Chapter 191, About Raising a Dog (5)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

Even the sound of tongue-clicking made his head ring.

 

They said that once one reach the Sixth-Circle, they could drink without getting drunk, but most of Valkan’s Mages were Fourth-Circle, with only a few at the Fifth-Circle.

 

Unfortunately, Arsene, who had crossed the barrier to become a Fifth-Circle Mage but had not yet opened his next Circle, had not reached the level where he could drink without getting intoxicated.

 

Thanks to that, after drinking one glass and one sip of liquor mixed with all sorts of spirits, he had passed out and slept straight through. Perhaps he had passed out rather than slept soundly, but what meaning was there in distinguishing between the two?

 

In any case, Arsene did not remember when Kyrie had left Allan’s house. He had no idea that Kyrie, who had been in a very conflicted state of mind about being held and confided in, had contemplated whether or not to snap Arsene’s neck, nor did he know that Kyrie had thrown him onto the sofa like discarded luggage.

 

“You really are something.”

 

And naturally, he had no idea how much those bottles of alcohol cost, which he had boldly opened and mixed together.

 

Of course, Allan still did not know that Kalian had told Arsene his secret. If he had known, he would have at least offered something to cure the hangover before scolding him.

 

So, Arsene planned to explain what had happened, complain about Allan having hidden the truth all this time, and then confidently escape from Allan’s house.

 

The problem was that among the mixed bottles was a supreme Secritia-produced Basilica that Allan had treasured, pretending not to notice even when Sleiman had been eyeing it, saving it to open and enjoy intimately with Kalian on a day when he would drink. Furthermore, since it was over forty years old, it was certain to have an absolutely heavenly flavor!

 

“This is irreplaceable, so what are you going to do about this?”

 

The value was far too enormous for Arsene to boldly state the reason for his mistake. Moreover, since it was something Allan had intended to drink with none other than Kalian, he found himself completely speechless.

 

While enduring the spinning sensation in his head and the churning in his stomach from the hangover, Arsene opened his mouth.

 

“In my opinion, Your Highness will not drink alcohol, Commander.”

 

And with this kind of answer, which was the best he could think of, he made Allan even angrier. Seeing this, Arsene quickly spoke again.

 

“No. I will somehow obtain it.”

 

“Are you planning to raid Debeullan’s wine cellar?”

 

There were two bottles on the entire continent.

 

One in Allan’s house, and one in Debeullan’s wine cellar.

 

“Should I raid it?”

 

Arsene asked back with a fairly serious expression. After all, wasn’t this the same Arsene who had only caused trouble within manageable limits? If he had caused a problem, he had to solve it.

 

“If I use the Teleportation Magic Circle to go to Siegfried Territory, Secritia is just next door, Commander.”

 

So without even considering what it meant to raid the King’s exclusive wine cellar located deep within Secritia Palace, he simply said that it would not take much time to go and return.

 

Looking at this crazy Mage, who might be displaying confidence or arrogance or perhaps just complete recklessness, Allan made an expression of utter exasperation.

 

“Stop talking nonsense. Just leave it since it is done.”

 

Although it did not carry much meaning, it seemed that it would not be particularly pleasant for Kalian to drink the same liquor that Debeullan possessed, so Allan thought it might actually be better this way.

 

With a generous heart having prevented a deterioration in relations between the two kingdoms, Allan looked at Arsene’s disheveled appearance, who seemed to be a few years older than himself, and clicked his tongue once more.

 

“If His Highness learns that you caused such trouble without thinking ahead because of alcohol, he would be quite pleased. Why on earth did you do it?”

 

How quickly he asked.

 

After pouring and downing about three glasses of water from the table, Arsene conveyed what he had heard from Kalian the previous night.

 

[So, His Highness had been caught again. And not by anyone else, but he had told Arsene everything…]

 

Looking at Arsene’s condition, there seemed to be no particular problem, but in any case, once again everything had been fluttering revealed without fail.

 

Allan’s sharp eye corners curved gently.

 

“…I should just deal with this guy.”

 

Whether or not Allan noticed that Arsene’s shoulders had stiffened due to the killing intent that had momentarily flowed out and disappeared, Allan turned his head toward Arsene and said.

