Chapter 16: Until a Proper Card is Dealt (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 16: Until a Proper Card is Dealt (3)
Yan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
To be fair, anyone would be startled if a man materialized out of thin air with a sharp whoosh.
The only reason he didn’t scream was due to the ironclad composure he’d built over years of service as an attendant. Otherwise, he would have bolted from the room.
Furthermore, he immediately recognized the man who had appeared, which helped him maintain enough composure to avoid spilling the basin of washwater he was holding. He had taken it from a maid who had sprained her wrist the day before, a small favor that now felt monumental.
Proud of this small victory, Yan stepped in front of the curtains leading to the bedroom where Calian was sleeping and hissed in a harsh whisper.
“Sir Manasil, what in the world do you think you are doing?!”
The person who had warped in front of Yan was, of course, Alan Manasil.
Alan’s face was flushed, and he looked as though he had just come from a heated argument. He pointed a finger toward the bedroom and asked, “Is the Prince not awake yet?”
“The Prince’s condition is… No, that’s not the point!”
As Yan spoke, the maids emerging from the bedroom froze. They looked startled, clearly having no idea who Alan was. With no time to explain, Yan quickly ushered them out, secured the door, and dragged Alan into the bathroom on the opposite side of the bedroom. He was still clutching the small basin of washwater, having completely forgotten to set it down.
“Come this way first.”
The prince’s quarters were a full suite, containing a bedroom, a study, a living room, and a bathroom. However, there was one thing missing: doors.
The design was meant to guard against assassins and other emergencies, but it meant that simply drawing the bathroom curtain would do nothing to muffle their voices. As Yan fretted, he remembered who Alan was and said, “Please use that quiet-making thing.”
“Hmm?”
Alan stared blankly at Yan for a moment before a look of understanding dawned on his face. He snapped his fingers, casting the ‘quiet-making thing’ Yan had requested. A translucent barrier of Silent Magic materialized around them.
Yan immediately spoke up. “What is the meaning of this insolent behavior?”
He wasn’t even surprised that Alan had cast magic with a mere snap of his fingers. To Yan, Alan was nothing more than a ruffian who had barged into his precious, flower-like prince’s room.
What did it matter if Alan’s robes marked him as a 7th Circle Mage? Who cared if he had just used chantless magic?
Since those thoughts were written plainly on Yan’s face, Alan let out a dry laugh. “Did you ask me to cast a spell just so you could scold me?”
“The Prince must not be awakened.”
To think that after delivering a sharp warning to King Lemain, he was now being scolded for insolence by a prince’s attendant. Yan’s attitude was far from polite, but Alan, understanding it stemmed from devotion, generously overlooked it.
“I was told outsiders cannot enter Chermil Palace without permission,” Alan said. “It seems you haven’t heard from Lemain yet, so I had no choice.”
“So you used Teleport or whatever because you didn’t have permission?”
Alan shook his head with a self-satisfied smile. “It’s Warp. A bit more difficult. I’m quite good at magic, you see.”
Yan smiled back. Warp or whatever.
“Please leave.”
“Weren’t you going to wake him up anyway? I shall wait.”
Yan shook his head firmly. “No. We were just leaving because we felt he needed to rest a bit longer.”
Alan ignored him, looking around the room instead. Black tiles flecked with gold dust lined the walls, and a massive bathtub carved from a single piece of Onyx Stone sat in the center. Alan admired it with genuine awe.
“What an incredibly luxurious place. I can see why he’s still sleeping, even after telling his elderly master to come to the palace by 9:30.”
“‘Elderly?’” Yan muttered grumpily. “You’re perfectly energetic.”
Then, realizing he had mindlessly dragged Alan into Calian’s private bathing chamber, Yan gasped. He opened his mouth to speak, but Alan beat him to it.
“If we step out of here, we’ll be outside the spell’s range. Are you fine with making noise now?”
Yan’s face soured, but he stopped trying to push Alan out. Instead, he spoke firmly once more. “If you have a message, I will pass it on after he wakes. You cannot wait here.”
“I came to check on the Prince’s condition. I have no message to leave, so that won’t work. Besides, it’s not as if I can discuss the Prince’s condition with you.”
At those words, Yan fell silent. He had, of course, heard that Calian had met Alan and that they had formed a master-disciple bond. However, he didn’t know if Alan was aware of Calian’s physical state. Calian had mentioned seeking a mage’s help, but Yan couldn’t be sure if he had already told Alan everything. He decided to play dumb.
“His condition? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Watching Yan’s continued defiance, Alan finally decided to play a card he had been saving.
“You. You know who I am, don’t you?”
“…Of course. I heard about you from the Prince.”
Alan smirked fiercely. Leaning close to Yan, he lowered his voice. “Baby elephant. Stop playing games. I asked if you know who I am.”
Yan’s eyes widened in shock.
He knew perfectly well that people referred to Siegfried as the elephant. Startled far more than when Alan had first materialized, he finally dropped the basin of washwater.
Clang!
Water splashed everywhere. In the same instant, Alan snapped his fingers.
A translucent Shield formed in front of him, blocking the spray from his robes. Of course, he had no intention of extending it to cover Yan, who was left looking like a drowned rat. A suspiciously large amount of water had spilled from the small basin, causing Alan’s lips to twitch as he suppressed a laugh, but the stunned Yan didn’t even notice.
“How…?”
“Didn’t you come to Libern with the papa elephant a few years ago? Did you really think I wouldn’t recognize you just because you’ve grown a bit and are pretending to be someone else?”
In that moment, words Suleiman had once said flashed through Yan’s mind.
