The Bastard First Prince Doesn't Want to Die-Chapter 187

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 187

"Ugh...!"

When I woke up from the dream, I was drenched in cold sweat.

It was because—no, thanks to—being beaten to a pulp by Jincheon before I woke up.

"I barely survived that one."

But it wasn’t like I walked away empty-handed.

This was already the sixth day. Every night, I had been sparring—or rather, getting mercilessly beaten down by Jincheon in what could hardly be called a fair match.

…Well, at least it had the semblance of a sparring session.

If Jincheon had been beating me up just for fun, I would’ve run away no matter what.

Sure, Jincheon was an opponent I could never defeat, but he wasn’t someone I couldn’t escape from. At least, not in the past—when he finally killed me, it wasn’t something he did alone. He and his subordinates had dragged me down into a pit together.

Anyway, the reason I wasn’t running away from that murderous bastard Jincheon and was willingly taking his beatings was simple: I was learning.

That’s right.

By offering up a mysterious pouch of candy I had found, I somehow managed to get Jincheon to give me one-on-one lessons.

A miracle, really.

Jincheon, that bastard, was beating me to a pulp, yet he wasn’t trying to kill me?

That alone was enough to shake the very foundations of the world.

As I reflected on my latest dream and tried to recall everything I had learned from Jincheon—

Thwack-!

The paper screen on my door suddenly tore open, and a short, stubby finger poked through the hole.

"Why are you waking up so laaaate?"

Through the hole, a round eye peered inside.

"Damn it, you scared me."

Honestly, I was actually startled.

How was Aro so good at sneaking around?

Oh, right. Because I taught her.

That’s right—she had me to thank for her stealth skills. All thanks to my expert teaching.

For the past six days, I had been teaching Aro all sorts of useful skills in reality.

Then, every night in my dreams, I had been getting pummeled—ahem—receiving private lessons from Jincheon.

Aro was making better progress than I expected. She even seemed to enjoy it.

I just hadn’t anticipated her using her stealth to sneak up on me and vandalize my door.

Well, whatever. It’s fine.

Now there’s a nice little hole in the door, letting in a refreshing breeze while I sleep.

As I smugly wiped my nose, Aro had already marched into the room.

"You should wake up earlier!"

"Hey, do you even know how busy I’ve been lately? I mean, seriously. Huh? Huh?"

I grumbled while making excuses, awkwardly getting up as Aro looked at me like I was pathetic.

At this point, I was looking forward to sleeping more than being awake.

* * *

A shrub with purple-tinted leaves stood before me, surrounded by dense thickets that spread out like a folding screen.

My head was spinning, and for a moment, I had no memory of what had just happened.

Had I hit my head when I fell?

I pressed my temples and slowly got up.

"...Why do you keep coming at me?"

Jincheon’s voice rang out.

He stood there with perfect posture, his sword lowered, staring down at me.

I wasn’t used to people looking down at me from such a height.

It felt unfamiliar—awkward, even.

"Then what?"

"What?"

"Am I just supposed to stay down?"

I heaved myself up, planting both feet firmly on the ground.

"I’m not trying to dig too deep. I just want to know why you keep challenging me."

Jincheon turned his head away.

What a prissy bastard.

"You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to."

"Didn’t I already tell you? I want to learn."

Jincheon let out a cold, mocking scoff.

"And just what is it you think you’ll learn?" At a glance, his gaze seemed to carry a hint of contempt. "Looking like that."

Well, I was used to it by now.

"I can learn at least something—whatever that may be."

I raised my sword once more.

For some reason, Jincheon was especially aggressive today. Even blocking his attacks felt overwhelming, and I kept collapsing within just a few exchanges.

At this rate, it was barely even a sparring match.

It hit me then—Jincheon had been holding back this entire time.

Not just going easy on me, but...

What was the right way to describe it?

It was almost as if he had been playing with me.

The only reason I had managed to escape from him before was because I was more familiar with Seopyung’s terrain than he was.

That was it.

It had never been because I was particularly skilled or capable.

Just how much of a monster was he?

And how had the Emperor of Huawei managed to keep someone like Jincheon under control?

It was hard to believe that someone like him would ever pledge loyalty to anyone.

"What is your reason for learning?"

"Huh?"

Jincheon threw out another question, seemingly out of nowhere.

Was he always this talkative?

The young Jincheon I had known in reality had never been much of a talker.

I had assumed he was just naturally quiet, but maybe he simply didn’t want to talk.

So, when something actually piqued his curiosity, he would ask.

Then… in reality, too, had he avoided speaking to me simply because he had nothing to say?

…Maybe I had been mistaken in thinking we were closer than we really were.

