Chapter 329: Snake's Tomb (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 329: Snake's Tomb (7)
It had been raining, but it had already stopped.
Calian, who didn’t particularly dislike the rain in this green winter, wore a slightly disappointed expression. With a hint of lingering regret, he spoke.
"I was enjoying the rain, it's been a while. But it's already over. I suppose the rain and I just don't get along."
Franz popped a tangerine segment into his mouth. The fruit had been offered, taken back, and then offered again, its thin, tough peel finally stripped away by fingertips that still fumbled with the task despite having devoured so many of the sour things. Franz turned his gaze back to the window.
Winter.
Franz, who had never seen rain fall in a winter this cold, stared outside. The sky was cloudless, without a single dark cloud in sight. It was impossible to know whether rain had truly fallen while he slept, or if it had only rained for the bastard sitting there, peeling and eating sour tangerines all by himself.
"Why are you here?"
"I like it here."
"Explain."
"Things just played out this way."
The sky, which had supposedly just shed rain, was a brilliant blue. In the distance, an endless sea of light, almost indistinguishable from the sky, stretched out beneath it.
This was not the annex of the Secritia Royal Palace. This was the villa that had belonged to Queen Diena, and now, to Royal Concubine Louise.
He had fallen asleep in the royal palace and woken up at the villa.
"Explain. Properly."
His younger brother, wearing a nonchalant expression, was now peeling a banana that had been left for the patient.
Chewing and swallowing, Calian shrugged. Then, in the same casual tone he’d used to announce the end of the morning rain, he spoke.
"Around the time you fell asleep, Sir Hertz decided to reinstate himself. He and Sir Castrin split the work and killed all of Devlan's knights stationed outside Marquis Lin's estate. Thanks to that, the nobles here couldn't say a word about Sir Castrin slaughtering knights on his own. But on top of that, I ended up putting a sword through Devlan's heart…"
"…You put what through whose heart?"
"I didn't kill him. Just… ran it through him. A little scare, that's all."
An extraordinary method of intimidation, indeed.
What in the world was he supposed to do with this magnificent bastard of a brother?
"Hah."
Franz had expected Calian to take the hint, slip away quietly, and find him—not go and pull off a perfect threat all by himself. The real problem was that Franz understood exactly why he had done it. He understood so vividly it was as if he had seen it with his own eyes, which was why all he could do was sigh.
Out of habit, Franz tried to run his right hand through his hair, but a sharp pain in his shoulder made him wince. Only then did he realize why his nemesis of a younger brother—who caused trouble the moment he was out of sight—had so quietly handed him a peeled tangerine despite his show of annoyance.
"Shoulders take a long time to heal, longer than other places. You have another arm for a reason. Use it."
"…Fine."
He was, as always, quick with his replies.
Calian, who had offered the solution with a bright smile, looked at the gentle soul before him. The poor man couldn't find anything more to say to his younger brother, who, the moment his leash was loosened, had gone beyond barking and thoroughly mauled his target before returning. Calian spoke again.
"Anyway, because of that, it became difficult for us to remain in the royal palace. My anger had to stop with what happened to Hina and you. If we interfered any further, wouldn't Brother Chase become a king who ascended the throne on the back of Kairis? So, under the pretext of letting our fragile Crown Prince recuperate from the grievous injuries inflicted by Devlan's assassins, we all came here together."
No wonder he’d been hearing quacking from somewhere. It must be the ducks brought by that crazy, blue-haired vice-commander who had reinstated himself.
The man—who loved alcohol, had a terrible personality, and couldn't even look after himself—squeezed his eyes shut. Here in this foreign country, his skills had been so beautifully packaged alongside his public persona that he was left with no way out. He hadn't paid it much mind before, but now he felt he had every right to feel aggrieved.
"This was a task started by Brother Chase. You and I assisted him well, so it's only right that he finishes it from here."
"If my dear little brother knows that so well… why did you go and get yourself soaked in the rain?"
Franz hadn't noticed at first, but he had been sensing it for a while. Beneath the sour and sweet scents, there was the foolish smell of rain, and an even more foolish smell of blood.
"Because we won't be the ones having nightmares anymore."
Calian's hand, which had been peeling its fourth banana, paused. His hands, which had moved so busily and pointlessly to spread the sour and sweet scents, stilled as his voice carried on.
"I wanted us to stop having them. Both of us."
Franz, who had fallen into a dreamless sleep for the first time in a very long time, slowly nodded and stood up. Aside from a dull throb in his right shoulder, the rest of his body was fine, so moving was not an issue.
"Get out."
