Chapter 275, Truly Beautiful (1)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

[Ah, Serenty. I did say that I would give her a good smack when I saw her later. I said such things because it seemed there were many injustices. I did say that, but…]

 

[Even so, isn’t this truly going too far? I picked up one withered pea-like older brother, gave him water and sunlight, carefully nurtured him until he became fresh and green, and I am working so very hard to live a good and kind life. Isn’t it truly too much for someone who should know better to do this to me?]

 

“Ha…”

 

[It was only a single glass of Himolika. Even though I said I would get drunk and be carried on Kyrie’s back while drunk, I never once thought about being carried on my elderly father’s back. Do you know that feeling when you down a glass, close your eyes, open them again and see your father’s back, and then earnestly pretend to be asleep? Do you have any idea what it feels like to continue pretending to sleep while knowing full well that he is not the sort of person who would not realise you are pretending?]

 

[Now that I have finally matured, for the first time in my life I was planning to go out with father alone, catch some fresh air, have a nice chat, and drink something delicious together. I selected the drink so carefully and worked so hard to choose it, even selling off the personality that my gentle, mild-mannered older brother had carefully crafted for me. And it was just one glass!]

 

[At least I got to taste the Himolika. I did not even get to taste the Seiliju. father took it away, before I could even try it…]

 

“Ian… my head is pounding…”

 

[Ah, Syspanian. Why will you not cure my hangover? …Both of you are truly too much.]

 

* * *

 

In truth, he had not slept at all during the entire journey.

 

He had not slept except for a day or two.

 

Kalian frowned as he sat quietly counting on his fingers, calculating how many hours in total he had slept during the period he had been to the Elf City and back. Of course, it was because of the hangover.

 

“Anyway, it is because I could not sleep.”

 

[Right. That must be it]

 

It was because he could not sleep that he collapsed into slumber after just one glass of Himolika, and it was absolutely not because he was weak to alcohol. Absolutely not. He did not know why he was suffering from such a hangover after drinking just one glass of Himolika, and he had simply fallen asleep because he was simply, and truly too exhausted.

 

Having thus ‘earnestly’ diagnosed his own condition, Kalian grinned.

 

And after drinking a few sips of juice mixed well with banana and honey, along with Ian’s sincere sentiment of ‘Oh my, our flower-like Prince’s hangover from one glass of Himolika should disappear quickly,’ he said.

 

“Even so, I am not the sort to fall asleep after drinking that, am I?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Around the time when Plants, having heard that his younger brother had been carried back on the back of the strongest, most prestigious, and finest Archmage amongst the only three Seventh-Circle Mages on the continent, quietly lowered his eyes, and when Rmain, having heard that his son, who had previously thrown himself into his Master’s arms instead of his own, had this time drunk with his Master instead of with him and then passed out, was contemplating whether to worry more about his son’s habitual running away or his tearfully low alcohol tolerance…

 

“I have looked into what you asked me to.”

 

To Kalian’s forced attempt at a calm remark, Eila gave a truly indifferent response as she placed two sheets of bound documents on the table.

 

Kalian nodded at Eila, whose personality remained utterly devoid of any sense of fun, and picked up the documents.

 

“As you know, there are many poisons that cannot be detected by any means. The Tacrimosa that Sillike used when she tried to poison the Prince was like that. The poison you mentioned seems to be the same.”

 

Kalian did not have much knowledge about poisons.

 

To be precise, he did not know as much as Eila.

 

“Naturally it has no scent or colour, and when one is poisoned it destroys the lungs. As you said, it was not from touching it with the hands that went wrong, but rather from inhaling it during the process of handling the poison. Not from vaporised scent, but from unintentionally inhaling the poison powder.”

 

“So, the antidote?”

 

“There is none.”

 

Though it was the answer he had expected, Kalian, who had still hoped for a different one, pressed firmly on his temple.

 

“Right… If it were the sort that could be cured, Debeullan would have already cured it.”

 

The poison Diana must have chosen so very carefully.

 

Poison that left no trace and could not even be cured.

 

Poison that must have been used for such a very long time.

 

“Then could Hina perhaps cure it?”

 

“Yes. Viscount Bern should be able to cure it.”

 

She said that Louise could be cured.

 

A sigh of relief escaped from Kalian’s mouth.

 

The conversation he had had with Chase before meeting Eila came to mind.

 

—That healer called Hina should not come along.

 

—But Hina’s healing might be able to cure mother.

 

—Next time, not this time. It would be better if she came along then.

 

Louise’s poisoning symptoms had only just begun.

 

And Louise had not drawn her last breath until Bern’s final day. That meant there was still time.

 

If Hina had gone along and caught Debeullan’s eye, Debeullan would never let go of the goal placed before his eyes.

 

—I understand…

 

So Kalian had answered that he would bring Hina and visit again after Debeullan had disappeared from the world.

 

Not this time, but next time.

 

When he visited Secritia again to attend Chase’s coronation ceremony, he would go together with her and cure Louise’s poisoning.

 

“Right. Thank you.”

 

Having said this, Kalian burnt the paper in his hands. He had already retained the contents, so there was no reason to leave evidence here.

