Chapter 88, Having Too Much (2)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

Kalian opened his mouth with a slightly stiffened face.

 

“Why are you telling me this now?”

 

Kyrie only informed him that Arsene had cursed him when they were passing the walkway surrounding Senu Hall. Therefore, Kyrie answered Kalian in a quiet but clear voice.

 

“Lord Hertz is a capable individual, Your Highness.”

 

“Are you saying you didn’t tattle on the spot because you were afraid I might really send a valuable talent across the Senu River?”

 

“Yes. That’s correct.”

 

“That’s a bit unfair of you to assess me like that. I may not be able to retrieve my thrown sword, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know when it disappears.”

 

It was an unfair assessment from Kalian’s perspective.

 

“I would have made a calculated throw.”

 

Kalian grumbled like this, having attacked with precisely the right distance to give appropriate caution to Arsene, who seemed to have blind faith in his shield.

 

At that moment, Ian, who had been walking silently until now, suddenly spoke as if he had just remembered something.

 

“Oh right. I heard that Prince Randel has a busy schedule today. The timing is a bit awkward, so you two might run into each other on the way.”

 

Hearing those words, Kalian’s feet stopped momentarily.

 

Kalian scratched his cheek and said to Ian.

 

“And why are you telling me this now?”

 

In response, Ian’s face showed that while he was sorry, he too had his reasons. So, when Kalian looked at him with eyes asking what those reasons were, Ian confidently gave a very Ian-like answer.

 

“I needed time to think about other things. Do you know how shocked I was seeing you train so roughly with Lord Hertz? What if you really got hurt?”

 

“According to Kyrie, we should worry less about me getting hurt and more about me actually killing Lord Hertz, shouldn’t we?”

 

[Really. This one and that one… One sees me as too harsh, and one sees me as too soft! What am I to do!? Also, when someone says they forgot because they were too surprised, what else can I even say?]

 

“Fine, I understand. I just need to avoid running into him.”

 

In the end, Kalian could only answer like this, unable to say anything more to either Kyrie or Ian.

 

[But, Prince Randel, huh?]

 

After what happened to Sillike, Randel had not appeared at breakfast even once. He seemed very uncomfortable with the fact that his inner thoughts had been revealed in the place where Plants had been injured, and that Kalian had joined hands with Plants.

 

Because of this, they had not coincidentally run into each other at Chermil Palace.

 

Usually, Randel would only go to the rose garden when he went outside, so Kalian simply avoided it. At other events they attended together, they did not exchange a single word. Kalian had no intention of getting close to someone who clearly felt uncomfortable.

 

“Even though Prince Plants doesn’t seem to mind at all, that he just left like that that day, I wonder why Prince Randel is acting this way?”

 

This made even Ian, who typically avoided speaking ill of other Princes in front of Kalian, to say such a thing.

 

“My always-bothered-by-everything Brother Plants isn’t unbothered, he just doesn’t think about it.”

 

Kalian answered as he entered Senu Hall where Evan would be waiting.

 

* * *

 

Gray Beurisen, a Count of a border region, was the third Sword Master of the continent.

 

Evan Beurisen, the Marquis, had entered the path of the sword before him.

 

So Evan, who had become a Sword Master early enough to be counted among the top three, raised his eyes upon seeing Kalian who had just entered.

 

[How is this possible?] Evan had closed his gates and trained all winter.

 

He thought he had done enough and had just opened his doors to come out.

 

But he still could not feel Aura from Kalian.

 

Despite being a novice who had not even been on the path of the sword for a full year, to all appearances, he was just an ordinary person with nothing special about him. Just as Sleiman had said, he looked like a well-behaved Prince who had never even been near a sword.

 

Even though he had prepared himself thoroughly, it was not easy to prevent his facial expression from contorting.

 

Of course, all of Evan’s inner thoughts were being completely exposed to Kalian. Since this was an intentional situation, Kalian did not laugh but quietly walked up and stood in front of Evan.

 

Until then, Evan was still deep in thought. So, Ian, who was standing behind Kalian, spoke.

