Chapter 41: Verify (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 41: Verify (4)
So noisy.
"So I told him, 'How on earth could you do something so dishonorable!' And do you know what that atrocious fellow said to me?"
He detested drunks. He detested loud, obnoxious ones even more.
Calian stared at Hale, who was sitting across from him, making no effort to hide his discomfort.
After dinner, Hale had repeatedly pestered him with questions about the man who had attacked him. To shut the count up and perhaps find some leverage to use against him later, Calian had suggested they have a drink. This was the result.
Hale reached for his wine glass but missed entirely. His clumsy hand knocked it over, sending red wine spilling across the white tablecloth.
"Ah, Your Highness! I seem to be a bit drunk."
At least he was aware of it.
In the end, who could he blame? This was his own fault.
The wine dripped from the table to the floor, drop by drop. Watching it pool, Calian was reminded of something else.
Come to think of it, I never even asked for his name.
Calian lowered his eyes, briefly recalling the man whose arm had been severed by Yuran's sword. Regardless of his silence, Hale's rambling continued without pause.
"Anyway, it's been over three months since then, and he hasn't contacted me once. So, Your Highness, you must never associate with such a person."
Calian clicked his tongue as he watched Hale, who was not only loud but was now endlessly badmouthing some neighboring lord. He cut him off with a question.
"Is a priest of Tensil scheduled to visit this territory or the surrounding area anytime soon?"
He didn't ask out of genuine curiosity; he was starting to worry that Lemain's name might be the next target of the drunkard's slander.
At the question, the Count finally stopped talking. He searched his hazy memory before slowly opening his mouth.
"Well… was there…? Or… was there not…?"
A truly spectacular answer.
Calian let out a dry chuckle. He could see the butler standing beside Hale, practically shaking with anxiety. Not only had a prince been attacked on his way here, but now the lord of the castle was getting drunk in front of him, and his response to a direct question was "was there or was there not?"
"Those Tensil priests are so high and mighty, there's no way they'd come to a backwater place like this… or would they…? Or wouldn't they…?"
As if to drive the final nail in the coffin, Hale mumbled again. The butler looked ready to burst into tears, while Calian suppressed a smirk.
With this, he won't suspect a thing even if I don't leave my room tomorrow.
Calian had wanted leverage because he planned to sneak out of the castle tonight. If he didn't return by morning, Hale would surely grow suspicious. Now, he could use the Count's rude behavior as an excuse, pretending to be too furious to grant him an audience.
And the reason he had to sneak out was because of the name that had slipped from the man's mouth earlier.
—Blue Warbler.
A spy belonging to Devlan, the King of Secritia.
As far as Calian remembered, the Blue Warbler's mission was to monitor the relationship between Kairis and Tensil. It was strictly surveillance; she had never been tasked with directly meeting a Tensil priest, nor had she ever reported doing so.
Furthermore, the area assigned to the Blue Warbler was Kairisis, not some rural countryside like this. How could she monitor the relationship between Kairis and Tensil in a place where one couldn't even find the shadow of a priest?
Of course, Calian—who was no longer Bern—wasn't just trying to investigate why a Secritian spy had strayed from her designated post.
The Blue Warbler was someone Bern had been acquainted with. Because of that, Calian knew her skills were extraordinary.
She has never failed a single mission.
A spy that skilled would have surely recognized the prince of Kairis. Calian wanted to find out what could possibly be so important that she would risk shooting arrows at his party, knowing full well who he was.
"Your Highness," Yan called out softly, interrupting Calian's thoughts.
Following Yan's gaze, Calian saw Arsen entering the dining hall, his shoulders slightly damp from the rain. Without a word, Arsen gave a slight nod. It was the signal that preparations to leave were complete.
Oblivious, Hale continued to babble.
"Those Tensil priests are incredibly dark-hearted bastards. I've met them myself! Whether it's the people of the Tensil Kingdom or their priests, if you shake any of them down, not a single one is clean."
Calian let out a heavy sigh, loud enough for everyone to hear.
The butler bowed deeply on behalf of his senseless master.
Calian lowered his head, pressing a hand to his forehead as if thoroughly displeased. A tiny whisper escaped his lips.
[Sleep]
Instantly, Hale's endless mumbling was replaced by a loud snore.
Calian raised his head, his face a perfect mask of disgust.
"Unbelievable…"
The butler's head bowed so low it nearly touched the floor.
"He really is something else."
Calian snapped the napkin from his lap onto the table. Yan quickly stepped forward to pull back his chair, casting a reproachful glare at the butler. Without sparing the bowing man a single glance, Calian turned and walked out.
He walked briskly back to his room. Arsen quickly caught up, whispering in a low voice, "I caught the bird."
The "bird" Arsen referred to was a carrier pigeon.
