Saving My Favorite in a Doomed World

「In a place where the centipedes were no longer present, he wandered aimlessly.」

 

A dungeon inside a C-rank gate. The kingdom of Arbion. The story went like this:

 

Arbion was a vast kingdom built on a desert. When the king died, there was disagreement about which prince should ascend to the throne. The 5th prince, who was considered to have the least power, staged a rebellion. The 1st prince, who was expected to take the throne, fled with his subordinates.

 

‘The prince we need to find is the first prince.’

 

In the original story, the first prince got separated from his group. It was revealed that the first prince fell underground due to a trap set by a burrowing centipede, which was why they ended up on different paths.

 

Unit 1 traveled north along a straight path above ground, arriving directly at the kingdom.

 

The direction was correct. It was just the location that was different.

 

‘We’d better find the princess soon.’

 

Once they found the princess, they just needed to keep her safe.

 

As he was thinking about this, Hwashin spotted a man in his field of vision. The man was trembling like a rabbit in front of a tiger. A sly smile naturally appeared on Hwashin’s face. Finally, here was his reason and purpose for entering the underground.

 

“Found you.”

 

The man nervously looked around. Hwashin approached him.

 

“Hello…”

 

Before he could finish his greeting, the man screamed and fell backward.

 

“Ahhh!”

 

“Wow, you really are as timid as they say.”

 

Arbion’s First Prince, Rodi Sha Rukh. He had black skin resembling a deep canyon and golden eyes only royalty could possess. While not classically handsome, he should have had the dignity befitting royalty…

 

Dignity…

 

Hwashin tilted his head.

 

No matter how he looked.

 

He couldn’t find any dignity. Was this really the first prince?

 

“W-Who are you? Have you followed me all the way here?! How vile! Is it not enough to seize the throne, but your faction even tries to kill a fleeing prince?”

 

Judging by his manner of speech and appearance, he did seem to be the first prince.

 

“It’s not like that.”

 

“Then how did you know I was here–!”

 

“I fell here too.”

 

“That’s a lie!”

 

“No, really—”

 

“You’re lying! Oh no, the prince will die here!”

 

“Listen to—”

 

“Oh no!”

 

How could this prince didn’t listen to people?

 

The prince where Hwashin, Elric, originally lived was the same way too. Was this what happened if you were raised too spoiled?

 

“Oh no—!”

 

“「Kid, shut your mouth.」”

 

Rodi’s mouth, which had been yelling loudly, suddenly clamped shut.

 

Shh. Hwashin put a finger to his lips and looked around. As expected. The centipedes nearby had been drawn by the prince’s voice.

 

‘I was trying to avoid using my abilities.’

 

But in a dungeon of this level, it should be fine. It didn’t take much effort to deal with the centipede earlier.

 

“Pii!”

 

“Oh, Pii. You should stay inside.”

 

Pii poked its head out of the coat pocket. Hwashin had felt it was necessary to bring Pii when crossing the gate, but he felt a bit sorry. What would this young one know? He pushed the small head back in firmly. Next time, he should leave Pii out.

 

“Mmph-! Mmph!”

 

He hadn’t even pulled a sword yet and the prince was already crying. Hwashin wondered if he should really be working for such a weakling, but.

 

‘This is a dungeon that needs to be cleared that way.’

 

“「Your Highness, please stay still for a moment.」”

 

Now even his body was restrained too. Rodi Sha Rukh had never been treated like this in his life. He was someone who restrained others, not the other way around. Moreover, he wasn’t even tied with a rope, yet he couldn’t move his body or mouth.

 

“Huh.”

 

Snap.

 

A bloodbath unfolded before his eyes. It was a scene he had only seen on battlefields. No, he had never seen such a scene even in those hellish places. At the man’s few words, the centipedes that swiftly approached them burst apart. There was a saying that even the well-trained kingdom’s army needed ten years to pierce a centipede’s back.

 

‘There’s no way a human could do this.’

 

Rodis’ eyes gradually widened.

 

He had heard stories like this before.

 

The founding myth. Absolute power that could annihilate enemies in one blow. A gentle smile and… well, the person in the legend didn’t have that manner of speaking, but.

 

In any case, there was only one word that could explain the situation before his eyes.

 

‘God.’

 

…God. Yes, God. The sun god or the night god. Or perhaps just.

 

An absolute being at a level he could never hope to reach.

 

Rodi looked up at Hwashin with eyes full of reverence.

 

“What, now you’re suddenly calm?”

 

Hwashin roughly wiped his blood-stained cheek with his sleeve and snapped his fingers. Though Rodi’s mouth and body were now free, he didn’t move for a while. But soon Rodi sprang up from his spot.

 

“I am Arbion’s first prince, Rodi Sha Rukh!!!! On this day, I have the honor of witnessing the manifestation of a God!!! Please forgive this impious son for not recognizing your esteemed presence!!!”

 

God? Why suddenly bring up a god?

 

Hwashin quickly recalled the contents of <YHH>.

 

「Rodi met three guides of the god. The power of that man who burned down the kingdom, and the pair of man and woman assisting him, must surely have received the power of god.」

 

The guides of the god. That was how Unit 1 was described. It seemed in Arbion, they believed that the powers of awakened people were bestowed by a god.

 

Hwashin crossed his arms and put on a rather solemn expression. No, even when he had been a mage, he rarely put on airs like this.

