KINGDOM 6

Hi folks, it's been a while, hasn't it?






page 161

title) Piao's resolve.

page 162

b1) You know, I'm surprised you managed to escape by yourself from the castle that was filled with your enemies.
b2) I'm not alone.
b3) Just one. // There was one man in that den of lions that was on my side.
panel) My instructor, Wenjun Chang. // Right now, he's only an imperial official, but when he was young, he was heralded master lancer.

page 163

b1) Wenjun Chang? That old man that took Piao away?
panel) Chang figured he wouldn't be able to stop the coup de' tat with just his personal army, so he set a plan in motion. // In case we ended up having to use different escape routes, he set up multiple meeting points. // Kokuhi village was just one of those.
panel2) However, on the way back, he met someone who looked just like me.

page 164

b1) That shack in Kokuhi village turned out to be a hiding place for me, and not a meeting point for us as it was originally meant to be.
panel) Looking back on how confident Wenjun Chang was on our escape, // that shack and Piao were nothing more than a "just in case" measure.
b2) But thanks to his just in case thinking, I'm still alive.
b3) Wai...
b4) wait just a second here...

page 165

b1) Did...
b2) you just call Piao...
b3) a just in case...
b4) measure!?
b5) YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT ONE!!!

page 166

-all small bubbles on this page are sfx of hits-
b1) WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK HIS LIFE WAS!?
b2) HE'S NOW DEAD, AND...
b3) X-xin, stop!!
b4) Xi...
b5) How dare you do that to him...
b6) HOW DARE YOU THINK OF HIM LIKE...

page 167

b1) Xin, stop.
b2) If you keep hitting him like that,
b3) the king is going to die!
b4) GOOD!! LET HIM!!
b5) WHAT!?
b6) the...
b7) Would...
b8) you give it a damn rest already?

page 168

b1) There's a war going on here,
b2) and one that we're at a grave disadvantage at.
b3) I'll use and fool whomever I need to, and if it's some kid from the slums, even more so!
b4) WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? // argh, dammit!
b5) However, he came in knowing all that.
panel) He had already figured out what he was there for. // And still went through with it!

page 169

b1) A body double?
b2) You don't need to worry. // We're just covering all bases so that if the usurpers do try anything, we'll have a counter in place.
b3) However, there's NO way they could ever reach our king.
b4) But like I said,
b5) we're just being extra careful.
b6) Wenjun Chang,
b7) how about you tell him the truth?

page 170

b1) My king...
b2) The king spoke!!
b3) "Although we're confident that nothing will happen, we've brought you in here because there are no guarantees in life."
b4) Just tell him that.
b5) Piao, listen well to my words.
b6) Your safety cannot be guaranteed in this plan we've devised.

page 171

b1) In fact, the enemy might kill you in place of me.
b2) Since you're here as a body double, they'll think that you're me and kill you.
b3) Too scared to speak?
b4) Piao...
b5) Excuse me, // Wenjun Chang...
b6) Oh, what is it?
b7) Am I allowed to speak?
b8) M-my king!
b9) Granted. Raise your head and speak your mind.

page 172

b1) For a slave like me to be taken to the palace, I was prepared for some kind of outrageous job to be waiting for me here.
b2) But not in my wildest dreams did I think it would be something THIS big!
b3) Then... does that mean you'll..
b4) You know, you might die.

page 173

panel) Become a general that carves his name in history.
b1) My friend and I...
b2) have a dream that's more outrageous than this plan.
b3) We were planning on betting everything anyway.

page 174

b1) PIAO KNEW THE FULL EXTENT OF THE DANGER OF THIS PLAN AND TOOK ON THE JOB!
b2) WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST HINT OF FEAR OF DEATH, HE TOOK ON THE JOB!
b3) ALL FOR THE SAKE OF SOMETHING THAT YOU SLAVES FROM THE SLUMS...
b4) WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO OBTAIN OTHERWISE!!
b5-7) cough
b8) However, he...
b9) tsk

page 175

b1) missed the mark.
b2) And lost his life in the process.

page 176

b1) Wind?
b2) Is the exit close?
b3) huh?
b4) Oh, yeah. It's just over there.
b5) Oh, hey... wait.
b6) Wait a sec, Xin isn't...
7b) Xin, let those tears be the final mourning for Piao.
b8) From here on out, you'll have to walk on your own 2 feet.

page 177

b1) And right now, there are two paths available to you.
b2) One is to return to your village and resume your days as a slave.
b3) Or go along with a weak king and become an instrument of war for him.
b4) It doesn't take a genius to see which of the two is closer to that...
b5) ridiculous dream you two have.

page 178

box1) The path I take...
box2) as if I even need to think about it.
b1) The sun is rising...