Volume 3 – Turning Point
1
“… …”
He slowly regained consciousness.
Radan slowly became aware of his surroundings.
It was damp and cool. The air which decayed little by little was stagnant, making his head feel heavy.
This place was underground.
“The time……”
Radan first felt the area around his eyes. He was wearing a thick blindfold that had been put on him at some point.
Judging by the way his body felt, a long time had passed, and the moon must have already gone down.
“Are you awake?”
Even with his eyes closed, his hypersensitive ears recognized a familiar voice.
It was Ozdin.
“Where are we?”
“We’re escaping. We will be on the way to Amboia soon.”
“What……?”
Radan raised his head in surprise.
“No, I can’t.”
“Why?”
Ozdin took Radan’s hand and kissed the back of it.
His movements were gentle, but his gaze, which did not fall away from Radan, was poignantly fixed.
Radan had a wound that he had never seen before. In fact, it was not a wound, but a mark left on his body but Ozdin forced himself to regard it as a wound.
The hickeys that were left on his neck had become a wound of another kind.
It was a wound. It had to be a wound!
For Radan, and for him.
“You asked me to take you away to Amboia.”
Radan pulled his hand out of Ozdin’s.
“Now……not anymore. I am,”
“Why not now?”
Radan felt around on the floor and then stood up.
“Where is this, where am I? I have to go back,”
Ozdin grabbed Radan by the shoulder and turned him towards himself.
“Why should you go back? Don’t you want to go to Amboia anymore?”
“Because His Majesty will be looking for me,”
“You were running away from him, Radan.”
“It’s ……”
Radan didn’t have the confidence to properly explain the epic tale of how he and Leshak had become entangled.
All he could say was that everything he planned to do was for Leskak’s sake.
“That’s because His Majesty,”
“Enough!”
Ozdin covered Radan’s mouth. Radan shook his head but Ozdin held Radan tightly so that he could not make a sound.
“Shh. You’ll be heard.”
A small thumping sound followed overhead.
“Keeee……”
Zorg moved his eyes about nervously and dug into Vendel’s arms. Vendel asked in a low voice.
‘Hey, don’t you think we should leave this place now? It’s been too long.’
The words Vendel used sounded slightly different from Ozdin’s, who said that they were escaping.
‘I think we should look at how things are going outside too. We can’t just stay like this…….’
Ozdin turned his head and looked towards someone. It could be guessed from the sound of the voice that it wasn’t Vendel’s.
Radan’s ears were listening as hard as possible.
“Is it time?”
An unfamiliar voice was heard for the first time.
“Not yet.”
“Then should we wait longer?”
“Yes.”
The hand covering Radan’s mouth increased its strength.
“But what are we waiting for in a place like this?”
It was the prophet Hadir, whom Radan didn’t know.
“You will know in due course.”
“So far that’s all you’ve said. Believing that I even played a part in the war. Isn’t it about time you said something?”
Hadir’s answer was stern.
“You aren’t worthy to know. Not yet.”
Ozdin’s voice twisted bitterly.
“……Unworthy. Then should I do something worse than participating in a war?”
“Only Seers are worthy of glimpsing into the future. In those moments the future is destined to become contorted.”
“It doesn’t matter what the Prophet knows?!”
Ozdin’s words were near to scolding.
That’s how he understood where he was, he was still in the place in which he’d never left.
This is the basement of Cythern Castle.
In the darkness of the basement, there was an endless winding stream of dungeons that were blocked by iron bars.
Except for one entrance, there was no place to escape.
He was supposed to take Radan to Amboia, but he seemed to be stuck at the entrance of a prison with no way out.
It was natural to feel anxiety.
Above ground, the battle would be in full swing. He had to escape under the cover of confusion, but Hadir seemed to be squandering this precious time for unknown reasons.
Leshak Caliph was still too close.
He would have to flee much farther than this to escape this anxiety.
“Then, when are we going to be able to leave this place?”
The Prophet Hadir looked as if he had seen through his blind eyes, all of his impatient nervousness.
“The time will come.”
“So when will that be?”
It was then,
That there was a clicking sound.
Everyone shut their mouths in unison and held their breath. The hand that covered Radan’s mouth became desperate.
Creak-
The basement door opened.
“Hey, walk properly.”
A soldier from Leshak’s Army pushed someone in. Even though he was not wearing shackles, his steps were compromised.
There was not any vitality left in the limp body. His clothes, wet with his own urine, hung heavily on his body.
