HEO 15

“Let me repeat: you really need to be careful around that man. One wrong move and you could be in danger again.”

Wolf faltered. Red Eagle whispered into his ear.

“He said we’d be staying here for a month. When they weren’t in the room, I opened the food trunk. Even at a glance, there wasn’t enough for four people to survive on. You were never meant to be counted in the first place.”

“…It seems the harsh trials you’ve endured have transformed you into a cold strategist, Your Highness. Why did you look through the food supplies?”

“Well… Instinct? That look on the old man’s face as he glared at you while you slept felt unsettling. Once I knew how much food there was, everything made sense.”

Red Eagle was more astute than he appeared. Having grown up in the Levenon court since infancy as both a son-in-law and a hostage, it was only natural.

After sorting through his thoughts, Wolf spoke.

“But Your Highness. Why must we stay here for a whole month?”

“The old man didn’t mention that far. I’m curious too.”

“Alright. Your Highness, from now on, we must move as one. People see the same thing yet think differently, you know. Keep a close watch on the old man and Silver, don’t miss a thing, and share the information.”

Wolf emptied the tray and stood up.

The first thing to check in a disaster situation. Terrain.

“There’s a spring in the cave, right? Let’s head that way.”

* * *

“Whoa! Wha-what is this…!”

The moment he stepped into the cave, Wolf’s jaw dropped. This was nothing like the fairy tale illustrations!

“Your Highness, this looks like a palace ballroom? No, it’s even more splendid.”

“Right? The ceiling material for the ballroom at the Levenon Palace is this ore. It’s called ‘Ar,’ which only glows in the dark. But in Stoll, it’s so common they treat it like gravel.”

“Wow, that’s a shame. I was expecting bats hanging everywhere.”

Firewood was piled like mountains inside the cave too. Aside from the disappointing meals, the hideout’s facilities rivaled a palace. At this point, Black Weasel seemed like a museum displaying only worn-out shoes. His drunken antics were sloppy. Yet the cave facilities were meticulous. What was this contradiction?

No… Don’t get lost.

There must be a reason behind Black Weasel’s contradictory behavior. Information known only to him, or perhaps even Silver.

We need to uncover that information too.

Anyway, the towering woodpile left him speechless. There’s no way Black Weasel did the grueling work of chopping wood himself. He must have dumped it on his slave, Silver. After all, he wouldn’t even fetch his own blanket.

Only then did Wolf truly grasp Silver’s status with bone-deep clarity. When he conversed with Black Weasel or drank with him, it somehow looked informal. That had been nothing but Wolf’s own misunderstanding.

Unlike Atania, Stoll was notorious for treating slaves harshly. Imagining Silver laboriously splitting wood while Black Weasel lay propped up on his arm, idly lounging, made Wolf’s chest ache. Poor Silver!

While he was pitying Silver, a strange thought occurred to him. What if I helped Silver escape?

Yes! I could take Silver to Atania and open a bakery together.

He tucked this thought away in a corner of his mind. For now, Red Eagle and Wolf himself needed to focus on survival.

Wolf whispered into Red Eagle’s ear.

“Your Highness. Is there a Levenon embassy in Stoll too?”

Red Eagle flinched, then nodded immediately. He seemed to have caught on to Wolf’s intentions.

Atania hadn’t unified into an empire for over two thousand years. There were over thirty small kingdoms alone, and over seventy if city-states were included. Every nation had embassies in each other’s territories. It was common sense, and when politicians sought exile abroad, the embassy was their first port of call.

Red Eagle spoke in a barely audible whisper.

“The Levenon embassy is in the capital of Stoll. Though I don’t know whether Mother would respect international law.”

Under international law, embassies are inviolable territory. Wolf shook his head.

“Unless it’s someone from the royal family of Stoll, it’d be difficult for a tribal chief to storm another country’s embassy. The real problem is how to shake off that uncle.”