I suddenly felt a little dejected.

"I asked—why do you want to grow stronger?"

"There’s something I need to do."

At that, Jincheon turned to look toward Blood Cloud Fortress.

If we descended from this hill and walked straight ahead, we’d reach it.

In the distance, under the morning sun, Blood Cloud Fortress loomed grand and imposing.

Beyond the gently sloping meadows at the base of the hill, a thin veil of morning mist lay over the land.

Through the fog, the fortress’s walls emerged—old yet solid, as if they were carved from a single, unyielding rock.

The road from the hill to the fortress cut through a barren plain.

Once, it had been farmland, home to many.

Now, stripped bare by time and the elements, it was nothing more than abandoned land—devoid of life, devoid of meaning.

And yet, people were still willing to stake their lives to defend it.

Because they believed—believed that one day, warmth and life could return to that land.

But I already knew how that hope would ultimately be crushed.

To me, that desolate plain looked even more tragic than a graveyard.

Without Jincheon and me on the battlefield, the siege of Blood Cloud Fortress had seemingly reached a standstill.

From this distance, I couldn’t be sure, but I didn’t hear any loud war cries or see the glow of flames.

They were simply buying time.

That wasn’t just bad for Jincheon’s side—it was bad for ours, too.

A fortress could only hold out for so long.

Who was going to feed the soldiers holed up inside? Their ancestors?

If supplies ran out, the gates would have to open.

And then, it would be over.

Of course, Jincheon’s army could run out of food first and be forced to withdraw…

I shifted my gaze back to Jincheon.

He was still staring silently at the fortress.

There was something heavy, something unreadable, in his cold eyes.

"Are you trying to protect it?" Jincheon asked.

I nodded.

What else would I be doing if not defending the fortress?

"...Why did you refuse the Emperor’s offer?"

Technically, I hadn’t refused it—I had ignored it.

Thinking back, I had once received a personal letter from the Emperor himself.

An offer—if I surrendered everything and swore loyalty to him, he would grant me a high position.

"The position His Majesty offered was already far too generous for a mere country warrior like you."

I scoffed.

A country warrior?

What a joke.

"Are you out of your mind? Why the hell would I go there?"

"Do you not seek power?"

"I don’t need it."

I raised my sword higher, aiming it directly at Jincheon.

He must have sensed my movements, read my intentions—yet he didn’t so much as blink.

Did he see no value in responding?

Because he knew I could never so much as lay a finger on him?

"…No, that’s an exaggeration. Maybe not a single strand of hair… but if I were prepared to die, I might be able to take an arm."

I muttered under my breath, and only then did Jincheon finally look at me.

"Do you wish to take my arm?"

I shook my head.

"Throwing away my life just to take one of your arms isn’t worth it."

"Value your life."

This guy. Look at him acting all aloof.

Jincheon ignored me and took a few steps away before leaning against the same tree trunk as before.

"Do you want that fortress? If that’s the case, you could simply request a provincial lordship from His Majesty. That much wouldn’t be difficult."

He folded his arms and gazed off into the distance.

"You’ve already been offered a seat, however minor, within the Royal Guards."

His calm voice carried over.

Right… I did recall that happening.

The Royal Guards were the personal elite troops of the Emperor of Huawei.

Jincheon belonged to them as well… though, considering how much he wandered around, his position must have been honorary.

Regardless, it was the most prestigious military order in the empire.

Even so, I had turned the offer down.

Because where I belonged was here—Blood Cloud Fortress.

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"Of all the people I’ve met, you’re the strangest one."

Jincheon said this without even looking at me and, before I realized it, had already shut his eyes.

I stared in disbelief.

The enemy commander—within arm’s reach—and he had the audacity to close his eyes?

Was he seriously about to sleep? Right here?

Before I could even process my bewilderment, the steady rhythm of his breathing filled the silence.

Jincheon had actually fallen asleep.

"…Hah."

Unbelievable.

Did it not even cross his mind that I might kill him?

…Should I just do it now?

I tightened my grip on my sword and took a step closer to him.

But in the end, I didn’t kill him.

Because what I could gain from sparring with him was far more valuable than what I would gain from his death.

After all, this was just a dream.

Jincheon was my enemy, but this place—this entire situation—was nothing more than a dream.

Even if I killed him here, nothing would change.

Our fortress lord wouldn’t remember me, and the war would still happen regardless.

Whether I killed him or not…

I tore my gaze away from Jincheon and took in my surroundings.

The air atop the hill was crisp and cool.

A faint breeze carried with it the scent of grass and damp earth from the distant meadows, tickling my nose.

It felt so real.

If only this were reality…

I stood there in silence for a long time.

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]