Chapter 94

Thank you for always reading my works.

Before I knew it, my points had steadily increased and surpassed one hundred thousand! I'm also ranked within the top 300 in the overall cumulative rankings. Not just for the day or the year, but in the overall cumulative rankings of all works since the service began on "Shosetsuka ni Narou"! I'm truly grateful for all the support I've received.

As a token of my appreciation, I would like to share one of the most recent side stories I wrote.

Shrigan Daxson had a truly terrifying face.

His mother was apparently the daughter of some noble. From a young age, she had an eerie appearance and an atmosphere like a ghost, so she was confined to the mansion and rarely went out. When she had to go to the capital for some official business, Shrigan's father, who was a knight, was assigned to guard her. Shrigan's father, who was also a member of the knight squad, had a terrifying face. At that time, a handsome appearance was also a necessary quality for a royal guard, and this man, who was considered "rude just by his looks," had no prospects of promotion. He was assigned to guard her because his colleagues disliked the task of guarding the "ghostly young lady."

For some reason, these two strongest and most intimidating people in the kingdom were strangely drawn to each other from the moment they met. They could forget their shared complexes, traumas, and worries only when they were together. Their marriage was surprisingly smooth, with no one opposing it, and the young lady was politely expelled from the nobility. They soon had a child, and the baby Shrigan was said to have made the midwife faint.

The couple doted on and cherished their child, who was so much like them that it made them laugh, but the rented house in the capital was only known for its bad reputation as a "house inhabited by demons," and they inevitably became isolated from their neighbors. Realizing this, the father rented a house in the suburbs and lived a simple life with his wife and Shrigan, avoiding the world.

As Shrigan grew, he ran through the mountains and fields, trained his body, and was taught all kinds of martial arts by his father. He hunted wild animals every day and was taught by his gentle mother, who resembled a ghost in a ghost story, "Never tell a lie" and "Never betray anyone," and he faithfully followed these teachings.

When he started attending a commoner's school, Shrigan was feared and misunderstood, but he persevered with his innate seriousness and honesty. The boys recognized him for driving away the mean upperclassmen and delinquents with his face and fighting skills, and for his kindness and enthusiasm, and the number of people he could call friends began to increase. However, he was always bad with girls. When he saw them, they would stiffen, cry, and run away, and Shrigan graduated from school without ever having a girlfriend. He passed the exam and joined the knight squad with the top martial arts score, working to maintain the capital's security.

Shrigan, who could intimidate and intimidate thugs and criminals with his looks alone and was incredibly strong in martial arts, was highly valued by his comrades, and the misunderstandings gradually disappeared, allowing him to make many friends in the knight squad. However, his superiors did not seem to rate him highly, and like his father, who was considered "rude just by his looks," Shrigan did not receive fair evaluations and was only assigned to the lowest rank of the royal guard despite his achievements.

One day, the knight squad was given the task of guarding the first prince.

The prince, who had turned ten this year and would be going out more for official duties, needed a dedicated guard from the knight squad.

"Prince, huh? I don't think I have a chance..."

When Shrigan said this, his colleagues laughed.

"Nobles are vain, so it's a fact that good-looking people are more likely to be chosen for such positions."

"Even if it's just about strength, we think you're the best, but I guess you're at a bit of a disadvantage."

"I don't have the confidence to do such a stiff job anyway. I've given up..."

His friends' honest opinions, which were completely unreserved, were exactly what Shrigan thought. However, he was surprised when he was called by the captain of the royal guard, Uriel Hargan, and asked, "Do you want to take on the task of being the first prince's dedicated guard?"

"Why me of all people?"

Now bald, but once a handsome man who received the favor of many noblewomen and rose to his current position due to his natural talent for maneuvering, Uriel Hargan, who was completely opposite to Shrigan, looked at him bitterly.

"The prince's request is quite unusual, and you fit it perfectly. Everyone in the knight squad says the same thing. You're surprisingly well-liked by your friends."

Shrigan wondered what the conditions were. Were they that bad?

"What are the prince's requirements?"

"Ask the prince."

Uriel said this with a lack of interest.

"I'll ask. You can decline. What do you think?"

Uriel's face clearly said, "Decline."

"I'll do it."

"Decline."

"I won't."

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He couldn't pass up this mercy, as if the prince had chosen him personally. Uriel sighed and glared at Shrigan's smile, which made it seem like he was about to kill him.

Surprisingly, the prince came to the royal guard barracks alone the day before their first meeting, without any attendants.

"Hello. Has my guard been decided?"

The royal guards in the dining hall almost burst out laughing. They quickly stood up and saluted.

"Sit down! No need to salute. I'm not here to disturb. Please continue your meal."

The ten-year-old prince smiled and waved his hand.

Shrigan, who had been kept away from the royal children because he made children cry and run away in fear, was seeing the prince up close for the first time.

While everyone else sat down, one person continued to stand with his salute.

"My name is Shrigan Daxson. I have been chosen as the prince's guard."

"It's you!"

The prince was surprised and then laughed. Shrigan was not surprised that the prince knew him; he knew that people rarely forgot his face.

