The Seventh Prince Runs Away from Awkward Situations Chapter 64 : Chapter 64

Chapter 64 : Selection (2)

What should one do if ordered to shove their own neck into a beast's mouth?

"Lord Tollin, you must return to the mansion imdiately right now."

Pale urged Tollin who was motionless as if his feet were glued to the ground.

However, Tollin could not take his eyes off the Little Duke who was still looking at him with anxious eyes.

He could not go back now.

If he went back like this, everything would be in vain.

He might be detained to be reprimanded for his cri, or he might be tortured.

Until his cri was proven, it was unknown what would happen to Flinn.

Vesper's face wearing a benevolent smile ca into view.

He acted as if he knew everything from the beginning.

He knew things would turn out like this.

Since when? Since he expressed his intention to agree to the business he proposed? Or from long before that?

No, that wasn't what was important.

The important thing was the fact that if he left Flinn here and returned to the mansion, sothing irreversible would happen.

Tollin glared at Priest Vesper while grinding his teeth.

"I will return before the ceremony begins, Priest Vesper. Please take good care of the Little Duke until then."

Thinking that it felt like he was suffocating even while spitting out the words, Tollin spoke.

"There is nothing to worry about. Since the temple is generous to Abalan citizens who are not sinners."

Letting Vesper's aningless nonsense flow in one ear and out the other, Tollin turned his gaze to the Little Duke who was trying hard to make an expression telling him not to worry.

"I will return soon. Do not worry too much."

Tollin, who likewise tried hard to reassure the Little Duke, bowed once to the Little Duke who nodded his head, turned around, and got on the carriage again.

The door closed, and the carriage departed.

The carriage departed imdiately even without Tollin's order.

Inside the box running as if being chased, Tollin blankly looked outside.

His heart was pounding, and his head was a jumble.

He couldn't distinguish whether he was afraid of being reprimanded for his cri directly by the Imperial Family, or losing Flinn.

Inside his confused head, there was one thing becoming clearer.

The youthful face that tried to reassure him until the end.

The neat eyes and the gray pupils showing intelligence.

And soone's deep eyes overlapping.

Soone's gray pupils that shook as if writhing in pain ca to mind together.

At that mont, Tollin felt himself cooling down as if soone had poured cold water on his head.

His pounding chest beca cool, and everything beca clear as if a film covering his corneas had been peeled off.

It wasn't that he suddenly beca strong, nor that he ca up with an excellent plan.

Only courage welled up.

The courage that he could do anything if it was right now.

Although soone might call it recklessness.

Tollin calmly opened the carriage window.

"What is the matter?"

Jack, who was riding a horse beside the carriage, asked.

"I must wet my throat for a mont before arriving at the mansion. Stop the carriage at a nearby restaurant for a mont."

Tollin answered calmly.

He could not head to the ducal mansion since he wouldn't be able to co out again if he set foot in the mansion.

He had to return to the temple.

As per Tollin's order, the carriage stopped in front of a cheap restaurant where business was thriving.

Tollin refused Jack's offer to prepare a drink so he wouldn't need to enter such a cheap restaurant himself, and got off the carriage.

The shop selling cheap food had no lighting.

Nevertheless, the dimly lit shop was full of people.

Because there were many who wanted to enjoy the festive mood even by overexerting themselves a little on the day the Tinas ritual began.

Naturally, gazes followed him who entered the shop in a shirt without a jacket, but Tollin casually ordered ad from the shop owner and soon took an empty seat.

Among them were those who recognized Tollin who had caused a big commotion with Priest Vesper at the square not long ago.

It was the mont they were trying to secure a view by turning their heads this way and that to confirm his face was seen through the teeming crowd.

Crash!

A not-so-small bursting sound silencing the commotion rang inside the shop.

Everyone's gaze gathered towards the source of the sound.

"Wha, what is it?"

Attention focused in an instant, a man who had taken a seat at a table at the shop entrance, drunk heavily from broad daylight, kicked the liquor bottle fallen at his feet as if flustered.

The man sitting across from him giggled at that sight and pointed his finger.

"You must be drunk enough not to even hold a liquor bottle already."

"What are you talking about! The liquor bottle moved on its own! It definitely wasn't here until just now!"

At his ridicule, the man shouted in a fit of rage.

But there was no one listening to the drunkard's excuse.

The shop soon regained its commotion.

And although only a few among them noticed that soone who had ordered ad had disappeared, nothing would change.

***

In Tollin's hand, who ca out opening the back door of the shop, was a shabby and slly robe.

Tollin moved his steps busily, pulling it over his head without hesitation.

Whether due to tension or sothing else, his heart pounded and he was out of breath, but there was no ti to rest.

He had to return to the temple like this before the ritual began.

Once he got Flinn out by hook or by crook, the Piteos family would no longer remain.

He didn't know if he would et a miserable and painful death as punishnt for that, and sothing more miserable might be waiting after death, but now such things don't matter anymore.

He could no longer stand by and lose his family.

Although Tollin was not used to running, he moved his legs diligently.

To offer his life even a little faster.

***

However, there were too many things in the world that couldn't be done with just resolve.

There was no reason for death to be free in a world where one couldn't even live as one pleased.

Thud.

Tollin was dragged backward as if falling by a rough hand firmly grabbing his shoulder.