 

“Anyway, clean up the house properly and do not come to the palace today, just rest. I will go meet His Highness.”

 

[I really must teach him a lesson.]

 

[No matter what happens, I will definitely teach him a lesson!]

 

* * *

 

But what nonsense Allan stating?

 

“Master!”

 

The one who extracted the secret was at fault.

 

The one whose secret was discovered bears no blame.

 

Even so, if someone seemed to want to hide something, one should know when to turn a blind eye and pass over it appropriately, and even if one knew, one should have pretended not to know, acted as if one had not seen even if one saw, behaved tactfully as if one had heard nothing. What had that fellow done so well in the past to dare tell his lovely Disciple to his face whether or not to reveal the truth?

 

Upon seeing Kalian’s bright smile that was as warm as spring breeze and as sparkling as winter frost, Allan’s anger melted away unknowingly. However, he collected himself, thinking that he could not praise the fact that the secret had been discovered.

 

“Please tell me the next person on the list. I will go ahead and eliminate them.”

 

Still, it seemed like he used to at least pretend to scold in the past, but now he could not even do that.

 

He had asked for a list of people to tell, and Kalian was actually making a list and informing him. But how could there be any place in this world to teach his precious one and only Disciple, who listened so well to his Master’s words, a lesson? This child who was precious enough that even just embracing and patting him gently to help him grow well might result in some mishap.

 

So, would it not be simpler to just eliminate the next person on the list so that his lovely Disciple would not have to suffer mentally?

 

“There are not many people left who do not know, so would it not really be a problem if more people find out now?”

 

“So, who?”

 

“I will be careful.”

 

Kalian, who said this, smiled brightly. Just in case, he added a request not to eliminate Euria, Dmirea, or Rmain.

 

In the end, a sigh of resignation escaped.

 

Kalian, who now understood better than anyone that this was a sign of forgiveness, smiled happily. He paid no attention to the room’s owner, who was sitting far across from them making an expression that said he really could not stand this.

 

Plants, who had been eating a bite of the excellent dish made by wrapping boiled chicken breast and sliced avocado inside cucumbers that had been lightly pickled in apple vinegar and cut lengthwise, continued his meal silently while thinking that he did not know whether what he wanted to spit out was the cucumber or a curse. He could not even remember how the three of them had ended up eating lunch together, when he had roughly finished Knight Order work and returned, Allan was already seated there far too naturally.

 

Kalian asked Allan, who was putting thick bacon topped with softly grilled onions into his mouth.

 

“Is Lord Hertz all right? I heard he could not even come to the palace.”

 

Kalian had heard through Plants that Arsene had not come to the Royal Palace.

 

The previous night, for the first time, Kyrie had refrained from conveying the details. Therefore, Kalian had not heard what conversation had passed between the two, other than that Arsene had committed the outrageous act of completely ruining all of Allan’s alcohol and had fallen asleep while drinking.

 

Allan, who leisurely chewed and swallowed what was in his mouth, answered.

 

“That man is fine, so do not worry and look into your own condition instead. Your Highness’s insides must have been turned upside down as well.”

 

He did not know if Allan had any capacity left to care about Arsene’s condition, but in any case, shouldn’t Allan be concerned about Kalian’s condition, since Kalian was the one worrying about everyone in Cyries Palace?

 

“Is that not right, Prince Plants?”

 

Then he suddenly called out to Plants like this.

 

Whether it was his own discomfort rising or Plants’s discomfort rising, since they kept eating together, Allan had wondered if they might have become a bit closer, but observing them, nothing seemed particularly different. So, Allan was trying to speak to Plants a bit.

 

Plants, who had been eating without saying a word because he felt like the new stepfather of his younger sibling was eating with his younger sibling while he was stuck there, in a situation where this was his own room, took a sip of the apple sparkling water placed beside him without giving any particular answer.

 

“Ah, today they are both noisy.”

 

Whether Plants understood Allan’s intention or not, Kalian brought Allan’s attention back with these words. It meant that Kalian had his own matters and Plants had his own matters, so Allan should leave Plants alone.

 

Allan, who understood Kalian’s words appropriately, frowned and said.

