Chapter 285: Truly Beautiful (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 285: Truly Beautiful (3)
Tap, tap, tap.
"It is truly regrettable that this matter has progressed so rapidly, leaving us with so little time to notify your esteemed nation of our circumstances. Thus, our nation intends to generously overlook the outrageous act your nation committed not long ago…"
He read the same passage over and over.
Though he had already memorized every word after reading it just twice, he still read it several more times.
"This letter contains the most amusing story in the world. No matter how many times I read it, I never tire of it."
The letter was so shamelessly condescending toward Secritia that its contents were entertaining, almost unbelievable coming from the notoriously dull Lemain.
And then there was the other piece of news.
"Eila Verdandi. No, wait. I heard her surname has changed. To Bridget, of all things."
A brief chuckle escaped him.
The Blue Warbler, accompanying them for all to see. Euria Seiren, whose name alone was said to make spies turn tail and run. And Arsen Hertz, currently 'suspended from duty,' tagging along as if they weren't even trying to hide the ruse.
And one more name on the list.
"...Calian."
His way of refusing a healer's summons… it's just like mine.
"I was going to set aside my growing interest in you, as I was busy with other matters, but you insist on drawing my gaze. So then…"
It didn't matter if he brought a bird that wouldn't be missed if it were hanged in the square this instant, or the Reaper of Broad Daylight, or the second-in-command of that army they were so proud of.
"How could I dare block the path of the princes of such a great nation?"
I don't know how he coaxed that notoriously ill-tempered second prince, but his excuse is truly excellent. I've grown curious about why he's going to such lengths to come here, so I shouldn't stand in his way if I want to see that handsome face for myself.
"Open the gates. Tell them they may bring whoever they wish, exactly as they desire."
After all, Calian himself was coming.
* * *
Calian often said that money, power, and beauty were three things one could never have too much of.
Born with beauty and already possessing an excess of money, Calian summoned Arsen to bolster the one that remained. This was precisely one day before he would be blindsided by his fragile older brother, whom he still had no reason to doubt.
"I have something to give you, Sir."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Calian smiled brightly as he slid a notice of suspension from duty in front of an expectant Arsen. Arsen, about to be blindsided by Calian—who would himself be blindsided by Franz the next day—smiled faintly.
"Are you finally handing over Annerusia?" Arsen blurted out.
After all, the man who seemed determined to keep Arsen in Valkan until he died—no, the man who acted as if he would bury Arsen right on the steps of Wilhelm Hall even after death—had suddenly handed him a notice of suspension.
"Ah, that's for later. It will only happen after I open your apology letter, so don't get your hopes up just yet."
"Then what is this?"
"An abuse of authority for personal matters."
Calian, starting with his typically hard-to-follow words, continued his explanation.
"To be honest, I never intended to claim authority over Valkan. Although I created it with my Master, it's really no different from copying the army I saw before I turned back time."
He meant it.
Of course, he had initially created it to build his own power base, but he had never once coveted the position of Valkan's master.
"However, I think I can abuse my authority a little when it comes to you, Sir."
Surely I can at least claim authority over my own man.
"I would like you to accompany me to Secritia, Sir Hertz."
"Are you sure it's alright for me to go?"
"...Why? Worried I might dwell on the past?"
"To be honest, yes."
"If I were going to do that, I couldn't go myself. With 'Kairis' attached to my name, does it really matter who I bring along?"
Calian took a sip of the cold mint tea he had secretly chilled behind Yan's back, set the glass down, and continued.
"In any case, we can't cross the border with active soldiers, but if I dismiss you completely, I doubt you'll ever return to Valkan. That's why I only suspended you. Besides, whether it's a dismissal or a suspension, Secritia won't believe it's real anyway."
"Would you be angry if I said I'm disappointed?"
"Yes."
"Suspension is great, Your Highness. I am truly glad you didn't fire me."
Just as he said, it wasn't a dismissal. He was simply becoming a civilian whose affiliation remained with Valkan, but with all actions as a soldier restricted. It was purely a nominal change.
"I pulled some strings beforehand to spread the news, making it easier for us to travel together. I don't know exactly when we'll depart, but please prepare in advance. It will probably be after my brother's birthday banquet, so take this opportunity to get some rest."
