Chapter 136, Foundation of Understanding (6)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

  

Small footsteps came from outside the curtains.

 

The maids carefully drew back the thick curtains of the bedroom with gentle hands. And a moment later, Ian’s eyes widened as he entered the bedroom.

 

“Don’t tell me you stayed up all night again, Your Highness?”

 

It was because he saw Kalian leaning against the headboard of the bed, giving a hand greeting.

 

It was rare for Kalian to be awake first. If he was awake, it was usually because he had stayed up all night. In fact, even when he was Bern, he was a heavy sleeper in the morning, and there were few days when he came out and prepared before his Master Taillan. But even after his body changed, such habits would not be corrected.

 

Kalian quickly opened his mouth toward Ian, who was preparing to nag as usual.

 

“Did you have any sweet dreams?”

 

When Ian almost unconsciously answered ‘yes’ but then shut his mouth tight, the corners of Kalian’s eyes curved into circles.

 

“Sorry.”

 

How far would Marquis Evan Beurisen’s definition of ‘betrayal’ extend to? He had stayed up all night contemplating the countless assumptions and respective solutions for each.

 

“I couldn’t sleep.”

 

“Even so. Isn’t this still a time when you should rest well?”

 

The improved complexion that made Rmain forget to ask about Kalian’s wellbeing was obviously invisible to Ian’s eyes. He had probably long forgotten that Kalian had crossed the terrace to the fourth floor right before his eyes.

 

Seeing such an Ian, a soundless laugh caught in Kalian’s mouth.

 

After leisurely finishing his preparations along with Ian’s nagging, which he never disliked, Kalian came out into the corridor. Naturally, it was to have breakfast in the quiet room where a cat’s meows lingered.

 

While heading toward the stairs, Kalian quietly opened his mouth.

 

“I’d like Lord Hertz to be invited to dinner tonight.”

 

“Yes, I’ll convey that to Deputy Commander Hertz. Will you two be dining together?”

 

“No. My older brother too.”

 

Hearing those words, Ian unconsciously made a laughing sound. Since it did not feel like a pleased laugh, Kalian looked back for a moment.

 

“I’m sorry. It was nothing.”

 

Ian was probably the only attendant who could say something with the meaning of ‘I did laugh a bit at what you said, but please don’t mind it’ to a Prince. Of course, Kalian was probably the only Prince who would just nod his head after hearing such words from an attendant.

 

Anyway, Ian had laughed because of Kalian’s form of address.

 

Until around the beginning of last year, Kalian had not bothered to distinguish between Plants and Randel when addressing them. When he had to mention them, he only referred to them as ‘older brothers’ or ‘my two older brothers.’ Then at some point, the address that used to be just ‘Plants’ briefly became ‘older brother Plants’ and then changed to how it is now.

 

It was surely because of Plants’ refer to him as ‘little brother’ that he unconsciously started speaking that way, but Ian still could not tell if he should take that change positively, which made him laugh.

 

Anyway, Ian quickly suppressed his laughter and gave his response to Kalian’s words.

 

“For such an occasion, it would be better to dine in the dining room. Prince Plants would be more comfortable that way too. I’ll have everything prepared as soon as the time has been confirmed.”

 

When Ian said this, Kalian looked at Ian once more with surprised eyes and said:

 

“I thought you wouldn’t care whether my older brother was uncomfortable or not.”

 

“It’s because Your Highness cares. I still don’t like Prince Plants, but when Your Highness is taking such care of him, I can’t continue to find him disagreeable.”

 

Kalian knew that the day Ian would completely understand Plants would never come. Ian would never forget Plants’ former actions.

 

“Right.”

 

Therefore, Kalian only said this and nodded. Then, stepping onto the stairs, he announced.

 

“And from today on, I’ll be staying at the training ground a bit longer.”

 

“Yes? Your Highness, right now…”

 

Ian, who was about to voice another concerned remark, shut his mouth.

 

*Step step…*

 

It was because he heard someone coming down the stairs.

 

Kalian, who had been hearing that sound from long before but had not bothered to stop talking, glanced at Ian’s face and continued up the stairs.

 

Footsteps continuing at precise intervals like a clock hand. It was Randel.

 

*Clack.*

 

Randel’s feet stopped when he faced Kalian.

