Chapter 333: Please (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 333: Please (4)
Nonexistent, or at most, once.
That was Calian’s patience in a nutshell. Usually, it was nonexistent. On the rare occasion it did appear, he might endure something a single time. However, given that his older brother was going through a turbulent phase, he exercised a little more patience specifically for the Pea. Calian was, after all, an adult.
Usually nonexistent, but occasionally present.
That was the state of Calian’s rationality. Even Sispanian had acknowledged this, so Calian could hardly refute it. There were, however, rare moments when a Calian who had lost his reason managed to regain it. In most cases, it was out of concern that the Pea, currently navigating his own turbulent period, might learn bad habits from witnessing his behavior.
People thought he was a good person, but upon closer inspection, he wasn't.
That was the truth of Calian’s personality. The number of people who knew this, however, was remarkably small, as most who experienced it firsthand were no longer of this world. The few who knew his complex and decidedly unpleasant nature were kept alive for specific reasons: they were family, a fiancée, a former fiancée, or a lackey. And there was one more: the Pea, whose turbulent phase was a fact Calian never forgot.
“…Sigh.”
Because he was just that kind of incredibly magnificent bastard of a younger brother.
Facing a touch-and-go situation where said brother, having failed to exercise his patience, had lost his reason and was about to unleash his true personality, the Pea let out a soft sigh.
“I doubt they even know what an apology is.”
And with that, he began to vigorously fan the flames.
The complexions of Yan and Relic paled, while Arsen’s eyes began to sparkle with intense interest. As if to live up to everyone’s expectations, Franz leaned back in his chair, tilting his head to look up at the Crown Prince of Tensil.
“My generous younger brother will surely understand and let it slide. It’s not like we ever expected manners from them in the first place.”
Calian must have thought this through, right? He’d been tapping the table out of habit, so Franz assumed there had to be a reason for this sudden display of anger.
Perhaps it was to remind them that the deep-seated resentment from their past actions remained unresolved—like how Tensil had arbitrarily sent and then withdrawn their priests, making it seem as if Kairis had made unreasonable demands. Or how they’d failed to so much as apologize for sending holy knights into the royal palace instead of a gift for the King of Kairis’s birthday festival. This was all about securing the upper hand in the upcoming discussions. On top of that, it would be a perfect way to shut down any sly attempts to hint that they knew Franz’s ascension to Crown Prince was a deception.
At that, the bastard of a younger brother stared at me with the look of a proud parent gazing upon a well-raised child. He was probably doing it because I’d played along so well with his calculated rage. I didn't care how he looked at me, but I am the older brother. So, I let the irritation rise to the surface, making no effort to hide it. To others, it would look like I was furious at Tensil’s rudeness. In reality, I was definitely annoyed with my brother, not that guy.
“I have heard that if one casts their eyes carelessly upon Crown Prince Franz of Kairis, Prince Calian’s sword will fly. That is why I spoke first—to ask for permission to greet the Prince’s older brother. I am not so ignorant of hierarchy as you seem to worry.”
A complete and utter disregard for Franz.
“Permission… Yes. You should get permission. However.”
While Arsen wondered if he might get a chance to sightsee in Tensil this time, Calian’s words continued, directed at Serjein.
“Since someone who is not royalty dared to speak to my older brother first… whether to let such a person live or die, it seems permission must be obtained for that as well. Not by you, but by my brother. From me.”
Calian said nothing more. If he stepped forward here, it would be tantamount to ignoring Franz himself, so he deliberately kept his mouth shut. Instead, it was Franz who spoke freely within the timely deployed Silent magic barrier, having anticipated what would be said next. Dialogue be damned, the person before them was impersonating royalty anyway. Franz, too, had seen Hina’s sign language.
Still seated, Franz tilted his head up a little more. Looking down on Serjein, who stood before him, he spoke again.
“What are you?”
Serjein smirked.
“I thought you were just a madman sheltered by your younger brother.”
“I asked. What are you?”
That look was eerily similar to the one the blue-haired mad mage wore right before forcing a smile to bloom on Franz’s face. Annoyed now by this man instead of his brother, Franz narrowed his eyes as the man’s mouth opened.
“Tomorrow at eleven. Let’s have a cup of tea. I have something to say to you.”
“I don’t want to.”
Franz smiled back.
“Because I’m going to eat cod. With my younger brother.”
He replied that he wouldn’t meet a dangerous stranger because he was planning to enjoy some cod, all while wearing a remarkably bright smile, as if he were truly looking forward to the taste of the fish.
Calian, finding himself in the unusual position of having to hold his older brother back, wore an intrigued expression. He was briefly contemplating whether to pour oil on the fire or douse it with water when—
“His Majesty the King enters!”
Chase, having finally concluded the ceremonies, entered the banquet hall.
Sensing that the Crown Prince of Tensil was with Calian’s group and that the atmosphere was far from pleasant, Chase’s gaze shifted toward the man. Though he wore a gentle smile, his eyes were incredibly sharp. He seemed curious about what was happening, yet his gaze also carried a silent question: And who are you to be standing there?
