Chapter 169, What One Can Handle (3)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

“Any contact?”

 

Kalian, who had gotten off the small carriage moving within the Royal Palace, asked Merlin, the maid who had come out to greet him.

 

The new Baron who had received the territory of the deceased Baron Howlpin, mentioned by Rmain at a recent meeting, had come to the Royal Palace to pay his respects. Although it held little significance within the Royal Palace, it was Sunday, a holiday, and it was rather late to enter the Royal Palace. However, following Rmain’s wish to proceed with this matter promptly, they had come at this time on this day.

 

Therefore, Kalian and Plants had also gone to Senu Hall for a brief meeting. After that, Kalian had met with Allan and had just arrived at Chermil Palace.

 

“There was none, Your Highness.”

 

“I see. Thank you.”

 

Kalian nodded with no particular reaction and moved his feet. He knew it would be best not to show more signs of worry about the lack of contact from Arsene.

 

[‘The construction of the Teleportation Magic Circle has already been completed. There is no particular news from the Arcane Enclave either.’]

 

Allan’s words lingered in his mind.

 

The construction of the Teleportation Magic Circle had not been delayed. And that even the branch of the Arcane Enclave in the territory where Gray Beurisen was located had not reported any other developments, even if something had happened there.

 

[He’s not someone who would miss a promised deadline.]

 

This was Arsene they were talking about, after all.

 

Such an Arsene was not keeping to the deadline without a word. Kalian’s gaze quietly turned toward his feet as he climbed the stairs toward the third floor.

 

Excluding Allan, the two strongest Mages in Cyries were together. So it would be right to think that they would naturally take care of themselves and come, but Kalian alone could not think that way.

 

Among ‘them’ was someone who had driven Kalian to the brink of death. Because of that, no matter how capable those two were, his mind could not be at ease.

 

[If I had known this would happen, I should have sent them a communication ring.]

 

As Kalian briefly had this regretful thought, he unconsciously chuckled.

 

He found it amusing that he was genuinely worrying about none other than that Arsene Hertz.

 

Having reached the third floor and standing in front of his room, Kalian stopped Ian’s action of raising his hand to open the door. He then turned his head toward Ian, smiled, and said:

 

“No. I’ll just be alone.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness. Please don’t worry too much. It will be fine.”

 

Kalian only nodded, and Ian bowed slightly before moving back toward the stairs and walking away.

 

*Click*

 

Kalian, who had briefly watched Ian’s retreating figure, entered the room and went back out to the terrace without even turning on the lights.

 

He could feel the wind holding onto the tail end of spring, but there was no time to leisurely appreciate it. He had not come out to organize his thoughts.

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

So, he simply asked this.

 

Directed toward the pale emerald-colored back of the head sitting in a terrace chair with an utterly leisurely attitude, unlike himself.

 

When sitting in the carriage entering Chermil Palace, he had already recognized that pea-like head over the third-floor terrace railing. Since it was a dark night, only Kalian with his exceptional eyesight had seen it. That was why he had dismissed Ian and entered the room alone.

 

To Kalian’s question, Plants, who had been sitting motionlessly with eyes closed, quietly opened his eyes and delivered his answer in a low voice.

 

“To play as a messenger bird.”

 

Kalian’s eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing those words.

 

There was no need to ask who might use Plants as a messenger bird.

 

* * *

 

*Drip drip drip…*

 

The sound of water droplets flowing down from the ceiling and hitting the floor echoed off the walls. It was that quiet.

 

Part of the reason was that they were currently in a rock cave in the forest, but more than that, it was because of who had opened their mouths inside.

 

As only the sound of dripping water continued to spread for quite a while, a chilling voice broke through the silence.

 

“You should have gone when I told you to go quietly.”

 

The person next to him said.

 

“I think it would be better if you endured just once more today, Enclave Head.”

 

Of course, these were naturally Euria and Arsene, who had been fine without incident, or more precisely, had been fine without incident until now.

 

Arsene, who had spoken words to stop Euria, opened his mouth again.

