In a room only lit by one torchlight, there was a man with messy green hair sitting on the floor. He had all of his limbs chained, not only that but the room he was in was draining his mana periodically. He had no mana to even light a small fire. If that wasn"t enough the chains that he was bound with gets heavier every time he moves wildly. "As expected from an ancient prison created during the war against the supreme demon. It can even hold you the former hero of the Kingdom."
The man with messy green hair raised his head and looked at the people who just arrived. One was a beautiful lady with gorgeous silver hair that was tied in a knot, she had ruby red eyes that were looking at the man in chains with a sharp gaze.
The one who stood behind her was also a gorgeous woman with long pinkish blond hair and blue eyes which had the same beautiful color as the sky
"What an honor it is for the Sword Princess to grace me with her presence," Nezzard spoke with an almost mocking tone.
"Do you really think you should be talking that way, in your current situation?" Rika who was standing behind Ashley glared at Nezzard.
"Oh did I somehow offend you Lady Rika? If so, then please forgive me. I guess I"m just a little grumpy since I"ve been imprisoned in a place meant for ancient demons. Not only was I imprisoned in such a place, but I was also forced to eat such horrible smelling food, while chained no less. But worst of all I can"t even sleep in peace in this place! I wouldn"t care so much about the horrible food and atmosphere, but forcing me to stay awake for a session of torture is way too much. Not being able to sleep is torture enough for me. So forgive me for not responding with a smile on my face."
Nezzard once again responded with an even snarkier tone. Rika was about to respond in kind but Ashley signaled her to stop.
"If you didn"t want this to happen then why did you do what you did? Surely you of all people should know how those old n.o.bles would respond."
"Oh? You"re not going to scold me about what I said on that day?" Nezzard was quite surprised to see Ashley"s reaction to what he had done. Among all the children of the current king, Ashley was the person who had the most pride for her country and its people. Nezzard was expecting Ashley to come here and lecture him about how strong the kingdom of Reschbeauch was and how they can"t possibly lose to one man.
"I see... You"ve met him haven"t you?" Hearing Nezzard"s question Ashley nodded her head.
"Then you know how dangerous it is to oppose him!" Nezzard shouted as the chains in his hands and legs got heavier.
Hearing what Nezzard said, Ashley remembered the first time she saw Ren. His mana was enormous and it felt so aggressive as if it wanted to devour everything in sight. She then remembered his eyes that looked at her, it felt like he could see through her very soul. Those weren"t the eyes of a young man, but someone that had experienced more than anyone could imagine. A person like that was aiding her older brother and created an independent city.
"I do understand."
"Then you can tell them, that whatever they"re planning will only end with our deaths. If it"s you then maybe they would listen." Nezzard who was usually lazy and unmotivated had a weird desperation in his eyes as he pleaded with Ashley.
The sword princess responded by shaking her head and saying, "That"s impossible."
"Why?"
"You do remember that this is Reschbeauch, a place where strength is highly valued. If they didn"t listen to you the hero of the kingdom, then they won"t listen to me. Also, as we speak my two older brothers are already getting ready to attack my third eldest brother. They have already gathered their forces and are making their final preparations before marching towards New Grenton. They"re hoping that destroying this rebellious force will give them a better chance of gaining the throne."
"Then how about the king? Surely if you somehow explain how dangerous Ren is to your father, he would listen."
"I did try to do that, but father has been away for quite some time now, as the situation with the Serbek Kingdom has been intensifying. The Serbek Kingdom has been moving more boldly as of late. Their aggressive offensive has pushed us back as they are nearing our Southern borders. With the current state of the Kingdom, father had no choice but to enter the battle himself."
Hearing about the current situation of the Kingdom, Nezzard was losing hope. He wanted to protect the crown and the Kingdom, but it feels like the crown and the Kingdom wanted to destroy themselves.
"I see... Then there is nothing else to do but to wait for our inevitable demise. Well, seeing as I"m already imprisoned here, dying might actually be a better option." Nezzard sighed as he had given up completely and accepted his fate. The moment the two Princes attack Ren will be the moment of not only their deaths but also the fall of the Reschbeauch Kingdom. If this was going to be the outcome no matter what, then he should"ve just stayed at home and slept.
When Nezzard thought of that he smiled. That was really a funny thought for him, as the truth was he didn"t regret what he did nor the actions he has taken. "Well, I guess if I died I get to sleep for all eternity. That"s a pretty comforting thought."
While Nezzard was getting sucked into his own thoughts, Ashley spoke to him.
"Do not look so hopeless Sir Nezzard. I"m actually here because I have another plan on how to deal with this situation. First I need you to tell me everything you know about Ren. What have you observed about him? Not only him but his companions as well. Tell me everything, every single detail that you know."