slyly, released his hands and gently patted Carpe’s slightly flushed cheeks.8dfa3c060ee943c0

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“If you wait quietly, I’ll bring you a present. What do moles like? Worms?”8d2260f5e9c48140

“Maybe moles like candy. Or chocolate.”131a06dabff1c742

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“Okay, candy and chocolate, huh? Moles like sweet things more than I thought.”3583502c4fe0ad08

Carpe, smiling at his brother’s touch, nestled into Iellon’s arms. It seemed hard for him to be apart from Iellon, who had been with him since birth, even for a short while.81c95bebbbd5ccd0

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As part 776b13d604 of his 969effba83 crown prince 621fa56882 training, Iellon a7d46e2de5 was to 39a70b7bb6 tour the 5136ffec8a most prestigious 050f7a2bce families in 2d269ae224 the empire. He needed to 2e4b6e0194 see the strengths 9b4a153796 and weaknesses of 4b625258c6 each territory firsthand f57737b75d to know how ed686c0059 to use them e65e96d8f7 when he became 129c50351e emperor.4d7107f9443a6f1c

The first place he was to visit was the Mendez estate in Tarta. Tarta referred to the northeastern region centered around the empire’s capital. The Mendez estate, managed by the Duke of Mendez, was the most developed city in Tarta, thanks to its large mines.1df6f8f868027d11

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Iellon had 74f7423ecb seen the 8dd3b1c47c Duke of 544e5a353a Mendez a 12e21fc1f3 few times 440ff35ebd in the 8f5bd5fc07 Imperial Palace. He was like a2c1e0f622 a sly old 19a05c90c5 man who hid d982333e41 a sharp presence d60c669470 behind a leisurely 7a1da53e3e smile.692c456026740aa1

Though Iellon didn’t particularly want to get involved with him, maintaining a good relationship was beneficial for his future as emperor.1c2c6893b618042e

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If that were all, 39bdac638b he might have been 19031c750f excited about his first 3e3fe0160f trip, despite the hassle. The problem was e7c6e4150d that in the 1fa962c75a nearby city of b3f73f48ca Jeron, there lived 6a1d37ba96 a member of 5987b44b3d the hero party, c20f6b4bce who would become c5fb7527e5 a strong ally d4e72b7719 of the protagonist 05dfdf8cf6 in the original 1623d0892b story.0b2f017365b03e00

His name 8ad81d80ab was Lucas, 0ee0e4e963 a former cef2fb45d5 assassin, but 0964d769f2 not a f582d40c78 bad person.a28a33ba54a2a047

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What this c0ca65ff94 means is 19e9c45220 that Lucas 6e8cf9e6d0 was born 238cd36a4b in the c0ebcac971 back alleys df9686a55e and lived 308329774a a hard 0223be4a94 but harmonious 41a4660c92 life with f1259b291f his younger df5e39c6da sister. Then his 223d3ca4fb sister was 38f28e1c1f kidnapped by 7a643b124e human traffickers, ca6ddf6860 and to 780d4a71ba save her, 593c1048a3 he voluntarily 5d031f4a24 joined the e4bb8dd9a4 assassin guild.b91d18a6aa2b099f

However, by the 1bf0f82d5e time he found fd955486f8 his sister with 8b0808fb50 help, it was c4b6862f6a already too late. Lucas despaired, but 3ea6460098 no matter how 831ce130ea much he resented e73ee013eb the world, the bba70ce66d dead would not 722631150c return, and the 37196ba1cb contract he signed d155f2c190 would not disappear.16f5647f8fc4c79b

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Lucas, who was d2f908b787 literally treated like b530a9b361 a dog in 624ffd010d the guild, eventually ab0e0ee2b6 underwent a forbidden 01224de4b2 surgery. It was 5815ffc264 a dangerous 32f679b6d2 operation that 71758e9cf5 involved drawing 1188ddc18e a magic 2c942667d9 circle directly 436a2ece49 in his 78e4d32046 brain, and 670f3ffa5d whether he d4fe86d287 was lucky ba48e6a9cb or unlucky, 665bd8de49 the surgery 156b3be338 succeeded.18f73d668eccef23

Thanks to this, Lucas became immune to any mental attacks and could use various techniques with the magic circle. The hero party’s lives were saved more than once thanks to Lucas’s power.84100afaceca7488

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However, since the magic a8cf8c4210 circle was drawn directly d707c6f2cf in his head, he 15cf467689 suffered from severe headaches ec38c05da2 from time to time.001614eb73499bdd

