Chapter 338: The Pea, Again (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 338: The Pea, Again (5)
He had grown to like the scent of dried strawberries in his mint tea.
Even if it wasn’t a particular preference at first, once you voiced that you liked something, it had a strange way of actually becoming a favorite. Calian, suddenly reminded of the old Calian, smiled faintly and took a sip of the warm tea.
“The scent is nice. I like it.”
He had also eaten a cake made of freshly harvested red strawberries and dark chocolate, as well as purple macarons with a pleasant blueberry crunch. In truth, unless he had a lot on his mind, he didn’t particularly care for sweets, so eating things this sugary usually made him crave black tea. However, Yan, who had wrapped Calian tightly in a thick blanket and stuffed all kinds of confections into his mouth, had served him a different tea instead, claiming that black tea would keep him awake.
Even so, Calian replied that he liked it without much complaint.
Not only that, but he also sat quietly and meekly accepted everything Yan brought him, wrapped him in, and fed him. Any complaints he might have had vanished the moment he saw the person sitting right next to him, receiving the exact same treatment from Relic.
‘Take good care of them. Having fallen into that pitch-black sea in the middle of the night, both the Crown Prince and the Prince must have been terribly startled.’
Franz’s motion sickness had worsened after his dip in the water, and having stuffed himself with snacks, he looked like he was suffering more now than when he was actually in the sea. Yet, it was obvious from his face that he was only enduring it for the sake of Alan, who had worried over him just as much as he did Calian, and Relic, who had looked ready to faint at Alan’s words.
Thus, Calian also sat side-by-side with Franz for a long time without a word. Eventually, however, he couldn’t take it anymore and very cautiously voiced his sole discomfort.
“Yan…”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I’m hot.”
Even though Yan surely knew that Alan’s warming magic already enveloped the cabin, he was staring at the fireplace, which was blazing out of season. Calian had gathered his courage, thinking that at this rate, the pea’s leaves would turn yellow.
“Who in the world falls into the water trying to get a closer look at a whale? No matter how fascinating it was, you should have watched your step, Your Highness. It’s a miracle nothing worse happened, so please just stay still.”
“Yes. I’ll stay still.”
He was scolded, as expected.
“And don’t lie to me. I know very well that you don’t even feel the cold or the heat.”
If he asked why Yan had wrapped him up like this despite knowing he didn’t feel temperature, or why someone who knew that had forbidden him from eating anything with ice the moment summer ended, he would only get scolded more. So, instead of defending himself, he was about to suggest Yan look at the Crown Prince over there, who looked as if he were being salted and roasted to a golden brown, when—
“Calian.”
“Yes.”
“Shut up.”
“Yes.”
He was also snapped at by the Crown Prince—the very same Crown Prince who had jumped into the water to retrieve his younger brother after the latter lost his footing and tumbled into the sea while trying to watch a whale.
Do you have any idea who I’m getting scolded by Yan for? Dear brother, you who are sensitive to both cold and heat, I seriously have no idea how you’ve managed to survive until now. I’m starting to wonder about that more than the issue of the Axis of Time.
If he actually voiced those thoughts, he would likely be grabbed by the collar again and repeatedly dunked in the seawater, so he kept his mouth shut. Ultimately, deciding to let the pea roast and just focus on himself, he drained the sweet, refreshing tea and stood up.
“Why are you getting up?”
“My teacher is calling for me.”
Yan’s eyes narrowed as he saw the bracelet on Calian’s wrist glowing.
“It hasn’t even been a minute since you said you’d stay still.”
“I know. But my teacher is calling.”
Speaking with a grin, Calian unwrapped the blanket and handed it to Yan. Though his face was filled with discontent, Yan obediently nodded. Since Yan showed no sign of trying to follow him, Calian laughed silently.
In any case, Yan was Yan.
He hadn’t even mentioned that it was a meeting where others couldn’t easily tag along, yet Yan read his mind with uncanny accuracy. Truly, Yan was Yan.
“You should get some rest too.”
“Understood.”
“Don’t tell the others that I fell into the water. They’ll worry.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t say a word.”
“Kyrie mustn’t find out either. Don’t forget how sharp his ears are.”
“Yes. I’ll be careful.”
If Kyrie found out about this, he would undoubtedly head out with a fishing rod to catch that forgetful Sea Dragon—whether it was a winged eel, a blue-backed fish, or a whale. Kyrie wouldn’t care in the slightest whether the creature was a lively dragon under a thousand years old or just a fish.
“I will go see my teacher for a moment, so please rest, brother.”
“Alright.”
Bowing slightly to Franz, Calian stepped out of the cabin.
