성황의 아이들 [1]

58

Prince Leonard of Rohan was carousing the taverns of the capital again tonight.

His normally handsome face was particularly gloomy today. Drinking and playing around wasn't just a one or two-day affair; when on earth would he have to kill time so pointlessly?

He briskly pushed away the woman who followed him out of the tavern, and with a leisurely shake of his liquor bottle, Leonard headed to the meeting place with Romaine.

"F*ck you, Holy Emperor...."

The person who provided the reason for his idle time. The Holy Emperor made it so expensive to meet face-to-face that even with Leonard's desperate requests, he hardly agreed to it.

What the hell is the problem?

He had suggested meeting with the Princess of Delcross as an alternative plan, but Romaine ignored it and kept his mind on something absurd.

So, he's wandering the streets like a drunkard, tempting others.

"...Romaine?"

In the dimly lit street, Leonard spotted the familiar long silver hair of a person who was pulling a staggering drunkard.

What on earth is he doing?

The drunkard looked rather disheveled, not a good sight. With his arm firmly wrapped around the man, Romaine was whispering something into his ear.

Soon, the two disappeared side by side into a deep alley.

Standing dumbfounded for a moment, Leonard took a sip of liquor and followed them into the alley.

He found the two after only a few steps. The drunkard was sitting on the ground with a vacant expression, and Romaine was piercing his chest with a sharp metal rod.

A small trickle of blood spurted out.

Soon, Romaine's soft voice, whispering to the drunkard, reached Leonard's ears.

"Now, forget everything that just happened. Sleep well at home for a few days, and everything will be better."

It was a husky and slender but definite male voice. Yet the strange resonance made it sound like a young woman.

Sure enough, the drunkard with glazed eyes looked at Romaine as if he were the most beautiful woman in the world, even as his forehead was soaked with blood.

"Now go home."

The drunkard nodded and staggered past Leonard and out of the alley.

After watching the poor man's retreating figure for a moment, Leonard turned and asked Romaine,

"You've been doing this a lot lately. Does it mean anything?"

"All results start with diligently sowing seeds."

Romaine replied, wiping the blood-soaked rod with a rag.

He had been planting strange things in people's chests with that rod for some time now, like a real farmer sowing seeds.

"You talk like you've become a priest of the real [Sowing] Cult."

It was a jab at Romaine acting like the remnants of the Sowing Cult. Romaine shrugged.

"At least I sow something more meaningful than they do."

"When are you going to see the results from planting one by one?"

"I've already found some collaborators. They'll do their best."

A few more people going around stabbing others with metal rods doesn't change much. Leonard scoffed.