RGS Vol 4 Part 18

To make him suffer in the middle of the flames. Following Erei’s order, the two remaining soldiers dragged Abel to a pillar. Abel had no intention of using force to push them away and escape, but the strength holding him felt insurmountable even if he tried with all his might.

However, what worried him more than the desperate thought of possibly dying was the information he obtained through Erei.

What could Norhox and Truyde possibly know?

Could they possibly know about his existence?

But how? No, it seemed like they didn’t know about his reincarnation.

However, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a chilling sensation he felt on his thigh. Abel realized that chill came from someone’s hand which was groping him. Only then did he notice he was merely leaning against the pillar, not tied to it yet. And the two soldiers were touching him and looking down at him sinisterly. Their eyes were filled with blatant greed that even a naive child could understand.

“Why didn’t I see you when I came here?”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen you before either. With this appearance, you would have caught my eye at a glance even from a distance.”

Without waiting for anyone to say who would go first, the two moved their hands to touch Abel’s body. The sight of his body being exposed due to the clothes sticking to him because of the dampness stimulated those who saw it. Abel twisted his body, but this reaction only made the two men’s eyes shine even brighter.

“Wow, how is your skin so soft?”

“Yeah, as expected of a Regas, they’re different. It’s really a shame to kill you. Ah, such a waste.”

The sound of the soldiers licking their lips sent goosebumps through Abel. He wanted to shout for them to get away immediately, but he swallowed those words like a bitter medicine. Not only that, but he also restrained his hands from pushing them away, simply clenching his fists and stopped. Instead, what came out of his mouth was an opposite proposal.

“If you think it’s a waste, then go ahead.”

Although the exact words of what to do did not come out, the two soldiers showed a reaction. What are you talking about?

When one of them asked, Abel only looked up at him with a calm gaze that didn’t match the situation.

“If you’re going to kill me anyway, do whatever you want first and then get rid of me.”

“What?”

“Do you think you’ll have another chance in your lifetime to possess the emperor’s Regas?”

The dry, calm question made the both of them pause.

To possess the Emperor’s Regas?

His dazzling appearance alone was already provocative, but his words aroused their desires even more. It was indeed something they dared not covet. However, one of the soldiers immediately shook his head.

“I see you’re trying to use your head to escape…”

“Are you afraid I’ll run away? You’re afraid you wouldn’t be able to catch me.”

Though his words were provocative, his slow, calm voice actually calmed the mood of the two soldiers. They exchanged glances, seemingly understanding each other, and accepted Abel’s words.

“There’s no way a small, weak guy like you could escape. But your words are suspicious. Why would you offer yourself to us?”

“Because it’s a waste.”

Abel lowered his green eyes and looked at the other unconscious Regas’.

“To just die like this.”

Overwhelmed by guilt for being unable to save anyone, he couldn’t die without trying to do something. Abel sincerely believed that, murmuring as if to himself. His words continued.

“I need to make use of the advantages of this body.”

Until now, he had only been frustrated by his weak body and had never thought that his appearance could have any advantages. He regretted it even more because he never considered appearance as a strength in his past life. However, the soldiers listened to Abel’s words and had interpreted it differently.

Did he mean that he wanted to enjoy himself before dying?

“But I don’t like it here. Please take me outside.”

There was no seductive element in his tone, but the soldiers were entirely won over. The firm voice coming from the fairy-like appearance sounded even more dignified, like an untouchable existence. That’s why they greedily wanted to possess that body. The two made up their minds and grabbed Abel’s arms, pulling him away from the pillar. Then one of them roughly stripped off the white robe which is the only clothing Abel was wearing,

“But just in case, we have to take your clothes off so you can’t escape.”

The white clothes thrown by the soldier fluttered through the air and fell onto a Regas, who was nearby. The clothes covering his face shimmered like a veil.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Ashler looked worried as he followed Nani into the quarters. Seeing Nani coming to find him at such a late hour, it must be something urgent. Sure enough, as soon as he appeared, Melmond, who was in a state of panic, quickly spoke up.

“Sir Ashler! S-something terrible has happened!”

Clearly flustered, Melmond grabbed Ashler’s arm and stammered.

“I-I made a mistake. I gave it to Sir Ashler without checking.”

