Chapter 269: Beautiful Women are the Most Dangerous
"NO! WAIT!!" Crown Prince Ludwig screamed desperately, calling for his horse to return.
However, his horse seemed to have sensed that something was terribly wrong and decided to scurry away, leaving its master stuck inside Roc Forest.
"Fuck!" Crown Prince Ludwig rarely cursed in his life. But at this moment, he was overridden with frustration and wanted to curse for all of his misfortunes.
Why did he have to listen to a man named Marik? If only he had pretended not to notice the Beast Kingdom, he would’ve lived a comfortable life in the palace right now, served by his concubines and maids.
It didn’t matter if the trade agreement between Barion Kingdom and the Jing Empire collapsed; at least he wouldn’t have to suffer like this!
He also cursed his army for being a bunch of weaklings. How come they died so easily even with all the best armor and gear the kingdom could provide!?
He saw them getting crushed, mauled, decapitated, or sprawling on the ground, convulsing like idiots.
"What a bunch of waste! Argh!" Crown Prince Ludwig yelled.
He was about to get up, but then realized that his left leg was in so much pain that he flopped back to the ground.
He gritted his teeth and took off his armored boots to see his ankle badly sprained.
"What hit me anyway? A monkey?"
"Not a monkey, Your Highness, but a flying squirrel."
A female voice made Ludwig turn his head instantly. A beautiful young woman with short hair was sitting on a tree branch not far from his position.
She had flying squirrel ears and tail, and also parachute-like wings under her arms.
She smiled at Ludwig and introduced herself, "My name is Jeanne, the leader of the flying squirrel beastmen in the Beast Kingdom. I am the one who tackled you just now. I didn’t expect you to be so weak that one tackle is enough to dismount you from your horse."
"With all that shiny armor, you surely aren’t that strong, huh?"
Another female voice made Ludwig turn his head. This time he was more familiar with the woman who spoke, because it was the queen of cheetah beastmen who massacred his soldiers, Zuri.
"With all your bravado from before, even going so far as wanting to make our King your male concubine, you turn out to be a wimp."
Crown Prince Ludwig had a terrible feeling about this, especially with how they were looking at him as if he were a piece of delicious meat.
Not in a sexual, lustful way.
But legitimately... like meat they could eat.
He gulped and said, "Okay, ladies. I know there is some misunderstanding between us. But if you allow me to go off and return to the Barion Kingdom with me, I will make you two my concubines—no, my wives! You will live as nobles, with gold, jewelry, and beautiful palaces!"
"Oh?" Jeanne tilted her head. "How exciting, to abandon our dignity as leaders of a great army just to become your sex toy. Your Highness surely has a good way to convince us."
"But you should know one thing about the beastmen culture across all species, Your Highness," Zuri paused and grinned maliciously. "We worship strength more than anything in this world. There is a reason why we decided to give everything up to the Beast King and serve him instead."
"And we absolutely hate weaklings... like you," Jeanne added. "More often than not, it was us, the female beastmen, who executed the weak to preserve our bloodline and ensure the survivability of our kin."
"S-so, all of you are his concubines?" Ludwig asked, trying to make sense of the situation and smooth the conversation between them.
"We wish. But our King is loyal to our future queen, Queen Sisi."
Now the third female voice made him turn his head towards the direction of the forest, and a beautiful mature woman with an hourglass figure and wearing a big hat appeared. She was holding a cane, but not to support herself.
"And y-you are?" he asked.
"Vie, the leader of the vultures," Vie replied with a gentle smile that was filled with malicious intent.
She was the most beautiful in Ludwig’s eyes, but the moment she took off her hat, her bald and wrinkled head made him gasp out of fear.
Vie always loved seeing how her prey looked scared before she killed them.
"And to think that you want to make him your male concubine. Do you have no shame? Do you not know the earth-to-sky discrepancy between your strength and his?" Vie asked as she pulled her cane, and a knife came out of the handle. "I don’t like staining my talons with the blood of the weak. So this will do, right?"
Blood drained from Ludwig’s face as he realized the situation he was in right now.
He didn’t try to talk with them anymore and decided to just crawl his way out of Roc Forest and reach the village. He’d scream for help and get these crazy bitches away from him!
However, Zuri pounced on him and sat on top of his body. "Where are you going, Your Highness? Didn’t you say that you want to make us your concubines?"
Jeanne hopped from the branch and landed right on his leg, stepping on Ludwig’s sprained ankle until he screamed. "It’d break our hearts if you left before fulfilling your promise, Your Highness."
"No-no! P-please spare me. I will give you anything you want! Just let me live this time!"
"Well, we’re here on a mission anyway," Vie smiled before crouching in front of him. "You can give us your life instead. Don’t worry, we’ll send your head to your father. I wonder how he will grieve for his cowardly weak son."
The glint of the sharp knife made Ludwig struggle desperately to break free. But what these women said was right—he was indeed physically weak.
He was handsome and popular, but none of those mattered now in the face of death.
"No! I want to live! NO—ARRGHH!"
Thus, the dying scream of the revered crown prince was heard across Roc Forest.