The prince went to the dining hall counter, took a tray, and asked the cafeteria lady to prepare a meal for him. He then walked over to Shrigan and spoke to his colleagues.

"Can I have your seat? I want to talk to Shrigan."

"Of course, of course."

The colleagues, who were usually unreserved with Shrigan, were flustered and quickly stood up.

"Thank you!"

The prince sat down across from Shrigan.

"Hmm... I was wondering what kind of person would be chosen, but this is an unexpected choice."

"I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's not that. I'm just a ten-year-old kid, so it's not right to force a guard on me. I'll be counting on you from now on."

The prince ate the royal guard's lunch without any pretense, just like the other guards, grabbing the meat with his hands.

"Prince, why are you here? We were supposed to meet tomorrow."

"We're going to be comrades, so we need to eat from the same pot."

Ignoring the nervous atmosphere around him, the prince finished his meal, took his tray, and stood up.

"See you tomorrow! Thanks for the lunch, it was delicious!"

He called out to the counter, left his tray, and quickly left.

Seeing this, Shrigan felt that maybe he could do this, and the secret anxiety he had been harboring disappeared.

The next day, Shrigan reported to the king's office to take up his new post.

Shrigan's job was not just to guard the prince. He also had to report on how the prince spent his day and what work he did. In effect, he was also a monitor.

It was natural that a face-to-face meeting was necessary, as he would be regularly reporting to the king.

"...It's you. I didn't expect such an unexpected choice."

The king said with a grin. Shrigan was not surprised that the king remembered him. He often stood guard near the king, and most people remembered his face as a traumatic experience.

"You're Daxson's son, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

It was somewhat surprising that the king knew his background.

"Your father's face is unforgettable once seen... It's hard to forget. You're the same."

"That's true..."

The king nodded.

"Uriel was reluctant, but the personnel department was quite happy. They said you could do the work of ten knights. I'm counting on you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

It was a surprisingly stingy reason. However, there were many situations where it was not appropriate for several fully armed royal guards to follow the prince. This meant he was being properly evaluated. It was a great honor, though a heavy responsibility.

"From this moment on, you are relieved of your duties in the royal guard. From now on, Shin takes priority in everything. Understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Being relieved means that Shin takes priority over the country and even over me."

"...Yes, Your Majesty."

"If there is any difficulty, you must protect Shin with your life."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Even if I were to try to kill Shin, you must kill me to protect him. That's what I mean."

"Huh?"

Shrigan gave a foolish answer. No matter what, he thought it was impossible for such a thing to happen. However, the king continued to glare at him sternly.

"...You must have that kind of resolve. Even if it means losing your head on the chopping block, do not hesitate. Do you have that resolve?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Good."

What kind of resolve was this? The king was saying that he should be willing to kill the king to protect Shin, and even give up his life. He was entrusted with the future of the country, which was of greater value than the king. Shrigan shuddered, wondering what kind of resolve the king must have to give such an order.

After taking up his post and starting to guard the prince, Shrigan was surprised.

Shin did not act like a prince at all. He preferred to interact as if they were friends of different ages. As a child, he showed proper respect to the adult Shrigan, told jokes, made sarcastic remarks, and even teased him.

Shrigan also understood that the prince had no friends. What was required of him was to be a friend to the prince.

He wondered why the prince had chosen him. There must have been many more interesting and likable people than him.

"Your Highness, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it?"

While driving the small two-seater carriage for the prince's first meeting with his future fiancée, Shrigan asked Shin. The prince had brought him on such a delicate mission, and Shrigan couldn't help but overthink the prince's intentions in bringing him along, given his intimidating appearance.

"Why did you choose me as your guard? I still don't understand. What conditions did you set for the guard?"

He had been meaning to ask this for a while. The captain of the royal guard, Uriel, had said that the conditions set by the prince should be heard directly from the prince, and the reason was still unclear.

"Well, the conditions for a guard are, first of all, to be strong and capable of protecting me. I thought that was a given, so I didn't need to say it."

"That's true."

"So the only condition I set was one."

"What was it?"

While driving, Shrigan asked without turning around. He might be disappointed if the reason was strange, but he had to ask.

"The person with the most friends in the royal guard. I heard that when I collected recommendations from the royal guard's colleagues, Shrigan had the most. That's why."

Shrigan felt something welling up inside him. Honestly, he was moved to tears.

While holding the reins, he couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

He had forgotten. He had been asked to write down his friends, thinking it was a questionnaire for forming a squad, but now he realized it was for this.

He didn't know that so many of the royal guard's difficult members considered him a friend.

Despite his strength, he had no prospects of promotion. They had given him a chance.

A one-horse carriage driven by a man with a terrifying face, crying while holding the reins.

The crowded streets of the capital parted on their own, making a path.

And then, Shrigan would have his fateful encounter with a woman who was not afraid of his face, the first in his life other than his mother.

Shrigan, whose smile, no matter how he tried to smile, looked like a murderer about to kill someone, wiped away his tears and turned around.

"Alright, we're almost there!"

Side Story: "The Man with a Terrifying Face" END

(Author's illustration: Shrigan's character design rough)