 

A sneer that showed no intention of hiding settled on Kalian’s lips.

 

[How consistent you are. Exactly two steps.]

 

His feet stopped two steps above where Kalian stood.

 

Last time it was three steps, but this time it was two.

 

If they encountered each other a couple more times like this, would he deign to look at him from the same height then?

 

“Ian.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

“Tell my older brother.”

 

Kalian’s foot stepped on the stair.

 

This time too, he climbed two more steps to stand level with Randel. And without turning his gaze toward those dark blue eyes, he opened his mouth.

 

“That I can’t join him for today’s meal.”

 

A message about Plants before a greeting toward Randel.

 

This was Kalian’s response to those ‘two steps.’

 

He had said he would try to understand Randel, but he had not said he would yield to him.

 

* * *

 

One corner of Plants’ mouth slowly rose.

 

Cream soup, steaming white bread, overflowing salad, boiled eggs and baked beans, smoked ham seasoned only with salt without spices, fluffy well-baked onions, and tomato juice.

 

It was truly a ‘we’ve removed everything you dislike, so eat heartily and exercise’ kind of meal. Since he used different swordsmanship from Kalian, he needed to use more physical strength, but when food was placed in front of him, he would just nibble at it, which was admittedly quite unsightly.

 

“…I shouldn’t have accepted that sword.”

 

He should have realized when Kalian readily gave such a good sword while acting nice. That guy must have been planning for this kind of situation, that ‘if you received a good sword, you should become a good swordsman, isn’t that to be expected?’

 

*Meow, meow!*

 

As if welcoming a friend who woke up late, the ‘ I am Prince Kalian’s cat, who likes Prince Plants more’ cat repeatedly circled around Plants’ ankles, rubbing its body against them.

 

Plants, who picked up the cat, took the dried chicken that Rerik had set down and gave it to the cat. Meanwhile, Rerik informed Plants of what he had received from Ian.

 

“Prince Kalian says he will not be attending today.”

 

Hearing this, Plants turned his head to look at the table again. Two soups, two juices, two plates. It meant something sudden enough had happened that they could not inform him beforehand but had the meal prepared.

 

“Did he perhaps meet older brother Randel?”

 

It would not be like Kalian to skip a meal unless it was something of that magnitude.

 

Though Kalian had been eating well since the poisoning incident, saying he wanted to build up his body quickly, things were a bit different then and now.

 

Swordsmanship that moved at speeds that made muscles burn, and that Fourth-Circle Spell, that he always maintained to hide his Aura. Due to these two things, the energy Kalian consumed was beyond imagination. So even though he ate so much, he would not gain muscle, let alone weight.

 

Plants knew this too.

 

Thanks to that, he easily gauged why Kalian, who absolutely had to eat meals, would skip a meal. Unless it was something like meeting Randel, he would never postpone a meal.

 

Seeing Plants turning back toward the bedroom, Rerik quickly asked:

 

“Are you planning to skip the meal?”

 

“Later.”

 

Rather than planning to skip it, he intended to sleep a bit more because he had not slept properly. It was not only Kalian who had stayed up all night worrying.

 

Rerik briefly detained Plants’ steps.

 

“Prince Kalian’s attendant is already waiting outside. If you’re going to rest a bit more, shall I tell him to come back later?”

 

Plants made an expression full of annoyance.

 

He had planned to go to Arpia Palace in the afternoon to meet Rmain, so he had said he would do sword training in the morning. That was why Kyrie was already waiting.

 

But…

 

‘He is weaker than I thought.’

 

Kyrie, who had crossed swords with Plants yesterday evening, only said that and shut his mouth.

 

Kyrie was a man of few words. As few as Plants. At the same time, it was not that Plants was not curious about what had been left unsaid, but unfortunately Plants was also the type who found talking bothersome. So, he had not asked.

 

He had assumed that it was probably something like ‘Still, you’re stronger than I thought.’

 

“Leave him.”

 

So, Plants told Rerik to not send Kyrie away but just leave him be.

 

Plants, recalling the tall Kyrie, sat down at the table. And he began breakfast with not a single thing that bothered his palate.

 

No matter what, he did not want to keep losing even to his younger brother’s attendant.

 

* * *

 

‘Tansyll’s broken carriage axle was probably not an accident.’

