The Bastard First Prince Doesn't Want to Die

[Translator - Jjescus ]

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Chapter: 146

The very idea of going to rescue Gong Chomun was the first thing to irritate him.

Secondly, the fact that he knew they were walking into a trap but had to do it anyway grated on his nerves.

Was Gong Chomun so foolish that he had stumbled somewhere, or had he planned to get himself into trouble from the start? Either way, it was all Gong Chomun's fault.

Even if something unexpected had happened and an accident had occurred, it would all be Gong Chomun's fault.

‘Shouldn't he have been able to return even if he had encountered monsters?’

Of course, Gong Chomun was in no condition to even swing a sword properly. And it was Jincheon, and no one else, who had put him in that condition.

But Jincheon didn't think it was his responsibility.

Even if Gong Chomun and his men had truly encountered a group of monsters and were in danger, Jincheon would never have thought it was his responsibility.

Because it was Gong Chomun who had started the trouble by causing a commotion when Jincheon was minding his own business.

‘What a fool. So stupid.’

It was his fault for meddling in matters that were none of his business. If he were Jincheon, he would never have done such a thing.

Jincheon didn't have much patience to begin with. And now that his fuse had been lit, an explosion was inevitable.

Unaware of Jincheon's suppressed irritation, Yegyeong took the lead.

‘He doesn’t hesitate at all.’

If he had shown the slightest hesitation, Jincheon would have tried to turn back.

With even the smallest excuse, he could have pushed for a retreat, and it would have given Yegyeong a reason to reluctantly return.

But there was no opening.

So for a long time, Jincheon had been scraping together what little patience he had left, his mouth clamped shut.

"Your Highness."

But he couldn't remain silent when it was so obvious they were walking into danger.

And if he didn't say something, no one else in the group would.

"Yes?"

Yegyeong's voice carried through the air as he cut through the bushes with his sword.

Without turning around, he replied, "Should we continue?"

"Of course."

Yegyeong's sword cut through the bushes again. And the soldier next to him cut the remaining branches, widening the path.

They had to clear the path with every step they took.

It would take half a day to travel a thousand steps.

How could they find anyone at this rate?

Jincheon wanted to grab Yegyeong and drag him back right away.

Although he couldn't do it alone, it wouldn't be too difficult to drag Yegyeong back to the gorge if he worked with the other soldiers.

He was just afraid of the consequences.

Unable to answer honestly, Jincheon sighed and looked up at the sky.

A familiar black shadow was cutting through the sky, a sight so unusual that it felt strange.

‘It's His Highness's crow.’

With that crow, they didn't have to worry about getting lost.

Jincheon had already figured out its identity. The others had probably realized that the prince’s crow was acting as a guide.

But Jincheon knew more. He realized that the crow only stayed near Yegyeong when he wasn't in danger.

‘So it's okay for now.’

Jincheon looked around.

Unlike the loud noise of the rushing water in the gorge, the only sounds nearby were the faint rustle of the wind through the bushes and the footsteps of the group.

But despite the peaceful scenery, there was danger lurking within.

The ground was sloping upwards, and ahead, a dense thicket blocked their view.

‘He couldn't be sure that it wasn't a cliff at the end,’ Jincheon thought, glancing at Yegyeong.

‘Today's not your day, is it?’

Jincheon had realized something a long time ago. The prince, at times, noticed details even he missed.

But it was only occasional. His keenness usually manifested when they encountered paths that branched off in multiple directions.

But today didn't seem to be his day.

‘Seeing how he's so calm despite looking worried.’

Of course, his judgment of visible situations was never inferior to that of other generals. The fact that commanders who had fought alongside General So on numerous battlefields followed Yegyeong's orders without question was proof of that.

However, there was a boundary between them and Jincheon, an insurmountable wall.

Jincheon was quickly learning that. Thanks to the high-level generals around him, his insight was also growing rapidly.

Just then, the crow in the sky cawed once.

"Caw!"

The clear cry, which tore through the surrounding noise, made everyone lift their heads.

Then, as if by prior agreement, they raised their swords into a fighting stance.

"A monster,” Yegyeong said. As he said, a dark shadow emerged heavily from beyond the bushes.

It was a monster with a huge body, sharp fangs, and claws as sharp as blades.

