“Pa… payment, you say?”
“Of course. I saved you and your soldiers, didn’t I? Naturally, there’s a price to pay. I’m not running a charity, you know.”
At Ian’s words, As’s face stiffened. Even Nathan, who had approached quietly, whispered in surprise.
“Your Highness, what are you doing? We agreed to act as merchants and mercenaries, didn’t we?”
“We did.”
“Then why are you provoking him like this…?”
“It’s fine. Plans are meant to change, after all.”
“Yes…?”
Contrary to Nathan’s concerns, Ian had his reasons. His actions were driven by the look in the Seventh Prince’s eyes.
It wasn’t merely because of Ian’s strength. From the moment they met, the way As addressed him as ‘a noble one’ had stood out. But more than that, Ian could see it in his gaze.
‘Everyone I’ve met so far has only viewed me as someone to exploit.’
But As was different. He looked at Ian as a genuine savior—someone who had rescued him. That sincerity shone through in his eyes. Ian believed that As would accept even unreasonable demands. The same couldn’t be said for the soldiers around him, though.
“Do you even know who you’re speaking to?”
“Show some respect! This is His Highness, the Seventh Prince and the lord of Santamo!”
Though they were grateful to Ian for saving their lives, the soldiers took offense on behalf of their prince. Some even reached for their weapons despite their injuries, ready to defend As’s honor. The atmosphere grew tense in an instant.
Ian wasn’t pleased.
‘Oh, look at these fools.’
No matter the circumstances, Ian had saved their lives. Yet now that the danger had passed, they had the audacity to raise their voices against him?
‘It seems a few of them need a proper lesson.’
Ian was already considering using a more forceful approach to regain control of the situation. As his hand moved toward the royal sword at his side, As suddenly raised his hand, signaling his soldiers to stop.
“What do you think you’re doing to our benefactor?”
“But, Your Highness—”
“This person saved our lives. Have you no dignity?”
“Our deepest… apologies.”
At As’s reprimand, the soldiers hurriedly bowed their heads in shame. As turned to Ian and bowed deeply himself.
“My apologies, benefactor. My subordinates were rude.”
Ian chuckled softly.
“It’s alright, as long as the payment is settled.”
“Of course. I will ensure the debt of my life and the lives of my soldiers is paid.”
“Really?”
“However, I currently have nothing to offer.”
As gestured toward his territory, Santamo.
“May I bring you to my territory and settle the payment there?” Sёarch* The nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
“Of course.”
At that moment, As’s gaze shifted past Ian to something behind him.
“By the way… what do you plan to do with them?”
“Them?”
“The ones you’ve captured, benefactor.”
He was referring to the knights and soldiers Ian had subdued—two knights and hundreds of injured soldiers. Ian glanced at the group and smirked.
“Why? Do you want them?”
“If you would allow it, I’d like to take them with me. Naturally, I’ll compensate you properly.”
“Is that so?”
Ian smirked.
‘Well, this is interesting.’
He hadn’t expected As to bow his head so readily. Most nobles, under similar circumstances, would have claimed the captives as their rightful spoils without hesitation. Even if Ian’s strength was intimidating, this was still As’s territory. Nobles, no matter how dire their situation, rarely abandoned their pride so easily.
‘Yet he’s asking for my permission?’
It was not a noble attitude, much less a royal one. Ian couldn’t help but test him further.
“What will you do if I refuse?”
“Then I’ll have no choice but to give up. I have no intention of coveting what belongs to my benefactor.”
“But you need them, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
As’s gaze turned cold.
“Whether it’s my elder brother or sister behind this, I must ensure those who targeted me pay the price. For that, these captives are crucial.”
The ones who had ambushed As were bold enough to openly attack him. Capturing them, uncovering the plot, and making the incident public could deal a significant blow to his enemies.
Ian’s expression hardened.
“And yet, you’d simply give them up if I refused?”
His hand gripped the hilt of his sword, a clear warning against deception. Ian wasn’t one to take chances.
‘For all I know, he could pretend to yield everything to me, only to lure me into his territory and ambush me later.’
It was a common royal and noble trick. It was not impossible for the meal to contain poison. Ian didn’t trust anyone lightly after being deceived by someone he had formerly trusted.
As, however, raised his hands in a gesture of sincerity.
“I have no intention of harming my benefactor. I swear it.”
“Strange. The royals I know aren’t like that.”
“Is that so? It’s surprising to hear you’re acquainted with any royals, Benefactor.”
