Chapter 255

Vorbuk sat beside Prince Leo in human form again as he had regained part of his strength earlier during his short rest. It should be enough to get himself back to the palace before the night was over. The slaves were eating and resting while King Micah, Bredret, and Grand Duke Heket drank more liquor that Bredret had sniffed out from amongst the bandit's luggage. Though he could not complain as a drink was currently in his own hand as well as Prince Leo's.

Unlike what they had drank at the palace the liquor the bandit's carried was brewed differently. It was something that was made to be very strong. There was a heavy weight behind it that Vorbuk could not explain. He could even see the prince's face flushing worse then before. The prince was not use to such things so he was surely the first to fall into a drunken state.

"Do you ever think about what you'll do after everything is finished?" Prince Leo asked Vorbuk as they sat there drinking together. The others were far enough away that the prince's words would not carry over to them. With the heavy effect of the drink he could not stop himself from asking what was on his mind.

No, that's not what I really wanted to ask about. Prince Leo thought to himself as he knew there was something else that he wanted to know more about.

"I will probably leave the throne behind to that child and..." Vorbuk paused as he thought about Princess Isis.

If he left behind the throne in the future what would happen with the princess was something he had not thought of before. He was already wanting to keep her around him. What was he supposed to do with her? Should he take her with him in the future? Could he still confidently walk away from everyone when he felt so strongly a sense to protect them all?

Having spent his entire life alone he had adapted to being that way. Yet the moment he stepped into this world his surroundings had changed vastly as he was no longer feeling that sense of loneliness. However it was difficult to change a person and that left Vorbuk to feel a sense of suffocation no matter how strongly he wanted to protect the others.

Prince Leo could not drink enough to ask the true question in his heart. As he looked at the troubled expression on Vorbuk's face he could not ask him if in that future he wolf intended to leave him behind and return to the place he'd come from. The prince was not even certain where Vorbuk was from. He could tell that the wolf was too intelligent to be simply from a vast wilderness. What had Vorbuk gone through before crossing paths with each other?

The prince hesitated before mumbling a question under his heavy breath, "Do you miss the place your from? That's where that person is from right?"

"What?" Vorbuk flinched when he heard that question.

Had there ever been a moment when his old life had not crossed his mind? The two worlds were completely different and he felt certain a god was screwing with him.

Did that mean he missed his old life? No. There was never a moment when he desperately desired to return to his home world. He simply wanted to find a way to survive in this new one.

His old life had fame and money for his talents developed in art. That did not mean he felt anchored to that life because it was also one that he felt drowned in loneliness. All the money in the world can not bring you the true loyalty in others hearts. However wealth could definitely lure in those full of greed.

The only part he missed about his old life was being human. Having limited use of a human form was like torture for him. Napping in between shifting or after using his abilities when he drained himself of mana as if he was an old man regaining stamina.

"The one who taught you about mortal life." The prince stated bluntly as he stared at Vorbuk with a blank expression. It was as if he was demanding the truth from the wolf however it was not that he wanted to pry. Prince Leo felt like there was too much he did not know about his companion even if they felt close to one another.

Vorbuk was not sure how to respond to those words from the prince. Staring back at the prince with a deep contemplation he began to absorb himself deep in his memories of the past. The more he looked at Prince Leo the more he began to compare the two of them causing the words to come out almost naturally, "You remind me of him."

Prince Leo flinched when he heard those words as it felt like he was being compared to some unknown figure in the wolf's memory, "What do you mean?"

"You look a lot alike." Vorbuk stated as he pulled his gaze away from the prince. Yes, that man had blond hair and blue eyes as well.

That was not something unusual for his world. It was something that simply made him ponder over the real reason he got attached to the prince from the moment they met. Something inside him could not deny the fact that he had become attached to the prince quickly because he reminded him of that young man from his past life. However the man in his memory was one that was more well kept compared to Prince Leo. Prince Leo was much more wild mannered compared to the man who taught him about the arts.

"Could he communicate with you as well?" Prince Leo was curious how much that man knew about the wolf.

"Yes." Vorbuk did not lye but he could not tell the entire truth as well. He could not put into words with Prince Leo that he had once been a human just like the prince.

He had the ability to converse with Vorbuk? Prince Leo thought to himself as he stared at Vorbuk with a deep curiosity about the wolf's past. Who was that man? If Vorbuk was that close to someone what happened for the wolf to leave the man behind?

Prince Leo felt a heavy question linger over him for a moment before slowly asking, "Is he why you hate your wolf form so much?"

Vorbuk flinched and froze in silence as he heard that question.

The prince had noticed how much the wolf hated the fact that he was not mortal like the others. It would have been difficult to not notice over the months. From the moment Vorbuk had gained the ability to become human he was not one to hesitate to use the form when it became needed.

In fact the only time he used his true form as a wolf was when he had no choice. He could not be human all the time forcing him to not forsake his true species as a companion beast. Could the prince who remained by his side most of the time really not notice the pained expression in the wolf's eyes every time he gave up the human form?

"He is not the reason for me to hate being a beast." Vorbuk could not let the prince place blame on someone who long ago became merely a part of his past. "If anything he is the reason I survived."

That man was the very reason Vorbuk felt like he was able to push on. A person who gave him something to set his eyes on and fight every day to carry on even when he was left alone. When that person left him behind on his own he at least left him with a life that had purpose. No matter how alone he felt in life he at least had something firm in his grasp.

Vorbuk's vision began to blur as he thought about the old days. The figure of the drunken prince before him becoming hazy. A faint voice calling out to him as if from a distance however he knew it wasn't really from someone around. It was the voice of someone in his memories calling out to him as his mind recalled a day long ago.