Chapter 150: Where One Belongs (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 150: Where One Belongs (6)
They shared the same bronze-colored curly hair and the same round, blue-gray eyes.
They looked so much alike that anyone would have assumed they were siblings, yet no one ever did. After all, one was a mere attendant to the Third Prince, while the other was the young duchess destined to lead Kairis's sole ducal house.
Shiroian, the second son of the Siegfried ducal family who was now the eldest, was rumored to have been so traumatized by his older brother's death that he never took a single step outside the mansion. Of course, since Yan had indeed acted that way for a time, the rumor wasn't entirely false.
The fact that this very same Shiroian was now following “our flower-like Prince” around like a puppy was, of course, a complete secret. So, who could possibly imagine that the two of them were brother and sister?
"It's nice here," Demirea said, her footsteps crunching softly on the gravel path.
After the duel between Franz and Demirea, Calian had invited them both, along with Arsen, to join him for dinner. There were matters concerning Valkan and the knights to discuss, and more importantly, Calian’s earlier outburst had left him quite hungry.
However, the two princes and Arsen had matters to attend to at Senyu Hall before the meal, so the Siegfried siblings were taking a brief stroll. It was the very same path that Calian and Alan, and later Chase and Franz, had once walked.
"Indeed. The Prince said he took a liking to this place," Yan replied.
"Are you saying it's nice just because Prince Calian likes it?"
Yan’s expression made it clear he didn’t even understand the question.
"If the Prince likes it, then it's a good place."
Yan truly seemed like a man born solely to serve Calian. He put the prince first in everything.
Of course, Demirea saw nothing wrong with his way of thinking. Everyone eventually finds something to prioritize in life. For her, it was the sword and her family; for Yan, it was Calian.
If Calian had been unaware of this devotion, Demirea might have worried, but the prince knew it better than anyone. Thus, without judging her brother’s words, she simply nodded.
"You're right. What matters is that this place is nice."
With that, silence fell between them until they reached the midpoint of the path. A few people were passing by, making it difficult to speak freely.
Only when they were alone did Yan ask, "Shall I carry your jacket?"
Demirea, who had ridden to the palace without a single servant, let alone an escort knight, was still carrying her black jacket.
"You don't have to do that for me, Brother," she replied, her expression turning serious as she shook her head.
Even her earlier comment about the path had been an attempt to stop Yan from acting like a servant in front of her. Understanding her intent, Yan smiled.
"My rank isn't that low, you know. I only asked because you looked uncomfortable."
Carrying the belongings of Calian's guests was not the duty of a high-ranking attendant. From the start, Yan had been treating Demirea as his younger sister.
"Carry it, then."
Only then did Demirea smile faintly and hand her jacket to Yan. A single jacket was hardly a burden, but she played along, sensing he wanted to act like an older brother, if only in this small way.
Clink.
As she raised her arm, a soft sound came from her hip. Though not a knight, as the young duchess of Siegfried, she was permitted to carry a weapon into the palace. It was the very sword she had used to send Franz’s own flying.
It was also the sword Yan would be carrying now, had he not rejected his birthright.
For a moment, Yan's gaze lingered on Demirea's sword. Demirea, who briefly considered pretending not to notice, spoke in a calm voice.
"I was always better than you, Brother. At everything."
Whether it was thinking more deeply, calculating faster, carrying herself more resolutely before nobles, playing the violin, or wielding a sword—it had always been Demirea.
"It was something I was better at anyway, something I wanted to do, and ultimately, my destiny. So, I wish you would stop feeling sorry for me."
Demirea was right.
Therefore, bearing the weight of the shield that had protected the kingdom for five hundred years was her duty from the very beginning.
—If I die, isn't that good for you?
Because Yan hadn't been able to bear the weight of that single sentence.
What lay in Yan's eyes as he looked at the sword was not envy or regret for what he had lost. It was guilt—guilt for running away, for being unable to overcome a few simple words, and for dumping the heavy name of the kingdom's sole ducal family entirely onto his younger sister.
Yet, as Demirea said, she had received the title of young duchess because she was better suited for it, not as a sacrifice for him. Thus, it was enough for Demirea to remain as the young head of Siegfried and Yan as Calian's attendant. Each of them was in their proper place.
"Our Lea is all grown up."
So Yan said, wearing the same fond smile he had when he saw how much Calian had grown. Demirea returned it with a gentle one of her own.
Still, "all grown up" already?
Was that a compliment or a curse?
She refrained from pointing out that her brother sometimes had less sense than a puppy.
* * *
Calian quietly rested his forehead in his hand.
"I said I would follow you, Prince, not your older brother, Prince Franz."
This was because of the blue-haired mage, who had fallen silent after his remark, and his grass-eating older brother, who sat with his legs crossed, unable to hide the irritation on his face.