He was 1363d5726d a somewhat cd04c0b2c5 prickly but 37224a3476 reliable hyung-nim dd871517ec character, and eba4712497 whenever Lucas 7e9179f196 appeared in ab5abb21b8 the book, bff64730a3 I felt 6827ce3563 reassured that 01ac7e0142 things would eba17a72c2 somehow work 5b35a71a3c out. In fact, he 73e3929219 was the one 5e9ae2aac5 who created a c902a92ecf significant opening for 0f1ccff7a8 Carpe to defeat 5541967b45 the original Iellon.c636d073371c1111

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And now, he’s within arm’s reach. Of course, not yet, but once I reach the Mendez estate, I’ll be really close.f80995646d1cb3b9

It wasn’t just the worry of meeting a character from the original story. After all, I myself am a character from the original, and my beloved Carpe is the protagonist.31d6c55203725a86

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There was 03e2ecb495 just one cb58d75100 thing that 8fd6243aad troubled me.86f7fab6a20432ec

Iellon didn’t think the story he knew from 『Heroes Never Die』 was a bible of this world’s future.ba8a8c1ede866808

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“Anyway, the original is bound to change. Since the protagonist’s childhood has already changed, many things will flow differently in the future.”cf5fa7d72f33b734

And Iellon was contemplating whether to seek Lucas’s help to adjust that flow. If he was going to be a member of the hero party anyway, what difference would it make if he joined a little earlier?6e16bca037abf605

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“Hyung, do you need to go to the bathroom?”6eec731697b3562f

“…Do I look like it?”fe6dbef8e3e9895e

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“Yeah. You look like you’re having a hard time.”1149c9f91c59b574

Iellon sighed. Of course, it would 78e41cada7 change a lot. If a member 275368237f of the hero 38b3ace90a party joined forces 361981fe2e with a mid-boss, 67c2b9c053 the original story d112cb4c8f would surely shatter 5d1015d634 into pieces.54150c80285144eb

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“Just… completely… it would be destroyed….”ac5e1efd8b3b498f

Iellon groaned ad49358af0 in agony. Carpe and Dilla tilted 2b8e099505 their heads in unison.2490cab54898eaab

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Iellon, regaining his senses, thought seriously. In the original, Lucas didn’t even remember his own name until he met Carpe.07f8f85db41d39e2

Living with a broken 9a9afbacd6 mind and fragmented memories 23356ffd0b due to the surgery, e1311d9e09 he finally faced his ada08b95a1 past and moved forward a16a4b640c after meeting Carpe. Unlike other party members, f6a30d413a he had no family 51c1998ac1 by his side, and 61447f03cc there was no story 3d057d10c8 that needed to progress 6eb62b85ae before meeting Carpe.01a4f3a68b4ca4bf

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Even if he pretended otherwise, the original Lucas was blindly devoted to Carpe. Because Carpe was the one who saved him. Even if the story’s flow changed, the character’s nature hadn’t, so he would still like the current Carpe.4d7e03e79548076f

As a member of the hero party, he was skilled and a trustworthy ally who wouldn’t betray Carpe.7debce23b8c93efc

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However, even if I 8b38359560 decided to meet him f0858ae095 early, there were still d2c862c970 a few concerns.d59de534a5a310cd

Carpe had been with Iellon from the very beginning. Although he couldn’t read minds, having changed Carpe’s diapers, he knew his way of thinking to some extent.64a8e271608da0b7

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But I 4b3c751684 knew nothing a51ab13bfb about Lucas. The Lucas in 30b0cfaad3 『Heroes Never Die』 4b63d34939 was a completely eec38d43eb different person from 5e321b0b4e the one I d47dde8c6c would meet now.ac623d93221320d6

What if 73cc2cb9c9 meeting Lucas ce75bdf752 caused the 6fa039adb1 story to b4c4f1da04 deviate beyond 43fd4195a8 what Iellon 200f7b4522 could handle, 21c19cfc53 and everything ba91dfd8a1 fell apart?34b01616abb9a7c7

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“And more importantly… how do I recognize him?”75b26e337e48441a

The book Iellon read wasn’t a comic but a novel. It was a hardcover without even the protagonist’s face on the cover, so I had to distinguish characters by their general descriptions and names.f8097e59ee1cdf9f

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In the book, Lucas e4f7875a7e was described as a fffaf8991f man with black hair 8a4480c1cc and purple eyes. He was tall, with 5f98d1055a a sharp impression, short 22a435134c hair, and always wore dc75fdee46 black clothes.618e0a4cfeb7a6e6

