Chapter 84
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
Chapter 85: The Secret Club (1)
***
The Crown Prince of the Apple Kingdom.
Oliver Apple felt like dying every day lately.
The reason? There was no need to explain much. It was all because of Damien.
– Your Highness, it’s time to study.
It was a routine to come at the same time every morning to wake himself up.
– Your Highness, sitting still stiffens the body.
He even made him do exercises he didn’t want to do regularly.
– Your Highness, no alcohol. Consider every drop as poison.
He even declared abstinence to himself, knowing he couldn’t sleep well without alcohol.
Among them, the most painful thing was that.
– Your Highness, you seem to have lost your determination due to not being hit for a while. Let’s lightly hit you ten times today to regain your determination.
Even if he did nothing wrong, he was regularly called up and punished.
Every time he was punished, he felt a surge of anger, but he had to endure it.
There was hardly any trace of punishment on how it was done. Without evidence, no one believed his words.
– Damn it! I can’t take it anymore! Today you die or I die!
– Oh, how can you say such a thing? Didn’t I ask you to respect your teacher?
– Shut up!
There were times when he rebelled and ended up being beaten all day long.
– Your Highness, if you do this again next time, it’ll be doubled.
It was undoubtedly the most chilling warning he had ever received in his life.
After hearing those words, Oliver could no longer maintain his rebellion against Damien.
“Damn you, you son of a bitch.”
Tonight, Oliver sat reading a book without even touching alcohol.
It was because Damien had ordered him to memorize ten more books by tomorrow as punishment for rebellion.
And it was about tedious etiquette books!
“Why the hell do I have to read this?”
While grumbling, Oliver didn’t stop reading.
If Oliver concentrated, memorizing ten books wasn’t particularly difficult.
It was just annoying and he thought there would be no use for it even if he memorized it.
The main thing was that he didn’t know what would happen to him if he didn’t do what he was told.
Then, there was a tapping sound.
Oliver turned his gaze. A crow was perched outside the window, tilting its head.
A small cylinder was tied to the crow’s ankle. Oliver’s face brightened when he saw it.
“You finally came!”
Oliver immediately opened the window. When he opened the lid of the cylinder, he saw a rolled-up piece of paper.
Oliver gave the crow some feed, then unfolded the paper and read it.
“Tonight at 10 o’clock, is this it?”
A bright smile appeared on Oliver’s face.
“Now’s not the time for this. I need to get ready to go.”
Oliver Apple hurriedly changed his clothes. He put on a robe on top to make sure no one could recognize him.
“This should be enough so that even that guy won’t be able to recognize me. Here I go!”
***
“The moon is unusually bright today.”
Damien murmured as he looked up at the moon from the roof of the building.
The sky was clear without a single cloud. The moon was exceptionally bright as well. It was a perfect night to gaze at the sky.
“It’s also a good day to eat this.”
Damien took out three bottles that he received from the king.
Inside these peculiar bottles made of carved stone was royal jelly from a giant wasp called Allecto.
“Eating this significantly boosts regeneration powers.”
The most useful effect one could obtain from consuming Allecto’s royal jelly was an increase in regeneration ability.
The person who first consumed Allecto’s royal jelly reportedly experienced astonishing regeneration of their body parts within just a few days, akin to the remarkable ability of a lizard’s tail to grow back after being severed.
However, it’s said that the person in question ate the royal jelly until his stomach burst. It seemed unlikely to expect such efficacy with just three bottles.
“Still, it’s quite remarkable.”
Damien opened the bottle and drank the royal jelly.
The viscous liquid went down his throat. It tasted bitter and sour.
It wasn’t a taste he desired to experience again, but Damien gritted his teeth and drank the remaining two bottles as well.
Three bottles.
In terms of quantity, the equivalent of a glass of water was poured over Damien’s stomach.
‘It’s not easily absorbed.’
The elixirs he had consumed before were immediately absorbed upon ingestion.
However, Allecto’s royal jelly was different. It seemed to clump together and was unwilling to be absorbed.
‘Then I’ll force it to be absorbed.’
Damien channeled his mana. He forcibly broke apart and crumbled the royal jelly that lingered in his stomach, ensuring he absorbed every last bit.
‘This is amazing.’
As soon as he absorbed the royal jelly, there was a change in his muscle fibers. They became denser and more solid. He could feel the immediate physical changes taking place.
Damien gripped the bottle slightly and applied some force. The stone bottle, which had been made of stone, crumbled into dust in an instant.
“I like this one.”
Using pure physical strength, he crushed the stone bottle without resorting to mana. It was a feat impossible without tremendous strength. And this strength was gained through the royal jelly.
But this was just a minor change.
Damien drew his dagger and lightly nicked his fingertip. The skin was cut open and blood trickled out.
However, as time passed, the bleeding stopped, and the wound healed cleanly.
“I really like this.”
Indeed, Allecto’s royal jelly was as remarkable as rumored.
There was one more thing to test. Damien closed his eyes and use the Art of Sacrificial Raging Demon Manifestation.
His body temperature rose rapidly. His senses sharpened. The sound of the wind in his ears gradually faded. The movement of leaves carried by the wind slowed down.
The Art of Sacrificial Raging Demon Manifestation temporarily maximized physical abilities and senses by activating the body.
It was an outstanding ability, even for Damien but the problem was the immense strain it put on the body.
So Damien only used it when it was necessary.
After consuming the royal jelly, it was different now.
Despite using the Art of Sacrificial Raging Demon Manifestation, his body managed to endure the strain, thanks to its enhanced strength and resilience.
‘I can probably use it a little further.’
Damien intensified the effects of the Art of Sacrificial Raging Demon Manifestation. His body temperature soared, and his senses sharpened even more.
