TOPWL 63

Shane picked Yudit up and said,

“It might be a bit bumpy. Hold on tight.”

“I will.”

With that, Shane began to run in earnest while carrying Yudit. Even while holding someone in his arms, he ran faster than Brown. After about five minutes, Brown, panting hard, cried out,

“H-How the hell are you running this fast? Gasp… I’m gonna die.”

“We have no time to waste.”

“Sorry, but I can’t run anymore. You see that house with the blue roof over there? That’s the one.”

He pointed to a house with a blue roof at the edge of the village. Shane didn’t respond and took off running again. It seemed he’d been going easy until now, because his speed suddenly doubled. Yudit clung to him desperately. He wasn’t in pain, but perhaps because of the poison, a wave of drowsiness washed over him. Shane, noticing Yudit’s state, spoke in a sharp voice.

“Do not fall asleep. You must stay conscious.”

“…Yeah. I will.”

It didn’t take long to reach the house with the tiny blue roof. Unlike the other homes, it had a green sign hanging outside—it was indeed a clinic. Shane, still holding Yudit, knocked on the door. But even after some time passed, the physician didn’t appear. Shane knocked harder, almost enough to break the door down, and a middle-aged woman came out from the house next door.

“What on earth is going on? Why are you pounding on the door like that?”

“I’m looking for the physician.”

“The physician? Oh, he’s not here right now.”

“Where did he go?”

“His daughter’s about to give birth, so he went to another village. Even if he rushes, he won’t be back for a week.”

“Is there no other physician in this village?”

“Goodness, we’re lucky to have even one. You think a little village like this could afford two? If it’s urgent, your best bet is to head for the capital. That’d be faster.”

Shane clenched his teeth hard. Yudit, still in his arms, clutched the fabric of his shirt.

“I’m fine. Let’s head back to the capital. If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll find a physician on the way.”

Seeing Yudit’s pale face, Shane tightly shut his eyes.

“Understood. Please endure it just a little longer.”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I think… I’ll be fine.”

Yudit said with a faint smile, trying to reassure Shane. Shane turned and started running again, heading toward the tavern they had stayed in the night before. It was hard to believe someone could run this fast while carrying another person. In the distance, the sign of the tavern came into view. Shane didn’t hesitate and made straight for the stables. The coachman guarding the horses widened his eyes at the sight of Shane holding Yudit.

“We’re going back to the capital. Immediately. As fast as possible.”

“Yes, sir. Understood.”

Without asking further, the coachman began preparing the horses. Shane placed Yudit carefully into the carriage. His hands were remarkably gentle, and yet it oddly made the pain worse. As Yudit flinched, Shane touched his forehead.

“You’ve started to run a fever. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Fever means your body’s fighting the poison.”

“…Sorry.”

Shane’s eyes widened at Yudit’s apology. He took a deep breath and bit his lip.

“It’s my failure for not protecting Your Highness. I’m the one who should apologize.”

“…Still. I’m sorry.”

“Right now, just focus on staying conscious. No matter how sleepy you get, don’t sleep.”

“I will.”

The carriage began to move slowly as the horses were hitched. Yudit, with blurred vision, looked at Shane’s profile. He was full of guilt. It was clear he was deeply affected by what had happened to Yudit. It had been Yudit who snuck out so as not to distract Shane while he was examining weapons. There was no need for him to feel this guilty.

A flash of lightning lit up the sky outside the carriage window, followed by a crash of thunder. Rain began to pour from the dim sky. Shane immediately shut the carriage window. The sound of raindrops pelting the roof mixed with the distant cries of the horses.

“Your Highness.”

“…Yeah, Shane. I’m not asleep.”

Yudit lightly tapped the back of Shane’s hand.

“If possible, keep your eyes open as well.”

“It’s just… I’m a bit dizzy.”

Yudit spoke weakly. Now that the fever was in full swing, his head spun like he’d drunk too much. Shane removed the wet towel from Yudit’s forehead and checked the temperature. His expression darkened.

“Thirsty…”

Maybe due to the fever, Yudit’s throat was parched. Shane quickly poured water and handed it to him.

“The wound has to stay elevated. Don’t lift your body too much.”

“…I won’t.”

Even drinking water was a struggle with his dry throat. After barely a couple of sips, Yudit pressed his hand over his mouth, suppressing a wave of nausea. But he couldn’t hold it down—he threw the water back up into the cup. His body refused to accept anything.

“…Sorry.”

“Why do you keep apologizing…”

Shane frowned.

“It just… slipped out. I won’t do it again.”

Yudit lay back down without much else to say. Shane carefully checked Yudit’s ankle. The emergency bandage tied tightly near his knee had cut off circulation, and his calf had turned nearly purple.

“The people in that village must’ve lived like this all the time.”

Yudit thought of Brown—the former blacksmith now working as a farmer with only one hand.

“You’re a prince, not an emperor. You don’t need to concern yourself with their way of life to that extent.”

“But the only reason I could live without working was because of the taxes they paid. It’s one thing if I never knew. But now that I do, of course I care.”

“Please, just for now, don’t think about any of that. Too much thinking will only worsen the headache.”

“…Alright.”

Silence settled in the carriage. Yudit forced himself into an uncomfortable position to stay awake, but even so, sleep threatened to overtake him. Eventually, unable to resist, he spoke to Shane.

“I’m really sleepy… Can you talk to me? Just… tell me something?”

“Tell you something…? Anything?”

“Yeah. Anything’s fine.”

Shane wasn’t one to talk much. If it wasn’t necessary, he kept his mouth shut. For someone like him, telling stories must’ve been difficult.

“It might be boring and put you to sleep faster.”

“That’s fine.”

Shane gave in with a hint of resignation.

“I’m not good at making up stories, so I’ll tell you about my life.”

“Yeah. I’d like that.”

“I grew up in a small village called Balt, at the eastern edge of the Adanauer Empire. Because it was so close to the border, conflict was constant. It sat near a mountain range, so monsters often attacked as well. I started learning swordsmanship from a young age to protect my family, but since it wasn’t formal training, my skills were far from refined.”

Yudit pictured a young Shane, learning to fight with a sword. In his mind, Shane had always seemed strong and unshakable. It was hard to imagine there had ever been a time when he was anything but that.

“Luckily, I inherited my parents’ large build, so even without proper training, I could handle a goblin or two before I turned fifteen.”

“That’s impressive.”

Yudit recalled the time he’d encountered goblins. They were small but fast and agile. Smart enough to use tools and herd prey. Their sharp teeth were venomous. Just because a hunting dog was smaller than a deer didn’t mean it couldn’t rip out the deer’s throat. With their intelligence, goblins were even more dangerous. For Shane to have defeated them at such a young age—he truly was remarkable.

“At sixteen, I got a job escorting a merchant. One of the village men, who normally did the work, had fallen ill, so I took his place. Thankfully, the job went smoothly. The merchant promised to make it official once he returned to the village. But when I came back after receiving my first pay… what I found was the village in flames.”

Shane recounted the tale in a calm tone. Yudit forgot his pain as he listened, drawn into the story.

“When I reached my house, it was in ruins. The floor was soaked in blood. I didn’t even know whose it was—I just frantically searched for my family. That’s when I ran into an enemy soldier, likely sent to finish things off. After a struggle, I killed him—my first kill. Two more soldiers came later, looking for the one who hadn’t returned. I couldn’t fight both. I managed to take down one somehow, but three in one day… it was impossible. I thought I was going to die. That’s when I met His Grace the Duke.”