TOPWL 59

“So, the guy from next door abandoned his faithful wife and ran off with another woman, who turned out to be an alpha. Apparently, she was so strong that he couldn’t resist. He ended up taking it from behind every day, but eventually managed to escape and return to his wife. But after a few months, he couldn’t bear it the ‘loneliness’ anymore and went back to her.”

“So, what happened?”

“In the end, his faithful wife started doing the same thing for him every night.”

“Was his wife also an alpha?”

“Of course not. So every night, she would use things like branches or carrots from the garden…”

“Stop telling such dirty stories in front of the prince!”

“Haha, but you seem to enjoy them too, Your Highness…”

The man had quite the knack for telling interesting stories, and Yudit was good at adding the right remarks to keep the conversation flowing. As Yudit showed more interest than expected, the people around him gradually began to relax. They drank more, and the mood eventually shifted to one of revelry.

“Alright, Uncle, that’s enough. There’s no more to pour,” Hess said, banging the empty ale glass on the table.

“What? No more? We just brought it in last Tuesday!”

“You’ve just drunk it all. Look, the place is packed. We’ve already surpassed a week’s worth of customers.”

Yudit felt a bit awkward. The reason the tavern was now full was because word had gotten out that the prince had arrived, and people started trickling in after work. Even wandering minstrels came by to have a drink. As a result, the tavern had transformed into a gathering spot. This led to Hess, who had been threatened with a sword just hours earlier, now running back and forth, serving food and drinks.

“There’s no more food either. You’ll have to make do with what’s left. Eat up, and then pay and go home!” the woman working in the kitchen called out, tapping the ladle against the pot. The drunken customers jeered at her, and Hess wiped his hands on his apron, letting out a deep sigh.

“Can we sit and talk for a bit?” Yudit’s request quieted the crowd momentarily. One of the customers whistled.

“Owner, you need to change the sign outside! It should say ‘The Tavern Where the Prince drunk!’”

“Stop making a fuss!” Hess yelled back. The person sitting next to Yudit cheerfully moved aside. Hess’s cheeks were visibly flushed. Yudit looked at Hess, who seemed unsure where to focus his gaze.

“Sorry about that.”

Hess, having just been apologized to by the prince, looked flustered, unsure of how to respond.

“No, no! Why are you apologizing, Your Highness? I should be the one apologizing.”

“You must have been really startled. I feel bad that I caused you so much trouble.”

“It’s nothing. I was the one who pointed a knife at you. I’m just grateful you’ve ended it here. Lately, there have been a lot of human traffickers, and I thought you were one of them. I’m so sorry.”

“Human traffickers, you say?”

Hess nodded with a dark expression.

“During the winter, a lot of mercenaries come here to hunt monsters. Thanks to them, I can make a living, but I shouldn’t say this, but there are some pretty shady people among them.”

“Are mercenaries involved in human trafficking?”

“Yes, they are.”

Yudit glanced at Hess, prompting hee to explain further. Hess averted her gaze and cleared her throat.

“It’s because of the monsters. To lure them in, you need bait. Monsters are intelligent, so they won’t usually target strong men. They go after the elderly, children, or smaller women.”

“…Ah, I see.”

“Exactly. I thought you were trying to kidnap Kennen and use him as bait for the monsters.”

Yudit now understood the hostility Hess had shown when they first met. As Yudit munched on snacks, he looked over at Kennen, who had fallen asleep on the railing.

“Does he have a guardian?”

Hess hesitated before lowering his voice.

“Our aunt is around, but she has her own family to take care of. She can’t afford to support both of us. I prefer living with Kennen, just the two of us.”

Hess and Kennen lived in the tavern, and Yudit scanned the dilapidated, dimly lit establishment. While it served as a decent resting place for travelers, it didn’t seem like the best environment for a growing child and a woman to live in.

“Thanks for telling me. I feel even worse now. You must have been really shocked.”

“It’s nothing. I should be apologizing.”

