Chapter 54: I Am Alive (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 54: I Am Alive (1)
The forest seemed endless.
Guided by Sia, who had volunteered to lead them, their days fell into a rhythm of riding, resting, and riding again.
Just as his eyes began to ache from the endless green, they finally cleared the last of the trees. A small hill rose in the distance.
Before them lay soil, rock, and open sky.
They had finally emerged from the long, winding path.
And with that, Sia's journey with them came to an end.
"Boss! It's time to say goodbye!"
Sia stood before the forest they had just exited, a bright smile on his face. It was his way of saying their paths diverged here.
"Sia. Are you going back right away?"
"No. There's another elven settlement nearby. I'll stop there before heading back to my village."
"Do you really have to go back to the village?"
Calian wished that the still-innocent Sia wouldn't return to that strange place.
"My family is all there, so I have to go back. I'm okay, Boss. Don't worry!"
"...Alright."
The farewell was not particularly grand.
Calian simply stroked Sia's head for a long moment while the others offered their own warm farewells. After traveling together for a month, a lingering sadness was only natural.
After a tight hug with Hina—the longest farewell of them all—Sia approached Calian one last time. He held out the black pebble he had carried to help them communicate.
"Here, Boss. You can have it back. It was very useful!"
Not long before, Calian had spoken with Sia about his peculiar habit of answering questions before they were even asked. Since they were on their way to meet the Will of Sispanian, Calian had suggested they might ask for an explanation.
He had even invited Sia to continue traveling with them until then, but the elf had declined.
— The Mother Tree told me this is the most natural way for me to be. She said that being different doesn't make me wrong. Even if I speak differently, I'm still an elf. So you don't need to try and fix it. Thank you!
Hearing those words had made Calian feel a bit ashamed. He realized that, without even knowing it, he had been viewing Sia's way of speaking as a "problem."
Recalling that day, Calian nodded and took the stone. In response, Sia gave an answer to the words Calian had not yet spoken.
"Yes! Then I'll be really happy. Thank you! For saving me!"
Even though he had already heard the reply, Calian spoke the words he had intended to say anyway.
"See you again."
Nodding, Sia waved his arm vigorously one last time, then dashed into the forest and vanished. Thus ended their journey with the kindest elf Calian had ever met.
Once the rustling of the bushes where Sia had disappeared fell silent, Calian nudged Raven forward and began the climb up the final hill.
A moment later, he reached the crest. The sheer majesty of the sight that unfolded before him as Raven stepped onto the summit stole his breath away.
Calian reined Raven to a halt, an involuntary gasp of admiration escaping his lips.
"So that is the place."
The land of the elephants.
The Siegfried Duchy.
He was standing on the very spot where Franz must have stood a year ago, Randel three years ago, and Lemain at some point even further in the past. Calian remained speechless for a long time, his gaze fixed on the fortress walls of Siegfried.
The towering walls looked even sturdier and grander than the outer walls of Kairisis. Two massive stone statues flanked the great gate, exuding a solemnity that commanded respect. A singular determination—to protect the land of Sispanian—was etched into the very stone.
Surely, every prince of Kairis who had stood in this very spot must have breathed an unconscious sigh of relief. A sigh of gratitude that these "elephants" were herbivores, content with their own domain and without any ambition to covet the throne.
After taking in the sight for a long while, Calian turned his head, his expression resolute. Now that they had arrived, there was a problem he absolutely had to resolve before setting foot in the land of the elephants.
"Yan."
At Calian's call, Yan turned his head and answered brightly.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Once we are inside, you are not to act like my attendant."
Please.
The surrounding knights burst into laughter.
Hadn't they all thought the same thing when they first met Calian? That they would have to teach this prince, whom Yan served so diligently, a lesson or two.
If that was how his twenty knights felt, Yuran couldn't even begin to imagine how many knights inside Siegfried were eagerly awaiting Calian's arrival for the very same reason.
Since the truth would come out soon enough, Yan had already told Kyrie, Hina, and Arsen where his hometown was. As a result, amusement danced in their eyes as well.
Hearing Calian's plea, Yan's eyes curved into smiling crescents.
"I'll see to it."
Only then did Calian realize how ominous that reply sounded, and he took another brief moment for self-reflection.
* * *
Alan's expression was one of pure shock. He held up a hand, asking for a moment.
"Excuse me for a moment."
He rubbed his eyes with his palms, then cleaned out his ears with his fingers. Watching the display, Lemain deeply regretted his words and muttered, "Forget it if you don't want to."
At that, Alan quickly shook his head.
He then smiled, looking at the bottle of alcohol and two glasses resting on the office table.
"I never expected Your Majesty to be the first to seek a drink."
Without another word, Lemain gestured for him to sit. Instead of taking the seat, however, Alan pointed out the window.
Outside, the sky was dark, and the autumn moon shone brightly.
"Wouldn't it be better out there?" he suggested.
Lemain hesitated.
Since ascending the throne, he had never once enjoyed a peaceful walk. As a king with little power, bearing the weight of a massive nation alone, the only safe place seemed to be the desk in his own palace.
So, on a night like this, with a bright moon and a mage by his side...
...wouldn't it be nice?
"...Let's do that."
Lemain stood up. Alan smiled and snapped his fingers, making the bottle and glasses vanish into thin air.
Soon after, Alan led Lemain to the rear garden of the Arpia Palace. A stream, slightly larger than the one in Siegfried Hall, flowed through it in elegant curves.
Striding onto the lawn, Alan plopped down onto the grass. He patted the ground beside him.
"Please, sit. This spot is the best."
