Chapter 208, Please Bear With It, Master (5)

Translator: Lizzz

Editor: Hedge

 

Kalian was stubborn.

 

He takes after Chase in that regard.

 

To put it another way, Chase and Kalian’s stubbornness was roughly equal.

 

—I told you about what would happen in February next year. Do you remember?

 

That being the case, there was no way Chase could win against Plants’ stubbornness when even Kalian could not overcome it. In that sense, Plants’ stubbornness was remarkable. Though it was unclear where this Prince, who surely grew up without any particular need to be stubborn, learned such obstinacy, his stubbornness surely eclipsed the other two.

 

—There’s no way I wouldn’t remember.

 

At Plants’ response, showing he knew his own cleverness better than anyone, Chase smiled briefly before speaking.

 

—Yes. At that time, I said I had no involvement in that incident.

 

Chase had said a few times that he would talk if Kalian would first tell him exactly what happened to him and what Debeullan had done to Kalian. Because the details of how Debeullan met his death in the past contained somewhat inappropriate content to share directly with Plants, it seemed better to hear Kalian’s opinion first before conveying the story to Plants.

 

And Chase lost to Plants.

 

Not a single word got through, and no matter what Chase said, Plants simply wouldn’t listen. He kept saying the same thing until the end, ‘if you tell me first, then I’ll let you know too.’

 

Having grudgingly accepted that this would only waste time, Chase let out a sigh laden with resignation and revealed how his past self had been involved in Debeullan’s death.

 

Plants did not respond.

 

In the end, he offered no impressions whatsoever about the fact that Chase’s past was not pristine either.

 

Chase’s calm voice continued.

 

—But, many circumstances have changed from that time, and there are people present now who weren’t there then, so I’ve come to think that simply prohibiting the entry of Tansyll’s healers won’t lead to the same future.

 

Marquis Lyn was now prohibiting entry not just for Tansyll’s healers but for all people of the Tansyll nationality. Because he was taking such a hardline stance, Debeullan had to come up with his next move.

 

—Does the King of Secritia know about Hina?

 

According to Kalian, the ‘truly clever’ Plants immediately identified the connection between Debeullan and Kalian after hearing what Chase said. This was despite Chase having only observed how Kalian usually treated Hina and never having told Plants anything about her.

 

—It would be strange if he didn’t know. He’s an extremely suspicious person.

 

Chase was not particularly surprised by Plants’ response mentioning Hina and immediately provided an answer. Having already experienced Plants’ thought processes several times, there was no reason to be surprised.

 

—If you had called for brother Randel, I would have sent him readily. How regrettable.

 

But Chase was surprised by this statement.

 

He was surprised that Randel could exercise the power of healing, surprised that Plants casually mentioned another piece of top-secret information following the matter about Valkan, and surprised by Plants’ attitude of valuing Randel so generously that he could say he would send him readily.

 

—You’re truly extraordinary in many ways, Prince Plants.

 

—It just happened that way.

 

It just happened that he came to possess intelligence and perception difficult to express in a few words. It just happened that he came to not value Cyries’ secrets so preciously, and it just happened that his relationship with Randel had grown extremely distant.

 

For a moment, Chase let out a soft laugh, thinking about how he had somehow ended up in a position to converse amicably with such a Plants.

 

—But if Hina were involved, my little brother would have absolutely refused to go without even being told. I don’t understand why you had to stir things up.

 

Another reproach followed.

 

It meant, ‘Even if you hadn’t said anything, he would have handled things well on his own, so why did you have to speak up and make my younger brother return half-dead?’

 

To that, Chase answered with words he had learned well from Plants as an appropriate response.

 

—It just happened that way.

 

—Are you saying it wasn’t your intention?

 

Perhaps because there was no need to speak, Plants was quite talkative now. And his words were all on point.

 

Having roughly grasped the situation up to this point, Plants took a sip of the cold strawberry tea. From the strawberry tea brewed so lightly that it showed a distinctly different color from what Kalian had drunk and what had been set down for Allan, a very subtle strawberry scent rose.

 

Plants explained about Debeullan’s letter without bothering to swallow it, since he had heard everything Chase had to say.

 

—So my little brother went to catch the Mage after handing me this ring. And I’m in the middle of confirming the situation with my little brother’s former older brother.

