"Your Majesty, are you really going to let Prince Darren remain in that deserted land? That area is known for its bandit groups who often cause chaos. I doubt Prince Darren can survive there," a member of the imperial guard stood before his superior inside the grand study room of the Emperor. One could say, the superior of all superiors—the ruler of the island, which oversaw several smaller kingdoms.
"Let him be. We must find out whether Darren can truly survive there or not," the Emperor replied, rejecting the idea of fetching his second son. "There's no safe place for Darren anywhere. There are only two possibilities: Darren will have to face the bandit groups—or his brother."
"But I'm certain Prince Harry would never kill Prince Darren. Even though their relationship isn't great, we all know Prince Harry wouldn't cross the line," the guard said.
"No, I'll still let Darren survive on his own there. Right now, he may not see the clash between himself and Harry. But eventually, they will fight over power. Let Harry run this country. We must make sure Darren remains aware of his position," declared Emperor Alric before the guard exited the room.
****
"What a nice breakfast! We can have fish tonight!" Evan said as they lounged under an apple tree by the river. Though it was still morning, sunlight had already started seeping through the leaves and hitting the ground.
Even so, they didn't feel hot at all. The trees in the forest were enough to shield them from the scorching sun.
"After this, we should gather some bamboo. I can carve the ends into spears for fishing," Cal said, raising the small knife he kept in his pocket.
Everyone cheered at the sight of the knife, and Darren couldn't help but smile too. In the past, Darren would have never realized how useful a knife could be in a situation like this.
Compared to the world Darren came from, he had no idea what time period this was. The 19th century? No, that sounded too advanced. Perhaps much earlier.
"Your Highness, do you already know which village you plan to go to?" Kael asked during their breakfast.
That question made Darren wonder. He had no idea where anything was. He didn't even have a map. It would sound ridiculous to head out without knowing where he was going.
"I don't know," Darren admitted. Honestly, he hoped everyone would follow him. But this game wasn't that easy to conquer. Everyone had their own agenda—just like Darren.
"I'll go look for some bamboo. Anyone want to join?" Elric raised his hand, showing interest in joining Cal.
"Let's go get bamboo together. I think there's a bamboo forest that way," Elric said, standing up and leaving the group with Cal.
Four people remained, still eating while enjoying the sound of the river. Darren listened to the chirping birds. Just like Darren and his companions, they too were busy looking for food in the morning.
"Do you guys know where the nearest village is? I've never seen this place before," Darren broke the silence.
"How about we wait for some merchants, Your Highness?" Evan suggested, though he wasn't entirely sure. After all, they had been here a few days already...
"I doubt merchants would pass through here. From what I remember, most merchants take a route three times longer rather than cut through this area," Kael replied to Evan, who sat next to him.
"Same here," Darren added. He didn't think any merchant would help them or offer a ride. "If I were a merchant, I'd probably assume we're bandits."
"Bandits don't look as handsome as us," Leon quipped, prompting laughter from the group. He glanced up as if seeing someone approaching. "Are you guys done?"
Everyone's attention shifted as Darren saw Cal and El return with two bamboo stalks in El's hands. They hadn't split them yet.
"They still need to be cut and sharpened," Cal said, then sat beside Leon. He and Elric got busy cutting the bamboo into sections.
While everyone relaxed, Darren approached the river. He sat by the edge, looking at his reflection.
Darren was certain nothing had changed about his appearance. His black hair was just as he remembered it. His sharp eyes still held the same intensity, even in this new world.
It seemed the game developer had gone to great lengths to create a hyper-realistic game. Everything in this world felt real. When he ate, Darren could even feel the apple's texture—and feel full afterward.
This was insane. Especially the developer of this game.
"Are you all really planning to stay here?" Darren asked again. He wanted to make sure they intended to remain while he searched for the nearest village. "Summer might not be too difficult, but winter will be a whole different story."
No one replied. They were lost in thought. Darren's words made sense. If there was no hope in this land, their only hope would be to leave and find the nearest settlement.
"Going to the city might be exhausting, I understand. But wouldn't we have more opportunities there? We could work or trade. There are warm places to rent in the city. If you're unsure, I'll take responsibility for giving you all a decent life. We can work together in the city," Darren looked at their faces.
Maybe... he had convinced them.
"Building a business with no visitors is nearly impossible. If we go to the city, I'm sure we'll find better chances," Darren pressed again, trying hard to persuade them to leave the area.
[Next Task: Build three houses for villagers.]
At a time like this, Sasa appeared to remind Darren of the task he'd been ignoring. From the start, all Darren wanted was to get out of here. One way or another, he was still serious about finding the pause and exit buttons.
"Your Highness, I need to speak with you," Evan requested. Darren agreed and stood up.
They walked away from the river, deep into the forest until they were sure no one else could hear them. Once they realized they were alone, Darren stopped and turned to Evan.
"Your Highness, don't you remember how the Emperor treated you? Your father was the one who chose to abandon you. They ordered others to cast us out—never once giving us a chance to defend ourselves," Evan said to Darren, who remembered nothing.
Until now, Darren had no idea what led to his exile by his own father. Nor did he know why he wasn't allowed to return to the city he once called home.
"We can forget all of that. My only goal is to build a new life in the city. I have no other intentions except to survive," Darren explained logically. "It would be selfish to make everyone live here. Who would want to come here? No one—not even merchants who risk their lives would bother passing through. Are you sure we can survive a months-long winter?"
"I may not know much about surviving in the wild, but I'm certain that with them, we can build a decent place to live, Your Highness." Evan stayed firm. He didn't want to leave. "My duty is to protect you for life, Your Highness. The others are the same—we follow your orders as our commander."
"I'm no longer the Emperor's son, not in the way you mean. I'm just an ordinary person now. I have no title. I can't even afford to pay you. Staying here with me isn't a good idea," Darren countered Evan's stubbornness.
"But I believe we have the potential to build something here." Darren shook his head. Evan really did sound like the game's developer's puppet. It was as if his only purpose was to convince Darren to keep playing a game he desperately wanted to escape.
"I don't want to take such a big risk, Evan. We may be safe for now, but who can say we'll remain safe from bandits or wild beasts?" Darren replied.
"I believe you'll reconsider your words, Your Highness. No matter where you are, you'll never truly be safe—because you're the second son who shines too brightly," Evan said before walking away, leaving Darren alone.
He was right. The puzzle was becoming clearer. Darren was cast out... because he stood out too much.