Chapter 148: Where One Belongs (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 148: Where One Belongs (4)
A prickling sensation ran down the back of her neck.
I should have just left my hair down, Demirea thought with a brief pang of regret.
Since she was meeting the King, she had dressed in a neat white shirt, trousers, and a short black jacket, styling her hair in an elegant updo to look more presentable. Consequently, she couldn't tell if the stiff tension at the back of her head was from her short hair being forced into a tight braid, or from the overwhelming killing intent that seemed to emanate from Calian.
Whew.
She heard a faint sigh from Ren, who stood behind Lemain. Judging by that, this oppressive atmosphere was indeed due to killing intent.
With that thought, Demirea decided she would seek out Calian for a spar on her way out. Even after feeling such intense bloodlust, she wasn't the type to simply pack up and go home. In terms of competitive spirit, she was the spitting image of Suleiman.
Just then, Ren stepped closer to Lemain and murmured in a low voice, "It appears the situation has concluded, Your Highness."
He said this because Calian's killing intent had vanished without a trace. Lemain merely nodded in response.
Lemain was already aware of the incident caused by the Valkan. However, he had assumed Calian and Franz were simply tightening the reins on the mages, so he hadn't considered it a major issue. Unable to sense the killing intent himself, Lemain had no way of knowing the sheer tension Demirea and Ren had just endured.
"I am grateful for your intervention in Prince Calian's matter last time," he finally said.
"It is my honor to have been of help," Demirea replied with a polite smile. "Since we have become so close, is it not only natural to help each other in times of difficulty?"
Since we have become so close.
Although Demirea had gone along with the rumor out of necessity, she was subtly calling out Lemain for allowing it to become a fait accompli without consulting her, as well as reminding him of the price of her assistance.
"Indeed."
Lemain quietly observed her. Her statement about "helping each other in times of difficulty" carried a clear implication: since House Siegfried had aided Calian, the royal family was expected to return the favor should Siegfried ever face trouble.
Demirea was certainly different from Suleiman or Yan.
"Of course. I shall not forget it."
In the end, Lemain promised future assistance.
Demirea had already resolved to extract a proper "price for her help" from Calian, but that was a separate matter. No matter how weak Lemain's authority was, he was still the King. There might come a time when they needed the weight of the royal name, even if only for appearances.
Having secured a satisfactory promise, Demirea bowed her head slightly with a faint smile. Then, she reached into her coat and pulled out the real reason she had come.
"A message came from the duchy asking me to deliver this to Your Highness."
Seeing what it was, Lemain chuckled.
It was money.
Suleiman had sent the payment for the hot spring trip he had skipped out on. His transparent intentions made Lemain chuckle again. It was obvious the Duke was trying to create another excuse for Calian and Demirea to interact.
"It seems Lord Siegfried thinks quite highly of the Third Prince."
Naturally, Suleiman had no intention of making Demirea a prince's consort. He was likely scheming to adopt Calian as a son-in-law.
As Lemain nodded slightly at this thought, Demirea spoke up from across the table.
"Siegfried does not carry debts, Your Highness. That is all. I hope there are no other misunderstandings."
It was wrapped up nicely, but it was a polite expression of her displeasure. She was making it clear that she had only come to repay a debt, so he shouldn't try to link her with Calian or get any other ideas. Wondering how such a sharp talent could have come from the simple-minded Suleiman, Lemain—the bull-headed father of Franz and Randel—let out a short laugh.
*
Whether they were the ones who had caused the trouble or not, the mages of the Valkan felt a threat to their lives today that was among the worst they had ever experienced. For most of them, it was undoubtedly the most terrifying moment of their entire lives.
The mages who had blown up the tavern had only said one thing: "This matter has nothing to do with the Valkan." But no one could have imagined that Calian, who always smiled so warmly, would rush over in an instant, fly into a rage that shook the royal palace, and even spit out curses.
Ironically, the only one who fully understood the fundamental reason for Calian's explosive rage was Franz.
War.
Calian had experienced war.
That was something even Franz could not fully comprehend. He knew that the chilling aura that had reached all the way to Chermil Palace to warn him was not born of ordinary experience.
Calian knew better than anyone that subordinates would only entrust their lives to their commander when facing a terrible reality if they could first trust them with trivial matters—paying for a broken carriage, covering medical bills, compensating for a damaged shop, or even covering up the crime of damaging the palace.
He understood where that trust originated. He had already taught Franz that only when you take absolute responsibility for what someone has entrusted to you will they entrust you with something even greater.
Calian must have learned through firsthand experience that with such trust, even one less person would die.
While fighting a war.
"I'm human too. Sometimes I lose my mind."
Franz knew that was why he had been so furious. Knowing that Franz understood, Calian spoke up. The two were waiting for Arsen, who had gone to report today's events to Alan. In the middle of their wait, Calian made the sudden remark.
