Chapter 219: Never, or Just Once (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 219: Never, or Just Once (4)
He had learned how to swim.
You might wonder why a prince would ever need to swim in the churning sea, but incredibly, the need had arisen. And so, he learned.
"What were you thinking, jumping into the sea like that? Weren't you afraid?"
"I was."
"See? The sea is a terrifying place. Even if you had stayed back, Your Highness, I would have safely rescued the young prince…"
"The sea wasn't what scared me, Sir Castrin."
The moment his cold broke and he was out of bed, he had found Teilan and begged him to teach him how to swim. Day after day, he pleaded to be taught how to enter the still-freezing water, how to open his eyes, how to float, how to move, how to breathe.
"Then what were you afraid of?"
They said the worsened cold had left him lingering between life and death, but he barely remembered it. As a result, he wasn't the least bit worried about catching another one. Neither the bottomless depths nor the waves that crashed as if to swallow everything whole frightened him.
"I was afraid I would let go of his hand. That I would lose my brother and never find him again. That’s what scared me."
He had learned that the truly terrifying things were something else entirely.
And he never, ever wanted to experience that again.
Step, step.
After sending Arianne back, a sudden chill washed over him as he walked toward the residence of the most powerful man in the palace. Though the day was clear and hot, goosebumps prickled his skin. He felt as if he were sinking again, lost in the deep, dark sea from that day.
Of course, that day’s event was not a memory experienced by the current Chase. But to him, when it had happened didn't matter in the least. The Chase from back then was Bern's older brother, and the Chase of today was…
"Don't do it. Ever."
Somehow, he had ended up hearing those exact words from him.
Chase was undeniably Bern's—and Calian's—older brother. That single fact was all that mattered.
Click.
Devlan's massive office was grim and cold.
In Chase's memories, it had always been a lively, warm place filled with laughter, where Kyrie would bow his head in greeting. But it was no longer so.
"It seems your cold is not improving."
This was the first time he had faced Devlan without a specific purpose. It was also the first time he had ever inquired about Devlan's health. Despite this, Devlan’s reaction was unremarkable. He did not ask what brought Chase here, nor did he question the unexpected visit.
"I sent some medicine that is good for colds, but I heard you refused it."
"I sent it back because there was no need for it. It will pass on its own, so do not concern yourself."
Devlan could not be sure of what might be in the medicine offered by his only son.
Or perhaps he refused it precisely because he was sure—a grim certainty that it was not a remedy for recovery, but its opposite.
You can't even trust the medicine sent by your own son.
While unable to trust his son, he deemed it perfectly fine to entrust his life to the healers of Tensil—the bloodline of traitors who could plunge a dagger into his heart at any moment.
The thought was so ridiculous that Chase had to lower his head to hide a silent, pained laugh.
"Why are you suddenly showing such concern for me?"
At the grating, metallic voice, Chase raised his head and replied quietly, "Most would call it a son worrying about his father, not 'showing concern.' What other reason could there be?"
"There must be one," Devlan said, offering Chase a faint, cold smile. "How can you call it worry when you sent it merely to test whether I trust you?"
"Ah, you saw through me."
Chase smiled back.
What a wonderfully close relationship between father and son.
"I was the one who taught you. How could I not recognize my own methods?" Devlan let out a dry cough, speaking as if it were nothing. Chase nodded as if it were of no consequence.
"Do not worry about my cold. You already have plenty of work to do, and I would hate for you to have any unnecessary anxieties."
A warning.
He was warning Chase not to meddle, connecting Marquis Lin's sudden hardline stance against Tensil with Chase's interest in his health. He was telling him to mind his own business, lest he create an "anxiety" for himself.
Devlan delivered this remarkably peaceful warning without specifying whether the source of that anxiety would be Chase himself, Marquis Lin, Arianne, or a certain youngest prince and his healer far away.
"After all, isn't that the nature of a cold? It can grow severe, only to vanish without a trace. There is no need for you to worry so."
"Is that so?"
The one who knew firsthand how a severe cold could escalate wasn't the current Chase. He gave a simple reply, his expression as if discussing someone else's affairs. "Come to think of it, you're right. It does seem to be an illness that can worsen depending on the circumstances. I heard the Third Prince of Kairis once coughed up blood and collapsed from a cold, suffering for a week."
