Chapter 129: If Such a Day Comes (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 129: If Such a Day Comes (6)
And why wouldn't he?
Not a single soul in the entire royal palace was sane.
What injustice had made him look so wronged, standing there all by himself?
*
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Drops of blood stained the table.
That is where my memory begins.
I couldn’t recall why it happened.
Only that it was early one morning.
That Franz, as he always did, had lost his temper—only a bit more violently than usual—and, unable to contain himself, had thrown a knife. And that Calian had likely caught that knife with his bare hand.
The drops of blood. And the words he spoke to Franz.
“I am fine.”
That was Randel’s first memory of Calian.
He had no memory of what Calian was like before then.
Before that day, Calian had lived like a shadow—suppressed, silent, never raising his head. It was only natural that Randel had no memory of such a person. It might sound absurd, but the reason was simple: Randel took after Lemain.
Needless to say, Lemain's indifference was chilling. The fact that there were unspoken reasons behind it did nothing to lessen its severity.
Having spent the longest time alone in that seamless indifference, what the young Randel had seen and learned from the man who seemed nothing but cold and aloof was obvious.
“The roses will bloom soon.”
Because of that, hearing Calian strike up a conversation like this felt somewhat foreign, yet intriguing.
So, he had decided to do just that.
He decided to watch him.
He would wait until he could judge whether Calian would be a help or a hindrance.
“I’m going to Camillon to raise dogs.”
And then, he had said those words.
He had directed a raw, undisguised murderous intent at Randel—a man who possessed not a shred of emotion—as if he were ready to snap his neck at any moment.
Click.
Randel, who had been staring out the window as thoughts of Calian surfaced once more, stood up and shut it.
The remnants of the past were being shattered by relentlessly unleashed flames.
He closed the window so the acrid smoke drifting from them could not enter his room.
*
He couldn’t buy any alcohol.
“Commander Manasil is looking for you.”
Instead, he was summoned.
Surprisingly, he wasn’t arrested.
An attendant from the Wilhelm Pavilion approached him with those words. Arsen simply nodded and headed for Alan’s office.
Alan must have already sensed the abnormal movement of a massive amount of mana. The only reason he had let it slide was his trust that Arsen wouldn't do anything foolish. Of course, Arsen had just shattered that trust into a million pieces.
It was obvious Alan would demand to know what on earth he had been thinking. With a completely blank expression, Arsen knocked on the office door.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Opening the door slowly, he saw Alan with his back to him, looking out the window. Through the glass, the ruins of what was now more fittingly called the “former site of Heisia Palace” were clearly visible.
When Silike had destroyed a floor of the palace with a mana bomb, the great magic barrier had been destroyed along with it. That was why this was even possible.
“...Explain yourself.”
Alan spoke without even turning to see who had entered. Arsen politely explained the whole story.
Alan listened to the end without a single interruption, then quietly asked, “An accident occurred because the barrier broke during training, and all fifty-one of you were so startled that not a single person thought to disperse their mana. Is that correct?”
“Yes. That is correct, Commander.”
Arsen knew Alan wouldn’t believe him. It wasn’t a lie meant to be believed.
By now, Alan must have realized who the mastermind was.
Calian wouldn’t hide the fact that he had planned this from Alan. And Calian had trusted Arsen to carry out the task while concocting a plausible excuse for Lemain.
As always, Arsen had caused trouble just within the boundaries of what Calian could take responsibility for.
“...So, fifty fireballs turned the central pillars of Heisia Palace to dust. One exceptionally large fireball flew off elsewhere for no reason, and that single blast collapsed the roof. As a result, the entire building crumbled. Is that also correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
There was no hesitation in Arsen’s reply.
At this, Alan let out a deep sigh and asked his final question.
“Fine. Then what do you propose we do about this?”
Arsen had a very clear answer prepared.
“You can deduct it from my salary.”
Having delivered his brilliant response, Arsen grinned.
*
Food.
Yes, food.
He said it was because of food.
What kind of crazy bastard blows up a palace just to get his brother to eat?
“My brother said he couldn’t eat because Heisia Palace was bothering him. Isn’t it a younger brother’s duty to help to the best of his ability?”
He had reduced the beautiful Heisia Palace—which had stood for over five hundred years, built and personally used by Sispanian herself—to this pathetic state.
Just as Arsen had anticipated, Alan hadn’t believed the absurd excuse of a training accident for a second. Alan knew exactly what kind of person Arsen was. This was undoubtedly another of Calian’s schemes.
However, since it was difficult to openly mention Calian's involvement, Alan had reported the exact story Arsen gave him to Lemain. Then, he had come straight to Chermil Palace.
When he went to Calian for the details, his flower-like disciple, so lovely it drove him mad, didn’t even bother to lie. He almost wished the boy would at least offer a transparent excuse like Arsen did.
“So, you turned it into that state because you were worried about Prince Franz skipping his meals?” Alan asked, his expression clearly saying, Am I so old that my ears are failing me?
Calian beamed and nodded. “Yes, Master. That is correct.”
Ah…!
Oh, Sispanian.
I worried because he only cared for his brothers without a thought for his own future, but what on earth am I to do with this disciple of mine who is literally setting his own life ablaze?
Sitting across from Calian, Alan pressed hard against his temples.
“Your Highness. Heisia Palace is…”
“I know it was where Sispanian once stayed.”
