Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Another Omake Chapter!

Ladies' fashion time.

When women reach a marriageable age, they grow their hair out and tie it in a ponytail. But more importantly, they conceal their neck. It doesn't matter whether you're rich or poor, no one can see your neck if you're a proper lady. Lady's napes are considered erotic in this society so they must be covered up. People tend to freak out when they travel overseas...

There's a laxative joke next. Skip. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 17

Orcelito arrives before the elders, ready to fuck shit up.

Outside, Belca asks Orcelito what he asked the elders at the ceremony and tries to explain that the Amontel are not monsters, that they use technology, medicines and they look after their own. He says even if they are descended from a evil deity, maybe living among "actual" humans for so long has allowed them to adapt in a way that makes them indistinguishable from humans. Orcelito stops him, saying the Amontel are monsters (while obviously thinking the contrary) and says they probably put Belca under a spell while he was at Dietrich's estate. Belca tries to stop him but Orcelito says that after the Investiture Ceremony, he'll send for a skill spell caster (which they apparently have on hand in the castle) to look at Belca. He then leaves to get on with his business...only for Belca to stop him. He asks Orcelito privately (well...whispers anyway) if he has anything planned, knowing this is not like him. Orcelito angrily snatches away from Belca while thinking that he knows that the Amontel are not evil but he rather have them all under supervision instead of them all being rounded up and killed. He's taking the long road with them, hoping their descendants can find freedom where their ancestors couldn't. Outside his mind box, he tells Belca join him or fuck off...and he might as well pick the former because he doesn't have a say in the council. He cryptically finishes by telling Belca that in each of their respective areas, everyone is already making their moves...

He then says that as long as the Amontel don't resist, they can expect to live long happy lives. Belca is disturbed by that last part, thinking nothing has changed. He then goes to Linna to talk about something...

Then we cut back to Orcelito and Kiliko, the latter asking if it's alright to leave Belca alone and let him do what he wants. Orcelito points out that Kiliko was the one who said that Belca has no power to do anything, that he's a mere spare to the throne and that his life in the castle was specifically engineered to have him grow up demoralized, ignorant and lazy. Kiliko says all of that is true but people have an annoying tendency to change...

We cut to Eco finding a hidden library...but screw that, he went to see the dance! Or did he? His guard roommate hits him for not showing up to rehearsal, Eco saying he had to use the toilet. He's then ordered to help put the harnesses on the horses, meeting Belca and Linna while heading over there. Linna had summoned him because Belca wants food from town. In a stage whisper, Linna reveals that they're actually going to report to Musca...and they got another errand to run while they're outside. Belca's not coming, staying behind to convince Orcelito to think about the Amontel. They leave out on the carriage, Belca staying in the castle walls.

Meanwhile, the guards get a strange signal coming from the upper control tower, wondering if that means it's safe to open the gates. Inside, Belca overhears a guy saying the signal means they need to lower the gates, which means the carriage can't leave...

Belca tears ass outside the castle, barely managing to catch up to Eco to warn him of the danger he and Linna are in. It doesn't matter because the guards on the wall shoot out one of the carriage's wheels causing Eco to lose control. Then some guy with two knives drops down, calling himself "an irregular" and cutting the damn harness.

He puts one of his knives to Eco's chest, telling him to stop the carriage. Eco silently refuses and instead takes out a canister of Arlon's poison gas, allowing it to waft into the irregular's face as he jumps on a horse, telling Linna to follow his lead. The irregular attacks anyway, the poison having no apparent effect, and keeps Linna occupied, causing him and Eco to lose each other. Linna shouts to Eco the message: PRince ORcelito is the real one and he must accompany Musca to wherever she wants to go. He tries to tell him about the Amontel...but the carriage tips over.

Eco has to keep riding, not able to confirm Linna's status.

Belca is captured and lectured by Kiliko. Linna fell into the Cassia rivers and, given it's winter, his chances of surviving the freezing waters are not good. Orcelito comes in, asking if Belca was threatened or poisoned but Belca confesses he wanted to warn the Amontel. Kiliko approaches Belca, asking if Linna was a poison user. Poison users tend to be weak in general but Linna can face five guys with a single cane. He confirms Linna is alive but he's having his guards keep an eye on him. Linna has taken full blame for his actions despite Belca protesting that he ordered him to act on his account. Kiliko then calls Orcelito away for his dinner with Lord Taine, saying the Investiture Ceremony is the day after tomorrow so...tick tock. Kiliko tells Belca not to worry and to attend the Investiture Ceremony, ending the chapter with saying it's the only way he can assure Linna's safety...