 

“Isn’t the situation not good for catching them?”

 

“Since when do Mages catch people based on the situation?”

 

“I’ve always considered it, Enclave Head.”

 

To explain why these two Mages were having such leisurely conversation in a forest cave, one would need to go back in time a little.

 

A few days ago, the day after Arsene had frozen the french fries.

 

Until then, their schedule had been very peaceful. Of course, Arsene’s mind was ‘very peaceful’ because of four glasses of beer, but it was not much of a problem.

 

After finishing their meal and spending time appropriately while touring various places, the two went to find Gray around evening when the sun was setting.

 

Gray, who had been burning with anxiety thinking he might have missed his last chance when Arsene, who was supposed to come that day, did not come even as the whole day passed. Since Arsene had carelessly said to give him time to think, he was so anxious his face had turned pale. In such a situation, not only Arsene but also the Arcane Enclave Head entered together, so Gray could not even think of mentioning other conditions and gave his answer that he would join hands with Arsene.

 

Arsene, having successfully carried out Kalian’s request, immediately went to the Arcane Enclave branch here and sent a messenger bird to Kalian.

 

Up to this point, there was no problem.

 

That night, Euria drank exactly one bottle of Himolika, and Arsene also drank exactly three glasses of beer. Gray’s subordinates did not chase after them either. So up to this point, there was no problem either.

 

The next day, after drinking moderately and eating. From the point when Euria was explaining that it was now Arsene’s turn to help with her work, that was when problems began to arise.

 

“If you go just one day from here, you’ll reach Clam Forest, and somewhere inside there was the last sighting.”

 

The scholar who claimed he could make Divine Artifacts. The place where he, who was written down as just ‘some scholar’ without even a name, was last discovered. That place was exactly in the Clam Forest, which was near the border.

 

Clam Forest was also where the Teleportation Magic Circle that Kalian was constructing in various places throughout Cyries was located. Since the Teleportation Magic Circle could not be built in a conspicuous location, it too had been built in the forest. Thanks to this, Euria was able to come all the way here using the Magic Circle as an excuse.

 

Arsene made a face as if he had heard something wrong and asked:

 

“You mean Clam Forest?”

 

“Yes, there.”

 

While Arsene usually understood Euria’s words well at once, this time was different. Arsene opened his mouth again with an expression that indicated repeated confirmation was necessary.

 

“You’re saying you want to find traces of someone who was last discovered somewhere in the forest?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“In that vast forest, a person who isn’t even alive now.”

 

“It’s a record from about 300 years ago, so if he were alive, would he be human?”

 

Arsene, who had been looking at Euria with eyes that seemed to say ‘are you human for only telling me this now?’ quickly regained his senses.

 

Seeing Arsene, Euria smiled and said.

 

“I helped you, so you have to repay me too.”

 

What Euria had done to help Arsene was nothing more than wandering around together all day and then meeting Gray to exchange a few words. Although this felt very unfair, a promise was a promise, wasn’t it? Therefore, Arsene had no choice but to nod. Anyway, he had done wrong by freezing the french fries, and Euria was someone who could fry Arsene instead of potatoes at any time.

 

So Arsene sent another messenger bird to Kalian with the content that ‘I plan to stop by Clam Forest with Euria, so I might be late.’ He definitely sent it.

 

After that, they came to the forest, and after struggling through the forest, it finally became Sunday.

 

Waking up to bird sounds in the early morning, Euria caught another wild chicken and roasted it golden brown before eating it, then yawned with satisfaction when something caught her eye.

 

“It’s a bird’s nest.”

 

As Euria said, a bird’s nest was built on a moderately high tree. Euria, who had been observing it intently, smiled toward Arsene.

 

“Let’s eat some eggs.”

 

“You mean bird eggs?”

 

Arsene did not touch even the common rabbits and deer, only hunting familiar chickens and pigs. Until now, he had only caught wild chickens and wild boars for a reason. Arsene had his own clear criteria for dividing ‘what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten.’ And within the criteria of what could be eaten, wild bird eggs were not included.