“Sir Melmond, calm down. Please tell me what happened, slowly.”

Ashler tried to calm the pale-faced Melmond. Following Ashler’s words, Melmond took a deep breath and was about to speak slowly when someone else interrupted suddenly.

“No! It was my mistake! I, I didn’t tell Mr. Melmond beforehand. Ugh!”

The butler who shouted loudly put his hand on his bandaged chest and looked in pain. Fortunately, Melmond and the butler had a loyal servant. Nani quickly went over and supported him. Ashler, wondering what on earth had happened as to why they were so apologetic about, asked Melmond.

“What happened?”

“That, that medicine.”

What medicine?

However, before asking, Melmond explained something else with a nervous gesture.

“The butler, who woke up thanks to Sir Kin, suddenly realized that the medicine was missing and asked me where it was. Then he suddenly remembered.”

So which medicine?

The repeated question couldn’t come out again this time. As if on cue, as soon as Melmond finished speaking, the butler shouted through his pain.

“*Sob*, I’m sorry. I didn’t consider it important enough to tell you. You haven’t used that medicine yet, have you?!”

So which medicine is it?

Ashler suppressed his rising irritation. And though he wasn’t pleased, he looked at the one who could explain. You explain it, he thought, looking at Nani, who, as perceptive as ever, quickly began to speak.

“The butler remembered something he heard from Lord Abel. There is an important medicine for Abel, but it is such a strong medicine that can only be taken two or three times a year. So, if you take it at short intervals, it becomes a deadly poison. However, Lord Abel took that medicine when he was with His Majesty. And Sir Melmond didn’t know about it.”

This time, Nani’s words were easy to understand. Although he didn’t explain what kind of medicine it was, Ashler already felt uneasy.

“Surely, it’s not that medicine.”

It’s not a brown bottle, is it?

“It’s the brown bottle!”

“……”

“Sir Ashler, do you still have that medicine? You, you didn’t already give it to Abel, did you? Yes?”

He did. He had taken it from Kin and given it to Abel right away. Ashler, shocked, couldn’t respond. Seeing his expression, Melmond’s face gradually turned even paler.

“Ah! Just as I feared.”

Thud.

As Melmond staggered back, the butler stood up straight.

“Just as I feared?! So, so you’re saying that our Young Master might die after taking that medicine?! Ugh!”

The butler, clutching his chest, was in no condition to speak about others. However, driven by the resolve that he couldn’t watch his Young Master die even if he himself were about to die, he grabbed Nani and stood up.

“I must go see the Young Master. *Sniff*, it’s all my fault. I must go to the Young Master as soon as possible.”

As the butler stepped forward with tears streaming down his face, Melmond also urged Ashler to see him immediately. When even Melmond, who deliberately avoided going near Abel to avoid catching the attention of Norhox’s eyes, Ashler had no choice but to lead them quietly to where Abel was staying. It was late at night, so they probably wouldn’t be caught by Norhox’s dogs.

However, this worry was in vain. When they had just stepped outside, they heard shouts from a distance. Following the shouts, what came into view was flames rising high in the distant sky. Although everyone was startled by the sudden fire, they did not stop walking. No one thought that this fire had anything to do with Abel. Even when they saw Abel’s empty quarters.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖        

Every time his skin rubbed against the coarse sack covering his head, it hurt. However, Abel, without making any sound, endured the pain on the horse like a piece of luggage. They seemed scared of being caught by Norhox, moving to a place far away from the camp.

Even before they got off their horses, the two soldiers were already excited, and upon their arrival, they even had a small argument about who would take Abel first. Especially when Abel emerged from the sack and revealed his bare white body, their voices grew louder. In the darkness illuminated only by a single small lamp, Abel’s naked body captivated the two men’s eyes like a jewel.

Furthermore, Abel was not ashamed of being naked. He had decided to use his beautiful appearance, but he seemed unaware of anything beyond that and was more focused on looking around. Seeing his natural movements, as if he had been naked from the beginning, made the soldiers more eager.

“Hey, f*ck it, I’m first.”

One soldier who couldn’t hold back approached Abel, unfastening his pants. Then, another soldier who was about to place the lamp on the ground glared his eyes and pulled Abel towards him.

“Don’t bullsh1t. I had already claimed him as mine as soon as I saw him.”

