Chapter 319 - Pain (1/2)

Allen had climbed over a wall from a random resident. He could still hear Princess Sada's panicked voice when they were suddenly ambushed. It quickly became clear to him that he was the target, so he immediately rushed out. Allen didn't expect that below the wall would be solid ground. He expected to see grass on the other side. Pain filled his entire body, while he was now lying in a pile of twigs. It was clear that he broke something.

All he could hear were the sounds of nature, the chirping of crickets - the voices of people in the distance. But even those sounds seemed to fade off into the distance. The sounds are replaced by the rushing noise in his head, the rushing, and the flowing of blood from the injuries he experienced.

Quite some time has passed since he has been in an actual forest. While it is nightfall already, the dark light seemed natural to him. It was difficult to make out the trees due to the heavy mist.

The pounding in his head increases, and his vision seems to blur by each passing second.

Allen closes his eyes, and even the sounds of his wounds have vanished. But he hears a frantic sound, a sudden bright light in that dark forest.

”—rince Allen! Prince Allen!”

The frantic voice belonged to Risa, who is inches away from his face shining a bright crystal light.

”Prince, stay with me. You can't die!”

”The fear of death,” he murmured, ”..follows from the fear of life.” Did he fear death? No, even if he were to die, he would not be afraid.

”I do not need to hear your stupid quotes now.”

This is the first time he has seen her snap at him. Then again, his subjects would never lecture him. No matter how unreasonable he is.

”Isn't there something you want to live for? Isn't there something you still want to do?”

…...

One of his female knights was clearly beyond upset that he had given up so quickly like that, and indeed it was completely unlike him. It's not like that was the first time he's gotten seriously wounded in a mission. For him to easily surrender his life like that, it's a first. But Allen felt it then, the feeling of death. Although it's something he has never felt before, for some reason, it felt natural to cross over to the other side.

”Princess Lyn is busy. So she won't be coming back till later. But she does send a rather long lengthy speech on how much of a moron you are,” Risa held up her message crystal. ”Want to take a look?”

”. . I believe not.”

Allen doesn't have to know that she's angry at him, easily accepting death. Despite what she may say all the time regarding death being natural and the stuff about ghosts, she reads from those books of hers. He knows that the concept of death is something that frightens his wife, but that fear is not directed towards herself. No, if it's in regards to her life. Allen has already heard more than enough details. What she's afraid of the most is death but not her life, the people who have become dear to her.

”Prince Allen?”

”Leave me. I wish to rest so I can work by nightfall.”

”Very well.”