Chapter 22

Linna starts us off by bemoaning that he's only ever been a burden to Belca, only wanting to get him a place where he can bask in the warm sunshine.

Meanwhile, the guards close in on Belca and the Hokulea who's guiding him when they're blocked by the wall, creepily smiling while asking why Belca is trying to run when they're only trying to help. Belca needs to get his message delivered but he hits a brick wall when the guards spot his cloth, accusing him of having a friend in the Hokulea. He's screwed...but then the walls open, revealing themselves to be gates and letting the light through to blind the guards. He gives the message to the Hokulea kid, telling him to get the message to the siblings while he holds off the guards. One of the guards aren't exactly a fan of this plan and they respond by slashing at the kid, cutting him. They try to finish him off despite Belca's protests...only for Linna to parry them.

Eco told him how to get to the waterways while he steals a horse to pick them up with. When they get him, it's up to him to decide whether or not he stays in the castle or not.

The guards put back on their noble act, saying they admire Linna's dedication to the Prince and ask him to come closer with Belca in tow so that they totally won't stab him or anything. Linna instead tells Belca of the plan, asking if he wants to leave the castle, saying he'll go with him wherever. Instead, Belca tells him to take the kid out so he can deliver a message on his behalf to Shingetsu and Tenrou. Linna accepts this mission and Belca takes the kid's knife, putting it to his throat in front of the guards so that they will let Linna and the kid go. The guards are reluctantly forced to obey...only for the gate to suddenly close, Belca being snatched to the other side by Linna. Belca thanks him for saving him but here's the problem: he wasn't snatched, he was pushed.

Linna himself was impaled by the gate as it fell down.

Belca tries to get the gate off of him but it's useless. Linna tells him to go to Eco, saying he'll be fine. After all, the guards say that they will treat his wounds. Belca doesn't want to leave him behind but Linna points out that he is the King's son, and if the Hokulea are people, they are the King's people and Belca has an obligation to protect them. Belca shouts back that Linna is the only person who has ever treated him like the King's son. He was never a prince until Linna treated him like one. Linna says that's not true, saying there are others who care about him. In his last breath, Linna begs him to save everyone...then asks for a kiss. For total hetero royal reasons. Belca gives him his hand and Linna uses his bloody mouth to kiss it.

Eco runs up on horseback, shouting for Belca to get moving because he's being chased and he can't stop. Belca carries the kid out and the guards try to stop him, absolutely prepared to fuck him up a tad to keep him from escaping. Then Taku, bleeding and barely standing, shows up to hold them off. Picking up the boys, Eco solemnly notes that Linna isn't following.

Meanwhile, everyone's favorite siblings Shingetsu and Tenrou are robbing a guy to take his horse while Eco and Belca are still being chased on horseback. The siblings save our idiots with arrows, apologizing for their kin giving them trouble. They notice Linna isn't with them and asks Belca if he's alright. Belca says he is...because Linna is always gonna be with him.

So, Musca is searching for Seamrog but quickly hides from the guards, overhearing them talking about a "Great Plague" returning...

Chapter 14

Here's the sitch (since I am not typing this all out):

Anyway, Musca is mad because she was left behind. She wants to fuck up Eco for it but Seamrog tells her that right now, the only two people who can tell if the Orcelito in the castle is the real him or not is her and Belca so if the both of them get killed at the same time, there would be no one left to tell if he's an imposter. Belca has back-up in Eco and Linna but for the time being, Seamrog and Musca have to wait for further orders. The Investiture Ceremony is a week from now so if they aren't heard from them, that means Belca and them are dead and Seamrog has to get Musca the fuck out of Dodge. Musca doesn't want that to happen because the commoner's son...is her big brother.

Meanwhile, Linna is in the carriage bemoaning the fact that Belca is one of the only two people who can identify Prince Orcelito so he basically has to go directly into the line of fire. Then Belca makes them stop the carriage: there's a food stall.

When Linna goes "bro, what the fuck", he argues that he won't get the chance to eat warm food inside the castle and scurries off. Eco says he's gonna make him a glutton in the song but Belca says that's a good idea; after all, isn't a fun song better than a sad song?