"Getting ready to go out?"
Franz nodded. Calian asked again, his face full of disapproval.
"Are you sure you should be moving already? What are you planning to do?"
"Spar."
"With me?"
"Who else?"
"There are plenty of knights besides me."
"Forget it."
"Our fragile Crown Prince, who went and got himself a fiancée without his brother's knowledge—if you spar with me right now, you'll regret it."
"That informal tongue of yours is getting ahead of itself, isn't it?"
"You will regret it. A lot."
"You…"
"…gret it."
"Enough. Stop running your mouth."
The Crown Prince of another country, who had raised his birds well and was now putting them to good use, would be pulling far ahead from now on. Franz wanted to ensure he had at least one more thing he was better at. Besides, now that he had finished his vigil by his oblivious, sleeping brother, peeling sour tangerines, he wanted to look after the bastard who would be focusing all his nerves on the civil war his former brother had started. So, Franz suggested the sparring match they had been putting off.
For one, it was a message not to worry. For the other, it meant he had suffered enough on his own.
"Yes."
Because Calian understood all of it, he ultimately agreed. He knew that, far from sparring, they would end up doing nothing at all—just standing side by side at the highest point of this villa, looking out toward the distant capital of Secritia.
* * *
Flutter!
Under a sky so clear it was hard to believe it had ever rained, a cold, crisp wind swept past.
Riding that wind, the things that should have spread throughout Secritia had been missing for days. There was no smell of roasting coffee or baking bread, no sound of meat and shellfish being prepared or vegetables being chopped, no busy movements of people carrying books or arranging flowers. No carriages traveled the streets, and no one walked briskly toward their daily routines. Though it was not a festival day, everything that should have welcomed the morning had ground to a halt.
Instead, riding that wind, people who had gathered from all over Secritia streamed into the square.
Flutter!
Flags fluttered.
Some bore blue flowers on a white background. Others displayed a black shield and sword on a grey background, or a white staff on a red one. Some depicted a small castle or a golden lion. Others showed armor, gold coins, a singing mermaid, or a fishing boat. In the desolate square where not a single passerby had been seen, countless flags bearing these different designs now billowed.
They belonged to the nobles of many families—martial, merchant, and fishing alike. Having changed their allegiance under Chase's leadership and gathered with Alan's assistance, they now stood before Legian and Arianne, accompanied by their private soldiers. The flags of all these people unfurled at once beneath the rain-cleared sky.
Despite the massive crowd, no one spoke. Arianne, standing at the very front with the Commander of the Outer Castle Guard, remained silent, as did everyone lined up behind them.
"His Highness is taking too long."
"His Highness's knights are strong. Even if we combined everyone gathered here, they would not be stronger than the forces he has inside the inner castle."
Arianne, staring anxiously at the firmly shut gates of the inner castle, muttered to herself. The man beside her immediately replied. He was the first person in the capital to side with Chase and, as the Commander of the Outer Castle Guard, someone Arianne had known for a very long time.
This was partly because Arianne had assisted Legian, the legal officer, with her work, and partly due to her personality, which often led her to share casual drinks with the knights she met. This long-time acquaintance spoke to reassure her.
"So, if you wait just a little longer, that barrier will soon disappear as well."
"I know. I know, but…"
It felt foreign.
It wasn't the feel of the armor she wore for the first time in her life, nor the clashing sounds of the soldiers' weapons behind her. Standing at the head of the nobles, facing the tightly shut castle gates, felt utterly foreign to Arianne. She was afraid.
Of course, she knew. She knew better than anyone that she could not show her anxiety here. But Legian was inside that castle. Chase was there. That was why she was anxious.
Even after a long time, the gates did not open. It would have been better if she could at least hear the sounds of battle, but there was nothing—no sound, no sign of life. The anxiety was driving her mad. Her only choice was to ensure that the other nobles and soldiers standing behind her did not notice her unease.
"Those nobles are only gathered here because you are here, Lady Arianne. If you hadn't held them together, they would have turned back the moment the inner castle gates shut and that barrier was activated. Especially since we can no longer receive the assistance of Baron Manasil."
Devlan had sealed the inner castle.
Leading the last of his loyal knights, Devlan remained unyielding to the very end. He shut the gates and activated the Great Magic Barrier to prevent Alan from bringing forces directly inside. It was the first and last gift that Sispanian had bestowed upon the Great King of Secritia in ancient times.
Had Alan not already temporarily halted a similar magic circle in Kairis? Devlan knew this, yet he activated it anyway. He knew Alan would never break it. And indeed, Alan did not suspend the massive magic circle for even a moment.
