I Became the Cure for the Cursed Prince - Chapter 50

Since it was something that would never happen anyway, Lucas had spoken without much thought. However, Sion immediately latched onto his words.

“Will you grant me any reward I ask for? Like you said, it would be quite the achievement.”

“Haha, sure. Whatever you want. So, what is it?”

Lucas had lost his parents early and lived with a curse, never experiencing the kind of adolescent phase most went through. So, he regarded Sion’s reaction as nothing more than the usual behavior of a teenage boy and didn’t think much of it.

“Go on, tell me.”

But Sion simply shook his head.

“I’ll say it when I actually catch the gargoyle! Since you’ve already promised to grant it, you have to keep your word.”

With those words, Sion gave him a knowing smile. Lucas let out a small, exasperated laugh.

When they were younger, Sion had made a similar request only to ask for nothing more than a delicious pie. Surely, this time, it wouldn’t be anything more than a request to take him along on a hunt. That much, Lucas could easily allow.

“Fine. Let’s talk about it after you catch the gargoyle.”

“Alright, Lucas. Then for now, I’ll just take my reward for finding the gargoyle’s trail.”

And with that, Sion leaned forward, puffing out his cheeks.

Lucas immediately understood what he meant—he was asking for a goodnight kiss. Holding back a chuckle, Lucas sighed.

“You should be getting these from your future lover, not from me.”

“I will. But for now, just hurry up.”

“You’re old enough now that instead of clinging to a grim old man like me, you should meet a cute omega, start dating, and experience romance.”

“There you go again with your nagging. I told you, I’m only going to date someone I truly love.”

Lucas had intended to sound serious, but when Sion puffed up his cheeks in protest, he couldn’t suppress a small smile.

“Hurry up.”

His voice carried an impatient urgency.

Teenagers—so troublesome, yet so lovable. With that thought, Lucas finally relented and pressed a light kiss to Sion’s cheek.

“Goodnight.”

Just as he was about to straighten up—

“…!”

Sion suddenly turned his head, causing their lips to brush against each other. Before Lucas could react, Sion quickly made a small smacking sound and pulled away.

“Goodnight, Lucas! I love you, always!”

Shouting those words, Sion dashed off to his room at lightning speed.

“…Ha.”

Lucas let out a stunned laugh as he watched Sion’s retreating figure. The mischievous grin on Sion’s face before he ran away reminded him exactly of the little boy who used to crawl into his bed for a goodnight kiss.

With a mixture of fondness and exasperation, Lucas muttered,

“When will he finally grow up?”

Even as he said it, a wave of conflicting emotions washed over him. He had raised Sion into the bright and lively person he was today, but one day, he would have to let him go. And when that time came… would he be able to endure the emptiness Sion left behind?

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Lucas refocused on polishing his sword before finally heading to bed.

The next morning, Lucas stepped outside and surveyed the fully armed knights standing in formation. A satisfied smile crossed his lips.

“You’ve all worked hard since early morning.”

Sion, visibly tense, straightened his shoulders and lowered his head respectfully.

“You’re here. As you can see, I’ve stationed the elite knights, including myself and the senior officers, at the front, while the rest are positioned at the rear.”

“Understood.”

Lucas mounted his horse, firmly gripping the reins. Just then, Sion came to stand beside him.

Though he had pretended to sleep the night before, his mind had been entirely preoccupied with the sound of the gargoyle’s cries.

How happy would Lucas be if he were the one to capture the very gargoyle Lucas had been searching for? Just the thought made Sion’s lips curl into a satisfied smile.

“What direction?”

Lucas’s whisper brought Sion back to reality. He discreetly pointed to a path on the left, and without hesitation, Lucas guided his horse in that direction, the entire army following suit.

“Hah… Hahh!”

The senior knights were hot on the gargoyle’s trail. At last, the creature came into view.

But the moment they saw it, their initial confidence crumbled.

They had assumed that if they could just catch up to the beast, they would be able to fight and subdue it. However, watching the gargoyle flee at an astonishing speed, they quickly realized—

“That thing’s huge, yet it moves that fast…?!”

“That’s exactly the problem. Horses alone aren’t enough!”

Lucas kept his eyes fixed on the rapidly retreating figure of the gargoyle. As the knights had pointed out, at this rate, they wouldn’t even get close before the hunt ended in failure.

