Louis stared blankly at the deafening noise around him. It felt as though someone had forcibly dragged him out from the depths of water onto dry land. Unsure whether he should open the carriage door to see what was happening or stay put, he could only gaze at the door in bewilderment.

“You fool! Do you even know where you are?!”

“Stop them! There are only two of them!”

Two?

Louis froze in alarm. Through the opaque window, he could make out only the frantic movement of shadows. As he inched closer to the door, another loud crash sounded, and something pitch-black slammed against the door he had been approaching.

Thud!

A grotesque squelching noise followed, and dark, viscous liquid splattered against the carriage window. Amid the fluid were what appeared to be pieces of flesh, but Louis had no time to dwell on that. Whatever was happening outside, it was his chance. A faint flicker of determination reignited in him, like prodding a cold fireplace with a poker. Though his hands were tightly bound behind his back in shackles, he wriggled and tested their range, only to find them a hindrance rather than a help. He clicked his tongue in frustration.

Shackles don’t matter. First, I need to get out of here.

He adjusted his position, leaning his back against the opposite side of the carriage, and braced his feet against the door. Taking a deep breath, Louis launched himself forward, kicking at the door with all his strength.

Bang!

“Urgh—!”

The kick was strong, but the door did not give way. It had been securely locked. Outside, the chaotic sounds of battle continued—screams, the clash of metal, and frantic shouting. Whoever had attacked this convoy was putting up an impressive fight.

One more try…

Louis crouched on the carriage seat, positioning himself for another kick. Just as he bent his knees to launch, the chaos outside reached its peak, culminating in the sound of a blade cutting through flesh. Then, as if the world itself had fallen silent, everything stopped.

He froze mid-motion, his body rigid with tension. Footsteps approached the carriage. If it was one of Leon Benning’s soldiers, he planned to greet them with a kick to the face.

“Your Highness!”

The door swung open just as Louis thrust his foot forward. It was caught mid-air by a hand. Louis’s eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the face of the man who had stopped his attack.

“Dennis…?”

The face was undeniably familiar—handsome, yet with an ever-present hint of mischief. Behind Dennis stood Charlotte, her hair tied back tightly as she surveyed the battlefield’s aftermath with a grimace. She was poking the corpses with her sword, and for any who flinched, she mercilessly delivered the finishing blow.

“How are you here? No—what about Michelle? What happened to her? How did you two end up here?”

Questions poured from Louis like a torrent. Dennis raised his hands in a calming gesture.

“Please, Your Highness, calm yourself. The First Princess is safe. She is currently under the protection of the Adventurer’s Guild and its guildmaster.”

Louis felt the tension draining from his body as relief swept over him. Without realizing it, he slumped to the floor of the carriage. He hadn’t anticipated how much hearing about Michelle’s safety would soothe him.

“I see… And you two came here alone?”

“Charlotte and I separated from the main force to rescue you, Your Highness. I will answer all your questions later, but for now, we must get you to safety.”

Louis wanted to press further, but Dennis’s firm grip helped him out of the carriage before he could argue.

“Your shackles—these bastards…! Your Highness, are you injured?”

Dennis’s face twisted in anger as he noticed the shackles. Louis couldn’t help but feel a strange satisfaction at his companion’s reaction, though he hid it with a shrug.

“I’m fine. Just get these off me.”

“Understood.”

Without hesitation, Dennis struck the shackles with his sword. They fell away with an almost anticlimactic clink. Rubbing his wrists, Louis glanced past Dennis and Charlotte at the gruesome scene beyond—the royal palace’s main road was littered with bodies. His expression was a mix of bitterness and a reluctant sense of liberation as he turned to Dennis.

“Let’s go. Leon Benning’s reinforcements will be here soon.”

Dennis began leading him away, practically dragging him forward. Charlotte kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, occasionally glancing back to ensure no one was following.

“You fought through all those soldiers to get here?”

“With help. We couldn’t have done it alone,” Dennis admitted.

“How? Why would you even come here? This place is practically the maw of a beast.”

Dennis shrugged, his nonchalance somehow both reassuring and exasperating. Louis marveled at how he remained composed despite walking straight into the lion’s den.

“Well, if the beast has lost most of its teeth, isn’t it worth the risk?”

Louis blinked at the unexpected response. Dennis smirked.

“Someone came up with a rather insane plan—while the Border Duke ties up Leon Benning’s forces, a small elite team infiltrates the palace to cut off the snake’s head.”

Louis’s thoughts immediately went to someone who might have proposed such a bold strategy. He sighed wryly, realizing it was exactly their style.

“I see. So that’s why you—”

He didn’t finish. Charlotte’s urgent voice cut through the air.

“Dennis!”

Dennis had already sensed it, sweat beading on his forehead as he drew his sword. Louis, slower to react, finally picked up on the menacing presence drawing closer. He instinctively stopped in his tracks, his mind already piecing together who the approaching figure was. Before him, Dennis stepped in protectively.

“Stay close to me, Your Highness,” Dennis said, his aura flaring as mana surged around him. Charlotte joined him, her sword at the ready.

“If it comes to it, take His Highness and get out of here,” Dennis said quietly to Charlotte. His voice was uncharacteristically solemn. Charlotte hesitated, unsure how to respond, but Louis interrupted.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Your Highness…”

Dennis scowled, but Louis shook his head firmly.

“There is something I must face, and so must Kyle. We’ve lived all this time with a wall between us, never hearing each other out.”

“You’re suggesting a conversation in a situation like this?” Dennis asked incredulously.

Louis nodded, his resolve unwavering. Dennis sighed in disbelief but didn’t argue further.

From a distance, a hoarse voice rang out.

“You’ve run well, brother!”

It was Kyle Loire, his voice damaged yet dripping with venom. Despite having killed their father, his obsessive pursuit of Louis hadn’t waned. Dennis glanced sideways at Louis. He knew the First Prince wouldn’t run this time.

Kyle rode up on horseback, flanked by his knights forming an intimidating formation, their killing intent palpable. Dennis and Charlotte braced themselves for a fight as Kyle dismounted. His disheveled hair and snow-dusted fur cloak betrayed the reckless ride that had brought him here. Yet, his blue eyes gleamed, not with determination, but with something far closer to madness.

“So, you thought you could just lie down and die like a fool? How disappointing,” Kyle sneered as he approached.

Louis met Kyle’s gaze, his voice quiet yet cutting. “I wanted to speak with you before you strayed any further.”

Kyle laughed coldly. “Speak? Do you think I rode all this way to waste my time talking to you?”

Louis’s reply was calm but unwavering. “You’ve always been like this.”

Kyle’s expression hardened, his arrogance briefly giving way to unease.

“I pitied you,” Louis continued, his voice steady. “I tried again and again to reach out, even after you rejected me. But you’ve always locked your heart away.”

Kyle’s face twisted with rage as Louis’s words pierced deeper.

“And now,” Louis added, drawing a sword from the ground beside him, “you’ve come to settle this, haven’t you? So, come. Take my life if you can.”

Kyle’s eyes blazed as he unsheathed his own sword and charged.