For the hunting competition, Ail wore a blue hunting outfit with a golden emblem. In the center of the golden emblem was the royal Linus family crest embroidered in gold thread, and his sword had a golden falcon carved on it, symbolizing his position as the prince.

When they exited the Golden Palace and stepped into the sunlight, Ail’s red hair began to shine brightly. Ruth felt dizzy from the intensity of the red light, as if it were a vision of the sun. It was an intensely bright light that almost took his breath away. Ruth stood there, mesmerized by Ail’s hair, unable to tear his eyes away.

Although Ruth had been guarding Ail for nearly a month, every time he saw him, his heart fluttered. The vivid light Ail emanated made it hard to breathe, and he wondered how such a beautiful boy could even exist in this world. Ail was truly stunning.

Once outside in the palace garden, Ail approached four prepared horses with graceful movements. For the royal family and their relatives, four horses were prepared in case of any emergencies. They were all high-quality horses, and Ail selected the second best after inspecting them. The stable boy carefully handed him the reins, and Ail mounted the horse with the help of a servant.

Once Ail was safely seated, Ruth mounted his own horse, leading his knights as well. When the servants also mounted their horses, the gates of the Golden Palace opened. The first group of guards passed through, and as Ail led his horse in the middle, Ruth quickly positioned himself to Ail’s right.

The procession began to move slowly toward the palace gates. Although it was still early in the morning, the ground was already heating up. Ruth took a deep breath and pulled on his reins as they rode under the intense heat.

By the time they reached the foothills of Endia Mountain, it was already noon. The procession split into two groups: one went to the lodging to unload their baggage, while the other group headed straight to the hunting grounds. Ruth decided to let his adjutant rest before following Ail to the hunting area.

At the mountainside, where the air was fresh and the greenery abundant, the waiting groups had already released their game and set up tents to await Ail’s arrival. As soon as Ail arrived, a trumpet sounded, signaling the start of the hunt. Without any break, Ail mounted his horse again with the help of a servant. He looked small and frail, which made Ruth wonder whether he could manage the competition, as it was mainly composed of adults.

Looking at the small boy’s back, Ruth assigned the knights their positions. In the hunting grounds, two rows of knights followed behind Ail, all wearing the same uniform and riding black horses. Behind them, the nobles also followed on horseback.

The Endia Mountains were full of deer and rabbits that had been released earlier, and sometimes wild animals would appear from the forest. The participants would randomly shoot animals with their bows, and the servants would gather them to count the numbers. The one who caught the most would be declared the winner. This type of competition wasn’t something Ruth particularly enjoyed. He didn’t mind hunting for food, but the idea of killing just for sport felt wrong to him.

As they ventured deeper into the mountains, a young deer appeared. While Ruth hesitated, Ail quickly drew an arrow from his quiver, nocked it, and fired. The arrow pierced the deer’s neck with precision. Ruth frowned, and the servant approached the fallen deer to confirm its life status. The flag was raised, signaling that the deer wasn’t yet dead. After some struggle, the deer’s movements stopped, and the servant approached carrying the deer’s body.

While Ail’s archery skills were impressive, it was the sight of the struggling deer being carried that made Ruth shut his eyes tightly. Kamiel often told him to abandon unnecessary pity, but to Ruth, the lives of small and fragile creatures were precious. He felt no pity for the strong, but when it came to delicate, vulnerable lives, he couldn’t help but soften.

Ruth turned his gaze away to avoid feeling more uncomfortable and locked eyes with Ail, who had been watching him. Seeing Ail’s eyes, which glowed as brightly as the sun, Ruth quickly lowered his head and responded calmly.

“Do you have any orders?”

Ail, seemingly puzzled by his reaction, asked, “Is this your first time seeing a deer die?”

In a small voice, Ruth replied, “Yes.”

“Have you never hunted before?”

“No. I don’t like hunting.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t like the act of killing living creatures.”

Ail paused for a moment, then briefly responded, “That’s not something a knight should say.”

Ail’s words, though sharp, weren’t spoken with malice, and Ruth silently turned his gaze away. Indeed, not liking to kill could disqualify someone from being a knight. However, Ruth was strong when facing enemies. If they were human and stronger than him, he had no hesitation. He could cut down their necks without a second thought. But when the opponent was weak or young, he couldn’t bring himself to be strong.

While thinking this, Ruth subtly glanced at the small boy standing before him. The boy, still young and fragile, looked so delicate, and as Ruth looked at his back, an odd thought crossed his mind. Despite being so small and frail, for some reason, Ruth didn’t feel the instinctive urge to protect him.

It was truly a strange feeling. Ruth had always been overly protective of those younger and weaker than him, to the point where it was almost excessive. As a result, he had rarely been in charge of training the young recruits, as his soft nature wouldn’t allow him to even scold them properly. But oddly, he didn’t feel that kind of unconditional compassion for the young prince. Perhaps it was because the boy held a position far superior to his own, or perhaps because he no longer saw him as a mere child.

