Episode 85: A Secret Outing (1)
The Crown Prince of the Apple Kingdom, Oliver Apple, felt like he was living in a nightmare these days.
The reason? It was all because of Damian.
“Your Highness, it’s time for your studies.”
Every morning, without fail, Damian would wake him up at the same time.
“Your Highness, sitting idle will only make your body stiff.”
He even forced Oliver into physical training, which he despised.
“Your Highness, no alcohol. Consider every drop as poison.”
He had declared a ban on alcohol, even though Oliver couldn’t sleep without it.
But the worst part was this:
“Your Highness, it seems your resolve has weakened from not being disciplined. Let’s reinforce it with a light ten lashes today.”
Even without any wrongdoing, Damian would regularly summon him for a beating.
Each time, Oliver’s anger would boil over, but he had no choice but to endure it.
Somehow, Damian managed to leave no marks, so no one believed Oliver’s complaints.
“Damn it! I can’t take this anymore! It’s either you or me today!”
“Now, now, Your Highness. Please remember to show respect to your mentor.”
“Shut up!”
Once, he had rebelled and ended up getting beaten all day.
“Your Highness, if this happens again, it will be double.”
That chilling warning was something Oliver had never experienced before.
After that, Oliver Apple had no choice but to suppress any rebellious thoughts against Damian.
“Damn that bastard.”
That evening, Oliver sat reading a book, unable to even touch a drop of alcohol.
Damian had ordered him to memorize ten more volumes by tomorrow as punishment for his defiance.
And they were all about boring, outdated etiquette!
“Why on earth do I have to read this stuff?”
Despite his grumbling, Oliver didn’t stop reading.
If he focused, memorizing ten books wasn’t too difficult for him.
It was just incredibly tedious, and he doubted he’d ever need the knowledge.
The main reason he didn’t dare defy Damian’s orders was the fear of what might happen if he did.
Just then, he heard a tapping sound.
Oliver turned his gaze to the window. A crow was tilting its head at him.
Tied to the crow’s leg was a small cylinder. Oliver’s face lit up at the sight.
“Finally, it’s here!”
He quickly opened the window. Inside the cylinder was a rolled-up piece of paper.
After feeding the crow, Oliver unrolled the paper and read it.
“Tonight at 10, huh?”
A bright smile spread across Oliver’s face.
“This isn’t the time to dawdle. I need to get ready to go out.”
He hurriedly changed his clothes, throwing on a robe to conceal his identity.
“With this, even that guy won’t recognize me. I’m off!”
“The moon is unusually bright tonight.”
Damian murmured to himself, gazing up at the moon from the rooftop.
The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight, and the moon shone brightly. It was perfect weather for stargazing.
“And for taking this.”
He took out three vials he had received from the king.
These peculiar vials, carved from stone, contained the royal jelly of the giant wasp known as Alecto.
“This stuff is supposed to greatly enhance regenerative abilities.”
The most useful effect of consuming Alecto’s royal jelly was the significant boost in regeneration.
The first person to consume it reportedly regrew severed body parts like a lizard’s tail within days.
However, that person had consumed an enormous amount of the jelly. With just three vials, such effects were unlikely.
“Still, it’s quite impressive.”
Damian opened a vial and drank the royal jelly.
The viscous liquid slid down his throat, bitter and astringent.
It wasn’t a taste he’d want to experience again, but he forced himself to drink the remaining two vials.
Three vials in total.
In terms of volume, it was about a glassful that settled in his stomach.
‘It’s not absorbing easily.’
The elixirs he had consumed before were absorbed immediately.
But Alecto’s royal jelly was different. It clumped together, resisting absorption.
‘Then I’ll force it to absorb.’
Damian manipulated his magic, breaking down the jelly in his stomach and absorbing every last bit.
‘This is remarkable.’
As soon as he absorbed the jelly, his muscle fibers began to change, becoming tougher and denser. He could feel the immediate transformation in his body.
He gripped the vial and applied a little pressure. The stone vial crumbled to dust in an instant.
“I like this.”
He had crushed the stone with pure muscle strength, without using magic.
Such a feat was impossible without extraordinary strength, which he had gained from the royal jelly.
But this was just a minor change.
Damian took out a dagger and lightly cut his fingertip. Blood oozed from the split skin.
But after a short while, the bleeding stopped, and the wound healed completely.
“I’m really impressed.”
The royal jelly of Alecto lived up to its reputation.
There was still one more thing to test. Damian closed his eyes and activated the Berserk Light Elixir.
His body temperature rose sharply, and his senses sharpened. The sound of the wind in his ears grew fainter. The movement of leaves in the wind slowed.
The Berserk Light Elixir temporarily heightened physical abilities and senses by activating the body.
Damian used it frequently because of its effectiveness, but the strain it put on the body was immense.
So he only used it briefly when necessary.
But now, after consuming the royal jelly, things were different.
Even with the elixir’s effects, his body held up. The enhanced physique made it possible.
‘I can push it a bit further.’
Damian intensified the elixir’s effects. His body temperature soared, and his senses became razor-sharp.
