Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Reunion (2)
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With my head bowed, I cautiously lifted my eyes.
The crest embroidered on the indigo garment came into view.
A design of stars encircling the sun and moon.
It was the “Celestial Crest.”
While countless families and knightly orders in the world used stars as their symbol, only one family used the heavens themselves as their crest.
The Gesendian Imperial Family.
Masters of the Celestial Nation, the Gesenian Empire, and the sworn allies of the Azure Dragon.
Only those who carried its blood could use the celestial bodies as their symbol.
And the man before me was one of them.
“You may raise your head.”
At the gentle voice, I slowly lifted my head.
I saw a young man with a mild face.
He looked to be twenty-five at most.
But I couldn't be too quick to judge.
It was foolish to guess a royal’s age by their appearance alone.
The members of the Gesendian Imperial Family were not ordinary humans.
It was said their blood had mixed with that of the Azure Dragon in generations past.
Though their blood had thinned to the point where they could no longer use the Dragon Tongue, they still lived on a different timescale than ordinary people.
The man before me would be no different.
I shouldn't judge his true nature by his appearance alone.
He could be a young prince on an excursion under the guise of an investigation, or a seasoned royal who had come in person to uncover the truth.
Either way, I had to be careful.
Unlike the Empire of my past life, which had collapsed in a mere two years—making a mockery of the saying that a rich family’s wealth lasts three generations—the current Empire was still standing strong.
*Ssk.*
I lowered my head slightly and half-opened my eyes.
Raising my right knee, I placed my left hand upon it.
My other hand was lightly clenched and held behind my back.
*Fumble, fumble.*
Gunther and Anton, who were beside me, hastily copied my posture.
*Grunt.*
Gunther, accustomed to physical exertion, quickly mimicked my stance, but Anton continued to grunt and struggle even after getting into position.
The posture was clearly uncomfortable for him.
That was to be expected.
Most forms of etiquette shown to the royal family were like that.
Awkward and uncomfortable.
The posture was originally designed to prevent any potential assassination attempts, so it was naturally difficult to move in.
Even the hand clenched behind my back was a sign of my intention not to draw a sword.
“They say the people of the wilds are ignorant of etiquette, but it seems that isn't always the case.”
The man spoke as if surprised.
He remarked that it must have been a prejudice created by those who lived within the narrow confines of the palace.
*No, that prejudice is correct.*
It was common for not only typical free knights but also the knights of the Eight Families to be ignorant of imperial etiquette.
If I hadn't served a court knight, I would have never known such formalities.
My third master had been a court knight.
The Empire at that time had already collapsed, and that man, who spent his days drunk and rambling, was hardly what you would call a proper court knight.
He had a habit of teaching me useless imperial etiquette and then yelling at me if I made the slightest mistake.
I suddenly wondered.
What was that drunkard doing now?
There was no way to know.
It didn't seem likely I would get entangled with him in this life.
But the world often unfolds in unexpected ways.
This was one of those times.
“What do you think, Lucas? Their etiquette is quite impressive, isn't it?”
The man said, looking behind him.
Only then did I see the knight standing behind the man.
His face was all too familiar.
Though his eyes weren't as clouded as I remembered, and he wasn't reeking of alcohol, it was undoubtedly a face I knew.
How could I not?
We had spent a year together, through thick and thin.
The drunkard knight, Lucas.
The man who couldn't bear the fact that he failed to protect the one he served and eventually became a wreck.
He was my third master.
“Ah.”
I stared at him blankly.
His face, once gaunt and ravaged by alcohol, was now full of life, and his eyes, which used to stare blankly into space, were now sharp and clear.
The drunkard knight I knew was gone.
In his place stood a court knight of handsome features, to whom the splendid attire suited perfectly.
“……?”
My stare must have been too blatant.
Lucas was looking this way.
I subtly averted my gaze.
The royal man was looking at me.
I lowered myself even further.
This was no ordinary royal.
The moment I saw Lucas, I naturally realized the man's identity.
He was the tragic royal who was assassinated by an unknown assailant three years before the Great War, the starting point of the Empire's downfall.
The man had to be Crown Prince Galadrian.
He was the only royal the drunkard knight had ever served as master.
‘If only His Highness the Crown Prince had lived, the Empire would not have ended up in such a state…’
‘He was the one who inherited the dragon's blood most strongly. The proof was his ability to use the Dragon Tongue, a power long thought lost.’
‘Thinking back now, His Highness the Crown Prince must have already known about the dark clouds gathering over the Empire. Otherwise, there’s no way he would have kept his ability to use the Dragon Tongue a secret.’
‘Perhaps that’s why they… him…’
The disjointed words Lucas would ramble on about when he was drunk.
I had always wondered.
Was the Crown Prince truly such a great figure?
Was Lucas’s claim that the Empire’s history would have changed if only he had lived true?
And now, the answer was right before my eyes.
“I thought there was nothing but barbarism and ignorance beyond the mountains. The Lord of Comrat confirmed that belief. But it seems there are some human-like individuals among them after all.”
“Ah, I don't mean to blame the Lord. Living in such a remote place, he must have unknowingly been influenced. You know the saying. Linger in a sewer, and you'll start to stink of filth.”
If a wrong answer is still an answer, then this was it.
“I cannot fathom why people gather to live in such a remote place. Just beyond the mountain range lies the fertile land of the Empire, flowing with milk and honey. Are the people of the West so lazy that they refuse to even cross a mountain?”