 

“Anyway, there is nothing good to find in him other than having given birth to the Princes.”

 

It was said while thinking of Rmain.

 

Whatever had happened, was not Plants’s noisy state of mind unconditionally Rmain’s fault? Therefore, while saying this and clicking his tongue, Allan put down his fork and knife.

 

As he looked ready to rush out and harass Rmain again right away, Kalian smiled slightly and said.

 

“Master, if you have time, please help me for a moment. If you are busy, you can go.”

 

Allan would make time even if it meant grabbing Serenty by the collar to stop time or holding onto that sun. Moreover, how could he refuse when Kalian was asking for help? Therefore, Allan nodded without even thinking about his schedule.

 

“Please tell me. I will help you.”

 

It seemed like there was something he needed to meet Rmain about in the afternoon, but whether Rmain waited or not.

 

* * *

 

Three cups of moderately sweet milk tea were placed on the table between the sofas.

 

While Kalian smiled slightly, remembering Hina who had called a horse the same color as light milk tea, platinum, Allan, who was looking at what Kalian had spread out, rubbed his temples.

 

“Is the matter requiring information on Tansyll’s Crown Prince different from this?”

 

“Yes. I need information on Tansyll’s Crown Prince because of older brother Randel, and this is my matter.”

 

The matter related to Zeon was indeed Kalian’s matter.

 

He was checking it a bit hastily because of Plants, and to be a bit more precise, it should be said that it was a matter connected to both Cyries and Secritia, but for now, it was something Kalian needed to verify.

 

Allan nodded and picked up one of the items placed on the table to examine it.

 

A drawing that depicted in considerable detail what Arcus Tempus originally looked like, and the characters that had been inscribed on that ring written down from memory. It was precisely the material Chase had sent.

 

Allan, who had been looking at it quietly, opened his mouth.

 

“Even if you understand the meaning of the characters carved on the stone, would anything change?”

 

It was a question asking whether it would truly help in finding Zeon’s origins even if Kalian confirmed the letters inscribed on Arcus Tempus and somehow figured out their meaning.

 

“If they had only touched the birds, I would have thought so too, but they also went after the Enclave Head at first. I mean the letters that were on the cave wall, not the characters carved on the stone.”

 

He meant that he would try to read the content on the paper attached to the cave wall, which was the same as what was carved on the stone.

 

However, decoding letters was not an ordinary task. It was not something that could be figured out by merely comparing three pieces of information, but required much more extensive information and knowledge to perhaps understand the meaning of one or two characters at most.

 

“Would it not be too difficult a task?”

 

“That is why I have postponed trying to read it for now.”

 

He readily acknowledged this with a fairly light tone and nodded. Then he looked at Plants sitting in front of him and said.

 

“I asked to borrow a smart head, and as expected, my smart older brother smartly found something well.”

 

“Keep barking.”

 

Plants became irritated at that word ‘smart’, which had been repeated since the previous day.

 

Whether he did or not, Kalian pointed to the characters inscribed on the Arcus Tempus and said.

 

“If you look at the letters here, there are small dots, and if you think these are not part of the letters but rather different marks.”

 

A ring of considerably large size. Characters the size of fingernails that had been written on that ring. Kalian pointed to several of them in sequence and continued his explanation.

 

“There are letters with dots marked in the same position, and if you gather them, there is one common stroke each. So, I wondered if these letters with dots might have some other meaning and extracted only the overlapping parts.”

 

Having said this much, Kalian wrote something with his finger on the table. Dark red Aura flowing slightly from his fingertips created a character.

 

“Something interesting came out.”

 

A character no longer used and thus passed down only within the Secritia Royal Family on this continent.

 

Kalian opened his mouth with a smirk.

 

“It reads Zeon. And.”

 

Words unfamiliar to Allan.

 

But words that definitely remained in Kalian’s memory.

 

“It means King of Humans. I thought it might be a coincidence, but since it is written here too, I cannot ignore it.”

 

The big-eared race he never wanted to encounter again. Kalian, who was recalling what they had called him, concluded his words.

 

“Did Your Highness perhaps treat the Elves very harshly? It seems I will need to meet them once, at least the Elf Elder.”

 

Or that Mother Tree that they liked so much.