Chapter 259, I Am a Prince (1)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

There is a lake in front of Chermil Palace.

 

In the rear garden of Arpia Palace, there was a small stream.

 

A stream also flows through the rear garden of Siegfried Hall, the beautiful banquet hall. This was because the water flowing from Arpia Palace continues all the way to Siegfried Hall. And while walking along the wooden corridor resembling a promenade that encircled Senu Hall, one had to cross stepping stones that bridged that very stream.

 

In this way, throughout the Royal Palace of Cyries, there were large and small lakes, fountains and streams branching in various directions.

 

Syspanian, who loved snow and hated rain.

 

Syspanian, who detested narrow and stuffy places.

 

Thanks to Syspanian, who did not reveal what else she liked or disliked beyond these things, the Royal Palace of Cyries was artificially created with many natural landscapes except for the sea. This happened because Harts-ara, who did not know what Syspanian liked, simply threw in everything and built it that way.

 

*Cheep!*

 

Thanks to this, one small yellow creature was excited.

 

Senu Hall, which anyone could enter, unlike the lake at Chermil Palace or the stream at Arpia Palace where one could not walk unless one was royalty or accompanied by Royalty. On the stepping stones there, a single bright yellow duckling stood making cheeping sounds.

 

“You’ve got a long way to go before you can enter there, so just watch for now.”

 

The duckling, which had made the blue haired Mage who appeared before its eyes immediately after hatching from the egg its mother, meant that Arsene, who had humbly accepted the situation of waking up after passing out drunk to find he had acquired a child, opened his mouth again.

 

“It seems you’ve had enough fresh air, so come here now. You’re really going to jump in at this rate.”

 

Arsene, who was quite anxious seeing the duckling, which had been born only a few days ago, already standing at the edge of the stepping stones sniffing the water, quickly picked up the duckling with both hands.

 

*Cheep!*

 

The duckling, which obediently climbed onto Arsene’s hands, made chattering sounds.

 

‘Baby cats also grow quickly, but ducks seem to grow even faster.’

 

During the leisurely lunch hour.

 

Hina, who had come out together, looked at the duckling with a curious face. The reason she was only looking was singular. The duckling did not yet follow anyone except Arsene.

 

Arsene smiled contentedly while looking at the duckling, which had truly become noticeably heavier in just a few days.

 

“The Commander said that small things are different every day.”

 

Hina, who had been thinking of Luci and Anne, who would be playing freely amongst Valkan’s members in the office or sleeping by now, smiled back.

 

*Cheep!*

 

“Are you hungry from walking about? Wait a moment. Your mother will give you something to eat.”

 

Euria had said so.

 

Whatever a baby bird first sees in its eyes would definitely be its mother. Having heard those words well, Arsene was doing an excellent job as a duck’s mother.

 

Arsene, who had put the duckling back on the ground for a moment, rummaged through the Mage Pouch he carried and pulled out a handful of feed to present before the duck. Then, as if suddenly finding it amusing, he chuckled and muttered to himself.

 

“If His Highness saw this, he would have quite a complicated expression.”

 

‘Why would the kind Prince?’

 

“He seated those two as Valkan’s Deputy Commanders, and one person is walking about covered in cat fur while the other one carries duck feed.”

 

Weren’t these two basically Demons in Kalian’s memories? The two who led an army now carried cat fur and duck feed instead of dignity. Wasn’t this a situation where one could neither cry nor laugh?

 

‘He would like it.’

 

“Why do you think so?”

 

‘Because it’s an army. Valkan isn’t an army made to take things. Because you come to understand how precious living things are, he would like that you carry duck feed too.’

 

“Is that how it looks in your eyes?”

 

Hina nodded.

 

‘I think the reason the kind Prince gathered the Mages is probably because of that. The reason the Lesser Duchess has many scars on her hands is probably all the same. My older brother was like that too. He didn’t fight to hurt others, he fought so that I wouldn’t get hurt.’

 

Arsene, who had been watching the duckling walk with a waddle on its webbed little feet while happily eating the feed, grinned.

 

“Yes. I understand what you mean. Then may I ask you one more thing?”

 

When Hina nodded, Arsene glanced towards Wilhelm Hall for a moment before speaking.

 

“Knight Bern protects you, the Lesser Duchess protects his fiancée, and His Highness learns strength to protect more people. What about His Highness Deputy Commander? Who is His Highness’s older brother trying to protect? I don’t understand why that person tries to learn the sword and Magic.”