They could not reveal that a mage affiliated with Kairis could tamper with the final line of defense protecting the Secritia Royal Palace. They could not break it with their own hands just to capture a single man like Devlan.
Therefore, Alan would step no further.
"I know. I know that Sir Manasil has already interfered far more than any Baron of Secritia could have, just with the help he has provided so far. If he steps forward any further, he will no longer be seen as merely a Baron of Secritia, and further interference would only be poison to His Highness in the future."
"That is correct, Lady Arianne."
Flutter!
Countless flags swayed once more.
'Don't worry, Arianne. I'll return safely.'
Facing a strange sensation she never wished to experience again, Arianne glanced around. Behind her stood those who had gathered, trusting solely in the protection of the House of Marquis Lin, completely ignorant of the Crown Prince's situation inside the castle.
They stood behind her, waiting and trusting, because they knew that before being the family of the Crown Prince's fiancée, this was the family that had stood most firmly against Devlan in this country.
Thus, Arianne's duty at this moment was to remain unshaken. It was not to draw a sword on their behalf or to command them in place of a Knight Commander. Having gathered everyone here, her task was to hold them together so they would not scatter. That was what Arianne had to do. To do that, she had to stand firm.
"I understand. I'll pull myself together."
Had she not done so much already?
Arianne was the one who had persuaded Legian, strengthened the laws, and moved the soldiers. Resolving not to let anxiety get the better of her now, Arianne bit her lip firmly, looked around, nodded reassuringly to the crowd, and straightened her back.
Flutter!
Flags whipped in the wind.
The blue and white flags at the very edge of the square swayed.
The wind blew, and the red tassels on the soldiers’ spears swayed with it. The wind blew, and the family flag held by the one standing before them fluttered. Once more, the flag of the alliance fluttered. The wind swept in.
Flutter!
Atop the inner castle.
A flag depicting a crowned eagle clutching a round shield was raised. It fluttered.
The flag of the Secritia Royal Family.
It was Chase's signal.
Arianne, clutching her horse's reins, squeezed her fists with all her might.
Rumble…!
The long-awaited sound echoed.
'I will return as king.'
The gates of the inner castle finally opened.
* * *
Standing before the royal palace, Chase took a step forward.
When the inner castle had been shut and the barrier activated, Servain, the Yellow Robin, had handed command of all the birds—now knights—to Teilan. With them returned to him, Teilan's steps were filled with conviction.
They had seen the Prince of Kairis turn his back on Devlan's reckless plan. They had seen Alan block the archmage summoned by Devlan. They had seen the flags of other nobles gathering like an ocean outside the inner castle.
Everyone had seen the Crown Prince capture the hearts of the nobles in an instant. They had seen him stand before Devlan and call out his transgressions. They had seen him ask first to put the child who survived Devlan's clutches to sleep. Everyone had seen the countless people weeping in grief, the people who remembered what Devlan had erased, and the Crown Prince holding their hands.
"Make way."
Chase walked toward those who had witnessed it all.
He walked to restore, to reclaim. He returned to the royal palace. Leading his knights and his order, he walked toward his royal palace.
No one blocked his path.
It was only natural.
Without pausing for a single moment, he moved forward. He passed through the unguarded main gates, through the garden of red begonias, and reached the entrance of the Main Palace.
Flutter!
A long, pure white cloak lined with black whipped in the wind.
A man who could never be pure white walked toward one who was falling to ruin while feigning purity.
Passing through the crowds and the knights, he finally arrived.
"You have walked a long way."
He had expected him to be in the King's formal attire.
Instead, Devlan, sitting quietly with a teacup in hand, spoke first. He wore a calm smile on his face, which had grown pale from days of sleeplessness.
"I know exactly how you feel right now."
His brown eyes stared into Chase's violet eyes.
Chase did not look away.
"A desperate, horrific feeling, yet one that makes you feel as if you own the entire world. I know that feeling."
"Regrettably," Chase said, his eyes clear, "this is merely the feeling of taking the first step on the long, long road I must walk."
His voice was not feigning tranquility; it was truly calm and quiet.
"Former King."
With a clack, Devlan set down his teacup and burst into laughter. He nodded as if pleased and laughed for a long while. Both Calian and now Chase could see that his laughter was not what it used to be, and that his fingertips trembled faintly.
Chase did not look away from that, either.
He stared straight at Devlan—a ghost, a demon, who no longer even possessed the courage to poison his own tea.
"Escort him… to the abyss."
He ordered him sent to hell.
It was the end of a long, arduous struggle.