The red-brown furred monster slowly revealed itself, trampling down the dense bushes that covered the ground.

Despite the dim light, its yellow eyes glowed eerily.

"...Is it injured?" A soldier muttered. Having seen so many monsters, they were no longer overly tense or afraid.

The monster was covered in wounds.

Most of them were old, but there were also fresh wounds that were still bleeding. They were sharp cuts.

It didn't seem like it was from a territorial dispute with another monster. It was more likely that it had been cut by a human-made blade.

However, the monster didn't immediately attack. One of its eyes was missing, replaced by a deep cavity. The monster didn't notice the humans in front of it and was looking around aimlessly.

But soon, it spotted the armed humans and roared, twisting its massive body.

‘If it hadn't seen humans before, it wouldn't have attacked immediately.’

Jincheon thought.

At that moment, Yegyeong muttered, "It's that one."

The monster roared and charged. The roar seemed to vibrate the air. Its charge was surprisingly fast for its size.

"——!"

The monster swung its front paw and smashed a nearby tree. The tree collapsed like a sandcastle. A soldier who was hit by the debris of the broken tree was knocked out.

"Dodge!" Yegyeong shouted, and the other soldiers hesitated.

Jincheon darted forward in that hesitation.

The soldiers with spears then moved aside and attacked. Their spearheads aimed for the monster's side, but they bounced off as if they had hit iron.

After several more attempts, a soldier's spear pierced the monster's ribs, but it was not enough to dampen the monster's fierce momentum.

"——!"

The monster roared, its spear embedded in its side. Its roar was even more ferocious than before, filled with rage and excitement.

As a low growl echoed from deep within the monster's throat, its red fur-covered nape trembled visibly.

At that moment, Yegyeong, who was aiming for the monster's back, swung his sword. The tip of the sword cut deeply into the monster's fur.

But that was just the sensation he felt through the blade. The monster's skin was much thicker than that of any other monster they had encountered.

As if unaffected by the fatal blow they had expected, the monster let out a fierce roar and twisted its massive body.

"Left!" Yegyeong called out, drawing the monster's attention.

Thanks to Yegyeong, the monster's left side was exposed.

Jincheon, who had already positioned himself there, swung his sword. It was a swift strike that the monster's massive weight could never match.

Dozens of sword strikes passed in an instant before blood finally spurted out like a fountain.

The other soldiers retreated hastily, but there was no fear in their expressions. Instead, they raised their spears and charged at the monster with renewed vigor.

"——!"

The momentum behind its roar had already subsided. A painful groan followed the roar.

The monster, writhing in pain as it spewed blood, swung its front leg, and a soldier who failed to dodge was sent flying.

The distance he was thrown back was more than ten human steps, simply from being hit by the wildly swinging leg.

Two soldiers had already fallen.

Yegyeong glanced at the fallen soldiers and looked at Jincheon. Jincheon, who had taken a step back with an indifferent expression, drew his sword again in a long horizontal arc.

The dim sunlight reflected off the blade, scattering red blood droplets.

"——!"

Soon after, the monster roared loudly and collapsed. Its massive body shook the ground as it fell.

The low bushes, unable to withstand the weight, were crushed with a crunching sound.

"——!"

The monster shuddered and made one final struggle.

After retreating a few steps, Jincheon, who had been watching the monster fall from a distance, walked over slowly.

"What a pity."

Thunk-

Jincheon's sword pierced the monster's nape. It was a quick way to end its suffering.

Blood began to flow rapidly, pooling on the ground.

Yegyeong and the others looked at Jincheon with surprise.

Jincheon met their gaze with indifferent eyes and turned away.

'Gong Chomun should have died and stayed dead. No, I should have killed him then.'

It was rare for Jincheon to regret anything. The fact that he hadn't dealt with Gong Chomun earlier meant it was a great regret for him.

He pulled out his sword and shook it once, removing the blood from the blade.

"It seemed to have an injury from a blade when it appeared."

"Yes, I saw it too," Yegyeong nodded. He continued to look at Jincheon with curious eyes.

"They must be around here or ahead. Let's hurry and find them and return."

At Yegyeong's words that they would find Gong Chomun and his unit if they searched a little longer, Jincheon sheathed his sword and looked at the dead monster one more time.

'He's out of luck.'

Tsk-

Jincheon clicked his tongue. No one heard him.

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