As’s expression was genuinely curious, not mocking. Ian found his attitude intriguing but smirked.
“Fine. You can have them.”
“Thank you, benefactor.”
As’s face lit up. With the captives, he could begin his retaliation. But Ian wasn’t finished.
“However, I’m keeping the knights.”
“The knights?”
“Yes. I need them.”
Ian had his reasons. According to the helmet, he possessed powers that he hadn’t yet fully understood. To test those powers, he needed knights who weren’t loyal to him.
‘If something happens to my knights, that would be problematic.’
Even though Nathan often goofed around, experimenting on him was out of the question. Instead, Ian planned to use the enemy knights for his tests. Moreover, he aimed to weaken Cantum’s knight forces.
‘If they ally themselves with the Seventh Prince or are released in a prisoner exchange, that would be troublesome.’
Ian’s ultimate goal was to dismantle Cantum’s power structure and take down the First Prince, Leon. Strengthening Cantum’s forces was not an option.
As nodded in agreement. “Very well. If my benefactor wishes so, I will only take the soldiers.”
“Good.”
At As’s signal, his soldiers began rounding up the captured enemies. The prisoners were bound and led away, leaving the knights under Ian’s custody. Once the task was complete, As approached Ian and bowed respectfully.
“Benefactor, let us journey to my territory together. I will ensure you are treated properly.”
“Sounds good.”
With that, Ian and As set off for Santamo.
***
When Ian arrived in Santamo, his eyes widened in astonishment. The sight before him was far beyond his expectations—a remarkably developed city.
‘If I remember correctly, Santamo was just an ordinary regional trading town.’
The Santamo before him was a stark contrast. It was vast, rivaling the size of Cantum’s capital. The streets were bustling with countless people, and impressive buildings filled the landscape.
“Impressive.”
A genuine compliment escaped Ian’s lips. The Santamo he had known in his past life was nothing like this. Noticing Ian’s reaction, As smiled.
“It’s nothing special. I made a few changes, and it grew into what you see now.”
“You did all this?”
“Yes. I had to, to keep it alive.”
There was no trace of exaggeration in As’s words. Even the soldiers nearby nodded in agreement.
“Since His Highness arrived, our lives have changed for the better.”
“Santamo, once a small trading town, has been transformed into a thriving city.”
“Thanks to him, merchants from across the continent now flock here.”
The soldiers’ attitudes toward Ian were polite and respectful, thanks to how As had treated him during their journey. As’s demeanor had set an example for his men: if their lord respected Ian, they should follow suit.
Ian’s opinion of As began to shift. The Seventh Prince was no longer just a man struggling to survive against his siblings.
‘This guy… he’s got potential.’
Turning a modest trading town into a bustling metropolis was no small feat. As clearly had a talent for administration. Ian thought back to the memories of his past life.
‘In my previous life, Crown Prince Leonic rose to the throne with overwhelming influence. The other siblings were simply… eliminated.’
The Seventh Prince, As, hadn’t even been a part of Ian’s memories. Most royal siblings had led ordinary lives in small provincial towns, overshadowed by Leonic’s dominance and achievements, unable to accomplish anything significant.
‘But now, the future has changed.’
The crown prince’s downfall had given the other princes and princesses a chance to rise, revealing talents they had previously hidden. Ian’s gaze toward As naturally turned greedy. Just as they neared Santamo, a commotion erupted.
“Your Highness!”
“Where have you been?”
A group of hundreds of soldiers rushed toward them. Their fully armed appearance suggested they had received troubling news. Soon, a man leading the soldiers jumped off and shouted in front of As.
“What happened out there? And why are you in this state?”
“I’m fine.”
“Fine? Were you ambushed?”
“Hahaha…”
“This is no laughing matter! With your siblings targeting you, how could you be so careless?”
The man reprimanded As, completely ignoring the others around him. Ian, watching curiously, received a quiet explanation from one of the soldiers.
“That man is Lord Sang, His Highness’s chief advisor and the deputy lord of Santamo.”
“Lord Sang…”
Ian’s expression darkened.
‘How could the chief advisor, who should be aware of every move the Seventh Prince makes, know nothing of this?’
Even worse, they had only now sent soldiers to search for him, after an ambush had already taken place. It was hard not to find this suspicious.
Sang, still scolding As, suddenly turned to Ian.
“And who is this man?”
“He’s not just anyone. He is my benefactor—the one who saved me.”
