Chapter 173, My People (1)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

A fragrance rose from the transparent purple lavender tea.

 

Though Plants had never seen one before, he thought that the flower called lavender would probably have the same color as this tea.

 

‘I thought it might help calm your mind, so I prepared this, Your Majesty.’

 

This was the tea that Grand Chamberlain Raul had set down with these words after hearing that Kalian had arbitrarily left the palace. He did not know how much help this flower called lavender would be for peace of mind, but he was showing consideration in his own way.

 

Whether it was because of the tea’s color or because the fragrance was unexpectedly rich, even that scent felt purple to him. So Plants had been looking down at the purple tea in the white cup for quite some time.

 

[The act of a flower that would no longer wither nor bloom dyeing other things might seem quite beautiful to an older brother of mine.]

 

“What are you looking at so intently without even trying a sip?”

 

No matter how much interest one showed, awareness did not always grow accordingly, so Rmain could not gauge why his second son was not touching the teacup. Instead, he seemed curious about why he was staring so intently at the teacup.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

So, Plants answered only like this.

 

He knew it was an answer that didn’t match the question, but he couldn’t explain why he was just staring at the tea, nor could he drink it.

 

Thinking that if he kept looking down at the tea any longer, he would be urged once more to drink it, Plants quietly turned his head to look out the window. It felt like he could still hear the sound of Raven’s hooves that he had heard at Chermil Palace.

 

[…Crazy bastard.]

 

Of course, it was not directed at Rmain.

 

It was because he thought of a certain crazy bastard who had mounted that Raven and left the palace without a word.

 

That crazy bastard would never have allowed a tea with flowers to be placed in front of Plants. Whatever color the flower was, whatever fragrance it gave off, he would know what Plants would think of when faced with a fragrant flower.

 

Yet a little while ago, that crazy bastard could not even bring himself to say ‘I’m going to save Arsene.’ He knew that if he opened his mouth, he might end up saying those words about saving Arsene, so he could not even ask for help with the aftermath and just left.

 

Removing ‘flowers’ from Plants’ presence.

 

Rushing out to save Arsene.

 

How could one stand and endure such a contradiction without going mad? So that crazy bastard of unknown age who says his name was ‘Kalian’, was definitely crazy.

 

[Crazy Kalian.]

 

“By the way, even if Count Manasil went with him, I can’t help but worry.”

 

Rmain drew Plants’ attention back with these words.

 

When Plants had come to see Rmain a little while ago, Rmain hadn’t been particularly surprised to see Plants’ light attire. This was because he had guessed what Plants had come to tell him in such haste.

 

According to Rmain, he had been having a long discussion with Allan about increasing Valkan’s personnel when the sound of horse hooves came through the open window. Wondering who would be riding a horse inside the Royal Palace at this hour, the hoofbeats stopped in front of Arpia Palace.

 

After that, there was no sound for a while, but out of nowhere Allan got up and said something that meant roughly ‘I have somewhere to go with Prince Kalian, so finish the remaining work alone, Your Majesty,’ and just left.

 

And a little later, Plants had come to visit.

 

“It will be fine.”

 

It was a somewhat blunt answer, but it was Plants’ best effort. He had never comforted anyone before, so it could not be helped.

 

“Allan Manasil is a capable Mage, isn’t he?”

 

After a brief pause, Plants added this instead of saying ‘Allan Manasil is a capable father.’

 

Allan would naturally have known that the one who came on horseback was Kalian. Having rushed over and standing in front of Arpia Palace without entering, the meaning was obvious, wasn’t it? Since Allan had been called out to go with him like that, there would be no chance of Kalian getting hurt.

 

Because even if the sky collapsed and the earth split right now, Allan would somehow protect Kalian well on his own.

 

“Yes. I know it’s excessive worry.”

 

Rmain, who had been speaking like that, made a face as if he had suddenly remembered something. Wasn’t it his second son who was in front of him now, not Allan, Grand Chamberlain Raul, or Knight Captain Ren? So, he felt that he might have talked too much about Kalian.

 

“Plants. Please don’t feel hurt that I seem to particularly cherish the Third Prince.”

 

Once he started speaking, it truly sounded like an excuse.

 

Rmain, who had briefly chosen his words to explain without misunderstanding, opened his mouth again.

 

“That endlessly quiet child changed so drastically overnight and has been giving me all sorts of worries, so there are many times when I don’t know how to deal with it.”

 

Plants just nodded slightly without answering. Seeing such a Plants, Rmain continued speaking.

 

“But because humans are so contradictory, I also find myself pleased by it.”

 

He was pleased with the present rather than the speechless, weak, timid, always intimidated appearance.

 

[Such, words…]

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

Plants, who had interrupted Rmain’s words, quietly closed his eyes.

 

While the old Kalian’s endless quietness had been entirely his own fault, becoming ‘like that’ had been both of their faults. Even if he could not reveal the truth, Rmain should not have said he was pleased about it. It might be something he could say because he did not know the truth, but even so, Rmain absolutely should not have said such a thing.

 

So, Plants spoke as if making a request.

 

“Please do not be pleased about it.”

 

Rmain looked at such Plants for a moment.

