TOPWL 174

Everything about Khalid that touched his skin felt good. The firm abs, the comparatively soft chest, the grinding hipbones and pubic bone, the rough pubic hair and thighs, the knees, the long, straight shins… Just feeling him with his eyes closed was enough to send a blissful golden rain through his entire body.

Khalid wet his index and middle fingers with saliva and rubbed around the rim of his hole. He only stroked the edge and didn’t go in, which made Yudit even more impatient. Swallowing his embarrassment, Yudit grabbed Khalid’s wrist and guided him to where his entrance was. But still, Khalid’s fingers only hovered around the area. When Yudit opened his eyes and looked at him, Khalid was smiling mischievously. Only then did Yudit realize he was being teased, and his cheeks flushed red.

“Khalid…!”

“Sorry. You’re just too cute.”

With that, Khalid bit into Yudit’s chest. He sank his teeth into the stiff nipple hard enough to hurt, gnawing gently until fluid began to leak from the tip. Just as Khalid’s fingers were about to push into the soft flesh, someone knocked at the door. Khalid and Yudit both froze.

Everyone in the household knew Khalid had arrived at dawn. Unless it was something truly urgent, no one would dare disturb their time together. Khalid looked down at Yudit beneath him and let out a frustrated sigh. Then he pulled his clothes back on and tucked Yudit snugly under the blanket.

He stood, threw on a robe, and opened the door. Outside stood the old butler. He seemed to be saying something, but the bed was too far from the door for Yudit to hear clearly. The situation didn’t feel right, and Yudit wanted to go see for himself, but his trousers and underwear were lying far from the bed, making it hard to get up. In the end, he could only wait motionlessly until the butler left.

Eventually, the butler departed. Khalid held two envelopes in his hand. Even after the door closed, he stood still for a while as if nailed to the floor. Just as Yudit was about to call out to him, a powerful wave of pheromones burst from Khalid. It was so intense that it squeezed the breath from Yudit’s lungs despite the distance between them. The sudden pressure in the air made Yudit curl up, unable to breathe. It felt like a giant mass was crushing down on his body. Just when he thought he would suffocate, Khalid turned around with the letters in hand.

“…Yudit!”

He quickly reined in his energy and rushed over. At last, Yudit could breathe again, and a coughing fit erupted from his chest. The violent coughs made his chest and stomach tighten in pain.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

Khalid gently stroked Yudit’s back. Through the tears that had come involuntarily, Yudit saw Khalid’s eyes filled with worry. He reached out a hand and slowly sat up.

“I’m okay. But… what happened?”

At Yudit’s question, Khalid’s face hardened again. He handed over the letters. The stiff white envelope bore the imperial seal. The third tournament was still nearly three weeks away. Had something happened at the Imperial Court? Yudit opened the envelope without even using a letter opener.

[ The Kingdom of Gotha has shamelessly declared war against the Empire. This is a rebellion against divine will and a grave provocation that undermines the Empire’s dignity. Therefore, we order the immediate suspension of the third tournament. All imperial princes are to return to the capital without delay, take command of the imperial army, and proceed to their assigned regions to fight with all their might. This will serve as the fourth tournament, and superiority will be determined based on each prince’s contribution to the occupation of the Kingdom of Gotha. This will be the final imperial tournament, and due to the risks of war, its results will be weighted the most heavily. May you make the Kingdom of Gotha, in its arrogant insolence, taste the bitterness of blood. ]

“A declaration of war…?”

Yudit murmured in disbelief after reading the proclamation. The Kingdom of Gotha was a small to mid-sized nation to the north and west of the Adennauer Empire. It was about one-fourth the Empire’s size—land-rich, but with most of it being desert and rock, unsuitable for crops. The people lived difficult lives, and the large annual tribute they paid to the Empire likely only worsened that hardship.

Even from the Empire’s perspective, rather than bother occupying such barren lands, it was easier to squeeze out tribute through pressure. And yet, with barely any military power, they had declared war. It was a baffling move.

“No… that’s not it.”

Yudit muttered to himself.

