"Are you... planning on killing him?"
"All of you heard that! Not only is my brother committing treason, he also wants to kill me by colluding with this sorcerer!"
No one could really refute Prince Abu's words. How could they, when he was actually making sense? And now that Rhys was actually thinking more and more about this from his perspective, he actually agrees with him.
If one of his friends suddenly started taking the side of a random talking pig he just met, and now that talking pig was threatening to kill him — wouldn't Rhys also be feeling extremely angry?
No, not just angry, but betrayed.
Unfortunately, Rhys was the pig in this scenario.
"Would you be willing to talk, Your Majesty?" And so, Rhys decided to go with a more diplomatic route instead, "I am sure we can work this out once you hear our side."
"Silence, enchanter!" Prince Abu, however, just pointed and hissed at him, "I will not have the words of a sorcerer tempt the ears of my people anymore! Men, kill him!"
Sadly, Prince Abu didn't seem that much interested in hearing Rhys out.
"I'll ask one final time," Rhys sighed as he looked at the feline knights who were slowly approaching him with their weapons or claws out, "I can't have any of you chasing after us and finding out where we'll go — I will have to kill all of you."
"W—wait, Rhys!" Prince Dubhai forced himself out of his guards' protection while waving his hand, "He... he's still my brother!"
"And your brother wants you dead," Rhys sighed, "And as I said, I can't have them following us — that's my final warning."
"Brother, you heard him!" Prince Dubhai pleaded, "Just turn back!"
"You have been enticed by this sorcerer! Can you not see he is not human at all!? How can a human even talk!?" Prince Abu shook his head, "Men, kill Prince Dubhai as well!"
"W—"
And with Abu's orders, his knights finally rushed toward Rhys.
"I warned you," the tone of Rhys's voice soon changed as he slightly moved his hand; revealing the thin threads he was holding. And as he pulled his hand up, the guards who were rushing toward him all dropped to the ground. All of them tried getting up, but all that happened was their legs separating from the rest of their bodies,
"What happens now will be your fault."
"Just what—"
And before Prince Abu could say anything else, he watched as all of his men suddenly split apart like they were made of tofu. His men, who were wearing full armor made from their claws, which were hard enough to cut down stone.
"I am quite curious, though..." Rhys then just casually swung his arm several times; causing the drops of blood that managed to attach themselves to his threads to be blown away everywhere; to the trees, the ground, and toward everyone there,
"...You keep calling me a Sorcerer. I thought it was just some sort of derogatory term you keep throwing around since this is the first time you've seen a human talk. But it's not, is it? What's a Sorcerer?"
"They're wearing armor," Rhys looked at Prince Dubhai's guards.
"That's different!"
"Fine," Rhys also let out a sigh as he just glanced at Prince Dubhai and gestured to him to follow and continue their trip. Unfortunately, Prince Dubhai still needed to rest several times, causing their trip which should have only been a quarter of a day to turn into several days.
And of course, Rhys had to knock down Prince Abu quite a few times until Prince Dubhai told him that he brought a sedative with him.
As expected of a perverted scientist. Maybe Rhys should have really killed him instead?
And finally, after another full day, they reached the Hole back to the Surface.
"This is... magnificent," Prince Dubhai quickly started running around the surface of the Hole, "And this leads straight to the Forbidden Land!? I can't wait to see what savages await us there."
"Tch, what a country bumpkin," Edissa let out a small but confident scoff as she looked down at Prince Dubhai.
"You do know you were like that, right?" Rhys could really only shake his head at Edissa's words, "Anyway—"
And as soon as Prince Dubhai run near him, Rhys quickly pulled and then pushed him straight into the Hole. His guards, of course, were quick to once again approach Rhys.
"Edissa."
"You just threw him in without warning!? You—"
And before Edissa could finish his words, Rhys also pushed her down.
"Jump," Rhys then turned to look at the activists. And as soon as they saw the smile on his face, they all just jumped on their own; their shrieks, fading away into the distance. The guards all looked at each other for a few seconds before just also following down.
Suffice it to say, all of them screamed.
"Your Majesty, wake up."
With everyone gone, Rhys then slapped Prince Abu several times to wake him up. It probably took 6 slaps, but Prince Abu's eyes finally opened.
"Huh...?" He was completely groggy, but as soon as his eyes met Rhys, his body just instinctively leaped from the ground, "You will never take me alive, Sorcer...er."
And midway through his words, Prince Abu realized that there was nothing for him to land on but a dark abyss.
"Well..." Rhys smiled,
"...See you on the other side."
"N... Nooo!"