Chapter 174: What One Can Bear (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 174: What One Can Bear (2)
And on top of it all, he was telling him to be greedy.
Franz wasn't so young that he couldn't grasp what his younger brother—a man with far more life experience—was trying to say. Since Franz had chosen to live, Calian was telling him to actually live, not just breathe.
Normally, he might have brushed the comment aside with a casual nod, but Franz was in no mood for such a pleasant response.
If his attendant, Relic, had said such a thing, Franz would have dismissed it as mindless barking. But because it was Calian, one corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk.
"That's hardly something you should be saying, brother."
The nobles might have been pretending to focus on a ruby ornament, but there was no way they had missed Calian stopping Franz right in front of them.
Within the hour, rumors would be flying through Astrisha Street that the Third Prince, Calian, had asked the Second Prince, Franz, for permission to accompany him to Wilhelm Hall, where the Valkan were stationed. Calian’s choice to bring this up in front of the nobles was a deliberate signal, acknowledging Franz’s ownership of the Valkan for all to see.
After so decisively handing over the Valkan with a single remark in front of the nobility, Calian was now lecturing him. It was only natural that Franz was displeased.
Calian, who couldn't have been ignorant of his displeasure, replied in a leisurely, nonchalant voice.
"I am already living with plenty of greed."
He sounds like Raven chewing on grass.
Franz stared at Calian, whose expression was utterly devoid of deceit. Speechless, he shut his mouth.
For some reason, Calian seemed to view protecting and embracing everything as his own peculiar form of greed. Though Calian hadn't said it aloud, Franz was certain that was what he was thinking.
Whether Calian read his mind or not, he simply looked around without another word. Then, casting his gaze toward the distant palace, he spoke.
"If I name the cat Camillon, do you think Hina will dislike it?"
When it came to abrupt topic changes, Calian was surely the best on the continent, not just in Kairis. He brought up a cat's name as if he'd completely forgotten what they were just discussing.
"Or would it be better to save it and name a dog instead?"
Franz didn't panic, nor did he ask what Calian meant.
After all, there was only one cat that needed a name.
Since it was also a clear signal that Calian wished to drop their previous conversation, Franz merely let out a short sigh before responding.
"The Great One would surely pay another visit to Heisia."
If he named his pet cat—or a future dog—after Sispanian's son and the second king of this nation, Sispanian would undoubtedly return.
This time, not to show understanding, but to kill him—true to the meaning of the 'Black Butterfly'.
"Still, doesn't 'Butterfly' suit a cat better than a person?"
Franz remained silent for a moment.
He understood that Calian was referring to the meaning of 'Camillon,' reminding him that Calian was drawing upon the knowledge he'd gained as the Secritian Royal Brother. After all, very few words from that ancient language had been passed down in Kairis.
In any case, Calian didn't seem entirely serious, as he didn't pursue the matter. Thanks to that, they naturally resumed their quiet walk.
As they neared Wilhelm Hall, Franz, who had been walking in silence, finally spoke.
"…Comfort."
It was an unexpected word.
Calian turned to look at him, and Franz added in a low voice, "The cat's name. If you haven't decided yet."
He hoped the name of Calian's cat would carry that meaning—the cat that seemed to prefer Franz, always coming to meow at him whenever he sat quietly or looked out the window.
Calian looked at Franz in surprise, then slowly smiled. He realized Franz had just given him the perfect name.
"It's Lucy," Calian said. "It means 'comfort.' And 'the brightest star.'"
He smiled because it was a perfect name for a cat.
"That would be a perfect name."
Franz merely nodded. Calian, having finally resolved his two-day dilemma, walked on with a refreshed expression.
Not long after, as they entered Wilhelm Hall, Franz posed another unexpected question.
"Does my name have another meaning as well?"
Franz. In the modern tongue, it meant 'Noble Guide of the Moon'—a name befitting royalty. Both Calian and Franz knew this. He was asking if a word with the same sound existed in the ancient language Calian knew.
Just as Calian had told him to be curious, he was now showing curiosity about himself.
