Chapter 165: If It Were Now (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 165: If It Were Now (5)
A gray pigeon flew to the window.
The ordinary-looking bird tapped its beak against the glass.
Before long, the window opened, and a sun-bronzed, calloused hand gently cupped the bird. Remarkably, the pigeon did not try to escape, settling quietly into the palm.
Black magic, with its severe side effects and cruel nature, had long since vanished from the continent, banned by the decree of Sispanian, Kairis's founding queen. However, “taming,” one of its subcategories, was permitted within a limited scope after being refined into a standard form of magic, its hazardous elements removed.
The bird that had just tapped on the window was a product of this magic, which allowed a creature to recognize its master’s location or find the coordinates of a given destination.
In other words, it was a magical carrier pigeon.
“You’re a bit late.”
The knight entered the reception room, holding the carrier pigeon that had flown through the pouring rain. The man who had just sat down with a cup of tea was the one who spoke.
He must have only gone to sleep at dawn, though what had kept him deep in thought all night was anyone’s guess. Perhaps because he had just washed up, his damp, bluish-silver hair was still dripping wet.
He had not brought a single servant or maid in his entourage for this journey. At first, the knight had not understood his master’s reasoning, but now he had an inkling. It was likely because his master intended to roam the Kairis royal palace at will, completely undisturbed.
Staring briefly at his master’s hair, which had been abruptly cut short one day, Sir Teilan replied, “The weather is poor. It seems the arrival was delayed.”
It was indeed terrible weather for a bird to fly. Even they had been temporarily held back from returning to Secritia due to the rain that had been falling since the previous night.
“True enough,” Chase replied, holding out his hand.
Teilan handed him the letter that had been tied to the pigeon’s leg. Sweeping his violet eyes over the message, Chase quickly burned the note in the flame of a scented candle on the table.
— The Midday Reaper and the Wolf Hunter have left the nest. Heading toward the baby griffin or the rattlesnake's den. Dropped forty wood mouse messengers. No wood mouse tracks.
Euria, who could summon dark storm clouds to deliver death. Arsen, who had slaughtered the warriors of the Great Desert when they clashed during his travels through the sands with his master. These were nicknames the Secritian spies had coined out of a strange sort of respect, and Chase had never expected to see them in this report.
In short, the message meant that Euria and Arsen had left Kairisis. While heading toward either Margrave Gray Brissen's territory or Tensil, they had killed forty of “their” henchmen but failed to find any other clues that could identify the organization.
“To think they killed them all.”
Chase’s eyes, usually so gentle, turned cold and dark.
Secritia's “birds” were currently investigating that organization. They were supposed to report back after tracking the remnants, but instead, they had sent word that their efforts had been thwarted by Euria’s intervention.
A quiet voice, deceptively calm despite the cold aura he exuded, drifted out.
“The organization seems larger than expected. And the mages are as powerful as anticipated.”
Chase did not know that Euria was investigating the “black stone.” Thus, he had no way of knowing why the organization had clashed with her. He was merely surprised that they could command as many as forty henchmen and nodded grimly at the news that two mages had killed them all. After all, he had personal experience with the might of a mage.
“We barely managed to catch their tail, only to lose it.”
He voiced his slight regret. He had heard that the organization's henchmen were heading somewhere and had sent his people to pursue them. But now, he had received news that they had all been wiped out by just two mages, leaving no other clues behind.
Tapping his fingertips against the table, his violet eyes cast down, Chase spoke to Teilan.
“Tell them not to tail the Association President. Have them return to the capital and search for other clues. At this rate, my birds might get hurt by her hands.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
Teilan replied but remained standing. Normally, he would take a step back to guard Chase’s rear or leave the room after receiving an order. Seeing this, Chase took a sip of his tea, set it down, and spoke.
“Speak.”
“The number of birds in Kairisis has decreased significantly. What do you plan to do?”
Teilan had merely said “significantly,” but in truth, the number of spies planted in Kairisis had been cut to less than half.
This was the result of Teilan wielding his sword under Chase’s orders.
Every single bird that showed even the slightest hint of suspicious behavior in Chase’s eyes had died by Teilan’s hand. Overlooking not even the smallest doubt, they had ruthlessly weeded them out.
That was precisely why Teilan had not been present when Calian sought out Chase, or when Franz met with him. They had eliminated all the birds that had escaped the cage before they could even realize what lay outside.
Chase, who had personally ordered the deaths of the spies he had raised with his own hands, let out a low sigh. “I don’t plan on increasing their numbers for now.”
Now that the King of Kairis knew the extent of Secritia’s spy network, it would be difficult to replenish their numbers immediately. However, Chase had culled his birds fully prepared for the blow it would deal to his network. There was no need for regret.
“Make preparations as soon as we return so we can send them back whenever the time is right.”
“Yes, I will do so.”
With those words, Teilan took a step back. Chase, who had been looking down at his teacup, let his gaze follow the knight's feet.
A voice as cold as his gaze from moments ago followed.