 

He understood those words as something like ‘Kalian causes too many incidents to be pleased about’ and nodded his head in response.

 

“Alright. I won’t think of it that way.”

 

Plants did not say anything more about it. Instead, he opened his eyes again to look at Rmain and said,

 

“I came in haste, leaving behind work I should be doing. May I have permission to leave now?”

 

Though it was something he said to get away from this place, it was not a false excuse. Having conveyed the message not to send Knights to follow Kalian, he had one more thing to do. It was to call Hina and send her toward the outer fortress gate in the direction of the Teleportation Magic Circle.

 

No matter how fast Raven was, even running at full speed, it would take a full hour to reach where the Teleportation Magic Circle was located outside the Royal Palace’s outer fortress.

 

Though he did not know when the ‘people’ Chase mentioned would attack Arsene, if the timing did not match, there was a high probability that either Arsene or Euria would return injured. Since they were the ones who had driven a Sword Master who was a Prince of a nation to the brink of death, those ‘people’ might be those that the two could not handle with their status and military power.

 

“Yes, go ahead.”

 

Plants, who had heard the permission, quietly rose from his seat, bowed, and went outside.

 

Rmain, who remained in the now-quiet office looking at the purple tea that had not been touched with even a sip, let out a long, deep sigh.

 

It was because he now realized he had acted foolishly again.

 

* * *

 

The Mage’s eyes were soaked with fear.

 

Kalian, who was bothered enough to wake up the Mage, made a face as if he had forgotten something for a moment. Then he began examining the corpses of the one whose neck had been cut off by his hand and the one who had died to Arsene. His hands and face showed no hesitation as he checked the corpses’ belongings. He didn’t care at all whether blood that had not yet hardened was flowing or whether their blood stained his white hands.

 

The Mage’s wounds had healed.

 

He still had Mana and a dagger. But the Mage could only watch Kalian’s actions without thinking of doing anything else.

 

“As expected.”

 

After a while, Kalian said this. It was because, as he had thought, nothing came from the corpses of these bastards.

 

Soon Kalian returned to the Mage and, meeting the Mage’s eyes, smiled once more. A chilling voice flowed out that did not match at all with the flawless, pretty smile.

 

“I thought you might not know much, but I told them to keep you alive just in case.”

 

It gave him chills.

 

He had met many bastards who smiled deliberately to intimidate their captives. But this was different.

 

The Mage had not properly seen Kalian fighting. He had been knocked unconscious by Arsene and when he opened his eyes, this was his current situation. Nevertheless, he was afraid.

 

*Step*

 

Kalian took one more step toward the Mage.

 

The Mage flinched and instinctively tried to back away, but it was impossible. Like a frog that had met eyes with a viper with its mouth wide open, the moment he saw those red eyes, his entire body stiffened and would not move.

 

The Mage was also a Warrior of the Great Dunes. Though not comparable to Kalian in skill, he too knew how to cast Spells and wield a dagger. Moreover, despite having power that Kalian could not use, he had no thought of getting back up.

 

*Rustle!*

 

The sound of jacket hem brushing the floor was heard. Kalian’s face came close. Kalian, who had slightly bent his knees to meet the Mage’s eyes, casted Silent and opened his mouth.

 

“If you’re thinking of speaking first, I’ll listen.”

 

Kalian did not mention with his own mouth what it was about. He was urging the Mage to figure it out himself and bring out information that would be helpful to Kalian.

 

The Mage did not answer and Kalian did not wait.

 

*Swish!*

 

A short red dagger made of Aura that had appeared in his hand made a sound cutting through the air. Along with it came terrible pain. Incomparable to being pierced through the shoulder earlier, a horrific painful sensation tore through his mind.

 

A scream burst out involuntarily.

 

Kalian’s quickly extended hand covered the Mage’s mouth. The strong pressure from that slender hand, unbelievable for what it was, blocked the Mage’s screaming. Kalian brought the index finger of his other hand to his lips as if telling him to be quiet and said in a low voice,

 

“Don’t scream, just speak. It’s not a difficult thing to understand, right?”

 

Forcibly extracting secrets made him sick to his stomach. So, he had not laid hands on those he had met before. Even knowing it was not his strength, even knowing it would get more dangerous for him, he had done so.

 

“I actually don’t like this kind of work. So, I just killed all the bastards who came last time. Because I didn’t want to do it.”

 

Because he neither wanted to do it himself nor wanted to order someone else to do it.

 

*Stab!*

 

The blade touched the end of the wound that had begun to heal once more. Looking at the Mage struggling to escape from his grip, Kalian continued speaking calmly.

 

“If you had just touched me and left quietly, I would not have done this.”

 

And then, he gripped the knife once more.

 

It was without even giving the Mage time to come to his senses and give a proper answer.

 

Something dark red that was hard to distinguish whether it was Aura or the Mage’s blood dripped down the short blade to the floor.

 

“But you shouldn’t have touched my people.”

 

A Warrior of the Great Dunes with the power of healing.

 

And the Third Prince of Cyries who had come to know better than anyone which places hurt the most when torn up.

 

It did not take very long to determine the winner.