Chapter 286, Is It Because You’re Going Through Puberty? (2)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

An odd curiosity had arisen.

 

Though it was difficult to say he had realised it only now, if there was one thing he had noticed, it was that Debeullan laughed quite well too. And in that it was difficult to gauge the meaning of that laughter, he was greatly reminded of someone residing on the floor below.

 

‘Something in exchange… it seems I made a mistake before you.’

 

Therefore, a sudden curiosity arose.

 

‘To have appeared so desperate.’

 

If that younger brother’s impudent attendant had been here, would he have discerned the true intent of Debeullan’s laughter?

 

Was it laughter from finding something amusing? Or was it laughter from finding something laughable?

 

‘If I have misunderstood, I shall apologise.’

 

‘No. It is not a matter to be regarded as such. Why would you apologise when my feelings are not hurt?’

 

Debeullan had said this.

 

He did not grow angry at the foreign Second Prince who had proposed a transaction involving his life. He laughed instead. How truly magnanimous.

 

‘That said, what might be suitable to exchange for my life? Anything ordinary would be difficult to match in value… nothing comes to mind immediately. At this rate, far from making a transaction, time will merely pass, so if I ever become curious later about a method to prolong my life, I shall think deeply about it then.’

 

‘Understood.’

 

Plants conveyed his answer readily. And Debeullan, who had been looking down at such a Plants for quite some time, left the spot first without further words.

 

Plants had never expected Debeullan to respond immediately in the first place. Now that he had learnt that even his own son Chase had turned his back, he was not someone who would believe the words of a foreign Prince whose identity he barely knew and act upon them straightaway.

 

If he had been, there would have been no need to drag Kalian here suddenly to this country. Rather than trusting Plants, he would have either embedded Zeon’s black pebble in his heart to heal himself, or gone to the Elf City for treatment as Great Elder Narjan had suggested. There would have been no reason to come seeking them.

 

However, whatever Kalian had discussed with Debeullan, he felt certain that personality, which had raged madly without even noticing puberty passing by, would not have uttered the polite and gentle language of civilised people. Therefore, he had brought up the matter thinking he might as well take some of Debeullan’s attention that would be focused on Kalian again. Any gains beyond that would be welcome if they existed, but it did not matter if they did not.

 

Thus, when Plants returned to the annex after leisurely finishing his walk after Debeullan had returned…

 

“I greet you for the first time, Prince Plants of Cyries.”

 

He truly gained an unexpected benefit.

 

One of the Knights guarding the annex blocked Plants’s path and spoke to him.

 

“I have urgent words to convey.”

 

“…It seems Knights of this country do not bow their heads even when blocking Royalty’s path.”

 

The other party said this was the first time seeing Plants, but it was not for Plants. It was someone even more memorable because of a particularly unremarkable face.

 

“I apologise.”

 

“Never mind.”

 

A few months ago.

 

Plants, who recalled the face of one person he’d passed by briefly amongst Chase’s various Escort Knights who had visited Cyries, looked at the other party with languidly lowered eyes.

 

“Speak.”

 

[Are you Debeullan’s person, or Chase’s person?]

 

[Or neither?]

 

While gauging that.

 

* * *

 

Whether Plants met Debeullan that day or not.

 

Whether one of the Knights who had been in Cyries sought out Plants or not.

 

“Two.”

 

He had caught two and two remained.

 

Kalian, who had suddenly changed direction while rushing towards the brown-haired Warrior and disappeared, instantly pierced the heart of the blond Warrior who had been attacking from behind. Seeing Kalian, who had attacked one person so tenaciously at first but immediately changed his fighting method, the two remaining Warriors briefly widened their distance.

 

Taking advantage of that gap, Kalian’s head turned again.

 

[To have so many thoughts during a fight…]

 

This was killing him.

 

Hadn’t he just been terribly scolded by Hina and even missed a meal recently after a hole appeared in his stomach from thinking wrongly once during a fight? Kalian had not forgotten that day’s hunger. To be precise, he should say he had not forgotten the meat that had entered Plants’s mouth that day.

 

At any rate, he needed to concentrate somewhat and should not entertain idle thoughts, yet his head kept turning.

 

[I can’t understand it at all. What on earth is this?]

 

Wasn’t Kalian someone who didn’t hesitate because he needed to hold a sword, yet never enjoyed doing so? And the person who would know best after Allan how Kalian regarded staining his own hands with blood was precisely Plants.

 

Such a Plants was not someone who would plan this situation just to stab his younger brother in the back, was he?

 

Therefore, his head kept thinking other thoughts.

 

[It seems Lady Seiren or Lady Grace used Magic. I did not hear what Prince Plants conveyed to the two.]