Belca, now far enough away, reveals that he was lying: he was using the food excuse to enter the castle by himself, not wanting to endanger anymore lives on his account. However, Eco catches his ass on the bridge. He asks if Prince Orcelito is locked up, how does he plan on rescuing him? And how does he plan on telling Musca about it? Belca stammers that he was going to wing it so Eco follows up with if Belca really wants to rescue Orcelito, why is he irresponsibly trying to do everything himself? Linna, who was following behind, tells Eco he's being too harsh before Belca acknowledges that Eco has a point but he doesn't want anyone to get involved with him any further. Eco's point is that he can't do anything just by himself, saying he's putting on the whole martyr act just to get sympathy. Eco says he's doing this because he wants to so Belca has no right to try to stop him. Belca gets pissed and orders Eco to take the carriage and take Linna back to Sana...only for Linna to casually reveal he already sent his resignation to Sana. He doesn't have a place to go back to. So he asks to stay with Belca.

Eco then says it's better to stick to the original plan because if the elders see that Belca can get back to the castle on his own, they won't let their guards down. Everybody shakes hands and Belca makes them promise not to die on him, even if it means letting go of something.

At the Neue Favrille castle, at the outer gates, the guys get let in but only Belca (as Mirabelle) and Linna are allowed into the upper stories. Eco stays behind and whispers a last message to Belca: if he wants to stay behind and be a prince, that's fine too (they talk for so long the guards wonder if the "coachman" and the "maid" are dating). Before they separate, Belca admits the real reason Hector died: he fell in love with an Amontel and wanted to make her the crown princess. When Belca (finally) leaves, Eco tells him he'll wait for him till the last second.

Inside, a random lord Ruebelli is griping about Prince Orcelito's weird behavior a week before the Investiture Ceremony before Orcelito walks up, telling him to take care of himself even with the bad weather.

Anyway, at the fifth level of the castle, the Regia Mare Palace, Kiliko is ready to see Linna so it's go time. Using the opportunity, Belca stops crossdressing and switches to full Prince Regalia. He tells off an approaching guard for thinking that he was locked up and that he's ready to talk to Kiliko. The guard darts off and Linna asks Belca why he has the name "usurper". Belca tells him that in the palace, he was a troublemaker and that the noble's children around the place made fun of him for being the son of the king and a lady dancer. Linna then tells Belca not to talk about himself like that and he's here to defend him with his life. Belca says he knows he has his back.

The guard tattles to Kiliko that some guy claiming to be Belca is in the building and he, along with Linna, would like to speak to him in private. Kiliko tells the guard to not let anyone outside of his subordinates near the building. Kiliko walks off with a grin, saying that Dietrich is proving himself more useful than Orbus. Kiliko goes over to meet Belca...and bows, welcoming the Prince back to the castle.

Belca isn't fooled, recognizing Kiliko from the night at the cliff and demanding to know what he did to Orcelito. The chapter ends with Kiliko happily saying that Orcelito is meeting them now, with Orcelito walking in through the doors...

Chapter 7

The heroic slavemaster has recaptured his Amontel and all is well again. Eco asks if Belca has calmed down from his racist rage and says he has, wanting to leave to get away from the Amontel and the nobleman. But the nobleman stops them, saying he wants to apologize for the trouble his Amontel has caused them. Eco literally jumps on him, saying "It sure is nice to receive something, even if it's from a guy!"

The nobleman says he reminds him of an old friend...only to then immediately recognize him as Eco. Then Eco recognizes him as Dietrich, the son of Arlon. Dietrich corrects him that his name is Dietrich Noah, Earl of Arlon. How does Eco know him? Eco says in the past, he did student work at different estates. He was a stay-in, writing letters, copying books, nerd shit. Dietrich says that Eco would also sneak out to Sana's red light district and join drag contests (because of course he did) and Eco cuts him off, saying he still wants his apology. Since he knows him, Dietrich denies him the apology (funny how that works) but upon finding out he has a fever, he calls for two horses from his men and says that Belca and Eco are going to stay at the mansion. Belca doesn't want to stay just because he's been told this plus there's his feverent racism towards Amontels to take into account with the slaves the guy has...then it begins to snow. In autumn. So he really doesn't have a choice now, does he?

Mr. Grumpy Racist Pants is seen taking a hot bath in the mansion, asking Eco (in the same room with the tub) if it's okay to accept help from a nobleman. Eco says that one, if they refuse, they'll be suspected and two, the Noahs are one of the lesser noble families, so they're probably not involved with Lord Lagen. Deciding to pull the bandaid off the wound, Eco comes right out and asks if Hector was killed because of the Amontel. Belca says it's none of Eco's business but Eco continues, saying that he saw an Amontel among Hector's ranks when he was walking through the city and that he was rumored to be planning on changing the state of the kingdom to give the Amontels more rights. Belca darkly reiterates that it's none of his business. Eco agrees...correctly guessing that he only wanted to do so because he met a cute Amontel girl anyway.

