The Bastard First Prince Doesn't Want to Die

Chapter: 141

In the next battle, my grandfather was riding a brown horse.

I had urged him to put down his horse, so I expected him to distance himself from me, but my grandfather acted as if nothing had happened.

Nothing had changed between my grandfather and me.

But the look in his eyes when he looked at me as if blaming me for giving him the sword wouldn’t leave my mind.

And Jincheon was called a small soldier. It was a good thing he had a nickname.

It meant that he was being mentioned openly, unlike before when people only talked about him behind his back.

“Now you’re listening to something other than insults.”

“Yes?”

“It’s nothing.”

Even though I had sent him to do odd jobs, he couldn\'t help but rush into danger.

Of course, no one could just stand by and watch as monsters poured in.

Jincheon’s skill in assassination was being used in a different way here. With his unique agility and focus on vital points, he had managed to kill almost as many monsters as my grandfather after only three battles.

In ordinary wars, taking the enemy commander’s head was the greatest achievement, but in a battle against monsters, there was no such thing as an enemy commander, so the weight of one’s achievements was measured by the number of monsters killed.

Yet, within a few days, he had killed almost as many monsters as my grandfather.

Unlike my grandfather, who commanded the entire army, Jincheon only had to worry about himself, so he had a kind of privilege to act as he pleased.

“...But.”

However, Jincheon’s rising status wasn’t only due to the number of monsters he killed.

In fact, that wasn’t even the main reason why he was being mentioned so often.

Whenever a soldier or officer was in danger, Jincheon would appear as if he had been waiting, saving them.

Imagine this: when you think you’re definitely going to die, and in that terrifying moment, Jincheon appears to block your path, how would you see him?

That moment would make Jincheon look like a hero. Naturally.

Since this wasn’t a one-time occurrence, those who had been helped by him would frown and stand up for Jincheon whenever someone else tried to criticize or slander him.

That’s how Jincheon was gradually establishing his position.

But saving others is a huge burden. It’s risking your life, and there’s not enough compensation.

Separately, I wondered if it made sense for him to be able to spot who was in danger so often in the midst of all the chaos, with monsters roaring and shouts echoing.

However, if it was Jincheon doing it, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

No, I still had my doubts.

When I brought it up, Jincheon looked at me.

“Yes. Ask away.”

I asked cautiously, hoping for a negative answer, “You never intentionally tried to kill anyone, did you?”

Jincheon looked at me with a strange expression.

“What are you talking about…”

It felt strange to say that, but Jincheon\'s eyes looked innocent.

It was an absurd expression to use for someone who could cut off a monster\'s limbs with a single blow.

Sometimes I wondered if I was being too suspicious. Everyone has had a normal past...

But they said this guy was a slave from the beginning?

“...I don\'t know.”

In the end, my attempt to understand Jincheon\'s inner thoughts was a dead end.

I changed the subject.

“Do you know? General So seems to trust you.”

Jincheon looked at me questioningly, as if asking what I meant.

“I mean, you could have a different position.”

He looked a bit dejected.

Well, to be at the center of the palace, being the prince\'s attendant would be the best choice.

“Even if you remain under General So’s command, nothing much will change. After all, the general will do as I want. You said that before. Of course, it won\'t be as high a position as other experienced soldiers, but it\'s still better to have some kind of rank than to be just a common soldier, isn\'t it?”

Jincheon replied in a low voice, “Do as you wish.”

Something seems amiss.

...Ah!

He must be unhappy about not having a higher position than other soldiers.

In that case.

“I’ll ask General So to request the highest possible position for you.”

It would still be difficult to get a position as high as the other soldiers who have been with my grandfather for a long time, but...

I went straight to my grandfather and asked him to assign Jincheon to his command and give him a position.

And a short time later, I heard that Jincheon had refused my grandfather\'s offer.

“This guy... he’s more ambitious than I thought.”

I clicked my tongue and chuckled.

* * *

Power comes with responsibility.

Great power comes with great responsibility.

Even greater power comes with even greater responsibility.

Jincheon had understood that structure early on.

And he didn’t need that.

Power.

Power alone creates authority.

So he didn’t need power that came with responsibility.

Having something he wanted to do personally was another reason he refused the appointment.

Jincheon glanced at Gong Chomun.

Jincheon realized that Gong Chomun had become more wary of him.

As Jincheon saved soldiers in battle and was praised by them, Gong Chomun’s vigilance grew stronger.

Why was he being wary of him? Jincheon wondered.