 

What had Plants conveyed secretly to Kyrie after hearing the content of Kalian’s conversation with Debeullan? For what reason and how had Plants drawn out Zeon, and why had he kept it secret from Kalian?

 

[Surely… is it really because he is going through puberty?]

 

[But, I don’t think I was like that at that age.]

 

*Buuung!*

 

The brown-haired Warrior’s sword flew towards Kalian, who had been continuing momentary thoughts. A double-edged sword, or rather, unlike a single-edged sword with a smooth back, serrated saw teeth replaced the back edge, catching his eye.

 

At the appearance suggesting that once it stabbed in, whatever caught on the sword would be dragged out together, Kalian’s fair brow furrowed slightly.

 

“What unpleasant tastes.”

 

Kalian, who muttered quietly, moved his feet.

 

*Kaaang!*

 

*Tadadadan, kaang! Kagagang!*

 

Unlike the two Warriors who had crumbled pathetically quickly, the fight with the remaining two was skilled. And Kalian began facing both of them simultaneously.

 

The brown-haired Warrior blocked Kalian’s attack with the serrated side, then twisted and struck the sword away. Several saw teeth caught on the Aura sword broke off, but the Warrior couldn’t pay attention.

 

When he blocked the front, Kalian’s sword flew in from behind before anyone knew it. When he turned back to block that, the blade fell from overhead. Between those moments, daggers and Magic flew, and ceaseless sword strikes poured down. Because there was no time to sense the healing of minor wounds whose origin was unknown, the brown-haired Warrior devoted all his nerves solely to blocking Kalian’s attacks.

 

Taking advantage of the brown-haired Warrior briefly distancing himself, the other Warrior with grey hair took out one mana bullet and threw it.

 

No sooner had the sound of something dropping onto the sandy ground been heard than Kalian’s form disappeared.

 

*Kwaaaaang!*

 

A tremendous roar echoed like the sound of waves in a sea swept by a typhoon.

 

Kalian, who had unfolded a shield and escaped from the attack’s aftermath, turned his head very briefly to check the distant seaside.

 

Arsene was visible.

 

Arsene wasn’t intervening in this side’s exchanges. It meant a situation had arisen where he had to block Plants instead of helping Kalian.

 

“I can—”

 

Red lips drew one long arc.

 

“—Do that too. That sort of thing.”

 

Wind gathered.

 

In the very centre of that darkness, wind blew.

 

*Saaaaa…*

 

A whirlpool of Mana gathered towards Kalian. The black cloak tinged with red light fluttered about.

 

The two Warriors, who knew well how foolish it was to give a Mage time to cast Magic, closed the distance. Simultaneously, the sand between Kalian and the Warriors surged upwards.

 

*Kwaaaaaa!*

 

Wind pillars the size of a person’s body rotated threateningly in one direction and pushed away the sand. Kalian, who had blocked the Warriors’ view with three tornadoes, kicked off the ground again and launched his body between the rotating, surging wind pillars.

 

Simultaneously, the grey-haired Warrior extended his sword aiming for Kalian’s neck.

 

*Kwagwang!*

 

Then compressed wind exploded beneath the grey-haired Warrior’s feet and scattered sand in all directions.

 

The grey-haired Warrior, who had instantaneously launched his body backwards, planted both feet in a distant spot. The hem of the Warrior’s clothing, swept up in the force that might have been a tornado or an explosion, was torn to shreds.

 

Kalian, who had lightly unfolded a shield to protect his body from the attack he’d exploded himself, deflected the sword flying forwards then turned his head to the side. Four red daggers generated behind Kalian flew towards the brown-haired Warrior. He’d withdrawn his interest from the grey-haired Warrior who hadn’t yet returned nearby.

 

*Ssaeaek!*

 

*Tadadadan! Kaaang!*

 

He evaded three of the daggers flying through the frantically blowing sandstorm, but one grazed his neck. Before he could frown at the stinging sensation, Kalian’s sword flew in.

 

*Kukkwaang!*

 

An explosion erupted once more beneath the grey-haired one’s feet as he rushed towards where the two were, but the grey-haired one, who had anticipated the same attack coming, had already left that spot and reached right before Kalian’s nose.

 

Kalian, who had been watching the sharp sword tip swinging towards him, moved his body. The grey-haired one’s sword strike passed through where Kalian had been standing just moments before, and along with it, a slender Wind Spear flew in aiming for the grey-haired Warrior’s neck.

 

*Kaaang! Kang, kagagang!*

 

*Kaang! Kagang!*

 

When the grey-haired one retreated one step, the brown-haired one’s saw-toothed sword flew towards Kalian. When he struck that down, the grey-haired one’s long sword aimed at Kalian’s neck once more.

