Chapter 181: My People (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 181: My People (3)
Euria was a precise person.
She was precise in drawing boundaries, precise in her conversations and comprehension, and precise in her magic.
Of course, anyone seeing the forty charred corpses might wonder if her definition of "precise" was to cleanly incinerate every last one of them with a single bolt of lightning, leaving no survivors. Still, one way or another, Euria’s magic was precise.
True to her nature, her self-reflection was just as thorough.
She didn't just listen half-heartedly; she took his words to heart. She had learned a great deal from this incident, and the moment she saw Calian, she apologized once more.
Then, with a calm expression, she said, "The organization's name is Zeon, Your Highness."
Self-reflection was one thing, but she believed in finishing the task at hand. Thus, she immediately addressed the root cause of the mess.
"As for the documents we found, they're in a state that makes them nearly impossible to read or decipher."
Calian lightly skimmed the bundle of papers she handed him and nodded. "You did well."
His demeanor was a complete departure from the furious lecture he had delivered back at the Wilhelm Pavilion. Even when Euria apologized, he simply acknowledged it and moved on.
It was because of Alan.
On the way, Alan had made a request of Calian.
“I have already given the Association President a thorough scolding. Once we return to the capital, I will speak with the Vice-Commander as well. Please, do not reprimand them any further.”
Alan knew all too well what kind of storm Calian’s personality could whip up. Calian was exceptionally sensitive to such matters, which was why Alan had stepped in. It wasn't that he was worried Calian would be too harsh; he was worried Calian would exhaust himself with yet another burden today.
So Calian decided to let it go without another word. He was not ignorant of why the two of them had acted in the first place.
"I would like to take this back to the palace as is. Is that possible, Master?"
Was it possible?
If Calian said he wanted to bring the moon down to Chermil Palace, Alan would have started calculating how to do it. What was a mere bundle of papers? He would have moved the entire cave if necessary to make it happen.
Therefore, without even considering the possibility of failure, Alan nodded and held out his hand. "Give it to me."
Taking the papers from Calian, Alan examined them, channeled his mana for a moment, and slipped them into his space pocket. The documents, which had crumbled to dust in the other two mages’ spatial storage, were preserved without any change. He had cast preservation magic on them beforehand.
Calian gave Alan a look that clearly said, As expected of my Master. For Alan, that glance was the greatest reward of his life as a mage. With that, Calian turned his head.
"Now, we just need to deal with them."
Calian’s gaze shifted toward the spies. Euria had already relayed every detail of the conversation that had transpired before the explosion.
"...So, I put them to sleep and then went outside, Your Highness."
As she finished her report, the Yellow Robin bit his lower lip.
Just as Euria said, they had fallen asleep right after the explosion. When they opened their eyes, an Archmage and a Sword Master were looking down at them.
He was a powerful swordsman himself, yet despite being on guard, he had succumbed to Euria's 'Sleep'. The sheer gap in their mental fortitude was a testament to the difference in their power. Now, with two individuals even more formidable than Euria present, what more was there to say?
Calian moved without a sound, stopping before the Yellow Robin, who was bound alongside the others. It was partly because he was the closest, but mostly because Calian already knew he was the leader of the three.
The Yellow Robin seemed to have given up all resistance. Calian looked down at him and spoke.
"Name."
"I forgot."
The reply was swift. Hearing it, Calian smiled faintly.
It was partly because he remembered saying the same thing once, and partly because he found the man's answer quite satisfying.
But what followed that smile was something else entirely.
Whoosh!
A fierce killing intent flared in an instant.
An aura as sharp and chilling as Calian's red eyes pierced the Yellow Robin.
His voice, now laced with ice, emerged once more.
"Name."
"...I said, I forgot."
His voice trembled, but his answer remained the same.
Swordsmen, with their heightened senses, were more susceptible to killing intent than mages. Furthermore, Calian was on edge, and his killing intent was suffocating, yet the man’s resolve didn't waver. A spy's code name wasn't a major secret, but he refused to give up even that.
After staring at the Yellow Robin for a long moment, Calian withdrew his killing intent and spoke again. His voice returned to normal, as if he hadn't just been glaring daggers at the man.
"If you go back, you're all dead."
The Chase of today was very different from the man he once was.
Hadn't he executed half his spies on mere suspicion? There was no way he would forgive birds who disobeyed a direct order.
Even if, by some miracle, he chose to forgive them, he would surely kill them once he learned that Calian had personally intervened because of their actions, leading to another clash with the warriors of the Great Desert. Calian knew Chase was not a man who would forgive that, no matter the reason.
"You must have known that. Why were you so stubborn?"
They would have died at the hands of the warriors searching for them if they hadn't come here, but now they would simply die at Chase's hands instead.
This time, too, the Yellow Robin did not answer.
Calian glanced to the side and saw that the other two also had their mouths sealed shut.
"What would you like to do?" Euria asked, watching from the side. If he ordered her to kill them, she would; if he told her to let them go, she would. Euria also knew that the relationship between Calian and Chase was not a bad one.
Calian didn't answer right away, his gaze dropping as he considered his options.
If they had been digging up internal information on Kairis, he would have punished them as a prince of Kairis. But they were chasing the organization called Zeon. His personal relationship with Chase aside, their actions didn't harm the royal family. In fact, they might even be helpful to Calian.
Soon, Calian’s gaze returned to the Yellow Robin. "Dame Seiren," he said quietly, "I need a moment alone with them."