Since they could not continue their conversation in front of the King, Serjein bowed his head slightly toward Chase before looking back at Franz and Calian.
“We will have to continue this conversation later.”
With another smirk, he walked back to his seat.
*
Clack.
The glass, set down with an air of sheer relief, was completely empty. Euria picked up a bottle of Basilica and refilled it. Of course, it wasn’t the precious Basilica Calian had received from Chase, but a different bottle bought from a shop. Since they couldn’t drink to their hearts’ content at the coronation banquet, they had gathered at the villa for a modest drinking party of their own.
Euria, having filled the glass, laughed in amusement.
“Wow. ‘Because I’m going to eat cod.’ He’s a man of few words, but he sure knows how to make a point.”
“It seems our Crown Prince picked up the Prince’s way of speaking,” Rachel chimed in.
“Or maybe the Crown Prince’s habits rubbed off on the Prince. He is the Crown Prince’s younger brother, after all.”
“That could be. In any case, speech habits are contagious. Not long after Veronica learned to speak, she started copying her father. Like brother, like brother—it’s only natural they’d sound similar.”
Both Calian and Franz had seen Hina’s sign language.
Naturally, everyone present knew sign language. Even Euria and Rachel had learned it in their free time after the business in Devlan was concluded. Thanks to that, everyone had understood the message, so Calian hadn’t needed to exclude them from his Silent magic barrier.
Clinking her glass against Euria’s, Rachel spoke.
“So what’s his real identity? The Crown Prince of Tensil.”
“Who knows? He didn’t even say when he’d be back, just smirked and left after saying he understood.”
“If it were me, I would have agreed to meet just out of curiosity, but our Crown Prince rejected him flat out.”
“Exactly. Honestly, there isn’t a single person with a normal personality in Kairis.”
As she said this, Euria gently stroked the silver hair of the person sleeping with their head on the table.
“No, wait. Except for this one.”
It was Hina, who, after downing a glass of Basilica as strong as Himolica, had quickly dozed off. If Calian found out their Hina had passed out from drinking, he would surely throw a fit, but Rachel and Euria weren’t the types to worry about such things.
“I’m normal too, President,” Arsen protested.
“Throw away the spoon in your pocket before you say that, kiddo.”
“Can’t you just see it as a mage’s true loyalty?”
“Nope. Can’t. It’s just weird.”
Rachel let out a laugh.
Arsen, smacking his lips in disappointment at his fellow mages who failed to understand his heart, picked up a sweet and salty snack of fried bananas sprinkled with cheese and brought the conversation back to the original topic.
“Isn’t it likely that he’s not the actual Crown Prince, but someone else?”
Rachel’s gaze drifted to the still-sleeping Hina. She was thinking of how Hina had become a completely different person using Eila’s disguise magic tool.
“Probably. Making someone look identical isn’t that hard, as we’ve experienced ourselves. But if it were the Crown Prince, there would be no reason to disguise their gender.”
“Then the one who handed over the disguise magic tool must be Devlan,” Arsen deduced. “It might have been a condition for bringing back the Tensil priests, or he could have sent it even earlier for some other reason.”
Replying to Rachel, Arsen reached to pour beer into his empty glass.
—Cracklet!
A tiny purple spark crackled from the condensation on the beer glass.
“I know you’ve already had three glasses, kiddo.”
“You were counting?”
“Yep. I saw everything, so drink the sparkling water over there. Or go check on Coco.”
“Coco is sleeping. I’ll drink the sparkling water,” Arsen grumbled.
Euria chuckled.
Still, what was forbidden was forbidden. And while not as bad as frozen potatoes, cold fried bananas were just as unappetizing.
“What will they do now?” Rachel asked.
“Who knows? We’ll find out if we watch. Whether a fight breaks out or not, either way is fine. Anything is entertaining.”
Euria, who knew better than anyone that Calian had been interested in the Crown Prince of Tensil, wore a look full of anticipation. Then, she took a long sip of Basilica from her transparent glass.
*
The world is wide, and there are still many things Franz does not know.
“Is this your first time seeing this as well?”
Franz remained silent at Calian’s question.
To be precise, it wasn’t just that he was seeing it for the first time; the issue was a bit more fundamental than that. He was currently contemplating where to even begin his explanation so that the bastard wouldn’t start barking at him again.
“I know now.”
In other words, Franz had just learned for the first time that plates could be made of wood. It wasn’t that he disliked it; he was literally just learning of its existence. Naturally, then, it was his first time seeing it.
Answering while looking at the plain, patternless wooden plate and wooden cup, Franz briefly wondered if the fork and knife would also be made of wood. A look of slight disappointment soon crossed his face. They weren’t made of silver decorated with exquisite engravings and gems like those in the royal palace or the Siegfried Territory, but the crude gray utensils were at least metal.
Though it was a mystery how he had read the expression hidden beneath the hood, Calian, who wore an identical robe with its hood pulled low, curled his red lips into a smile.
“There’s no way they would use wooden utensils too, is there?”
“Right.”
