Chapter 210: Ghost (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 210: Ghost (5)
He was definitely crazy.
Calian couldn't understand why an ice mage loved explosions so much. When he had asked about it once, Arsen admitted he didn't know either. There was no reason; he just liked them.
"I didn't say it back then, but you are a truly good person, Your Highness. I don't know if the reasons have multiplied to the point where they're hard to explain, or if there was never any special reason to begin with, but I follow you simply because you are a good person."
And so, after Calian asked him to ‘keep his place,’ Arsen finally offered the answer he had withheld for so long. Yet, he admitted he didn't actually know the precise reason. He claimed he followed Calian simply because he was a good person, leaving Calian utterly clueless as to what Arsen’s standard for a “good person” could possibly be.
After that, Arsen gulped down the pear-scented green tea sitting before him. As if his throat were parched from extreme tension, he downed it in a single draft, forgoing any chance to savor its cool, sweet aroma. Then, with his usual smile returning to his face, he continued.
"I don't know if you are aware, Your Highness, but I always state my name to my opponent before a fight. It’s a habit I picked up from my master."
Calian didn't respond, but he didn't ask what Arsen meant, either. Through the fragments of his unforgettable memories, he could almost hear Arsen's voice once more, introducing himself as ‘Valkan Corps Commander Arsen Hertz.’
"To add to that, ‘that day’ was probably the first time I ever asked for someone's name first. Even if you don't remember a thing, I am certain of that."
It was a starkly different reaction from the one Franz had.
Hearing Arsen bring up that day so casually was both absurd and amusing. At the same time, it stung a little, prompting Calian to let out a dry laugh.
"Are you telling me to take pride in having surrendered my life to you, Sir Hertz?"
Arsen nodded once, as if Calian’s guess was entirely correct. "You went to the trouble of having me sit before you like this. Shouldn't you have at least one reason to believe your choice was the right one, Your Highness?"
Even if one knew intellectually that this wasn't a problem to be solved with a sword, keeping that very person by one’s side—trusting and employing them—was by no means an easy task. Calian and Arsen might not have known it, but Franz had once thought the same thing: you would have to be out of your mind to do such a thing.
Thus, Arsen had brought up that painful memory to give Calian, who had decided to keep him close, a reason to believe his choice wasn't wrong. It was a form of reassurance, a way to prevent him from losing his mind as he looked at the man sitting before him.
It was Arsen’s way of saying that he had respected the Bern of the past. That he had deemed it a waste to take that life. And so, he was asking Calian to let his heart grow a little less cold.
"In any case, you are a strange man, Sir Hertz," Calian said, shaking his head as he fully grasped Arsen’s meaning. Who else but a truly strange man would bring up a subject everyone else wanted to avoid, and then tell him to find comfort in it?
"I already knew. I thought so back then, so of course I know now."
He still remembered. Arsen had faced Bern with clear respect, devoid of mockery or frivolity. If anything, Calian had resented the Franz of that day, but he had never resented Arsen. He had only treated him a bit harshly since, that was all.
"I am glad to hear you already know."
Having tossed out words whose connection to the request to ‘keep his place’ remained ambiguous, Arsen looked at Calian with eyes so clear they seemed to refresh one’s very soul. Then, he delivered his true, albeit slightly delayed, answer.
"Since I once took the breath of such a person, I shall repay it by protecting you this time. I have resolved to kill many in my life, but I have never resolved to protect someone. But I will do my absolute best, with all my heart, to protect you, Your Highness."
"No. I told you to protect my place, not me."
"Do not decline, and do not worry. No matter what happens, how could I fail to protect you, Your Highness?"
You crazy bastard.
Listen to what I'm saying.
"Ah… I really shouldn't have spared him."
His opinion changed a dozen times a day. Sometimes he thought he really should have just killed him, and other times he thought how fortunate it was that he hadn’t. Arsen was just that kind of person.
Seeing Calian make such a statement with a face caught between tears and laughter, Arsen stared back with eyes full of loyalty. Then, he finally brought up the request he had kept bottled up inside.
He asked if Calian would let him build a statue or let him burn his apology letter—could he please just grant one of the two?
Calian smiled beautifully and told him to get lost.
* * *
His complexion was poor.
Even when he was in a bad mood, Calian wasn't one to show it, but this time was different. His face was visibly pale.
– Can I go in now?