It had all started when Calian mentioned that with knights joining Valkan, there could be no internal conflict. Upon hearing this, Franz had remarked with a tone that implied, "As long as he behaves," and Arsen wasn't about to let that slide. Thus, their bickering had begun once again.
Franz stared at Calian with calm, quiet eyes.
—Did I really wage a war with him by my side?
Those calm eyes seemed to be asking just that, so Calian merely shrugged. It was his way of saying, How should I know?
Sitting before the two, whose relationship seemed to hover somewhere between friendly and utterly terrible, Calian let out a deep sigh. He wished for another cup of Yan's honey tea, regretting that his attendant wasn't there.
"Hah."
Calian's mind was already reeling from the day's events, and he had accumulated quite a bit of anger. Consequently, a faint but unmistakable killing intent laced the end of his sigh. Sensing it, the other two looked at him with slightly startled expressions.
"The end of August."
Then, with eyes that clearly said, If you two keep talking, I'll kill you both, Calian spoke.
"By the end of August, Valkan will be a military force with both a magic corps and a knight order. Before that, I plan to more than double the number of mages. Vice-Commander Hertz, clean up those ruins quickly, consult with Count Manasil, and bring in the additional personnel."
It was easy to say, but doubling their numbers in just three months was a tall order. Arsen fell silent at the sudden command. Calian continued, unbothered.
"And by next February, the magic corps must have at least three hundred mages."
By then, Chase would ascend the throne.
The moment Chase became king, he would immediately build a powerful military unique to Secritia. Even without Bern, their new king would be strong and wise. The army created by such a ruler might possess a strength that even Calian could not anticipate.
"I plan to keep increasing the number of mages even after that, so don't let your guard down."
Therefore, Calian also intended to pour all his efforts into developing Valkan.
"Why so suddenly?" Franz asked.
Calian offered a silent smile and replied, "I didn't plan on expanding our forces so abruptly either, but a situation has arisen where Kairis cannot afford to underestimate the power of a 'weak nation.'"
Because Arsen was present, Calian couldn't explain in detail, but it was more than enough for Franz to understand.
It meant that Lemain and the nobles would try to keep Chase's powerful new army in check. To prevent Kairis from turning a wary eye on Secritia, Valkan's power had to be overwhelmingly superior.
To achieve this, Calian believed they needed to expand Valkan's scale as much as possible.
"But once that many mages gather, it will cause a stir. Some will think the knights aren't enough to keep them in check."
If the number of mages suddenly increased, Marquis Evan Brissen would have no choice but to be on guard. He might have thought the balance of power was roughly equal until now, but the explosion at Heisia Palace must have made him realize where the true superiority lay.
Under such circumstances, if the number of mages multiplied in less than a year, Evan would naturally oppose their growing power.
Franz, sharing Calian's thoughts, nodded quietly. Watching him, Calian fell silent, tapping his fingertips against his knee as he reviewed his decisions.
After some time, Calian spoke again.
"Around that time, I will send Count Aprin's knights to Valkan."
At those words, Franz's eyes narrowed.
Aizen Aprin's knights were supposed to be the force Calian claimed for himself. Franz knew very well that Calian planned to summon them to the capital soon and train them personally. After all, Franz was the one who had helped make it possible.
Yet now, Calian was saying he would send them to Valkan. It was no different from handing the knights over to Franz.
"Why?"
"It's not for the same reason as last time. The knight order needs to grow as much as the magic corps does so that you don't die, Brother."
As Calian spoke, he lightly tapped his own chest.
"I'm worried that you standing by while Valkan's mages increase in number might be deemed an act of 'betraying Brissen.' Even if that's not the case, your foundation of support is very weak. If I hold onto the knights, that alone could get you killed."
Franz quietly closed his eyes.
Seeing this, Calian neatly concealed his intention to one day kill Marquis Evan Brissen without Franz’s knowledge and continued, "It’s more important not to cross the line of 'betrayal' set by Marquis Brissen. Since what he considers betrayal is so broad, we have to be careful about everything."
"Even so, we've gone in circles only to end up right back where we started."
Franz was right. They had gone in circles only to end up back at the beginning.
Franz had tried to seize control of the Royal Knight Orders Karen and Raon so that Calian could have Aizen's knights. To do so, he had shared the Seal of Oath with Evan. Yet now, Calian was giving Aizen's knights to Franz out of caution regarding that very same Seal of Oath—a decision made out of concern that the expanding magic corps might affect it.
But the magic corps was being expanded to prevent Kairis from growing wary of Secritia's new power. And the reason Secritia's power was growing was because Franz had told Chase to "prepare."
In the end, Calian was once again letting go of what he held because of Franz.
"It's fine," Calian said, fully aware of this. "They are simply going where they belong."
He was telling Franz, once again, that it was all right.