“By the way, Lord. Must you breathe like that? *Hah. Hah.* You sound just like an orc.”
So much for a hero who would have changed the Empire's history.
The Crown Prince was a scoundrel.
And not just any scoundrel, but a terribly talkative one.
He spewed insults the moment he opened his mouth, and he never seemed to take a breath.
“Oh, your belly fat is an organ in and of itself. Look. It changes shape so freely, you must never be bored.”
“Your… Your Highness…”
Lucas finally stepped in to stop the Crown Prince, who had started grabbing and kneading the Lord’s thick belly fat.
The way he did it seemed so practiced; it was clear this wasn't the first time.
“So, as I was saying.”
The Crown Prince spoke as if the thought had just occurred to him, his eyes still fixed on the Lord’s belly.
“Who is this person named Yan?”
At the Crown Prince’s question, I instinctively looked at Anton.
*Shake, shake.*
Anton shook his head vehemently.
“You must be Yan.”
The Crown Prince smiled.
*Gotcha.*
That was exactly the feeling.
* * *
Despite pointing me out first, the Crown Prince didn't ask me any particular questions.
He simply posed a series of perfunctory questions to Gunther and Anton, confirming the contents of the report.
Of course, while his attitude was perfunctory, the process itself was not careless.
Contrary to my first impression, the Crown Prince reviewed the report with considerable diligence.
He would occasionally find information missing from the report and ask about it, flustering Gunther and Anton each time.
Naturally, the process took a long time.
“Your Highness. It is getting late. Let us continue tomorrow.”
“My, the time has flown. Very well. We shall continue with the remaining questions tomorrow.”
In the end, we were not released by the Crown Prince until after the sun had set.
*Shoo, shoo.*
The Crown Prince waved his hand.
It was a sign that we were dismissed.
“May the Empire's skies be as blue tomorrow as they were today.”
Following imperial etiquette, I bid the Crown Prince farewell and left the office with Gunther.
And just like that, our sudden meeting with the Crown Prince was over.
* * *
The Crown Prince, who had been staring at the backs of the old man and the youth as they practically fled the office, rose from his seat.
“We should be going as well.”
“I will lead the way.”
Lucas guided the Crown Prince.
“All units, defensive formation.”
The court knights waiting outside the office swiftly surrounded the Crown Prince.
Each one was a formidable warrior, comparable to the head of a respectable house.
But Lucas did not let his guard down.
The Crown Prince’s safety was that important.
To be honest, he still couldn't understand why the Crown Prince had insisted on leading the investigation team himself and traveling to this remote place.
So he had asked.
Was it really necessary to come all this way?
“I needed to confirm something.”
The Crown Prince’s answer had been abrupt.
“What is it that you mean, Your Highness?”
“The Guild's report and the Giftrang's report. They seemed as if they were written by the same person.”
Though the handwriting was different, the content felt as if it had been dictated by someone.
“That was my feeling.”
It was a flimsy reason for the Crown Prince to travel to such a distant place, but Lucas simply nodded.
It was a response typical of his master, who never dismissed even the slightest premonition.
“Now that I’m here, I’m glad I came.”
At the Crown Prince’s satisfied smile, Lucas nodded once more.
“Aren't you curious?”
“I am, Your Highness.”
“It’s like I’m forcing you to prostrate yourself for praise.”
The Crown Prince clicked his tongue as if to say, *you’re no fun*, and spoke again.
“The high officials say there are no notable figures beyond the mountains. I want to hear your thoughts.”
Lucas thought for a moment before answering.
“Klail Giftrang was not someone who belonged in a place like this. It was hard to believe she was from a collateral branch of a family that isn't even prestigious.”
“And?”
“The Yuhyeolmogi knights she commanded also seemed to possess considerable spirit.”
“And?”
“...That man, Gunther, does not seem to be a simple free knight. There must be details missing from the report.”
“I think so too.”
The Crown Prince nodded and asked again.
“And what else?”
“...My eyes were too dim to observe further.”
At Lucas's response, the Crown Prince glanced in the direction of the Free Knights Guild office.
“During the process of confirming the report, I asked about the missing details. But the demeanor of that man Gunther and the man Anton was strange. Did you notice?”
“This humble servant was too foolish to notice…”
“Their eyes were moving about quite busily.”
The Crown Prince pulled down the skin beneath his eye and rolled his eyes to demonstrate.
“Are you saying they dared to lie to Your Highness?”
“Why? If they did, will you go and cut off their heads right now?”
“If Your Highness commands it.”
“I do not. And that was not what I meant.”
*So violent,* the Crown Prince clicked his tongue once more before speaking again.
“It was as if they were looking for someone’s approval. Like they were seeking confirmation that what they were saying was correct.”
Lucas tilted his head in confusion.
The only people in the office were the guild employee and that knight named Gunther.
He thought the prince was suggesting the two of them had coordinated their stories.
But he was wrong.
“The very person whose approval they were seeking is the one I was looking for.”
Why was it?
Suddenly, an image of someone popped into Lucas’s mind.
A boy who looked at him with eyes far deeper than his age would suggest.
“Should I call this impressive? Or audacious?”
Startled from his thoughts, Lucas looked at the Crown Prince.
“To think a brat who hasn't even had his coming-of-age ceremony dared to make the Crown Prince of a nation travel all this way.”
As he said this, the Crown Prince was smiling.
He looked as if he was having the time of his life.