 

Like this, he calmly predicted what could potentially become the incident of the century where an Archmage assassinates a nation’s King, then swallows the strawberry tea he had been holding in his mouth.

 

—Though I don’t think the Mage will actually go there.

 

He finished by saying that. While he did not know where Allan had gone afterward, Allan probably wouldn’t have rushed straight to Secritia without thinking things through.

 

Not knowing whether he should feel extremely regretful or relieved that Allan was not coming, Chase frowned briefly before Plants’ voice continued in his mind.

 

—If you really need the same future, do what you need to do. Before that Archmage or my little brother actually gets there.

 

He had said something similar once at Rubia Hall. Telling Chase not to push it onto Kalian and to move himself as well. Feeling similarly to how he had felt then, Chase conveyed his answer.

 

—Fortunately, I now have legitimate justification, so I intend to do just that.

 

Debeullan had set a trap for Kalian.

 

That was sufficient reason for Chase to justify himself even after directly carrying out what he wanted to do.

 

Was this not truly fortunate? Once again, he had grounds to hate with a clear conscience.

 

And right now, there was exactly one thing Chase needed to do. As he briefly pondered whether he should inform Plants of this, or rather, whether it would be acceptable to inform him, Plants spoke once more.

 

—It seems you should confirm it.

 

Something that only Chase, and no one else, could do.

 

Going directly to Debeullan to probe Debeullan’s true intentions.

 

—Whether that person knows my little brother’s past ‘name.’

 

It was for this, the most certain method, that Plants had persistently insisted and initiated direct conversation with Chase.

 

Chase was surprised for the third time today.

 

When the bracelet glowed, when Plants spoke about Randel.

 

And now.

 

—Did you know?

 

—It just happened that way.

 

Wasn’t it Plants’ clever mind that Kalian, worried about disappearing from the world, uniquely trusted? He was clever enough to perceive the discrepancy from something forcibly erased, so even if Kalian were to be erased again, Plants at least would notice.

 

Kalian’s belief and thinking was accurate.

 

Plants knew better than anyone that he himself was not someone who easily forgot things. Yet he could not remember the name Chase had told him at some point, and he had not even felt any doubt about having forgotten it. He was not curious about any of it.

 

—When I wondered why I wasn’t curious, I found the answer.

 

It was truly not easy to think about that matter. So, he stubbornly thought about that matter.

 

As various thoughts accumulated, he naturally came to realize how cruel an act someone surely more formidable than Syspanian was perpetrating against Kalian.

 

—I understand what you mean. I’m thinking the same thing.

 

What better way could there be to probe Debeullan’s true intentions? Having been thinking of the same thing, Chase answered.

 

In the end, Arianneu conveyed to Kalian the words Chase could never deliver, and Plants conveyed to Chase the request Kalian could never make.

 

At the possibility of this excessively ironic reality being funny once again, Chase let out a soft laugh.

 

—I thought there would be no occasion to feel glad about what was left behind.

 

Looking down upon a vast palace instead of a vast sea, receiving red flowers instead of the blessing of blue stars, walking on daily sharpening blade edges instead of making frivolous bets each day, living apart from the arms of a little brother who cherished him more than anyone else. He had only felt pity for all of it. He had only been heartbroken about leaving it behind.

 

Perhaps…

 

—Don’t. Ever.

 

Plants cut off Chase’s words.

 

‘Don’t ever think it was good to have left it behind. Keep disliking it and keep worrying about it. Live thinking you’ll go find him anytime if necessary. That is what it means to be an older brother. And this is the role that Chase, you must fulfill in this life. So don’t give up even that and let go. Don’t ever let go.’

 

It was a short statement containing such meaning.

 

* * *

 

The slender Moon set and stars sank in the darkness of dawn.

 

In darkness so thick and deep that even the blowing wind might worry about losing its way, a black horse that seemed carved from one side of that darkness ran ceaselessly.

 

Raven, who could always remember and properly find any road he had traveled once, was moving his feet boldly while carrying his Master, who had a face that said he had absolutely no idea where they were.

 

The Teleportation Magic Circle had been established a day’s distance from Siegfried Territory. Therefore, as soon as the light of the Teleportation Magic Circle disappeared, Kalian set out immediately without even having time to properly feel the air that had become hot enough to make breathing difficult.

