I knew a strange prince.


　The prince is the one who gave the order to attack our village. But ...... lately, the prince has been acting a little strange. I've been secretly investigating the prince.


　However, I don't have anyone to help me, so I'm investigating everything on my own.


　There was a limit to how much I could find out about the prince on my own, but I didn't want to share my thoughts with anyone. I've been able to gather the beasts, but so far I can't imagine what comes next. I just don't want to tell anyone what I'm really thinking and have them find out what I'm trying to do and put everyone in danger.
　I'm trying to gain the trust of the ...... people. So I think I'm at least getting them to think of me as a good pawn.


　But this is a tightrope act.


　I really don't know what will happen if people find out about my desire to save the beasts. That's why I've been trying to find out about the prince alone, under my breath.


　--But even though he's the Seventh Prince, he's royalty.
　He knows I'm here.


　I thought I was doing well, but the prince's aides found out.
　But it didn't seem to be public knowledge. Secretly I was captured and taken to the Seventh Prince. I wondered about that.


　The Seventh Prince, Hiccup Migga.
　The man with the beautiful silver hair. He's looking right at us.


　...... the prince who gave the order to attack our village. But ......, the prince who is rumored to have strangely not treated us badly after we captured him.


"You are ......



　Hiccuped Migga stammered in front of me as I was being held.
　I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I think it's a good idea. But ......, you can't show your anxiety to the person in front of you.



What are you thinking about ......?


　That's what Hiccup Migga asked me.



What do you mean?　I'm just doing what I want to do.



　I replied.


　I had no intention of telling this prince Hiccup Migga or his entourage what I wanted even if I died. Even if I die, I can't let them know that I want to save the beastmen. Even if I die, I have to make sure that the beastmen, all of them, are saved.


Can you leave us alone?



　Hiccup Migga said such a surprising thing.
　Even though the men in his entourage showed signs of hesitation, the prince said in a strong tone, "It's okay.


　Even though I'm bound, I'm still a beast. I have more power than a human. I didn't understand why I would want to be alone with such a being. I wondered what this man was thinking. The prince is moving strangely. What was the prince thinking when he left me alone with him?



"Can I just ask you to shut up?


　The prince says.



"I've given orders to hunt you down. It's true. All this time I thought I couldn't disobey my father, the king. I thought I had to obey his orders and I had no will of my own. But then I met someone and I thought about what I wanted to do.


　For some reason, the prince says so.


So I decided that I wanted to save the ...... beasts.


　And then he said such an amazing thing.
　Then he continues.



If you ...... are really a selfish beastman like the rumors say, who sold his soul to humans, then I'm doomed. But you don't seem like that to me. That's why I say.


　The prince says I don't look like I've sold my soul to a human.



"I disobeyed my father's orders and let the beastmen go, instead of saying I took care of them. Some of the beastmen are still here, but I let them go to the godson. The being I saw, the one I thought was the godson, was with the wolf beastmen. Perhaps the ...... godson is on the side of the beastmen.



　Kamiko. I've heard of them. I've heard of the existence of the Divine Child. The Divine Child was protected by the Kingdom of Fairytlov, a neighboring kingdom of the Kingdom of Migga, and that's why our village was attacked. Fearing that the neighboring kingdoms would gain power, they attacked us in order to reduce us to slaves.
　But it wasn't a real godson, so they're messing around.


　--And the real godson was with the wolf beast?


　I don't know anything about that. Maybe this prince saw it but didn't report it?



I'll be punished if I'm found out. But I decided to help the beastmen of my own free will, though it may not even atone for my sins. So if you want to help the beastmen, I think we can work together. I want you to tell me. Tell me what you're thinking. I'm not going to do anything bad to you.


　The prince said, looking me straight in the eye.
　He looks me straight in the eye, as if there's no hesitation, no pretense in his eyes.
　I was silent for a moment.





I--


　After a while, I thought about what I should do, ......, -- and opened my mouth.


　---Cat, meet.
　(The cat was all alone. It had no allies, it was all alone. The prince caught him on his own. When he met the prince, the cat... I'm sorry.