In a royal palace where most would laugh off any claim that their flower-like prince was unwell, Hina had come immediately, without a single doubt. Yan, expressing his gratitude, replied, "Yes. He just woke up and finished getting ready."
After all, if Yan had told Calian, "You look sick, so I'm going to call Hina," the prince would have only insisted nothing was wrong. And when had believing Calian's "I'm fine" ever led to anything good? That was why Yan couldn't bring himself to trust those words.
"I leave him in your hands, Dame Bern."
So, Yan had simply called Hina on his own.
Knock, knock. Announcing his presence with two steady knocks, Yan opened the door to Calian's room and let Hina in. He saw Calian, who had been looking out at the terrace, turn toward her with a surprised expression. Yan didn't enter with her, closing the door from the outside.
He knew that healing the prince was Hina's job.
Seeing Hina enter as the door clicked shut behind Yan, Calian let out a short sigh. To anyone else, his face looked perfectly fine, but it seemed Yan's discerning eyes had seen something else entirely.
"Hina."
No wonder Yan had brought two cups of tea. Calian had thought they were for the two of them to share, but it seemed one had been prepared to welcome Hina.
The warm cocoa, sweetened with strawberry syrup—a drink that hardly suited such a hot day—had clearly been served with the ailing Calian and the sweet-loving Hina in mind.
– You really don't look well.
Standing beside the seated Calian, Hina signed as she placed her hand on his forehead. Not minding the warmth of her touch, Calian simply smiled.
"Don't worry. I'm not sick."
Anyone would think he was some delicate, sheltered prince. It was amusing to be fussed over like this when he wouldn't even lose his breath if he leaped out the window right now and ran all the way to the forest.
– Then, did you have a bad dream?
However, when it came to not believing Calian's claims of being fine, Hina was second only to Yan. She completely ignored his response, took her hand off his forehead, and asked again.
Ah. I've been caught, Calian thought, and smiled again.
"A long time ago, I dreamed of meeting someone sorrowful about leaving. After that, I dreamed of meeting someone sad because they had already left."
Hina remained standing by Calian's side, quietly listening. Having never been one to interrupt—and unable to do so anyway—she always enjoyed quietly listening to others speak.
"Today, I dreamed of meeting someone scary because it felt like they would never leave. A dream like seeing a ghost."
Hearing this, Hina stared at Calian for a moment before her hands moved silently.
– When I was little, my brother told me that ducks go 'quack.' Since I had never seen a duck, I didn't know what kind of sound that was.
Fearing Calian might not understand her, Hina signed very slowly, watching his reaction. Once she confirmed he understood, she continued.
– That night, I had a dream. A giant duck, even bigger than this room, followed me around going 'quack quack.'
It was highly amusing to hear her describe what she considered the scariest dream in the world. Calian waited for Hina's next words with eyes full of interest. Hina widened her eyes as if recalling something terrifying, then smiled brightly and signed again.
– So in the morning, I cried my eyes out, telling my brother I had a scary dream because of him. That day, my brother took me to the lake. A yellow duckling was following a white duck, making quacking sounds. It was so cute that from that day on, I wasn't scared of duck dreams anymore.
It was her way of saying that no matter how scary the person on Calian's mind was, they might not actually be so scary once he truly got to know them.
Calian nodded.
Hina was right. No matter how much that man lingered like a ghost in Bern's mind, he might not be able to do the same inside Calian.
"Hina. I have something to ask you."
Hina nodded at the question from Calian, who had been quietly reflecting on her words.
"There is someone who might live a very long life if they receive treatment. And I wish that person would disappear forever. But they might end up seeking your help. They might come and ask you to heal them."
What will you do, Hina?
If I ask you to turn them away, will you be disappointed? Will you be angry?
Fearing that possibility was even scarier, Calian stared at Hina, his eyes carrying the questions he couldn't bring himself to fully voice.
Looking at him with clear, sparkling black eyes like a baby duck's, Hina replied:
– I won't heal them.
Even though she surely knew that this person's affliction was entirely different from something like the bruise on the back of Arsen's neck, she answered without hesitation.
– I am not some good person who wants to heal just anyone. If you dislike them, Your Highness, then I can dislike them too.
Ah.
– Are they a very bad person?
Calian nodded. "That person is like a ghost. I feel like they will follow me forever."
When sitting before a healer, anyone would end up pouring their heart out. Calian was no different from Franz in that regard.
– Are you scared?
