The Crown I Will Take From You - Chapter 102
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 102
* * *
Samon subtly led Medeia deeper into the forest.
“I think I saw a silver fox. It’s a clever one, so it’s definitely hiding well to avoid people.”
Medeia hurriedly matched pace with Samon who was rushing ahead of her.
“Samon, aren’t we going too deep? What if a wild beast appears?”
Her voice was filled with fear.
“This has been a hunting ground managed by gamekeepers for decades. You know there are no wild beasts here. Besides, Dea, you can use a sword. Just swing it.”
“I’ve never killed beasts with a sword before.”
Medeia whined.
It was the familiar demeanor she had shown only to her and Claudio’s families after a long time.
“But Dea, why did you hide that you could use a sword? Our family was shocked.”
Samon glanced at Medeia sideways and asked casually.
“Well, you must have been more shocked than me who didn’t know brother was hurt. Is your leg okay now? If it hurt that much, you should have told me earlier.”
Medeia answered gently.
“…”
Samon, who had immediately refused her request for help during the duel with Jared, was caught off guard instead.
He forced a smile.
“And Samon, that wasn’t even fighting. I just remembered the basic forms Peleus taught me. You don’t know how hard it was with his inflexible training.”
Medeia’s voice was sullen, as if she still found it annoying to think about.
‘She was that outstanding with just basic forms…?’
But soon Samon thought of Peleus.
If it was him, who first held a sword at age 5, awakened his aura soon after, and personally made even the king’s Royal Guard Agema submit, it was possible.
Medeia was his one and only beloved sister, so he would have taught her techniques to subdue enemies even with just the basics.
Medeia, who absorbed it like a baby bird in a nest, had overpowered the 4th Princess.
“Haha, you two really… are exceptionally talented.”
Veins stood out on the back of Samon’s hand gripping the reins.
He remembered himself, who had taken up the sword in the same year and at the same age as Peleus, but could never catch up to his dazzling speed racing ahead.
The deep-rooted inferiority complex of mediocrity that he had forgotten raised its head.
‘Yes, but your siblings’ showing off ends now.’
Samon whispered sinisterly and unconsciously spurred his horse.
“Samon, you’re going too fast. I can’t go that quickly. The memory of falling off is terrible, so I’m barely holding the reins.”
“I’m sorry. I must have gotten too caught up with the prey. Instead, as an apology, I’ll somehow gift you victory.”
Samon’s dry eyes swept over her as he spoke affectionately to soothe Medeia.
The horse Medeia was riding was a gentle brown pony. It was docile and obeyed Medeia’s clumsy commands without getting irritated.
‘It follows other people’s hands well too.’
Before the competition started, the Princess had secretly brought twelve wolves into the hunting grounds.
Samon had attached a small sachet under that horse’s saddle.
That pouch, which gave off a faint musk that only beasts could smell, would serve to lure the wolves.
On his own body, he had conversely attached a sachet with scents that wolves disliked.
‘Even if Medeia tries to act belatedly, it will be too late. She’ll be torn to shreds and become beast food.’
Then he could return pretending to be a victim who barely survived the wolf pack.
Samon sent an apologetic message inwardly.
‘I’m sorry, Dea. But you’ve grown too big. You keep threatening our family. I have no choice but to act first.’
Certainly Medeia had been a necessary card for Claudio.
‘But the situation has changed now.’
With even news of Peleus’s victory reaching them, keeping Medeia alive while considering the disadvantageous situation was too dangerous a move.
So he moved forward swiftly enough that Medeia couldn’t stop him, but with enough leeway that he wouldn’t completely lose her.
How long had they gone like that?
They had reached a deep place where only grass was visible no matter how far they went.
The trees had grown so thickly that they completely blocked the light from the sky, creating a shadowy bleakness.
“I think I saw a fox tail around here…”
Samon dismounted and bent his waist, pretending to look for a fox den while circling near tree trunks.
Inwardly he was keeping time. They had come to a remote place away from people’s eyes, but when would the wolves arrive?
Then, Medeia’s voice was heard.
“Samon, I think I saw it.”
“What?”
The fox, or the wolves?
Samon was about to turn his head.
Pook. A stinging pain as if pierced by something sharp, then his vision went dark.
* * *
Medeia closed the brooch’s mouth again.
On her right shoulder, a cat-shaped brooch glittered.
It was the brooch Akaress had gifted her before.
‘It works well as he said.’
Medeia looked down coldly at Samon who had collapsed after being hit with the sleep dart.
Medeia jumped down from her horse and drew the sword from Samon’s scabbard.
It was an excellent famous sword that didn’t match its owner’s skill.
Should I just kill him here?
But Medeia overcame the momentary impulse and decided to move according to plan.
‘You’ll have to search for me desperately.’
Because I plan to disappear from here. Leaving clear evidence that you, Samon, tried to harm the Princess.
She was about to leave the unconscious Samon behind and depart.
Swoosh-!
Sensing a presence from behind, Medeia instinctively turned and dodged, swinging her sword.
The sensation of cutting through blunt flesh was transmitted directly through the sword.
“Graaah-!”
A beast’s thick scream echoed.
At the same time, the cape draped over Medeia’s shoulders was torn. It had caught on the wolf’s claws.
Where she had dodged, the unconscious Samon was drenched in blood spurting from the wounded wolf.
Even with the terrible smell of blood stinging his nose, he couldn’t wake up.
‘There are no wolves in this forest… You prepared these.’
She had expected they would use some petty trick even in the hunting competition, but wolves.
More precisely, it seemed to be a collaboration between the 4th Princess and Samon.
The Princess would have procured the wolves, and Claudio’s side, who knew the hunting grounds well, would have brought the beasts in.
“Neighhhh-!”
Then, the mare’s desperate cry was heard.
Medeia raised her head.
She could see several wolves rushing at her horse all at once.
The gentle mare was torn to death without even being able to let out a proper scream. The wolves’ fierce eyes turned toward Medeia.
Despite the sudden appearance of the beasts, Medeia whistled with an expressionless face.
An unexpected variable. But it didn’t matter.
No matter how the situation flowed, she planned to use it as material to complete her plan targeting her Paternal Uncles.
Samon’s horse, which had been wandering in fear at the appearance of the beasts, instinctively ran toward her.
“Hiya!”
Medeia grabbed the reins and mounted the horse.
Throwing off the beginner act she had displayed on the pony earlier, she spurred the horse.
But the wolves relentlessly pursued Medeia.
She turned and shot her crossbow, but they cleverly dodged while chasing.
‘They’re trained ones.’
How far had she gone, passing through tree branches that roughly scratched her arms and leaping over dense thickets?
At some point, the horse refused to run any further.
Medeia, who had been scanning ahead, roughly pulled on the reins. It was a cliff with no path forward.
The wolves, instinctively realizing their escape route was blocked, crouched low and approached as if surrounding Medeia.
“Grrrrrowl….”
The fierce beast bared its teeth with savage eyes.
One wolf lunged toward Medeia as if to set an example.
Medeia shot her crossbow at the beast, then quickly pulled the reins to turn the horse’s head.
“Kyaang-!”
While the one pierced by the crossbow went tumbling away, the one approaching from below was kicked by the horse’s hind legs.
At the same time, the one aiming for her right side was cut by Medeia’s sharp sword slashing upward from below, spurting blood.
And the last one,
Kyaaaang-!
Rolled down the cliff together with Medeia.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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