Chapter 160, If It Were Now (5)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

A gray pigeon flew to the window.

 

The pigeon, with its unremarkable appearance, tapped the window with its beak.

 

Before long, the window opened and sun-weathered hands full of calluses carefully caught the bird. Strangely, the bird did not flee but remained docile in those hands.

 

Black Magic, with its severe side effects and cruel nature, had long since disappeared from the continent after being completely banned by the Will of Syspanian, the first Queen of Cyries. However, among the Black Magic Spells, only Taming was permitted for limited use after being modified and improved into a regular Spell with the dangerous elements removed.

 

The bird that had just tapped the window had precisely that Spell cast upon it. This was to enable it to recognize its Master’s location or understand the coordinates of where it needed to fly to.

 

In other words, it was a messenger bird.

 

“A bit late.”

 

As the Knight who had taken in the messenger bird that flew through the pouring rain entered the reception room, the person who had just sat down with a cup of tea said this.

 

Whatever worries had kept him up all night, he seemed to have fallen asleep at dawn. Having just washed, his blue-silver hair was not yet properly dried and still retained moisture.

 

He had not included a single attendant or maid among the retinue for this journey. The Knight initially could not understand why His Highness had not brought servants, but now he had an idea. It was probably because he planned to roam freely around the Royal Palace of Cyries without anyone’s interference.

 

Knight Taillan, who had been briefly looking at His Highness’ hair that had been suddenly cut short one day, answered.

 

“It seems the arrival was delayed due to the poor weather.”

 

Indeed, it was not good weather for birds to fly. They too had been briefly held up on their way back to Secritia because of the rain that had been falling since the previous night.

 

“That’s true.”

 

As Chase answered thus and extended his hand, Taillan handed over the letter that had been tied to the messenger bird’s leg. Soon, Chase read through the contents of the letter with his violet eyes and burned the note in the flame of the scented candle on the table.

 

Midday Reaper, Wolf Hunter, left nest. Direction of Baby Griffin or Viper Den. Dropped 40 Rats. No Rat tracks.

 

That was Euria, who could summon dark storm clouds at any time to pronounce death. Arsene, who massacred the Warriors of the Great Dunes that he had clashed with while traversing the desert with her. These were nicknames that the spies of Secritia had given them with their own form of respect, and he had not expected those names to be contained in this note.

 

So, this note meant that Euria and Arsene had left Cyriesus and were heading toward Gray Beurisen’s Territory or in the direction of Tansyll, killing forty of ‘their’ subordinates along the way, and had not found any other clues that could identify the organization ‘they’ belonged to.

 

“They killed them all.”

 

Chase’s eyes, which were always gentle, sank with a cold light.

 

The birds of Secritia were currently conducting an investigation into that organization. They should have sent the results of pursuing their remnants, but instead sent word that it had been thwarted by Euria’s intervention.

 

A quiet voice that did not match the cold atmosphere flowed out.

 

“Those guys seem to be bigger than expected. The Mages are as strong as expected.”

 

Chase did not know that Euria was investigating the black pebble. So he could not know why that organization had clashed with Euria either. He was just slightly surprised that they could command as many as forty subordinates, and nodded at the news that two Mages had killed all forty of those who might have been using such unknown powers.

 

He had direct experience with the power of Mages.

 

“It’s a tail we barely caught, but we’ve lost it.”

 

And then he spoke with some regret.

 

He had heard that the organization’s subordinates were heading somewhere and had been pursuing them. But now he had received news that they had all been killed by just two Mages and there were no other clues…

 

Chase, who had been tapping the table with his fingertips while looking down with his deep violet eyes, spoke to Taillan.

 

“Tell them not to pursue the Enclave Head and to return to the Capital to investigate if there are any other clues. If they’re not careful, my birds might also get hurt by their hands.”

 

“Understood, Your Highness.”

 

Taillan, who had answered thus, remained standing. Since Taillan usually stepped back after finishing what he had to say to guard Chase’s back or went outside, Chase took a sip of tea, set it down, and spoke.

 

“Speak.”

 

“The birds in Cyriesus have greatly decreased in number. What are you planning to do?”

 

Taillan described it as ‘greatly’. Though, it was a fact that the spies planted in Cyriesus had been reduced to less than half.

 

It was the result of Taillan’s sword swinging on Chase’s orders.

 

All the birds that showed even slightly suspicious circumstances and caught Chase’s eye had died by Taillan’s hand. He had killed them all mercilessly, distinguishing them without letting even the slightest doubt pass.

 

That was precisely why Taillan was not with them when Kalian sought Chase or when Plants met with Chase. He had eliminated all the birds that had escaped the cage before they could even know what existed outside the cage.

 

Chase, who had personally taken the lives of the birds he had raised with his own hands, exhaled quietly and answered.

 

“I’m not planning to increase them right away.”

 

Since the King of Cyries now knew how many spies Secritia had, there would be difficulties in immediately replenishing their numbers. However, Chase had fully considered that there would be a significant impact when he killed the birds. So, there was no need to regret it now.

 

“Prepare so we can send them once we return.”

 

“Yes. I will do so.”

 

As Taillan said this, his foot stepped back. Chase’s eyes, which had been slightly bowed toward the teacup, followed the tip of that foot.

 

A voice as cold as his earlier gaze followed.

 

“I would prefer that His Majesty not be informed of what happened here.”

 

A voice that clearly conveyed the meaning that if refused, Taillan too would be discarded. Though spoken in a calm tone, it was an order that Taillan could never disobey.

