Chapter 99, This Time (1)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

Plants was still contemplating.

 

“I did not think you would behave in such a manner. For what reason did you show such an attitude to another country’s Crown Prince.”

 

The day before, Rmain had heard about Plants showing disrespectful behavior to Chase, and was now scolding Plants for it, who had stayed behind.

 

“Crown Prince Chase is going to be an excellent King. It truly worries me whether I have misjudged you, since you treated someone from whom you could learn and observe.”

 

One year ago, when Plants had insulted Freya in front of Rmain, Rmain had not said anything to Plants. He had not even shown a reproachful expression. He was someone who did not even have that much interest. Yet now, this same Rmain was reprimanding him for being disrespectful to Chase, someone who was essentially of no concern to him.

 

So Plants could not help but contemplate. Whether he should vent his frustration on his little brother who had caused Rmain to become like this. Or whether he should thank him instead.

 

“Do not try to determine superiority and inferiority based on the size of a country. That is presumption.”

 

Whether he knew or did not know Plants was letting his words go in one ear and out the other while thinking of other things, Rmain continued with a stern expression.

 

Plants, who had been looking at such a Rmain, gave a slightly delayed response.

 

“My thinking was shallow. I will be careful.”

 

However, contrary to his answer that he would be careful, there was a hint of amusement at the end of Plants’s words. Feeling this, Rmain briefly closed his mouth.

 

Of course, he knew it was not mockery.

 

It was just that he had never thought about how to deal with a son who laughed while being scolded, so he momentarily paused.

 

He was not flustered. He swore he was not.

 

“Well.” In the end, Rmain brought up another topic with a short response.

 

“So, how have you been these days?”

 

After thoroughly scolding him, now he was showing concern.

 

Plants looked at Rmain’s face again. In response to such a reaction, Rmain added.

 

“I thought it would be better medicine not to interfere, so I haven’t called for you or asked about it, but I’ve been quite worried since that incident.”

 

Only after hearing this did Plants understand what matter Rmain was inquiring about. He was finally asking if he was managing to let go of the incident with Sillike.

 

[To think he would say it with such a cautious expression. It was probably that Archmage’s advice that he should not get involved.]

 

Since it was ultimately Rmain who had administered the poison to Sillike, Allan must have told him not to unnecessarily hover around Plants about this matter.

 

“You do not need to worry.” Plants, who answered, let out a small chuckle.

 

It was because he was reminded of a certain man who, despite Rmain being this uncomfortable, had been directly involved in the matter far more and still kept meddling. That man would say he would die either way, with what seemed like concern and interference.

 

When scolded, he laughs.

 

When told of concern, he chuckles.

 

At the time, Plants did not notice the complicated expression Rmain had on, who was dealing with the strange reactions of a son going through a stormy period of adolescence.

 

* * *

 

He had intended to tell him right after meeting with Rmain.

 

He had intended to tell him right after finishing a walk with Randel.

 

Therefore, when Allan, who had escorted Chase to the door, immediately gestured for Kyrie to come in, Kyrie felt truly perplexed.

 

“Did you hear everything?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Allan, who had called only Kyrie into his office, leaving Ian behind, asked. And Kyrie, who had recently become quite adept at lying, feigned innocence. However, his opponent was Allan of all people.

 

“I am asking if you intend to tell the Prince what you’ve just heard.”

 

“What I heard should also be heard by the Prince.”

 

“Are those ears incapable of filtering what they hear?”

 

“They are not.”

 

“What shall I do with this stubborn Swordsman…”

 

Allan laughed heartily.

 

“And… when I mentioned my name, the Crown Prince of Secritia was very surprised. It’s almost as if I directly revealed Prince Kalian’s past to him.”

 

“Do you think Chase caught on because you mentioned the surname ‘Bern’?”

 

“I believe he became certain because of my words.”

 

* * *

 

In fact, the process by which Chase connected Kalian with Bern was a bit more complex. And in that process, Kyrie indeed played a significant role.