“I would prefer you not inform His Majesty of what transpired here.”
It was a voice that carried an implicit threat: if Teilan refused, Chase would discard him as well. Though spoken in a calm tone, it was an order Teilan could never disobey.
Knowing he had no choice but to comply, Teilan spoke quietly instead of giving an immediate answer.
“...I am curious as to the reason. Could you at least tell me that?”
Arbitrarily changing the spies’ investigation, moving them at whim, changing their safehouses, revealing their existence to the King of Kairis, and then slaughtering them—these were actions Devlan would never forgive if he found out.
Knowing this better than anyone, Chase had still gone to such lengths to help a single prince of Kairis.
And he had done so without asking for anything in return.
Chase raised his head toward Teilan. Looking at the knight with eyes that resembled a deep forest swaying in a gentle breeze, he replied quietly, “Just because. It felt like I’d found my lost younger brother.”
An absurd truth. A truth harder to believe than any lie, and therefore, one that would never be doubted.
It was an answer containing nothing but the absolute truth, but Teilan, who could never know it as such, simply stared at Chase’s face. His expression suggested he assumed Chase must have had an exceptionally good first impression of the third prince of Kairis.
After all, is he not a prince perfectly suited to ascend the throne? he thought. He must have helped him for the sake of future relations between our kingdoms.
“Understood. I will remain silent before His Majesty.”
At Teilan’s response, Chase, who had reached his own conclusion, smiled. For a long moment, he sat in silence, his face looking as if it were drenched in rain.
The scent of mint rising from his teacup brushed past the tip of his nose.
*
As expected, he was caught in the rain.
Every step toward Heisia Palace, every step closer to the Axis of Time, seemed to draw more of the downpour upon him.
He had known it would rain and had brought an umbrella, but it was useless against the torrential shower. In the end, he was soaked.
— On the path my mother walked with such struggle... is there any other end besides that?
Suddenly, he remembered the words of Franz, who was following behind him. Whether it was because his feet were headed toward Heisia or because some other stray thought had crossed his mind, he did not know. He simply remembered.
If Calian had not taken Franz’s hand that day, or if Franz had not come to find Calian, today would never have happened. That, Calian thought, must be why the memory had surfaced.
Those words were only the beginning. With every step closer to Heisia Palace, word by word, the things the bastard had said began to flow backward through time.
— I suppose you remember.
A person’s steps always have an end.
Calian’s were no exception. Both his journey back through memory and his physical steps toward Heisia came to a halt.
Turning back for a moment, he saw Franz, drenched and miserable.
Franz, who had followed him, was in the same state. They had walked the same path through the same rain. Calian couldn’t guess what was going through his brother’s mind as he endured it.
Looking at Franz, Calian started walking once more. He descended the stairs, step by step, toward the room with the closed window.
— You. Who are you?
Retracing the words that surfaced in his mind, Calian slowly, quietly sank into his own depths.
The sound of the rain faded into the distance. In the suffocating silence, only the footsteps of the two princes echoed.
Calian left his dripping hair and clothes as they were. He felt no desire to show Franz any needless kindness.
— Right. I should call you. By your name.
After all, it was overwhelming enough just to recall the name that no one had ever fully called out, the name that had failed to remain in anyone’s memory.
Click.
That room.
Arriving before the room where the secret was concealed, Calian stopped once more. Then, he turned around.
Franz’s face, following close behind, came into view. Staring into those light green eyes, Calian spoke.
“For the last…”
His voice had changed, drawing closer to Bern’s. A voice so heavy it was overwhelming, so agonizing he wanted to let go, so painful he wanted to look away.
“I will ask you one last time.”
Just as Chase had.
If the way to regain one’s memories was to face the Axis of Time, then Franz, too…
“You might end up remembering.”
Something even Calian could not know.
The reason why Franz, who hated taking things from others, had broken down enough to start a war to take something from someone. Or the reason he had been so desperate in the first place. Perhaps he would remember that.
Franz’s eyes narrowed.
Watching him, Calian continued.
“If you face what is inside, you, too, Brother, might remember the events of the ‘past.’ Even if not immediately, you might one day experience the exact same nightmare. You might recall things that even I do not know.”
Hearing those words, Franz faintly understood how Chase had come to know Calian’s true self. Though he couldn’t be certain, he realized Calian was saying this because he believed Chase had also come into contact with whatever was inside and regained his memories as a result.
Franz stared back at Calian’s face.
He quietly gazed at Calian, whose expression was heavy, agonizing, and painful—difficult to describe with mere words—and replied, “Open it. I’ll look at it with you.”
Calian fell silent for a moment.
Just as he had briefly treated Chase, whose memories had returned, as a brother, would he be able to not treat Franz as an enemy if his memories returned? He pondered this one last time.
Then, he turned around again, presenting his back to Franz.
“Yes.”
That was his answer. His decision. He would protect what was his, whether from others or from the shadows of the past. There was nothing to fear.
— Creak…
With a small sound, the door finally opened.