The Extra Wants To Live

Carl placed a relatively small bag on the desk and opened it.

"What is this?"

"I destroyed the statue of the blood-sucking gnoll."

"Well, indeed. That's pretty interesting."

Azgoth nodded slowly and looked straight at Carl with a mysterious smile.

At once, a huge feeling of intimidation weighed down on Carl's shoulders.

Unlike before, Carl's shoulders were shaking.

However, Carl soon proudly puffed out his chest, looked directly into Azgoth's eyes, and spoke without wavering.

"I will use Hillpin to good advantage."

"Do you have the ability to control it?"

"It's already mine, so what's the problem?"

"Everything in this empire belongs to me. Nothing can belong to anyone else."

"Your Majesty, it's not like you can live forever, and isn't this something you'll pass on to me anyway?"

Azgoth also smiled at what Carl said with a smile.

As if he had been stamped into a mold, the son who looked the least like his father was smiling with a face that most closely resembled his.

Something incomprehensible was swirling wildly in the narrowed eyes of the two people.

"I'm very curious, child. How did you know what I meant?"

Azgoth said in a satisfied voice. Even though he looked up at Carl, who was standing, it seemed as if he was looking down.

"Does that matter?"

"That's not the point. I am curious, so you have to answer. That is the law of the empire."

Azgoth slowly stood up.

His mountain-like shoulder seemed to be pushing up the sky, and a pair of suns hanging high above were pressing down on Carl.

"Carl."

Azgoth called Carl's name slowly, as if savoring it.

At this moment, for the first time, Carl could feel that Azgoth had truly called his name.

Azgoth recognized Carl as a proud beast aiming for the throne.

"Everything comes from power. If you want to exist solely as yourself, you will need to have the appropriate strength. That is the law of the empire, and the only truth that penetrates this world."

Azgoth advised his son to become the worthy heir to the empire.

Carl no longer felt the need to provoke Azgoth with unnecessary arrogance, so he took a step back, politely bowed, and spoke.

"Your Majesty needed me, how could I not know?"

"How Cheeky."

"Thank you."

"Go away now."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Carl followed the royal family's laws and withdrew with perfect etiquette.

He then forcefully opened the door with his own hand, turned back to the naughty 4th prince, and swiped out.

"… … ."

Azgoth stared at the large red gnoll's head and the broken blood clot on the desk.

'I needed it. Indeed.'

Azgoth only smiled with the corners of his mouth raised and spoke quietly, but with a heavy voice that could not be resisted.

"Investigate closely."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Orten, who had quietly entered the office, answered.

Azgoth did not officially mention Carl.

However, he made the nobles confused by leniently overlooking Carl's rude behavior, granting permission for the private army, and secretly leaving Milton and the 30 imperial soldiers at Carl's disposal.

Through this incident, Carl gained Catherine, Bilford, and Milton for sure, and was able to handle 30 of the most elite imperial soldiers.

As for Harman, He'll have to wait and see.

The most important thing is that Azgoth recognized Hillpin as Carl's.

Now, Carl would be able to build up his power based on the enormous wealth pouring in from Hillpin.

Although it is still far from Balos and Eingir, it is still an enormous power.

Next, Carl received an unexpectedly large gift.

He didn't receive it from Azgoth.

Catherine told him about her family, the Mold family, and Carl happily agreed to meet them. A few days later, he would come to see Carl at the Mold family.

Since this is a family that produced a knight like Catherine, it would be a great help to Carl today. Of course, if both parties were happy with each other.

***

Even though Azgoth was the only person in this imperial palace who had high hopes for Carl, there was one other person who was eagerly waiting for him.

"Oh my God, Master Carl!"

The person who greeted Carl, who finally returned to his room after negotiating with Azgoth, was Lilly, who was already shedding tears.

"Why are you so thin? Did you enjoy your meal? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Lilly groped Carl, who was speechless, with trembling hands, acting as if she was ready to scold him at any moment if she found any wounds.

Carl wiped his hands on his pants and gently held Lilly's hand.

"There isn't a single wound. Don't worry."

"Well, you're still hurt…"

"I wasn't even hurt. I took a wrong step in the forest and got a little sprained, so I got treatment from Milton."

"Oh my god! Are you okay? Doesn't it hurt?"

Carl spoke lightly to reassure Lilly, but Lilly almost fainted just from hearing that Carl had sprained his ankle.

"Are you okay. I didn't even know I was hurt when it happened."

Even though he was sweating coldly, Carl smiled calmly and reassured Lilly.

Actually, at that time, Carl didn't just sprain his ankle, it was completely sprained and he couldn't stand, but whatever.

Carl first washed cleanly and changed his clothes. Inwardly, he thought it was a good thing that he cut off the collar of his clothes, which had been bitten by a gnoll and became a mess, in the name of frustration.

If Lilly had seen those traces, she might have truly fainted.

"The clothes are too small."

"I grew up. I told you. I might be bigger when I come back."

When Lilly muttered as if she was upset when she saw Carl wearing tight clothes, Carl burst out laughing and leaned against Lilly.

Carl, who used to be shorter than Lilly, was now two fingers taller than her. This is an incredible growth rate.

"I'm probably growing up by pushing what I haven't been able to grow up to. If it continues to grow like this, I will be twice as tall as Lilly."

"I hope so." Lilly laughed with tears in her eyes at Carl's absurd words. The two talked a lot.

All Lilly had done for a month was to stay in this room and hope and pray for Carl's safety, so in reality, all Carl had done was to appropriately dramatize the events that had happened so far.

Still, there was so much to say that it seemed like the story wouldn't end even at night.

Carl knew that he was looking for his mother in Lilly.

Lucas's memories of his family became an empty void, and Carl felt lonely, as if he had been thrown out into the world alone.

To fill that void, he regarded Lilly as his mother.

Maybe he was being selfish by deceiving Lilly. But it didn't matter if it was selfish. Because Carl truly regarded Lilly as his mother. Now she came and said she was here as a nanny for Carl, it was ridiculous.

Carl, who was lying in bed, found peace in his mind when he heard the sound of Lilly's breathing from a short distance away. That was his mother's voice. Lilly's eyes were dark and bloodshot, so she must have been anxious and not sleeping well while he was gone.

The room that felt like a curse now felt like a mother's embrace because Lilly was there. Carl took a slow breath and at some point fell asleep without realizing it.