Chapter 23: No Ill Intent (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: No Ill Intent (2)
The sky was gradually darkening.
He checked his pocket, and the coins inside clinked softly.
I feel like I'm recklessly spending a child's meager savings.
Still, since this was all for the sake of survival, the old Calian probably wouldn’t be too upset.
In any case, having acquired his highest priority—the sword—he needed to get back across the river. Calian turned and retraced his steps toward the bridge.
He reached the bridge over the Senyu River in no time.
However, at the entrance, a group of people dressed in black spotted him approaching and blocked his path.
Seeing them, Raven slowed to a halt.
"What's wrong, Raven?"
Calian had been lost in thought about his next destination, trusting Raven’s excellent sense of direction. He only looked up when the horse stopped.
It was then that he saw the men in black.
A flicker of wariness crossed Calian’s face.
Fortunately, they didn’t seem to be audacious bandits occupying the streets of the peaceful capital. Calian, who had been briefly wondering if he’d get to use his new sword, relaxed.
The man standing at the front approached him.
"My apologies for blocking your path so suddenly."
The black clothes they wore were for mourning.
His voice was hoarse, barely a whisper, as if from weeping. Nevertheless, the man explained the situation with the utmost politeness.
"A funeral procession is currently passing. If you are not in a hurry, may I ask you to wait for just a moment?"
At his words, Calian turned to look at the Senyu River. Red Annerusia flowers, each carrying a small candle, were floating downstream. Farther upriver, where the flowers were being released, a group of people was gathered.
Understanding the situation, Calian spoke.
"A funeral service?"
"Yes, that is correct. I am sorry."
Calian readily dismounted from Raven.
"There's no need to apologize," he said. "I wouldn't dream of disrupting their final journey."
Just as Calian had guessed, he was witnessing a Kairis funeral rite. Those mourning the deceased would gather at the riverbank closest to the person’s home and float candles down the river to light their final path.
Superstition held that if a living person crossed the bridge while the flowers floated beneath it, the deceased might try to follow them and lose their way. For this reason, travelers were asked to wait a short while.
Calian quietly watched the solemn scene he had stumbled upon.
The Senyu was a river that always flowed gently.
The Annerusia flowers drifted peacefully, never tossing in the current. The wind was still, and the candle flames didn't even flicker.
Calian murmured, almost to himself, "They'll have a peaceful journey. May they rest in peace."
"Thank you."
The man's voice was filled with sincere gratitude. Appreciative that Calian had not only stopped but had also dismounted to offer his condolences, the man bowed once more.
I wonder if Brother placed a Sinasta on my grave. Or did he turn back the Axis of Time before then?
As Calian briefly recalled the Secritian custom of placing a Sinasta—a flower that blooms a second time under the moonlight—upon a grave, the man spoke to him again.
"You may cross now."
It seemed all the Annerusia flowers had passed beneath the bridge.
Calian nodded and mounted Raven.
The man looked up at Calian on horseback, intending to guess which noble family he belonged to so he could remember their kindness. But as he looked, he flinched and quickly stepped aside.
The capital's magic lamps were bright, clearly illuminating the face that had been hidden beneath the deep hood.
Realizing he’d been recognized, Calian spoke quietly.
"It would be best if you forgot this."
"……Understood."
The man bowed his head, and Calian slowly crossed the bridge.
Raising his head a moment later, the man stared at Calian’s retreating figure for a long time. Seeing this, another man in black approached him.
"Arsen, what is it? Do you know him?"
The man, Arsen Hertz, shook his head.
"No. I just… thought he seemed like a good person."
Meanwhile, the candle flames, now far in the distance, flickered faintly.
* * *
Before long, the sun had completely set, and darkness descended.
His next destination, unlike the forge, could be visited at any hour, so Calian took his time and observed his surroundings.
"It really is Sispanian everywhere."
—The royal capital, Kairisis, is like a city of Sispanian's devotees. Sispanian is everywhere.
He recalled the words of a spy codenamed 'Blue Warbler', who had safely returned from a mission to Kairis.
Even at the theater yesterday, they had spoken of Hatsuara and Sispanian. Now, it seemed every sign Calian saw was plastered with the name.
There was a hotel named 'Sispanian's Sweet Sleep', a cafe named 'Sispanian's Leisure', and even a restaurant named 'Sispanian's Meal'.
Calian muttered, fed up, "Aren't they pushing it a bit too far? A dragon's meal doesn't sound very appetizing."
But when he spotted a tavern named 'Sispanian's Drunken Stench', he let out a hollow laugh. Compared to that, the other names suddenly seemed quite normal.
