Crown Prince Sells Medicine
Chapter 74

 I Next

The Minotaur towered under the golden glow of the sun. A man perched on its neck, his war cry echoing with elation. Raciel surveyed the spectacle of Cremo dock with an incredulous gaze. Demian was visible, entrapped behind bars.

‘I was right. Coming back early was indeed a wise move.’

A muted laughter trickled out unconsciously, as scenes from the past day played in his mind.

♣

‘Unbelievable. Astonishing.’

The Minotaur rose imposingly, silhouetted by the sunlight. Raciel could barely restrain a cheer as he beheld its colossal form. The cube regurgitated by Uruus a few moments ago. His gaze settled on Uhwang, a hint of curiosity twinkling in his eyes.

‘This is real. A genuine gallstone.’

He recalled what he knew about Uhwang.

Uhwang, a gallstone that originates in a cow’s gallbladder. Among such stones, the finest are said to be those that the cow ejects in a hiccup on the spot.

The object in his hand was exactly that. And what’s more, its size? It was exceptionally large, beyond normal expectations.

‘Usually, Uhwang doesn’t exceed 5 centimeters, but this is… easily 20 centimeters.’

It was virtually the size of a volleyball. How it navigated through the duct was puzzling. The enigma of the body, or more specifically, the enigma of the cow(?), seemed beyond comprehension. As for the grade? He was certain it was superior to S-grade.

‘To be exact, this grade is so high that it’s almost criminal to categorize it.’

Raciel studied the Uhwang. It was light for its size. It exuded a cool, clean scent.

‘I’m curious about its taste.’

He lightly touched the surface with his finger. The surface layer crumbled effortlessly. He placed the resulting powder on his tongue. It was bitter at first. However, the aftertaste was sweet and invigorating. Simultaneously, a clear alert resonated in his head.

Ding-dong!

[You have consumed premium Uhwang.]

[A trace of taurine found in Uhwang stimulates blood pressure reduction and sedative effects. Cholic acid and ergosterol alleviate cardiac heat, inducing expectorant effects.]

[However, due to the small quantity consumed and the unrefined state of the Uhwang, its effects are negligible.]

[Your internal organs are entranced by the Uhwang treat.]

[Heart: Strength… is… elevating!]

[Liver: Energy… is skyrocketing!]

[Large intestine: Adrenaline… surging!]

[Lung: Vitality… soaring!]

[Stomach: Sigh. Why do things beneficial for the body… always taste so plain?]

[Your internal organs have sponsored 500 HP for you.]

[Current HP owned: 1,500]

‘Hehehe?’

Finally, Raciel couldn’t suppress his exuberant laughter. He had unexpectedly received endorsement(?) from his internal organs. This unexpected Raciel’s smile amplified Uruus’ response.

“Muuuu? Puruk! Mooou!”

Thump, thump! Thud, thud!

Uruus pounded its chest akin to King Kong. Observing this, Raciel had a revelation.

‘It’s experiencing relief.’

The sparkle in Uruus’ eyes, the wide-open mouth, the shaking head, the snorting nostrils – everything reflected profound happiness.

It resembled someone who had successfully dislodged a piece of mushroom stuck between their teeth all day. Or a person suffering from severe constipation who finally managed a bowel movement after several days. It made sense, though.

‘Naturally. Having a gallstone of this magnitude inside its stomach must have been terribly uncomfortable.’

It must have constantly felt burdened. Probably experienced constant indigestion and frequent pseudo bowel movements.

“But you’re feeling much better now that you’ve expelled it, right? You feel completely unencumbered, don’t you?”

“Moooouu!”

Thump, thump! Thud, thud!

Uruus nodded in agreement, dancing with a happy shrug of its shoulders. Seeing this, Raciel’s laughter grew more joyous. He felt confident. His plan had worked.

‘Now you’re under my control.’