As far as Jincheon was concerned, he was nothing more than a slave-born, young warrior.

Wasn’t Gong Chomun treating him that way?

It was true that the other soldiers’ views of him had changed, but it was still insignificant.

Even if he was trusted by General So, Jincheon, who was active at the front lines, could die at any moment.

That\'s why the high-ranking officials around General So were even overly kind to Jincheon. That was the case with Gyeong Daebang.

Incomprehensible hostility.

Then there must be another reason.

It was just that Jincheon hadn’t realized the reason yet.

So, Jincheon decided to find out why Gong Chomun was on guard.

Before that, Jincheon first pondered how to hide his presence.

“Is that Jincheon?”

Without making a single rustle, Yegyeong had sensed Jincheon\'s presence.

If he had only sensed that someone was approaching, it could be said that he had very sharp ears...

But Yegyeong had immediately identified him.

Was his gait peculiar?

To find out, Jincheon carefully observed when other people approached Yegyeong.

“Oh, you’re here.”

A particularly large crow flapped its wings. All birds\' wing flaps looked the same, but apparently, there was a difference.

Yegyeong immediately recognized that the crow he raised was approaching. It was as if he had eyes in the back of his head.

But that alone wasn\'t enough evidence for Jincheon.

Jincheon waited a little longer.

“...What does Soldier Do want?”

Soldier Do. That woman has a peculiar gait. Jincheon, who didn’t know about etiquette, thought so.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

In any case, it was a particularly noticeable gait in a formal setting. It was a characteristic that anyone could notice if they paid attention.

While it wasn\'t definitive proof of Yegyeong\'s ability to sense people\'s presence, Jincheon watched him more closely.

"Grandfather? Oh, I was about to come find you."

General So\'s footsteps were heavy. Wearing heavier armor than others, his steps would be even more ponderous.

But armed men usually walked that way. Even Jincheon\'s keen eyes couldn\'t find anything peculiar.

How does he notice it?

Now that he was certain, Jincheon was curious about the method. His curiosity and questions grew. He paid even closer attention.

"Captain Yoo, why are you so late? I\'ve been waiting for a long time. We have to eat... Hey, what\'s wrong with your shoes?"

Captain Yoo didn\'t have a peculiar gait either. On that day, the sole of his shoe was torn, but it was an accident that had happened that day. So it couldn\'t be evidence to identify him.

If there was anything distinctive, it was that Captain Yoo was a little quicker in his steps.

However, Yegyeong accurately sensed Yoo Gueng\'s presence even when the general and Yoo Gueng approached at the same time.

After long observation, Jincheon came to a conclusion. The prince had an extraordinary ability to sense people\'s presence.

It wasn\'t just people. He seemed to be able to sense the approach of his crow, his horse, and even monsters at a level that was clearly different from ordinary people.

"I see..."

It didn\'t seem like it was an ability he could replicate.

Using that fact, Jincheon practiced hiding his presence.

And finally.

"Ughh!"

Crash-

Yegyeong fell backwards in surprise.

It was because Jincheon had suddenly appeared in front of him.

Yegyeong put his hand over his wildly beating heart. His mouth gaped open in shock.

Jincheon had never seen Yegyeong look so startled. A smile briefly appeared on Jincheon\'s lips before disappearing.

"Hey, hey, you... what are you?"

Yegyeong\'s face was as pale as a sheet.

Jincheon was certain. Yegyeong could sense everyone\'s presence. It was clear that he had a special ability.

However, Jincheon had no intention of telling Yegyeong what he had found out. He wouldn\'t lie if asked, though.

To Yegyeong\'s startled question, Jincheon replied with a calm face, "Soldier Jincheon."

Yegyeong shouted, "...Who doesn\'t know that?"

But beneath that calm face, there was a self that was dancing with the satisfaction of having finally achieved his goal.

"...Did you deliberately hide your presence?"

"I don\'t know what you\'re talking about."

Yegyeong stared at Jincheon with wide eyes. His eyes showed disbelief.

Jincheon had finally succeeded in hiding his presence so well that Yegyeong couldn\'t detect him.

That day, Jincheon took advantage of a moment when Gong Chomun was alone after the battle and attacked him.

"Haah..."

Standing alone in the dense bushes, Gong Chomun let out a long sigh.

Thump-

Then, footsteps appeared in the silence.

He immediately turned around.

"Who\'s there?"

And he saw a familiar face in the darkness.

"It\'s me."

It was Jincheon.