 

After resting once in between, they ran again.

 

He did not know how far Allan, who did not need to ride a horse, might have already gone.

 

*Clop clop clop!*

 

Raven, running full force through such forest paths for the first time in a long while, seemed excited rather than tired. Of course, the longer Raven ran so excitedly, the more Kalian felt his blood drying up.

 

No matter how much he ran, even running as evening passed into night and night into dawn, he could not find any trace of Allan. So just when he was starting to think that if Zeon’s group attacked again, Allan might stop and return, he felt a presence that was always and infinitely welcome.

 

“Ah, found you…”

 

Only then did Kalian dismount from Raven’s back after reaching where Allan was, letting out a soliloquy like a deep breath from the relief that washed over him.

 

The place where Kalian once stood, where Plants once stood, where Randel once stood, and where Rmain stood. Allan stood on that hill overlooking the land of stubborn Knights who guard the territory of a great being. He stood without saying a word.

 

*Step.*

 

At the light footstep, Allan, who had known of Kalian’s arrival long ago, quietly opened his mouth.

 

“You’ve arrived.”

 

Allan’s long silver hair, which grew redder toward the ends, swayed in the wind. Watching that sight quietly, Kalian answered.

 

“Yes, Master.”

 

Instead of asking why Allan hadn’t gone further and was standing at this place, Kalian simply nodded.

 

“I was worried. About what I would do if I couldn’t meet Master.”

 

How Allan’s son had fared, how Queen Etienne of Liberen had handled that matter, and thus what feelings Allan had lived with in Liberen. Kalian now knew all of it. He also knew that Allan had met Kalian after spending time that way.

 

So he was worried.

 

That Kalian might get caught by Debeullan’s venomous fangs, that Allan might lose another son to that poison, that Allan might worry about Kalian while recalling the matter of his dead son, Ronil.

 

And he regretted it too. If he had known sooner, he would not have drunk the poisoned tea in front of Sillike.

 

“I felt like I’d lost my destination, so I stopped for a moment to ponder my way forward.”

 

Allan’s quiet voice flowed out like the mist that forms in the deep dawn. Kalian nodded without answering.

 

Going down from this hill and straight ahead would lead to Siegfried Territory where Sleiman would be. And turning direction slightly and proceeding would lead to Secritia.

 

Had he pondered which place to go to, or had he waited for Kalian to somehow come find him?

 

“Normally, Master wouldn’t have moved so suddenly like this.”

 

Would he have been someone to come so impulsively without consulting Kalian even once, without confirming the exact situation, while leaving Rmain’s safety completely in the background?

 

Allan did not answer.

 

In the distant sky where dawn was slowly breaking, red light, yellow light, and blue light appeared. Looking quietly at that sky, which comes every day but is different each day, Kalian spoke.

 

“When I was young, I received a kaleidoscope. I liked it so much that I remember it particularly well.”

 

Bringing up in his memory the kaleidoscope that had contained glass fragments and gem fragments, all sorts of pretty colored things, Kalian continued.

 

“One day I spent all day looking inside it, and even though it always seemed the same, it always showed different things. That was truly fascinating.”

 

Having said that, Kalian looked at Allan and spoke.

 

“Me too. Even if it seems the same, this time will be different. I have no intention of just following unconditionally. I have no intention of stepping into traps recklessly. I won’t think I must solve everything alone anymore. I’ll tell you anytime I need help. So for now, please endure, Master.”

 

Debeullan would be thoroughly checking how Kalian and Allan would move. So it meant to endure grabbing Sleiman by the collar and to endure making trouble by invading Secritia silently and without warning.

 

Allan, who had stopped because he couldn’t decide on this until now, asked.

 

“Should I just leave Your Highness to go down that thorny path?”

 

“It’s not a thorny path. I now know he’s not my father.”

 

Like letting go of Chase. He needed to let go of Debeullan too.

 

So no justification was needed. No absolution was needed. There was no need for any pretext to convince himself.

 

Having said that, Kalian looked up at Allan and smiled.

 

“Let’s go back together, father.”

 

On a night when the slender Moon set and stars sank in the darkness of dawn, a lovely Disciple became Allan’s true son while smiling beautifully.

 

Silavin: Just wanted to note, Luci is now officially female. Was labelled as it for so long. Poor kitty.