Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: How the Prince Makes Friends
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'I need to go see Ariel...'
A few days ago, he'd told His Highness it was still fine, but that rang hollow now—Evan was getting restless.
Yet after seeing those crimson eyes curve in a way that felt like a threat, he couldn't bring himself to take a single step.
"Wouldn't it hurt even more if you were betrayed by someone you truly trusted?"
"Especially if it was someone you'd spent years with."
That had been about him, hadn't it?
Evan roughly scrubbed his face. His breath came in ragged gasps. He'd let his guard down lately—too careless.
What would the order be this time? He'd failed the last one, so why the silence? What if it was to kill that wildcat punk again? Hell, could he even do it in the first place?
Ariel... you're safe, right?
A wave of anxiety crashed over him. Part of him hoped it was all over already. But there was no way they'd harm Ariel. That kid was his one leverage—his only weakness.
Where else would they find a fool as loyal as him?
Evan gazed down at the round little head buried in homework. The way it tilted when things didn't go right was utterly adorable. Then it hit him—one head that should be there was missing.
"Your Highness, where's that wildcat punk?"
"Hm? Oh, Nil's at the greenhouse. Said he had to water the seaweed plant."
"...I see."
Evan's face hardened at the realization he'd been so lost in thought he hadn't even noticed the kid vanish. Sensing that guy's presence wasn't easy, sure, but to miss him right in front of his eyes? Disgraceful for a guard knight.
Maybe it was time to hire a real reliable guard knight instead of a screw-up like him. But what if the next one was another of the Queen's plants...?
How many knights had he personally taken out? Honestly, even His Highness's nursemaid...
"What's wrong, Sir Evan?"
"...Pardon? No, it's nothing."
Evan snapped out of it. He'd been biting the inside of his cheek without realizing—metallic tang filled his mouth.
"Hey, if something's bothering you, you can tell me."
"......"
Troubles? Evan froze, words failing him for a moment.
What would happen if His Highness knew everything?
Evan stared openly at his little lord for a beat—an insolent gaze, but his tiny master just blinked those big eyes and curved his lips in a bright smile.
'Ah, he smiled at me just like that when we first met.'
Would he still smile at him like that, even after learning the truth?
"Sir Evan, what I mean is... if you need to go out, don't hesitate—just go. If you're worn out, take a vacation. If you want to travel... um, I could come with you?"
"Your Highness."
"Hm?"
Pulled from his thoughts, Evan looked down at his still-smiling little lord and grinned back.
"I think you should get another guard knight."
Someone strong, trustworthy, dependable... like that.
"As good as you, Sir Evan?"
Ah...
"Where am I supposed to find a knight as awesome as you, Sir Evan?"
"No. He has to be better than me."
"Hm, then we might not find anyone..."
"We'll find one. More importantly, Your Highness, I'd like to go out tomorrow... sorry for the short notice."
"Oh, uh? No, that's fine. Go ahead. One day?"
"Yes. That's plenty."
"Okay, and if you need a real vacation, just say so..."
"......"
Nihil, who'd been quietly eavesdropping outside the door, turned back to his room. Looked like the doggy was heading out to meet "Ariel."
He unlocked the study he'd kept shut and pushed the bookshelf aside, revealing the secret room lined with glittering vials.
Nihil placed a potted plant by the entrance and pulled out the various potions he'd made for Evan before.
Given the high-purity holy water only elite knights could get— he'd probably tried every treatment available. And since he'd even swiped that sleep incense last time, "Ariel" likely had some incurable pain-wracked illness. Or maybe not an illness at all.
If it wasn't, that was better—he could spot the cause with his own eyes. But if it was incurable, he couldn't fix it.
His essence was "imitation," not "innovation."
So all he could do now was ease the pain a little.
Nihil lined up the potions on a shelf at Evan's eye level. To make sure he wouldn't miss them, he added a star next to the "Doggy Exclusive" label and left the room.
'That should do it.'
"...I'll talk to the captain about your escort."
"Okay. Even if Sir Earnest is busy, don't worry—just go. Nil's here too..."
Click.
"Nil!"
At the wildcat punk's entrance, His Highness lit up with a huge grin for some reason.
"Did you water the seaweed plant?"
"Nah. It was taking care of itself just fine. Took the chance to tend the others too."
"Amazing!"
"......"
Evan stared incredulously at the little head at Lianus's innocent praise. A plant that not only watered itself but cared for others? Was that even a plant? And His Highness really thought that was normal?
"So it grows on its own?"
"Yeah. But it gets lonely, so visit sometimes."
"Got it!"
His Highness nodded eagerly. The wildcat punk patted that cute little head all for himself, then called for the doggy.
"Oh, doggy."
Evan felt a pang of self-loathing at responding to the nickname but did anyway.
"...What."
"There's a pot in my study. Forgot it while I was busy."
"What is it."
"Seaweed No. 2."
"......"
Evan narrowed his eyes at Nihil's bluntly straightforward naming.
"Evan III would have been better?"
"...Seaweed No. 2 is fine."
Right. Nihil nodded and continued.
"Anyway, that one's the only one wilting, so I brought it. Might perk up around Rian."
"...Plants go for cute things too?"
If so, perking up around the world's cutest, most lovable prince was totally possible. Seaweed No. 1 clearly adored him, after all.
'Naming it Seaweed does make it kinda cute...'
