Erin
While I was agonizing over my defective brain, I started hearing Magnus' breathing becoming a little bit too even. Lifting his head, I then realized that he is now past asleep.
Badump badump. Wha, what is this... My heart beat picked up as I peered unto his face that's lying on my chest. Just like this he looks like a kitten. Instinctively, I held his head and my fingers interlaced and played with his crimson red treases. He looks so much at peace here―his well-sculpted handsome face, his long eyelashes fanning his porcelain white skin.. Who would've thought that this future villain can have this much angelic aura in him?
If anyone told me he was a protagonist of some cheesy romantic movie, I would've believed it in a heartbeat.. That is, if I didn't know any better.
But I do know.
I sighed sadly as I continued to look at this beautiful creature. Come to think of it, he's done nothing appalling up to date. Sure, he's cold due to his dark past but now.. I think I closed that gap? Aside from that, he's far from the tragic paragon villain that I so badly wanted to save.
Well, he does help out convicts though. But in his defense, those people help out the poorest of the poor.. The minorities who can't defend themselves against nobles who's best interest lies in fattening their own pockets. Like Robin Hood, they incessantly try to flip the tables in their own illegal and dangerous way.
I wonder why the author didn't mention this in the novel. He or she did add that Magnus rounded up all the outlaws and joined forces with them since he was young but I think it's unfair for him to not include this bit of information. It will create a huge misunderstanding of Magnus intention t―
Something dawned to me just now..
How can I be so stupid?
All those people in Astrea are his future military forces! It might be just a hypothesis at the moment but my intuition tells me that this is indeed the case. Looking at him now, I suddenly felt the urge to cry again. There was a third person perspective in the novel talking about a crown prince who went undercover to help the poor in the outskirts of the capital. I always thought that since Bryce was raised as a commoner, he was the one who did that. Who would've known that the unnamed prince in that chapter of the novel was none other than the future demonized villain. How can I not pity such a kind handsome creature despite his circumstances?
The unnamed prince who sneaks out the palace to aid his people was none other than Magnus Baudin "Bow" Veritas Courtenay. What a grand revelation.
I never would've thought that his descent to madness can even get more tragic than how I originally thought it already was.
With a faint smile and tear-stained cheeks, I held him closer to my chest as I let the drowsy feeling take me to a peaceful slumber.
**
Someone's POV
Nine years ago, I remember it like it was yesterday. We were a group of brats who grew up in the streets. Our tattered clothes and muddied faces were enough for others to not even give us a sideway glance. It's as if we didn't exist..
Not existing as the bottom of the barrel scraps of this feudal world would've been great but unfortunately, reality is cruel. We got no education, aint no parents, no home.. The streets teach you that it's a dog eats dog world and if you won't fight for it, you'll be buried in unmarked graves together with your values or your softness. What compassion? What love? It's a luxury we street rats can't even dream of. We can't afford it.
So how did we survive then? With the hatred burning in our minds against this awful unforgiving society, my brothers and I, fuelled by spite and hunger, eventually grew up as bandits. I was their leader since I was the strongest (I have earth magic) and I can read. (because I used to have noble parents of a ruined house... That's a story for another time.)
Our brotherhood wasn't much but it was home to all of us, street rats. We lived in makeshift huts by the outskirts of downtown. As youngsters, I often get into fights that gave me the monicker as the "Phantom Beast"... Sort of like the head of this gang. I teach them how and who to rob.. Which are those high and mighty nobles who always like to pretend we, beggars (before), didn't exist at all. Well, f*ck them. We'll take your money, let's see who you can still look down on! I was so young and naive back then so I believed it will be smooth-sailing from there on. Well, not for us.
Never for us streetrats.
Of course soon after we were living stably, an imperial edict signed by the emperor himself decreed the eradication of bandits and beggars just because a certain crown princess (Ava) saw some of us on her way to the palace.. The thievery, the gangs, that's the only things she saw. Because it upset her, the Emperor issued this edict and the hunting of our kind increased. That dumb vicious b*tch!
How can we even fight back? At that time I was only sixteen. I was muscular, strong and a bit more strategic than most but I can't stand up to well-fed and well-educated imperial gaurds.. And there's more of 'em while my brothers only had me. We were forced into hiding. We can't move as freely so we can't even hunt. One night, after several weeks of seclusion in a dangerous magical forest, I'm certain I'm about to witness my brothers breathe their last breath due to extreme starvation. That's when even a sinner like me prayed to the gods.. Although I'm sure whoever they are, they despise us.
I looked at them... At Rocky, a five year-old boy who only ever had me and Torrence to teach him the ways of the world. A pure child. Torrence who was the same age as me, we grew up as partners.. We planned together. Gus, that guy is 14 now and although we were bandits, he always prayed asking for forgiveness... Such a soft, gentle-looking boy depite his circumstances. Harrold, Ogie, Hera, Jeremiah, Mandy, Jose, Noel..
If there's a God...please. They are all I have. Save them and in turn I'll give you my life. I remember looking at the night sky, for the first time in a long time, tears spilling, my eyes refusing to see my brothers die in vain.
