Chapter 45: Because We've Come Too Far (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45: Because We've Come Too Far (3)
Calian frowned at the look on Count Hale’s face.
"You don't look well, Count."
Hale, who had been panicking that his dealings with the Blue Warbler might be exposed, quickly smoothed his expression. His mind raced.
No. Even if he’s caught, he’s from Secritia—they’re notorious for their ruthlessness. He’ll take his own life the moment he’s captured.
Having found a reason to reassure himself, Hale’s words became honeyed once more.
"Not at all, Your Highness. It is only because my anger toward the one who attacked you runs so deep. Therefore, starting today, I, Hale, will personally take the lead in capturing the culprit. After all, did this not occur within my own territory?"
A flicker of dissatisfaction crossed Calian's face. Convinced this expression meant Calian was hiding something, Hale sneered inwardly.
He was trying to test me. How arrogant.
Oblivious to Hale’s thoughts, or perhaps simply ignoring them, Calian gave a slow nod.
"I see."
After his brief reply, Calian continued his meal in silence. A short while later, Yuran quietly entered the dining hall, whispered something to Yan, and departed. Yan then approached Calian, bowing to relay the message. Upon hearing it, Calian raised an eyebrow.
His gaze shifted to Hale. Since the count had been watching him intently from the moment Yuran entered, Calian didn’t bother calling his name and spoke directly.
"That man, Norton. He says he has something to tell me in person."
Having delivered the message, Calian set aside his napkin and rose from his seat. Consequently, Hale, who had barely eaten, was forced to stand as well. As soon as he was on his feet, Calian asked, "I intend to go see him. Will you be joining me?"
"Do you mean to say you are going to the dungeon yourself, Your Highness?"
Calian stared at Hale for a moment before answering in a quiet voice, "Indeed."
"But that is where the prisoners are kept."
"Are you stating the obvious? It's a dungeon. Of course it has prisoners."
"No, that is not what I meant…"
How dare he ask me to accompany him to such a filthy place? If he wants to go, he should go alone!
Hale swallowed the words threatening to erupt from his throat.
"Could you not simply have this Norton brought here?"
"I could have him brought here, or I could go there myself. Is there some reason I am not free to choose?"
"…No, Your Highness."
Ultimately, with the expression of a man being led to the gallows, Hale followed Calian.
He had visited the dungeon once out of curiosity as a child. The sight of prisoners covered in blood and pus, and the swarms of centipedes crawling in the straw, had horrified him so much that he had never set foot there again.
Returning to such a place after so long, Hale pinched his nose. The unusually heavy rain had intensified the foul stench. Thankful that he had barely touched his breakfast, Hale walked toward Norton.
Norton sat with the same defiant expression he had worn the day before. When he showed no reaction to Calian and Hale’s arrival, the butler, Malcolm, stepped forward.
"What are you doing? Stand and show His Highness the proper respect."
At those words, Norton glared at Malcolm and spat.
"Thanks to this damned status system, I'm now a dead man walking. You really expect me to show manners?"
His meaning was clear: had he crossed swords with a commoner instead of a prince, he wouldn't be in this situation. Hale wanted to slice the insolent bastard's head off right then and there. However, the man had to be kept alive to catch the mastermind behind a far greater crime. Norton knew this, which was undoubtedly the source of his boldness.
Fuming, Hale glanced at Calian, but the prince didn't seem particularly displeased. How could Hale show his anger when the prince remained so calm? He could only swallow his rage, vowing to make the man die a painful death once this was all over.
After that brief exchange, Norton addressed Calian. "I remembered something, so I asked for you."
Calian gave a slight nod. "Speak."
Norton’s eyes flickered toward Hale and Malcolm. Then he glanced at the knights, the dungeon walls, and the fist-sized windows. After scanning his surroundings, he slowly opened his mouth.
"That person, the Blue Warbler. She’s a spy from Secritia."
Thunder rumbled outside.
Lightning struck inside Hale's mind.
Of all the names to come out of his mouth, why did it have to be that one?
Norton looked back and forth between Calian and Hale. Then, lowering his voice as if sharing a great secret, he continued, "She said she was planning to sell something to someone here. Someone she’s had a connection with for a very long time."
Norton smirked.
The look on Hale's face was a sight to behold. Realizing this was likely his only chance to ever corner a count, Norton pressed on.
"Doesn't that sound a bit strange? Having a long-standing connection with a spy. What could someone possibly be doing with a spy?"
That was it. Norton had smoothly carried out the task Calian had given him the previous night.
—Confess a few more things. Say exactly what I tell you.
—You’re telling me to lie?
—It isn't a lie. I am simply borrowing your mouth.
—You’ve already taken my arm, might as well take my mouth too. Fine.
Recalling their conversation, Calian looked at Hale with an unsubtle gaze and said, "Espionage, surely."
Then, with an expression of pure curiosity, he asked, "Is that not so, Count Latran?"
Hale nodded, his body so stiff one could almost hear his joints creaking. Calian turned back to Norton.
"Did you ever hear her name?"
"I think I did, but I can't seem to remember it."
"You will soon be escorted to Kairisis. Make sure you remember that name by the time you arrive. It will be in your best interest."
"Understood."
Realizing that Calian’s visit was more than a simple test, Hale unconsciously looked around. The foul stench scrambled his thoughts. He felt as if the centipedes from the straw were crawling all over his body, the sensation of blood and pus clinging to his limbs. He couldn't stop imagining himself locked away in this very dungeon.
Even if it was just a commoner's testimony, if his luck was bad, Lemain might just take it at face value and have his head. Anxiety seized him.
