RGS Vol 4 Part 13

Note: It seems like Ashler is also a commander, not a captain. Got confused cause his battalion was not specified. T-T

Updated Titles:

Ashler – Commander/ not specified

Kin – 1st Battalion Commander

Roster – 2nd Battalion Commander

Unknown – Commander of the Royal Guards – also changed from Captain of the Royal Guards.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖       

The nearby trees finally revealed their faint shapes. As he raised his head, he began to see the sky changing to a bluish color. When he realized that morning had come, the reality that he had forgotten in his panicked state came rushing in. They must all be worried. By now, Melmond and the butler, who had heard the story from Kin, would have been so shocked and probably collapsed.

He knew that they had hidden the truth for the sake of his own health. He had actually passed out and stopped breathing. He didn’t know how he had recovered. No, it must have been thanks to the prince who had breathed life into him.

It didn’t make sense that he would be perfectly fine just from receiving mouth-to-mouth, but he couldn’t shake the thought that the prince had saved him. For someone like him, whom he didn’t even know his true identity. Because of this, he found it hard to suggest going back, knowing there were people worrying about him. Instead, he offered a belated thank you.

“Thank you.”

Karas, who had been watching his back, turned around with an expressionless face. Abel smiled even more brightly, his heart now calm.

“Thank you for saving me.”

“It wasn’t me.”

Karas denied it with a blunt voice, but Abel simply thought that he was being humble and nodded his head.

“No, it was you who saved me. I don’t even know how to repay you.”

At the word ‘repay,’ Karas showed a hint of interest and casually asked.

“If there is a way?”

“Oh, really? Just tell me anything. Of course, I’ll do it.”

“Then come with me.”

Abel interpreted Karas’ light request in one way. That he wanted him to come to the palace together. Whatever Karas thought of him, it seemed he was asking for help in the upcoming battle with the King’s Heart. Abel nodded vigorously, indicating his willingness to do anything.

“Yes, I will go with you.”

“Don’t you want to know where?”

Well, it must be the palace.

Abel swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth and pretended not to know.

“Where is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ah?”

Instead of answering, Karas turned his gaze to the side. The white fog was rapidly disappearing like melting snow, revealing the shape of the mountain. As the fog cleared, an unusual heaviness of fatigue weighed down his body. The darkness quickly overwhelmed him, to the point where he felt dizzy. He knew it was because he had used too much power, but he ignored it and spoke.

“A place no one knows.”

A place no one knows?

Abel was surprised and took a step closer to him.

What is he talking about?

The emperor’s army had already arrived nearby, and everyone was probably just waiting for the emperor. However, he couldn’t ask such a question. He listened to his words, which came out slowly as if he was mumbling.

“…A place where you can lie on the grass and roll around comfortably. Where you can pick fruits and catch fish. A comfortable place where you can sit quietly and listen to the sound of the wind in the forest.”

Karas’ low voice reminded Abel of someone’s voice from the past, making it hard for him to breathe.

‘Just lying on the grass and rolling around comfortably. Picking fruits and catching fish in the forest. Sitting quietly in the forest while listening to the sound of the wind is also a pleasant thing. Even without glory or power. It’s happiness. Living comfortably and freely.’

These were the words he had told the young prince just a few months ago. Abel widened his eyes and stared at the other person. And even when he realized that he had saved his life, he belatedly remembered a suspicion that kept lingering in his mind.

Why is he treating me so well?

The following thoughts were so overwhelming that they almost stopped Abel’s heart, and he asked without realizing it.

“Why, why do you want to take me with you?”

His trembling voice sounded like a sob. However, Abel’s eyes and ears were solely focused on Karas’ lips, unaware of his own state. He didn’t notice how the other person’s voice had grown smaller.

“Because you told me.”

Thump.

The pounding of his heart felt like an earthquake shaking Abel’s entire body. Abel’s eyes seemed to widen even more, as if unable to comprehend the unbelievable, completely unexpected fact. Karas, who interpreted Abel’s reaction as simply being surprised, added to his words.

“You probably don’t remember.”

There was no blame nor resentment in his voice. It hurt Abel’s heart as if it had been stabbed with a needle. He should have opened his mouth right away and revealed the truth right then and there. He should have said no, that he knew the prince and remembered everything from the past. However, he missed his chance. The light was disappearing from his gray eyes, which had been filled with regret.

Blink.

Karas closed his eyes heavily, then opened them and asked one last question.

“Will you go with me?”

The whispered question was delivered clearly this time. However, he didn’t hear the answer. But Abel couldn’t respond. Not because he didn’t want to, but because Karas collapsed to the ground first before he could hear his answer.

“Prince!”

Abel, who ran over in surprise, hugged him, but Karas didn’t open his eyes as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.

  ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

The dense fog gathered only in one spot below the forest. It looked as if a single cumulus cloud had fallen from the sky. But it could only be seen from a high position, and even if someone saw it, they would think, ‘That’s strange,’ and pass by.

However, it was different for Ashler. The deep forest and the strange fog. It reminded him of the Dragon’s Forest. The fog there was just as dense. It was like a white prison where you couldn’t even see your hand if you raised it. The fog he had experienced following Abel was just like this.

“It’s really dense.”

Kin’s murmuring voice could be heard as he looked at the fog in surprise. He was standing at the edge of the fog, not easily stepping into it, with his hand reaching out.