Calian looked at Franz—who had just suggested a name for the cat, a far cry from the prickly prince of moments ago, and was now asking about his own name—and spoke slowly.
"Ah…"
The expression on Calian's face as his voice trailed off was truly peculiar. It was hard to tell whether he was smiling, embarrassed, or a mix of both.
"There is a word that sounds like your name, brother. It's not a bad meaning, but…"
Should I tell him, or not?
After a brief hesitation, Calian grinned.
"Since you're still young, brother, I'll tell you when you're a bit older."
Ha.
At this absurd remark from his younger brother, whose true age was a mystery, Franz was momentarily left speechless, his face twisting with irritation.
"Barking again, I see."
Calian grinned and nodded, then stepped into Wilhelm Hall first.
How could he possibly tell a growing teenager:
'Your name sounds like the word for plants. You know, grass, trees… the fresh green things you eat every day.'
It was better to just let him think he was barking.
*
There was no need to announce their arrival.
He would have sensed their approach long ago and was simply waiting for them to enter.
"Master!"
Calian opened the door and entered, greeting him warmly. Alan, who had already felt Calian approaching his office, welcomed him with a smile.
"You took so long I thought you'd forgotten and gone home."
Due to Arsen's absence, Alan's time at Wilhelm Hall had increased. Knowing this, Calian had still lingered in the training grounds after arriving, leading Alan to assume he would just train and head back. Having given up hope, Alan was all the more delighted to see him.
"Kyrie was struggling a bit, so I was supervising my brother's swordsmanship in his place."
Saying so, Calian sat across from Alan. Then, as he always did, he picked up the tea Alan had prepared and took a sip. It was a tea brewed with dried tangerines, its fragrance as deep as Alan's thoughtfulness.
Savoring the aroma with a pleasant smile, Calian began to recount what had happened recently. He didn't go into detail about Kyrie, however. What had happened wasn't a burden to be shared, but something that would only distress Alan.
Instead, he spoke of his meeting with Sispanian on that rainy day.
"She arrived so suddenly that I was unable to bring you with me, Master."
He added this for Alan, who had missed the chance to meet Sispanian, even though she'd visited Kairisis—and Heisia Palace, just a stone's throw from Wilhelm Hall.
Alan did not look as disappointed as he once might have.
"Actually, I did go there that day, but I turned back."
"Did you?" Calian asked, surprised.
Alan explained with a somewhat satisfied look. "Prince Franz turned me away, so I scheduled another time to visit. I wondered why he did that, but now I finally understand."
He then wore an expression that practically screamed, 'My boy really made a friend,' which made Calian grimace. It was a look of sheer aversion to the implication that he had befriended a piece of grass that lived with a cat.
"Indeed. I am also continuing to investigate the Axis of Time, so I will let you know immediately if I discover anything."
Nodding, Calian asked, "It seems Dame Seiren is continuing her investigation into that matter. Is that correct?"
Since Calian spoke with absolute certainty, Alan brought up something he had withheld to avoid worrying him.
"I heard that on the night after those two left the capital, sudden purple lightning struck repeatedly for quite some time. Forty corpses were later found where it struck. It was likely the work of the Association's president."
At those words, Calian let out a short sigh. It was confirmation that Euria and Arsen had indeed gotten involved.
"Once those two return to the capital, I have to tell them to wash their hands of this."
"That would be wise. You and I can handle whatever remains to be investigated."
At the very least, Alan would not be put in danger because of them. Calian nodded in agreement.
"Crown Prince Chase continues to make his move. Bodies suspected of being Secritian spies have been discovered in Kairisis, and we've also found traces of spies tailing the Association's president. Were you aware?"
Calian glanced briefly at the tangerine slice in his teacup before speaking.
"He must have purged the spies he already found suspicious. And he wouldn't have stopped his investigation there."
This was a course of action slightly different from the Chase of the past and closer to Bern's style. While Chase couldn't have taken over everything Bern used to handle, Calian figured he must have assumed some of his duties.
After all, the one who would change due to Bern's absence was Chase, not Devlan.
"He'll let us know if he confirms anything, so I'd prefer we leave his 'birds' alone, Master."
