Chapter 99: Brother (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99: Brother (6)
After the trivial birthday wishes and formal expressions of gratitude were exchanged, Lemain addressed his three sons. However, his tone was a far cry from the one he’d used at the banquet long ago.
"Calian. I heard you left the palace yesterday, even though it wasn't your scheduled day out. I permitted you to leave because I trust you can protect yourself, but it seems you’re going out too frequently."
He said this with the expression of any ordinary, concerned father.
"And Franz. Sir Hertz is a man of great skill. Must I hear reports every single day about you clashing with him?"
He directed similar words of concern at Franz, who was constantly at odds with Arsen.
In short, King Lemain was nagging. It seemed that after enduring so much of Alan’s nagging himself, he had picked up the habit.
The sheer absurdity of the king of a nation nagging his sons made Calian momentarily forget about Chase as he struggled to stifle his laughter.
Unaware of this—or perhaps simply choosing to ignore it—Lemain spoke again, this time to Randel.
"Let us take a walk together soon. The roses should be in full bloom shortly."
"I understand, Your Highness."
Of all things, roses.
Randel replied briefly, his face expressionless.
Once the conversation concluded, everyone rose to leave, but Lemain spoke up as if he had just remembered something.
"Franz. Stay behind for a moment. I forgot to pass on a message."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Leaving Franz behind, Calian and Randel stood and stepped outside.
However, Kyrie, who had been waiting for Calian, wore an extremely grim expression. Just as Calian was about to ask what was wrong, a voice called out from behind him.
"Calian. Let us take a walk."
It was Randel, echoing the king's earlier words.
* * *
—I had forgotten what I should never have forgotten. I...
What Chase should not have forgotten, yet had.
Although it had taken him two months to seek out Alan, he needed even more time to actually broach the subject. Chase chose his words carefully, pausing for a long moment.
"I don't know if you'll believe this, but..."
By the time his subdued voice finally broke the silence, the steam had long stopped rising from his coffee cup.
"Still, I thought you, Sir Manasil, might at least listen."
"Go on," Alan said, nodding. "I'm listening." He already had a faint inkling of what was to come.
Chase kept his eyes fixed on his coffee and began to speak.
"Do you remember me saying that the Axis of Time had disappeared?"
As expected, it was about the Axis of Time.
"Yes, I remember."
"Last spring, on the day the Axis disappeared, I was there."
That was the exact day the deceased Bern had opened his eyes in Calian's body. Alan waited for Chase’s next words without replying.
Chase lightly tapped his own temple.
"But a few months ago, unfamiliar memories began to surface, one by one, like fragments of a dream."
He didn't mention the chilling sensation of having memories he'd never lived slowly etch themselves into his mind.
"It was hard to believe, so at first, I thought I’d simply had a long dream. But after realizing the events in those memories were repeating themselves exactly, I began to have my doubts. Ah, of course, there were a few times I thought I was going mad."
It was an uncharacteristically rough turn of phrase for Chase. Recalling his period of solitary confusion, he let out a weary chuckle and continued.
"But in the end, I had no choice but to believe it. It wasn't an illusion, nor was I going mad. I was remembering things I had already experienced."
As Alan knew well, Chase was a cautious man. Even after witnessing the changes that followed the disappearance of the Axis of Time with his own eyes, it must have taken him a long time to accept that his memories were not some mere delusion.
"As if I had gone and seen the future."
Alan massaged his temples.
The phenomena affecting Bern and Chase were fundamentally different. This meant Chase hadn't traveled back in time himself; he was simply remembering the events that the Axis of Time had erased.
Whether it was because he had been present when the Axis of Time vanished or for some other reason remained unknown. Regardless, the crucial fact was that Chase was recalling memories of a timeline that had been erased.
"From when to when? How much do you remember?"
At Alan's question, Chase's expression shifted slightly.
Alan didn't look surprised by his words. He didn't ask him to repeat himself. He was simply asking for the necessary details.
Chase chuckled softly.
"I should have come sooner."
A sense of futility washed over him as he realized he hadn't needed to agonize over this alone. He laughed quietly for a moment before continuing.
"As I said, the Axis disappeared last spring. The dreams began this winter. I remember almost everything from the past. As for future events, some come to mind occasionally, while others do not."
At those words, Alan barely managed to swallow the question that rose to his lips. He couldn't bring himself to be the first to ask if Chase remembered Bern.
Seeing his hesitation, Chase spoke.
"Because of that, I felt I had to see it with my own eyes."
One thing to congratulate.
And one person to meet.
That was why Chase had come.
"What was it you wished to confirm?"
"It seems..."
Chase trailed off for a moment. He appeared to be recalling the memories he ‘should never have forgotten,’ so Alan watched him in silence.
