I Start with a Bad Hand!

I waited for the owner of the footsteps to catch their breath before answering. With a sigh, they pushed their sweat-drenched blonde hair back.

“Winter Mountain.”

“The mountain? Why?”

“Because… it’s there.”

Icarus was looking at me with the same expression I had whenever I looked at my boss. An expression that said, ‘Seriously, what’s your problem…’

Reluctantly, I elaborated. 

“There’s something I need to find.”

“In the mountains?”

“Yes.”

Icarus stared at me in disbelief, and his confused expression almost made me smile. I suppressed the urge and kept my lips from curling up.

“Alone?”

“Yes, alone.”

“Wait a moment. I’ll go with you.”

“Why?”

Icarus wore an expression that questioned why I was even asking that. As he hurried back toward the academy, he answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

“You’re afraid of bears, right? Bears come out in Winter Mountain.”

“Bears…?”

“Especially around this time of year.”

Damn, I was hoping to turn him down lightly, but there was no way I could say no now. Bears. I was trying to save someone’s parents, but I might end up getting myself killed first.

“Then, I’ll gratefully wait…”

I spoke to Icarus, who looked oddly triumphant, even though I was supposed to be thankful. 

Though I now had a mercenary added to my journey, I still didn’t have an expert herbalist, so the situation remained just as daunting. Unless a bear appeared, having a mercenary didn’t seem particularly useful.

“I’m not very lucky, so I’m not sure if I’ll find it. This mountain is huge.”

It was true. I’d never even won a small lottery prize, and whenever I tried treasure hunts, I usually ended up finding five duds in a row. Not to mention that in Minesweeper, I’d hit a mine every time I clicked.

Could I really find it? As I sighed with a worried expression, Icarus smiled, trying to reassure me.

“This is bad. I’m unlucky too.”

“That’s… really encouraging.”

It seemed my mercenary wasn’t much help in easing my mind either.

“Is this the map? And this is the plant you’re looking for?”

“Yes. They say it usually grows at the edge of cliffs.”

We meticulously searched along the cliff paths marked on the map, but couldn’t find anything that even remotely resembled abeter. With winter almost upon us, the days were getting shorter. By next week, it would get dark even earlier. I was growing anxious. We needed to find it as soon as possible.

“Isn’t that it?”

“What?”

“There, no, not there. Under that small tree.”

Feeling a bit bewildered, I crouched down to examine the plant Icarus was pointing at, comparing it to the detailed drawing of the abeter berry that I had been holding tightly.

How…?

“Yes, it’s the right one.”

“Really?”

“How can it be right here…?”

…Are you sure you’re not actually lucky? Icarus just shrugged with a mischievous smile. Like how multiplying two negatives results in a positive, it seemed like the combined negative energies of two unlucky people created some sort of synergy. Now, my mercenary had effectively turned into an herbalist.

However, finding the abeter didn’t mean all problems were solved.

‘I can’t wait for the berries to ripen!’

I had to leave the academy during the weekdays, and during that time, the berries might ripen and fall. Not to mention, I wasn’t the only one searching for the abeter berries. My competition included herbalists, mountain animals, birds, and countless insects.

“This is what you were looking for? It’s quite small.”

I saw Icarus tapping the buds gently. That ability. The one every imperial citizen possessed, though usually so insignificant it was barely thought of. Icarus’s ability was surely…

“Your Highness.”

He could make fallen buds bloom again.

Since it’s the same plant, wouldn’t it work now too?

“Could you use that ability here?”

“That ability?”

Icarus frowned and then, as if realizing something, nodded.

“Yes.”

“You mean you can make it bear fruit?”

“I could, but I’d probably pass out for half a day.”

“So, it is possible.”

Icarus nodded innocently. That’s good enough. I looked at him, trying to put as much trust in my eyes as possible.

“Your Highness… you trust me, right?”

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Icarus stepped back with a reluctant expression.

“I promise to safely escort you down the mountain.”

“…What’s with that tone?”

Icarus took another step back. A smile that showed my teeth should instill trust. I smiled at him, showing as many teeth as possible, and explained.

“So, if you use your ability to make the berries ripen, I’ll get you down the mountain safely. How will we get down?”

“I have an unused magic scroll from the autumn hunting festival. It’s enough to get us to the foot of the mountain. After that, I can support you.”

“You’ll support me? How?”

“You’re taller than me, so carrying you is out of the question, but I can help you walk… or rather, support you.”