“Hey, can’t you hear me?”
As Laud continued to stumble, the soldiers grabbed him and dragged him along.
There was no resistance, no reaction at all, even as his knees and cheeks were scratched against the cold stone floor. There wasn’t even a groan, as if Leshak’s hands were still on his neck, suffocating him.
“Where did he say to put him?”
“He just told me to lock him up, put him anywhere.”
“Alright.”
After a short conversation, the iron cage was opened.
Ozdin and his companions hid in a darkened corner, desperately suppressing any sounds.
If they were caught now, it would all be over.
Besides, Leshak descending to the basement was significant. It meant that the battle had already ended, or that the outcome was being decided so leisurely that they could take care of other matters.
A cold sweat formed between lines in the palms of the hands which were holding Radan immobilized.
With Leshak imprisoning Laud in this dungeon, and the war ending in victory for Leshak Caliph, Ozdin didn’t know if anything worse could happen at this point.
For God’s Sake!
Ozdin screamed out in his mind.
Only now did he understand the desperation of prayer. There was never a time when he was more desperate. This should never have been.
“Are you done?”
Chung.-
The lock was fastened.
“Are you finished?”
“Hmm.”
“Then let’s go up.
There were the sounds of the soldiers changing direction.
Step, step.-
The tension from holding his breath gradually faded as they walked farther away.
The sound of footsteps had just reached the entrance to the basement.
“Keeek!”
Suddenly, Zorg let out a sharp noise.
They couldn’t figure out why. It was not something that Zorg, who would have been many times more sensitive than a human being would be in a crisis like this.
Vendel grabbed Zorg in a panic, but it was too late.
“Who’s there!?”
The soldiers turned back.
“Damn it! Hold on to Radan!”
Realizing that there was no other choice, Ozdin drew his sword and pushed Radan towards Vendel. Covering his mouth and killing was the only thing he could do now.
“Who the hell are you?!”
“Oh god, it’s the monkey! It’s the heir to the Gett!”
Their Identities were discovered. Ozdin gritted his teeth and swung his sword.
Ching, clack, clack!-
The tip of the sword got caught in their armor. Ozdin cut the blade crosswise with all his might.
“U…… gh!”
A fountain of blood gushed out. Ozdin could not afford to dodge it and was covered in hot blood.
“One more.”
Ozdin moved his sword towards the next opponent without a break.
However,
“Haa!”
Bang!-
The soldiers moved one step ahead of Ozdin and closed the basement entrance.
Thud!-
The bars came down.
“Damn it!”
Thud, Thud!-
Ozdin squared his shoulders and slammed his body hard, but the door remained immovable. There wasn’t even a gap in the solid door to insert a blade into.
“My Lord! What will we do now?!”
Vendel shouted with a pale face.
“Shit!”
Bang!-
Ozdin kick it in vain, but all that happened was that his toes went numb. Ozdin threw away his sword and ran towards Hadir, grabbing him by the collar.
“Is this also predestined too?”
“Yes!”
Hadir took Ozdin’s hand and pointed his finger at the floor.
“Get the key from the dead body.”
“The key?”
Zorg understood the word key. Zorg hurriedly rummaged through the corpse’s bosom and soon found a thick key.
“Open the cage. You need to let us out.”
It was Hadir who spoke.
“Who are you,”
asked Vendel.
Hadir looked for Radan exactly like a man with eyes would have before he spoke to him,
“Laud de La Ranadia.”
“What? The Second Prince of Kemened?”
Vendel asked with a tilt of his head, but he and Ozdin seemed like people who were completely separate from this place.
Radan opened his pale lips.
“Ah …… La,Laud, brother……”
Laud was alive.
The person he met in the prayer room of Asilah Palace said that Leshak killed Laud. He placed the corpse of King Alsanu III in Radan’s arm and told him that he was also killed by Leshak.
Confusion overtook Radan.
What the hell is the truth?
“Ra……dan?”
Laud, who had been lying down with empty eyes like a man who had been hollowed out, suddenly stood up. The hesitant movements intensified in an instant.
“Radan! Is that you Radan? Huh?”
Everyone except Hadir was surprised by Laud’s reaction.
“Oh my……God!”
Vendel covered his mouth. Still, a sense of astonishment poured out.
“Laud, Radan. If so then……”
Clank, Clank, Clank!-
Laud grabbed the cage and shook it wildly.
“Radan! Hey, come here! Radan!”
