Chapter 173: What Can Be Handled (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173: What Can Be Handled (1)
Three beers.
He could remember up to that point. But from the moment he took a sip of his fourth drink, his memory was a complete blank.
"Yeah. That's exactly when you started freezing the french fries."
The mage, who was usually the one throwing caution to the wind, tried to grasp the situation and asked, "I'm sorry. Did I make a mistake?"
"You froze the french fries."
He had frozen the french fries and talked quite a bit.
Euria had a general idea of why Arsen had come all this way. Since he had said he was coming at Calian's request, she had let it be. It was only yesterday that she realized what had driven this mage—who was good at handling difficult things but refused to do anything he disliked—to finally make the trip.
Frowning slightly, Euria asked, "Do you really not remember?"
"No, I really don't. I always stop at three beers, so I have no idea what got into me yesterday."
At Arsen's reply—he who always drank exactly three beers in front of others before heading home—Euria couldn't help but chuckle.
Arsen hadn't wanted to do it, but because it was Calian's request, it became something he felt he had to do. So, without refusing, he had come all this way to speak with Gray. The truth was, he absolutely hated it, yet he still wanted to help.
Caught between the contradictory feelings of wanting to help but hating the task, he had ended up drinking. How could the truth that spilled out in his drunken state be considered a mistake? Freezing the french fries was an unforgivable blunder, but his whining was no mistake.
So, Euria lightly shook her head and said, "You didn't make any other mistakes. At least you didn't freeze the chicken."
"Did you eat chicken? Alone?"
"Of course I did. You were asleep."
To be precise, she had put him to sleep, but that was hardly an important distinction.
A juice filled with coconut pulp was placed in front of Arsen, who was rubbing his temples as if suffering from a hangover. Euria had ordered it for him.
Already parched, Arsen drained it in one gulp and asked, "Do I smell like alcohol?"
"No. If you smelled like alcohol after only four beers, would you even be human?" Euria, who showed not a single trace of intoxication despite having polished off two bottles of Himolica right in front of him, replied.
Even after hearing that, Arsen still felt insecure and wasted his mana casting Clean magic for a third time.
He was planning to go meet Gray again.
Watching this, Euria asked casually, "What time did you say you were going?"
The sun was already high in the sky. Feeling like he couldn't eat anything with his sour stomach, Arsen was about to head out immediately. "I just told him I'd go sometime today."
"Then eat first."
Pushing Arsen back down as he tried to stand, Euria continued in a light tone, "You can take your time. It's better that way."
Arsen clearly held the upper hand in this situation, so there was no need to rush. The longer they dragged it out, the more anxious Gray would become.
"Kid, you have nothing to lose, so why the hurry? The later you go, the fewer demands he'll make. Just hang out for a bit before you go."
Going too quickly would only prove that Arsen was just as eager to join hands with Gray. Therefore, taking his time and showing an attitude of 'I don't care whether we cooperate or not' would prevent Gray from getting any foolish ideas.
"Ah. That would be better. Thank you, Association President."
"I don't think you need to call me Association President for the time being. My ears are ringing from it."
Replying as she spread butter smoothly over a baked potato, Euria scooped up a spoonful of the soft flesh. Arsen's puzzled gaze followed the spoon back to her.
"Yes. Potatoes have to be hot. I couldn't eat the frozen ones."
After digressing for a moment and chewing the potato while blowing on it to cool it down, Euria added a leisurely answer to Arsen's unresolved question.
"It's just one of those things."
As soon as she finished speaking, a server approached their table. A spicy stew simmered with cabbage and beef was placed in front of Arsen. Even though she hadn't specified who it was for, the server skillfully identified the dish's owner.
After all, the food was clearly needed by the man who had passed out after four beers, had to be carried back, and was now slouching and grimacing—not the woman who was eating buttered potatoes the day after polishing off two bottles of Himolica by herself.
Thanking the server, Euria pointed to the stew with the tip of her spoon. "Anyway, eat that. Eat, rest up, and then come with me."
"You'll accompany me to meet Margrave Brissen?"
Wasn't Euria the one who hated the Brissens for being idiots? That was why Arsen had met Gray alone the previous day. Her sudden whim was unexpected, so he had to ask.
"Yeah. I'm bored. I'll do the talking today. Not that there's much left to discuss anyway."
Not because she hated seeing her junior mage do something he disliked, but simply because she was bored.
At the Association President's surprisingly thoughtful gesture, Arsen's expression grew complex.
He must have let something slip while he was drunk yesterday. Otherwise, there was no way Euria would act like this. At the thought, Arsen clutched his head.
Watching him, Euria laughed as she snatched the largest piece of meat from his stew and ate it herself.
* * *
Calian burst into laughter.
"I knew they were all crazy, but they're completely out of their minds."
At the sound of his laughter, Yan, who was setting down two teacups, carefully observed Calian's expression. He knew that when Calian laughed while speaking of the Valkan mages, it wasn't always a genuine laugh. Fortunately, this time, it was. Relieved, Yan bowed slightly and stepped outside.
It's not a laughing matter. He really came back after being hit forty-nine times.
