The Loathsome Scapegoat C11
by berryChapter 11
Leopold had always known that Terren disliked him.
But seeing Terren standing there with his face drained completely of color…
It left an unexpected ache in his chest.
Very few people had ever hated Leopold Delua.
He was righteous, compassionate, intelligent…
And undeniably handsome.
To most people, disliking a prince like him bordered on insanity.
Yet that was exactly what Terren Meyer did.
For a moment, Leopold simply stood there, deflated.
He was almost afraid to speak.
After all, every attempt at conversation only earned him another arrogant insult.
Silence settled between them.
A drop of filthy rainwater dripped from the underside of the bridge and splashed onto the ground above their heads.
At last, Leopold broke the silence.
“Terren.”
“Let’s leave first.”
The children had already finished the bread and scattered at Leopold’s signal.
Only the two of them remained beneath the bridge.
“It’s dark.”
“It smells awful.”
“Whatever this is about, let’s talk somewhere else.”
Fortunately…
Terren followed without protest.
They emerged from beneath the bridge.
Yet the world outside wasn’t much brighter.
The rain had stopped, but the sun was already beginning to set.
The damp air clung unpleasantly to their skin.
The gloomy weather only made the slums seem more desolate.
The vacant stares of the beggars lying along the roadside caught Leopold’s attention.
Quietly, he murmured,
“Every time I come here…”
“I can’t help feeling miserable.”
“Even the capital—the most prosperous city in the kingdom—is overflowing with slums.”
“…You come here often?”
Terren’s voice was low and hoarse.
His face remained hidden beneath the hood of his robe.
For some reason, the question made Leopold smile.
“I do.”
“I try to visit as often as I can.”
“…Don’t.”
“…What?”
Leopold frowned.
Terren spoke without looking at him.
“The slums are too dangerous for Your Highness.”
“Wandering around places like this without an escort is little different from asking to be killed.”
“…Are you worried about me?”
The question escaped him before he could stop it.
Then…
He met Terren’s murderous glare.
Leopold burst into laughter.
“This has to be the most touching moment of my life!”
He bent over, shoulders shaking with laughter.
What kind of absurd person was Terren Meyer?
Secretly feeding hungry children in the slums…
Insulting Leopold every chance he got…
Yet somehow worrying about his safety at the same time.
Terren continued glaring at him in silence.
Eventually, Leopold managed to stop laughing.
“You must not know this.”
“I’ve ranked first in swordsmanship at the Academy every year.”
“Thanks for worrying, but I’m perfectly capable of walking around on my own.”
“That’s only among children.”
“You have no idea how vicious and despicable people with nothing left to lose can become.”
“That’s why you can say something so foolish.”
Terren’s tone remained just as rude and insolent as ever.
Oddly enough…
Leopold no longer found it irritating.
Partly because he had grown used to it.
Partly because the concern hidden beneath the insults made it difficult to feel offended.
“Not quite.”
“I’m not trying to boast…”
“But I’m strong enough.”
“The Captain of the Royal Knights once said I could already hold my own against the palace’s veteran swordsmen.”
“Surely that’s enough.”
“Are you a Sword Master?”
“…No.”
Terren sighed.
“Then just listen to me.”
Why had Terren Meyer planned to commit such a horrific crime in the slums?
Because he had learned from watching others.
No matter how chaotic the kingdom became, someone who openly slaughtered hundreds of people would become a wanted criminal overnight.
So how could a dark mage quietly build enough power without being discovered?
Simple.
Exterminate the street children living in the slums.
In fact…
Yuan.
Arnold.
And countless other dark mages who could no longer murder openly…
Would all eventually begin hunting in places like these.
Terren had merely acted first.
His head throbbed so violently it felt as though the world itself were spinning.
Leopold Delua was still unbearable to look at.
Terren didn’t even want to exchange another word with him.
But…
He had no idea who was stronger.
Leopold…
Or the dark mages already operating within the kingdom.
No matter how talented Leopold was…
He was still only sixteen.
Still just a child.
Still not a Sword Master.