He had secured both the Uhwang and the Minotaur. Now was the time to take the next step. His joyous grin faded, replaced by a serious gaze as he looked up at Uruus and declared,

“Good. I’m glad your discomfort has been alleviated. Congratulations. But we need to move.”

“……Moouu?”

“We have to return to Cremo.”

“……Muuu?”

“The port city where you were wreaking havoc. It’s merely a speculation, but I believe my friends left there are facing quite a challenge at the moment.”

“……Muuuuu?”

“My companions, once you get to know them, they’re actually good people. They won’t harm you.”

“Muuuuu…….”

“Don’t worry. If you come back with me, no one will trouble you, I promise.”

“Muuuuu?”

“I assure you.”

“Moo wooo?”

“I give you my word.”

“Mooo woo wooo!”

At first, Uruus hesitated, but after persistent persuasion, he eventually nodded. Was this a sign of trust? The creature offered its massive back, and Raciel climbed onto it.

“Mooo wooo!”

As if reassuring him to hold on tight, Uruus exhaled triumphantly through his nose before sprinting forward.

Kukukuakwa-!

“……!”

It felt like riding in an open car made from a dump truck, flying over speed bumps at 100 kilometers per hour. They swiftly left the dark and damp cave. Before the refreshing wind could reach Raciel’s nostrils, Uruus leaped.

“Moooooooo!”

Thud-!

“……!”

Uruus had leaped to the edge of the coast—a cliff overlooking the sea. What lay below? A terrifying precipice. Thanks to this, Raciel enjoyed a thrilling dive off a 30-meter-high coastal cliff.

‘…What, what just happened?’

Crash!

He plunged into the rough northern sea with a magnificent splash! From that moment, Raciel began an eventful journey southwest riding Uruus.

“Moo! Mooo! Huff-huff-huff!”

Uruus’s stamina was astounding. He swam tirelessly, even catching fish along the way, like a plump, fresh tuna.

‘…Ah, I could really use some soju and pickled shrimp.’

It had been a while since Raciel had something truly spicy and refreshing. He wondered if his Korean contract(?) would expire if he continued like this for another year. Despite his concerns, he kept filling his stomach.

Freshly caught tuna sashimi, enjoyed on the back of a dinosaur-sized cow swimming in the sea! Thanks to this, Raciel continued his journey without suffering from hunger. He also quenched his thirst with the fresh water stored in the mana circle. He kept moving forward day and night. A day passed like this. Finally, he arrived at Cremo.

‘As expected, I’m glad I hurried back. I had a feeling something like this would happen.’

Raciel glanced around the outskirts of Cremo, seeing many people, soldiers in armor, knights, and soldiers. They were not Cremo’s guards; he recognized the flag fluttering behind them.

‘It’s the Emperor’s direct inspection team.’

Thankfully, he remembered seeing them in the illustrations of the novel, “Devil Sword Emperor.” The direct inspection team—an internal agency that only acted under the emperor’s command.

‘Right. As the crown prince, I went missing. They must have come to investigate the incident. And… my people must have suffered because of this.’

He saw piles of firewood everywhere and over twenty cages with faces trapped inside. Everyone was looking in his direction.

‘Demian, Anise, Sergio, and everyone.’

They were members of the special duty guards and the royal guards, his followers. The Cremo mayor’s face was visible too.

‘Tsk.’

Why did this inspection team handle things like this?

‘I miss the scent of my homeland. Somehow, the way they handle accidents is very Korean.’

Suddenly, Raciel thought of the Korean style of handling accidents—a version of despair. When an accident hits the news, who suffers the most? They usually focus on the easiest target to pin the blame on—the likely suspect that comes to mind with the least contemplation. They start with them.

Proper investigation?

Results matter more than the process. It’s about catching a criminal, replaceing someone to blame. The media plays a significant role in burying an easy target based on public opinion rather than solid evidence and testimony, using a typical strategy.