Calian would never know how shocked Hina had been when a proud mage had shown up with a face battered black and blue.
"The one who won must have been the one who got hit. It's fine."
Hina, sitting across from him, shook her head and lifted her teacup. She thought to herself that even the kind prince was, in the end, a mage.
The tea, infused with cherry and strawberry syrup, gave off a wonderful aroma. It was a sweet scent and taste that Hina adored. Just as she was about to take a sip, a cat came rushing over with a flurry of pattering paws and bumped into her arm. It seemed to want to leap into her arms out of sheer joy.
The tea…!
A few drops of red tea splashed onto her pristine white robe. Seeing this, Calian scooped up the cat and said, "You'll get hurt rushing at people like that just because they're nice to you."
"Meow!"
It was talking back again.
Calian laughed again, thinking the cat had gotten mouthy now that it had grown a bit. Then, with a simple word, he restored Hina's red-stained robe to its clean state, pushed his own untouched tea toward her, and spoke.
"Hina. I'd prefer if you didn't cross paths with Kyrie for the time being. Could you do that for me?"
Hina was about to thank him for cleaning the stain and offering his own cup, but his unexpected words stopped her. She opened her eyes wide and looked at Calian.
Did something happen?
Right now, whenever Kyrie looked at someone, he saw Garm standing beside them. For the time being, it was best for him to be alone. Calian knew better than anyone that no one, not even himself or Hina, should be near Kyrie.
"I'm sorry."
There was a reason, but Calian didn't explain, offering only an apology. Hina stared at him for a moment, then nodded and moved her hands.
I don't know the details, but if the kind prince feels sorry, then my brother must have done something wrong as well.
Even without knowing the specifics, she was sure of it.
So please don't think it's entirely your fault.
Even though she had no idea what had happened.
Hina smiled as she signed.
Then, looking at the cat cradled in Calian's arms—the one whose silent declaration was 'I am Prince Calian's cat who prefers Prince Franz'—she signed:
Please give the cat a name.
She brought it up because, despite telling her not to worry about Kyrie, Calian's face was filled with concern. She wanted to give him something else to think about, provided it wasn't a major issue.
Putting his apologetic feelings aside for a moment, Calian asked, "Would you be comfortable with that?"
At this, Hina smiled brightly.
She had confirmed that the reason he hadn't named the cat yet was indeed the one she had suspected. Facing this warm and gentle prince, Hina replied with a soft expression.
Please give it a pretty name.
Hina did not yet know that the name Calian had given his magnificent horse merely meant 'black' or 'large crow'. Had she known, she wouldn't have made such a lighthearted request.
"Alright. I'll think about it."
Calian nodded, giving her a reassuring reply.
* * *
Two days passed.
He still hadn't named the cat.
It was a request from Hina, of all people. He couldn't possibly name it carelessly. He was being so cautious that not a single name felt right.
"I hear that savages have reappeared near the Great Desert. Is troop support needed?"
Consequently, Calian wasn't absorbing a single word Lemain was saying. This was despite the fact that, on the outside, he looked more attentive than anyone.
Hina's cat was far more important than some savage incursion—a recurring problem whose details and outcome he already roughly knew. Besides, even without Calian's intervention, Lemain was handling things perfectly well on his own now.
The meeting continued.
"I hear there is no successor to inherit the title of the deceased Baron Haulpin. Yet Count Gabin, who should have been the first to inform me of this, has said nothing."
At Lemain's words, a small chuckle escaped from beside Calian. Since Prince Randel was under house arrest, the sound had undoubtedly come from the Boiled Pea.
He must have laughed because he knew Count Gabin had intended to keep the masterless land for himself. Fortunately, no one other than Calian had heard it. Temporarily setting aside the thought that he should teach Franz that scoffing in front of nobles was a bad habit, Calian went back to pondering names for the cat.
The count whose name was called immediately spoke to Lemain. "Your Majesty, that is…"
"I shall send a new baron shortly."
Calian made sure to attend the regular meetings where the nobles gathered, even if he skipped other appointments. Since he couldn't create a separate opportunity to meet Marquis Evan Brissen, he was waiting for Evan to attend. He needed to see him to gauge his Aura.
"I trust such an incident will not occur twice."
Unaware that his third son had attended this meeting with the intent of taking someone's head, only to end up worrying about a cat's name, Lemain proceeded with the perfectly ordinary meeting.
After some time, Lemain's voice echoed in the quieted hall.
"Then, we shall conclude here."
Without even looking at the nobles, Lemain cast a single glance toward Calian and Franz, who were bowing politely, and walked out.
Calian, who was also about to leave, paused. He had spotted Yan entering the hall—or more precisely, the note in Yan's hand.
"It arrived while you were in the meeting. I thought it best you check it immediately."
The gazes of the nobles who had not yet left turned toward Calian.
"Ah, thank you."
Judging by the size of the note, it had definitely come via carrier pigeon. The only person who would send him a carrier pigeon right now was Arsen. It was also the message he had been waiting for.
In any case, receiving a single note wasn't suspicious. Thus, Calian sat back down in front of the nobles and unfolded it.
– Not in contact with the 1st Prince. He has been won over, and there are no demands. I expect to return to Kairisis within the week.
