Chapter 250: Do Not Stop (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 250: Do Not Stop (4)
Randel looked at Hina with heavy eyes.
"Withdraw."
Calian's words had been out of the blue, and Franz's had been nonsensical. Randel's, in turn, were simply inconsiderate. In any case, Hina raised her head at the command of the eldest prince—who, like his brothers, seemed to prove his kinship through a distinct lack of communication skills.
"Our healer will continue her work," Arsen interjected. "Please pay her no mind and go about your business."
He had allowed Randel inside on the condition that the prince would cause no harm, but he saw no reason to halt Hina's treatment. It was also the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that the Valkan were under no obligation to obey the First Prince.
However, Hina slowly moved.
She withdrew her hands, which had seemed fused to Franz's body, as if they would never leave until he opened his eyes.
—Miss Bern, there is no need to do that.
—There will be a backlash. It's because he doesn't use mana like I do.
Before the blue-haired mage, who was still unaware of the power Randel possessed, could fully grasp Hina's meaning, a light gathered at Randel's fingertips. Seeing it, Arsen instinctively clenched his fist.
He had nearly attacked Randel.
A red light.
It was a red light, completely different from a healer's typical white light or Hina's own golden glow.
Recalling the wolves he had encountered in the forest, Arsen felt a sudden throb in his shoulder. He clenched his fist, hiding the mana gathering at his fingertips and barely managing to disperse it.
Thanks to that red power, Randel—who was highly sensitive to divine power, killing intent, and mana—paid no mind to the energy that had gathered and vanished behind him. Just as Arsen had suggested, Randel simply went about his business.
—Miss Bern. I have absolutely no idea what is going on here.
—He is treating Prince Franz. I don't know why it's red, but Prince Calian once told me it is a type of divine power.
—And to think, you were just saying you couldn't trust anyone.
—Prince Randel is the most untrustworthy person in the palace to us. But Veronica once told me that the most suspicious people are often the ones incapable of doing anything truly terrible. Since he came here himself, knowing he would be suspected, he won't do anything strange.
After replying, Hina closed her eyes to rest.
If Randel changed his mind and tried to attack Franz, Arsen would handle it. Therefore, what Hina needed to do now was not watch Randel, but rest.
—You sounded a bit like a mage just then.
In the end, Arsen decided to stop worrying about Randel's intentions and just let him be.
Randel's healing art wasn't particularly different from Hina's, aside from the color of the light. The only real difference was that he channeled his power from slightly above Franz's body.
'Why on earth did he come when he doesn't even want to touch him?'
Letting out a silent chuckle, Arsen kept his sharp blue eyes wide open, watching Randel's every move. Leaving Randel to his work did not mean he trusted him.
Some time passed as Randel continued the healing, Hina rested, and Arsen watched, his heart pounding.
By the time Hina opened her eyes again, she could see that Randel's healing was remarkably stable. Arsen, for his part, was marveling at how the prince showed no signs of exhaustion despite holding his arm outstretched for so long. Then, Arsen suddenly raised his head.
The power gathered in Randel's hand faded.
After briefly examining Franz, Arsen spoke with relief.
—It seems our prince has resolved it.
The Seal of Oath.
It had finally vanished.
As soon as Randel withdrew his hand, Hina quickly placed hers on Franz. After confirming that his heart was no longer racing, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Tell the third prince to see me when he returns," Randel said calmly, rising from his seat.
Then, before Arsen could even reply, he walked out. He didn't even bother with the cliché warning not to speak of his actions to anyone else.
* * *
Responsibility, he had said.
At Lemain's words, which poured oil on the fire of his worry for Calian, Alan pressed his temples.
"To bring him back because you will take responsibility..."
There was no telling who else was currently lurking within the palace—for instance, the knights or mages of Zeon who had driven Arsen to the brink of death.
Furthermore, the Valkan, which Alan commanded, was an army. In some unknown past or future, Alan was the leader of an army that had once turned an entire nation into a sea of fire. Alan making a move was entirely different from a single archmage of a kingdom taking action.
"What on earth were you thinking? That statement isn't even fit for fertilizer."
For someone who could cross the Senyu River in the blink of an eye, sending not just one prince but also Alan to the mansion of Marquis Evan Brissen—a place set to vanish before dawn—was absurd. What kind of mind comes up with such utter nonsense?
Having mercilessly scolded Lemain once again, Alan strode toward the office door.
"Where are you going?"
"To fetch your son."
He meant he was going to fetch his student, but the king, failing to grasp the deeper meaning behind the familiar address, simply blinked.
"I thought you said my order was useless as fertilizer."
"Since Your Majesty has ordered it, I must go."