 

If Kalian had already known these words that Chase had asked to be conveyed, his attitude toward Randel might have been somewhat different.

 

But he did not know, so Kalian’s behavior toward Randel had not changed.

 

He deliberately climbed two more steps and mentioned Plants first. After that, he showed perfect courtesy. It was exactly the same as when he had said he would raise dogs in Camilon in response to the threat of killing him if he did not submit.

 

Randel, who had been looking at such a Kalian for a moment, quietly opened his mouth.

 

“…Follow me.”

 

He had been planning to have a conversation anyway.

 

Therefore, Kalian immediately followed behind Randel to the rose garden.

 

Looking at Randel’s back, which showed not the slightest tremor, Kalian briefly recalled his memories.

 

[How was he after becoming the King of Tansyll?]

 

No matter how hard he tried to remember, nothing came to mind.

 

It was because it was Tansyll.

 

Secritia and Tansyll were in a perfectly hostile relationship.

 

It was not to the extent that they bared their teeth at each other, but it was always like that. They had always thought it would not be strange if war broke out between them at any moment.

 

One origin, two countries.

 

That was exactly what Secritia and Tansyll were.

 

Among the Eight Heroes who led the War of the Two Gods to victory, the founding King Harts-ara, the Ancient Dragon Syspanian, and the Knight Kythros Hone Siegfried who had pledged loyalty to Syspanian. The country these people founded was Cyries.

 

But there was one person who had founded a country before them.

 

The last Priest who served Serenty.

 

That was the Great Queen of Secritia.

 

Or, the Nameless Queen.

 

She, who founded the country of Secritia three years before Cyries, erased all traces of herself at the last moment and died without even leaving her name. Even the reason was unknown.

 

Secritia, founded by the Nameless Queen known only as the ‘Great Queen of Secritia,’ had no major problems at first.

 

However, around the time Syspanian disappeared from Cyries, a rebellion broke out centered on the Priests of Secritia. It was because the Secritia Royal Family did not permit the use of healing using Divine Artifacts.

 

Secritia was not a country with very strong military power.

 

Therefore, the rebellion soon became independence.

 

That was Tansyll.

 

For this reason, Secritia and Tansyll did not have a good relationship.

 

Nevertheless, the reason Bern, who ‘managed spies,’ was in the dark about information regarding Tansyll was because Bern was a Prince. Information about Tansyll was directly managed by King Debeullan and Chase.

 

“I thought you would at least ask if my injuries were okay now.”

 

Therefore, Kalian, who did not know what would happen with Randel in the future, said this while looking at the red flower buds that were just beginning to bloom. It was because Randel, who had told him to follow, started tending to roses without saying anything.

 

Randel paused his hands at Kalian’s voice from behind, then answered.

 

“Are you a child who would be taken down by something of that level?”

 

[Indeed, only Ian worries about me…]

 

Rmain was already reassured that he was eating well despite nearly dying, and Randel acted as if he was not worried at all. Kalian responded as if joking.

 

“The Warriors’ swords were sharper than I thought.”

 

“Warriors?”

 

Randel, who had been contemplating the meaning of Kalian’s words for a moment, turned around to face Kalian.

 

Randel also knew that Tansyll and the Great Dunes had joined hands.

 

However, Randel did not know that it was the Warriors of the Great Dunes who had attacked Kalian.

 

Feeling resentful toward Randel, who had been sitting peacefully in Chermil Palace reading books while he and Plants were causing all that commotion, under the excuse of being punished. And feeling relieved to confirm once again that he was not the type to try to harm his own brother through someone else’s hands. Those two complex feelings were split exactly in half.

 

Kalian’s mouth drew an arc, containing that strange mixture of emotions.

 

“So older brother Randel doesn’t know who they were.”

 

Randel looked at Kalian without answering.

 

Kalian shook his head, refusing that gaze.

 

Kalian reached out his arm toward the rose that Randel had been examining just moments before. His long fingertips contained the power of Aura.

 

“Look at me.”

 

The rose that was touched by his pale, slender fingers snapped and fell to the ground. Seeing this, emotion briefly passed through Randel’s eyes.

 

Toward such a Randel, Kalian spoke in a cold voice.

 

“Me. Not this.”

 

[Let me say it again, I said I would try to understand, but I didn’t say I would yield.]