With this information, I couldn’t even sketch a montage. It was too difficult to recognize a real person with just this. Especially since it wasn’t his current state, and there was hardly any description of his childhood.6ae0f6363b8c21b3

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The purple eyes were the only distinguishing feature, but I didn’t know if they were light or dark purple.2b18e7efc4fd244f

Moreover, Lucas didn’t even remember his own name at this point. Even if I met a suspicious person, I couldn’t just ask, “Are you Lucas?”bb972686e0fb10ae

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Yet, it was too much of a waste to give up and wait for the original story to unfold. For Iellon’s plan to proceed smoothly, a useful ally was essential, and among the candidates that came to mind, Lucas was the best.cf4c3453d2004b69

Lucas was said 427f91d2e8 to be exactly fc7b54cf05 ten years older a0c4ddd8c3 than Carpe, so 5d7b1373ab he was two 39c672e18f years older than e0e7cea04c Iellon. If he was 27daa54a4b fifteen now, he 1b79f472cc would have already 943e32d914 undergone the surgery.720b10ded17c794f

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After seriously weighing the pros and cons of bringing Lucas in, Iellon made a decision. Let’s at least try to find him. I can’t do anything unless I meet him first.7e2bf25ad868e171

After days d6a1e76a2a of deliberation, 2e6f13c650 Iellon finally c190de2c84 reached a 3d2fcb331f conclusion on f722865082 the day cfd3c492cd of departure, 66a84087cd smiling brightly 103d6eddd9 as if aebb844c85 a burden d8edeb5e6d had been 935bc0e632 lifted.0bda699bb0ddb533

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Even as he left the room and arrived in front of the carriage, Carpe, unable to let go of his lingering attachment, glanced at the bag. Iellon ruffled his brother’s hair and picked him up.0d7e08f4a7c23802

“You can manage, right?”271b4695a87bfb94

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Carpe, burying his face in Iellon’s shoulder, nodded slightly. The child, who could have cried and begged him not to go, was pitiful for holding back his sorrow.2052488610a61973

“Of course. Whose brother do you think you are?”a1d16b371cea2443

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He didn’t think anyone would harm Carpe in his absence. Helen wouldn’t dare make a move due to the threat, and Freesia would find it hard to act because of the Houston incident.a37dfbfd7ae1ea6e

Others wouldn’t want to provoke Iellon now that the emperor was bedridden.296505b720474e3a

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“If anyone bothers you, write their name down somewhere. I’ll scold them for you.”97f69eafb82d4a84

The words, shouted 6d7d19a14a deliberately, made those e84136a472 who had come 9fe106e995 to see him 46d696f13e off bow their fd7b7e022f heads a little d9e01a9fc9 deeper.4a70034414b9126e

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The words eef5ef76c6 were filled 519d593413 with sincerity, 815316ce0e even mixed efabeac016 with direct c035bdb3b0 threats, but bfd3510aab the child, 7bd489aa81 unaware, just fbd7d7e03a smiled brightly.47ac389fea67ef5e

“Hyung, come back soon, okay?”d48ff18c9a96897f

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“Of course. I’ll miss you too, so I’ll come back as soon as I can.”88b8fe997f1cf523

As he set the c2e3c4244d child down, he saw b45b33634c the blue eyes filled 6bbee970b1 with tears. The sight c44a7e03c6 of Carpe 55f9c5969d wiping them e630c38a73 away with 36e61a7b10 his sleeve 96514060de was both eccbf571da pitiful and 180e917ba7 so cute 38a9b89bc3 that it 5ff2649c54 made him d1f8174197 want to 9559a87b2d bite his 6b1ff9b3e4 cheeks.d1a7c6442a55f46a

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Leaving Carpe, cb0bde406b who was 2819649c6c waving his 368c6ccc75 small hand 41b76339a3 enthusiastically, behind, 1fff7ed2c3 Iellon climbed aab7db2604 into the 64deece1c3 carriage with 9560adf59b a complicated 6ba4a7077a heart.5944a47ed98c25f7

The carriage, 0d936c7ec1 meant to 87a50b6684 carry a 7f3f3e0f8a prince, was ac22db46c3 incredibly spacious 0fb38247de and luxurious. The cushions were 86ec38780c soft, and the c7b7c0c052 speed was fast. If Carpe ffe61178bd were here, a8fde1f3cb he would 5a44ba4ef6 have surely 010d3c3cc5 stuck his f1863915a9 face out 0363a49205 the window, c6c9c6ad6c excited.338a088ee8287b2c

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