"Where are you going?"

Before Tollin could even co to his senses from the sudden impact, a cold, hard, and familiar voice settled above his head.

Tollin raised his head and looked at the owner of the strong hand still gripping his shoulder as if to break it.

"I asked where you are going."

Eyes dizzy with betrayal, anger, and various other emotions were glaring at him.

***

"Sothing is strange."

Seya, who was leaning against the wall, raised his head sharply.

"The strangest thing here is you."

Nihil, who had beco sensitive from not being able to drink water, snapped.

Although he had to clutch his crown and shut his mouth again at two punches from Seya that flew consecutively.

"It seems to have gotten a bit quieter....... Why is that?"

Leaving behind Nihil who was suffering clutching his crown, Seya muttered putting his ear close to the wall.

"What are you talking about? It was originally quiet here. Look, you can't hear anything."

Nihil, whose pain seed to have subsided in the anti, muttered discontentedly, putting his ear to the wall following Seya.

"Quiet doesn't an sothing like that....... I can't express it well in words, but there's sothing like that. Like there aren't many people....... Ah, anyway there is sothing like that!"

Seya, who was furrowing his brow to describe his sensation, soon gave up and waved his hand dismissively.

"Seya has good instincts. He's almost right most of the ti. Has the number of people monitoring decreased a bit? Why suddenly?"

Mir stood in front of the firmly closed door and muttered quietly.

Water and als were distributed once a day.

Unless those guys did sothing petty like reducing the al amount, it was the second day since Seya was dragged here, and the third day since he was dragged in.

Naturally, one thing ca to mind.

It was the start date of the Tinas ritual.

Is it a coincidence? Or.......

"Mir! Soone is coming!"

Bang!

The mont anxiety was about to creep up, fortunately or unfortunately, the door opened roughly almost simultaneously with Seya's urgent warning.

The person who entered with flashing eyes smiled creepily towards Seya next to Nihil who was standing awkwardly.

"Finally, it's today, you rat-like bastard. You're prepared, right?"

Mir swallowed dry saliva watching Seya clench his fist tight.

***

Fortunately, there was another person who grabbed the man trying to grab and drag Seya imdiately.

Two more people who appeared to be the man's colleagues entered the room.

Among them, the man on the verge of becoming dried up and twisted seed to have at least a little more authority than the man holding a grudge against Seya.

"Don't act rashly and back off. Because if you make a mistake today too, I won't leave you be either."

The man who was lifting Seya by the nape clicked his tongue at the skinny man's words and threw Seya back onto the floor.

And before Seya, who landed safely on the floor, could step back, he kicked the child once again.

"Then please check this guy first. If he doesn't pass......, give him to . So I can clearly show him what it ans that dying is better."

The skinny man looked down once at Seya who had fallen forward from the man's rough kick, sighed, and signaled with his eyes.

The man giggled and reached out his hand to Seya.

And he rolled up the child's old sleeve as if to tear it.

"Ack!"

At the pain that felt like his arm was breaking, Seya scread slightly.

Although there was no way such things were in the n's consideration.

Mir watched them feeling a drop of cold sweat flowing down his back.

It's okay. It will be okay.

If my prediction is correct, Seya definitely won't be handed over to that man.

While calming his anxiety with words like self-suggestion, a ti like eternity passed.

The man who was holding Seya tight clicked his tongue loudly and flung Seya onto the floor again.

"There is no room for doubt. This guy is a pass."

The voice of the skinny man mixed with sneer followed.

"Damn it......."

The man, muttering as if infuriated, stepped firmly on Seya's arm sprawled on the floor.

"Move this!!!"

Although he had to move it imdiately because Seya, filled with spite, bit the man's shin.

Seya's wound that the man was stepping on was revealed.

The wound, which didn't even have a scab left, had healed leaving only a faint knife mark.

***

Among dozens of children dragged in, only three were selected by the skinny man.

It was Seya, Mir, and Nihil.

The skinny man who checked Mir's wound made a slightly ambiguous expression, but after scanning Mir's build which was larger than his age, he passed Mir along with Seya.

Of course, it was possible because Mir said his age was four years younger to hide the fact that his build was smaller than his peers.

Although Nihil's wound also fell short of Seya's recovery, fortunately, Nihil could be selected along with Seya and Mir because his build was larger than his peers without lying about his age.

The n openly sneered at the three sighing in relief.

It seed funny that they were happy about being selected when they didn't even know what would happen to them after being dragged away.

But Mir didn't mind.

Because the more the opponent underestimated them, the higher the probability of winning would rise.

***

While the children continued their quiet and fierce fight, in contrast, the capital was boiling with joy and anticipation.

Because the carriage carrying the 1st Imperial Princess departed from the Imperial Castle and started running towards the central temple.

ntil Abalan never revealed herself outside the carriage.

Even if she bestowed such a blessing, it would have been difficult for people to look straight at her.

Nevertheless, people have been waiting counting the days for this day, which cos only twice a year.

Today, only twice a year, when they can reach closest to god.

Countless citizens of the Empire, who dared not even approach the moving carriage, bowed their heads with reverence towards the carriage heading to the temple.

What the Imperial Family mber inside the golden carriage, luxurious enough to be blinding, was thinking was not particularly important.

One day before the start of the ritual, anticipation and anxiety were swirling mixed together.