As they walked alongside each other, Heracles could not help but wonder about Leonard's background. When his curiosity reached its peak, Heracles could not help himself but ask Leonard, "Hey, Leonard... I am just wondering. You never shared about anything about yourself after all this time. Where did you came from before you serve my father?"
"Oh, this is the first time you asked about my personal affairs, Prince," Leonard said in response. A moment later, Heracles said to him, "Yeah! I never thought of prying with your personal business before. Of course, you helped me throughout these years without telling me about yourself, so I was just wondering."
'It seems like the prince is beginning to mature emotionally. Well, it's about time I tell him about myself,' Leonard thought to himself before speaking his story.
After forcing a cough, Leonard said to the two prince, "I am actually an orphan, Prince. From what I heard from your father, he picked me up in a vassal kingdom that tried to commit treason against the Overlord. The young prince was sent alongside some valiant generals at that time to suppress the ongoing rebellion. When they found me, Prince Lucas ordered the soldiers to raise me up in the barracks of Layla Palace."
"I see. What about your parents? What did father and the others tell you about them?" asked Heracles with an expression full of curiosity.
"They said that they had no idea. They just picked me up at the corner of the castle hall. To be honest, I don't really want to see them. I am indebted to Prince Lucas and the others, so I will do my best to give everything that I could for their benefits!" said Leonard with a smile on his face.
'Well, I consider you my family! I will make sure to pay the loyalty you have shown to us for all these years when it is my time to lead my family!" said Heracles with a smile on his face. Heracles and Leonard's bond grew stronger at that moment.
The three warriors continued ascending the mountain without resting for the remainder of the day. When the dusk came, Heracles said to his comrades, "I think it is time for us to rest, cousin, sir Leonard."
"I agree, prince! Can the two of you set up the camp while I hunt some wild animals? Hopefully, I can find one. If not, we have no choice, but to eat the carcasses of the monsters we killed before!" said Leonard with a serious expression.
The mature tenth prince said in response, "We got it, sir Leonard. If you can't find any wild animals for us to eat, then eating monsters is okay with me. After all, we might eat something more disgusting than ogre meat or goblin meat at the next floors of the dungeons."
"I will take my leave now, princes! Please be on guard for possible ambush!" said Leonard before leaving once and for all.
As they were setting up their camp, Heracles slowly walked toward his cousin's side. He asked Prince Elijah as he whispered, "Did you taste ogre meat or goblin meat, cousin? Aren't they disgusting based on their faces?"
Prince Elijah smiled upon seeing his cousin's reaction. A moment later, he said to him, "Personally, I still don't know their tastes, but we need to learn them eating them now regardless of their taste. After all, we can't fight with an empty stomach as we fight foes that gradually got stronger as we reach new floors."
"Okay, cousin. I will try meats like those regardless of their taste!" said Heracles in response. Before their knew it, Leonard arrived at the camp set up by the two prince. When reached their side, Leonard said to them, "I did not find any wild animals to hunt for our dinner. That's why I decided to kill one of the ogre that I find patrolling in the area I was in!"
Upon hearing his escort knight, Heracles's expression suddenly went sour. Despite saying those words to his cousin, he still feel disgusted by the thoughts of eating ogres and goblins with gruesome face.
When he realized what's on the mind of the little prince, Leonard said with a smile on his face, "You don't have to worry, Prince Heracles. Despite the ogre's gruesome features, its meat is almost identical with the taste of a pork. Although it is a little gamey, it is still edible!"
"Is that so? Well, I really don't have any choice, but to eat it, don't I? Let us just get on it!" said Heracles with a forced smile on his face. "We still need to cook it, prince!" said Leonard before laughing alongside Prince Elijah.
After eating their dinner, the three warriors decided to sleep. The first one to be on guard duty is Leonard, followed by Prince Elijah and Heracles. They were tasked to be on guard duties for three hours before switching with another person.
As soon as the two princes of the domain slept, Leonard thought to himself, 'If I leave their side, they would be able to sleep for just 5 hours a day. Well, their fathers, the great princes, experienced a lot of battlefields with harsher environments, so it must be time for them to learn more about hardship.'
When he looked toward Heracles, he was again immersed in his thoughts. He just said in his mind, 'I was unable to tell him the truth of my background. I was not a mere orphan from that rebellious vassal kingdom! I was the son of the ringleader! From what I heard, my parents were killed by the first prince because of their treacherous actions. Only Prince Lucas saved me from that wretched first prince's murderous hands!'
He sighed to himself as he thought, 'That's why I vowed to serve Prince Lucas and his family for the rest of my life! It is not time yet for the young prince of these details! He might try to do something rash on my stead!'