Foreboding Storm - Chapter 157

“We…we made it.”

“Yes, we saw the Crown Prince.”

A weak sigh passed their lips and the group of men fell to the ground.

“Your highness, it looks like another group of dislocated civilians. Should we check on them?” The black-armored soldiers were no longer surprised at the sight of the thin-bodied civilians.

Over the past couple of days, they had encountered more of the fleeing civilians to consider the sight normal.

“Go and see. Take some water and food along.” Crown Prince Lail’s eyes flashed with complicated emotions as he looked at the bony citizens.

Used to comfortable and peaceful lives, this past month, the citizens of the Amayan Empire had experienced a nightmare they’d never experienced their entire lives.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Taking along some water and provisions, the armored guards went to check on the civilians.

Crown Prince Lail had once abandoned these people because the ministers in the royal court and the citizens in the Imperial Capital had spurned his wife. Now he felt guilty because the matter in the Imperial Capital had nothing to do with those living outside.

He’d blamed them indiscriminately and cut himself off.

“Your Highness, when will we reach the eastern outpost?” The delicate voice, as always, made him tense.

Even after their discussion and agreement last time to behave and interact normally with each other.

“Within the next three days.” Emotionlessly, he stirred his Myif forward, leaving her behind.

“A…I mean, princess. What did you say to this ice cube last time? Even though he’s still cold, now he actually appropriately answers your questions.” Marui Osklain curiously looked between the two and an envious expression appeared on her face.

But the next moment, she quickly restored her original carefree expression.

If Aarya Quime found her staring longingly at the man, her life wouldn’t end well.

A light flashed through Aarya Quime’s eyes as she watched the man’s receding back.

“Nothing much. I just said that no matter what are our differences are, we should keep it between us and not expose it to the public. As husband and wife, we have a whole life to spend together. We should try to get along well rather than ignore each other.”

“Wow! And he actually agreed?” Marui Osklain’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The ice cube actually agreed to get along?

“Why wouldn’t he? Don’t you know how devoted he is to his wife? Even if he doesn’t feel comfortable around her or senses something wrong, he’d never outrightly ignore or shame her before others. And now that we’re on speaking terms, it’s only a matter of time before I win his heart. At the end of the day, without evidence proving otherwise, I’m still his wife.”

“Hmm…without evidence to prove that you’re not Princess Qamari, you are Princess Qamari.”

Slap!

“Hey, what was that for?” Marui Osklain held her face in astonishment,

Aarya Quime slapped her? Did she slap her?

“If you ever say anything like that again, then a slap wouldn’t be the end of it.” Cold and hard, the other’s voice made Marui Osklain tremble.

Frost saturated her voice. “Understand…?”

“Un…Understand.” She stuttered.

“Good. The Crown Prince said we’ll arrive in the eastern outpost in three days’ time. Let’s go and ask after the civilians’ health. The more gentle and kind we are, the easier we’ll win their hearts.” Aarya Quime no longer just wanted to be the Crown Princess Consort.

After seeing the nightmarish mutated magical beasts, her desire to live a safe, comfortable, and luxurious life inside a beautiful palace became firmer. Crown Prince Lail’s good looks, charisma, powerful magic, and formidable leadership skills only added fuel to the possessive flame.

With Crown Prince Lail beside her, she desired to be loved and worshiped by the citizens of the Amayan Empire as she ruled over them as Empress from the Imperial Palace.

Princess Qamari, among many things, the heavens might have been biased towards you by making you the Crown Princess Consort of such a prosperous empire. But I’ll snatch this fortune of yours and see to it that this position never becomes yours again.

Be satisfied with everything you’ve already received and enjoyed, and just die!

Aarya Quime clenched her fists and looked in Crown Prince Lail’s direction.

He’s mine and mine alone.

A fierce, possessive flame flashed in her eyes and the desire to kill and wipe out all traces of the other one surged even fiercer in her heart.

“Marui, when we reach the eastern outpost, see if you can hire some hands. Bribe or threaten them. I don’t care how you do it, but make sure they find and finish that one the moment she steps foot in the Amaya realm.”

“Ah? Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Not see. Do it!” With a cold glare, she turned and walked towards the groaning, sickly kids.

There was only one Crown Princess Consort, the wife of Crown Prince Lail, Princess Qamari.

And only she was Princess Qamari and no one else!

A while later, the group of armored guards, rested civilians, and two females followed behind the stoic and impassive Crown Prince Lail to the Eastern Outpost.

*

At this moment on the Eastern Outpost, a fierce battle was taking place between the stationed soldiers and mutated magical beasts.

“Prince Noore, we can’t hold on any longer! The beasts are growing!” Khan Boen’s heart filled with dread.

No matter how many mutated beasts they slaughtered, more appeared and took their place. While they were wearing and growing tired, the beasts were only getting more fired up. If things continued in this direction, it was only a matter of time before they would grow too tired to even dodge a claw!

“Your Highness, we need to retreat! Let’s retreat!” Capitan Chu and Vice Capitan Kim were on the verge of passing out.

The vast number of mutated magical beasts made them uncontrollably tremble and turn pale with fright.

Da**! What is this prince doing? He should be ordering us to withdraw at this point! Why is he still doggedly engaging the beasts? Does he think he can push them back with his power?

Is he that delusional?

The two exchanged glances and looked towards the panting Prince Noore.

“Pathetic!” They hissed together.

The earlier fawning and flattering smiles were now replaced with disdain and disgust.