As expected, the letter was from Arsen.
It meant he had successfully formed a fake alliance with Gray, and that Gray was not in contact with Randel.
Calian soon fell into thought.
The timeline doesn't match up.
The timing of the letter's arrival and the return date he mentioned were a bit strange.
Even excluding the time it took for the bird to fly, it had taken slightly longer than expected from his arrival in the Margrave's territory to his conversation with Gray. Seeing as he planned to return within the week after finishing his business, he must intend to use a teleportation magic circle. But even that was scheduled for "within the week," not immediately.
Something must have happened on his way there. He wouldn't want to stay there a moment longer than necessary, yet he says he'll stay a bit more before coming back.
Calian knew very well how much Arsen must have hated this task. Even so, Arsen was the only person who could create a plausible reason to win over Gray. Since it was an unplanned event, even Calian couldn't have prepared a suitable person in advance.
So he had asked Arsen, and Arsen had complied without a word of complaint.
Still, since he hated it, he would have wanted to return the moment the job was done. It was strange that he was choosing to return "within the week."
Tap, tap.
As was his habit, Calian's finger slowly tapped the table.
Either the magic circle isn't finished yet, or it is, and he got involved in Dame Seiren's business.
He didn't know the exact reason for Arsen's delay, but those were the only two reasons his return would be pushed back. And if it was Euria's business, it was likely related to what Sispanian had mentioned: the investigation into the black stone.
Since she had left to do that, it must mean Arsen was going to help her investigate before returning.
If he was just waiting because the magic circle wasn't finished, it didn't matter much. But the last thing Calian wanted was for Arsen to get entangled in the matter of the black stone. Hadn't Alan told Euria not to concern herself with it anymore? That was how dangerous it was.
If he doesn't return by the weekend, I'll have to find a way to go out there myself.
For now, Calian stopped his thoughts there and lightly channeled his mana.
Whoosh!
In an instant, a rather large flame erupted from his fingertips, completely incinerating the note. The gazes of the nobles who had not yet left gathered on him.
"Brother. If you are on your way to the Wilhelm Pavilion, may I accompany you?"
Ignoring the nobles, Calian spoke, and Franz's eyes narrowed. Quickly brushing away his look of disapproval, Franz replied, "Sure."
The flame had been intentionally large.
The nobles were well aware that Calian was a mage. The fire was merely a way to draw their attention. Having gathered their focus, he was now asking Franz for permission to accompany him to the Wilhelm Pavilion.
It was a subtle confirmation to everyone that the Valkan now belonged to Franz, and that Calian, a mage himself, acknowledged it.
Having finished his brief performance, Calian stood up, and Franz rose as well.
Receiving the bows of the nobles, the two stepped outside and made their way toward the Wilhelm Pavilion.
"What was the note about?"
Franz knew that Arsen had left because of the teleportation magic circle. Therefore, he had to know the note Calian just checked was from Arsen. No one else was far enough away to need a carrier pigeon.
"It seems he delayed his schedule because of Dame Seiren's business. He appears to be planning to investigate that stone."
Knowing that Franz would notice if he tried to hide the truth clumsily, Calian simply gave a brief explanation.
It wasn't a lie. It was indeed Arsen's letter, and while he couldn't share its actual contents, there was no harm in sharing what he had deduced.
"He'll be fine. That crazy mage is with him, after all," Franz replied. He didn't seem to doubt Calian's words.
"Yes. Since we have an evening banquet, it will be difficult to go to the training ground tonight. I'll look over your swordsmanship at the Wilhelm Pavilion instead."
Franz merely nodded. Staring at him for a moment, Calian asked, "Aren't you curious about why Kyrie acted that way?"
He hadn't asked.
Franz didn't answer. After they walked in silence for a while, Calian spoke again.
"It's a kind of hallucination. It happens when you're covered in more blood than you can handle, and before you can process it, your mind latches onto a more efficient way to kill. Once he gets used to what he sees, it won't appear again. He'll be fine soon."
"I see."
"You shouldn't be curious about the note; you should be curious about why Kyrie attacked you with such murderous intent that day. You should be asking about things like that."
Why did he return the killing intent but not get angry about the attack? Why was he curious about a note Calian received, but not about things concerning himself?
Once again, Franz remained silent.
Instead, Calian spoke up again.
"Kyrie was like that. Just like you, Brother."
Just like the Kyrie of now, the Kyrie of the past had been the same.
He hadn't been curious.
He did what he was told, accepted what he was taught, and remained ignorant of what wasn't said. He simply agreed to everything unconditionally. He just accepted it all.
And in the end, he had seen Garm. Although the Kyrie of that time was sturdier than he was now, he had ultimately seen the same thing Bern did.
And surely, that didn't apply only to wielding a sword.
"Don't do that. Be curious about your own affairs. Ask questions. Get angry. If you've resolved to live without guilt, then you should also show some greed. If you don't, things will only end the same way."
Franz looked at Calian.
And Calian met his gaze with calm eyes.
"You're allowed to be greedy."
In any case, Calian thought to himself, Franz is a high-maintenance guy who has to be taught everything from A to Z.