The Hijacking

The arrows stuck in the ground trembled faintly, matching the mocking expressions on the Imperial Guard soldiers' faces.

They had once mercilessly killed several princes and sacrificed them, along with hundreds of noble officers, to the Old Khan King. The so-called "Little Prince" before them had inherited the throne only because of that massacre. The Imperial Guard had every reason to look down on him.

Shulitu felt his legs going weak. The unfamiliar soldier was like a stern grandfather, making him feel utterly useless. At the same time, anger burned in him—he had never dared show even the slightest anger toward his grandfather, but today he would make an exception.

Shulitu stepped over the threatening arrow and asked as calmly as he could, "Can the Northern Court cavalry break their oath? You have already abandoned the name Imperial Guard and declared your allegiance to Shulitu. Was that a lie? Or do you have a different understanding of what allegiance means? I order you to dismount and apologize. Then clear the way."

The soldier looked flustered. Clearly, he hadn't expected the Little Prince to be so forceful. He glanced at his companions for guidance, but they betrayed him, guiding their horses aside and bowing their heads to the child.

The soldier seemed to give in. He looked ready to dismount, but at the last moment, he turned his horse around and galloped deeper into the camp.

In any case, it was a small victory. Shulitu began to understand what the Old Khan King had really meant: power was something you were born with, but unless you took hold of it yourself, it would always lie right before your eyes, utterly useless.

Shulitu struggled to calm his excitement. When he turned around, he realized he had made a serious mistake—the soldier hadn't