Ruth wasn’t sure which it was, but he couldn’t help but find it curious how he was interacting with the boy. Why had the boy seemed so special from the very first meeting? Ruth couldn’t recall anything specific, though he wondered if it was because the boy was a crown prince, or if it was simply because the boy was so beautiful, or perhaps there was something else about him that Ruth felt. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was something undeniably captivating about the boy.

What was this boy to Ruth? Why had he felt such an ominous sensation from him, and why did he feel so drawn to him?

Breathing deeply in the fresh mountain air, Ruth struggled to shake off these thoughts. He needed to focus on the hunt now. He steeled his mind, pushing aside these distractions, and refocused on guarding the prince, trailing closely behind him.

As they ventured deeper into the forest in pursuit of the second prey, Ruth suddenly noticed something was wrong with the horse the prince was riding. Just moments ago, the horse had been fine, but now its movements were becoming erratic. It was shaking uncontrollably, as though in a panic. Just as Ruth was about to command the prince to halt, the horse suddenly reared up and began to gallop wildly.

The surrounding attendants and knights were thrown into a frenzy. Ruth’s face went pale as he couldn’t get close to the frenzied horse, instead watching the prince from a distance.

The horse, now screaming and thrashing, suddenly charged toward the forest. Without even a scream, the prince lowered his body and gripped the reins tightly. Watching the prince’s calm and collected handling of the situation, Ruth quickly leaned forward and tugged on his own horse’s reins, following the prince closely.

The sound of a trumpet signaled the emergency, and the other knights followed Ruth. The prince was riding a Lupax breed, one of the fastest and most coveted horses, known for its exceptional speed and stamina. It was a horse only available to royal family members and could easily outrun most other horses. If the prince continued this frantic gallop, Ruth and the others would never catch up.

A cold shiver ran down Ruth’s spine as he realized what was happening. The Lupax breed was known not only for its speed but also for being incredibly calm and composed. Royal horses were trained meticulously from a young age and would never panic without a good reason. For the prince’s horse to behave this way, something had clearly happened to it. Someone had tampered with it, likely with the intention of harming the prince.

Ruth’s instincts told him that he absolutely had to save the prince. He had no choice but to protect him—if anything happened to the prince, Ruth would bear the blame.

“Your Highness, pull on the reins and calm the horse down!” Ruth shouted, following at a distance, but the prince remained focused, only gripping the reins tighter. The prince’s body was too small, and his strength too weak to calm the horse on his own. The prince’s only focus was not falling off, as any sudden movement could lead to a dangerous fall.

Ruth realized that it was impossible for the prince to calm the horse and made the decision to increase his own speed. However, his own horse, though swift, couldn’t match the Lupax breed’s speed.

Glancing back, Ruth saw that the other knights had already fallen far behind. Determined not to lose the prince, Ruth pushed forward, his face scratched by the branches as they rode deeper into the dense heart of the forest. The wind whistled through the trees, and his horse, tiring, slowed down. Ruth gave it a firm kick, but the distance between him and the prince continued to grow.

Just as he was about to shout, an arrow suddenly flew from a distance and struck the prince’s horse. The horse screeched in pain and reared again, stumbling as another arrow struck it in the neck. Ruth saw the prince, still holding his bow, leap from the horse, arrows already in hand.

Seizing the opportunity, Ruth raced toward the prince. But in that instant, a barrage of arrows rained down from above. Someone on the mountain was firing at them.

“Extend your arms!” Ruth shouted, urging the prince to take cover.

As Ruth increased the speed of his horse and ran toward where Ail had collapsed, he shouted. Ail quickly rose to his feet and stretched out his arm. Wrapping his arms around the small boy’s waist, Ruth placed him on the horse and started running, evading the arrows that were flying toward them. Perhaps by luck, Ruth and his horse were only grazed by the arrows, narrowly avoiding direct hits.

Already disoriented and riding recklessly, Ruth glanced back when he heard the sound of hooves behind him. He wondered if the other knights were following, but it wasn’t them. Instead, people wearing black masks, mounted on black horses, were trailing them.

“Hold on to me,” Ail said suddenly. As Ruth lowered his body and hugged Ail’s waist, Ail twisted his body and drew a bow, nocking an arrow. With calm and precise movements, Ail pulled the string and released the arrow, which flew straight into the chest of the man leading the pursuit. The man fell immediately, and while the others stumbled, Ail quickly fired three more arrows, each one hitting the neck or chest of the men chasing them.

It was an almost supernatural skill with a bow. Ruth had heard that the crown prince Ail was highly skilled in many areas, but he had never heard that his archery was this exceptional. In fact, Ruth had seen Ail practice, but he never imagined the boy could shoot so accurately. During practice, Ail was focused and accurate, but sometimes, when there was strong wind or moving objects, he would miss or shoot elsewhere.

Suddenly, Ruth wondered if Ail had been deliberately showing his weaknesses in practice, perhaps hiding his true skills from others. He couldn’t help but think that it might be the case. After all, even Ruth, at this distance, couldn’t have hit the chest of a man galloping behind him on horseback, unless he were a legendary marksman.