But giving up wasn’t an option. Determined, Lucas drew a dagger from his belt and hurled it at the gargoyle.

Swish—! The blade flew straight and struck the creature’s head with perfect accuracy—only to bounce off harmlessly.

“Damn it…!”

Lucas felt a momentary disappointment but quickly steadied himself, pressing his body close to his horse and urging it forward at full speed. Beside him, Sion, who had been riding alongside, called out.

“Your Grace! I once heard that a gargoyle’s head is as hard as stone—it can’t be pierced by a blade!”

“If swords won’t cut through, then how are we supposed to kill it?”

“…Well, that person did say gargoyles don’t have weak spots… but there’s no such thing as an invulnerable creature. We’ll find a way to take it down!”

Lucas gave a silent nod. One failed attempt wasn’t reason enough to give up. As Sion had pointed out, no monster was truly without a weakness.

“Wait! What’s that?”

“…Is that a pond? No way… Can gargoyles even enter water?”

At the knights’ exclamations, Lucas turned his gaze. The gargoyle had plunged into the pond and was now peering at them from the surface, its crimson eyes gleaming.

“This isn’t a setback. Its speed has dropped significantly now that it’s in the water.”

Without hesitation, Lucas unfastened his heavy cloak and cast it aside. He had hunted plenty of aquatic monsters before. A fight underwater might actually be preferable to an aerial battle.

Lucas dismounted in a single swift motion and closed the distance between him and the gargoyle. He had expected it to flee again, yet oddly enough, it remained still. Its eyes flickered with an eerie red glow.

“Grrr…!”

The gargoyle tilted its head back, letting out a guttural snarl as it finally moved toward Lucas. At the same time, Sion and the senior knights encircled the pond, ready to strike if necessary.

Lucas cautiously unsheathed his sword. The blade, which he had carefully polished the night before, gleamed menacingly in the dim light. He controlled his breathing and waited. A monster that refused to move despite being surrounded? That could only mean one thing—it was laying a trap.

Yet no matter how long they stood there, the gargoyle remained motionless.

“This is strange. I’ve never seen a monster stay still when a blade is drawn right in front of it. Your Highness, what should we do?”

As Sion shifted slightly to provoke the creature, Lucas immediately extended an arm, signaling him to stop.

“There could be a trap. Stay back. I’ll handle this myself.”

“Be careful.”

Lucas kept his eyes locked on the gargoyle as he stepped forward and slowly waded into the pond.

A putrid stench hit him the moment his boots touched the water. The gargoyle was at the center of the pond. Fortunately, the water wasn’t too deep—it wouldn’t be difficult to reach.

Holding his breath against the overwhelming stench, Lucas carefully advanced. Was it just his imagination? The water only reached his ankles, yet it felt as if he were sinking into a bottomless abyss. Just in case, he swirled his blade through the water as he moved, probing for anything hidden beneath the surface. But nothing appeared.

Then, just as he reached striking distance of the gargoyle—

Something was off.

Lucas sensed danger. The longer he hesitated, the more the situation would turn against him. Without a moment’s doubt, he raised his sword.

“Lucas, be careful!”

Leon’s warning barely registered. Lucas had already launched himself at the creature.

“Die!”

With a powerful leap, he thrust his blade—not at the gargoyle’s impenetrable head, but at its vulnerable-looking abdomen. The sword pierced through, sinking into the soft flesh beneath its hardened exterior.

The belly was its weak point!

The gargoyle thrashed wildly, trying to throw him off. Lucas, however, clung to the sword hilt with both hands, determined not to let go. If he could just tear through the soft tissue—!

But things didn’t go as expected.

Suddenly, an array of writhing appendages—long, tendril-like structures—burst from the gargoyle’s body.

“Graaaghhh!”

Startled, Sion immediately plunged into the pond, his sword drawn. The senior knights followed closely behind.

The moment they hit the water, the tendrils lashed out, grabbing the knights and yanking them under.

“Hrk—! Gahhh!”

“Help! Someone—!”

Dodging the flailing tendrils, Lucas shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Stay back! Don’t come any closer!”

“Arghhh!”

The knights struggled as they fought to escape, scrambling to retreat onto dry land. Thankfully, the tendrils seemed confined to the water, unable to pursue them further.

Catching his breath, Lucas pulled his sword free from the gargoyle’s belly and slashed through the nearest tendrils, slicing them apart.

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