 

*Kaang!*

 

*Ssaeaek!*

 

Mana containing physical force.

 

Wind Spear that Kalian had sent flying was blocked by the grey-haired Warrior’s sword and flew far away before disappearing. Without time to follow that movement with his eyes, the Aura sword rushed towards the two once more.

 

The grey-haired Warrior hastily bent his waist to evade the red sword at the attack that pressed on as though not giving even a single moment to breathe. Then…

 

*Kwajik!*

 

A hair-raising sound was heard from behind.

 

The grey-haired one, who had grasped the situation, bent downwards. Long plaited brown hair was visible. Thickly flowing red blood covered the saw-toothed sword dropped on the ground.

 

“…Three.”

 

A slender soft voice reached the back of the grey-haired Warrior’s neck.

 

* * *

 

Escort Knight.

 

Arsene, who had revealed himself between Secritia’s Escort Knights assigned by Debeullan and Plants, smiled slightly.

 

Arsene the Mage, who liked fighting in close contact with opponents, knew well that entering that place where Kalian’s red sword was embroidering splendid trajectories and running about excitedly would be perfect for losing his neck. So, he had stood at a distance beside Plants, wondering whether to at least tie up the remaining Warriors’ feet, then stopped.

 

*Kwaaaaaa!*

 

It was because he’d felt Wind Mana gathering.

 

Before long, several tornadoes were visible being created between Kalian and the two Warriors. It meant he had leisure enough to use Magic while leaving Aura behind, so he decided not to intervene rashly.

 

He also knew well that if he stepped forward clumsily to help and one of the remaining bastards turned towards where Plants was to catch Arsene, Kalian would catch Arsene as well while pretending to catch that Warrior.

 

*Ssaeaek!*

 

Of course, that did not mean he would stay still.

 

Arsene, who had embedded an Ice Spear before the feet of the Escort Knights trying to approach, looked at the Knights with a fierce smile.

 

“Deputy Commander of Cyries’s Mage Order Valkan, Arsene Hertz.”

 

After that, he made his usual self-introduction.

 

Secritia’s Knights.

 

More precisely, it was directed at the two Knights whom Kalian had deemed he did not know the faces of and who were now stepping forward at the very front of the other Knights.

 

“If you approach even one more step, I shall regard it as an attempted attack on Cyries Royalty.”

 

Borrowing the power of the Deputy Commander position returned to be used well, Arsene conveyed his warning-laden words, and Plants opened his mouth towards him.

 

“There would be no danger.”

 

“I know. Would Escort Knights be mad enough to attack Royalty?”

 

“Then why?”

 

At the words asking why he was threatening Secritia’s Knights, Arsene breathed a short sigh and opened his mouth.

 

“Is this situation by chance as His Highness Deputy Commander, who is His Highness’s older brother, predicted?”

 

“Except for a blue-haired Mad Mage.”

 

“Did you know Zeon would come forward too?”

 

At such a question, Plants, who had frowned at the corners of his eyes, listened briefly to the sounds of Kalian’s battle coming from afar before opening his mouth.

 

“Lady Seiren is…”

 

“The Arcane Enclave Head isn’t coming here.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Your Highness Deputy Commander.”

 

Though he had not completely anticipated Zeon would come, he had prepared for it. But the blue-haired one had come instead of the two Mages. Then, he called Plants without answering the question.

 

“Speak.”

 

“I saw the bracelet glowing. If you planned this to draw the Crown Prince of Secritia outside the Royal Palace, he won’t come. Lord Bern remains at the Royal Palace. I don’t know what Secritia’s Nobles might have intended to do at the Royal Palace while the Crown Prince was absent. Whatever the reason, it would be better to consider the objective achieved by confirming Secritia’s Nobles and Zeon are entangled.”

 

Even at the small voice that the Knights could not hear, Plants did not answer.

 

“It doesn’t seem like something we can just let pass. Because my back hurts too much.”

 

Instead, an answer came from elsewhere.

 

Kalian, who had cut off the last Warrior’s breath before anyone knew it, was standing behind Plants.

 

Kalian had heard Arsene’s last words together. Therefore, Kalian knew well what needed to be done at this moment.

 

Kalian, who had walked forward with heavy steps, stood before Plants.

 

Red light gathered again at his fingertips.

 

“Explain.”

 

The cool blade touched Plants’s neck.

 

A voice cooler than the blade flowed from Kalian’s mouth. Killing intent cooler than the voice rang in Plants’s ear.

 

“…Please do so, older brother.”

 

One thick drop of blood flowing down the red blade with a *plop*.

 

It fell onto the sandy beach.