 

Even knowing he had no choice but to comply, instead of answering that he understood, Taillan quietly opened his mouth.

 

“…I’m curious about the reason. Could you not tell me just that?”

 

Arbitrarily changing what the spies in Cyriesus were investigating, arbitrarily moving the spies, changing hideouts, revealing the existence of spies to the King of Cyries, and killing the spies to eliminate potential traitors.

 

Things that Debeullan would never forgive if he knew.

 

About helping a Prince of Cyries to such an extent, knowing this better than anyone else, going to such extremes.

 

Even without asking for any compensation in return.

 

Chase’s head lifted toward Taillan who stood beside him. Looking at Taillan with eyes that held deep forests swaying in a gentle breeze, Chase quietly answered.

 

“Just. It felt like finding a lost younger brother.”

 

An unbelievable truth. A truth harder to believe than a lie. Therefore, a truth that would never be suspected.

 

It was an answer that was purely truth, but Taillan, who could never know it was the truth, looked at Chase’s face. His expression suggested he thought Chase must have had quite a good first impression of the Third Prince of Cyries.

 

Wasn’t the Third Prince someone who lacked nothing to ascend to the throne?

 

So, he must have helped him like that for the sake of future relations between the two countries.

 

“Understood. I will keep silent to His Majesty.”

 

To Taillan’s answer, who had made his own judgment and moved on, Chase, who had been sitting silently for a long time, smiled with his rain-soaked face.

 

The scent of mint rising from the teacup brushed his nose.

 

* * *

 

As expected, he got caught in the rain.

 

With each step toward Heisia Palace, with each step closer to where the Arcus Tempus was, he got caught in a little more rain.

 

He knew it would rain and brought an umbrella to block the rain, but Kalian could not avoid the rain that poured down as if driving him forward. So, in the end, he got caught in the rain.

 

[‘On the path my mother had chosen to tread with such effort… Has there been any other ending than that?’] (Chap 76)

 

It was sudden. Really sudden.

 

The words of Plants, who was following behind, came to mind. Whether it was because his feet were heading toward Heisia Palace or because of other thoughts, Kalian could not know. He just remembered.

 

If Kalian had not taken Plants’ hand that day, or if Plants had not come looking for Kalian, today’s events would never have happened. That might be why it came to mind, Kalian thought.

 

The words that had suddenly come to mind became the beginning. With each step closer to Heisia Palace, one phrase at a time. The words that bastard had said traveled back through time.

 

[‘You do remember.’]

 

Human steps always have an end.

 

Kalian’s steps were the same. Both the steps retracing the past and the steps heading toward Heisia Palace stopped.

 

Looking back briefly, he saw a water-soaked pea.

 

Plants, who had followed behind Kalian, was no different. Since he had ultimately walked the same path, it was natural. Plants too had been caught in the same rain. What thoughts he might have had while getting soaked, Kalian did not know.

 

Kalian, who had been looking at Plants, moved his feet again. He stepped down the stairs one by one. Toward the room where the window had been kept closed.

 

[‘You. Who are you?’]

 

And retracing these emerging words, Kalian quietly sank toward his own depths.

 

The sound of rain grew distant, and only the footsteps of the two Princes echoed quietly in the suffocating silence.

 

Kalian just left his dripping wet hair and clothes as they were. He did not think to show unnecessary kindness to Plants.

 

[‘Right. I should call you. By name.’]

 

Because it was overwhelming enough to recall on his own a name that ultimately no one would call completely and that would not remain completely in anyone’s memory.

 

*Tap.*

 

That room.

 

Kalian, who had arrived in front of that room where hidden things were concealed again, stopped his feet. Then he turned around.

 

Plants’ face, who had been following behind Kalian, was visible up close. Looking into those light green eyes, Kalian opened his mouth.

 

“For the last time…”

 

A voice that had changed as much as it had drawn closer to Bern.

 

A voice flowed out that was heavy enough to be burdensome, painful enough to want to let go, and hurtful enough to want to turn away from.

 

“I will ask for the last time.”

 

Just as Chase had.

 

If the way to recover memories was to face the Arcus Tempus, then Plants too.

 

“You might end up remembering.”

 

Something even Kalian could not know.

 

The reason why Plants, who hated taking things, had become broken enough to wage war to take something from someone else. Or the reason he was desperate enough to have to take something. Perhaps he might remember that.

 

Plants’ eyes narrowed.

 

Seeing this, Kalian continued speaking.

 

“If you face what’s inside there, you too might remember things from the ‘past.’ Even if not immediately, you might someday experience the same nightmare. You might recall things that even I cannot know.”

 

Hearing these words, Plants vaguely understood how Chase had come to know Kalian’s true nature. Though not certain, he understood that Kalian was saying this now because he thought Chase too had encountered something inside and had thereby gained those old memories.

 

Plants looked directly into Kalian’s face.

 

Looking quietly at Kalian, whose expression was difficult to describe with just the words heavy, painful, and hurtful, he answered.

 

“Open it. I’ll watch with you.”

 

Kalian closed his mouth briefly.

 

[Would I have the confidence not to treat Plants as an enemy if his memories returned, just as I had briefly treated Chase as my older brother when his memories returned?] Kalian pondered this one last time.

 

Then he turned around again and showed his back to Plants.

 

“Fine.”

 

That was both the answer to his pondering and Kalian’s decision.

 

Whether from others or from shadows of the past, he just needed to protect. There was nothing difficult about it. He finished his thoughts that way.

 

*Grrrr…*

 

With a small sound, the door finally opened.