Stay here for a month, then slip outside and wait for an opportunity to escape. Request Red Eagle’s personal protection at the Levenon Embassy. That was the extent of Wolf’s plan. It was the only viable strategy he could squeeze out of the current situation, but the odds of success were hopelessly low. To shift this bleak crisis even slightly in his favor…

Silver is the key.

Wolf and Red Eagle knew nothing of Stoll’s geography and had no money. They desperately needed someone’s help. Only by bringing Silver in could they evade Black Weasel’s pursuit. To a hired killer, a capable assistant was like an extra limb. Without Silver, it would be like losing a leg.

“Wolf, you were thinking the same thing as me, right?”

Red Eagle jabbed Wolf’s side, then mouthed the name ‘Silver’. Wolf nodded vigorously.

“Your Highness, our timing seems perfect. Hmm… We need to keep luring the old man into complacency for a while longer. He already thinks we’re fools, but we must make him underestimate us even more.”

“I’ll play the coward. I am scared anyway. What about you?”

“I’ll think about my role some more. But before that……”

Wolf stopped walking and listened. The cave was quiet.

“Didn’t you say they were practicing? This is a cave, so even a little raised voice echoes loudly…”

“They must have gone to the hot springs.”

“The hot springs?”

When Wolf asked again, Red Eagle pointed his finger toward the cave’s interior.

“Further on, there’s a pretty big stream. Silver and I cleaned fish there once, and warm steam was billowing up from somewhere. Where else would steam come from in a place like this? Probably a hot spring. They must have gone to wash up after finishing their practice.”

“Ah…”

Wolf flipped through the <Stoll Encyclopedia> in his mind. ‘Stoll has many rivers, lakes, and hot springs. Thanks to this, bathing culture is highly developed.’

This is our chance!

“Your Highness, let’s go to the hot springs too. Right now!”

“Why there?”

“Why? So we can bathe with those people, of course. You absolutely must come too, Your Highness.”

“Me too?”

Red Eagle looked startled.

“Look, Wolf. I’ve always bathed alone. Even with my attendants’ help…”

“Ah, you grew up in the palace, so you wouldn’t know. Your Highness, men let their guard down when they’re soaking in a bath or playing naked in the river. They say baring it all is the fastest way to become friends.”

At those words, Red Eagle’s expression changed.

“…I see. What should I do?”

“Your Highness, just sit across from me and observe his expressions carefully. Come on, let’s go.”

Wolf pushed Red Eagle’s back. Following the warm breeze led them straight to the hot spring. It was spacious enough for ten people to fit comfortably. Beyond the hazy steam, Silver’s back came into view. He sat perched on a rock with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Across from him, Black Weasel had his arms draped over a rock, soaking up to his chest. His arms and shoulders were grotesquely lumpy, covered in bizarre tattoos. If a god had carved human features into a rock, scribbled graffiti all over it, then breathed life into it, would it look like that? Now that Wolf looked closely, he looked gentler when wrapped in wolf fur.

“How did you find this place?”

Black Weasel looked Wolf and Red Eagle up and down. Silver glanced back too.

Wolf found himself staring at Silver. His face, wet hair swept back to reveal his forehead. Skin smooth and white like freshly kneaded dough. A slim body threaded with lean muscle. An arm casually draped over his thigh. A chest like a drop of wine syrup plopped onto a pure white cookie. Geometric tattoos running from his side to his waist like a constellation. Wolf’s heart pounded.

What? Did I really just look at every single part of Silver’s body? This is definitely…

Definitely…

This isn’t the problem! My dick!

Wolf sighed in relief. Unlike his suspicious roaming eyes, his lower half was modestly looking downwards. A man’s true feelings lie in his lower half. Wolf dismissed his doubts with relief and nodded.

“We were exploring the cave when I felt a warm breeze, so we followed it here. This place is really nice! If it’s alright, could we join you…?”

“Fine by me, but Prince, give yourself a quick wash and come in here. See over there?”

Black Weasel gestured with his chin. Next to the hot spring sat several wooden tubs, piles of towels, and even soap. Wolf was moved to see these trappings of civilization after so long.

“Then, Your Highness, I’ll attend to you.”