Suddenly claiming to have a headache, Hale hurried back to his room. He had to ask Marquis Brissen for help. Right now!
Watching Hale’s retreating back, Calian murmured quietly, "Hurry up and get busy."
So you can create some proper evidence for me.
* * *
After leaving the dungeon and making a brief stop elsewhere, Calian returned to his room to find two unexpected guests. They were Sia and Hina.
Sia stared blankly at Calian, while Hina bowed in surprise. It seemed they had paused their cleaning to look at the bird.
"Hina came to clean. I followed. Because the bird is here. Hina said I shouldn't come."
Sia spoke first, causing a strange expression to cross Calian’s face.
"I know. I'm telling you not to scold Hina."
"I had no intention of asking why you came."
He needed Arsen, his designated interpreter for Sia's unique speech patterns, but he wasn't here. Arsen had likely only just fallen asleep, having spent the night watching over Sia after chasing down the bird.
Although the Blue Warbler had sworn to wash her hands of Sia, Calian couldn't just kick the boy out. Thus, they had reached a tacit agreement to travel together—if not all the way to the Hirisca Forest, then at least to its vicinity.
Will I ever get used to his way of speaking before we part ways? Calian let out a dry laugh. It seemed highly unlikely.
Remembering the "Forest Path" the Blue Warbler had mentioned, Calian looked at Sia. She had said that humans couldn't follow an elf escaping through the Forest Path.
As if reading his mind, Sia answered before he could even speak the word "forest."
"That's right. The Forest Path. I know it a little. It's faster than the paths humans use."
Calian's face brightened. He wondered if they could use that path to reach the Siegfried Territory quickly. However, Sia spoke again.
"The Mother Tree does not open the forest to humans. So humans cannot use that path."
How petty.
Calian barely suppressed the urge to suggest that Lemain ban elves from using the royal roads.
Just then, Hina glanced at Sia. Thanks to his own mysterious ability, Sia answered without even looking at her sign language.
"Alright."
Then, looking at Calian, he said, "She says she's sorry and wants to leave. She says she'll come back to clean later when you aren't here."
He was translating Hina's gestures.
Having lost interest in the room, Sia walked out first. Hina quickly gathered her cleaning supplies, though her eyes kept drifting back to the birdcage. A small smile played on Calian's lips. The damp, heavy mood from the castle dungeon seemed to evaporate completely.
Although Hina was older than him, in that moment, he fully agreed with Yan’s sentiment: if he had a younger sister like her, he would dote on her endlessly.
Calian spoke to Hina. "We have to let the bird go this evening."
Instead of looking disappointed, Hina nodded.
"I'll buy you another bird when we return to the palace," Calian added.
Hina's eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head. A birdcage in a maid's room would surely be an inconvenience for Merlin, her roommate.
Calian looked out the window. The heavy rain made it impossible to tell the time by the sky alone. After a moment of silence, he pointed to the window and said, "When I go down for dinner, please open the cage door. And the window."
Hina nodded in understanding.
* * *
For the first time, Alan thought, Lemain actually seemed to welcome his visit. Since Alan had cut the report on Calian short the previous night with a promise to explain today, Lemain was practically leaping from his seat in anticipation.
Since the king had been waiting, it was best to deliver the news quickly.
Alan got straight to the point.
"Which is the greater crime: selling Kairis's information to foreign powers, or being entangled with the group that attacked the Prince?"
Lemain simply gave a brief, silent nod.
Before Alan could even guess what that nod meant, Lemain summoned the Commander of Kaera.
"Are you planning to send a knight order to Latran? And Kaera, at that?"
"I am."
Alan quickly tried to dissuade the uncharacteristically emotional king.
"It does not look good for the Royal Guard to move so lightly over the Prince. You know this. Kaera must remain by Your Majesty's side, so please call upon another knight order."
Lemain's brow twitched.
The crimes Alan described were of the highest order, ones the royal family had to punish directly. Sending the Royal Knights was not at all strange. Furthermore, there was a clear reason he wanted to send Kaera.
"Are you telling me to send Brissen's sword to the child when he is surrounded by traitors?"
He meant that a knight order affiliated with Brissen would be of little help to Calian, who was all alone. Hearing the king’s concern, Alan replied casually, "Since one of those traitors has also betrayed Brissen, there should be no issues on that front."
With that, Alan explained who the two targets were and what crimes they had committed.
Lemain let out a deep sigh. "I knew Count Latran was a smooth talker, but not to this degree. And a spy from Secritia, no less. How on earth did that child get entangled with such dangerous people?"
"It seems things just fell into place," Alan answered with a nonchalant expression. He wasn’t making excuses; it was simply the truth.
Lemain clasped his hands together. "I shall send Knight Order Karen."
"That would be best. Also, could you send some people to Count Latran's mansion?"
Although the probability was low, he asked just in case there was evidence to be found at the Count's mansion in Kairisis.
Lemain, who had already intended to do so, nodded. "I will see to it."
"Thank you."
Alan glanced at the lemon tea on the table. Even in the sweltering summer, Lemain enjoyed his tea hot. Seeing the steam billowing from the cup, Alan shook his head. He tapped the teacup with his fingertip.
The rising steam subsided as a thin layer of ice formed on the surface.
Even if one has long surpassed being affected by heat or cold, shouldn't one still drink something cool in the summer?
Sipping the now-cold lemon tea with a satisfied expression, Alan said, "If I may ask one more favor… there is a place I must go today."
Lemain looked at him.
Alan's expression softened considerably. "Even if I happen to make a bit of noise, I trust you will overlook it."
Lemain nodded, a faint trace of a smile on his face.