Chapter 143, Where One Belongs (2)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

It felt like getting a hangover when he had never had one.

 

Arsene shook his throbbing head from side to side. Then he looked at each of the thirteen Mages standing before him one by one.

 

They called it an Order, but it was only fifty people at most.

 

Compared to the scale Kalian had in mind, it was laughably insufficient. No, calling it insufficient would be an understatement. This was just the beginning stage, wasn’t it?

 

Yet Arsene had failed to properly manage the mere fifty members of Valkan.

 

Of course, he knew that no one could follow them around outside the Royal Palace to control them. Controlling <ages? It would be easier to go find Allan and subtly ask if he happened to know that his Disciple was not exactly normal, and survive the encounter.

 

So Arsene’s job was to make sure there would be no trouble even without control. But this incident had clearly revealed that Arsene had been doing nothing but useless things all this time.

 

“You learned Magic not to lose in fights, so you should use it when fighting. When else would you use it? I understand that. I use Magic when I’m angry too.”

 

Arsene, who had been surveying his members, spoke as if talking to himself, yet not quite to himself.

 

“When you fight, stores might get blown away. It’s not like you drunkenly shot at a strange place. The store just happened to be there. I understand that too.”

 

He had blown away a few himself. It was fine.

 

Each time, he just got a little poorer, but there was no real trouble.

 

“You fought like Mages, didn’t lose, and didn’t get hurt, so that’s fine. You did well.”

 

Right. That could happen.

 

The system was not perfectly established yet, and they had been receiving high-intensity training daily, so he knew there was accumulated stress. They got excited and drank, and conflicts could arise. If they could not hold back, they would pull out Magic, even by instinct. As he had said, that was what they learned Magic for.

 

“Those who looked down on Mages and picked fights with us are in the wrong.”

 

He looked at the guys standing in front of him.

 

Anyone could see they were obviously Mages, couldn’t they? If they still picked fights despite that, they should have been prepared.

 

If they were going to feel wronged about Mages attacking civilians, they should have learned Magic themselves. If they could not do that, they should have lived more carefully with their words.

 

“But the problem is…”

 

Arsene, who seemed ready to understand and let everything slide, uncharacteristically trailed off. Knowing they had done something wrong, all thirteen Mages kept their mouths tightly shut.

 

“The incident happened yesterday, you were taken to the security forces at dawn, but I heard about it only after His Majesty, the Commander, and Deputy Commander Plants all already knew. Oh, Prince Kalian knows about it too.”

 

At these words spoken in a continuous stream without pause or intonation, the Mages’ heads hung lower.

 

“Moreover, when taken to the security forces, you said it had nothing to do with Valkan.”

 

This part could not be overlooked.

 

Arsene looked around at his members once more and continued speaking.

 

Or rather, tried to continue.

 

“Deputy Commander Hertz.”

 

If someone’s lovely voice had not interrupted Arsene’s words.

 

* * *

 

*Meow!*

 

A sound that should not be heard in such a place rang out.

 

When Plants turned his head toward the cat’s cry, the cat called ‘I am Prince Kalian’s cat, who likes Prince Plants more’ was already nearby.

 

He had not gone to Wilhelm Hall with Kalian.

 

Whether he was in a bad mood, had something to worry about, or for some other reason, Plants did not spend too much time thinking about it. He had just sent Kalian alone.

 

After that, he came to find the garden’s walking path and met the cat.

 

Seeing how it approached and rubbed itself against his legs as soon as it saw Plants, it seemed the cat had come looking for Plants. Plants gently picked up the creature he could not bring himself to hate and quietly spoke.

 

“You’re fearless.”

 

Barging into the rose garden, barging into Plants’ room. Coming fearlessly to such a remote place like this.

 

“…What if you get lost?”

 

*Meow!*

 

The cat made a sound as if it understood Plants’ words perfectly. Plants eventually chuckled and sat on the bench while holding the cat. As he petted the cat that brought its head to his palm seeking attention, Plants briefly looked up.

 

The sky was so very blue.