Understanding his request for privacy, Euria went outside without a word. Alan remained by his side, but there were no secrets to keep from him, so Calian didn't ask him to leave.
"When you go back, tell him this."
Was it fortunate that not all of Chase's spies had become self-serving like the White Eagle or the Blue Warbler? Or should he ignore it as he always had, since it was the business of Secritia's spies?
"Tell him you met me, and that I said he should sheath his sword."
Yellow Robin, Servain.
Spare him.
He was a spy who, in addition to his martial prowess, had good instincts and stubborn persistence. He was the type to always take risks to bring back information. Even if the birds' loyalty was now questionable, Calian was asking Chase to turn a blind eye, just this once. To not cut off his own flesh with his own hands this time.
Chase would understand his meaning.
"And you. You should weigh which is more valuable before you act: your neck or the information. A spy who retreats to report another day is more valuable than one who dies for a single piece of information."
And with that, Calian meddled just a little bit more.
"...I understand."
Stunned by the unexpected words, the Yellow Robin stared blankly at Calian before finally replying.
In any case, there was nothing more to say to the birds. If there was any important information, Chase would send it via the light green carrier pigeon anyway, saving Calian the effort.
Therefore, Calian left them as they were and walked out of the cave. He turned to Euria, who was standing outside looking at the forest. "Let's go now."
"Yes, Your Highness," Euria replied with a nod.
As Calian took a step to follow her, he paused and glanced back at Euria. A small smile touched his lips. "Those birds and the pig in your bag... both seem too tough to eat. Just leave them."
It was his way of saying he was sparing them to avoid the political fallout, while also leaving the pork for them.
Since they said they were hungry, they might as well be fed.
* * *
The darkness was deep.
This was only the second time he had left the royal palace at such an hour.
The first time was when Calian, after being attacked by them, had claimed he was looking for Franz. The second time was now. Both times, it was because of Calian.
Franz, who found himself constantly cleaning up his younger brother's messes, furrowed his brow slightly.
"I didn't expect you to come all the way here yourself."
He hadn't thought much of it while heading to the magic circle. But his mind changed the moment he saw the mage—his face as pale as his blue hair—spouting such nonsense.
"I shouldn't have come."
He should have just stayed in the royal palace.
Calian had probably expected Franz to call Hina, but he certainly hadn't expected him to come all the way to the magic circle and wait. Arsen must have felt the same.
So, if he was grateful, he should just say so.
In any case, the man was impossible to like.
Clop.
And then there was the black horse standing beside him.
Its coat and mane were like shadows swallowed by the darkness, making the pure white fetlock on its right leg stand out all the more. Even its expression seemed to look down upon the three insignificant two-legged creatures gathered before it. It was, without a doubt, Raven.
Calian hadn't returned. Arsen had ridden Raven, a horse that Franz himself had never even mounted. Seeing that, a fresh wave of irritation flared within Raven's original owner.
"It seems you didn't injure your mouth."
The palpable disappointment in his tone made Arsen frown as he began to reply. His mouth was fine, but his shoulder was badly injured.
Seeing this, Hina gestured at Franz. Arsen could understand some sign language, but not as much as Franz.
Stop fighting.
She intervened, knowing a verbal sparring match was inevitable if they were left to their own devices. She knew they didn't get along. After all, one was a prince who had never lost to anyone, and the other was a mage who, while he might accept losing a sword fight, refused to lose a battle of words.
Let's go inside first. We need to treat your wound.
Seeing Hina's signs, Franz nodded with surprising readiness. It wasn't because of her stern expression—the same one she used to force him to eat—but because he remembered that his entire reason for coming was to treat the injured man. Honestly.
Dropping the argument, Franz looked at Arsen and translated Hina's message.
"Treatment first."
Just those two words.
Then, he strode into the building. The meaning was clear: follow him and get treated, or stay outside and die. A small smile touched Arsen's lips as he followed him inside.
With relieved expressions, the mages guarding the building helped Arsen to a seat. They had been uneasy about letting the half-dead man go to the royal palace alone, and Hina's presence was a great comfort.
"...Was it their doing?" Franz asked Arsen.
In the light, the severity of his injury was obvious. Half of his white robe was stained black with dried blood.
"Yes. They are stronger than expected," Arsen replied calmly, as if they had never been arguing.
Meanwhile, Hina carefully untied the piece of robe Calian had used as a makeshift bandage. Watching her quietly, Arsen said, "I'll take that with me. The Prince himself tied it; I can't just throw it away."
He planned to brag to the other mages that Prince Calian had personally bandaged his wound. Seeing him thinking of such things even in this state, Hina chuckled and handed the cloth to him. Then, she looked at Franz and signed.
He'll be fine. We can stop the bleeding here and treat him properly when we get back.
Franz nodded and translated.
"She says you're fine."
Arsen got the gist, despite the slightly altered meaning. Hina immediately set to work stopping the bleeding without another word.
After some time, once the bleeding had stopped, Hina went outside to get clean bandages.
The moment she left, a Silent barrier enveloped the room.
"There is something I am curious about, Vice-Commander," Arsen spoke up.
His eyes were fixed on the piece of robe Calian had tied.
"The Prince personally bandaged my wound. I don't understand how he would know how to do something like that."
What prince in the world would learn how to tie a bandage? Of course, it wasn't just that; it was also about the abilities and killing intent Calian had displayed. It wasn't suspicion so much as a growing list of questions.
"I learned it too," Franz replied.
My little brother is a terrible liar. As his older brother, the least I can do is help cover his tracks.