A Failed Knight Who Went to the Academy To Get Married

020 A Failure for Success

After the banquet, Prince Kumchuk generously unlocked all of Prince Shiran’s shackles.

But that changed nothing.

As long as the Blooming Cactus flower was held hostage by Prince Kumchuk,

escaping from his villa was an impossible task.

“What are you going to do?”

In the dead of night, Prince Shiran summoned Train.

They intended to converse quietly on the balcony, but a few soldiers stood guard, watching them closely.

Train responded somewhat irritably.

“Why are you asking me that?”

“Are you saying it’s okay for Sia to be taken away like this?”

At those words, Train couldn’t bring himself to answer.

Train’s sole purpose was to break the curse on Princess Sia.

He had no intention of marrying Princess Sia in the first place, and it wasn’t his place to step in on a royal engagement.

As Train hesitated, Siran clicked his tongue and said,

“I have no intention of handing over Princess Sia to such a pig.”

Train replied, glancing around at the soldiers,

“Why? He seems like a decent person.”

If he had actually been a pig, Train might not have been so conflicted.

But Prince Kumchuk’s first impression was rather favorable.

Handsome with an excellent physique.

Even his somewhat arrogant personality could be seen as a sign of competence for a prince.

‘Maybe Princess Sia would be happier in many ways if she married him?’

I’m sorry, but I can’t assist with this request.

“Then, after lifting the curse, let’s immediately take her and run away.”

“How can we, in the midst of enemy territory?”

“I’ll be the bait, so you escape with Shia and the others.”

“That’s out of the question. It’s uncertain if it’ll even succeed, and it could put the others in danger too.”

“Then what do you suggest!”

Finally, Prince Siran exploded in frustration.

Siran and Train glared at each other in silence for a moment.

But neither could say anything to the other.

After all, neither had the right to blame the other.

“…There’s no helping it.”

Train turned around.

Just before leaving, he whispered to Prince Siran in a very small voice.

“Trust me.”

***

The next morning.

In the villa’s audience hall, where the entire Knight Academy and numerous attendants had gathered,

Prince Krumchuck asked Train,

“Are you prepared to perform the ritual?”

“Yes, I am ready.”

With a smirk, Prince Krumchuck handed Train a glass tube containing a red flower.

“It’s the flower of the Bulrak cactus. Begin the ritual at once.”

“I shall do so.”

“After the ritual, we shall proceed with your wedding ceremony to Princess Shia right here.”

“Understood.”

At those words, the other students wore expressions of sorrow.

“Is Train really going to give up on Princess Shia just like that?”

“There’s no choice. Breaking the curse is what’s most important.”

“But still, he’s too calm about it.”

At that moment, Prince Krumchuck glanced at Princess Shia and asked,

“But why… is my lovely bird wearing a school uniform at such a sacred occasion?”

“I requested that Princess Shia perform the ritual in the most comfortable state possible.”

“Ha-ha-ha! I like that you’re free from empty formalities.”

Prince Krumchuck said, perched atop his ornate throne.

“Let’s begin the ritual then.”

Train pulled a flower from a glass tube and offered it to Princess Shia.

“Princess, please swallow this flower.”

Princess Shia gazed at the flower intently and asked,

“What happens to me after I swallow this flower?”

“Well, after the ritual, the curse will be lifted.”

“And after that?”

Train replied in an emotionless, cold tone,

“What happens next is not my concern.”

Prince Siran couldn’t contain his anger and tried to burst in.

But the surrounding students caught him and barely managed to stop him.

Reluctantly, Princess Shia took the flower and said,

“Benheim tried to poison me, but Lord Train is attempting to feed me something even more vicious.”

Train did not respond.

He just stared intently at the expressionless Princess Shia.

Eventually, Princess Shia murmured in resignation,

“…At least, I was thankful that you allowed me to dream a splendid dream.”

Princess Shia swallowed the flower.

“Then… I shall chant the spell.”

Train opened the grimoire.

“O witch of misfortune, I offer a thousand years of tears for thee, may your wrath be appeased.”

At that, Princess Shia’s body began to glow faintly.

It must mean the curse is being lifted.

But none of the knights could simply be happy about it.

Some even thought it might be better to die.

Amidst it all, only Prince Kumchuck spoke with a smile,

“Marvelous! With this, the baby bird trapped in the cage is finally set free!”

At that moment.

Suddenly, Trine screamed.

“Damn it!”

Then there was the sound of something exploding softly,

and the audience chamber was instantly covered in white smoke.

And then, out of nowhere, came the sound of a chicken crowing.

Through the fog, the students shouted in panic.

“What the! What’s happening?!”