 

The sunlight filtering through each tree cast shadows all the way to where Plants sat. Looking at this reminded him again of Kalian’s words.

 

‘ Don’t think of playing the role of my shadow for life, living like you’re dead as you do now.’

 

He already knew why Plants acted the way he did, yet Kalian still said such things. Knowing it was something said with full awareness, Plants could not help feeling irritated.

 

“…Crazy bastard.”

 

*Meow!*

 

Somehow understanding that his owner was being insulted, the cat made a reproachful sound. Plants found himself responding to the cat without thinking.

 

“I’m calling a crazy bastard a crazy bastard. You disagree?”

 

*Meow! Meow!*

 

*Hah.*

 

Plants let out a short sigh.

 

To think he was having an argument with a cat. He thought it would be less ridiculous to deal with Arsene instead.

 

While bickering with the cat, a breeze briefly blew.

 

*Whoosh… *

 

The birch leaves were small and swayed easily.

 

The sound of leaves rustling in the sunlit wind filled the air.

 

His hair was disheveled by the wind that stung his eyes. Because of this, Plants, who had raised his head and roughly brushed away his hair, suddenly stopped.

 

Hina was standing there.

 

Hina, who seemed to have inadvertently seen something she should not have and was standing there unable to move either way, quickly bowed to Plants.

 

The Prince who had been arguing with a cat looked at Hina and spoke.

 

“What?”

 

Thinking he was asking why she had been looking like that, Hina smiled brightly. Naturally, it was a pure smile fundamentally different from Kalian’s grinning.

 

Hina, who was holding something in one hand, pointed with her finger at the cat at Plants’ feet. It seemed she was asking if it was okay to come closer to get the cat, so Plants nodded.

 

Taking a few more steps, Hina set down what she was holding next to Plants, a little distance away. Glancing at it, he saw it was sky-blue ice cream in a cup.

 

If Hina was going to speak, naturally she needed her hands free. Therefore, Plants said nothing in particular to the maid who had set something down beside him.

 

‘The sunlight was sparkling, so I brought the cat out, but then, it ran away again.’

 

It was difficult to understand all of it.

 

Therefore, Plants only understood that Hina had brought the cat out for some reason.

 

‘The cat followed the good Prince. The cat must really like the good Prince.’

 

[‘The cat’ ‘really’ ‘something’ ‘some kind of’ ‘Prince.’  The two words look quite similar. Only the endings are different…]

 

He finally understood what those words meant.

 

[Good Prince?]

 

Plants was at least more rational than Kalian. Therefore, he did not misunderstand the difference between the ‘good’ and the ‘like’.

 

[Still, a good Prince, huh? That evaluation is wrong. Far too wrong…]

 

The leaves swaying in the wind sparkled like light green waves, quiet and peaceful. Hina thought about telling Plants that he had eyes exactly like that right now, but just smiled instead.

 

Because it would be too difficult for the current Plants to understand. Instead, she pointed to the ice cream placed beside him and spoke.

 

‘Do you like ice cream? It’s untouched.’

 

There was probably no one but Hina who would offer food she had set down on a chair to a Prince. Plants chuckled at such boldness and answered.

 

“I hate it. Because it’s blue.”

 

He left out the part about how the blue, round thing looked exactly like someone’s eyes from upstairs. It was not something worth telling Hina, after all.

 

Hina, who had never met someone who disliked blueberry because it was blue, laughed silently.

 

‘Then, what flavor do you like?’

 

Plants briefly closed his mouth.

 

It was the first time he had been asked what he liked.

 

[What did I like?] Nothing came to mind immediately.

 

He had lived taking what was given, appearing as he should, doing what was necessary. Though there were many things he disliked, he could not think of anything he liked. Therefore, when he was about to answer that he did not really like anything sweet, he remembered.

 

What it was that he liked.

 

“…Strawberry.”

 

So, he gave this belated answer.

 

Hina nodded emphatically and moved her hands. Plants’ gaze followed the tip of her hands.

 

‘Next time, I’ll ask the head chef and bring you strawberry ice cream.’