That sets Belca off.

He yells at Eco to shut up, saying that the Amontels are monsters and they don't deserve descriptors like "cute" or "girl" to be applied to them. Eco calmly asks Belca why he feels that way and Belca begins to answer that it's always been like that...and then he remembers what Hector and Gramps both said about times and attitudes changing. The maid comes in to bring in a change of clothes and wash his dirty ones and tell the two that their rooms are ready so when Belca is done scrubbing his ass, they can get to bed.

Later on, Eco suggests that he and Belca can wait for the right time and escape. But Belca says it's impossible to camp out in that weather and even if they did, they would just get caught while they sleep. Telling Eco goodnight, he thinks about the Amontel, saying the way people act towards them has been decided before there were even humans...

Meanwhile, in the woods, Shingetsu catches himself a bandit and begins the interrogation.

The guy is a slaver and Shingetsu is interrogating him to find out where he sold his fellow Amontel. The slaver fearfully shouts that he and his men sold them all in Sana and that they're under the "Chemist"'s control now. Other than that, he doesn't know anything. Shingetsu is about to kill him before another Amontel stops him, saying if he kills him, he has to kill the rest too. Shingetsu instead puts a "curse" on the man: If he tries to go after them, he will get revenge on his children, and his children's children, and make their flesh rot away. The curse of the Red Forest.

Back to Prince Hour! Belca wakes up to discover one, he's alive and two, he still has his Primseed pendant and three, Eco's fever broke. Looking outside, Belca is amazed by the snow like a puppy seeing his first few inches (of snow...pervert.). Dietrich greets him, saying it's noon already (Really Belca...?) and asks if Belca will spar with him before he eats.

Belca still got the moves (in training, at least) and he gives Dietrich a good fight. Dietrich asks about Eco and apologizes for yesterday's incident, saying it must have been frightening to run into an Amontel in the forest. Belca quickly says no it wasn't...and fucks up enough to have to dodge a straight pierce from Dietrich's blade. He returns with renewed force though, saying that he can't forgive Amontel for looking human even though they're clearly not. Dietrich agrees...but says that Amontels are in fact "human imitations" that they can replace humans and the "real" humans can make them do stuff that "real" humans can't. They take a break and Dietrich continues that Amontel do dangerous work that "real" humans cannot like digging in mines and such. Therefore, he can't really hate them. But! He and Belca have to remain ever vigilant and make sure not to mistake them for "real" humans.

Anyway, Dietrich gets called away on a "matter" and leaves Belca alone, saying they'll talk later. Belca thinks that Dietrich reminds him of Hector, just a bit. Belca then thinks that if Hector just thought of the Amontels the way Dietrich does, he would still be alive. He goes back to his and Eco's room to say that Dietrich is a chill dude...only to not see Eco anyway. And his stuff is missing.

At the Royal Tomb's Palace Villa, at the Sana Town District Gate, the Vandemiel's Squad Captain (whoever the fuck that is) is greeted by the guards when he's about to go on a vacation to see his parents. Then he sees something in the distance that looks like a caravan...but something isn't right. He orders the guards to go over and investigate and it turns out that the caravan contained Moruga merchants...Amontel slave traders. The slave traders were taken to a hospital to recover but what's interesting is the fact that they were not attacked for their money. No...their attackers were Amontel.

And their next target are the traders' client...

A carrier pigeon can't get to them; it's already sunset! The Squad Captain will have to rescue that innocent slave owner before the Amontel reach him!

The chapter ends with Belca exploring the Arlon family estate.

A guy who seems like our protagonist is fucking his instructor up in sword training, stopping the blade point end at his throat only to tell him he won.

GIF by animatedtext

His name is Prince Belca and his instructor whines that he fought dirty. Belca coldly responds that it was the instructor who told him to give it everything he had and that if he has a problem, he needs to find himself a replacement. Pissed, the instructor stomps off to do just that, saying he resigns as Belca's teacher. Outside the training area, he loudly gripes about how he treats Belca like royalty and Belca treats him like dirt, even though Belca is just the bastard child of a king and a dancer.

GIF by csorbade

Belca could hear him.

King Reitz I once saved the entire land while it was covered in darkness. His descendant is Belca's father, the king. The king rules the country with the lords of the Round Table Council. Belca's history teacher says that it's a great honor to inherit the blood of the Hero King and so does everyone else...

