Cave King – 278

Chapter 278 – An Old Enemy!?

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Near the front gate of the royal capital. As the monsters were being threatened by thugs, a man in a black cowl appeared.

As he was wearing a black robe, I didn’t notice it immediately, but both of his legs were prosthetics.

“Stop.”

The thugs then turned around and faced the man.

“Eh? And who are you?”

The man approached them.

Under the hood, his eyes flashed sharply as he looked at the monsters behind the thugs. He was telling them to go.

“Th-thank you!”

The monsters bowed their heads, and then they continued on with their wagon towards the outside of the city.

“Ah, wait!!”

The thugs tried to stop them, but the wagon was now on the other side of the crowd.

“Shit! Bastard! What do you think you’re doing?”

“Don’t you know who we are?”

They moved towards the man.

Fule muttered.

“He isn’t moved at all…”

“Well, he is able to challenge them alone.”

Rienna nodded.

Indeed, there was something different about his aura. You could tell that this was no ordinary man.

But more importantly, that voice…sounded familiar.

As I thought of such things, one of the thugs grabbed the man by the collar.

“Hey!! Why don’t you say something!?”

I thought that the man would fight back… However…

The thug’s fist slammed into the man’s stomach. And then the others began to punch and kick him.

“Say something!”
“Not going to fight back? What a creep!!”

Contrary to my expectations, the man was being beaten up.

I frantically ran towards him.

“Hey! Stop!”

“What? Who are you!? Are you… Wah!?”

Rienna and Fule used wind magic to knock the thugs off of their feet.

“Wh-what!? Wind!?”

As the crowd began to murmur, another voice rang.

“What’s going on here!!”

And then someone began to make their way through the crowd.

“Is that…”

Rienna said in surprise.

It was a man in a red coat and shaggy hair. He also had a beard on his familiar face.

“Balpas!? We-we have no quarrel with you!”
“Le-let’s get out of here!! There will be trouble if we fight with Balpas!”

And so the thugs scattered at once.

The new arrival was Balpas. The eleventh prince and my older brother.

Balpas did not look at the fallen man, but turned to me instead.

“You…”

Perhaps he was not too surprised, as he might have heard the news about how I had defeated the bandits on the Nostor mountains. Otherwise, he would have surely been taken aback by my appearance.

There was no point in hiding now. And there was no necessity either.

“Brother. I can explain. But right now…”

I turned to the man in the hood. Rienna was already casting healing magic onto him.

However, the man raised his hand and quickly stood up.

“I am fine.”

He said, and then quickly walked away. However, his steps were slow, as if he was still in pain. Also, the kicking seemed to have damaged his prosthetic legs.

After hearing the voice, I finally knew who it was.

I turned towards Balpas.

“Brother. That was…”

Oren. The eighteenth prince and my younger brother. A man who had visited Sheorl and then lost everything. I had not even thought of the possibility that he would still be alive.

He had murdered nobles and had been judged by the laws of the kingdom. There was only one punishment for that… However, perhaps being of the royal family had spared him.

“…As you have guessed, it is him. Well, there were reasons for it. In any case, we should find somewhere more quiet where we can talk.”

Balpas said, and then beckoned for us to follow him.

Indeed, two princes could not stand out here and talk about Oren and Sheorl.

Balpas knew about our strength. Besides, matters had been mostly settled between me and my father. Sheorl and Sanfaris had a peace treaty. And so he would not try to trick us.

“Very well, brother.”

And so we followed Balpas and entered a back alley.

Balpas seemed to be a little curious about Mappa as he asked hesitantly.

“Hey, Heal… What happened to that one who looks like that small old man?”

Balpas was clearly talking about Macha. A ryukin golem that looked a lot like Mappa.

Before our father left, Macha had taken a liking to Balpas. 

“She didn’t come this time… Did you want to meet her?”
“No! The exact opposite! Who would want to see that! Well, nevermind… I am relieved.”

Balpas said with a sigh. Perhaps he really was troubled by the attention.

It was then that Balpas stopped in front of a large building made of stone. There was a sign in the front with a tankard painted on it. 

“A tavern I frequent. Let’s talk inside.”

It was quite boisterous inside. Even though it was still midday, the people were all drinking. Music was playing, and people danced.

Balpas passed some money to the owner behind the counter.

“Old man. Four seats. The special ones.”

“It’s open now. Want me to call the ladies? Ah…and perhaps some men?”

“…We aren’t here for that. Just prepare some drinks and light food.”

Balpas said, and then they were led to the back of the tavern. It was separated from the other tables, on a mezzanine floor.

When I looked down at the first floor, I saw that Mappa had taken a seat at the counter. Was he going to order a drink…? No, the bartender gave him some milk.

Balpas sat down and said,

“We will be fine here. The people drinking and shouting are mostly my own subordinates or allies. In fact, this is basically like my base.”

And so we all sat down at the table.