"No, just… it hurts. When I think about it, it just… hurts a little."
Hearing this, Hina smiled like sunlight sparkling on water.
– I'm glad.
Though Calian had no idea what was so good about him being in pain, she smiled brightly and said it was a relief.
– Because if you are in pain, I can heal you. I'm glad you aren't scared of a scary person, but are just in pain.
Even if she wouldn't heal that scary person, she could easily heal Calian's pain. She would heal him anytime. That was Hina's answer.
– If it hurts, tell me. I will definitely heal you.
Calian nodded repeatedly, a response that meant her words alone had already cured him.
* * *
It was hot.
No matter how much Kairisis was said to be one of the coldest places in Kairis, summer was still summer.
Relic, who was from near Count Kenez Territory—another fortnight south of Siegfried Territory—didn't seem particularly bothered by the heat, but Franz was a different story.
It was hot. The moment he stepped out of Chermil Palace, the heat hit him.
It had been sweltering since morning, and the heat made him irritable. He was already annoyed, but the bastard standing in front of him was getting on his nerves, making it even worse.
"Give it to me. Hurry."
As quick-witted as he was intelligent, Franz knew the man before him had something to deliver today as well. Yet, the fellow kept shifting his gaze, showing no intention of handing over what he was hiding.
"What do you mean, Vice-Commander?" the man feigned ignorance. The bird of Secritia, who usually approached in secret to slip him letters, was inwardly flustered by Franz's sudden demand.
Could Vice-Commander Hertz have revealed my identity?
He quickly concluded that couldn't be it. No matter how much the two shared an office, they were absolutely not on terms to share such secrets.
His prediction was correct.
Arsen had not told Franz about receiving a letter from the Secritian spy. Calian hadn't told him who the spy was, either.
It was simply that Franz had known the man's identity for a long time and had decided to let it slide.
Today, too, the spy had been acting inconspicuously, gauging the right moment to deliver the letter without catching anyone's eye. He was shocked when Franz walked straight up to him and demanded he hand it over.
"Give me the one sent by the bastard with the purple eyes."
For a split second, the spy barely suppressed a flare of killing intent. Of course, Franz, watching him, was also exercising immense patience, though the spy had no idea.
"Right now."
Irritated by the heat, annoyed at having to play carrier pigeon again for Chase, and exasperated by the bastard trying to play dumb, the light green-eyed prince exhausted the last of his patience. If the man feigned ignorance one more time, he would simply kick him out of the Valkan.
As if reading his mind, the spy concealed his sharp gaze and handed a letter to Franz. Then, he vanished as fast as the wind.
Perhaps because it was sent by hawk, just like the one delivered to Arsen, the letter was slightly larger than usual. Moreover, unlike the usual tightly rolled scrolls, today's was properly folded and sealed.
– As quickly as possible.
Only those brief words were written on the outside.
There was only one reason to go through the trouble of sealing it: to prevent anyone other than the intended recipient from opening it beforehand.
Staring down at the sentence on the envelope, sealed with a crestless stamp, Franz furrowed his brow.
"…This isn't right."
Hadn't he seen Chase's handwriting so often he was sick of it? Yet, the script before him now grated on his nerves. It was clearly Chase's handwriting, but something felt slightly off.
It was as if someone had perfectly mimicked it.
Spotting the minute difference at a glance, Franz debated for a moment whether to just pretend not to notice and hand it over to Calian.
Rip.
Then, he boldly tore open the envelope and pulled out the contents.
No matter how fast a hawk was, flying from Secritia to Kairis took time. And just yesterday, Calian had come back from communicating with Chase's side, muttering something about a whale's cry. This meant they had exchanged news after this letter had been sent. The mimicked handwriting didn't necessarily mean Chase's safety was compromised.
The reason that bastard smelled the sea in his coffee must be in here.
Franz concluded that delivering this letter would do nothing but make Calian's face turn gloomy again, so he simply opened it. Calian would never tell him what was happening in Secritia anyway.
So, he had no choice but to play the part of the disobedient, troublesome older brother once again.
Relic, thinking there might be poison inside, looked startled, but Franz ignored him and read the letter.
"…Ha."
Immediately after, he set off.
Not toward Chermil Palace, where Calian would be, but toward Arpia Palace.
He was going to tattle to Calian's father, rather than Calian himself, about the snake in a peaceful southern village who seemed to be plotting something strange.