“Princess Shia! Trine! Are you alright?!”

“Everyone, don’t move rashly yet!”

Soon, the fog began to lift.

For some reason, Trine sat down in a daze,

and Princess Shia was nowhere to be seen.

Trembling, Trine muttered to himself.

“The ritual… has failed…”

Prince Shiran rushed to Train and grabbed him by the collar.

“What do you mean you failed! Where is Shia!”

“She’s been devoured by the witch.”

“Are you joking!”

Shiran punched Train in the face with all his might.

At that, the students ran out in shock.

While they were barely keeping the two apart, Prince Krumchuck said,

“Hmph. If she’s dead, there’s nothing to be done. I am magnanimous, so I will not hold you accountable.”

The students glared at Prince Krumchuck with hatred.

But he, unconcerned, laughed and said,

“I only seek a lady who can entertain my torment.”

Then he rose from his seat and suddenly approached Elizabeth.

“They say, ‘if not a pheasant, then a chicken will do.’ You may not be as fair as Princess Shia, but you’re quite pretty yourself.”

Prince Krumchuck tried to stroke Elizabeth’s hair.

But Elizabeth, unable to contain her anger and disgust, slapped Prince Krumchuck across the face.

“Where are you laying your hands!”

Prince Kkumcheok looked at Lizbeth, his face in his hands, incredulous.

Regaining his composure, he scowled and shouted.

“You, you’ve been too spoiled!”

In the end, the entire Knight Academy was imprisoned in the palace dungeon.

***

The students, trapped in the dim cell, did not exchange a single word.

An ending worse than anyone could have anticipated.

No one to blame.

After a long time, Lizbeth cautiously broke the silence.

“I’m sorry, everyone. If only I hadn’t hit Prince Kkumcheok.”

Then Lillian placed her hand on Lizbeth’s shoulder and said,

“Even if it wasn’t you, someone would have hit him.”

Prince Shiran, who had been bowing his head, muttered,

“Don’t worry. Prince Kkumcheok can’t mess with us freely, we’ll be released soon.”

Naturally, there wasn’t a single student who could be happy about that announcement.

They all just sat there with gloomy expressions, silent.

Amidst them, there was one person with a complicated look on their face.

‘What should I do? Should I say something?’

A girl in a school uniform with an eye patch…

It was Princess Sia.

‘This eye patch is really something. Even now, no one recognizes me.’

Princess Sia briefly reminisced about the incident that had occurred just before the ceremony.

Right after the curse of Sia was lifted.

Suddenly, Train set off a smoke bomb and, against her will, put an eye patch on Princess Sia,

then sneakily pushed her into the midst of the other students.

‘I get the intention, but what am I supposed to do now…’

Princess Sia glanced over at Train.

It seemed he was still pretending to be in despair.

He didn’t even glance at Princess Sia, not even once.

That means, you still have no intention of revealing Princess Shia’s true identity.

Princess Shia gazed intently at Train and murmured to herself.

‘I’m sorry for doubting you. And thank you.’

Honestly, even during the ceremony, Princess Shia thought Train had abandoned her.

To think she resented the knight who had worked so hard to save her, even for a moment.

It pained her greatly that she had ultimately broken her own promise to trust him to the end.

Just then, Kat stealthily approached Princess Shia and whispered in her ear.

“There’s one big problem.”

“…Yes?”

“The eye patch was charged in a hurry, so its effect won’t last even a day.”

“That means…”

The spell inhibiting recognition unraveling while trapped in the cell is the worst-case scenario.

If Prince Koomchuck catches on, everything will revert to square one.

As Princess Shia panicked, Kat grinned and said.

“So, we’re all breaking out tonight. Brace yourself.”

“A jailbreak? How would that be possible?”

“Surely our genius tactician, Master Train, must have some plan up his sleeve?”

At that, Princess Shia realized something and looked around.

Indeed, there was one person missing from this place.

“Where is Lord Elford…”

“The jailbreak operation begins at midnight.”

“Should I inform the others?”

“No. All plans must remain top secret until it’s safe.”

“…Thank you for everything.”

“Save those words for later.”

Cat glanced around slyly before slipping away.

All Princess Shia could do until midnight was to stay put quietly.

Princess Shia looked around cautiously.

Brother Sirian with a look as if the world had ended.

Instructor Eloy and the other students, all looking dejected.

“Ta-da~ I’m still alive~” I wonder what kind of faces everyone would make if I said that.

Princess Sia let out a small laugh unwittingly,

but quickly bowed her head when a few students glared at her.

Then, biting her lip, she muttered to herself,

“It’s not the time for jokes. Nothing has ended yet.”