Devlan did not yet know about the bracelet hidden inside Chase's sleeve. Chase was certain of this for a simple reason: if Devlan had known, he wouldn't have gone through the futile effort of mimicking Chase's handwriting to send a letter to Calian. Why attempt something so easily exposed?
"The Third Prince of Kairis, you say?"
Thus, Devlan couldn't have expected Chase to bring up that name. Yet, he nodded without a hint of surprise.
"You mean the child you went out of your way to meet?"
Chase's official reason for visiting Kairis had been "Alan Manasil." During his stay, he had met most often with Alan, followed by Lemain, and then Franz.
Yet, that child…
…he had only met him twice.
He had traveled that immense distance just to see that one child, only to meet him twice. He couldn't even comfort or dote on him to his heart's content.
Even so, Devlan knew. He knew the one Chase had truly gone to see was Calian.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Chase did not deny it, readily confirming Devlan's assumption.
"Yes. The child I went out of my way to meet. The one named 'Bern'."
Do you remember?
The name you supposedly chose with the late Queen. The name that was meant to be a gift carrying her wishes, but ultimately became your curse upon him.
Staring at Devlan, his unspoken thoughts hanging in the air, Chase slowly spoke.
"I only came to tell you that you have no need to doubt the medicine I sent. I shall take my leave now."
"Very well."
Devlan nodded, his voice already laced with exhaustion. Chase offered a brief, polite bow.
"Then, please rest well, Father."
He gazed at him, as if engraving the sight of those clouded brown eyes into his very soul.
*
— I am sorry. I saw that you reached out, but neither Arianne nor Sir Castrin was by my side.
It was Calian who had called late at night, yet it was Chase who apologized for missing it.
He had been told Teilan was staying at Marquis Lin's estate with Arianne. He should have realized that sending a message so late would mean Chase couldn't check it, but it had slipped his mind.
— It is my fault for not checking the time.
The bracelet had been modified—its glow was reduced, a weak pulse now signaled incoming calls, and Chase could contact Calian at any time. The trade-off was a significant reduction in the mana it could hold. Consequently, it had been Calian's oversight not to consider that Chase needed Teilan or Arianne’s help every time he used it.
The moment Calian realized this, he had cut the connection, worried that Chase would fret while staring at the continuously glowing bracelet.
— I am sorry.
Knowing all too well how anxious Chase must have felt, Calian offered his own apology.
He listened to the sound of flowing water instead of crashing waves and smelled the summer grass and earth instead of the salty sea. He was sitting on a rock in a moonlit forest, not on a beach.
— I was so curious about why Prince Calian contacted me that I hardly know how I got through the day.
It was a gentle prompt to state his business.
Though he spoke lightly, Chase had actually waited until late at night to contact him again. It was partly out of consideration for Calian, but mostly because he thought it better to reach out after his meeting with Devlan. More accurately, he had feared he wouldn't be able to maintain his composure in front of Devlan if he heard Calian's voice beforehand.
— I called to ask you to withdraw the birds from Siegfried's territory. The Duke is planning to move soon, and I was worried they might get caught up in it.
— Ah. I have already ordered them to do so. I figured you would end up catching some of them anyway, Prince Calian. Since I plan to recall all the birds in Kairis eventually, pulling them out a bit early doesn't matter.
Since the measures had already been taken, Calian replied with a soft chuckle.
— Did you read my mind?
— It would be more accurate to say I heard about the situation from Prince Franz. When I heard you had gone to catch Sir Manasil, I had a feeling who you would meet and what kind of favor you would ask.
Franz.
He had even told Chase about Calian going to catch Alan.
It wasn't surprising that the clever brat had anticipated Alan going south. While it was good that the birds had been withdrawn so quickly, Calian was slightly flustered, unable to guess just how much that cheeky little prince had shared.
— Ah… yes. That is a relief. Still, I worry this might disrupt your plans.
Having blurted that out in his fluster, Calian let out a self-deprecating laugh.
Come to think of it, how ridiculous was this?
He had just gotten foreign spies withdrawn from his own country, yet here he was, worrying if it would disrupt their operations.