—My son looks so unrefined that it’s no wonder nobody suspects him.
Yan’s eyes trembled violently.
No, you’re wrong! I was caught! I’ve grown so much, and yet he recognized me instantly!
Whether it was due to an undeniable air of nobility, Alan’s uncanny memory, or Yan’s own bronze curls and blue-gray eyes… or perhaps it was because of the drunken rambling of a certain Sword Master who had met his mage friend two nights ago—only Alan knew the truth.
Though he couldn’t understand why Yan was hiding his identity, Alan now held massive leverage over him. He grinned, baring his teeth. “Wake him up. Sleeping won’t cure him, so stop wasting time.”
*
About five minutes later, Calian woke to the sound of Yan’s bell. Seeing his attendant’s completely drenched state, he asked in surprise, “Is this some kind of festival surprise?”
“…I am sorry, Your Highness.”
“You’re not crying, are you?”
“I’m not crying.”
Calian couldn’t hold back his laughter. At the sight, Yan seemed slightly relieved as he spoke, completely forgetting to mention that Alan was waiting. “You seem to be feeling much better, Your Highness.”
When Calian had returned after meeting Alan on the first day of the festival, his face had looked dreadful. It was largely because he had been subjected to Alan’s unsolicited mana test after an already grueling day. If Yan had known that, he might have thrown the washwater directly at Alan.
“I’ve done nothing but sleep all day.”
“I suppose we have Prince Franz to thank for that, but I’m glad.”
Normally, Calian’s schedule would have required him to meet with the congratulatory envoys. However, Lemain had discovered that Franz had been drinking in the public square. While the nobles of Kairis were used to Franz’s behavior, the envoys, which included Elves, were not. Fearing Franz might cause an incident, Lemain had excluded the princes from the meeting.
“Yes. My schedule yesterday was completely cleared, so it worked out well.”
Thanks to that, Calian had enjoyed a long, restful sleep. Thinking of the unwitting help he’d received from Franz, Yan shared a piece of news.
“I heard His Majesty has placed a drinking ban on Prince Franz.”
“A drinking ban?”
“He ordered that no alcohol be brought to Prince Franz, and that he only be served non-alcoholic drinks at gatherings.”
For Lemain to issue such an order, he must have been quite concerned.
Calian let out a dry chuckle. “As if he’ll actually stop. He drinks enough to get drunk despite having the blessing.”
“That is why Prince Franz’s attendants seem deeply worried.”
Nodding, Calian’s gaze drifted toward the curtains separating the bedroom from the main chamber. Only then did Yan remember Alan and lower his voice. “Ah, Sir Manasil is waiting outside.”
“Master?” Calian was startled. No wonder the curtains hadn’t been drawn back.
Even though he shouldn’t have been able to see anything, Alan waved a hand from the other side, looking precisely toward Calian’s face. Calian quickly bowed his head in respect. Watching this with a displeased expression, Yan said, “He insisted he had something urgent to confirm with you. I apologize.”
“No, you did well.”
Calian briefly tried to connect Yan’s drenched state with his master’s visit, but unable to find an answer, he simply nodded. He put on some simple clothes, as he would have to change into formal attire after lunch for the afternoon events.
Once he was ready, the curtains were drawn back.
“I will have them prepare a meal for the two of you to share,” Yan said.
“Ah, no need for me,” Alan replied. “I must leave shortly.”
After Yan and the maids stepped out, Calian was finally able to speak with Alan. He bowed his head once more to thank him for waiting.
Alan waved a hand dismissively. “Stop doing that. It’s unnecessary.”
“Yes, Master.” Sitting across from Alan, Calian asked, “What brings you here?”
He had suggested a time for Alan to meet Lemain this morning, but he hadn’t expected the mage to come see him as well.
Alan pulled a pouch from his breast pocket and handed it to Calian. “Don’t forget to take one of these every day.”
It was a plain, red pouch. Opening it, Calian saw it was filled with translucent, pearlescent beads.
“What is this?”
“You currently have two problems, Your Highness,” Alan said, holding up two fingers instead of answering directly. “First, you cannot manipulate mana.”
Calian flinched and leaned back instinctively.
Alan chuckled softly. “Checking once was enough. I won’t pour mana into you again, so don’t worry.”
Does he even know I was bedridden for a whole day because of that? Calian smiled bitterly.
“And second, your body is wasting away.”
“My mana and my physical condition… I haven’t said a word about either. It’s fascinating how well you know.”
Alan merely nodded. “Your Highness, you possess the power of Sispanian’s blessing, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right. It grants healing abilities and increases affinity for magic.”
“Have you ever thought that’s a rather strange combination? Healing and magic.”
He actually had. Recalling the original Calian’s memories, he replied, “I thought the blessing might ultimately be a power that strengthens the heart, since both mana and the source of life reside there.”
“Correct. Sispanian bestowed a blessing that strengthens the power of the heart. In that case, your healing ability must have also disappeared, correct? Come to think of it, that makes three problems.”
The day Franz had wounded him with a knife flashed through Calian’s mind. It had taken a full two weeks for the wound to heal. He remembered how hard he had worked to hide the injury to prevent strange rumors from spreading.
“Yes, that has disappeared as well. Is there a problem with my heart, then?” Calian looked down at the pouch in his hand, wondering if the beads were medicine for his heart.
Alan shook his head. “It’s not a cure.”
“Then what is this?”
Alan clicked his tongue. “Your heart isn’t broken, nor is your mana blocked, so don’t worry about that. Instead, you should be more careful about what you’re putting in your body.”
Calian’s eyes turned cold.
“……Is it poison?”