 

‘…Beautiful.’

 

The color of transparent eyes and the subdued atmosphere. Plus the silvery hair with unblemished white skin never seen before in the kingdom.

Why only now

… Rodi, who was trembling, heard the soft but kind voice of the god above his head.

 

“Yes, raise your head. My child.”

 

***

 

“As expected… You truly are a god. You even know in such detail the current state of our kingdom.”

 

Hwashin nodded.

 

“I had no idea that my youngest brother had such thoughts. I, I truly…”

 

Yes, I know everything. I know what kind of ending you want.

As Hwashin sat there with a benevolent expression that seemed to understand everything, Rodi’s mouth burst open.

 

“Huu-hic. Sniff. Can I return home, oh god? Your appearance before me must mean there is some solution, doesn’t it?”

 

What would you do if a god appeared before you?

To that question, Elric had answered:

Even if fate gets tangled because of me, it’s all your fault.

 

In fact, Elric didn’t believe in gods. If a god existed as a person, they would surely be either very wicked or a child who liked to play pranks. To Elric, who could see karma, gods and fate were just a thread, just a cog in the wheel.

 

But for an ordinary person.

 

“Huuuuung, oh god.”

 

In this situation, they’d cling while crying snot and tears, wouldn’t they? Hwashin peeled him off and said.

 

“You impious thing, you’re making me dirty.”

 

“Sniff. I’m sorry… Sob.”

 

“And don’t worry. My servants have already gone to rescue your woman.”

 

“What? Really?!”

 

“Yes. I told you I already know everything.”

 

“Oh god. You truly are a god.”

 

“Then let’s go up. Ah, and since I’m in human form now, I’ll speak casually. Is that okay?”

 

“Ah, yes yes. Of course. Do as you please.”

 

“Then let’s leave this place now. If we dawdle here too long, Cha… I mean, my servant might cause some trouble.”

 

“Don’t you know everything, god?”

 

Hwashin, imagining Cha Jaeha and the other members of Unit 1, smiled faintly.

 

“Even if I know everything, I can’t stop my servants.”

 

Hwashin quickened his steps, knowing well how Chae Jaeha would end this dungeon in <YHH>. Of course, the journey could be completed in Chae Jaeha’s way too.

 

Anyway, the important thing here was Prince Rodi.

 

The changed story appeared in the air once again.

 

「Prince Rodi, having met the god, headed towards the kingdom with him. Rodi was grateful for his luck, but a corner of his heart was endlessly anxious. Would his love be alive? As long as she was alive. He—」

 

He could only see things from the prince’s point of view.

 

He could only see from the perspective of the most important person or thing in this dungeon. Naturally, he couldn’t tell what the other three were doing in the kingdom.

 

“There, now no one will be able to recognize your face.”

 

Upon arriving at the kingdom, Hwashin cut off the plausibility given by Rodi’s face. Now, even if someone who knew his face saw the prince’s face, they wouldn’t be able to recognize him.

In fact, Hwashin could have intervened directly with Freak too, but he deliberately didn’t.

 

Why, you ask?

 

Severing and reattaching. It was more challenging than simply severing or reattaching something.

 

Besides, there was someone who knew how to do it. Why should he bother?

 

“….God, this is several times worse than any war I’ve fought so far.”

 

Rodi’s expression twisted sadly as he gazed upon his kingdom. The bodies of the kingdom’s soldiers, entangled in the rebellion, lay strewn across the streets. A son who lost his father was gasping for breath in the arms of the deceased. The streets were stained with blood, and the distant palace was eerily silent.

 

“Citizens who are neither prepared nor willing to die.”

 

“Hmmm.”

 

With an impassive face, Hwashin surveyed his surroundings. Considering that it hadn’t become a sea of fire yet.

 

‘They must have prioritized finding the princess.’

 

Princess. The Kingdom of Arbion valued prophecies, and one of those prophecies said this:

 

‘The one who becomes a pair with the one who came across the sea is the true king of this country.’

 

Rodi’s fiancée was a princess who came from a maritime nation. Thus, everyone claimed the first prince to be the true heir.

 

Originally, the princess would die at the hands of the fifth prince. She vehemently refused to become the fifth prince’s wife.

 

Prince Rodi, who had given up all attachment to the kingdom, looked at the corpse of the fifth prince killed by Unit 1. In the original story’s ending, he eventually ascended to the throne. Although he didn’t become the true king, someone was needed to guard that empty seat.

 

「 ….The prince became king. 」

 

With those words, the dungeon began to collapse. The dimension warped, and Unit 1 was flung out of the gate. That was the end. That was how the gate closed.

 

Afterward, the heroes learned:

 

‘To conquer a dungeon, a certain ‘end’ is necessary.’

 

The dungeon’s boss, the protagonist of the dungeon, didn’t tell what that ending was. Some dungeons presented that ending beforehand.  If Mueum had seen it, he would have said ‘It’s like a game!’ again.

 

“What do we do now?”

 

Hwashin looked at the palace and replied.

 

“We must go to the palace.”

 

“Yes? But my brother is in the palace! Even if they are your servants… they might be in danger against my brother’s forces! Or, are they already there?”

 

“My child.”

 

A low voice. Rodi gulped at the suddenly solemn expression. Hwashin opened his mouth quietly.