Salvation of The Scum Fifth Prince

[30 - loneliness; a silent prayer]

The words Soren focused on was not the braveness of 'the last necromancer' nor the curiousness of 'the Barren Kingdom', but the 'Darkness Mountain'.

It was simply impossible. 

After ten hours of trying to leave Damien's secret village and many struggles, which included respectfully requesting... help, he'd have to return to somewhere he had just been?

Couldn't they have informed him earlier, so he could've gone looking for that necromancer when he was already there?

Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.

Thus, he felt no shame when he said, "You go and come back."

Vendra looked at him, her gentle ocean eyes now laced with confusion. "What?"

"I'll wait here."

"Is there something there you must avoid, Soren?"

"No," said the prince calmly. It wasn't a big deal if he ran into people again, as long as they weren't the ones who wanted to kill him, or trouble him. But, "I'm lazy."

Honesty was a policy. Or it was, when it benefitted him.

Brioc burst out laughed beside him, loud chortles filling the serene air as he clutched his stomach. Soren was the sort that looked dignified yet impassive, but the words that occasionally left his mouth were anything but.

A striking and fascinating combination.

"Hahahaha...! Gosh, Renren, you're so cute~!"

Soren felt as if his understanding of this psychopath diminished by every passing day. The magician was incomprehensible, completely and utterly.

"Anyway~ no can do. I don't really feel like coming back, y'know?"

"Then don't."

"We're going on an adventure, remember! Can't leave you behind, we'll go somewhere else instead~ or we can aimlessly wander together and have some bonding tim—"

The prince stood up and patted his clothing, glancing at them lightly. "Ok, let's go."

"Where?" asked Vendra with a tilt of her head.

"The Darkness Mountain."

"I thought you didn't wish to—"

"Let's go."

The idea of wandering across the continent with no destination, at the side of a psychopathic magician that didn't know the word 'quiet' was rather alarming, and even terrifying. 

It was better to go somewhere with an obvious goal, where socializing wasn't necessary.

Brioc blinked innocently with a wide grin, jumping to his feet as Vendra gracefully stood up, her curly waves tumbling over narrow shoulders.

"Hey, aren't you putting on shoes?" asked Brioc, eyes planted on her bare feet.

She shook her head. "No, I am used to walking without shoes. None of the members of my tribe use shoes."

"That's kinda weird."

Vendra simply smiled. 

Soren felt like there must've been several moments when that genuine, pure-looking smile was anything except those things, plastered on for basic politeness, but he didn't question it either.

The journey back was far less troublesome than Soren's perilous time to leave the place alone, with Vendra's knowledge of faster routes and Brioc's common sense when it came to traveling.