The world, which had been moving slowly, came to a complete halt. The sound of the wind disappeared. The leaves that had been fluttering in the breeze froze in place.
“Ugh.”
At that moment, Damian coughed up blood. The extreme use of the elixir had caused internal injuries.
“Not something to use often.”
As he spat out the remaining blood, steam began to rise from his body.
The enhanced vitality from the royal jelly was healing his internal injuries.
“Quite satisfying.”
Just then, Damian noticed someone sneaking out of the building he was on.
“The Crown Prince?”
Though the figure was cloaked, Damian’s keen eyes recognized him.
“Defying my orders again? Maybe I didn’t hit him hard enough.”
He reached for the club beside him, but then a thought struck him.
“But where is he going at this hour?”
Curious, Damian decided to follow Oliver Apple discreetly.
Oliver Apple had slipped out of the palace with the help of some bribed guards.
“Ah, the smell of freedom.”
Strolling through the capital’s streets, Oliver savored the sense of liberation.
“Yes, this is life. Not being stuck with that lunatic, getting beaten up.”
He wandered from the main road into a more secluded area.
Eventually, he stopped in front of a tavern guarded by two burly men.
“What do you want?”
One of the guards asked gruffly. Oliver clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“These idiots still don’t recognize me.”
“Wait, could it be Your Highness?”
“Yes, it’s me!”
“Please, come in! The boss is expecting you!”
The guards swung the door open wide. Oliver entered with a satisfied grin.
Inside, the tavern was surprisingly spacious and elegantly decorated, almost like a café.
“Your Highness, you’ve arrived.”
A woman in a red dress greeted Oliver as he entered.
The dress clung to her like it was wet, accentuating her figure and making it hard to know where to look.
“Carmen! Why did it take so long to call me? You know how much I look forward to these gatherings!”
“We had trouble gathering the goods. But I’ve assembled only the prettiest ones for you. You won’t be disappointed.”
Carmen smiled sweetly. Oliver replied in a suggestive tone.
“I’d rather have you sitting next to me than anyone else.”
“Oh my, thank you for choosing me.”
“Does that mean you’ll grant my request?”
“I’m quite busy tonight. But there are many girls waiting who are much prettier than me.”
“You always say that, but none of them compare to you.”
The two chatted as they moved further inside, eventually reaching a VIP room.
Inside, other men were already drinking with women by their sides.
“Your Highness! You’ve made it!”
As Oliver Apple stepped inside, the men rose in unison, bowing their heads in respect.
“Oh, come on, no need to stand. Sit down, everyone, sit.”
Oliver gestured for them to take their seats, settling himself in the center.
“Your Highness! You seem even more dashing since we last met!”
“Look at this guy. His Highness has always been like that. Why act like it’s something new?”
“Haha, you’re right. My apologies, Your Highness.”
The men eagerly flattered Oliver Apple, a satisfied smile naturally spreading across his face.
“Enough with the nonsense… Let’s drink, shall we?”
Oliver lifted a bottle, and the others followed suit.
“What’s the rule of our ‘Real Men’ club?”
“Real men drink straight from the bottle!”
With that, Oliver and the men began to gulp down their drinks.
“Ah, now that’s more like it.”
He hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol while dealing with Damian Haxen. To Oliver, the drink was like sweet nectar…
“Hey, you! What do you think you’re doing? Get out of there… Argh!”
“Wait! You can’t do that! Stop him! Someone stop that guy!”
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside. The group paused, turning their attention to the door.
“What the hell is going on? Ruining the mood,” Oliver grumbled, clearly annoyed. The man next to him bowed his head.
“Your Highness, shall I go handle it?”
“Oh, come on, Sir James, you’re too valuable for that.”
The ‘Real Men’ club was a noble gathering led by Oliver Apple himself. Its members ranged from Oliver, the crown prince, to the children of palace officials, and even knights.
Among them, James John was a middle-class knight.
Using a middle-class knight to quell a tavern brawl? It was like using a sledgehammer to swat a fly…
Bang.
The tavern door swung open, and someone entered. At the sight of the newcomer, Oliver Apple was taken aback.
“Your Highness, there you are.”
Damian Haxen stood there, smiling warmly at him.
“I did warn you to treat alcohol like poison… and here you are, causing trouble.”
Damian shook his head, looking disappointed.
“This won’t do. Two hours tonight.”
Oliver froze on the spot, his entire body beginning to tremble.
“Let’s go.”
Damian approached Oliver, whose shaking intensified.
But someone stepped in front of Damian.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
It was James John, the only middle-class member of the ‘Real Men.’
“How dare you lay a hand on His Highness while I’m here.”
James glared at Damian with a menacing look, and Damian’s expression turned intrigued.
“Interesting.”
Seeing the standoff, a thought flashed through Oliver’s mind.
Only a monster can stop a monster.
Likewise, only a middle-class can stop a middle-class.
“Sir James!”
The crown prince shouted without hesitation.
“That man is a villain! Take him down! You can hand him over to the guards!”
Damian Haxen’s interest only grew at the prince’s words.
“Very interesting.”