He left behind Franz, who was still quietly wrapped in the blanket Relic had draped over him despite looking like he was about to die of heat.
* * *
He could use both swords and magic.
And he even had a father who could find him in an instant no matter where on the continent he disappeared to.
“Are you truly alright?”
Yet, it seemed he was destined to be worried over all day long.
Calian smiled faintly as he looked at the red lace ribbon tied in Chase’s hair, then nodded.
“Yes. It almost wasn’t alright, but I am fine.”
Had he run out of breath deep in the sea, his suppressed memories might have come crashing back like a tidal wave. Fortunately, he had been safely fished out thanks to a certain piece of seaweed who had meticulously grabbed him by the collar instead of his hair.
Recalling Arnayzel, who had given him such an unexpected experience, Calian burst into laughter.
“You can really laugh at a time like this?”
He heard those words again. This time, it was Alan.
“Yes. It’s amusing, isn’t it? Knowing that not all dragons are like Sispanian.”
After all, Arnayzel had waved at him so excitedly.
He laughed because he found it somewhat similar to himself—living meticulously yet somehow always missing one or two major details.
“It wouldn’t have intentionally left the person who needs to return safely to Kairis and summon Sispanian in the middle of the ocean, so it must have simply forgotten. That part felt a bit like me.”
“Oh, what a wonderful thing to boast about.”
Quickly stopping his laughter, Calian addressed Alan and Chase.
“Anyway, I didn’t come here because of that… I have something I want to ask you, brother.”
“Speak. Anything.”
“They say Sispanian created the Axis of Time.”
“Yes. I heard from Sir Manasil before you arrived.”
“Yes, it’s about that. Brother, where did you first see the Axis of Time? I saw it in the royal treasury, but it seemed like you already knew about it before then.”
“Did I not tell you about it?”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I thought I had mentioned it to you at some point without realizing.”
Calian simply shook his head without answering.
Chase stared into the distance for a moment. He always wore this expression when retracing events from the dream-world that he hadn’t personally experienced.
“…The Abyss.”
And then, Chase brought up an unexpected detail.
“Originally, it appeared in the Abyss. Sir Castrin informed me that an anomalous energy was felt there. But this time, it was in the Great Temple. The priests told me about it when I visited, so I went with the late King and Mother to see it for the first time.”
“I thought it might have been hidden in the temple. So it was the Abyss first?”
“Since the Abyss was also said to be created by the Great King of Secritia, perhaps that is why,” Alan responded on Chase’s behalf.
Calian nodded.
“Sispanian made it, and the Great King of Secritia was the last to use it… Then that means the Great King of Secritia must have hidden or stored it in the Abyss afterward.”
“That is possible.”
“Then did you move it immediately upon discovering it, brother?”
“I did. Once it was found, I had it moved to the royal treasury. Since it was a tale passed down only through the records of the royal archives, only royalty would be able to recognize what it was. But just in case someone touched it recklessly without knowing… It seems you saw it after it was moved there.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Before he knew it, Calian’s fingers were tapping against his knee.
“When Arnayzel stopped time, it said it used the Axis of Time—a fragment of the Axis.”
“Yes. I heard time stopped.”
“Yes. And that has raised a few questions for me.”
It was because of the topic he was about to bring up that he had left Franz—who had fallen into the water with him—behind to meet Chase and Alan. Franz was exceptionally clever, so he might already be harboring the same thoughts as Calian. Even so, Calian hadn’t invited him here because he didn’t feel like sharing this just yet.
“It was said that the Axis of Time could only be used once. Yet, even though it is fragmented, it has appeared here again. Furthermore, Arnayzel was able to use it properly. I can accept that much, but…”
Multiple circular rings representing the movement of celestial bodies, and an hourglass positioned in the center.
Something that must never be touched recklessly.
Something that Sispanian, who had created it with her own hands, referred to as a “disaster.”
Calian pictured the Axis of Time for a moment, pressed his lips together, and spoke again.
“This time, when Brother Franz moved while time was stopped—the fact that he escaped the range of influence created by the Axis of Time… I keep thinking that perhaps it was due to the influence of the ‘past.’ If the meaning of ‘can only be used once’ doesn’t mean it is ‘destroyed’… then perhaps…”
The remaining words caught in his throat.
Chase, who had been staring at Calian for a while, spoke up.
“You mean that the condition of turning back time only once might refer to the effect on the user, rather than the destruction of the Axis of Time itself.”
“Yes.”
“If so… assuming it was indeed Crown Prince Franz who directly used the Axis of Time in the past, you are saying he might have been unaffected this time because he had already used it once before?”