"Since when did you listen to me so well?"
"Of all the useless things Your Majesty has said, this is one of the few that sounds remotely reasonable. How could I possibly ignore it?"
Although he was not originally from Kairis, Alan was a mage. He tossed aside all complex calculations and decided to simply go. After all, aren't mages creatures who live by their hearts rather than their heads?
"Still, we cannot leave this place empty. If I carry Your Majesty out on my back and one of the two princes shuts the palace gates, you might find yourself in a rather awkward position. So, I will call Vice-Commander Hertz to sit here for now. As for the Second Prince's safety, Sir Jeia can look after him."
If the palace gates were shut while Lemain was unofficially outside, it wouldn't be a simple matter of taking a trip to a hot spring like Suleiman. It might result in Lemain getting a permanent residence right beneath where his older brother was staying.
"I understand. Do so."
Leaving behind Lemain, who nodded and answered meekly, Alan opened the office door. He asked a mage standing outside to call Arsen and waited.
Right after the mage left, Alan felt someone he hadn't been thinking of enter Arpia Palace.
"He asked me to tell you not to come looking for him out of worry, even if he is late."
The baby elephant.
Yan, who had come to find Alan, delivered the words, proving that Alan was once again in the palm of Calian's hand. He then conveyed what Calian had specifically mentioned before leaving the palace.
"He said the Valkan must not get any further involved in this matter. Therefore..."
Just as Yan's explanation came to an end, Alan felt the Seal of Oath bound to his heart vanish.
* * *
—Pull yourself together.
He remembered.
No, it all came rushing back.
He had merely leaned against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment.
—Do not stop.
You never once told me what to do. Why did you have to say that on our very last day?
And so, I...
Because I promised you that, I couldn't break it. Even as I cut off my own arm, I endured... Do you know how much I complained to you, asking why you had to leave me with those final words?
'Pull yourself together.'
If there was something you wanted me to do, you should have just said it. Why did you have to leave after saying that? You made it so I couldn't even say, "I'm sorry, I can't keep this promise any longer." Do you have any idea how many times I repeated your words to myself, desperately trying to keep that promise?
Pulling myself together. Not stopping. Yes. Just like that.
That I would return.
That I would see you again and say, "I'm back."
'My Prince.'
How I... just like that...
"Prince Calian. Pull yourself together."
Do you...
know?
'Kyrie.'
You...
Yes.
"......Kyrie."
Once again... you...
are calling me.
* * *
There was nothing left to heal.
Franz was now simply asleep.
Calian had actually instructed them not to wake Franz, just in case they failed to remove the Seal of Oath. Having heard this from Relic, Arsen had correctly interpreted Calian's intentions and did not use any more mana on Franz.
Meanwhile, a message arrived from Alan, summoning Arsen to Arpia Palace. Needlen would be sent as his replacement. Since there were mages stationed outside the treatment room for protection, Arsen nodded and left.
Left alone with Franz for a moment, Hina began channeling her healing power into him once more.
There was nothing left to heal, but still...
An irrational anxiety gnawed at her.
Worried that his failure to wake up might be due to some other underlying issue, she couldn't bring herself to take her hands off him.
Only after some more time had passed did a low voice finally speak.
"Why?"
Even after nearly dying, his blunt way of speaking remained unchanged. Remembering that the person beside him was Hina, he added a few more words.
"There is nothing left to heal."
Thinking it would be too exhausting for him to turn his head and read her sign language, Hina fastened the bracelet Arsen had left behind onto Franz's wrist and replied.
—There is nothing left to heal, but I was anxious because you weren't waking up... I worried there might be something else wrong.
Listening to the voice echoing in his mind, Franz slowly sat up and blinked his eyes open.
He was awake. If his eyes were open, he could walk.
First, he needed to assess the situation.
—Where is Calian?
—He hasn't returned yet.
He immediately felt that the shackles binding him had been released.
...Crazy bastard.
Even though he knew Calian would do it.
His crazy younger brother had actually run off.
Again.
He had saved him.
Staring down at his hands for a moment, Franz let out a short sigh and stumbled to his feet. But Hina, who should have been telling him to lie back down and rest for a day or two, said something else entirely.
—Mage Corps Commander Manasil and Vice-Commander Hertz are at Arpia Palace. I will go with you.
Franz turned his head and stared at Hina's face for a long moment. He didn't have a mirror, so he didn't know what he looked like, but he figured he must look better than Hina did right now. He knew exactly what she had done to end up in this state.
Should he tell her to rest?
Should he ask why she had pushed herself so hard? Or...
As Franz hesitated, lost in thought, Hina spoke first.
