The Bastard First Prince Doesn't Want to Die-Chapter 205

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 205

If not for my maternal grandfather, my words alone would have had no weight. The Lord of Blood Cloud Fortress was not the type to bow to authority.

Moreover, he was stubborn, firm as bamboo, so had I been alone, persuading him would have taken a great deal of time. By then, the tide of the war might have already turned.

For Prince Ikwon, who had spent nearly his entire life in the capital, no matter how much he spoke, his words would always be those of an outsider.

“Your Highness.”

Suddenly, my older brother spoke. I lifted my head and studied his face.

Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, but rather than exhaustion, a fierce determination burned within him. His sharp gaze seemed to pierce through me.

“What are you thinking?”

His voice was low and steady. But the moment he finished speaking, he took a deep breath, revealing that he was merely pretending not to be exhausted.

I let out a short laugh and shrugged.

“Nothing of consequence.”

“Is my skill so lacking that Your Highness has time to think of other matters?”

My brother twitched his face as he spoke. Rather than being discouraged, my words seemed to fuel his resolve.

“I never said that,” I replied with a chuckle.

He let out a dry laugh.

“Then, perhaps you could focus on me for now?”

“Ha-ha.”

He moved first. His sword sliced through the air, coming at me swiftly. I raised my own blade to block his fierce strike.

The sharp clash of metal rang through the air. The impact momentarily made me falter.

“I ask for your full attention,” he said, grinning.

I nodded, smiling, and raised my sword again. My relaxed demeanor seemed to irritate him, and he clenched his teeth in frustration.

We resumed our duel. At first, we appeared evenly matched, but soon, my brother's feet began to slide backward.

The sound of clashing steel echoed sharply. The more we fought, the deeper his frown grew.

His pride was clearly wounded. Yet, his eyes still burned with determination.

I tightened my grip on my sword and launched a quick attack. My brother let out a battle cry as he moved to defend.

Our blades clashed once more in midair before sliding apart.

“Not bad,” I said, half-joking.

“Ha,” he scoffed in irritation. I laughed at his reaction.

“Does it amuse you so much that I can barely stand against your swordplay?”

He had always been hot-tempered. In the beginning, he would take every chance to berate me. Even now, he couldn't hide his nature, even before a prince.

His frustration only entertained me further, making me chuckle again. My brother glared at me before ultimately deciding to ignore my laughter.

With a sigh, he slumped his shoulders and muttered, “Fine, fine. But if you insist on mocking me, at least pay the price for it.”

I nodded readily and raised my sword again. He, too, took his stance once more.

“Stop thinking so much,” I said as I lunged forward.

Startled, he hurriedly stepped back. But I was faster. My blade moved to cut off his retreat.

I twisted my body and aimed at his side. He tried to dodge, but his balance was already compromised.

In that fleeting moment, I pressed forward. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, landing hard on his rear.

“Follow your instincts,” I said, standing over him and lowering my sword.

“Are you hurt?” I asked, offering him a hand.

His face contorted in frustration as he took my hand and sprang up.

“Forgive my impertinence, Your Highness, but where did you learn such swordplay? Who in the world taught you this?”

His hands trembled, his entire body drenched in sweat, yet his eyes remained unwavering.

“Who knows,” I replied.

“It’s too brutal to be the style of the royal guards, yet it doesn’t resemble the techniques of the Supreme General either.”

“Why do you think that?” I asked.

“For all his victories, the Supreme General has never left a trail of excessive casualties. His swordplay must reflect that. But Your Highness's sword is far too sharp.”

I shrugged again.

The truth was, I had been mimicking Jincheon’s techniques from my dreams. If I could grow accustomed to fighting him, perhaps my brother could survive.

That was why I had been pushing him like this. Even if it frustrated him, mastering these techniques would benefit his survival.

Though Jincheon was the best at wielding this style, he was not the only one who used it.

If I told my brother this was a secret technique from the Huawei Kingdom, he would be even more eager to learn. But that was a truth I could not share.

After realizing I had no intention of answering, he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and changed the subject.

“Your Highness does not seem fatigued,” he observed.

I tilted my head at him before nodding.

“That is correct.”

“Then...”

He raised his sword slightly, signaling his desire to continue sparring.

I smirked and shook my head. He flushed, thinking I was dismissing him.