“My, how sheltered my older brother was raised.”
“I’d prefer to dine with a human.”
“You let Lucy and Anne sit and eat with you. Can’t you cut me some slack?”
“……In the first place.”
Did he just naturally admit to being something less than human?
Just as Franz was about to say this, the tavern owner approached. He set down two large plates that smelled quite delicious and walked away without a word. He didn’t say “excuse me,” nor did he explain the ingredients, the preparation, or how to eat it. He simply plonked the food down and left.
This, too, was a first. Even when eating roasted wild boar while camping, someone would at least tell him what kind of meat it was. Of course, this didn’t offend him either. It was just unfamiliar.
“They clean the cod, sear the outside in olive oil, and cook it through over a low charcoal fire. Then they roast it in the oil one more time before serving,” Calian explained in place of the tavern owner.
He added that because they spent so much time grilling a single fish, this place was quite famous and expensive. He also explained that taverns generally didn’t use ceramic plates because drunk customers often broke them or walked off with them.
“Of course, the restaurants in Kairisis or Secreta wouldn’t be like this.”
“I don’t dislike it.”
“I know. I just wanted you to know. Things like this.”
“I see.”
Answering briefly, Franz stared at the grilled cod, which was seasoned with nothing but salt. It was vastly different from the palace version, which was topped with herb butter and elegantly drizzled with lemon sauce, but he didn’t mind.
At Calian’s suggestion that there was no need for disguise magic since it was his first time sightseeing in a place like this, both of them had simply worn robes with deep hoods. They had also brought Raven and Estina along without hiding them. Thanks to that, coming to such an unfamiliar place looking no different than usual was also something he didn’t dislike.
“Eat up. The cod here is delicious.”
“You must have come here often.”
“……Yes.”
The edge of Calian’s bright, expectant smile faltered for a moment.
He had traveled the long road from Kairis to Secritia, wielding his sword, getting hurt, and sleeping on the ground, all to contribute significantly to the change of this country’s throne. Even after all that, he hadn’t come here right away, only visiting after finally seeing this country’s king firmly established.
Only now did he speak of why he had delayed for so long. Only after arriving here did he reveal that this was a place he could only visit after accomplishing everything else.
“It’s a place I stopped by every time I came to the villa. Sometimes with Brother Chase, sometimes with Arianne, sometimes with Kyrie. I came alone most of the time, but I came often. Starting from about three years later. Ah, come to think of it, it might not be as delicious now as it becomes then.”
The statement that he had come often, starting from about three years later, was truly strange. He was speaking of a time that was neither the present nor the future as if it were a memory from the past.
Franz simply listened to the remark that the grilled cod three years from now was delicious, but he didn’t know how it would taste today. He picked up his fork and knife. Without a word, he cut a small piece of the fish, golden on the outside and pure white on the inside, and put it in his mouth.
“Now that I think about it, I didn’t consider that. Still, since it’s a restaurant that’s been open for a long time, even if it’s three years ago…”
“It’s delicious,” Franz said.
Calian, who had been gazing out the window at the vast expanse where the sky and sea blurred into one, turned his head back.
“I’m glad it suits your palate.”
“You should eat too.”
“Yes.”
Franz took another look at that same sea, then brought his fork back to the wooden plate he was seeing for the first time and the cod upon it. Only then did Calian also put a piece of the delicious grilled cod into his mouth.
“It is delicious. Fortunately.”
“Yes.”
They ate the grilled cod.
They savored the meal for a long time, both of them finishing every last bite.
After finally eating that cod from some distant day, Calian paid the bill as promised. They mounted the ill-tempered Raven and the incredibly gentle Estina side by side. Though they didn’t dismount, Franz’s eyes couldn’t tear themselves away from the shops and people lining the streets, so they made their way back at a walking pace.
“Master must have arrived at the villa by now.”
“Probably.”
“Did you hear that Brother Chase and Arianne will be joining us on the boat tomorrow?”
“I heard.”
“Yes.”
If your motion sickness is bad, you can just sleep.
Master is better at putting people to sleep than I am.
Such trivial banter was exchanged a few more times.
—Clip-clop.
Raven’s steps came to a halt.
Calian’s gaze was already fixed ahead. Franz, who had been about to draw Sinasta, simply let his hand fall upon seeing the shield that had been meticulously deployed to include Estina within its range.
“For the Crown Prince of Tensil to be so light on his feet.”
I have to tell him.
I have to tell him someday.
I really have to tell him that I know how to use a sword too.
“What brings you all the way out here?”
Unaware of—or perhaps simply ignoring—the Pea’s discontent.
Calian’s voice, laced with hostility, drifted from beneath his black robe.
“Since you’ve eaten your cod, I thought perhaps we could have that cup of tea now.”
The Crown Prince, who somehow smelled of grapefruit, spoke.
Raven’s hooves moved. Calian intended to simply ignore him and pass by. He was not so naive as to converse with a stranger in a place like this, on a day like today.
“I also have something to say about your eldest brother.”
—Clip-clop.
Raven’s steps came to a halt once more.