“Do you really think he’s here?”

“I’m not sure.”

Ashler muttered in response and turned his cold eyes away.

“Don’t you have something you need to give me?”

There was no need to say what it was. It was the brown bottle of medicine that would save Abel. Throughout their journey here, it was the reason that kept both of them silent. Kin looked at him with heavy eyes. This time, he stared at the other person without saying a word, but it was different from before. His gaze seemed to waver as if he was still hesitating internally.

Ashler, who thought he hadn’t made up his mind yet, spoke firmly.

“Hand it over. Sir Kin has no right to control Abel’s life, nor the right to interfere with His Majesty’s happiness.”

“……”

“Do I need to remind you again? What you’re doing is no different from the King’s Heart.”

Gritting his teeth, Kin handed over the brown bottle while avoiding eye contact. Ashler took the medicine from him as if snatching it away.

“If you do anything that harms Abel from now on, I will eliminate you first.”

“Will that opportunity even come? If His Majesty has disappeared with Abel, we’ll be easy prey for the King’s Heart. You won’t get the chance to cut off my head.”

It was a voice that seemed to lose its energy rather than a rebuttal. However, Ashler did not release his threatening gaze.

“If His Majesty does not return after disappearing, I will dedicate my life even more to fight against the King’s Heart. I will have no regrets even if I were to be defeated by them easily.”

“You’re dreaming.”

“You are the dreamer, Kin. Aren’t you the one trying to achieve your own dreams through His Majesty?”

Kin did not respond further and looked down at Ashler’s hand with heavy eyes. Although the brown bottle was tightly clenched in his hand and not visible, he stared at it for a long time before making up his mind and speaking.

“No matter how much you say that, I can’t give up on His Majesty. However—”

He was about to add something, but suddenly his eyes widened in surprise. Ashler turned his head, sensing something from his expression, and showed a similar reaction. The thick fog was disappearing. It was disappearing unnaturally fast, as if being absorbed into the ground.

Ashler and Kin looked at each other as they witnessed the fog completely disappearing. Then, without anyone saying anything, they both started running towards the forest. The sky, cleared of the fog, was becoming brighter, but an unknown sense of foreboding enveloped the two of them. They soon realized the reason for their uneasiness as they ran along the narrow forest path.

Two people were approaching in front of them. However, they were staggering and moving very slowly. Soon, they could see that the other person was Abel, carrying Karas on his back. Abel’s legs trembled as if they would give out at any moment, and his pale face was drenched in sweat. Even so, he held Karas tightly to prevent his legs from dragging on the ground.

“*Huff, huff*, Sir Ashler.”

Startled by the voice that seemed to run out of breath, the two quickly approached. Kin quickly took Karas from Abel’s back and carried him on his own back. Only then did Abel collapse to the ground. His trembling body looked pitiful, but all the two could see was Karas, who had collapsed.

“What on earth happened?”

Ashler asked anxiously, but Abel, who was gasping for breath, couldn’t give a proper answer.

“Hah, hah, he, he suddenly, collapsed. Hah, hah.”

As if there was nothing more to hear, Kin started running again from the way he came from, carrying Karas. Ashler also wanted to chase after them, but he kneeled beside Abel because he knew he had to help him.

“Are you okay? You fainted in a serious condition, how did you wake up? No, never mind. Let me carry you for now.”

Thud.

Abel grabbed Ashler’s arm with his trembling hand and interrupted him.

“Hah, the prince recognized me, he recognized me.”

Pause. Ashler stopped his hand that was trying to help Abel up.

“As I thought.”

“You knew?”

Shock was reflected in Abel’s wide green eyes, however, self-blame was more evident in them. He felt guilty that he, who should have been the first to recognize him, had failed to recognize him first. Ashler nodded his head, keeping a distance while looking at his shaking green eyes.

“It was the first time His Majesty has gone around looking for doctors to save someone.”

Going around looking for doctors?

Only then did Abel realize that more time had passed than he thought. The sun rising above his head was not the morning after he fainted.

Are there any other idiots like me in the world?

“Haha.”

Abel let out a bitter laugh.

What had he done since his reincarnation?

Despite claiming to serve the prince, he hadn’t even recognized him, and his actions had caused Karas to collapse while trying to save him.

“Lord Abel.”

“I’m fine.”

Abel pushed away Ashler’s hand and exerted strength on his still trembling legs to stand up.

“I can walk by myself. For some reason, my heart doesn’t hurt unlike before… Ugh!”

However, unable to speak, Abel gasped and bent over. Suddenly, heat spread through his chest as if a fire was igniting inside him. It was an immense pain that made him dizzy, as if his heart was being consumed by that flame. Unable to bear it any longer, Abel collapsed to the ground.

It seemed like Ashler was asking if he was okay from the side, but the heat spread all the way to his mouth, preventing him from speaking. The pain, as if his whole body was about to burn up, was something he had never felt before.

D*mn it, not again.

Cursing himself as he fell, Abel lost consciousness.

“Abel! Quick, quickly, the medicine!”

Ashler held his collapsed body tightly and hurriedly searched in his pockets. When he grabbed a small brown bottle, he removed the cap with his mouth and poured the medicine into Abel’s mouth without hesitation.

Please, do not let it be too late.

Even with his weak body that would collapse at any moment, he hopes he will survive and be with Karas.

Even if it meant that Karas would take Abel with him and disappear.