The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL] novel Chapter 759

Chapter 759: The Crystal Prison

But while the orc princess passionately listed which families thrived from those dependable unions and which political dynasties flipped upside down because of them, in a faraway galaxy, someone else was sharing what should have been the same story, only with a completely different flavor.

It was not a warm retelling, nor was it romantic in any way.

Inside a dimly lit chamber lined with old banners, a young elven princess sat stiffly on a carved chair much too large for her. Her legs barely reached the edge. Her hands were folded tightly in her lap. And her bright eyes darted toward the towering figure pacing slowly before her.

He spoke with a silky voice that was meant to sound wise and regal. It only sounded frightening.

"Orcs," he began, as if the very word was venom. "Vile creatures. Ugly things. Nothing like us."

The girl flinched.

His shadow stretched long on the floor. He gestured sharply, like slicing through invisible foes.

"Lumbering. Barbaric. Mindless," he said with relish. "These are only some of the words that describe the brutes who inflicted terror on our people, Marin."

Marin’s small fingers curled into her dress.

"Terror," he repeated, tasting the word like a sweet fruit. "Do you know that just with their sharp teeth, they could rip apart children like you easily?"

She jerked in her seat, eyes widening in fear.

"That’s not true," she whispered weakly. "Mother said they are not all like that. And even Grandmother said they have families too. And friends. And they smile too."

The man slowly turned his head toward her. His smile widened, slow and wrong and triumphant.

"Oh, I see," he said with delighted malice. "So my little sister has already been brainwashed."

Marin’s heart pounded.

"Brainwashed into thinking those beasts are anything more than savage criminals. How cute. How naive."

She shook her head again, but her tiny voice trembled. "They are not beasts."

His laughter erupted, sharp and manic, echoing through the chamber like a spell meant to drown out all reason.

The child pressed her hands to her ears. If only she hadn’t been caught drawing them, then she wouldn’t have been subjected to this kind of torture.

But more than anything, the young princess wondered why her Big Brother Eren had turned into someone so hateful.

If only Brother Elior were here. Then maybe...maybe—

But her thoughts were interrupted because the towering figure reached for her hands that had been covering her ears and said, "Marin, you really shouldn’t listen to those deceiving words, you know?"

"Look at father. His health is deteriorating. Do you really think it has nothing to do with those orcs?"

"No! Mother said—"

"Mother said what? That it’s definitely not them? Then if so, why can’t we, the Aetheryon Royals, even find something that could cure him?"

"Or have you forgotten how, out of all our ancestors, the only time a patriarch fell was in the hands of the orcs."

"Brother Eren! Why are you being like that?" asked the young child whose knees were actually trembling.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He stepped closer, hands clasped behind his back. "I don’t know if you are aware, but Father has been ill for quite some time now. We cannot have just anyone unsafe breathing the same air as him."

Surprisingly, the young man on the floor lifted his head and glared back. His silver hair fell over his shoulders like a tangled waterfall. "Unsafe? Eren, between the two of us, which one of us is really dangerous here?" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I am not sure what you’re talking about," Eren replied smoothly. "But between the two of us, who hid among humans long enough to even start looking like them?"

He crouched down slightly, amused. "Now look at you. Imagine if we hadn’t found you and taken you back. You might have deluded yourself into starting a new life."

Instead of entertaining that venom, Elior’s voice hardened. "Where is Rahil? What did you do with him?"

"Oh." Eren tilted his head in a mock imitation of innocence. "See, brother, this is why you’d never survive situations like this. At a time like this, your first thought is to ask about your subordinate?"

"Eren. Where is Rahil?" Elior snapped again. This time, his voice carried a murderous edge that made even the soldiers flinch.

"You’re no fun," Eren sighed. "He’s alive. I’m not a tyrant. He’s simply being checked. After all, he was the one who took off with you and hid you right under the nose of that human duke. Obviously, we need to evaluate him. Surely you understand, right?"

Eren straightened up and dusted off his sleeves. "But don’t worry, Elior. People like you and him still have a use. And I’m just so glad you returned right on time."

A snarl began to rise from the man on the floor, but before he could let it out, Eren wagged a finger.

"Op. Op. I know you’re about to complain about being locked here for almost half a year, but truly, this is just quarantine. I swear I never forgot about you." He said dramatically, his hands even going to his chest.

"After all, how could I forget the generous brother who let me be the Crown Prince?"

Elior’s glare burned hotter than the crystal lights around them, and yet Eren’s smile became brighter because of it.