Not a single angel fell in the sky. Nobody heard us.. This is not new. Nobody will hear us because nobody wants to...
Or at least that's what I thought..
After a while, I heard a rustling, messy footsteps not far away from where we are.
Perhaps the guards finally found us.
I took my sword and used up all my remaining strength as I swung it to the direction where I sure heard someone moving. I have to intimidate whoever it is, to bluff him into thinking I can defend all of us here so that he'll f*ckin' leave together with his lackeys.
The big bush, sliced into two, revealed a young boy with red hair and purple eyes. (Royalty, huh.. Interesting.) He carried two big sacs twice his size, his eyes showing shock and fear.
"I-I'm sorry. I... Here." The trembling boy stuttered out as he looked up at me and put the two silk sacs in front of us. He opened it and instantly the smell of food wafted in the air.
This almost made me crumble if not for the mental fortitude I built throughout my years in thievery and dark alley jobs I have to endure.
"Kid, what makes you think we'll eat food from you? Aren't you royalty yourself? These might be poisoned." I asked menacingly as I projected my intimidating presence as a bandit and killer. The child trembled even more. Soon, he fell on his knees clutching his stomach like his life depended on it.
"Kid!" I exclaimed in a panic. I took him in my arms as I inspected his constitution using my high-mana detecting magic. What the actual f*ck.. He was battered to a pulp! My eyes wandered to the handsome boy. Some of his injuries seemed to be hidden by a magical mist (how cruel! These injuries will not scar but the pain is still inflicted and remains up until treatment.) Who would do such thing to a child? He's merely eight years old... And a royalty at that..
Suddenly, I felt a tug on my arm. I looked over and saw Rocky crying. I put the boy down for a while and turned to Rocky..
"Hey, what's the problem?"
"Poor boy!" He said while some tears spilled his big emerald eyes. "I know poor boy, poor boy brings food and gives 'nough goldies for Gus to bring back."
I was dumbfounded. This royal brat was helping us even way before? I looked over to Gus who seemed to have been listening for a long time. He flinched upon seeing me look at him. He had a guilty expression.
The damned guy!
I glanced back to where the boy was. I'm still not so sure about the food but I'll take a gamble. I took out a loaf of bread from the silk sac and started eating it before anyone else. Just in case it has poison, at least my brothers can band together and capture this little rascal.
Surprisingly, it's freshly baked and of good quality. I waited for a while after swallowing, if there's any side-effects but there's none. I looked at the kid once more, scrutinizing him before I finally raised my arm to call all of my brethren's attention.
"It has no poison. Brothers, let's eat!" I announced as their joyous hushed cheers filled the little of the forrest floor we're in.
As my brothers were having a feast, I took a piece of bread as I bit on it while heading back to where this royal child was. He was staggering until he finally lost his footing and fell badly on his side. A pang of guilt made its way to my senses as I instinctively reached out to the ailing youth. I checked his pulse using my magic only to realize that despite his condotion, his mana is surging.
"I-I'll be alright, sir. D-don't be worried about my health." He then smiled bitterly. I can feel the side of my mouth twitching as I turned him over so that he can lay more comfortably on his back.
"How can I not be? You're in an unimaginable pain." I exclaimed as I felt my hands balling unto a fist. Fvck people who bully children! Scumbags!
"Despite that, it will never cost my life. Sir I―aahhh!"
Without another word, I carried his aching body and placed him on a clean cloth mat the kids brought to sleep on. I told some of my brothers to pick up nearby herbs as I'll be giving him first aid personally.
If only I had a wind affinity or a healing attribute, I can help this kid more efficiently. Unfortunately, I can only rely on nature for medicine.
I took the cone flowers, maiden hair tree leaves and pounded it using pestle and mortar I created through my earth magic. With the water of the river nearby, it became a substance that I know too well due to being on the streets for a long time now. It will relieve pain. I also got my hands on a rare item which I had recently dug up. It's ginseng that looks like it's ten years old. This will bring his vitality back.
I slowly fed the kid the mixture and he showed signs of relief. Thank the gods!
Since then, that kid changed our lives. His name was Magnus Baudin Veritas Courtenay, that duke's son. He was a crown prince at that time which made me believe in this country once more.. If he was to be crowned king, someone who actively does something to relieve his peoples' lives, I can rest easy that this country will be flourishing.
A couple of years passed since then and he's still helping the poor and defenseless.. Even sheltering us thieves under the name "Bow". He knew corruption was rampant in the nobles and even direct us who to rob next. Recently, the gods even mandate him to be a prince together with this girl from the Marquess Farron estate. Figures. This kid, despite his rocky past, is set on becoming king as I initially thought. He's worthy.
Fvck Bryce, that uncaring fool.. That Ava who had limited vision and only saw us as robbers. They never had the chance to be treated as badly as we did because they were coddled to the point where they can never relate to our woes.
Only he, that kid Bow.. Understands and cares for us.
From here to the ends of the Earth, we will follow him.