 

Naturally, Chase, who had regained his memories, did not initially associate Kalian with Bern. Far from making a connection, he did not even think Bern might be alive.

 

However, around the time he recovered his memories, he heard the most talked about news of ‘Sillike’s expulsion’ and how the Third Prince, who should have been dead, played the biggest role in driving Sillike out.

 

‘Why is Kalian alive?’

 

In a situation where everything was unfolding exactly like his memories, only the things related to Kalian were diverging. Upon realizing this, he naturally became curious about the Third Prince of Cyries.

 

Kalian had taken Allan Manasil, who should have returned to Liberen, as his Master, and Allan Manasil had created the Valkan Mage Order. There were even rumors that Kalian was the sixth Sword Master. The information he found out of curiosity about Kalian was extraordinary.

 

From then on, Chase began collecting all sorts of information about Kalian.

 

After a year passed, news came that one of Kalian’s servants had caused a fight in a gambling den. The servant’s name was also mentioned.

 

‘Kyrie.’

 

Until then, Chase did not know Kyrie’s surname. After all, servants in Cyries generally worked without disclosing their surnames.

 

But the name alone was enough. It was a name Chase knew all too well. After all, was this not the loyal Knight who died protecting Bern?

 

Kyrie, who should have come to Secritia, was with Kalian, who should have been dead. Soon, Chase began to investigate the starting point of how these two ended up together.

 

‘Prince Kalian brought the child directly from somewhere.’

 

He had already made the connection between Kyrie and the gambling den.

 

So, it was not difficult to uncover what happened a little earlier, prior to those events.

 

A report that a spy named ‘Red Swan’, whom Chase did not know of, knew all the codes of the bird shop. And on the very day Red Swan gathered information about the gambling den, a boy with odd eyes disappeared from the gambling den.

 

Chase felt as if he had been hit hard on the head with a hammer.

 

Kalian, the Third Prince of Cyries, a Sword Master, and the one keeping Kyrie with him, could be that very Red Swan. The Sword Master who was also close to Kyrie, Bern, had also managed Secritia’s spies.

 

‘If so, maybe. Just maybe…’

 

As a result of this thinking, Chase came to Cyries to directly meet Kalian. He sensed something from Kalian’s reaction towards him. He met Kyrie and asked, and he heard.

 

‘Kyrie Bern.’

 

He was right. Kalian was Bern.

 

The person whom he should neither be forgotten nor lost.

 

That was his little brother.

 

That was the fact he had come to know through a very long process, over an extended period.

 

* * *

 

“This happened because of me, so I should not hide it.”

 

Kyrie’s words were not wrong. It was true that Chase had become certain after hearing Kyrie’s surname.

 

Allan sighed.

 

Of course, he was not in a position to comment on this either.

 

“Indeed. If you were someone who would listen to others’ words, Prince Kalian would not have thought to place you behind my back.”

 

On the other hand, Allan also thought perhaps it was better this way. Allan too had been greatly troubled about whether to hide this matter from Kalian. So, he thought it might be better to let that stubborn Kyrie speak according to his own conviction.

 

“Yes. But this is a period when many Nobles gather. Try not to let him show a loss of composure in front of them. At least wait until after the festival is over to talk about it.”

 

“I will consider it.”

 

This was all said with Kalian’s best interests in mind, yet he still says he would think about it and decide.

 

This was Kyrie, who normally says nothing but ‘yes’ to whatever Kalian says.

 

And Allan, who was nominally Kalian’s Master and a wise Archmage. Yet, this Swordsman never directly heeded Allan’s words, even if it killed him to do so.

 

“Fine. Just do as you see fit…”

 

In the end, Allan gave in.

 

After all, what else could he do?

 

[Well, it’s all the fault of the one clumsy fellow who did not use magic while he kept a sharp-eared boy nearby…]

 

* * *

 

Randel gazed deeply at Kalian.