Fortunately, Calian hadn't put a robe on Sia when they first entered the city. On top of that, Hale, eager to win his favor, had welcomed him with a loud fuss. Therefore, Calian had reasoned, even if the Blue Warbler herself hadn't seen them, her pursuers must have spotted Sia and would likely stay in the city to relay the situation.
So, Calian had sent Arsen to the Mage Guild.
He had instructed him to intercept any birds flying through the heavy rain and darkness. And now, Arsen was reporting that he had caught one.
Pleased with the swifter-than-expected results, Calian nodded.
"Where was it sent from?"
Arsen replied immediately. "Redwick Street. It's not far. I've already relayed the location to Sir Rochel. Also, once you step outside the inner castle, the knights will be waiting with horses."
Calian had only told him to find the bird, so he was highly impressed by Arsen's efficiency. A faint smile touched his lips.
"Good work."
Calian then opened the door to his room. Before stepping inside, he turned to Arsen.
"Sir Hertz. Those bastards might come back tonight. I'm counting on you."
"Do not worry, Your Highness," Arsen replied with a solemn expression and a polite bow.
Once Arsen left and the door was shut, Calian immediately raised his hand and channeled mana into his ring. He had been trying to establish a connection ever since his encounter with the man, but to no avail. He wondered if his teacher would be unavailable this time as well, but then the ring flashed, and Alan's voice echoed in his mind.
—Have you arrived safely in Latran?
—Master!
A rare brightness returned to Calian's face.
—It seems your journey was not a peaceful one.
Alan was truly something else. Even through a telepathic conversation, he could read Calian's state of mind. Calian quickly explained everything, from his encounter with Sia to learning about the Blue Warbler. However, because he was only now revealing his visit to the bird shop in Kairisis, he received a brief scolding.
—Keep running around so recklessly. This old man will just pack up and retire to the warm southern lands.
—That's the most terrifying thing I've heard in a while.
Calian chuckled as he shed his cumbersome jacket. Alan's voice continued.
—So, you've gotten tangled up in whatever this Secritian spy is after, and now your neck is on the line. Is that it?
—Ah. My neck is perfectly fine.
Calian could feel a sense of amusement from Alan at his reply.
—I'm more worried about whether the neck of the one being pursued is still attached. I am not in a position to set out and join you immediately.
Calian looked out the window. The rain was still pouring down.
—So, are you heading out now?
—Yes. More importantly, I have a favor to ask, Master.
—Speak.
—I need you to find out if there are any Tensil priests near Latran. The spy mentioned she had something to verify with a priest.
As Calian spoke, slipping into the robe Yan handed him, Alan agreed without any further questions.
—I will do so. I will have an answer by tomorrow morning.
—Thank you.
Once his preparations were complete, Kyrie and Yuran entered the room. Kyrie was carrying both swords Calian had purchased on Barsha Street. Calian took the lighter of the two, the first one he had bought. Cutting the flow of mana to his ring, he ended the conversation with Alan and turned to Yan.
"Get some rest. He probably won't look for me, but if Count Latran asks where I went, make up a plausible excuse."
He had already briefed Yan on the situation. Yan smiled reassuringly.
"I will tell him that you went out to get some fresh air, furious at his drunken rudeness. I'll handle turning him away tomorrow as well."
There couldn't be a better excuse. Calian grinned.
"Perfect."
Yan didn't look nearly as worried as he used to. After all, both Yuran and Kyrie were with him. Though Yan had nagged him about what happened when they met Sia, he seemed to acknowledge that Calian was now capable of holding his own. He bowed to the departing prince.
"Please be careful."
Calian nodded and leaped out the window.
With a soft flutter, the hem of his black robe brushed past the windowsill and vanished into the night. Kyrie and Yuran immediately followed. Calian's room was on the third floor. Yan's eyes widened, looking as if they might pop out of his head.
I thought they'd at least use the door!
* * *
After slipping out of the inner castle under the cover of rain and darkness, Yuran pointed toward a certain spot.
"They are waiting over there."
Calian turned and saw the Siegfried knights waiting for them. The knights dismounted and approached, handing over the reins. These were horses from the lord's castle, not their own mounts, which were exhausted from a full day's march.
"Good work," Calian said.
The knights grinned, told them to stay safe, and quietly slipped back into the castle. They had arranged for a different set of knights to bring the horses back upon their return. Yuran had suggested it, noting that if the same few knights kept disappearing, it might arouse suspicion.
"I will lead the way."
As Calian mounted his horse, Yuran, who had already received the location from Arsen, took the lead.
The dark streets were completely deserted, made even quieter by the rain. After passing through several such streets, Yuran stopped in front of a rather ordinary-looking tavern.
Realizing they had arrived, Calian dismounted and pulled his hood low over his face.
"Wait five minutes before coming in."
He wanted to go in first to assess the situation.
Yuran nodded with a worried expression, while Kyrie nodded with his usual indifference. Without hesitation, Calian pushed open the tavern door and stepped inside.