NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11 - The Letter
“Listen up, you wicked bandits who harm the people!”
At a bandit mountain hideout.
Someone was making a racket at the entrance since morning.
“Blinded by mere greed! It’s clear you’ve been plundering the people’s property! I, Edward of Basilite, will punish you!”
“What’s with this guy? Has he lost his mind?”
“Who does this weirdo think he is, coming here? Hey, you bastard! Why don’t you scram before we beat you up?”
The bandits on guard duty were sneering, but then their eyes went wide.
“Wait! Come to think of it, that guy!”
“You know him?”
“Th-that! The Fool Prince!”
“What? That’s the Fool Prince?”
“Yeah! Yeah! That’s definitely the Fool Prince!”
“Jackpot, dammit!”
A heavy horn blast shook the mountain hideout.
“It’s the Fool Prince! The Fool Prince has appeared!”
“Really!? Come on guys, let’s catch him!”
“Where? Where!”
“A fortune is right before our eyes! Ahahahaha!”
“Today’s our lucky day!”
Bandits armed with various weapons came pouring out of the hideout.
Edward, who had been watching from a distance, quickly put on a black mask and shouted.
“Catch me if you can!”
He started running away with a hearty laugh.
The bandits, blinded by money, all chased after him in an excited state.
Then they lost Edward in the forest.
“Where’d he go?”
“Hey! Did any of you see him?”
“pant pant We don’t know either. We’ve been running from over there.”
“Ah that bastard, where did he disappear to? He’s pretty slick.”
While about thirty bandits were looking around with fierce eyes, there was a rustling sound from the bushes.
A man in the same outfit as Edward earlier appeared wearing a black mask.
The bandits let out a collective cheer.
“Jackpot! The jackpot appears!”
The bandits surrounded and rushed at him.
But what was this?
The Fool Prince, who they thought would be easily caught, was surprisingly strong.
Every time the Fool Prince swung his fists, screams erupted from all around.
“Don’t use ropes, just stab him with swords! It’s fine if he gets hurt! First break one of his legs so he can’t move!”
The bandit leader shouted until his throat was hoarse, urging his men on, but the Fool Prince wasn’t someone who could be dealt with by swords.
It wasn’t a fight, it was a massacre.
The bandits were beaten one-sidedly.
At some point, there weren’t even ten men left standing.
The ground was overflowing with those who were dead or unconscious.
“Th-the rumors I heard weren’t like this, is he really the Fool Prince?”
The bandits, faced with this unexpected situation, became frightened and started to run away.
But all they could do was hide by running back into the hideout.
The Fool Prince chased them into the hideout and wiped them all out in an instant.
The same situation repeated itself day after day.
-Edward would appear first as bait, and then Maru would appear in the same outfit to eliminate the bandits.
Using this formula repeatedly, Maru and Edward relentlessly cleared out bandit groups.
And after about 2 weeks.
The two reported their achievements to the royal court.
The courtiers gathered in the large hall couldn’t hide their amazement at the pile of gold and silver treasures stacked so high it nearly reached the ceiling in the center of the hall.
“Wh-what is all this?”
“They say these are the stolen goods that were in possession of the bandits the prince subjugated.”
“The prince eliminated this many bandit groups?”
Maru came forward before the dumbfounded courtiers and started boasting about Edward’s exaggerated exploits just like before.
“The prince was truly remarkable. His movements were faster than light. When a bandit swung their sword – BAM! Block it, POW! Strike back. After taking one down, he couldn’t wait and immediately rushed to the next one – SLASH! SLASH! BAM! POW! It was like watching Hero Alexia herself. And also…”
“Ohhhhh!”
As Maru’s story progressed, the courtiers cheered and applauded.
Watching this, the King was very satisfied, and the Queen sitting beside him occasionally gave silent applause while wearing an extremely pleased expression.
“That concludes my report as the royal administrative officer who assists the prince!”
When the report ended, the courtiers’ eyes looking at the prince had changed.
Without exception, they all sent gazes of admiration and respect.
Edward smoothly swept back his hair and showed a satisfied smile.
He really had thick skin.
“Administrative Officer Maru. From next time, please tone down my exploits when announcing them. I feel embarrassed just listening. Hoho.”
“Y-your humility…!”
One courtier looked at him with respect and shouted loudly.
“Long live Prince Edward!”
Other courtiers caught the mood and shouted loudly.
“The light of our Kingdom of Basilite! Long live Prince Edward!”
The rumor that Prince Edward had eliminated many bandits spread quickly outside the palace.