That he had briefly lost his mind today.
Because he was human.
Franz figured that when Calian was the Royal Brother of Secritia, he must have been much like he was today. Since Chase had mentioned he had "softened a lot," he might have been even more aggressive and cruel back then, but it was clear he had always cherished his people fiercely.
And then, that man had gone through a war. Everyone around him had likely died.
There was no way he could ever be fine with experiencing that again.
Because he was human. That was why he had lost his mind.
"...I know," Franz replied, sitting on a bench outside the training ground and looking toward the field.
Calian spoke to him again. "And the reason I got angry at you, brother..."
"I know that, too."
A few months ago, sitting in this very spot while watching the Valkan train, Franz had decided to take charge of them. Although Calian had been the one to suggest it, the final decision had been his.
Yet, he had treated the Valkan as nothing more than a borrowed power to keep himself alive. He had kept his distance, avoiding any real responsibility. His avoidance of the burden he was meant to carry was no different from Lemain's.
Knowing better than anyone that such an attitude would prevent him from protecting his own life, let alone his people, Franz had still acted that way. That was why Calian had directed his anger at him, just as he had at the Valkan mages.
"Because that's how we survive. Me, and those mages," Franz added, which was unusual for him. Having resolved to learn, it seemed he wanted to show Calian that he fully understood his intentions.
Calian grinned at Franz, who had gone to the trouble of explaining himself. "As expected, you are brilliant, brother."
"Barking again, I see."
Although it was a completely different smile from his earlier rage, Franz felt his fingertips turn cold. The memory of the chilling aura he had faced earlier briefly resurfaced.
Since even Franz, who had stood before Calian for only a moment, felt this way, the mages who had borne the brunt of his wrath were in no condition to train. Therefore, Franz and Arsen had agreed to cancel today's session.
That was meant to be an order to go home and rest.
It was certainly not an invitation to do that.
Watching what the mages were doing, Franz let out an involuntary sigh and muttered, "My little brother's job is to bark every day, and those bastards' job is to go madder by the day."
Calian burst into laughter. It was rare enough for Franz to speak, let alone utter such a long, exasperated sentence.
The mages—whom Arsen classified as "hopeless lunatics"—were still pale-faced as they heatedly debated whether to erect a statue of Calian first or one of Arsen. This was absolutely not what they had been given the day off for. They were so passionate that an outsider might have mistaken them for developing a groundbreaking new magic formula. It was a peaceful sight, in a uniquely mage-like way.
After laughing for a good while, Calian finally caught his breath. "Isn't it just like a mage?"
Franz, who had briefly forgotten that the annoying younger brother sitting next to him was also a mage, let out a soft sigh. He remained silent for a moment, his eyes still fixed on the mages, before asking, "They must have been strong. Back then, too."
At the sudden question, Calian fell silent. "Do you mean the Valkan of that day?"
"Yes."
Franz recalled the storm of emotions in Calian's eyes when he had tried to shield the mages. Among them, there had been no resentment. That was why Franz could ask. He knew Calian viewed his past self and his current self as completely different people.
"...They were strong. Terribly so."
That was why Calian could answer.
Setting aside his resolve to never speak of it, Calian spoke of that day for the first time. He spoke of just how powerful a force Franz had built.
At Calian's words, instead of looking away, Franz studied the hopeless lunatics of the Valkan one by one. Whether the catalyst for his change was the vanished Heisia Palace, strawberry ice cream, or Chase's words, Franz didn't know. He was simply changing, little by little.
As Franz continued to stare ahead, Calian spoke again, not dwelling on the past.
"I'd like you to look around the knight orders starting tomorrow. What do you think? It's about time we prepare to integrate the Valkan."
There was no reason to delve deeper into the past with Franz. It was enough for him to know how strong the Valkan had been. What was the point of dragging up memories that were better left buried?
"You'll need to move diligently to keep training the Valkan while also showing your face at the Karen and Raon Knight Orders. Since they aren't forces that can be merged overnight, I'll look into the Seal of Oath while you take control of the knight orders. That should do it. I want to merge them into the Valkan as quickly as possible."
Since Franz had decided to claim their power, there was no reason to delay. Of course, even "quickly" would take time. Franz had to fully secure the knight orders first to ensure the merger went smoothly.
Since Franz had already intended to do so, he simply nodded.
Calian spoke again. "You can manage them just as you saw today."
He had shown Franz how to win people over and manage them. Dealing with the knights was something Franz would have to handle on his own. If he made a mistake, Calian could just teach him again.
Franz merely nodded again.
Seeing that, Calian laughed heartily once more.
"Oh, and don't try to suppress them with brute force. You'll lose, brother. You're surprisingly weak, so don't try to pick fights. Just handle it well on your own."
"Stop barking."
Calian, having barked to his heart's content, nodded readily. It was his way of saying he would stop now that he had gotten it out of his system.