“Of course, it is only a hypothesis. Entirely. But if by some chance it is true… though I hope it isn’t. If it is indeed a fact, and not just a hypothesis… wouldn’t that make sense?”
The conversation paused once more.
This time, Chase’s fingertips tapped against his teacup a few times, and a low groan escaped Alan’s lips. They both understood that Calian was calling it a ‘hypothesis’ out of a desperate hope that it was wrong, that it had to be incorrect.
It wasn’t because they hoped Franz hadn’t used the Axis of Time, nor was it because they worried or refused to believe that Calian had traveled back in time by Franz’s hand.
It was no longer about that.
“If it is true. If it is not just a hypothesis… then I believe I have a clear reason why I must obtain the Axis of Time. In the worst-case scenario…”
If all of Calian’s assumptions were correct.
If the reappearing Axis of Time fell into hands other than Calian’s. If they failed to destroy it. If someone—whether Serenti, Sispanian, or anyone else—used it, and they failed to stop them.
If such a worst-case scenario were to occur.
“…The pea might end up wandering around all by himself again.”
A faint murmur escaped him like a whisper.
* * *
Tap, tap.
He paused for a moment and lightly tapped his feet a few times.
Clack, clack.
Only when he resumed walking did the sound of his shoe heels striking the floor echo down the hallway.
He hadn’t made a sound from the moment he closed the door to Chase and Alan’s cabin until he walked down a flight of stairs. It wasn’t that he walked on his toes like Yan, but rather that he habitually silenced his footsteps whenever he wasn’t paying attention.
His mind, which had been in such disarray that he hadn’t even managed to control his footsteps—something he was usually so mindful of—gradually cleared to the rhythmic clicking of his heels.
Walking slowly, Calian came to a stop in front of a cabin.
Knock, knock.
And, for the first time in a very long while, he raised his hand and knocked.
After all, there was no Yan to attend to him, no Kyrie to guard his back, and no other servants to knock on the door for him.
“What.”
Because it was all too obvious who the owner of that unfamiliar knock was.
The response from inside the cabin didn’t even ask who it was, and it was hard to tell whether it was an invitation to enter or a demand to state his business and leave. Thus, Calian opened the door and stepped inside without another word. He knew the response was actually asking why he was pretending to seek permission now, when he usually barged in through the terrace whenever he pleased.
Calian let out a chuckle as he took in the scene before him. Yan and Relic had been sent away at some point, and the pea, still being thoroughly roasted while wrapped snugly in his blanket, merely kept his eyes closed.
Opposite Franz, a fresh teacup sat in the spot where Calian had been sitting. Since Calian had said he would return shortly, Yan must have prepared a new cup before leaving.
Sitting there, Calian stared at the closed door for a moment before lowering his gaze. He sipped the still-warm tea, then spoke.
“Brother, you’ve never seen a mermaid, have you?”
“No.”
“I have.”
He boasted.
Who cared if it was a transformed dragon or not? If he saw it, he saw it.
He beamed brightly at Franz, whose expression clearly showed he believed his motion sickness would only be cured if he dragged Calian outside and dunked him back into the water. Calian looked immensely proud of himself for having such a rare experience.
Franz, who no longer even had the energy to ask if Calian was now barking with his face, simply leaned his head and body back against the seat.
“By the way, I thought you couldn’t swim either, brother. When did you learn?”
It was more accurate to say he could float rather than swim, but to Calian, there wasn’t much difference between a person who didn’t sink and a fish.
“Not long ago.”
“I never heard anything about you taking lessons.”
“A book.”
“…A book.”
The Third Prince, who was said to have mastered horsemanship simply by reading novels about knights, stared blankly at the Crown Prince who had learned to swim from a book.
“A book?”
“Yes.”
Right. He knew Franz was an extraordinary person whose body perfectly executed whatever he read about floating in a book. He knew that the reason Franz had so easily grown accustomed to dual-wielding, as if it were nothing, was mostly thanks to that brilliant mind of his. He knew, but still.
“Then, brother.”
“What.”
“How did you get there?”
“Get where?”
“You reached the sea before my teacher did. Won’t you tell me how you managed that?”
“It just happened.”
There was no barking in response to his half-hearted reply. When Calian remained quiet for a long while, Franz slightly lifted his eyelids and shifted his gaze toward Calian without turning his head.
“I went down with a rope. Into the sea.”
“You know that’s not what I’m asking.”
“I just knew. And once I knew, I could move.”
“You don’t know how you moved?”
“No.”
“Then… may I ask how you knew time had stopped?”
A pale hand poked out from the blanket.
Pointing to his own head with his fingertips, Franz spoke.