The world, which had been moving slowly, came to a complete halt. The sound of the wind ceased entirely. The leaves fluttering in the wind stopped moving altogether.
“Cough.”
At that moment, Damien spat out blood from his mouth. It was the price of pushing The Art of Sacrificial Raging Demon Manifestation to its limit.
“Well, I won’t use it often.”
It was when Damien had spat out all the blood remaining in his mouth. Vaporous substance began to rise from his entire body.
This served as clear evidence that the enhanced vitality he had gained from consuming the royal jelly was actively working to heal his injuries.
“Satisfying.”
Damien wore a satisfied expression.
“Huh?”
From the building where Damien sat, someone was seen sneaking away.
“The Crown Prince?”
He covered himself with his robe, but he couldn’t escape Damien’s sharp eyes.
“Disobeying my orders again? Was the punishment not enough?”
Damien grabbed the nearby club. Then, a sudden question crossed his mind.
“But where is he going at this hour?”
Curiosity piqued, Damien secretly followed Oliver Apple.
***
Oliver sneaked out of the royal palace through the soldiers he had bribed.
“Hmm, the smell of freedom.”
As Oliver walked through the streets of the capital, he savored the sense of liberation.
“Yes, this is life. It’s not about being beaten up by a lunatic.”
Walking along the main road, Oliver gradually made his way to a dimly lit area.
After wandering through the alleyways, Oliver stopped at a tavern guarded by two burly men.
“What do you want?”
One of the guards spoke gruffly. Oliver clicked his tongue at the remark.
“These idiots still don’t remember my face.”
“Oh, is it Your Highness?”
“Yes, it’s me!”
“Please come in! The boss is waiting for you!”
The guards opened the door wide. Oliver grinned mischievously as he entered.
Contrary to the narrow entrance, the interior was spacious. Not only spacious but also elegantly decorated, resembling a café.
“Your Highness, you’ve come.”
A woman in a red dress greeted Oliver as he entered.
The red dress hugged the woman’s body like a second skin, accentuating her curves and revealing her figure.
As a result, it was difficult to find a place to rest one’s eyes.
“Carmen! Why did you call me after such a long time? You know how much I’ve been looking forward to this gathering!”
“The guests didn’t gather as quickly as expected. But I’ve gathered only pretty ones for you. You won’t regret it.”
Carmen, as the woman was called, smiled brightly and said. Oliver whispered to her in a subtle voice.
“I’d prefer you to sit next to me rather than the others.”
“Oh my, thank you for choosing me.”
“Then will you grant my request?”
“I have a lot to do today. But many beautiful girls are waiting for you more than I am.”
“You always say that. They’re all inferior to you.”
The two continued their conversation as they headed inside. Then, they entered the guest room.
Inside the guest room, other men were already seated with women, drinking.
“Your Highness! Have you arrived!”
As Oliver entered, the men stood up and bowed their heads.
“Oh, what’s with all the commotion? Sit. Sit down quickly.”
Oliver gestured for them to sit. He then took a seat in the center.
“Your Highness! You seem more handsome since we last met!”
“Oh, look at this guy. His Highness is always like this. Always acting like something is new.”
“Hahaha, it seems so. Your Highness, I misspoke.”
The men fawned over Oliver Apple. A satisfied smile crept onto his lips.
“Why all the unnecessary chatter… Come on, let’s drink. Bottoms up.”
Oliver raised his bottle. The men followed suit.
“What’s the rule of our ‘Real Men’ club?”
“Real drinking is done straight from the bottle!”
With that, Oliver Apple and the men started chugging their drinks.
“Ahh, now I feel alive.”
Oliver hadn’t been able to drink a single drop, having been tormented by Damien. To him, the drink now was like honey…
– You rascal! What’s going on here? Where do you think you’re going… Gack!
– Wait! Stop that! Someone stop him!
But suddenly, there was a commotion outside. The group stopped drinking and looked towards the door.
“What on earth? Ruining the taste of the drink.”
Oliver spoke irritably. A man sitting beside him lowered his head and said,
“Your Highness, shall I go and handle it?”
“Huh, what nonsense. It’s too much for Sir James to handle.”
The ‘Real Men’ gathering was a noble assembly led by Oliver Apple.
The members were diverse, ranging from Prince Oliver Apple to the children of bureaucrats working in the capital, and even knights.
Among them, James John was a knight from the middle class.
Using a middle-class knight to quell the disturbance at a tavern?
It was like using a sledgehammer to swat a mosquito…
Clang.
The tavern door swung open, and someone entered. The moment Oliver saw the face, he could only be stunned.
“Your Highness, here you are.”
Damien smiled and looked at him.
“I distinctly recall telling you to treat alcohol like poison… Yet here we are, causing trouble and drinking.”
Damien shook his head with a pitiful expression.
“That’s too bad, I have two hours of free time tonight.”
Oliver froze in place. Just for a moment, his whole body began to tremble.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Damien walked towards Oliver. His trembling intensified.
But someone blocked Damien’s path.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
The only middle-class member of the ‘Real Men’.
It was James John.
“Who are you to dare lay a hand on His Highness?”
James John glared fiercely at Damien. Damien showed an interesting expression at his sight.
“Oh-ho.”
The moment Oliver saw the two facing off, one thought crossed his mind:
The only one who can stop a monster is another monster.
Likewise, the only one who can stop a middle-class man is another middle-class man.
“Sir James!”
The prince shouted without hesitation.
“He’s an utterly vile villain! Kill him immediately! Hand him over to the guards if necessary!”
At the prince’s words, Damien’s expression became even more interesting.
“Oh-ho-ho.”
***
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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