— The number of birds has decreased significantly, so I was already planning to have them leave Siegfried territory. It is fine. Besides, I roughly remember what lies ahead. If I remember, I will act on it; if I do not, I will simply live as I am. And if there is a secret I am truly curious about, I can just ask you, Prince Calian.
Chase went a step further with his reply.
— I won't tell you.
— Then I suppose I can just ask Prince Franz. He seems to be a man with no secrets.
Franz.
What on earth did you say to him?
Just as Calian was thinking he really needed to find out what Franz had told Chase, Chase spoke as if reading his mind.
— Just so you know, since Prince Franz went out of his way to tell me directly, I will not speak of it to you, Prince Calian.
Ha.
Covering his face with his palm, Calian suppressed a laugh and replied.
— When I asked if you two had gotten close, you acted as if you absolutely hadn't. But it seems you've become quite friendly.
His mind was a tangled mess.
Truly complicated.
He couldn't bring himself to like it, nor could he dislike it. It was pitiful yet amusing, sorrowful yet absurd, baffling yet somehow entirely natural.
— He is thoughtful and quick-witted. A decent person.
And Chase said this.
He spoke of Franz as if he had already forgotten about the forged permit that had allowed him entry into Chermil Palace.
— Above all, he seems to worry about you a great deal, Prince Calian.
— Rather than worrying about me… well, I do not know. There are times when even I do not know why I go to such lengths, so I understand even less why he treats me that way.
Seeing that Calian was genuinely clueless, Chase simply shook his head. At any rate, he had no intention of praising Franz any further, so he dropped the subject and brought up something else.
— By the way, I am thinking of learning how to manipulate mana now.
— Mana, you say?
He shifted the topic to himself. He knew better than anyone that the person Calian worried about most was not Franz.
— Yes. After all, I cannot rely on Arianne or Sir Castrin's help for the rest of my life.
Chase laughed as he said it, and Calian laughed too.
The underlying truth was that they would have to spend the rest of their lives like this—exchanging voices, never seeing each other—and so they both laughed. Since they couldn't go to Serenti and scream in anger, laughter was their only recourse.
After a moment, Calian replied.
— That is a good idea. Since you are learning from Sir Castrin, perhaps you will manifest an aura one day.
— Even if it is a path you have already walked, you make it sound far too easy, Prince Calian.
— Did I?
A pleasant laugh reached Chase once more.
— But truly, I think it is not a bad idea to learn it in advance.
Knights, too, learned how to manipulate mana.
Since they would have to accumulate aura once they set foot on the Path of the Sword, they learned mana manipulation with a vague hope. Some knights even laid down their swords entirely upon discovering they had no talent for it. Calian found nothing more foolish, but it wasn't his place to interfere with those who chose to give up on themselves.
— I do not know if it is a coincidence, but I was just thinking of teaching someone how to manipulate mana. It is quite fascinating.
Chase understood that Calian meant he was planning to teach Franz. He knew Calian was deliberately omitting the name because he couldn't bring himself to say "Brother Franz," yet found it awkward to refer to him formally as "Prince Franz" in this context.
That was not something Chase could interfere with or correct. Thus, he simply replied quietly.
— You mean you were going to teach Prince Franz about mana?
— Yes. That is the plan.
If Franz had known why Calian had asked him to come to the forest today, he probably wouldn't have regarded it as an invitation to hell.
Well, of course, Calian also fully intended to use the meeting as an excuse to spar. But anyway.
As he exchanged these few words with Chase, a white horse led by Raven came into view, with a certain pea sitting atop it.
After praising Raven for bringing Franz in his stead, Calian ended his conversation with Chase and stood up.
"You've arrived."
Toward Franz, who dismounted after scanning his surroundings, Calian continued, "I am going to teach you something interesting today. You will have to practice every day, but it will be fun. However, you must make me one promise."
Franz stared at Calian in silence before speaking.
"What promise?"
After watching Franz for a moment, Calian replied with a small smile.
"Do not try to guess why I am teaching you this. Not this time."
He intended to show him everything, comparing Calian's mana, Bern's aura, and the aura the current Calian possessed.
Why he wanted to show him that.
Why he was teaching him how to manipulate mana.
It was a plea: Franz must never wonder why Calian was teaching him how to practice and accumulate mana on his own, for a time when Calian would no longer be by his side.