Thanks to this, Arsen, who had become the bizarre entity known as a "civilian affiliated with Valkan," was thrilled. He was so overjoyed by his temporarily regained freedom that he had to suppress the urge to go dance in front of Alan's office again.
He was thrilled for exactly one day.
Before the news of his suspension could even spread, much less be officially relayed to Franz or Needlen, Franz himself showed signs of trying to slip out of the palace gates.
When Arsen went to Chermil Palace to see Calian, the prince was nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Yan had apparently gone out to make sure Raven didn't kick the farrier. As Arsen was about to leave the palace, he spotted a royal carriage sitting conspicuously among the others parked inside.
The moment he saw it, a shiver ran down his spine—a premonition born from the countless tearful days he had spent by Franz's side.
Realizing what Franz was up to, Arsen immediately headed to the Mage Association to leave his duckling, Coco, in their care, only to discover that Calian had already selected Euria for their traveling party.
With no time left and nowhere to leave his precious Coco, what else could he do?
—Peep!
He had to bring her along.
"You're an amazing kid."
"I have many amazing qualities, Association President. I'm not sure which one you're referring to."
The tremendously crazy mage, who was also tremendously capable for her age, tremendously loyal to Calian, and tremendously fond of explosions, asked, "A mage raising a duck inside a grand carriage. That's amazing."
A peeping sound echoed from inside the carriage, which didn't sway in the slightest despite climbing the winding mountain path. Except for when they passed through the border gates, that carriage had been occupied exclusively by Coco.
Arsen, riding at the very rear of the group, looked at Euria and replied, "I'm glad I don't have to carry her the entire trip, but I'm worried about what Prince Franz will say about this later."
"He'll probably call you a crazy, blue-haired mage who brought a duck to a foreign country."
"Yes. I think that's exactly what he'll say."
Arsen let out a wry chuckle, finding the situation absurd even to himself. He added, in a voice that could have been for Euria or just for himself, "Still, I'm glad I ended up bringing a duck instead of my squad."
"What? Was your squad supposed to come?"
"No. Not that they were supposed to, but… something like that happened, Association President."
With that, Arsen smiled and looked around. Euria followed his gaze, took a deep breath, and spoke.
"I feel this every time I come here, but Secritia's front gate is easy to blockade. The mountain range between Kairis and Secritia is so rugged that if you block this pass, they have to take a massive detour."
It was more rugged than the mountains of Kairis, yet gentler than those of the Great Desert. The landscape was characterized by towering, jagged rocks rather than dense forests, with a winding path cut through them. The mountain road stretched on endlessly, its destination not yet visible.
"Since a rocky mountain like this blocks the way, few people know how beautiful the land beyond is."
"Have you been to Secritia before, Association President?"
"Yeah. Back when I was working near the border, before I met you. I crossed over twice while chasing barbarians. This makes it three times."
"I didn't realize you came all the way out here. They must have been quite formidable for Secritia to allow you to cross the border."
"Of course I snuck in. Why would they ever give permission?"
"Ah…"
A wistful expression appeared on Euria's face as she recalled a distant memory.
"The Basilica was really delicious."
"...Right." Arsen nodded, thinking of the liquor that was easily as potent as Himolica, if not more.
"Don't look at me like that. You should hurry up and raise your Circle, too."
"If it were that easy, I'd have reached the 8th Circle by now."
"Aiming high, aren't we? What would you even do with the 8th Circle? No one's reached it in nearly three hundred years, not since Roygrant."
"Well, you revert to the age you were when you completed the 7th Circle, and you don't age at all."
"Does that sound good to you?"
"You'd live a boringly long life, wouldn't you? Having to witness all sorts of awful things."
"Are you saying you like it or hate it?"
"If it were a good thing, Roygrant would probably still be alive."
"What are you even trying to say? Stop talking like a drunkard when you're sober and just comfortably reach the 6th Circle. So we can drink together."
Euria gave a casual reply, untying her long purple hair and retying it properly as she spoke.
"Circles aside, since we crossed the border safely, I'm just going to drink my fill of Basilica."
"We didn't come here to drink, Association President."
"Does a mage care about time and place when it comes to drinking? They just drink."
"Isn't that just you, Association President, and not mages in general?"
"Looks like the kid left his fear behind in Kairis."
