An Inch Under

From an overlooking view from the gentle ridge of a mountain, to the east you could see a boisterous city surrounded by towering walls with intimidating watchtowers in each vertex.

The city spans until the west of the mountain, connecting itself from the ocean by a harbor in which merchant ships begun unloading their cargos, carried by sturdy men and beastmen who seemed to be boasting their strength as they carried three cargo boxes in each arms as they stood straightly without being fazed by the human sailors that were scoffing with scornful gaze at them by the docks.

And on top of that mountain stood a castle that looked down upon the populace below, seemingly, arrogantly, depicting itself as the heart of the kingdom, and a station befitting a King.

The walls of the castle was surrounded by a man-made lake separated by a drawbridge that was blocked by a portcullis.

Connecting the gate, was a paved road that gently trickles through the slope of the mountain until its foot, that was then again blocked by a gate and a wall, which connects itself back to the city.

Armored guards with long halberds patrolled the section of the paved road on the slope.

At the top of the castle is a veranda that gives people the domineering look throughout the whole kingdom, and within that lies the wafting scent of paper and more old papers.

It was a library not for scholars, nor the pseudo-intellectuals, but a place solely built for educating, housing, and protecting a single existence, the crown prince.

The shelves weren't tall, they only reached the hips of a kid, soft foams were plastered around the vicinity, furnitures, wall, and the floor was not an exception. Everything in the room was like a crib for a baby giant, everything was harmless and the only dreadful thing, was a huge metal door that proved to be the only entrance and exit.

Outside of that were stationed patrolling guards, guards and more guards that were armed to the teeth.

The only people that were allowed entrance was the king himself and the grand tutor that was already in his old age.

"Say old man, what does it feel to be near death?"

A boy with a messy blonde hair apathetically said as he crouched and picked a book from shelves.

"Are you suggesting something to me, prince?"

With wrinkles that showed the years he lived and the eyes that was seemingly filled with vigor, an old man cladded in white robes answered such a detached question with a light manner.

"See? I'm still fine"

"That so?"

Haa~

The old man sighed, hearing the resignation of the tone held within the voice of a kid made him felt like he was talking to someone of his own age, who was conversing about death over a cup of tea.

"Prince, please don't speak about such a depressing matter, unlike me, the prince still has many years ahead of him to live for"

"Ohh! I'll give myself some points for that"

Pak~

The old man snapped his fingers, proud of what he said.

"Ahahahaha!"

"I-is something wrong prince?"

The boy laughed, his eyes widened, gawking, it stared right at the old man who flinched at such a maniacal sight.

"Ahhh~ sorry about that sir Leville"

"Isn't it such a comical sight for a man living his final years, wasting time preaching about living to a boy whose life might end in these final years?"

The boy strongly emphasized on the word 'might' as if the word itself was the only purpose he gave such a statement.

"I lived my fifteen years of life, living only in possibility"

"Every once in a hundred days, someone or something will come and take my life, be it an accident or through murder"

"But If I say it like that, I might just sound arrogant to the people that also live under the possibility of dying in a single day, in their everyday life"

"But never have the odds of such possibility came clear in a fixed manner"

The boy threw himself at the foamy ground, his existence bored itself to the soft floor.

"The most memorable one was this incident"

"My oh so very adorable six year old brother who tried to stick a knife through my throat, that's right SIX, an age where innocence still influenced the mind"

"Due to that incident, Cyrll was sentenced to death due to an assassination attempt on my life, the crown prince"

"Snot-filled and teary eyed, I saw him struggling and kicking the men who was dragging him to his executioner"

"I heard him yelling 'Where are you taking me? father, mother help!' then when he and I crossed sight, guilt run through me, all my hair stuck in my skin stood and a numbing sensation ran through my scalp, 'Brother please!' I couldn't bear to see the innocent eyes of my brother who looked at me with the hope of rescuing him, he didn't knew I was the reason of his death at all"

"And he will never know"

Ego opened the book at his left hand, while his right tightly clutched his chest, plastered at the book and probably its title was 'Pleading Mistakes'.

"Page 143, chapter 13, a quote of Ran Marx the author of this book"

"The innocent will never plea, neither will he ever prove his innocence"

"For ignorance, is true innocence"

The boy scratched his neck with his right hand in an irritating manner, and closed the book with his left.

"Sometimes ignorance and innocence can make a good correlation"

"I murdered an innocent child, a relative to boot, and for the people who knew of my circumstances, they were my accomplice, my father and my mother"

"We're a circle of sinners"

Seeing the boy immersed in his world, Leville stepped up and kneeled to the ground.

"My prince, we've only known each other for a month, and honestly I don't know what kind of a situation you are in right now"

"But for now"

"As your tutor, please let me be selfishly arrogant and tell you this"

"Please live and rule this land"

Bam~

"For my 28th tutor in these life to say such a thing, the land outside must be really in a tight spot"

The iron door's lock systems creaked after Leville left, and soon the smell of grease overwhelmed the scent of the library.

"Will I even live long enough for that to happen?"

Never will the boy know, that such a predicament would indeed happen in a hasty fiery manner.