 

“If I ask to be taken along too, will you take me?”

 

But then Eila said such a thing.

 

Kalian pressed on his temple once more. From beneath his long white hand that slightly covered his face, a quiet voice flowed out.

 

“Why there?”

 

“You said you are going to meet Debeullan.”

 

“So?”

 

“I do not particularly like other people killing the bastard who aimed for my life.”

 

“That man certainly receives a lot of hatred from all over the world.”

 

[In that case, how does he live for long?] Kalian thought and let out a small laugh. It was a sound that seemed at once like the laughter of a still-young boy and yet also like the laughter of someone who had experienced so very much.

 

“But Eila, I am not the sort of person who entrusts work to someone who forgets what I have asked them to do and turns their eyes elsewhere.”

 

“If it is guarding Viscount Bern, then for a short while…”

 

“Eila.”

 

Kalian’s gaze, having cut off her words, turned towards Eila.

 

“I know how vicious the birds are. I also know how persistent they are. Even though I do not know when you escaped from Debeullan or how long you were pursued, I know you suffered trying not to die and not to be caught. I understand what you mean when you say you want to go together because you feel you can only put your mind at ease if you see his death directly with your own eyes.”

 

He looked at the hair that held the sea of that longed-for place, at those two eyes.

 

“I know you are doing this because you are afraid. I was once the same.”

 

Eila, who had slowly closed her eyes and opened them, let out a sigh. Her familiar hair ornament swayed lightly.

 

“I understand your feelings well, this time too. How could I possibly not know what is inside your hairpin?”

 

Poison that one cannot leave behind because one was so fearful of being caught.

 

Kalian knew very well what that signified.

 

“It seems like you would become safe if that person disappeared. It seems like life would become worth living if the target of your hatred disappeared. Is that not so? But people do not come to live through such things.”

 

He had thought that if he confirmed Debeullan’s death with his own eyes, everything would end. He had thought he would be able to escape. He learnt that it would not work out as he thought after he received the banishment order from Chase.

 

“I heard you are learning sign language. I hope you will continue to learn it without wavering from what you decided then. That would be better than thinking of following me and returning to the past again.”

 

After setting down the glass of juice he had drunk to the last drop, Kalian continued speaking.

 

“While staying by Hina’s side, I hope you will learn how to live while watching people being healed and saved, rather than how to live while watching death. It might not be the right answer, but at least from what I have experienced, that is far better.”

 

A small, gentle voice.

 

Words that were not false.

 

“There is still time until departure, so go back and think about it. If you still cannot do it, come back and tell me any time. At that time, I will take you along without saying anything else.”

 

“…All right. I shall think about it.”

 

“Right. Thank you.”

 

Kalian nodded.

 

Though she had known it, it had still been hard to believe, but he truly resembled Chase very much, or so Eila suddenly thought.

 

* * *

 

[It certainly resembled his writing. No, it must be his.]

 

Kalian had returned to the Royal Palace, opened the safe, and checked it, but looking at it again like this, it certainly seemed correct.

 

[Well, in my opinion anyway…]

 

Having removed his white coat with thick ash-grey fur trim and handed it to a servant, Kalian examined the sword he had received from Dmirea and smiled with a mischievous face.

 

“It seems Lord Hertz made this.”

 

Several days had passed since the day when he had strenuously denied falling asleep after one glass of Himolika.

 

Anne had grown just a little bit more and the days had become quite a bit colder. And from the hands of the Siegfried Ducal Family’s blacksmith Roten, one new sword had been completed.

 

Having heard the news and once again leaving the palace on his own authority, Kalian was now looking at the word ‘Cinnastar’ engraved on the sword. To be precise, it was half the letters that remained on the blue-silver blade.

 

“Do you mean that Count Hertz wrote those letters?”

 

“Yes. I think so.”

 

A sword with the name of a flower that did not even grow in Cyries engraved on it.

 

A sword whose strength was exactly the same as the dark-coloured sword, but whose colour was completely different.

 

He had to entrust such a sword.

 

Therefore, Kalian had told Dmirea where and how he had obtained it.

 

“Then was Count Hertz in Valkan during the time that the Prince remembers so well?”

 

“He was. He was the Commander at that time. My Master was not there.”

 

Even while hearing such words, Dmirea simply nodded as though it were nothing remarkable. Eila had been like that a few days ago too, and in any case, thinking that neither of them had fun personalities, Kalian smiled briefly.

 

Soon Kalian lowered his gaze and examined the sword in his hand again.

 

‘Cinnastar’

 

The letters in the upper part and the letters in the lower part connected, but the handwriting was different from each other.

 

“Interesting.”

 

Kalian recalled the day after Arsene Hertz, whom Kalian firmly believed ‘I at least drink better than him’, had exchanged his salary and pride while thoroughly drunk. He recalled the letter of apology that Arsene had written with care, letter by letter. The handwriting on that envelope resembled the handwriting left on the sword very much indeed.

 

Usually he scribbled messily, saying he was busy with lots of work.

 

When entrusting the sword that Plants would use, would he have written each letter carefully? Or did Arsene of that time not use cursive?