Moreover, in this life-threatening situation, Ail remained eerily calm and composed. It was difficult to believe he was only fourteen years old. Ruth began to feel a distinct, concrete fear—different from the vague unease he’d felt before—toward the young prince. The coldness of his behavior was becoming frightening.

This was the moment when Ruth began to feel a genuine fear of the young crown prince.

Deep in the mountains, near a clear stream, Ruth allowed Ail to rest and led the horse to drink. As he slowly turned to survey the surroundings, he began to recall the terrain. Endia Mountain had a small stream running from north to south. During the rainy season, the water overflowed and posed a danger, but in the dry season, it was just underground water, so there was little risk. The problem was finding the path that led out of the mountains.

Ruth remembered that there weren’t many paths through Endia Mountain, and his own path was limited. The road they had just taken for hunting had been one of the designated routes, but they had strayed from it some time ago. To get back, they would need to retrace their steps. Finding the way was relatively easy, but the real issue was the high chance of encountering the masked group along the way.

In that case, it might be safer to wait for the knights to come and search for them, finding a safe place to stay. If someone familiar with the terrain of Endia Mountain were searching, they would easily find this stream. Of course, the masked group might find it first, but waiting in a secure location and preparing for the worst seemed like a better option than rushing.

With the prince missing, not only would the enemy’s knights be searching, but the entire military from the capital would likely be mobilized to comb through the mountains. If luck was on their side, they might be rescued before the night was over.

Leading the horse back from the stream, Ruth approached Ail and bowed his head.

“Your Highness, I will go find a place nearby to rest.”

Waiting for Ail’s reply with his eyes slightly lowered, Ruth was suddenly jolted by the chilling sensation of a cold blade pressing against his neck. He looked up in shock, and in that moment, his eyes met Ail’s, who was sitting directly in front of him.

Ail was holding the sword against Ruth’s throat with clear intent to kill. For the first time in his life, Ruth felt the unmistakable presence of murder directed at him. A slight shiver ran through his body, and he swallowed dryly.

“The ones chasing me… are they sent by your relatives? Why did you help me? Did they tell you to bring me back and kill me for sure?”

Ail’s voice was cold and sharp, cutting through the air.

Ruth swallowed again, feeling a burning sensation in his throat. “I… I don’t know anything about it.”

“Don’t know? Hah, I told you before, I’m young, but I’m not foolish enough to believe that. If you kill me, your family will suffer as well. Is your family so important that you’re willing to take that risk?”

The coldness in Ail’s voice made Ruth clench his lips. If Ail really meant to kill him, he could have just left him when the arrows came earlier. There was no reason for Ail to risk his own life to save him.

“I truly don’t know anything. If something happens to you, Your Highness, I will take all the blame. Why would I risk my life for something like this? I don’t have that kind of loyalty to my family.”

“How can I trust your words?”

“Do you not know where I come from? When I was first promoted, I also thought that I wasn’t completely abandoned as a son, just as His Majesty said. But now, it seems that I truly have been abandoned. I’m not particularly smart, but at least I don’t intend to foolishly take the blame for everything and die. There are things I need to protect. Moreover, I have no intention of dying for a family that would throw me into dishonor by handing me the position of captain, then executing me disgracefully. I swear to that.”

“I don’t believe in oaths made by humans.”

“Then, what should I do to make you believe in me?”

“There’s no reason for me to believe in you either. You have no reason to make me believe in you.”

It was a pointless exchange. Ruth felt frustration as the conversation went in circles. Ail had no intention of believing in him. Or rather, in Ail’s mind, all cause-and-effect relationships had already been clearly sorted out. His attitude of rejecting any other opinions left Ruth exhaling lightly as he looked into Ail’s eyes with a serious expression.

“What should I do to make you believe in me? I don’t want to die by His Majesty’s hand here, nor do I want to survive and be executed for the assassination of the Crown Prince. It’s a life with no regrets, but I absolutely despise dying in that way.”

Looking directly into Ail’s eyes, Ruth stated his opinion in a precise tone. However, there was no sign of wavering in Ail’s eyes. His eyes were unwavering, straight, and calm, giving no sense of emotion. Ruth couldn’t fathom what he was thinking.

Feeling his throat dry, Ruth swallowed hard and continued to gaze at Ail. He refused to look away first, staring straight into Ail’s eyes. Ail, with a cold expression, tightened his grip on the sword in his hand as he returned Ruth’s gaze.

“I don’t believe in humans. And I don’t believe in oaths of loyalty to power or in the weak will of humans. The only thing I can believe in is myself.”

Hearing the cold, clear voice of the young man, Ruth felt a strange sense of kinship as he unwaveringly met Ail’s gaze. Ruth, too, did not trust the weak and evil side of humanity. He hated humans for their cowardice and weakness in the face of power and authority. The way those with power used it to exploit others was equally repulsive.

In the end, both Ail and Ruth were people who had fallen into a deep hatred for humanity.