The Jeon of Jeonseol

4. Lunatic No. 1

"Okay," Jimin said, slowly lifting his arms in surrender. 

He carefully looked down at the sword pointing at his throat and for a second, just for a second, marvelled the man for not getting tired after holding those heavy swords for so long. 

"Let's deal with this rationally, yea-"

"I do not like the way you speak. Use decent words suiting your status and looks," the man cut him off. 

Taehyung gaped at him. What indecent word did Jimin use, exactly?!

"Yeah, okay, we'll be dece-"

"You used it again. USE APPROPRIATE WORDS!!"

"Ohh...kay?" Taehyung said. He really didn't want to argue with the madman but he didn't know what the man was referring to. 

However, his agreement with the man was only making him madder, and he didn't know what to do. Especially when the man brandished his sword again and swung it very dangerously close to his throat. When he almost felt the blade cut him, he lost it. 

"Okay, okay, okay, stop, what the fuck is wrong with you?! If you want to be irrational, we'll be irrational!! You want me to call my butler, right?! I'll do that. Let me go," Taehyung said angrily. 

The man looked even angrier, but let him go nonetheless. 

"I was a fool to take pity on you and stop the cops from taking you away. I'll make fucking sure they throw you in prison this time, fucking lunatic," Taehyung mumbled as he walked away with his phone in his hand, but everyone heard him. 

Before he could even dial 119 completely, he was shoved to the wall and the madman's hand was around his throat, choking him so hard, his veins popped out. Taehyung hit his hand continuously, unable to breathe at all, but the man took no mercy. 

"Are you that eager to bring destruction down on the people of your Kingdom? Trust me, I shall not hold back on declaring war on you for all the ill-treatment I am facing here. How dare you impudent lowlife call me a lunatic?! Do I look easy to you? I CAN KILL YOU IN AN INSTANT IF I WANTED TO!! I'M ONLY TOLERATING YOUR BEHAVIOUR BECAUSE OF THE KINDNESS YOU'VE SHOWN ME EARLIER IN FRONT OF THE ATTACKERS!! DO NOT PLAY SMART WITH ME, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO BEHEAD YOU THE NEXT TIME YOU MISBEHAVE!!"

Jimin was next to the man's feet, begging him to let Taehyung go. He couldn't use any other measures, after all. Taehyung looked like another few seconds were all that was needed to actually squeeze the life out of him. He wasn't even struggling for breath anymore. 

"What the fuck?! Who the fuck are you!? What are you doing to him?!?!" a very alarmed voice asked and Jimin yelled at the new man before the madman could react to his words. "Namjoon hyung, don't say anything, please!!" 

Namjoon frowned at him and looked at the destruction around him. He looked at the madman, who truly did look mad with his clothes and long hair being dishevelled beyond recognition. 

"Cops?" he mouthed at Jimin when the madman turned back to Taehyung. "Later," Jimin mouthed back and looked back at Taehyung, sighing in relief when the man finally let him go. 

Taehyung collapsed to the floor like a sack of potatoes, having lost consciousness just a few seconds ago. 

Jimin's panic rose again as he tried to get Taehyung back to his senses. "Get some water, hyung!!" he exclaimed and Namjoon scrambled to obey. He ran back with a glass of water while the madman settled back on the single couch and crossed his legs, his face showing satisfaction at the punishment he had given. 

While Jimin worked on helping Taehyung breathe, Namjoon looked back at the man, taking in the swords that were back in his hands and the long hair on his head. From the way it was dishevelled, he knew the hair wasn't fake, and from the way he knew it wasn't fake, he knew this man wasn't wearing a costume. 

"Where are you from?" he asked, polite enough for the man to not react adversely again. 

"Are you a nobleman of this kingdom as well?" the man asked back instead of answering him, making him frown. Kingdom? He looked back at Jimin, who pretended to scratch his temple and subtly rubbed his finger in a couple of circles, indicating that the man wasn't sane. Taehyung, who had finally gained consciousness, nodded along to confirm. 

But when Namjoon looked back at the man, at the royalty and magnificence he was exuding despite his appearance, it didn't seem to him as if this man was insane. 

"Yes, I am," he answered the man and then repeated his question. "Where are you from?" 

This time, the man luckily seemed to cool down enough to actually answer him. "Jeon-"

The man froze suddenly and stayed that way for quite a long time, their calls falling on deaf ears until he flinched from his thoughts and looked around as if he were seeing everything and everyone for the first time all over. 

"What is this place? Why am I here?" he asked, sounding so scared that all three of them had to take a double take. 

"Exactly my question," Taehyung deadpanned, taking his chances despite having almost experienced death just a few moments ago. 

It was his house, for fuck's sake!!

"I was travelling," the man said, finally saying something that wasn't a threat. "I was amidst a voyage. How did I arrive here? Is this the underwater kingdom my grandmother told me about?" 

Taehyung looked at Jimin, unamused at the further confirmation of the madman's insanity, but Namjoon just frowned harder. 

"What kingdom did you say you were from?" Namjoon asked again, going by the man's act to get answers from him. 

"Jeonseol."

"And what's your name?" 

"How dare you ask my name, you mannerless brute?!" 

Taehyung sighed annoyedly, being utterly fed up by this man's big-ass ego, but again, it only made Namjoon frown harder. Something just wasn't sitting well, but his gut told him this man was not insane.

"Please. We really need to know. It's my humble request," he said, feeding the man's ego. They didn't need to know his name. He just wanted something, anything from this man. 

The man's face softened, making Taehyung scoff. 

"Why do you need my name?"

"Because we might be able to help you if we know your name," Jimin answered and that was the final straw needed to crumble the man's resolve. 

"Jeon Jeongguk," he said. "The crown prince of Jeonseol."