Chapter 310: As If He Has No Reason (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 310: As If He Has No Reason (6)
Yes. It was mourning attire.
He’d always looked good in black, so he hadn't packed the outfit with any special meaning in mind, but today the thought struck him with particular force.
Meilin, the president of Secritia's Mage Association, had sided with Zeon.
It was common knowledge that spies utilized a variety of magical items—much like Eila’s mana bullets, her poison-laced hairpin, and the thin bracelet she used for disguise. Crafting and supplying such tools had once been Bern's responsibility. As a result, Calian had met Meilin Lonz quite a few times, and they had become reasonably close.
He’d heard that work was now being done for Devlan.
"I wonder if it's less that she turned her back on Devlan or Secritia, and more that she never trusted them in the first place," Eila mused. "A mage's loyalty is not so easily broken."
"Probably."
There was no way Devlan could have ever won Meilin's loyalty.
In the end, Bern's absence was felt once again.
That was why the clothes felt like mourning attire. Mourning for Bern's absence, and mourning in prayer for Devlan's death. Whichever it was, it was mourning attire, and Calian was wearing it.
"The day before yesterday, Sir Castrin met with the nobles on behalf of Crown Prince Chase."
Eila's voice pulled Calian back to reality.
Calian, who had been staring down at the black embroidery on the sleeves of his jacket, lifted his head.
Whether intentionally or not, Eila had changed the subject from the association president.
"Given the circumstances, I believe he stepped forward personally. It was best to avoid drawing any unwanted attention."
"Did you give him my mother's documents?"
Eila nodded.
"Yes. Not all of them, but the parts concerning Devlan’s illness, the records of Marquis Lin blocking Tensil's priests, and the list of families that vanished at Devlan's hands."
"And their reaction?"
"They said the response was better than expected. The nobles were already intensely curious about the Crown Prince's drunken spectacle outside the royal palace that night."
"So that's why Marquis Lin acted so quickly."
"Yes. With Marquis Manasil confronting him directly, and the nobles beginning to move behind the scenes thanks to Prince Franz and Prince Chase, Devlan had no choice but to back down for now."
"I see," Calian replied softly, letting out a long sigh.
They were alike.
He and Franz. He’d even told Franz as much to his face, so what more was there to say? He knew they were alike, he truly did.
But still.
"I wonder what on earth my brother was thinking, pulling a stunt like that."
"You know as well as I do, Prince, that the nobles wouldn't have been so easily swayed by documents alone. The result wasn't bad, so why the long face?"
"It's not about the result."
Calian fell silent for a moment.
He understood why Louise had copied his method exactly. She must have done it deliberately to make Devlan think of him. And while taking poison was an absolutely terrible choice, he could grasp why she had resolved to do it.
But Franz was different.
"Does it bother you that much that he copied what you did to deal with Silike?"
"I just don't understand it, Eila."
Rumors.
They seemed like nothing, yet they had shaken Silike to her core. It had been Calian’s very first move in bringing down her high and sturdy tower.
"My brother has absolutely no hesitation when it comes to learning and putting things into practice… It's almost as if he has no reason."
His tone carried a hint of sarcasm, or perhaps lamentation.
For someone whose entire world had been Silike to copy the very method used to break her was baffling. Calian couldn't help but think that Franz didn't need to resemble him so much that even the way his mind worked—always spinning off in a slightly different direction before snapping back into place—was identical.
"The Crown Prince must have been furious as well. A debt must be repaid, and anger must be vented. If the method is necessary, then it's right to use it," Eila said, an answer that was perfectly in character for her.
Calian let out a soft chuckle and nodded, returning to the topic Eila had brushed aside earlier.
"Right. Putting that aside, did you get any information from the association president?"
Eila shook her head.
His gaze drifted to her hairpin, which swayed with the movement. For some reason, the sight of it displeased him. Eila's calm voice reached his ears again.
"Marquis Lin spoke with her directly right up until this morning, but her lips are sealed. It seems Devlan also summoned the warriors of Zeon through her, but so far, we only have circumstantial evidence. I also heard that Sir Castrin will be meeting with her directly tonight."
"I think… it would be better if I went."
"I didn't take you for someone with a hobby for torture."
"I don't."