 

“Marquis Beurisen. Stand up and show your respect.”

 

[This must be a family tradition at this point. I’ve never seen any of them show courtesy first.]

 

After facing Evan’s greeting in that prostrating manner, Kalian sat down. And as soon as Evan sat on the opposite chair, Kalian opened his mouth.

 

“For what reason did you request to meet me rather than my brother?”

 

At those words, spoken without even taking a sip of tea, Evan’s eyebrow twitched.

 

Kalian and Evan were essentially meeting for the first time. However, they had previously formed a connection through Arsene during the process of expelling Sillike. Because of this, Evan had come to the Royal Palace thinking he might be able to discuss an alliance between Kalian and the Beurisen family.

 

But Kalian was emanating an air that suggested time was being wasted.

 

However, the person in front of him was not someone like Allan who could be dealt with by simply throwing a tantrum. So, Evan erased his sour expression and said.

 

“Congratulations on embarking on the path of the sword, Your Highness.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Kalian answered briefly.

 

Then, he stared intensely at Evan’s face.

 

Kalian was looking like that because he still could not feel Evan’s Aura, but how would Evan know of this? It could only be interpreted as urging him to speak quickly and part ways.

 

‘I’ve come here for nothing.’

 

Finally, Evan set aside the story of a ‘Kalian and Beurisen alliance’, which would clearly be disadvantageous to bring up. Instead, he voiced a plausible reason for his visit.

 

“Actually, I wanted to check if Prince Plants is doing well. I thought he might be reluctant to see me directly.”

 

Hearing those words, Kalian let out a short laugh.

 

He was openly mocking him.

 

Seeing this, Evan’s eyebrow twitched again, and Kalian spoke in a cold voice.

 

“Even I can hear the sound of river water that has frozen and thawed over a season.”

 

It was both a rebuke for asking about Plants’ well-being only after time equivalent to the Senu River freezing and thawing had passed, and also a statement that he had been watching Evan’s scheming actions throughout this whole affair.

 

Either way, it was clear that his inner thoughts had been completely exposed, so Evan’s face froze like the Senu River in midwinter.

 

* * *

 

At the same time.

 

Allan, who had come to Rmain to report the evaluation results of the 20 newly added Valkan members, held up a letter and said.

 

“This left the Royal Palace. It was stopped by Latran, before coming back to the Royal Palace. It seems the Royal Palace has plenty of people to spare.”

 

He was saying this because a letter meant for Allan had somehow needlessly gone through the Latran County before returning to the Royal Palace.

 

Rmain, who had been looking at the report Allan had handed over, raised his head to look at the letter. Then he gave an answer that was a bit better than telling Allan just how many people there were working in Cyries.

 

“It seems the dispatching is all done. Seeing that it has reached the Count, I mean.”

 

Allan, now somewhat accustomed to his new title, nodded without particular resistance. Then, looking over the letter again, he spoke.

 

“A second invitation. How time has quickly passed. It makes me quite nostalgic.”

 

The letter, elaborately decorated with gold leaf, contained an invitation to the celebration of Rmain’s thirty-ninth birthday, written with all manner of flourishes.

 

Rmain’s birthday was in May. Therefore, invitations to Secritia and the Halidom of Tansyll had already been sent at the beginning of the new year. Next, they were sent to Nobles residing in distant parts of Cyries, and finally to Nobles staying near Cyriesus, the capital of Cyries.

 

So, it would be fair to say that Allan had received an invitation that was sent out last.

 

“This time, don’t throw it away like last year.”

 

At the comment poking fun at how he had tried to pick a needless argument, a smile appeared at the corners of Allan’s mouth. It was because he remembered Kalian’s bold behavior when he had made Allan his Master after Allan asked for a new invitation.

 

“Don’t worry. Even if Syspanian came and told me to throw away the invitation I’ve received, I couldn’t do it.”

 

After saying that, Allan picked up a chocolate from the box on the table and put it in his mouth. Then, an unfamiliar yet familiar sweet and sour taste spread in his mouth.