"No, I brought it with me, Association President."
Euria smirked at Arsen's quick reply.
Their conversation continued in that manner—a blunt and familiar dialogue that spoke of a camaraderie far beyond mere professional courtesy.
* * *
It was a night where only starlight twinkled, the moon not yet having risen.
Dry blades of grass swayed between the sparse rocks. They had already crossed the border, but they knew the real Secritia would only begin after they passed this mountain. Once they descended, they would truly arrive.
Not in the upper floors of the vast palace where his brothers lived, but on the very land he had fought so hard to protect.
"You don't have to look at me like that."
The low voice was as dry as the rustling grass.
Calian smiled at Franz, who kept staring at him. He didn't know if his own voice sounded that way because he was facing things long forgotten, or because he was afraid of the nightmare he was about to meet.
"It's just that many things are coming back to me, and I'm glad to see it. That's all."
By the time they finished climbing the mountain, it was always night.
Whether one was from Secritia, Kairis, or both, everyone met the night at the summit.
At the top of that mountain, Calian, who had been staring into the distance, opened his mouth to speak to Franz. But a voice came from Franz's side first.
"I'm not cold."
"Yes."
It was obvious what Calian was about to say.
Staring blankly at the object in Calian's smiling hand, Franz asked, "What is it?"
"The alcohol we bought back then. Sizlinu."
"Drop the honorifics."
"Sizlinu. It was in Raven's bag, probably because Master packed it, so I brought it. You need to be fond of alcohol here, Brother. There are many eyes watching."
The "eyes watching" were the Secritian knights in the watchtower at the summit. Thus, he had brought out Sizlinu for his "brother who loves alcohol so much."
"You. A glass of Himolica…"
"No."
Cutting Franz off a bit too quickly, Calian sloshed the wine bottle. He shot his brother a look that clearly asked, I'm drinking. Are you joining me?
"I have no intention of getting drunk in a place like this, so don't worry about me being unable to protect my fragile brother."
"Spouting nonsense again."
Surely Calian wasn't the only one with a troubled mind.
In this place I'm visiting for the first time, what would the 'me' of another time have said here? Where and how would he have attacked? What kind of face would he have made?
There was no reason to refuse the offer to set aside such fruitless thoughts for a drink. Franz nodded and accepted the glass Calian handed him.
"This is your first time having wine, too, right?"
"I've tried it."
"I thought you said you didn't drink."
"I didn't. Alcohol."
Are you going to get drunk just from the smell, Brother?
Franz let out a wry laugh at Calian's expression and stared down at the wine glass in his hand, only the second one he had ever held.
A long time ago.
One day, long ago.
"...On the day I first stood in my mother's way."
The day Calian, who had been receiving Silike's poisoned tea, blocked her power of blessing. The day Calian first obstructed Silike's path.
It had been the same for Franz.
He had stood in Silike's way for the first time. And he had emptied the wine that had been set out for Randel. Believing that whatever had melted Calian's insides might also be in that glass, it had not been alcohol to him.
"Then today can be the first time you actually drink alcohol," Calian, who had already heard the full story of that day, cut in and gestured to the glass. "This one will taste good."
Because it wasn't poison.
"Yeah."
The two glasses, prepared by a thoughtful master who had worried about this very moment, clinked with a clear, ringing sound. Amidst the wind that sang like dry grass, their different, bitter memories flowed out and scattered together.
One glass, then two.
The wine glasses were filled and emptied, again and again.
As Calian watched Franz, who unbelievably seemed to hold his liquor better than him, he repeatedly used his Aura to push away the intoxication, struggling to erase the complicated expression on his own face.
Then, a pure white light rose in the distance.
A late moon was rising. The moonlight ascended into the sky, playing upon the clear, shimmering water far below.
Watching the sight quietly, Franz suddenly spoke.
"Now I see why my little brother was so indifferent when he saw that sea."
"Is that so?"
The vast land revealed itself beneath the rising moonlight. The nostalgic place that began at its edge.
Yes.
It was the sea.
"I hope that this time, only good memories will remain for you as well, Brother."
Staring at the view that even the deep darkness could not fully hide, Calian let out a soft chuckle.
"Truly beautiful Secritia… It is indeed a beautiful place."