Abandoning the thought of asking him to at least pretend he didn't know, Alan forced a calm expression and tried again.
“Surely you have another reason?”
Calian was a man who calculated his gains and losses quite precisely. While worrying about Franz was certainly part of it, Alan believed he wasn’t the type of person to destroy a palace solely for that.
And indeed.
Most fortunately.
Calian nodded. His voice was as casual as if he were describing a perfectly ordinary day.
“I needed to create some discord, and I also needed to make a show of force. That’s why.”
Alan stared at Calian without a word. Calian, who looked completely unbothered, as if he had no idea what he had just done, flashed a playful smile.
“Because you put me to sleep so well, Master, I fell asleep earlier than expected. I couldn’t finish telling you everything.”
He was grumbling about Alan putting him to sleep. Since it had been for Calian’s own good, Alan merely nodded instead of apologizing. Calian continued.
“The plan isn’t fully fleshed out yet, but I’ll tell you what I have so far.”
“I am listening.”
Wiping the smile from his face, Calian began to speak.
“The two royal knight orders and Valkan will be integrated. You could say this was a necessary stepping stone for that.”
“You stirred up trouble and made a show of force just to integrate Valkan?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
This was Calian’s plan: if they absorbed the Brissens through non-peaceful means, the factions of the numerous nobles who followed Marquis Brissen could splinter. Furthermore, Franz was not yet in a position to manage them properly. In addition, the fates of Gray Brissen and Lennon Brissen had not yet been decided. Therefore, Marquis Brissen needed to remain outside the palace to keep his Marquisate stable.
“In the current situation, there is only one way for my brother to ‘peacefully’ take control of the knight forces within the palace. And that is for Marquis Evan Brissen to hand over command of the two knight orders himself.”
“And you targeted Heisia Palace for that?”
“My brother seemed to be thinking of a different approach. But since things turned out this way, isn't it better to speed up the timeline?”
Although it currently had no master, Heisia was the symbol of the power Brissen wielded. And Arsen, the Vice-Commander of Valkan, had shattered it.
“I knew Sir Hertz was the type to find a plausible excuse to avoid blame before acting. In any case, he won’t be punished. But if Heisia Palace is destroyed and Sir Hertz goes unpunished, Marquis Brissen is going to be very displeased.”
Evan, who was already gnashing his teeth at Calian’s faction, would surely meet with Franz. Then, Franz would only need to coax him: ‘I need the power to counter the mages and their formidable forces, so give me command of the knight orders.’
“Since I’ve set the stage, persuading Marquis Brissen to hand over command is something my brother can handle himself—once he’s eaten a hearty meal, of course.”
So, he had simply cleared Heisia out of the way to get it over with.
Killing several birds with one stone.
“No matter how displeased he is, would Brissen readily believe that?”
“If it works, things will move quickly, which is great. If it doesn’t, we can just go back to my brother’s original plan. So, Master, you don’t need to worry.”
“...Even so, please refrain from destroying something so large next time.”
“Yes. I’ll try.”
The palace was already destroyed. Now that Alan had confirmed the reason, he didn’t even have the energy to scold him further.
“In any case, I am starting to grow tired of watching Marquis Brissen get fooled. He keeps getting used like this… I’m almost starting to feel sorry for him.”
Though he spoke the words, not a shred of pity could be found on Alan’s face.
Calian offered a slight smile as he replied, “It’s a relief, really. If even one of the three—Viscount Brissen, Margrave Brissen, or Marquis Brissen—had been capable of thinking like Demirea and had wielded that power properly, I wouldn’t be here right now. I would either be dead or locked away in a tower long ago.”
“Then, Your Highness, do you intend to hand over half of Valkan to Prince Franz?”
“Yes.”
Half to Arsen, and the other half to Franz.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Calian answered that he would share it all.
*
Franz stood still.
A sound that could only be described as a deafening roar erupted.
He turned his head toward the noise.
Swaying, swaying.
One side of Heisia Palace’s roof, which had always cast a mysterious glow from its powdered white opal finish, was completely gone. The remaining structure swayed precariously.
Rumble…
Before long, the ground vibrated with a low shudder as another ominous sound echoed. Flames surged, and black smoke mixed with ash and thick dust billowed out, unleashing a roar unlike the one before.
Yet, Franz remained standing still.
A blast of hot wind blew past.
Franz made no sound. Though the acrid smell drifted into his room through the open window, he watched the scene outside without moving an inch.
He only realized the dust cloud had cleared when it was already gone.
Once the thick dust settled, all that could be seen behind Arpia Palace was the clear, blue sky.
He kept staring at that sky.
He remained standing there, watching as the blue sky turned to sunset, dyed itself red, and then faded into darkness.
And when complete darkness finally fell…
Rustle…
The hem of the long cardigan Franz was wearing brushed against the floor.
Sinking slowly to the spot where he had been standing, Franz pulled his knees to his chest. His light green eyes, an exact match for Silike’s, slowly closed.
Once again, he understood.
The guilt of a son who betrayed his mother.
The longing, or perhaps resentment, for a mother’s love he had never received.
The scent of Renieri, so thick and heavy it seemed unforgettable.
Calian was asking him if it wasn’t time to free himself from all those shackles.
“Crazy bastard…”
A warm wind
blew.