—Yes. I worked very hard to keep you alive, Prince Franz. It took a lot of energy, a lot of worry, and to be honest, I was quite angry. I know you feel grateful and sorry, so you don't have to force yourself to say things you can't. I'll scold you later. For now, take care of what's urgent, and we'll talk again.
She was telling him not to waste time on useless sentiment.
Then, she casually dropped a bombshell.
—Also, Prince Randel put a lot of effort into treating you as well.
Even at those unexpected words, Franz was not surprised. He merely paused mid-step.
—He must have heard what happened to me.
—Yes. He seemed to know.
Franz nodded slightly.
Then, with a face full of annoyance, he started walking again.
—I see.
This time, Franz had chosen the best way to avoid causing harm to his brothers.
Randel would have known that this kindness was not solely for Franz's sake, but it meant he still didn't want to be in anyone's debt.
In any case... I had no intention of asking you to repay it.
Understanding the intentions of his brother—who had received unwanted help and left unwanted help in return—Franz felt one corner of his mouth curl into a smirk.
* * *
A knight picked up a child.
A young girl with green hair that clearly marked her lineage.
There were no other members of the Brissen family in the marquis's mansion besides Evan Brissen and the child. Gray had returned to the margrave's territory until Calian summoned him again, and Lennon had his own mansion within the capital.
Thus, before the unidentified child could wake up, the knight carefully carried her out of the blood-soaked mansion. The other knights who had entered with him searched among the scattered corpses—all of them killed by wounds in the exact same spot—looking for any potential survivors.
Amidst the bustling knights, one with water-colored hair knelt on one knee and carefully laid someone down.
"I failed to bring Hina."
Why didn't you at least lie down?
Why didn't you at least sit?
Why must you...
"I will take you to the palace. I will escort you, so please do not lose consciousness. Hold on just a little longer."
He had been leaning against the wall, standing in a pool of his own blood.
He had just stood there, bleeding out.
Kyrie supported Calian and laid him down in a clean spot. Even so, the spot where Kyrie knelt was soon soaked through.
Kyrie tried to tear the robe he was wearing to use as a makeshift bandage.
"Wrapping a member of the royal family in something like that will get you arrested."
Just then, two clean bandages were thrust before his eyes.
While such a thing would hardly be considered a crime in a life-or-death situation, Kyrie understood it was her own way of reassuring him. He bowed his head in gratitude to Demirea and accepted the bandages she offered.
Since Calian possessed the power of blessing, it would have been better to leave the wounds unbandaged if he could just rest, but...
"How is the situation outside?"
"We are in a standoff."
Regrettably, they did not have that luxury.
Lennon's private soldiers had arrived.
They had come far too quickly.
—I plan to resolve this as quickly as possible and return immediately, but Marquis Brissen likely knows of my brother's condition. He might have requested help from Viscount Brissen or other nobles.
After Franz collapsed, Calian had attacked and captured the Kaera knight, summoned Kyrie, and immediately run outside after checking Franz's condition. Receiving the reins from Yan, who had quickly brought Raven out, Calian met Kyrie, who had subdued the fallen knight.
—Kyrie. Take my brother and go to the Wilhelm Pavilion. His attendant will fill you in on the details. Hand the man you captured over to the Valkan. Then, go to Siegfried and inform them of the situation. Demirea will decide the rest. Yan, do not go outside. My Master will undoubtedly try to come, so you must stop him. This matter must end as a struggle for power between a prince and the nobles. It must not turn into a civil war.
Having explained the situation, Calian had set off first.
By the time Kyrie, who had informed Demirea of the details, arrived at the mansion, Lennon's private soldiers were already gathering. This was before they had even found Calian.
Should I just kill them all? Is it possible?
Just as Kyrie was contemplating this while watching them, Demirea arrived, leading her knights.
She hadn't sent Calian's knight order. She had come herself, leading her own private soldiers. She had come for him.
Thanks to her, Kyrie was able to enter the mansion immediately and find Calian, who was so still it was hard to tell if he was even alive.
"We will clear a path, so head to the palace first. We will handle them," Demirea said, looking at the flickering lights of Lennon's soldiers outside the window. She then helped Kyrie, who had finished bandaging Calian's wounds, support the prince and hoist him onto his back.
"Thank you."
"There is no need to thank me."
To his expression of gratitude for her stepping forward directly instead of just protecting Calian's knights as agreed, Demirea shook her head.
"Siegfried is best at protecting."
Whether he became king by being protected or not, she didn't care about enthronement or anything else anymore.
She had made up her mind to protect the person her brother wanted to protect.
"So, I will protect my fiancé as well."
Demirea, standing firm after her deep deliberation, smiled faintly.