“Your Highness……”
Radan fumbled through the air, following the sound of Laud’s voice.
Ozdin quickly grabbed Radan’s hand.
“This way.”
He brought Radan to Laud. In the meantime, Zorg came with the key and unlocked the cage.
“You useless bastard!”
Smack!-
Loud, who was so eager to call Radan over, hit him when he approached.
Radan’s head jerked and fell to the floor.
“What are you doing!?”
Ozdin grabbed Laud’s arm.
“If you do that again, you will die by my hands!”
“Let go! It’s all his fault! That worthless snake didn’t kill Leshak Caliph! So I ended up like this! The name of Kemened is gone! Al Riksha has fallen! Radan! It’s all his fault! It’s all your fault!”
“Stop!”
Laud kicked Radan while being held by Ozdin.
“Why didn’t you kill him?! I told you to! We must kill the Leshak Caliph! It had to be like that! Before he bled Ranadia dry!”
“Stop it!”
Ozdin grabbed Laud by the collar and threw him backward.
Radan stood in front of Laud who had fallen and lowered his head silently. Laud saw Radan bleeding from a torn lip. Radan was beaten, and as usual, said nothing.
“Radan!”
Suddenly Laud burst out crying.
He hugged Radan’s body tightly. And he cried and cried like a child.
“Please…… Please kill Leshak Caliph. It’s the only way I can survive. If you don’t, I will die. Radan, please. Dear brother. Please save your brother, yes? You’re all I have now. It’s just the two of us now. Please, Radan. Yes?”
“Crown Prince……”
Radan’s head turned to listen to Laud.
Had he not been blindfolded, Laud would have known that Radan looked very hurt.
“I love you, Radan. Let’s live together now. It’s the way it’s supposed to be. I will love you on behalf of my father. I won’t ask you to eat snake meat or anything like that anymore. I won’t even put the iron mask on anymore. I will really love you. You call me brother now. Call me brother, Radan. Go on.”
“… …”
Sadness flowed out over the blindfold.
Radan carefully reached out and searched for Loud’s fingertips. Laud held his hand Instead of swearing and showing disgust like before.
“Yes, Radan. I am your brother.”
Laud could never understand the kind of emotions Radan was feeling right now.
“Crown Prince.”
Radan called to Laud affectionately. But he didn’t call him brother. Brother was a word he couldn’t use anymore.
Radan chose Leshek over Laud.
It pained him to have to do it. However, Radan had already accepted this pain from the time before.
Laud was a salamander who was burned to death.
They were so many clans that Radan could never save.
“I will not kill His Majesty, Leshak.”
“Wh…… at? What?”
“I am glad that you are alive. So if you say I have to disappear, I will. But his Majesty Leshak cannot be killed.”
“What……,”
Laud’s face cracked. The inequity of unbelief crept out of that gap.
Laud now realized that Radan doesn’t stutter.
Radan was different.
He was the same as before, but he was different.
His eyes, which adjusted to the dark, showed the hickeys that were on the nape of Radan’s neck.
Radan was no longer the monster snake hidden in the basement of Asilah Palace.
“Why can’t you!? Why!?”
It wasn’t the Radan he knew.
After meeting Crown Prince Leshak, Radan could never find a way to return to the past, for reasons unknown to Laud.
“I care for that person……His Majesty Leshak.”
“That person…….”
Laud tried to vent his anger loudly. But his throat was choked. It was a wall of distrust. He still couldn’t understand what Radan was saying. He couldn’t believe it.
“Unbelievable… … ,”
Then Hadir spoke.
“Now!”
Just in time for Prophet Hadir’s shout,
Bang!-
The basement door opened. Leshek was the first to step into the basement.
“Radan!”
“Your Majesty!”
Radan turned his head.
It was at that moment that madness flashed in Laud’s eyes.
“You can’t kill him? Do not be ridiculous.”
Laud picked up Ozdin’s sword which was lying on the ground.
“Do you think you can talk like that? Even if I don’t kill Leshek Caliph, you will die!”
Laud grabbed his sword and ran towards Leshak.
Ozdin belatedly stretched out his arm.
“What are you doing!?”
Meanwhile, Hadir glided through the darkness and forced Radan’s head back.
“Don’t stop! Let it be! The blue snake will bite the bloodline of the Caliph!”
Hadir snatched Radan’s blindfold.
“Open your eyes! If you want to save your bloodline instead of the Caliph’s.”
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