 

Wasn’t it Plants who always said like a habit, ‘I am a Prince, I am the Deputy Commander?’ It was difficult to understand why he took up the sword when he was already in a position of power. To say he was learning to receive recognition from others after rising to his current position seemed off, as he had been learning the sword long before that, hadn’t he?

 

‘I don’t know for certain, but I think the good Prince has the same reason as me.’

 

Hina paused her hands for a moment and touched her ear once. While recalling her original ears, which she could no longer remember how long they had been, she continued speaking.

 

‘I didn’t want to become a weak person. I didn’t want to be used in any way. I think the good Prince was probably like that too. I thought the kind Prince knew that and was teaching him diligently because of it.’

 

“I see.”

 

Arsene, who had been slowly nodding his head, looked down at the duckling before opening his mouth.

 

“You sometimes seem like my Master.”

 

Arsene quite liked conversing with Hina.

 

It was because he saw in Hina the appearance of someone who was like a Mage yet not like a Mage, who showed him indicators he could follow one by one.

 

*Cheep cheep!*

 

The duckling, having finished its meal, cried towards Arsene again. Hina, who had been watching Arsene create a lump of water on his hand and present it before the duckling, turned her head.

 

She could see Euria and Eila sitting face to face at one of the several tables arranged in the rear garden of Senu Hall, having a conversation. They were exchanging details about the matter of Euria delegating to Eila the position of head of the information organisation she had been in charge of.

 

Arsene, who had glanced at the direction Hina was looking, opened his mouth.

 

“By the way, this is unexpected. That His Highness would entrust your escort to that person.”

 

‘She seems like a decent person.’

 

“Does she seem so?”

 

‘Yes. If she weren’t, the kind Prince wouldn’t have placed her by my side. I also think she seems like a decent person.’

 

“His Highness has truly difficult standards of trust to understand. It wasn’t as if we met in a particularly good relationship.”

 

‘He’s not someone who lives based only on such first impressions. He’s someone who distinguishes between personal feelings and other things. Like the Deputy Commander.’

 

When Hina suddenly mentioned him, Arsene asked in slight surprise.

 

“Why me?”

 

‘You didn’t say anything to the Enclave Head today. Even though you bought duck eggs thinking they were chicken eggs and gave them to her, and even bought purple flowers.’

 

Saying this, Hina smiled brightly and continued.

 

‘I’ll look after the duck well so the cats can’t find it, so when you finish work, have dinner together with her and come back.’

 

After spending so much time with someone who was always getting caught, she had learned to catch others just as easily. Arsene could not even ask how she knew; he just nodded quietly.

 

* * *

 

Arsene could not make excuses.

 

Kalian could not scold.

 

Kalian, who had postponed his plan to scold properly, narrowed his eyes. He had seen a waterfall in the forest during the day, but now that night had come, he was not particularly impressed by seeing waves on a sandy beach.

 

The beautiful Mother Tree, which one might think would look like an unfolded and erected Siegfried Hall made of crystal walls and platinum pillars, stood behind Kalian.

 

And in front, yes—

 

*Whoooosh…*

 

There was the sea.

 

He had the sea he had longed for so much before him, yet Kalian could not enjoy it to his heart’s content at this moment. Partly because the sea he had wanted to see was not this place, and partly because he had many other thoughts.

 

‘Welcome, Third Prince of Cyries.’

 

It was different.

 

To the extent that one could not distinguish which side was real, the attitude of the Elves towards Kalian’s party was truly very different. Whether it was the problem of Elder Zher whom he had met in the past or whether they had some scheme this time as well, the Elves treated Kalian not as a ‘human representative’ but with courtesy as a ‘Prince of Cyries’.

 

“The Great Elder plans to come tomorrow. Please rest for a day, and we shall arrange for you to meet tomorrow.”

 

How could he scold when the representative of the Elves who approached the party said such things? He had been ready to not let it pass if they spoke again of a King of Humans or such, but now that it had turned out this way, it was rather bewildering.

 

“The Elves here welcome you more than me.”

 

At Shiona’s words, Kalian answered while sensing the smell of blood mixed amongst the sea salt.

 

“So, you were refused treatment after all.”

 

“Did I tell you why I came here?”

 

Kalian shook his head lightly.

 

Then he pointed at the Mother Tree visible behind them and opened his mouth.