‘The witch hunts were like that. The cyber Lynch in the world of the internet was the same.’

But it’s the same here. Raciel narrowed his eyes as he observed. Facing that scene, he spoke up.

“Who’s in charge here?”

His voice echoed magnificently, but no one responded. The outskirts remained engulfed in a strange silence and confusion.

A bitter smile appeared.

‘Everyone’s panicked.’

Perhaps due to the unusual circumstances involving the Minotaur, Uruus, the crown prince’s sudden return caught everyone off guard, bringing along the Minotaur as an unexpected addition. Consequently, it seemed like a collective confusion resulted in a brain cell blackout among the onlookers.

Well, there’s no helping that.

“Hmm.”

Raciel cleared his throat and addressed Uruus.

“Let’s help them regain their composure. Could you place the cage down and let out a roar?”

“Mooo!”

The command and action happened almost simultaneously. Uruus gently set down the cage that held Demian captive and let out a deafening roar towards the people on the dock.

“ROOOOAR!”

“….!”

Some were startled, and others paled. The knights from the inspection squad gripped their swords firmly. Raciel asked once again.

“Who’s in charge here?”

Perhaps thanks to the shock caused by Uruus, an individual who looked like an investigator from the inspection squad finally stepped forward, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.

“If you’re looking for the person in charge, that would be me.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“….”

This investigator seemed a bit tense. That’s what Raciel thought when unexpectedly he was the one being questioned.

“You, who resemble our Crown Prince and have brought a Minotaur, who are you?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

The investigator nodded, maintaining his distance, seemingly apprehensive of Uruus’s imposing presence.

“Our Crown Prince was kidnapped by the Minotaur, and his status is uncertain. Yet here you are, commanding the Minotaur as if it were your servant. Hence, I can’t help but suspect you.”

“Huh. Are you suggesting I could be an imposter pretending to be the Crown Prince?”

“Yes. The current situation with the missing Crown Prince is urgent and unique, and there are undoubtedly those who would exploit it to harm the royal family.”

The investigator’s gaze was stern. Raciel couldn’t help but smirk in response.

‘That guy, I don’t like him.’

It wasn’t just because of the doubt the investigator had towards him. From his own perspective, those suspicions were reasonable. If their roles were reversed, Raciel would probably have similar doubts.

Therefore, whether the investigator questioned him or demanded proof of his identity, it didn’t bother him at all.

‘It’s no different from getting carded at a convenience store. Only…’

What he didn’t appreciate was the way the investigator treated Demian and his followers. A scowl formed on Raciel’s face as he glared at the investigator.

“Alright. So, you want to verify who I am?”

“Yes.”

“But why haven’t you properly verified who they are?”

“What?”

“Them.”

Raciel’s voice turned as hard as stone as he pointed towards Demian in the cage, Anise, Sergeant Sergio, the knight, the mayor, one after the other.

“Why haven’t you acknowledged their sacrifices, struggles, and loyalty properly?”

“What…”

The investigator furrowed his brows, but Raciel didn’t care. He dismounted from Uruus and walked to the front of Demian’s cage. With a gentle gaze, he looked at Demian, who was imprisoned inside.

“Demian Cayeen. You risked your life to protect me, Crown Prince Raciel Adria Magentano. You shielded me from the Minotaur’s fist and nearly died in the process, sustaining injuries to your leg from the debris. Moreover, you bravely fought the Minotaur single-handedly to buy me time to take cover, displaying extraordinary courage and loyalty.”

“…”

Raciel’s quiet gaze met Demian’s wavering eyes, separated by the cage bars.

At that moment.

Crash-!

Uruus’s hand broke through the bars of the cage. The investigator tried to shout, but he couldn’t.

“…”

Because of the intense gaze fixed directly on him.

“Next, Anise, daughter of Hasinto.”

Raciel walked towards the cage where Anise was held. The color drained from the investigator’s face.

(To be Continued)

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