After a long pause, Chase spoke.
"My brother... seems to be here."
Alan laughed out loud.
He laughed because he could neither confirm nor deny it. How could he not know, when a prince who should have died was now living so openly, walking a path vastly different from the one in Chase's memories?
"By any chance, did Your Royal Highness intend to use the Axis of Time to save your younger brother?" Alan asked, even though Calian had already told him otherwise based on what he’d heard from Sispanian. He wanted to hear the answer directly.
"It was a war waged to seize it and a war accepted to protect it. My brother died to prevent the Axis of Time from being used. I am not so short-sighted as to use it to revive someone who departed in such a manner."
It was exactly what Sispanian had said.
"Therefore, I only protected it to the very end. I never touched it."
If things had reached that point, wouldn't it have been worth turning back time just once?
Alan barely swallowed the frustrated thought.
Seeing the discontent on Alan's face, Chase smiled gently. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he changed the subject.
"Judging by his reaction when he saw me yesterday, it seems best if he doesn't know that I remember. Please don't speak of what I know."
He was talking about Calian again.
"It's enough for me to have confirmed that he's doing well."
Unable to find the words to reply, Alan merely nodded after a long silence.
Flustered by Chase's sudden revelation, Alan had completely failed to realize that he had forgotten two things.
He had forgotten to cast the Silent Magic he always used when discussing such matters with Calian. And he had forgotten that an attendant was standing quietly just outside the door.
And so, once again, Kyrie had heard everything.
* * *
Calian nodded at Randel’s suggestion of a walk.
Kyrie, standing before him, looked as if he wanted to say something, but dealing with Randel took priority. Calian quietly followed his brother.
Since he was on a tight schedule, they headed to the rear garden of Arpia Palace.
Randel said nothing, even after they had walked for some time. This made Calian seriously worry that he had been caught doing something again. But no matter how much he racked his brain, there was nothing left to expose besides his abilities, which were already common knowledge.
Or did he somehow find out that Franz and I haven't actually turned our backs on each other?
Still, Randel remained silent.
Just as Calian began to wonder if Randel truly just wanted to take a walk, he could no longer bear the wait and spoke up.
"Is there something you wanted to say?" His voice clearly betrayed his discomfort.
Not only were Randel's motives unclear, but knowing how his brother had viewed him all this time made it difficult for Calian to maintain a pleasant attitude.
"I have a question."
"Please, ask."
"I'm looking for Lennon Brissen."
Since they were walking side by side, Randel couldn't see Calian's face. Calian frowned freely.
First the thirty priests, then Gray, and now Lennon Brissen. There was so little correlation between them that Calian wondered if all three were truly connected to Randel.
"Why are you asking me about him?"
"Did you think I was unaware of the revenue from the Whitrin Territory? I am also not ignorant of how you disposed of Viscount Brissen. Surely, you must know his son's whereabouts as well."
He was saying that he had known all along how much influence Calian wielded but had simply stood by and watched.
"...If you knew, why did you pretend you didn't?"
"It didn't harm me, did it?"
If left alone, Calian would eliminate Silike on his own and chip away at the Brissen family. There was no reason for Randel to stop him.
In any case, just because Randel knew the circumstances didn't mean Calian would easily take the bait. If he admitted it, he would have to endure another round of nagging from Alan for getting caught so quickly. Calian took a step back.
"I don't know where Lennon Brissen is, either."
"There's no need to be so guarded. I don't understand why you're going to such lengths to hide him."
Calian let out a hollow laugh. Those words were utterly meaningless.
"You say there's no need to be guarded, but you're the one who made me this way in the first place, Brother Randel."
Calian turned his head to look Randel directly in the eye. Recalling the day he had climbed the stairs of Chermil Palace, he said, "Didn't you think I'd already crossed the line you drew?"
Randel didn't deny it. "The matter regarding Viscount Brissen is my personal business. I merely have something to confirm. It has nothing to do with the struggle for the throne, so there's no need to be so hostile."
At those words, Calian's steps faltered for a brief moment.
Personal. Unrelated to the struggle for the throne.
The words sparked a sudden realization.
Randel had gone out of his way to seek out Calian—who had clearly turned his back on him—to ask about Lennon's whereabouts. Even if it was unrelated to the fight for the crown, it meant the matter was of immense personal importance to Randel.
Why he had brought in thirty priests was still a mystery. But Calian felt as though he now understood what Randel wanted to confirm by summoning Gray and Lennon.
Calian immediately resumed walking, so Randel didn't notice the realization that had just dawned on him.
Surely... he isn't trying to investigate the death of Former Queen Aisha, is he?
Calian bit his lower lip slightly.
If Randel found out the truth, a war with Tensil could break out.
And that was something that had never happened in Bern's past.