 

“You said you were on the way back from going to an Elf City. The reason an Elf with sword wounds visited an Elf City is obvious. But if you were still going about injured, you must have been refused.”

 

“Ah. Yes. I came for treatment, but they refused me. They said it was difficult to see me as a complete Elf. And since Elves do not treat other species…”

 

“This is just because you grew up in the Great Dunes?”

 

“That would be it. On top of that, I eat meat too.”

 

Shiona, who had been wearing a bitter smile, looked at the dark sea and opened her mouth.

 

“I know that protecting the species by rejecting outsiders in such a way is the Elves’ method of survival, but I was definitely a bit hurt by this treatment, so I think I rashly attacked you out of spite. I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s fine. I’m not angry now. If you were going to apologise, you should have done it at the proper time.”

 

Kalian, who had answered thus, suddenly turned his head.

 

“Yes. You should have done it at the proper time.”

 

At the words muttered as if to himself, Shiona followed Kalian’s gaze. She could see the Prince who had been inside a rainbow during the day but was now standing before the waves.

 

“Is that your older brother?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“He ate the grass well.”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Still, he seems strong for his age. He has some muscles too.”

 

“…Eat the beans.”

 

“Ah. Right.”

 

“Good.”

 

As if to fill the brief silence, the sound of waves could be heard.

 

Shiona found and drew out the next words.

 

“So… is handling the sword well thanks to your Royal Bloodline?”

 

“No. He’s just learning well. My eldest brother isn’t like that.”

 

[That fellow was like corn silk, how should one put it? Weaker yet more rigid?]

 

Having swallowed words he could not say, Kalian chuckled. Shiona, who had been watching such a Kalian, asked.

 

“Is there something you didn’t receive a proper apology for from that side too?”

 

“From my older brother?”

 

Shiona nodded, and Kalian shook his head. Seeing this, Shiona chuckled and said.

 

“You’re as bad at lying as us Elves.”

 

Kalian gave a short laugh.

 

Then, while casting a Clean Spell on Shiona as well, he said.

 

“Your wound has reopened. I’ll tell them to treat you when we meet the Great Elder tomorrow, so don’t pretend to be fine and go rest.”

 

Though she was supposedly holding it together with Aura to prevent the wound from opening further, having started the morning so intensely and been moving about until now, it could not be that there was no strain on her body.

 

“I’m still fine, so you needn’t worry.”

 

“Those in my group didn’t go to rest because they were in poor condition. They did so to keep sharp. Since both you and I are foreigners here, maintain your condition. Don’t add to my burdens.”

 

Only then did Shiona nod.

 

“I shall.”

 

After answering simply and turning, a *ding* sound of a bell came from Shiona. Kalian, who had been watching Shiona’s retreating figure for a while, turned his head.

 

The sound of waves came, and the sound of the bell grew distant.

 

The sound of wind came, and Plants still stood before the waves.

 

* * *

 

Kalian, who had ascended to where the Great Elder was, looked out of the window.

 

Beneath the clear sky, the deep blue sea spread out below his feet.

 

“Is this Liberen’s territory?”

 

The sea near Secritia did not emit such a deep colour. Tansyll did not have a good relationship with the Elves who possessed the power of healing, so if the Elves had established a city somewhere and made a connection with Cyries, it was words drawn from the thought that it might be Liberen.

 

After an Elf who had set down three cups of green tea with dried peaches and apples went outside, the person before Kalian shook his head and answered.

 

“Between Liberen and the Great Dunes, it is land without an owner.”

 

“Why would you leave such a good place and try to go live somewhere odd?”

 

Plants, who had been lifting his teacup to smell the aroma and take a sip, looked at Kalian. It was because he had not expected that younger brother to speak directly to the main point rather than at least greeting first.

 

The Great Elder, who had not even introduced his own name yet, looked at Kalian sitting before him in full black formal dress and opened his mouth.

 

“I am Narjan. Elves do not use surnames, so please note that.”

 

Kalian did not answer but stared intently at the Great Elder who had introduced himself as Narjan. Narjan, who had been thinking for a while about the reason for this, glanced briefly at Plants before answering.

 

“We cannot remain the weaker party to Cyries forever.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Will you not tell me who you are?”

 

At the words that seemed determined to make Kalian state his own name with his own mouth, Kalian smiled slightly. Then he raised his head and answered.

 

“I am a Prince of Cyries.”