"Then just stay put. This is no longer your country or mine, Prince."
Eila, who never beat around the bush, shattered Calian's brooding thoughts.
"Right. I keep forgetting that."
"Yes. So stop getting distracted and pull yourself together. And don't come back injured like that again."
"You came to me saying you were going to kill me. Are you worried about me already?"
Eila's eyes narrowed for a moment before returning to normal. Then, she gave a truly unexpected answer.
"It hasn't been long since my master changed. I'd rather not find a new one before I've even fully adjusted."
Calian smiled faintly at her words.
"True. It would be hard to find another master like me."
Eila's hairpin swayed once more.
Thinking that he would have to replace that hairpin first thing when they returned, Calian checked the time and asked, "Hina is doing fine, right?"
"Yes. To avoid suspicion, other knights are taking turns accompanying her, not just me. We're all entering and leaving in pairs so she doesn't stand out."
"Anything else I should know?"
"Nothing for now."
"Understood."
"What are you going to do now?"
Calian lifted the Silent barrier.
As the translucent shield that had slightly obscured his vision vanished, the surrounding begonia garden came into sharp focus.
"My job."
Eila tilted her head slightly.
In the distance, the person sent to fetch him came into view. It was Devlan's chief chamberlain.
Realizing who Calian was about to meet, Eila immediately asked, "Can't I come with you?"
"You'll draw your sword. No."
Calian unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, which had felt tight around his neck, and then stretched lightly. It was a side of him he never showed in public, but what did it matter? The only ones watching were Eila and Devlan's chamberlain, neither of whom were his concern.
He could afford to relax a little.
"I'll be back."
Noticing the subtle shift in Calian's demeanor, Eila nodded. "Yes. Be safe."
Her nod was an unspoken promise: she would keep her sword sheathed and wait.
* * *
The Main Palace of the Secritia Royal Palace was rather unique.
It was a large rectangle with a massive Water Garden at its center. In other words, two long buildings and two shorter ones were connected to form a square, a shape it had taken after the original palace was expanded.
Thanks to this design, no matter where one was in the Main Palace, the outward-facing windows revealed the begonia-filled outer garden, while the inward-facing windows overlooked the Water Garden.
– I think it's fascinating. We don't have anything like this in the Kairis Royal Palace.
– We don't.
In the center of the Water Garden, enclosed on all sides by the palace, stood a massive fountain, with smaller ones at each of the four corners. These five fountains were connected by small waterways, while three wider channels cut across the garden. Marble blocks were placed throughout like stepping stones, each topped with a magic lamp.
As a result, the shallow water, bathed in sunlight by day and reflecting the lamplight by night, sparkled constantly, creating a sight that could never be seen in Kairis. If this had been built by Hatsuara, it would not have featured such artificially angled waterways, but would have looked as if a stream flowing through a wide field had been moved here.
– The artificial lake and streams in the Kairis Royal Palace are nice, but I really like this place. It's so pretty. I think I'll miss it when we go back.
– Sure.
Somehow, he had become rich in bracelets. One was connected to Chase, the other to Hina's earring.
After Calian had fallen asleep, Kyrie, unable to leave his side, had hurriedly entrusted them to Franz. Since Franz and Chase were the only ones in the palace that day, he'd had no choice. And Franz hadn't returned them yet, because now Kyrie was the one sleeping.
In any case, Franz was on his way to meet that blue-haired mad mage whom he had no desire to see more than twice a day, but with whom he was forced to spend most of his time.
As he walked along the first-floor corridor, he spotted a swordswoman with sea-colored hair pinned up with a hairpin. Recalling what Calian had mentioned earlier, his gaze naturally drifted toward her. Eila looked in Franz's direction, and Hina, who was with her, turned her head as well. Then, Hina's voice sounded in his mind.
Ah, perfect. Your Royal Highness, please escort me.
Hina’s appearance was completely transformed thanks to Eila's magic tool.
It's Dame Eila's turn to guard me, but she said she had to meet Prince Calian. I'll just tag along with you for a bit, Your Royal Highness.
She added this with a bright smile. A sun-bronzed face, different hair and eye colors, increased height and build—everything had changed, but her smile was the same. The voice echoing in his head was the same, too.