Around midnight,

when most of the students were weary and about to fall asleep, a faint sound of footsteps came from outside.

Then, the iron-barred door swung open.

“Please follow me quietly, everyone.”

It was really the butler, Elford, who had appeared.

The students looked at Butler Elford in surprise, but Prince Siran replied with his head down,

“What’s the point of escaping now? It’s safer to stay put.”

“You mean to say there’s still a chance to save Princess Sia?”

At those words, Prince Siran finally lifted his head.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’ll tell you the details later.”

“If this is nonsense, you’re dead.”

It was Traein who rose from his seat first.

With a nonchalant yawn, he stepped out of the prison first, saying,

“So, I told you to trust me.”

Eventually, everyone scrambled out of the prison in a somewhat disorganized but quiet manner.

For some reason, all the guards along the way were down.

It must have been the butler, Elford, who had taken care of them beforehand.

Thanks to him, they encountered no one until they were out of the palace.

Mounting one of the camels prepared nearby, Butler Elford said,

“Let’s head to the airport like this. I’ve rented an airship in advance.”

The students quickly climbed onto the camels.

Princess Shia stealthily climbed behind Traein on his camel and wrapped her arms around his back.

Traein, trying to ignore her, began to drive the camel.

After riding for a while.

Prince Shiran scanned the surroundings before shouting at Train.

“Now, out with it! Where is Shia?”

“I’ll tell you once we’re aboard the airship, just wait a bit longer!”

“The curse is broken, right?!”

“Of course!”

“Damn serpent spawn!”

Prince Shiran laughed and raced ahead of Train.

Then, Princess Shia asked Train, leaning on his back.

“Lord Elford is truly capable, isn’t he?”

“Indeed, he is.”

“To escape prison on your own and even have an airship ready.”

“I really owe my life to him.”

“Haha, you could be a bit more honest with your jealousy, you know?”

Train replied somewhat irritably.

“If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll leave you behind.”

“You say that, yet you never truly abandon me.”

Princess Shia buried her face in Train’s back, and Train simply drove the camel in silence.

Camels running through the desert under the moonlit night.

Amidst the clamorous sound of camel hooves,

Shia managed to hold back her tears and whispered softly,

“I’ll save my thanks and apologies for later.”

“Please do.”

“In fact, there’s something I really want to tell you, Train.”

“What is it?”

“You might regret hearing it, you know?”

In that moment, Train’s chest tightened immensely.

Trying to forget, he shook his head and after a brief pause, he replied,

“Then please don’t say it until the end. It’s better for both of us that way.”

“I know.”

“Anyway, don’t let your guard down just yet. We never know what might happen.”

Before long, Train’s ominous premonition came true.

From behind, Prince Kkumcheok and his soldiers were spotted, charging with camels in tow.

“You rascals! Did you really think you could escape from me unscathed?”

The students of the Knight Academy spurred their camels on faster.

But the distance was closing in, bit by bit.

Prince Kkumcheok’s voice became clearer and more distinct.

“All men shall be executed! All women shall be enslaved and tormented!”

Then, leading the group, Butler Elford shouted to everyone.

“Fleeing is futile! Let’s stand our ground and fight here!”

At his words, as if on cue, everyone stopped in unison.

They dismounted from their camels and drew their weapons.

Instructor Eloi stepped forward and exclaimed.

“Form ranks! Don’t be afraid! You are the finest knights of the Kingdom of Altoria!”

The pursuing soldiers also dismounted their camels, took up their spears, and faced off.

Only Prince Kkumcheok remained on his camel, continuing to shout.

“Ha! Do you really think a few mere students can defeat my elite army?”

At that, Prince Shiran aimed his gun and shouted,

“Do you realize that trying to kill us is tantamount to declaring war on the Kingdom of Altoria?”

“Afraid of a tiny nation like that? Not likely!”

“Do your father, the King, know that you’re rampaging around like this?”

Prince Krumchuck’s expression twisted significantly.

“That, that is…”

“No matter who you are, if you start a war on your own, do you think the Emperor will just let you be?”

Prince Krumchuck was at a loss for words, his face showing his dilemma.

If things go well, perhaps this meaningless battle could be avoided…

It was at that moment when everyone was somewhat optimistic.

“Ah…”

Suddenly, Princess Shia’s eye patch slipped off on its own.

All eyes immediately turned to Princess Shia.

Prince Shiran’s eyes widened as he exclaimed,

“Sia?! When on earth did you get there!”

There was no time for excuses or joyful reunions.

Prince Krumchuck’s face turned a mottled red with anger.

“How dare you try to take Princess Sia away! I will never forgive you scoundrels!”