 

Again. there were words he did not know, but he could understand what she meant. He could also tell that his irritated mood had calmed down because of the cat that liked him and the maid who asked what he liked.

 

So, Plants nodded and answered.

 

“Alright.”

 

He did not ask what exactly it meant.

 

That younger brother, who was determined to keep him alive, said he would teach him everything, did he not? If he was going to learn those things, shouldn’t he keep his head somewhat empty? That was what Plants thought. So he decided to ask about those unknown words later.

 

That was when Plants’ favorite strawberry ice cream was brought.

 

* * *

 

Kalian listens very well to Allan’s words.

 

He listened well to Allan’s words not to use a sword and picked up a club instead. He took out the club and mashed up Gray.

 

Kalian also listens very well to Plants’ words.

 

Strictly speaking, he was not the first to speak, but Plants knew he was worried about whether to pull out a sword or club. So this time, he did not pull out a sword or a club.

 

However,

 

He had not said he would not get angry.

 

*Step step…*

 

Kalian did not look at anyone. He was walking in without any words or expression. Slowly.

 

Just that alone was overwhelming.

 

The leisurely approaching sound of dress shoes felt like it was shaking Wilhelm Hall’s training ground. Though just one more person had entered a place where fifty-one people were already present, the atmosphere had changed.

 

He was completely overwhelming the Valkan Mages, who were not just ordinary adults or ordinary Nobles, but each possessed outstanding abilities when one looked closely.

 

The face of the Mage who had merely said things like ‘oh my’ after learning that the Queen’s Palace got destroyed, hardened stiffly at this moment.

 

The faces of the Mages lined up in front of him turned pale.

 

The low sound of dress shoes stopped beside Arsene.

 

Following the stopped sound, the Mages’ gazes converged,

 

They all converged toward Kalian.

 

The real Master of Valkan, whom they had summoned with their own mouths.

 

“Deputy Commander Hertz.”

 

Arsene had once felt Kalian’s killing intent. It was an unseen force unleashed when he confronted Gray long ago. Compared to that moment, the pressure now was negligible.

 

Despite knowing this, Arsene unconsciously took a deep breath when his name was called. Only then could he manage to give a ‘yes’ as a response.

 

Kalian, who had been looking at such an Arsene for a moment, opened his mouth.

 

“I’ll handle it.”

 

‘I’ll scold them. I’ll punish them. I’ll talk to them properly. I’ll give them a warning. If even all that fails, I’ll just kill them all. That would be the simplest way, wouldn’t it?’

 

That was how it sounded.

 

Arsene tried to ignore the translation echoing in his mind and nodded. How could he stop Kalian when he said he would step forward? He also thought this was an opportunity to properly teach the Mages a lesson.

 

“Please do so, Your Highness.”

 

With Arsene’s answer, Kalian turned toward the Mages.

 

The red eyes looking at each of the thirteen Mages one by one made them feel as if their hearts were burning away.

 

“Are these the ones? Who said they had nothing to do with Valkan.”

 

He asked this even though he would already know.

 

Arsene did not answer, and the Mages hung their heads.

 

No other answer was needed. Therefore, Kalian took a step toward the Mages. Along with that, a very quiet voice settled in everyone’s ears.

 

“What should I do?”

 

Real killing intent bloomed.

 

As if what came before was just a greeting asking them to look at him. A chilling aura like thousands upon thousands of blades slicing through their entire bodies headed toward the Mages.

 

“I believed you’d be the ones to remain in my embrace as long as you were breathing. I truly did.”

 

The color drained from the Mages’ faces once again.

 

The feeble instinct to protect Valkan’s honor.

 

The belated worry that those who were responsible for Valkan should not be harmed. The sly maneuver to separate Mages from Valkan with a single word.

 

Only now did they grasp how these very impulses had let them slip past the bounds of ‘Kalian’, the one who could have shielded them, stood accountable.

 

“Bastards who are Valkan inside the Royal Palace and Mages outside it. I don’t need them.”

 

These Mages had voluntarily stepped out of Kalian’s embrace.

 

They now deeply bowed their heads.