“I-I am not tired yet!” he insisted.

“Your determination is admirable, but it's best to stop now. If you push yourself too far…”

I trailed off, turning my head.

I had my back to the fortress gate. Beyond it, I sensed a sharp, chilling presence.

The enemy.

“…What is it?” my brother asked, noticing my shift in expression.

I could not tell him the truth. Biting my lip, I steadied my gaze and said, “Inform the Lord immediately. The enemy is coming.”

“What?”

“They are few, but they are an elite reconnaissance unit. Their movements are swift and silent, making them difficult to detect.”

“…What?”

I explained as quickly and concisely as possible. However, my younger brother only looked at me in confusion, as if he couldn’t grasp the meaning of my words.

“Hurry!”

“Y-Yes!”

Only after my urging did he finally move. Just as I took a step forward to head outside the fortress gate, he turned back toward me and asked, “W-where are you going?”

“I’m heading beyond the outer walls.”

“Your Highness… Are you saying you’ll go alone?”

“Yes. There’s no time to explain—”

“That’s out of the question.”

His voice rose in alarm.

“If the enemy is truly out there, as you say—”

“I’ll be fine.”

I immediately turned to run. Or at least, I tried to.

“No, you mustn’t!”

My younger brother, pale-faced, grabbed onto me and yanked me back. I tried to shake him off and sprint forward, but he clung to me with all his limbs.

“What are you doing?”

I struggled to move forward, dragging him along as I tried to pry him off.

“You can’t! Send someone else instead!”

“There’s no time. It’s better if I go myself.”

“What exactly do you plan to do alone?!”

“For heaven’s sake, let go already!”

It wasn’t that he was too heavy or impossibly strong. If I truly wanted to, I could have thrown him off.

But doing so would only waste precious time in a pointless scuffle.

“If it’s really that urgent, then I’ll go with you. Just order the soldiers at the gate to alert Father.”

I shot him a sharp glare. He, in turn, stared back at me stubbornly, refusing to let go.

In the end, I let out a small sigh and nodded.

“Fine.”

Only then did he finally release me. The moment I was free, I bolted toward the fortress gates.

Servants passing by looked puzzled as they saw the two of us running. My younger brother, noticing their stares, grabbed one of them and barked,

“Go to Father at once! Tell him that His Highness and I will wipe out the enemy scouts, so he’d better be prepared to clean up after us!”

The servant turned pale but scurried off nonetheless.

Well, that was just how he was.

It was clear now—he hadn’t stopped me out of concern alone. He wanted to step in himself.

He was always like this.

Of course, there was ambition involved too.

Unlike our eldest brother, who was set to inherit Blood Cloud Fortress, my younger brother was not in line for such a role. That uncertainty about his position had always gnawed at him.

Pretending I hadn’t heard his words, I kept running toward the fortress gates.

I passed through first, and a beat later, my younger brother followed.

As soon as he stepped outside, he shouted to the guards at the gate, “Inform my father at once! Enemy scouts have appeared!”

“What? O-Oh! Yes, understood!”

A few soldiers rushed off. Glancing back, I confirmed they were indeed heading toward the fortress lord. Then, I kept running.

At some point, I abruptly halted, unsheathing my sword as I surveyed my surroundings.

The setting sun had painted the sky in shades of orange and crimson.

But that wasn’t what held my attention.

My focus was on the horizon just below the twilight sky—the darkened edge of the forest.

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The enemy’s movements were so subtle that an ordinary person wouldn’t notice them.

But I did.

The moment I arrived, their movements shifted ever so slightly.

“Your Highness, what is it?”

Seeing me stop so suddenly, my younger brother asked warily. I glanced at him briefly before replying,

“They’ve already spotted us.”

“You mean… the enemy has already seen us?”

“Yes.”

My younger brother narrowed his eyes, peering toward the horizon.

“My apologies, but I see nothing.”

“That’s only natural. Don’t worry—I can see them.”

He flinched at my words.

“Your eyesight is that sharp?”

“It’s not just my eyesight—everything about me is sharp. Ah, it looks like they’re starting to move.”

Perhaps thanks to my younger brother’s shouting, I could hear the soldiers atop the fortress wall readying their bows.

The soldiers of Blood Cloud Fortress were on high alert, prepared to face any incoming threat.

Satisfied, I smirked and took a step forward.

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]