Evan resolved to visit Seaweed No. 1 sometime, when Nihil scratched his ear and spoke.
"...You've got a mouth full of nonsense lately."
"......"
The wildcat punk teased that calling him "doggy" had turned his head furry too.
"Elves influence plants just by being near. Their forests aren't lush for nothing. Rian's only a quarter, but worth a shot if nothing else works."
"I see."
"Push the bookshelf in the study—you'll see it right away. Bring it."
"...Got it."
Evan headed to Nihil's room without complaint, though he thought it was a ridiculous errand. Pushing a bookshelf? Probably that secret door he'd glimpsed before.
The study reeked of herbs the moment he opened it. How did such a pungent smell not leak out?
Normally locked to keep servants out, but the wildcat had forgotten to lock up along with the pot.
I'll lock it on the way out, he thought, fiddling with the shelf until it clicked open. A soft glow spilled from the secret room—not as dark as expected.
"Oh..."
An unwitting sigh escaped at the sight. Cramped space, but glowing stones lined the walls, and vials reflected the light, creating an ethereal vibe.
Near the entrance sat the wilted pot the punk mentioned—less droopy than expected.
'Not that bad...'
Grumbling about needless worries, Evan grabbed it but glanced at the vials.
Thankfully labeled meticulously—ingredients, dosage, effects, warnings—anyone could use them.
Scanning, one vial caught his eye with an extra shiny tag.
-☆Doggy Exclusive☆
"......"
He rubbed his eyes, but it stayed the same.
Doggy meds for actual dogs...? No way. Below: "Dangerous—do not use on civilians."
...Still, labeling it "doggy" was too much.
Thinking the punk a jerk, Evan pocketed a few after reading the tags.
'...Better than nothing.'
Way better than hardcore sedatives or painkillers. No other options left anyway—the sleep incense had worked well.
Not wanting to linger and raise suspicion, he reached for the pot when a familiar book caught his eye: the wildcat's so-called "diary"—really patient records.
Curiosity won; Evan flipped through. A word jumped out—he backtracked to it.
-Asron Year 5xx, Month 3, Day x (Rune Year 4xxx)
-Doggy: Heavy sweating. Subcutaneous bleeding, muscle tears. Bones fine. Mana depletion. Recovery normal, but sleep incense/anesthetics ineffective.
Doggy in the diary too—consistent treatment.
Detailed notes on meds and doses below. Flipping further out of curiosity, he found the hangover cure Sir Frederick had passed him after a bender—logged in detail.
"Hm..."
A strange feeling stirred. He'd thought he was looking after the punk, but who'd been cared for?
Evan flipped back. Entries gushed about their cute baby kitten's adorableness—nearly glued him there all day.
Then an odd date mentioned him again.
-Confirmed Wolrang bloodline struck by divine punishment, clan exterminated. Unsure how doggy will be treated post-awakening, so delaying it to devise countermeasures.
"...?"
The punk had told him about his ancestors' extermination. But divine punishment? Never heard that.
His awakening rite was delayed because it might endanger others, right?
'...No way.'
With doggy off to the study, the baby kitten sidled up and whispered.
"Nil, Nil."
"Yeah."
"Sir Evan's going out tomorrow."
"Yeah, heard."
"I wanna do something while he's gone!"
"...Something you wanna do?"
"You'll help, right?"
"...Sure."
Nihil eyed Lianus's sparkling gaze, a bit uneasy. Something to do without doggy? Probably a surprise gift he'd decline.
Doggy was out recruiting a replacement, yet this oblivious kitten only thought of caring for him.
How to fix this mess?
He could threaten or coax doggy into spilling. Knowing Ariel's location would make fetching easy.
But once Lianus learned the truth—once doggy's exposed loyalties came out—could they go back to normal?
His "sole guard knight," trusted so deeply, planted by an enemy? One who'd isolated him? Not truly his man?
Even innocent Lianus couldn't brush that off.
"...Day without Sir Evan is our chance. He seems down lately. We can rope in Sir Earnest too..."
Nihil stared at the chattering Lianus, even jotting notes.
Suspicion breeds suspicion.
Even if Lianus forgave doggy, he'd unwittingly doubt even those he truly trusted.
Isolating himself bit by bit, unnoticed.
Maybe that's what the Queen wanted.
'If suspicion reaches me... everything crumbles.'
"Nil, Somnus is awake."
Somnus, dozing on his shoulder, perked up and spat out a mana core.
Meant to urge him to recover power fast, but sadly, the cores went to other uses more.
Nihil patted Somnus's head apologetically.
"...Nil, about those stones Somnus spits sometimes—can you make magic tools with them?"
"Yeah. Tell me what you want... wait, Rian. Did I ever call them mana stones?"
Technically mana cores, but with Lianus's shattered mana vessel, he shouldn't distinguish mana stones from rocks.
'...Just deduction?'
Yeah. Weirder to think the Grand Duke gave plain rocks...
"Huh? That shimmer around them—isn't it magic? The stone the Grand Duke gave His Majesty shimmered too. Same as his communication orb."
"......"
"W-Why? Did I say something wrong? Something I shouldn't know?"
Nihil's grim look made Lianus shrink, thinking he'd messed up.
"...I won't tell anyone..."
"No, it's not that..."
Catching on late, Nihil sighed deeply before replying.
"Rian, you promised to tell me if you saw anything weird."
Looks like the baby kitten's eyes were getting sharper.