“You’re going to support me?”

“Yes. Trust me.”

Icarus stared at me, unable to close his mouth, then let out a deep sigh.

“It would be better to just lie here until I wake up. With your build, it’s impossible for you to support me.”

“Alright. Then I’ll cover and hide you with leaves or something.”

“Haha, you’re joking.”

Haha…ha! Ha… The laughter, which started as a chuckle, didn’t stop for a while.

“I’m serious. I swear on my honor to take you to the safest place I know.”

Though my honor was probably worth no more than a scrap of paper.

Icarus wiped his face with his hands, thinking for a moment.

“This is really important to you.”

“…Yes.”

A long sigh escaped through his fingers.

“I might not wake up for more than half a day.”

“…….”

“…I’m counting on you until then.”

You won the hunting festival, so I’ll trust you with my safety. Despite his confident words, his expression was rather uneasy.

“Yes…! I’ll protect you with my life.”

“You don’t need to go that far.”

I can do this. Even when I had a weaker, older body than Dietrich’s, I had supported many old drunkards into taxis. I pounded my chest with my fist, giving him the most trustworthy smile I could muster.

“Trust me.”

“I’m looking forward to you carrying me.”

I didn’t say carry… But to instill confidence, I nodded. Icarus watched me, standing with my arms wide open like a cult leader, and then awkwardly moved in to lean against me. His weight against me was unexpected, and I looked up to see him with a triumphant expression.

“…Like this.”

“No, no. Not like this. You need to put your arm over my shoulder. That way I can support you.”

If you hold on like this, we’ll just roll down the mountain. I stepped back, moving away from him and standing by his side. As I placed his arm over my shoulder, I felt the solid weight pressing down.

“Put your arm around my shoulder and relax. Have you never supported an injured knight? Well, who would dare ask the prince for support?”

Quick question, quick understanding, quick solution. We stood in front of the abeter berries, which were just about to bloom.

“Even if my shoulder breaks, I’ll ensure you get to safety.”

Icarus, looking down at me with a slightly arrogant tilt of his chin, responded.

“Alright. I trust you.”

Soon, I held the much sought-after abeter berries and a sleeping prince in my arms.

However, there was one thing I overlooked.

“Ughhh.”

“What’s that noise?”

“Huff… Huff…”

The weight difference between a middle-aged man, softened by alcohol, and a young man in his prime with firm muscles was evident. The unconscious body leaning entirely on me felt like a living, breathing boulder.

‘Is this some sort of Sisyphean punishment for the arrogant?’

The inn’s entrance was only a few steps away, yet it felt like I would never reach it no matter how many steps I took. With each step, my spine and knee cartilage felt like they were grinding down like a millstone.

Panting heavily, I finally managed to open the inn door. For some reason, the owner, who spoke in a dialect that sounded like Chungcheong Province, greeted us warmly.

“Huff, two… Huff! Two people.”

“Room 5. Upstairs, to the left.”

“Huff! Thank, thank you.”

Ugh, huff! Ugh, huff! The sound of my strained breathing echoed as I dragged the young but unconscious body up the stairs. Seeing my struggle, the innkeeper came over to help support Icarus.

“You could carry him with the strength you’re using to scream,” he said.

However, as if harmonizing with my cries, the innkeeper grumbled with every step, eventually scolding me. But his words were drowned out by my own exertions.

“You look young… What’s going on between you two?”

“Huff, damn. Huff, what? Huff, what did you say?”

“Never mind. Don’t talk.”

I practically threw Icarus onto the bed and tried to calm my ragged breathing. Then I thought, maybe the person who should be lying on that bed is me. Am I not the true patient here?

‘Why did I go through all this trouble to put an unconscious person on the bed?’

With somewhat shameless thoughts, I leaned on the table in the room, gasping for breath. As I sat down, I felt the abeter berries pressing against the tight fabric of my pants. As my sweat cooled, my mind cleared. I crouched down in front of Icarus, who was now breathing lightly in his sleep.

Icarus, who was always smiling, now lay still with his eyes closed, breathing softly. Staring at his well-sculpted face, I let out a sigh.

‘Yes, I should have some decency…’

Icarus’s hair was brown, dyed like this for the autumn festival. It was due to the magical potion he drank as a disguise. The dark hair and his serene, closed eyes made him look unfamiliar. I pulled the blanket up to cover him.

‘We’re almost there.’

Time to finish what I came here for. After carefully locking the door, I stepped out of the inn room.