“You mean to say… you actually believed that fortune-teller’s nonsense and went outside?”
“No, that’s not what happened.”
“How many times have I warned you not to trust such worthless people?”
Sang’s voice grew louder, his tone dripping with contempt. But Ian intervened, cutting through the tension with a sharp remark.
“Insulting your lord in front of so many people? It seems you’re weaker than I thought, Seventh Prince.”
“!”
“Or perhaps your subordinate simply doesn’t know his place, huh?”
The crowd fell silent. The soldiers stared in shock, and Sang’s face contorted with anger.
“How dare this commoner speak to me like that!”
Sang unleashed his anger toward Ian. How dare an insignificant commoner disrespect him?
“What are you doing right now?”
“Your Highness, please stay out of this. I will deal with this rude man…”
It was at that moment.
Clang!
Before anyone knew it, Ian had drawn his sword and pointed it at Sang’s neck.
Startled, Sang shouted, “Y-You! What is the meaning of this?!”
The surrounding soldiers were all taken aback and drew their swords as well, pointing them at Ian. But Ian remained calm, unbothered by their threats.
“You insult your lord publicly, and I defend him. Now, tell me—who is in the wrong here?”
“W-What…?”
“A chief advisor who doesn’t even know his lord’s whereabouts has no right to hold that position.”
Clang!
Ian’s icy gaze bore into Sang as the royal sword hovered dangerously close to his neck.
“You… you bastard!”
“If you wish to continue speaking, feel free. Just know that you might not live to regret it.”
“…”
Sang’s pupils trembled, his anger replaced by fear.
‘This guy… he’s serious.’
Desperately, he turned to As and shouted, “Y-Your Highness, are you really going to let this brat do this?!”
As shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, you see, he’s not my subordinate, so I can’t force him to stop. After all, I can’t control someone who saved my life.”
“Your Highness!”
Cold sweat poured down Sang’s face. Despite the presence of so many soldiers, he knew his life was in immediate danger. Lowering his head slightly, his voice shook.
“I… I made a mistake. Please, lower your sword.”
Ian, however, paid no attention to his pleas. Instead, he turned to As, raising an eyebrow.
“What do you think we should do?”
As pretended to consider it for a moment before replying with a casual tone. “Hmm… He looks pitiful. How about we end it here?”
Ian smirked. “This man insulted me too.”
“I’ll apologize on his behalf. And don’t worry—he’ll pay for his actions.”
Ian’s smirk grew faintly, but he nodded. “Fine. I’ll let it go this time.”
With As’s assurance, Ian finally lowered his sword. But before sheathing it, he leaned in slightly toward Sang and spoke in a cold, measured tone.
“If you speak nonsense again, next time, it’ll be your neck.”
“Ugh…”
Sang swallowed hard, his trembling hands betraying his fear. Even as Ian sheathed his sword, Sang dared not move recklessly.
‘Who is this man? Where on earth did he come from?’
It wasn’t just Ian’s confidence and power that made Sang falter. The two knights standing silently behind Ian exuded an aura of overwhelming killing intent. Sang had felt it the moment the soldiers raised their weapons against Ian—those knights were no ordinary men. It was as if two ferocious lions stood at Ian’s back, ready to strike.
Any thoughts of retaliation quickly evaporated.
“I… I won’t forget this. Just you wait.”
Muttering bitterly, Sang stormed away, heading inside without so much as a glance back.
Ian watched him leave, a faint smile playing on his lips. Turning to As, he asked, “Satisfied?”
As returned the smile. “Thank you, my benefactor.”
The truth was, this entire confrontation had been planned in advance. Before arriving in Santamo, Ian and As had agreed that Ian would handle anyone who approached with hostility, using intimidation to establish dominance.
‘This guy’s had a rough life, just like me.’
Still, it didn’t matter. As would eventually become Ian’s person if all went as planned.
As gestured toward the grand structure ahead. “Shall we head inside?”
Ian nodded and allowed himself to be led toward the lord’s castle. But as they walked, Ian suddenly spoke.
“About that fortune teller you mentioned earlier.”
“Hmm?”
“Is there a way for me to meet them?”
“Of course. I’ll arrange it right away.”
Ian smiled, content that things seemed to be falling into place. But just as they neared the castle, a strange sensation swept over him.
Thump, thump.
His heart began to race.
‘What is this feeling?’
It was both nostalgic and yearning, as though someone was calling to him. With a racing heart, Ian began walking toward the Santamo lord’s castle.