 

“I think there’s tangerine jam in it. It wouldn’t be easy to come by tangerines in Cyriesus. Is it from Liberen?”

 

“Secritia.” Shaking his head as he answered, Rmain pushed the chocolate box toward Allan.

 

“Take it, since the Count likes sweet things. A newly appointed Baron got it from Secritia and sent it to me. But I don’t crave for it much.”

 

Hearing those words, Allan smiled a peculiar smile that was invisible to Rmain.

 

[Tangerines from Secritia? Isn’t there one person who would like them several times more than me?]

 

Since Rmain knew only that Kalian retained memories of being a Secritia Knight, he could not have thought of it, but Allan was different. Therefore, Allan picked up the box without eating more, intending to pass it on intact to his lovely Disciple, and asked.

 

“Has there been any response yet about who from Secritia will be coming to Your Majesty’s birthday celebration?”

 

“Not yet. It will take some time for the answers to arrive.”

 

[Would someone come who would be as welcomed to Kalian as tangerines?] Allan nodded with eyes full of anticipation.

 

* * *

 

What could be more troublesome than running into someone he had been avoiding?

 

In the end, after finishing the brief conversation with Evan and on the way back to Chermil, Kalian ended up running into Randel.

 

With three steps separating them at the entrance to Chermil, Kalian bowed his head to Randel, who stood at the top of the stairs.

 

“Greetings, Prince Randel.”

 

In the past, Randel would have just said ‘yes’ and walked past, but now he stopped and looked down at Kalian.

 

If it had been Plants, he would have returned the greeting and then left, saying he had nothing to say and would go first. But Kalian, who could not bring himself to imitate such behavior, could only hope that this inscrutable First Prince would quickly lose interest in him and continue on his way.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t respond to you that day.”

 

After a truly long time, Randel, still standing at the top of the stairs, finally spoke these words.

 

There was only one day that the typically indifferent Randel would remember and refer to as ‘that day’. It was the last day Kalian had encountered Randel. The very day they had driven out Sillike.

 

Randel had noticed that Kalian knew he could use the power of healing. In that situation where Plants was spitting blood, Kalian had stopped looking for a healer and called for Randel instead, so he would have to be as oblivious as Ian not to notice.

 

Kalian frowned.

 

He recalled the image of Randel getting up and leaving after making eye contact with Kalian, who was looking for a healer before Hina arrived. He also understood that Randel was now apologizing for not responding to that day’s request for help.

 

However, Kalian’s expression was not due to feeling uncomfortable about that incident.

 

[That gaze from the top of the stairs was disrespectful to say the least….]

 

Looking down on a Prince of the same rank from the top of the stairs was an action that should not be taken toward Kalian, even if Randel was the older one.

 

Kalian glanced up at his older brother, who was apologizing with his words while showing the exact opposite behavior. Randel was still looking at Kalian with the same face and expression.

 

His blue eyes remained deep and dark.

 

And so, feeling as if he had stuck his head into the mouth of a blue beast, Kalian smiled.

 

“Haven’t you shown your true feelings with that three-step staircase?”

 

Still standing below, Kalian looked straight up at Randel and spoke. Then he slowly climbed the stairs. The sound of footsteps and Kalian’s voice resonated together in the quiet Chermil Palace.

 

“That small rose that was said to have bloomed for a long time. I finally understand what it meant.”

 

“You saw that?”

 

*Step, step.*

 

“Yes, I saw it. I couldn’t understand why you had put it out like that, but I suppose it meant that instead of being withered, twisted, and dried up, it should bloom properly and look good. Look good, but only…”

 

*Step.*

 

“…at Prince Randel’s feet.”

 

Kalian, having climbed the last stair, looked into the eyes of Randel, who was now at the same height. Randel returned Kalian’s gaze. A voice without highs or lows was heard quietly.

 

“Yes. That was my thought.”

 

“I.”

 

A voice full of hostility flowed from Kalian’s mouth.

 

“Refuse.”

 

A capable and obedient good younger brother—Bern had already done that once.

 

But Kalian would never do it, not this time.