After traveling a bit further, he saw a sign pointing toward 'Naeransha Street', where his second destination was located. Calian’s expression grew tense. He toyed with his knife as he turned onto the street.
The west market of Kairisis was located there.
Since it was night, most of the shops were closed. Only the restaurants, taverns, and cafes were lit up for late-night business. None of these were Calian’s destination, so he passed them by without hesitation.
"Two, three, four… Is this it?"
After passing three alleys in the west market, he turned into the fourth. There, a single shop stood alone, its lights on in the otherwise dark street. A variety of birdcages in different sizes and shapes were lined up in front of the door. Looking at the sign, Calian nodded, knowing he had found the right place.
—Naeransha Bird Shop (Carrier Pigeon Rental)
A simple pet shop would be closed at this hour, but the mention of carrier pigeon rentals explained the late hours. People needed to send messages at all hours of the day and night.
However, perhaps because the shop was small or because it was late, there was no stable boy to take his horse, nor was there a post to hitch him to.
"What should I do?"
Calian dismounted, feeling perplexed for a moment.
It wasn't that he was worried about Raven running off; he knew better than anyone that the horse would never abandon a wealthy owner who pampered him. His concern was for some poor soul who might try to steal Raven, only to get kicked by a rampaging stallion.
With no other choice, Calian draped the reins over Raven's saddle.
"Wait here. Don't cause any trouble."
Raven snorted as if he understood. He then quietly walked over to the side of the shop and stood still. As the black stallion stepped into the shadows of the building, only the white stocking on his right foreleg stood out.
Leaving Raven, Calian turned back to the shop.
He pulled his hood down low to conceal his face, then opened the door and stepped inside.
Chime.
A bell chimed, louder than the one at Yan's forge, announcing his arrival. The sound seemed to awaken the birds, which erupted into a chorus of chirps. It felt less like a market corner and more like a forest.
It's more spacious than it looks from the outside.
He saw an immense variety of birdcages and the birds within them. There were pet birds smaller than Calian's fist and falcons ready for the hunt.
In fact, it was harder to find a bird they didn't have.
The shop owner, a man with a monocle who had been feeding the birds, stood up when Calian entered.
"Are you looking for a carrier pigeon?"
In the dead of night, he showed no wariness toward the stranger in the black, hooded robe. He simply asked his question.
Without answering, Calian turned toward a particularly quiet birdcage.
Inside, two white pet birds were asleep, leaning against each other. They looked like a perfectly normal pair of birds, but Calian knew they were incredibly well-crafted fakes.
A quiet voice slipped from Calian's lips.
"These birds do not wake."
He had worried his youthful voice might betray his nerves, but his tone came out calm and steady.
The owner replied, "They sleep a lot."
It was the exact response Bern remembered.
From there, the pre-established exchange began.
"They must have flown a long way. They look exhausted."
"……Which is why they sleep so soundly, is it not?"
Calian felt the owner's eyes on him. With nothing else to give him away, he kept his gaze lowered, careful not to reveal the color of his eyes.
"Indeed. I can think of no better place for an exhausted bird to rest."
"I am glad you see it that way."
The owner spoke nonchalantly, then took off his monocle and wiped it on his sleeve. Putting it back on, he asked, "What have you come looking for?"
The next answer was crucial.
One wrong word, one suspicious move, and his head would roll.
"I need bird feed."
"I see. We do sell bird feed here."
Perhaps because they were speaking in such low tones, the birds that had been chirping moments ago fell silent. The shop grew so quiet that the rustle of their clothing was audible.
"However."
The owner walked up and stood behind Calian. His footsteps had been completely silent. Calian didn't need to look to know a razor-sharp blade was hidden in the man's coat.
The owner watched Calian's back for a long moment. Calian could hear his own quiet breathing as the air grew thick, pressing down on his lungs. A cold chill crept over his entire body.
Killing intent.
Amidst the suffocating tension, the owner's voice continued.
"I do not recall selling a bird to anyone recently. You seem to be an unfamiliar face."
This wasn't part of the script. Calian had to improvise.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips.
"I've only just left the nest to find my own food. You couldn't have sold a bird to me."
The owner, who had been closing in, halted.
"Do you know where the bird came from?"
The script resumed. Calian answered without hesitation.
"I heard it came on the southeasterly wind."
"Then whose bird is it?"
Calian slowly turned to face the owner.
Beneath his deep hood, his lips curled into a grin. The final answer slipped from between them.
"Nevillad's bird."
Devlan, the King of Secritia. 'Nevillad' was an anagram of his name.
Which meant that now, Calian…
…had become the first prince of Kairis to attempt to extract information from the very stronghold of the Secritian spies hidden within his own kingdom.