Every time Yudit apologized, Hess seemed to shrink even further.

“You might have heard, but I came here for the swordsmanship tournament. My goal is to develop this area and make bigger achievements than the last tournament.”

“Swordsmanship tournament…?”

Hess looked confused, as if she didn’t understand what the swordsmanship tournament had to do with this district.

“How long have you lived here?”

“About fifteen… maybe sixteen years.”

“Has the income of this village ever significantly increased during the world swordsmanship tournament?”

Hess thought for a moment before shaking her head.

“Not really. Some people came early to try and hunt monsters, but since they were just individuals and not part of a mercenary group, they left the capital without any notable results.”

“I see…”

Yudit fell silent for a moment, resting his chin on his hand as he sipped his ale. While he was deep in thought, Shane, who had been anxiously fidgeting, approached.

“Your Highness, it’s getting late. We should be on our way.”

Yudit recalled the difficult road they had traveled earlier. He checked how he was feeling. His stomach, once empty, was now slightly full from the ale and snacks. If he were to ride in the carriage like this, he’d likely throw up every five minutes. After making up his mind, Yudit downed the ale in one go. His bold action was met with cheers from the drunken patrons. After placing his empty cup down, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I’ve made up my mind, Shane. We’re staying here for the night.”

Getting a room was easy. Thanks to the sales generated by Yudit’s visit, the tavern had made a week’s worth of earnings in a single day. Yudit tried to stop the tavern’s owners from giving him their room, and eventually, Yudit and Shane stayed in one of the empty rooms on the second floor. They also offered a room to the coachman, but he insisted on staying in the stables, claiming he had to look after the horses.

“Shane, this district is really something special.”

“Why do you say that?”

“The ceiling keeps spinning. And the stains—at first, there was one, then two…”

Yudit lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a dazed look. Shane, noticing this, touched his temple.

“Why did you drink so much when you normally don’t drink?”

“I had to get drunk first so that the others would follow suit. Otherwise, we would’ve just ended up sitting there, doing nothing.”

“…Don’t do that to your body. Your health should come first, Your Highness.”

“I’ll be more careful. Sorry for causing you worry.”

When Yudit apologized sincerely, Shane fell silent, unsure of what to say.

“We’re leaving early tomorrow morning, so try to get some sleep.”

“Alright. But are you really going to sleep on the floor?”

Yudit looked at Shane, who was laying a cloak on the floor, clearly reluctant to sleep on the bed, which was large enough for two. Shane hesitated before speaking.

“If you insist one more time…”

Yudit thought Shane might accept the bed if he insisted again, so he looked at him. Shane, however, spoke without any change in expression.

“I’ll sleep outside.”

“…I was wrong. You can sleep here.”

“Would it be uncomfortable for you if I slept on the floor?”

“Well, a little.”

“In that case…”

“In that case?”

“I’ll sleep outside.”

“…I was wrong. You can sleep here.”

In the end, Yudit gave in. He blew out the candle on the nightstand. The room slowly darkened as night fell. Fatigue gradually settled over Yudit. He closed his eyes.

When Yudit woke up, Shane was sitting on the edge of the bed, polishing his sword. Shane didn’t show any change in his expression, but Yudit, having spent quite a bit of time around him, could tell that Shane had not slept.

“You didn’t sleep?”

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

Shane quickly shifted the conversation away from Yudit’s comment. Yudit sighed lightly.

“How’s Your Highness’s body?”

“My body?”

“You drank quite a bit last night, didn’t you?”

Yudit stretched lightly and checked his own condition. He felt some muscle soreness, but it wasn’t too bad. Given how much he had drunk, it wasn’t as bad as he had feared.

“I think I’m okay. The alcohol must’ve been good.”

Though Shane’s expression suggested otherwise, he didn’t say anything. The mattress wasn’t very comfortable, and when Yudit sat up, his back and body felt stiff. Through a small window, he could see the gradually lightening sky, with the silhouettes of the buildings and forest becoming clearer as the morning approached.