 

These were not chicken eggs or duck eggs, but bird eggs.

 

[How cute are baby birds, yet she wants to eat them!]

 

“Bird eggs won’t do, Enclave Head. When we return to Cyriesus, I’ll buy you lots of chicken eggs.”

 

[You readily kill people but can’t touch bird eggs?] Euria stared for a while at this Mage with his hard-to-understand delicate sensibilities, then chuckled and replied:

 

“Do as you like.”

 

Still feeling a little regretful, Euria looked back toward the tree and focused her eyes. Then she began to concentrate on examining the area behind the tree where the bird’s nest was.

 

“Something’s moving over there. Can you see it, kid?”

 

Euria, who had never even practiced vision enhancement Magic following her grandfather’s words to not believe anything unless she could see and hear it with her own eyes and ears. Therefore, Arsene stood up and checked that place on Euria’s behalf, then said.

 

“There seems to be something like a cave. But.”

 

Arsene, who had concentrated a bit more to see what was moving in front of that cave, added.

 

“···It seems we’ve been beaten to it by the ‘birds’.”

 

While they were happily catching chickens and debating whether to eat bird eggs, they had been beaten to it by Secritia’s spies.

 

Unlike Allan, Euria and Arsene could not always keep their field of vision expanded. They did not have that much Mana, nor did they have the mental strength to always maintain it. When they had briefly checked the vicinity before eating, there was no one nearby, but in the meantime, they had come that close and entered the cave first.

 

Euria, who only now realized that they were still being tailed by Secritia’s spies, smiled.

 

* * *

 

Euria went to the forest to find traces of the black pebble.

 

Secritia’s spies chased after ‘them.’

 

Euria killed ‘them’ who had been following her, and Secritia’s spies reported this fact to Chase.

 

Do not provoke the Mages and return to the nest.

 

After that, they received this reply from Chase.

 

It was an order meaning not to clash with Euria and Arsene and to return to Cyriesus.

 

However, the spies did not retreat.

 

Those who had struggled to chase this far had died in Euria’s hands overnight. But Euria also clearly seemed to be chasing after ‘them.’

 

[If we follow carefully, couldn’t we obtain other clues?]

 

So eventually they became greedy like this.

 

Of course, the spies knew well how dangerous Euria and Arsene were. So, they were really careful when following the two.

 

After a while, they saw Arsene sending a messenger bird from the Arcane Enclave branch established in Count’s Territory. A day later, a second messenger bird flew up.

 

They missed the first messenger bird, but they caught the second one.

 

Lord Seiren has something to confirm near the Teleportation Magic Circle. Since I plan to move together with her, our arrival in Cyriesus will likely be somewhat delayed.

 

Thus, the spies moved first to the location written in the second letter. They also sent advance contact to Chase in preparation for the possibility of encountering Euria during their investigation and dying.

 

An apology for disobeying orders and acting on their own, and writing where they would be heading.

 

After that, they succeeded in finding one suspicious cave whose entrance seemed to have been artificially closed, at a time slightly earlier than Euria.

 

The spies who approached the cave with quiet movements removed the vines blocking the cave entrance and the stones that had blocked the entrance, then entered inside.

 

The interior of the cave, illuminated by magic lamps, was not very large.

 

Going a little inside, they could see household items that had rotted or decayed beyond recognition scattered here and there. They also saw papers covered with unknown characters densely attached to cover all the walls.

 

Seeing that the papers were intact despite enough time passing for the household items to rot, the spies tensely began to thoroughly search their surroundings.

 

Just then, while they were looking around at this utterly unfamiliar sight.

 

“I told you to pass by, but here you are.”

 

Along with the soft sound of footsteps, a clear voice echoed through the cave and scattered.

 

It was the Midday Reaper.

 

Euria’s low, ominous voice pierced through like it was drilling into the birds’ ears.

 

“···You’re asking for death.”

 

Dark energy filled with a sinister aura began to spread and fill the cave.