 

“I do not think this is an unreasonable request.”

 

While asking for information that might potentially spark a war, he says it is not an unreasonable request.

 

Facing such a Randel, Kalian could not respond with something like ‘I’ll think about telling you if you tell me why you’re looking for Lannen.’ Therefore, Kalian answered again without avoiding Randel’s eyes.

 

“No matter how many times you ask about something I do not know, the answer will not change.”

 

As he was trying to leave with those words, he noticed Randel’s servant cautiously approaching. Ian was also walking alongside him.

 

“It seems it’s time to go to the plaza. Since there is a schedule, we’ll have to end our walk here.”

 

Kalian, who concluded the conversation like this, showed a simple courtesy before walking to where Ian was. After seeing Kalian’s face, Ian’s expression stiffened slightly as he spoke.

 

“Is something wrong? Your expression is grim. You’ve barely been speaking since yesterday.”

 

“No. Nothing’s wrong.”

 

It was obvious he was lying.

 

[Who on earth upset our flower-like Prince?] Ian was about to say this but realized that the only people Kalian had met today were His Majesty the King and His Majesty’s eldest son, the First Prince. So, he quietly shut his mouth.

 

Kyrie, who had somehow returned to his side, also had an expression that was hard to look at and pass by. With Kalian also being like this, the Baby Elephant, who did not know about the circumstances, seriously wanted to cry.

 

Anyway, regardless of Ian’s situation, Kalian had his own troubles. Due to the lengthy conversation with Randel, Kalian was summoned to the plaza before he could properly think, finished greeting people, and then attended a series of tea times with the Nobles.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 

The one fortunate thing was that at least Kalian would not do anything to create strange rumors about himself.

 

As if thoughts had accumulated without notice, Kalian responded to the Nobles’ greetings with truly relaxed gestures and smiles. He spotted Evan Beurisen in the distance, but since they were not on friendly terms, they only exchanged brief glances.

 

After taking his seat like that, he began to contemplate again.

 

He was not deliberating whether to say anything about Aisha being poisoned.

 

From Kalian’s perspective, not being able to inform Randel about the cause of Aisha’s death was something to feel sorry about. But in any case, both the victim and the perpetrator were already dead.

 

There was no reason to start an unnecessary war.

 

Hadn’t Kalian restrained himself even when Sillike was right in front of him?

 

Therefore, Kalian’s concerns were a bit different.

 

Lannen Beurisen should not be mentioned.

 

Gray Beurisen should not come either.

 

[Should I keep hiding it? Or… Should I kill them?]

 

It was about how to deal with the two whose knowledge of Aisha’s secret was unclear.

 

[Seems like I’ll need to meet them after this festival.]

 

He needed to decide whether their mouths could be left open after meeting them.

 

But just as he was reaching this conclusion-

 

“Crown Prince of Secritia, Chase Dyurahan Secritia!”

 

An unexpected announcement from the Knight.

 

And following it, Chase entered.

 

A momentary look of bewilderment crossed Kalian’s face.

 

Of course, part of it was due to meeting Chase again. But more significant was because of Taillan who entered with Chase.

 

Evan was here right now.

 

Because of this, Kalian was hiding his Aura with Magic.

 

[If I hide my Aura, it will raise suspicion from Taillan Kastrin, and if I don’t, my Aura will be visible to Evan Beurisen.]

 

There was not much time to deliberate.

 

[It’s better to directly confront Evan than to be suspected by the continent’s first Sword Master.]

 

It would be better for Evan to discover that Kalian’s Aura was less than his own and potentially challenge him, than for someone who had been on the sword’s path for less than a year to be suspected of having more Aura than Taillan.

 

“You may continue to hide your Aura.”

 

At that moment, Kyrie, who had walked behind Kalian, said this.

 

“…The Crown Prince of Secritia knows who you are, Your Highness.”

 

Upon hearing these additional words, Kalian’s eyes sank.