What if he wandered into a dark mage by accident…
And died?
Leopold had survived until the age of nineteen in Terren’s previous life.
But who could guarantee fate would remain unchanged?
The thought alone was enough to drive him mad.
Leopold studied Terren’s gloomy expression.
His face remained ghostly pale.
The gray eyes that stared ahead held no trace of life.
“At the very least…”
“Stop coming to the slums.”
“You may see nothing but unfortunate citizens.”
“But that’s not what this place really is.”
“And don’t act so recklessly.”
“You’re not even a Sword Master yet.”
“A Sword Master isn’t something a person simply becomes.”
“It’s a realm beyond ordinary people.”
“And besides…”
“Why?”
“Are you worried about me, Terren?”
“Think whatever you like.”
“Just listen.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Why should I obey an ill-mannered classmate who’s incapable of showing even basic courtesy?”
Leopold replied with an easy grin.
Terren trembled with irritation.
Even while arguing, they had continued walking.
Then—
Leopold suddenly stopped.
Terren nearly stumbled into him.
“Wait.”
Leopold frowned.
“…What’s that noise?”
Voices echoed from the entrance of a shabby tavern some distance away.
It looked like the sort of establishment run by a brothel owner.
A crowd had gathered around a kind-faced middle-aged woman and a man carrying a sword like a mercenary.
Their conversation drifted clearly through the evening air.
“How are we supposed to live like this?”
“People keep dying in groups!”
“Isn’t the royal palace supposed to do something about it?”
At the words people keep dying in groups…
Terren instinctively turned toward the crowd.
Leopold had already started walking over.
Running away while the prince was distracted would have been the smartest decision.
Yet…
Terren couldn’t.
The mere mention of unexplained deaths had become impossible for him to ignore.
Without the slightest hesitation, Leopold squeezed into the crowd and quietly listened.
“Didn’t three of Eris’s boys go up the mountain to play last week?”
“They were slaughtered!”
“We kept warning them not to go, but children never listen!”
“It’s not just children.”
“What about the woodcutters?”
“Are they supposed to starve?”
“James!”
“You’re a mercenary.”
“Why don’t you go kill the monster and use the bounty to buy us all a drink?”
“What kind of joke is that?”
“You’re basically telling me to go die.”
After hearing enough, Terren quietly tapped Leopold on the shoulder.
When Leopold turned around, Terren gestured toward the road.
Let’s go.
He didn’t care about monsters.
As long as this wasn’t the work of a dark mage…
Nothing else mattered.
He just wanted to return to the Academy.
“Terren.”
“Listen.”
“This is happening near the capital.”
“And I had no idea.”
“That’s unacceptable.”
Terren sighed.
Do whatever you want.
There was no reason for him to accompany Leopold.
He turned to leave without hesitation.
At that very moment—
Leopold flashed a bright smile and addressed the crowd.
“Are there really monsters here?”
One of the women nearby blushed faintly before nodding.
Though her clothes were old, they were clean.
She was most likely an employee of the tavern.
“Yes.”
“They’re coming out of Mount Rande, between the capital and the outer territories.”
“Everyone living nearby has been wiped out.”
“Hunters and herb gatherers are losing their livelihoods.”
“…That’s serious.”
“They put bounties on the monsters.”
“But who’d be crazy enough to hunt them?”
“You’d need someone as strong as a Royal Knight to stand a chance!”
“Maybe other places don’t matter…”
“But shouldn’t the kingdom at least protect the area around its own capital?”
Despite hearing the kingdom openly criticized to his face…
Leopold remained perfectly composed.
Still smiling, he nodded sympathetically.
“Please don’t worry too much.”
“And don’t go anywhere near the mountain.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“You’re a kind young man.”
“Thank you.”
Leopold stepped back toward Terren and lowered his voice.
“Let’s go.”
“…What?”
“Let’s hunt the monster.”
A mischievous smile spread across his face.
His blue eyes sparkled with excitement beneath the curve of his smiling eyes.
Terren Meyer refused without a moment’s hesitation.
“No.”