He was asking Alan to turn a blind eye. Alan simply nodded in silence.
He watched Calian sit quietly for a while, then hesitated briefly before taking a sip of his tea and setting it down.
"By the way, do you still intend to cut down the Marquis?"
Sparring with Alan to increase his aura, requesting that Lemain hold a memorial for Freya, sending Arsen to win over Gray, and today, clearly asserting his claim over the Valkan in front of the nobles—all of it was preparation to take the life of Marquis Evan Brissen.
Despite having more than enough on his plate dealing with 'them,' Calian nodded.
"My intention hasn't changed. As long as Marquis Brissen lives, he is a blade hanging over my brother's head, ready to fall at any moment."
It was no different from living with a sword pressed against one's heart. The moment Franz strayed from the boundaries Evan had set, the Seal of Oath would activate.
"It is fortunate that Marquis Brissen is not particularly clever, but we cannot leave anything to chance."
It was better to eliminate him before Evan realized just how many loopholes existed in the condition of 'not betraying Brissen.'
Alan stared at Calian for a moment before speaking in a low voice. Before they knew it, a shimmering, transparent barrier had formed around them.
"When the time comes, I shall go myself."
He was saying that when the time was right to eliminate Evan without repercussions, he, not Calian, would be the one to kill him. To Alan, Evan Brissen might be slightly troublesome, but he was by no means a dangerous opponent.
Calian smiled faintly at the casual offer. He had known Alan would say this.
"The only reason Brissen was able to swallow Kairis with such a foolish, shallow-minded plan was because the Marquis of Brissen's sword was just that strong."
Sensing why Calian was bringing this up, Alan let out a silent sigh. Calian, who had never once shown a moment of weakness, delivered another textbook response.
"I do not wish to sever the sword of Brissen as well."
Just as Calian said, while the Brissens were shallow-minded, their swordsmanship was formidable. The only reason the greedy, thoughtless Brissen family had maintained its legacy was the strength of their sword.
However, Evan was the only one who had fully mastered that swordsmanship. The Brissen sword style remained unknown not only to their knights but also to Franz. Though Gray existed, he was not a Sword Master, making it difficult to say he wielded the true sword of Brissen.
Thus, Calian's words meant one thing.
"You intend to learn their complete swordsmanship and pass it down to Prince Franz?"
"They will never teach him willingly. They know that no matter what, my brother's name will never change."
Even if Franz took control of Brissen, he would never be considered a true Brissen. Even if he inherited the family, his royal name would not change. He would simply become Franz Rune Kairis, the head of the Brissen family.
Neither Evan nor Gray was ignorant of this. Knowing all too well how significant that difference in name was, they would never teach Franz their swordsmanship under any circumstances. To the Brissens, Franz would always be nothing more than a moderately close outsider.
"It is a family that maintained its power through the sword, not the mind. No matter how clever my brother is, he cannot properly control Brissen with intellect alone."
They were one of the two great knight families of Kairis. A merely clever prince who inherited a family built on swordsmanship overnight would never be able to sustain it. Armed only with Calian's swordsmanship, which had no relation to them, it would be impossible for Franz to even be recognized as the head of Brissen.
"So, if I step forward, they won't teach me, but they will have no choice but to show me everything they have."
While they would never teach Franz, they would be forced to display their techniques to survive against Calian.
In other words, Calian intended to clash swords with them directly to analyze their swordsmanship. And even if it wasn't perfect, he planned to pass on what he learned to Franz.
"Since I am taking the seat that should have been my brother's, I must properly prepare the one he will occupy in its place."
Having declined Alan's intervention, Calian drank the tea, which was as fragrant and tart as the depth of Alan's worry.
"Anyone would think you were stealing it by force. When on earth are you going to let go of this useless guilt?" Alan clicked his tongue, distressed.
Grateful for his master's concern, Calian replied in a soft voice.
"I won't die. Not me."
He was promising that Alan would not have to experience losing a son twice.
Understanding the weight of those words all too well, Alan could find nothing to say in reply.
*
And a few more days passed.
Even as Sunday night drew to a close, Arsen and Euria had not returned.