“Time stopped, but this didn’t.”
Wearing an unreadable expression, Calian stared blankly at Franz’s bony fingers before speaking after a long silence.
“Last time, when you injured your shoulder, brother. You seemed to be having a severe nightmare. You seemed to recover quickly, but I wonder if that was for the same reason. You aren’t always like this, are you?”
“…I’m not.”
“Lying again.”
“Dropping the formalities again.”
Even as Franz glared at him, as if to ask why on earth he kept speaking so casually now, Calian did not correct himself.
“Then, from the beginning… I mean, before I… in Kairis…”
“No.”
Cutting off the words Calian found difficult to voice, Franz continued his answer.
“It was always like that. But it got worse with Evan. Since then.”
He had always been smart, quick-witted, and deep in thought, but his thoughts had only begun to run endlessly like this after the incident with Evan. It was from the time he had to constantly spin other thoughts to avoid breaking the Seal of Oath. Only now did he reveal that it had become a habit since then.
Calian raised both hands and covered his face.
Staring at Calian, Franz spoke in a low voice.
“You’re barking in your head again.”
“I am not.”
“It has never bothered me.”
“How can a person’s mind never rest and not—”
“Because I’m smart enough to handle it.”
“Are you seriously saying that right now?”
“It’s not your fault, so why do you keep blaming yourself, brother?”
Calian fell silent once more.
Franz was saying it wasn’t Calian’s fault for blocking his thoughts to find the right time to capture Evan. He wasn’t blaming anyone—not Serenti, who had bestowed upon him a mind brilliant enough to make endless thinking a habit, nor Evan, who was the root cause of it all.
“And it’s not my fault either.”
Including Franz himself, who had made the Seal of Oath.
“That’s a relief. At least you aren’t needlessly blaming yourself, brother.”
“I know that much. Even I do.”
He was incredibly objective when using himself as a chess piece, and just as objective when determining who was at fault. Calian didn’t know whether to praise or criticize that foolish consistency.
“The nightmares are getting better.”
“Really?”
“They’ve decreased. Since not long ago.”
Nodding, Franz sat quietly for a moment before looking down at the teacup in his hand. He stared silently at the strawberry pieces and mint leaves inside before speaking.
“Since I’ve had more things I can do with my own hands, rather than just thinking. So…”
He gave an honest answer, explaining that the nightmares born from his subconscious, runaway thoughts were fading.
“I feel like if you stop your habit of wasting mana, my habit of endless thinking would disappear too.”
“And here you said you wouldn’t blame me.”
“I don’t resent you, but I still know how to calculate the cause. Even I do.”
Because I’m smart. Smarter than you.
Looking at Franz, who added that silent jab, Calian spoke with a genuinely serious expression.
“But the shield… You are so fragile, brother, that I naturally find myself trying to keep you alive. I can’t help but cast it.”
“When will you stop barking out of context?”
“I’ll try to get rid of the habit. Since I need to cure yours, brother.”
“Alright.”
Nodding a few times, Calian pointed to his own head with his finger, mimicking what Franz had done earlier.
“So, did you move immediately after realizing time had stopped?”
“Almost.”
“You must have been startled.”
“Why.”
“Thinking your younger brother might have disappeared.”
…Again.
Franz closed his eyes again without answering. Pretending not to notice, Calian rambled on.
“Since time had stopped, I felt safe asking all sorts of questions. We chatted and joked around. I forgot how smart you are, brother. If I had known you were conscious, I would have come back up sooner.”
“I wasn’t startled.”
“Sure.”
“I was worried.”
Calian chuckled.
“Because it was the sea, again.”
"Falling into the sea again wasn't as bad as I'd thought. I'm not as young as I was back then, and I've gotten used to being on boats. Besides, someone pulled me out right on time."
"...Right."
"Anyway, I won't dawdle next time. So if time stops again, just stay put."
As if I can control that, Franz thought.
But no such reply came. In truth, neither of them said anything, because neither knew if it could be controlled.
"Don't go wandering off by yourself."
"Alright."
"I'll make sure you don't just disappear like that again, though."
"Honorifics."
Calian truly couldn't fathom the criteria Franz used for calling him out on his informal speech.
In any case, he obediently corrected himself this time.
"I will ensure it does not happen."
He even changed the wording a bit while he was at it.
Franz, who had remained still for a moment, nodded.
"Alright."
"Anyway, it's nice that you're being so cooperative."
"It would be even better if you stopped rambling."
"Maybe later."
Abandoning a promise he had no intention of keeping, Calian picked up his teacup again.
Soon, a red glow began to tinge the deep blue sky.
It was their first sunrise at sea.