Meeting up with some dude, Belca is praised for beating his instructor in combat. Belca says that fancy sword style is useless crap, causing the guy to laugh and ask where he learned those words. Belca says he learned it from him...and the porn books he lent him.

GIF by isrustandstardust

Belca prefers to be in the infantry because the way Astelion Mercenaries fight is practical which Belca prefers. The mercenary he's talking to says that it's better if no one has to die. He then asks Belca if it isn't the responsibility of royalty to think of ways to avoid war. Belca responds that the future of royalty isn't for him.

GIF by animatedtext

In his future, his Crown Prince brother Hector will be king. After him is the second prince, Orcelito. Belca is basically doomed to be stuck in the castle for the rest of his life. He can't even visit his own father for fear of assassination. That makes Ossan (the mercenary) cry.

GIF by remy-remus-blog

Ossan cheers up and says that since he and Belca both survived the plague, they should both continue living with no regrets. Belca walks away thinking that while they survived the plague, his mom, grandfather and the queen all died from it. Belca doesn't want to die like that. It scares him. While walking, some douche stops him to "congratulate" him on beating his instructor. Belca ignores him as the bitch with him says that it was nice of the noble to talk to him, considering that he was dressed like a bandit. The noble says he owed him that courtesy. Hearing the guards discuss his business out loud too, Belca says that while death scares him, he can't exactly say that he can go on living like this in peace either...

GIF by painful-demons

Prince Orcelito himself leaves his lessons to greet his brother. Belca walks away only for Orcelito to call him out on ditching philosophy class, asking if he's even serious about school. Belca tells him to mind his business. Orcelito counters that he's his brother and he doesn't want to see him get in trouble. He then tells him that Hector is showing up tomorrow to check up on how much they've grown. Belca hasn't seen Hector in years and remembers him being kind to him when he was a kid. Belca says tat he already heard that he was coming back and that he's coming to help with state affairs. Hopefully his presence will give the king some of his health back. That's when Princess Musca shows up. She wants to show Orcelito the new dress she got to show off to her brother Hector. Belca tries to sneak off without starting shit but Orcelito says to show her dress off to Belca too, only for her to grumpily refuse. You see, that's a new dress and she doesn't want a half-blood like him to get it dirty.

GIF by officiallyaunicorn

She's definitely a bitch-in-training but I can't get too mad at her. After all, she's just repeating what her punk-ass wet nurse told her (who runs up, begging her not to repeat what she told her). Because of her, Musca says that Belca is a stain on the royal line and that it's a damn shame a bastard like him is in line for the throne.

Then Orcelito slaps Musca, yelling at her to stop it.

GIF by beyondmyunicorn

(I would have preferred he hit the nurse but I appreciate the gesture none the less.)

He tells her to apologize to Belca and being the princess is no excuse for using harsh words. She responds by crying and running off, saying that she hates him. Orcelito runs after Belca, apologizing and saying he'll talk to Musca later. Belca tells him not to follow him and that what Musca said is true so he doesn't mind. He then says that Hector is a great man...but he's too kind. That's why he and Orcelito have to look out for him. Orcelito says that they'll look out for him together...but Belca just sees them as pretty words. He points out mentally that Orcelito's retainers raise their guard every time Belca so much as talks to him.

Meanwhile, some bald guy named Lord Lagen bursts into the king's chambers, asking on his condition. When the guards say the king is fine, he then says to let him in. He has news about the crown prince Hector. He also has a lot of hate for the Amontel, whoever they are.

In the Neue Favrille District of the Royal Prefecture, a young man named Eco talks to the waitress Honey about why it's so lively at a restaurant. She answers that it's because Hector is coming back. We can see him ride through the streets on a cool horse:

Honey wouldn't mind being his Princess Bride (despite having told Ego at one point that she liked him...). Then Honey pauses, saying that she thought she saw an Amontel among Hector's ranks. But that's silly! The royal family would have nothing to do with monsters like them. Ego thinks differently though...

Belca watches Hector get welcomed in at the castle gates, Musca and Orcelito being the first to greet him. Hector catches his ass sulking from above the gates and loudly calls out to him, saying hi. He tells his edgelord ass to stop being cool and come down and say hello. Belca mentally protests that he wasn't being cool (he was trying anyway) and heads down as Musca says Hector doesn't need to say hello to him. Hector lifts her up and asks if she and Belca had a fight. Musca begins to give her version of the events before she sees somebody in the ranks and starts screaming bloody murder.