Come to think of it, she really had grown taller. Though she would shrink back to her original size later.
…Do as you wish.
The thought made him feel a bit guilty for ever thinking of Hina as small. And so, for a brief moment, while a knight pretended to follow the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince ended up escorting the knight. At least until Eila returned. Arsen could wait a little longer; Franz didn't care.
He walked idly, pretending to admire the garden while listening to the sound of water flowing from all directions. There was no need to look at Hina's hands, but out of habit, his gaze kept drifting down to them.
It was quiet.
Only the sound of the fountains and the water flowing beneath his feet filled his ears.
– Are you really okay without any more treatment?
– I'm fine.
– Please tell me if it hurts. The Young Duchess is good at protecting, and Dame Eila is good at fighting, but I'm good at fixing things.
– I know.
– But don't get hurt on purpose. If you drink something strange again like last time, I'll be really… angry. I was so happy that I didn't have to worry about my brother getting hurt anymore, but now Prince Calian and you are starting to get hurt, and I don't like it at all.
Franz’s expression shifted into one he rarely made.
– I understand.
It was true. Hina was good at fixing things.
His mind had been so crowded with thoughts, but now all he could hear was the sound of the water. The long, winding lecture and the concern behind it were unfamiliar. And that unfamiliarity, while still strange, wasn't entirely unpleasant. Franz smiled, a barely perceptible upturn of his lips.
Yes. She really was good at fixing things.
As he thought this, a sudden question occurred to him.
"Hina."
– Yes.
Hearing his voice with her ears instead of in her head, Hina looked up at him.
"Calian's…"
Franz stopped, closing his mouth and transmitting the rest of his thought.
– You removed the poison that was inside Calian's body before.
– There was no poison this time, but yes, I have. I'm also removing the poison from the Royal Concubine here, since she drank some.
– Then, what if…
Franz paused for a moment. His fast-spinning mind formulated a hypothesis.
– If there is a stone inside a person's heart. Can you treat that like an illness and fix it?
– A stone?
It was something she had never done before. Hina pressed her lips together in thought, and then, to his immense relief—his absolute relief—she nodded.
– A healer at the Kairis Royal Palace told me about such a disease. An illness where stones grow inside the body and cause pain. I learned how to treat it, so I think it should be possible, even if the stone is inside the heart.
There might be a way to undo it.
A way to neutralize them without having to kill them.
Franz lowered his eyes, his thoughts continuing to race.
"To think we would meet again in a place like this."
A voice suddenly interrupted Franz's thoughts.
The words came from a man who had spotted them on his way to meet Calian and had approached them directly.
It was Devlan.
You must never run into him, Hina. Even if you do, you must not be found out. If he speaks to you, step back. Do not use your hands, and do not even nod. I will never leave you alone, so no matter who is with you, step back.
Calian's warning echoed in Hina's ears.
Hina took a step.
For a split second, her foot lifted to move backward, but then it shifted and moved forward instead. She stepped forward. She did not back down.
Because right now, Hina was neither a healer nor a countess. She was a knight in a knight's uniform. And the person she was with was the Crown Prince. A proper escort would never leave the Crown Prince—the very man who had put Devlan in such a difficult position with a single drunken display—to stand alone before the king.
So she moved to step in front of Franz.
But she was too late.
Step.
Taking a larger stride, Franz naturally moved in front of her. Just as Devlan's gaze shifted toward Hina, Franz offered his greeting.
"I greet His Majesty, the King of Secritia."
Devlan acknowledged the greeting with a slight nod and spoke.
"You seemed to be enjoying a leisurely stroll, so I thought I would come over."
"I was quietly reflecting, as I felt I had disturbed Your Majesty's leisure."
Devlan smiled.
It was the exact same smile Calian wore when his patience had been completely exhausted.
"Disturbed. Yes. Since you seem to know that,"
"Talk to me," another voice cut in.
"Instead of my brother."
At the edge of the Water Garden, sparkling under the sunlight, stood a figure dressed in what looked like black mourning attire. He was smiling with the exact same expression as Devlan.
"...Calian."
Seeing the Silent barrier already spreading to the tips of Hina's feet, Franz closed his eyes.
Ah.
My younger brother has lost his mind.