“They have no reason to declare war. Even if the Empire is in a sensitive period due to the change of Emperor, it’s not like the factions are weakened. Quite the opposite.”

“I agree. There must’ve been a reason they had no choice.”

Yudit thought for a moment before speaking.

“They must’ve touched their religion.”

“Exactly. The tribute must’ve demanded something sacred to them. Perhaps the saint’s reliquary.”

Even when they barely managed to farm in their barren land, that harvest was seized as tribute. Yet the reason they didn’t revolt was simple: their faith. Three hundred years ago, the third prince of Gotha had renounced the throne and become a saint, spreading the religion of “Dan” across the Empire. It brought solace and enlightenment to those with hard lives and became deeply rooted in the people of Gotha. Over 80% of the population were said to believe in it. Because that saint came from the royal family, the people still remained loyal to the monarchy.

The royal family was corrupt, but the people, who loved their faith and land, would fight until they could no longer hold a sword. And now Yudit had to go crush them.

He was born and raised as a prince of the Empire, but he could never get used to this kind of dirty work. In fact, Yudit himself had once been briefly obsessed with the religion of “Dan” as a child, and the thought of killing its followers made him uneasy.

“What’s that?”

“A directive addressed to me. The Kingdom of Gotha borders my territory, after all.”

Then… could they fight as allies in the war? Yudit knew the Emperor was unlikely to allow that, but still clung to a sliver of hope as he turned to the next page. It listed the knights and troops he would lead, and the location of the front he would be assigned to. Yudit’s expression darkened upon reading the starting point.

“Khalid will guard and advance from the north, won’t he?”

“Most likely.”

Yudit was to defend and advance from the territory of Devlin. When Khalid saw that name, he bit his lip.

“Devlin, huh. That’s the west.”

Without saying who started it, both headed to the office adjoining the bedroom. Yudit turned on the light while Khalid pulled out a map from a drawer. It was the size of a grown man’s outstretched arms and marked all territories, distances, castles, and mountain ranges. It was something no foreigner should ever possess, a map reserved only for nobles participating in the war.

Khalid took out a pen and boldly marked an X on the map.

“This is where I’ll advance. And here’s where you’re being sent.”

He drew a line connecting the X at the far north and the one at the far west. There were two mountain ranges between them. Just crossing one would take nearly two weeks, and the distance itself was no joke. Even going straight would take over six weeks. Yudit scanned the map with a tense expression.

“And I’m sure they’ll assign Reginald and Hiore here. And Azil… they’ll leave him here.”

Khalid marked the two territories beside Devlin, then pointed between the mountains where Azil would likely be. Surrounded by mountains on both sides, it was the safest area, while Khalid and Yudit were placed at opposite ends. The strategic layout was all too transparent. Yudit felt like the shadow of death was calmly walking into his life.

“It’s because of me.”

Yudit bit his lip and spoke.

“When Azil came, I couldn’t act the way the Emperor wanted.”

“Tell me more.”

Yudit recalled the details of that conversation, and Khalid listened with a serious expression.

“So Azil thought you were amusing,” Khalid said, stroking Yudit’s chin. “Azil might have found you interesting, but the Emperor must have seen you as a threat. Now it makes sense.”

Azil was the Emperor’s favorite child. The Emperor monitored his every move, so there was no way he didn’t hear what had passed between him and Yudit. If only he’d just played the role the Emperor wanted. His pride had caused all this. Yudit bit his lip in self-reproach. Khalid gently touched his lips, easing the tension from them.

“It’s not your fault alone, so don’t worry. I expected this, to some extent.”

“How?”

“I let Hiore live. The Emperor must have thought we’d form an alliance. And after hearing your conversation with Azil, he realized you’re no pushover. Your tournament results have been excellent too. He must’ve decided to get rid of you.”

“Then it’s all my fault.”

“Is being exceptional a crime? If so, I’m a criminal too.”

Khalid tapped Yudit’s nose playfully.

“That’s not what matters. What’s done is done. Now we focus on what’s next.”

Khalid tapped the desk a few times with his fingers and said,

“Go back to your room and pack. We leave for the capital tomorrow at noon.”