On the other hand, Prince Noore leaped and slashed at an Iron Clawed Boar with ferocious anger. He felt boundless rage and hate.

This was supposed to be his sure victory, a step forward towards the throne.

However, the heavens were bent on making him a failure.

For the past ten days, they’d been tirelessly fighting back horde after horde of beast tide. The more they killed the more that gathered. And the more that gathered the more tired they became.

Now it’s gotten to the point where they didn’t even have time for a brief respite.

“Yahh!”

He leaped again and ruthlessly slashed at Jade Snake. But the mutated beast was more sinister than the other beasts and lowered itself to the ground. It smoothly evaded the attack, then lunged upward, aiming for Prince Noore’s throat.

“Hisss!”

The ominous threat of death caused the prince to leap backward and blindly swing his sword before him. He had a vague feeling.

If the Jade Snake managed to strike him, even the greatest danger in the Imperial Capital would not be able to save him.

The other leading military officials were also alarmed upon witnessing the scene.

“Prince Noore!”

“Go save Prince Noore”

“Push back the Jade Snake!”

Anxious and frantic shouts rang out. The already gloomy atmosphere became tense and grim as hopeless despair and dark fear gripped the soldiers and spectating, huddled civilians’ hearts.

Was this the end?

If Prince Noore died, who’d lead them to safety?

“At least we’re together.” A female civilian held her husband’s hand and bleakly remarked.

“That’s true. At least we’re together. The same couldn’t be said for many.” Their sight shifted to the trembling figure of a teenage kid holding his mother’s lifeless corpse.

A few days ago, a Venomous Python had breached through the soldiers’ blockade and slaughtered a number of civilians. Devastated and shattered by the unexpected passing of their beloveds, many of the civilians remained frozen in the same spot.

Of course, there were many more that still desired to live. They ate the raw meat of the dead mutated beasts to satiate their hunger and drank the blood to quench their thirst.

“Let’s leave together as well.”

The Amayan citizens all seemed to see their horrible ending. With bleak and lifeless gazes, they waited for the inevitable end.

Khan Boen lead three armored soldiers to rescue Prince Noore. If anything happened to the prince of the empire within their presence, if they survived this disaster then their punishment wouldn’t be light.

“Rescue the prince!”

“Push back the Jade Snake!”

The soldiers anxiously rushed forward, but before they could reach Prince Noore, a pack of mutated Beetle Slugs stood in their way.

“Huuu!”

The Beetle Slugs released a sticky glob of green slime. The soldiers stepped back and narrowly avoided the goo with ashen expressions.

“What do we do now?”

“We can’t pass with them blocking us.”

Their sight shifted to Prince Noore, who was cornered from the back by a Heat Mice. Stuck in between the snake and mice with only a sword, Prince Noore felt his heart drop.

He’d come to the Eastern Outskirts to earn merits and rightfully inherit the Amayan throne. But it seemed his foolish quest would mark his end.

“Haha…” A burst of lonely, sorrowful laughter erupted from his shaking figure, and Prince Noore threw back his head and laughed.

Bleak, hopeless, and unresigned, the laugh wittingly brought bitter tears and deep despair to the spectators’ eyes.

“No, Prince Noore…” An icy shiver traveled down Khan Boen’s spine as he watched his friend. His hopeless laughter and lonely silhouette made his heart plunge to the bottom of his stomach.

Prince Noore had given up. Unresigned, but surely perceived the hopelessness of his situation, the futility of his desperate struggle.

“Everyone, sorry for pulling into this situation. You are to retreat from the Eastern Outpost upon my death. That is my final order.”

“Prince Noore!”

“No, Prince Noore!”

His words made the soldiers frantic and anxious. They slashed and pierced, desperately struggled to push back the mutated beasts blocking their way, but nothing worked.

It was if the mutated beasts perceived their anxious state of mind. Instead of attacking mindlessly, they only defended and remained in their spots, refusing to give way.

The soldiers’ struggle was futile.

“Hisssss!”

“Chiiiiiiii!”

With horror-struck eyes and hanging mouths, they watched the Jade Snake and Heat Mice simultaneously lung at Prince Noore.

“Prince Noore!”

Puchi!

Bang!

Right at this moment, an anomaly occurred.

The snake flew through the air and the mice crashed to the ground. In the wake of their spraying blood and dust, Prince Noore’s unharmed figure appeared in their view.

“Huh?”

“The Jade Snake and Heat Mice…they?”

“They’re dead! They’re dead!”

“But how? Who killed them?”

Like hens pecking on rice, the soldiers raised their heads and lowered, then raised again with disbelief and astonishment.

“That…”

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

“I am seeing the black-armored guards surrounding a figure that appears to be Crown Prince Lail. Is that what you’re seeing?”

“Who is that?”

Capitan Chu and Vice-Capitan Kim exchanged shocked glances then turned to the approaching storm of troops.

Huuuuu!

Gasps of astonishment resounded as the citizens of the Amayan Empire, soldiers and civilians alike, trained their sight on black Myif and the black-clothed young man.

“Crown Prince Lail?”

“Yay! Our Crown Prince is here to save us!”

“Crown Prince Lail!”

In a storm of dust, blood, and gore, the Crown Prince of the Amayan Empire, Crown Prince Lail appeared before the stunned Prince Noore.

“So, it’s him…”

No wonder his father had allowed him to leave.

Before such an overwhelming presence, what merit could he possibly earn?

“Heh….” A chuckle bleaker than the one before passed through his cracked lips.