 

Now, Kalian could not help but become curious about such trivial things.

 

“Even if you happen to see older brother, do not tell him that Lord Hertz wrote these letters. Else, he will throw it away.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Dmirea’s taciturn personality was certainly no fun, but this sword was truly interesting, so laughter came out once more.

 

Half of Arsene’s letters on the starlight sword that Plants of the past had held in his hand. And half of Kalian’s letters on the dark-coloured sword that Plants of the present would hold in his hand.

 

“There is a blade in the centre as well. You should know this, but be careful. It will cut you.”

 

When he was about to quietly place his hand on those letters, Dmirea said such a thing.

 

A sword that divided vertically.

 

It was a unique sword with the surfaces that touched each other cut at an angle to create blades, so that it possessed double edges not only normally but also when divided in half.

 

Having twisted the sword’s handle to divide it in half, then combined it back into one, and checked for quite a while whether it had been made properly, Kalian nodded as though satisfied.

 

*Click!*

 

The sword that smoothly entered the newly fitted scabbard made a sound as it engaged with the scabbard. Dmirea added an explanation towards Kalian, who was looking down at the scabbard.

 

“It was difficult both to reuse the meteorite iron fragments left over from cutting it down and to discard them, so decorations were added to the scabbard.”

 

“It seems so.”

 

Patterns had been engraved with ash-grey and blue-silver meteorite iron on a white base. Kalian nodded in response to an appearance that would suit the sword inside very well indeed.

 

Having finished all the checking, when Kalian set the sword down beside him, Dmirea, who had been lifting a cup containing warm milk tea, asked quietly:

 

“What are you thinking of doing about the payment for the labour?”

 

Where in this world would there be anything free?

 

The blacksmith, who had been busy working on the swords that the second group of Knights sent by Count Aizen Aprin would use, had poured his whole soul into one sword for several days and nights, so was it not only right that there should be a corresponding price?

 

“You have not yet fulfilled your promise to spar with me from last time either.”

 

In short, ‘you promised to spar for a fortnight as payment for making me wear that tiara, but in the end you only managed to do it for one session.’ Recalling this, Kalian smiled brightly and said:

 

“I have become rather busy. Could you not reduce it?”

 

“No.”

 

It did not work.

 

“Come to the Royal Palace starting tomorrow if the time suits you. I shall be your opponent.”

 

“I shall come starting the day after tomorrow.”

 

“Right, then as for the payment for the sword…”

 

In the end, having had the rest of his schedule fixed like this, Kalian thought for a moment before opening his mouth.

 

“What should I give to my fiancée to be appropriate…? It would be better if she just asked for money, but she should be more affluent than I, so that will not work.”

 

“Since it is a sword that the Second Prince will use, it would not be bad to have the Second Prince share the payment.”

 

The words came out as though she had been waiting for them.

 

When Kalian nodded, Dmirea continued speaking.

 

“Beurisen’s swordsmanship. I would like it passed on to Ririe as well.”

 

“I can teach it. Older brother will not oppose it either. But.”

 

Kalian, who had been answering readily, looked deeply at Dmirea.

 

“Someday in the future, as long as it does not become an obstacle to the older brother living as the head of Beurisen when I become King.”

 

“You need not deliberately draw lines like this. I know well enough what will happen if the Second Prince cannot reach that position.”

 

Having said this, Dmirea smiled slightly and continued speaking.

 

“I have no intention of raising Beurisen’s child like Beurisen either.”

 

[I’m fine with that, and…]

 

Kalian nodded.

 

* * *

 

He had obtained one sword at quite a reasonable price.

 

Starting the day after tomorrow, he would also reduce one debt.

 

So, his mood was truly good. It was good, but…

 

“…Older brother.”

 

“Let’s go.”

 

An enormous carriage standing brazenly in front of the Royal Palace.

 

An enormous carriage with the Cyries Royal Family’s crest engraved splendidly upon it.

 

Right.

 

That very carriage that Syspanian had poured all her heart and soul into creating. That luxurious carriage representing the Cyries Royal Family.

 

It was standing at the palace entrance.

 

And beside it stood the Second Prince’s horse Estina, and the pea was sitting atop of her. If it had been only up to that point, he would have tried to make an effort to accept it, but…

 

[This is strange. Why is Raven out here?]

 

“Where are you saying we should go?”

 

“To eat cod.”

 

“Now?”

 

“Now.”

 

“You are going to drag the Royal Carriage to Secritia without sending a single letter?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“I have an appointment to spar with the Lesser Duchess the day after tomorrow.”

 

Diplomatic relations, prior notification, whatever…

 

“I…”

 

To Kalian’s words, Plants, who had briefly opened his mouth, looked down at his younger brother with truly arrogant eyes.

 

“…I’m saying I shall go.”

 

When the Second Prince of Cyries is going to see the wonderful Secritia sea to celebrate his birthday, who would dare try to stop him?

 

The older brother, who had learnt well how to use the scoundrel personality carefully created for external publicity purposes but was actually quite gentle when one knew him, gestured with his head.

 

It meant to quickly mount Raven.

 

“This is maddening…”

 

[Ah! Serenty!]