The commander of the Kaera, standing nearby, was at a loss for words at such insolent behavior. Lemain, however, had reached a point where he was simply curious to see how far this disrespect would go, and sat down beside Alan.
Instantly, the bottle and glasses Alan had put away appeared before them.
Alan personally filled Lemain's glass, then poured one for himself. He looked at Lemain and asked, "Is this a drink of relief, or one of worry?"
That evening, Calian had set foot on Siegfried territory.
He had safely reached Suleiman's embrace. Alan was asking whether Lemain was drinking in celebration of that fact, or if some other concern weighed on his mind.
Lemain drained his glass before speaking.
"I am troubled over when to light the fire of Camillon."
"Do you mean who to appoint as Crown Prince?"
"Once Calian returns, all three princes will be of age. That means the day to decide the successor is drawing near."
"You're already worrying about who will become the master of Camillon?"
"The most serious, Randel, has thoughts so deep they cannot be fathomed. The strongest, Franz, keeps trying to stray down the wrong path."
Having mentioned the two princes, Lemain added with a soft sigh, "And Calian is not yet fully grown."
To Lemain, Calian was both the most helpful and the one who held the largest place in his heart.
But Calian was the youngest.
He was young, and his faction had only just begun to grow.
Alan let out a short chuckle, then offered a cold remark.
"If you are in such a hurry, why not appoint the one you dislike the most first? He will disappear the moment you do."
Though it was meant as a rebuke for his hasty worrying, the thorns in those words were far too blatant. Lemain spoke, a hint of anger in his voice.
"Is there really nothing to be done about that mouth of yours?"
Ignoring Lemain's reprimand, Alan raised a finger and pointed toward the Heisia Palace, where Silike resided.
"Until Prince Calian empties that palace, Prince Randel will remain quiet. You will be able to see into his unfathomable depths when that time comes."
Lemain looked toward the Heisia Palace, following the tip of Alan's finger. Alan continued.
"Until then, you must not reveal your hand. That is why I'm telling you not to worry about the appointment yet. For Calian's sake, and for the other two princes, you must not show favoritism. If you forget this again and carelessly send that man over there out..."
Referring to the commander of the Royal Guard Kaera as "that man over there," Alan looked at Lemain and emphasized each word.
"...this old mage will truly go to a southern country to recuperate."
It was a threat he had once made to Calian as well.
Hearing those words back then, Calian had thought it was the most terrifying thing he had ever heard.
Lemain, however, nodded as if it were the most welcome news he had heard in a while. Of course, he didn't mean it.
Letting out a chuckle, Alan spoke again.
"And whoever becomes the master of Camillon will prove themselves when the time comes. Do not trouble yourself with premature worries. Tonight, you need only look at the moon."
Lemain slowly nodded.
And just as the mage instructed, he emptied his glass while gazing at the moon.
* * *
Calian realized once again just how vast the Siegfried territory was.
His hope of meeting Suleiman that same night was shattered the moment they passed through the outer castle gate.
"It will take about two more days to reach Siegfried Castle."
Yan had informed him in a relaxed tone.
Consequently, Calian gave up on seeing Suleiman that day and spent the night in Citren, the city connected to the outer castle's main gate.
Early the next morning, Calian sat down and quietly closed his eyes, beginning to draw in the surrounding mana.
As the new energy gathered, he sent the refined mana to his heart, as he always did.
He was attempting to increase his circles once more, but just like before, he felt the mana flowing down into his dantian.
Just as he was feeling disappointed, thinking today would be another failure, Sia's voice suddenly seemed to brush past his ears.
— Even if I speak differently, I'm still an elf.
Remembering those words, Calian's eyes flashed.
Just because mana had been converted into aura did not mean its source had changed.
The source of aura and circles was the same, so why had he thought of them as different?
He might be clumsy at creating circles, but wasn't he better at manipulating aura than anyone else?
"If I can't stop my body from turning mana into aura, then I'll just make a circle out of aura."
He would add to the circles the original Calian had created.
Instead of using mana, he would forge a fourth circle using the aura gathered in his dantian.
Having come up with an unconventional solution, Calian closed his eyes once more.
Immediately, he released the aura coiled tightly in his dantian and began to guide it carefully.
Soon, the potent, sharp energy of his aura formed a band and began to flow toward his heart.
Unlike mana, which held a natural warmth, the aura was as sharp as a well-honed blade. It moved bit by bit, lengthening and flowing according to his will. Calian repeated the process, steadily increasing its speed.
A moment later, the aura Calian was manipulating finally formed a single ring.
And at last, it began to spin vigorously.
He could clearly feel four circles, all connected and spinning in unison.
After focusing on their rotation for a while, Calian opened his eyes. He raised his hand and gently touched his chest. His heart now held an incomparable amount of mana compared to when he had only three circles.
"Ah... finally."
It was a realization born from a single, simple difference in perspective. Yet, as his first true achievement since inhabiting this body, it filled Calian's eyes with immense satisfaction.
Calian corrected his posture once more and began to gather and refine the surrounding mana again, replenishing the aura consumed in creating the circle.
A man was standing outside Calian's room.
It was Arsen Hertz, who had sensed the swirling mana earlier that morning and rushed over. He was the only one who knew the true state of Calian's abilities.
"Is he alright?"
Standing beside him, Yan asked quietly, his face etched with worry. Arsen had been standing in front of Calian's door for over an hour, blocking anyone from entering.
Arsen nodded slightly and replied, "It is settling down. There is no need to worry, so please wait a moment."
He could feel Calian's mana—which was far from warm and gentle, but rather chillingly cold—gradually subsiding.