While the soldiers fought childishly above his head, Abel looked around the area illuminated by the lamp. He should have felt desperate to escape, but strangely, he wasn’t scared. The last thing he saw before the sack was placed over his head was the quarters where smoke and flames were rising. The two soldiers set fire to the quarters from a distance as they laughed and made jokes.

“The beggar emperor’s army will rush there thinking it’s the smell of meat. Hehe.”

He didn’t feel much sympathy or sorrow. He had no time to think as he endured the shaking on the horse. Moreover, he couldn’t afford to pity those people who were burned when he couldn’t even help them. Just until recently, he had felt miserable for days when Karas had wiped out the family of the fake who impersonated the 1st Battalion Commander.

The sight of people dying before his eyes could not be erased from his mind immediately. However, now he understands. What mattered was not the sympathy he felt towards them. It was the guilt for his powerless self, who wasn’t strong enough and couldn’t do anything. He must not gloss over it, claiming there was nothing he could do.

Otherwise, he would not grow. If he got used to cruelty, sympathy would eventually disappear within him. Therefore, what needed to change was himself, to be capable of doing something. Although now he couldn’t even take care of himself. Perhaps the realization after witnessing such a horrifying scene provided him with calmness instead of fear.

If it weren’t so, he wouldn’t have been able to find what he needed even after looking around. The breeze blowing through the forest made his skin crawl with goosebumps. He shrank his arms from the cold but didn’t miss the leaves occasionally falling nearby due to the wind.

It was the end of summer, so the daytime sun was still warm, however, the temperature dropped at night. The wind passing through the forest, as if announcing the arrival of autumn, was colder than ever before, carrying the leaves that had hung heavily on the trees all summer. The leaves brought by the wind hit Abel’s body and fell to the ground.

Most of these leaves were thin and elongated like feathers. At first glance, it resembled commonly seen dawn redwood leaves. Raising his eyes to check, he saw trees towering high like the palace walls nearby. It was hard to gauge the height in the darkness, but he could tell the black shadows extended quite high.

Ah, so it’s not dawn redwood. Dawn redwoods don’t grow that tall. Then, it might be a bald cypress, which is commonly seen in wetlands. Abel remembered that there was a large lake near the capital.

Is it nearby?

But more important than guessing the surrounding geography was the fact that the trees were bald cypresses. If they were bald cypresses, they would certainly be helpful. The possibility of escaping from their hands has increased. Abel had already provoked them with the intention of running away.

‘Are you afraid I’ll run away? You’re afraid you wouldn’t be able to catch me.’

At these words, the soldiers laughed and mocked Abel. It was truly fortunate that they were so careless. Abel knew too. His opponents were far more physically superior than he was, so there would be a significant difference in their running speed. With his weak body that could barely run without his heart stopping, he would obviously be caught.

However, fortunately, there was no moonlight to illuminate the ground today. The world was dark, with even the starlight blocked due to the clouds hiding the moon, which had not shown its cold face even once. If the soldier’s small lamp went out, wouldn’t he be able to escape a bit further in the darkness?

And there was also the bald cypress forest. This would further increase his chances of not getting caught. At least to the lake. Abel fixed his gaze on one spot. To get to where the bald cypresses were, he would have to pass through other trees. With the small lamp barely illuminating the empty space, he couldn’t see into the forest.

However, Abel gazed intently at the shapes and positions of the trees, which appeared as darker shadows within the darkness, as if imprinting them into his mind. Moving through the forest on a night without the moon is a very dangerous task. Even Abel, who had spent almost his entire life in forests and mountains, rarely went outside on nights without light.

Even a person with a keen sense of direction would hesitate when it gets dark, to the point where they can barely remember a new path. Thus, when there was a need to go to a forest without moonlight, he completely memorized the path with his body before moving. Remembering only with the mind is not helpful. The feet that step on the ground and the whole body that perceives the obstacles in front must remember the path.

Perhaps this memory will also be incomplete. Still, this was the best he could do for now. He simply remembered the escape route in his mind. Next to him, the fight seemed to have ended as one of the soldiers roughly shoved Abel’s body to the ground. His pants were already undone, with his gen1tals protruding into the air.

“Lie down. Lift your buttocks quickly.”