“That Fool Prince apparently did this (whisper whisper).”
“What~? My, how he’s changed~”
Everyone was busy talking about the prince whenever they met.
The previously negative public opinion about the prince gradually began to change to favorable and positive.
Later, after hearing about the people’s sentiment through his men, the King nodded with satisfaction.
“I used the right person.”
As the King’s trust deepened, Maru’s palace life became even more comfortable.
When the King moved Maru to a larger and more luxurious room than before, people in the palace treated Maru accordingly.
No matter what Maru did, hardly anyone tried to stop him.
“Is this for the prince?”
A maid passing in the corridor asked this while looking at the silver tray Maru was holding in both hands.
On the silver tray were a bottle of alcohol, fruit, and chicken dishes.
Maru gave a slight smile.
“Yes.”
He passed by her and headed to the prince’s room.
He kicked the door loudly at the entrance.
The door opened immediately.
“Oh, you came.”
The prince welcomed Maru with a bright smile.
“What are you carrying?”
“Food for me. Is the table clean?”
“Use it as much as you want.”
As soon as he entered, Maru put down the silver tray on the table and started eating.
“Come have a drink too.”
“I’m fine. I have to see His Majesty later.”
The prince was distracted choosing clothes to wear for the next bandit subjugation.
“Next time we go out to eliminate bandits, I should wear more magnificent and splendid clothes. Clothes that will enhance my prestige even more.”
“The wind’s really gotten to your head. Are you actually enjoying this now?”
“This is the life I’ve always wanted. The courtiers look up to me and my parents see me in a good light. Thank you, Maru.”
Maru quietly smiled and took a drink.
“Anyway, if you’re changing to a new style of clothes, don’t forget to match my outfit too.”
“Of course. We’re one body and soul, aren’t we?”
“One body and soul?”
Maru burst out laughing.
He thought it was nonsense.
“By the way, you said you’d show me the princess but it’s been weeks without a glimpse. Are you sure you have a sister?”
“Hahaha. Trust me. Before we arrived, she went down to the provinces leading a trade negotiation team, what can we do? She’ll be back soon.”
“When exactly?”
“From what I’ve heard, it should be about time. At the latest by the day after tomorrow, at the earliest today.”
“I hope she comes today.”
Maru poured more alcohol and drank it down.
Later, while exchanging various conversations with Edward, as he got a bit drunk, he suddenly thought of his mother.
‘Come to think of it, I haven’t sent her any news. She must think I’m dead since the island disappeared.’
He looked back at Edward, who was still lingering in front of the large wardrobe.
“Do you have any letter paper?”
“Letter paper? It’s over there. Look on my desk.”
Getting up and going to the desk, he saw quality paper and what looked like an expensive quill pen.
“As expected of a prince, using nice things. I like it.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Maru pulled out the classic chair and sat at the desk.
“Let me write a letter for a bit, could you step out?”
“Hm? But I need to choose clothes?”
“I want to write to my mother. It’s embarrassing.”
A moment later, Edward, neatly dressed in walking clothes, held the doorknob and smiled.
“It’s an unusual experience having someone in my room while I’m not here. Alright. I’ll be in the garden, come call me when you’re done.”
“Don’t stay in some corner.”
“I’ll be at the fountain in front of the palace. Well then, write well.”
After the door closed, Maru held the quill pen and began writing the letter.
Having not met for so long, he had many things to say and wrote without pause.
Mother.
This is Maru.
While drinking elegantly with a high-ranking friend, I thought of you.
Today more than ever, I miss your tenderness when you would sit beside me pouring drinks, saying how pretty our prince is whenever I drank.
You might receive a report from Carlisle about my death.
Please don’t be surprised and rest assured.
I am doing well and healthy in a place called the Kingdom of Basilite. (Please absolutely do not send anyone)
And I saw something interesting here recently.
I saw you from when you were younger than me.
I’ve admired to myself several times how amazing the achievements you built were during the time when you were free as a bird.
I’m so happy to be your son.
At the same time, I want to be more like you.
I too want to quickly accomplish great things like you and contribute to our kingdom… (omitted)
Eventually, Maru rolled up the finished letter.
“Ah why is it so spicy.”
He sniffled and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
He stretched wide.
“Shall we go out for a bit after a while.”
He needed to go out alone to mail the letter.
Since it was for his mother, he wrote the recipient as a woman named Helen living in his hometown village.
It was a secret receiving address used by agents working away from their homeland to communicate with the palace.