GIF by jessicamaccormackrmack

She points at a man with white hair and red eyes, demanding to know why an Amontel is there in the castle walls. Belca overhears as he tries to push through the crowd. Hector says everything is cool because the Amontel is with him. Orcelita says that although the Amontel in the castle walls are obedient slaves, they should always be bound in chains. Even the guards crawl up his ass, saying that the Amontel are inhuman and regardless of the circumstances, they want an explanation for this. Hector agrees and gives his reasoning for his actions: he wants the Amontel to be recognized as human too. He's going to be bringing this issue up at the next council. Some lords are watching and they are not pleased.

GIF by thejackalxi

They say they're telling the king and Hector needs to know how the world works. Some guy tells them to calm down and they should at least listen to what Hector has to say. Lord Lagen tells them to call the elders; it's time for a council.

Meanwhile, Belca is in his bedroom, saying that if anything, Hector has gotten weirder. He's too bothered to just stew in his room so he decides to return his "books" to Ossan (and maybe spar with him) only to hear the mercenaries interrogate Ossan on his intentions with Belca, asking him why he keeps entertaining him. Ossan casually answers there's no war going on and he has some free time. He then asks if anyone has a problem with that and one guy says "yes, there is indeed a big fucking problem with that". You see, if Belca keeps coming over, the nobles can accuse them of planning a rebellion. You can get suspected even if you're innocent, you know? Then we learn the nickname the knights have given Belca: Usurper. Belca leaves as the mercenaries warn Ossan that if something goes wrong with the succession, chilling with Belca won't be funny anymore.

A pissed Belca fumes above the castle walls, yelling at them for being idiots and suspecting him for being a usurper. Do they honestly think he could do something like that by himself? Then his old instructor swings a sword at him, forcing him to dodge before he gets his head lobbed off. The instructor, looking crazed, asks why did he move. Belca asks what the hell he's doing, shouldn't he be resigned? The instructor reveals that because he quit, he was fired from the knights' order and his life is ruined because of Belca. He keeps slashing at Belca while the latter blocks with his own sword sheath, saying that it's fine for him to kill him because if Belca dies, no one will look for the culprit. Belca knows he's serious; if he doesn't fight, he's dead. Belca remembers what Ossan told him about it being best if no one has to die...before Hector dashes in to save him, blocking the blade.

GIF by notabadday

Belca survives with a face cut to show for it and the guards nervously tell him to leave it to them in the future, taking the instructor to prison. Hector says to let him cool his head and that he'll deal with him later. Belca thanks him, silently bitching himself out because he knows that if it was training, he would have matched the speed easily. In a real life situation, he was too scared to move. Then Hector pats his head, calling him a dummy: he's his big brother first and the crown prince second. Of course he'll help him anytime!

GIF by xtevnn

Oh, and he's only there because he ran away from the argument with the elders so it was really perfect timing. He then asks Belca why is he being so polite with his speech. Belca answers he's the son of a whore so he has to know his place. An annoyed Hector notes that he doesn't need to be so formal with family and says the castle is a bad influence on him, offering to let him study abroad. He can go out, have fun, learn, fuck cute girls...the works! The last part is important because while he was out, Hector found a woman he would like to be his bride.

The woman was an Amontel.

GIF by fro-di-gious

He asks Belca if he thinks it's impossible. Belca answers that hating the Amontel is the way of the world. Hector agrees but...the world changes. So Hector will face the world head on.

GIF by handbookerhelper

He says he won't force Belca to agree with him but he encourages him to broaden his horizons by traveling. When he does, tell him how he thinks. A guard runs up for Hector, saying it's time for round 2 against the elders. Hector then asks Belca to see him at the same place again the next rest day. Until then, think about the suggestion on studying abroad...and give him the porn he got from the mercenaries (he has his ways).

GIF by thewackygiant

Belca wonders that if he becomes king with Ocelito at his side if the entire country will become surrounded by his kind atmosphere. Then he says if that day comes and he gets to serve beside him, he might not mind life in the castle anymore.

The following week came the day of rest. Hector failed to show up in the agreed meeting spot so Belca goes looking for him. He walks in on his brother collapsed on the floor, the maids calling for a doctor.

GIF by anjuschiffer

Belca, panicked, asks him what happened. But Hector just scolds him for speaking too formally. The chapter ends on the note that 3 days later, Hector passed away.

GIF by lesbian-roguefort