The First Ostinato Crown Prince
The First Ostinato Crown Prince walked toward the brightly glowing core of Orpheus amid the pitch-black darkness of the mental world.
Visions of Orpheus's past began manifesting around him one by one, like flickering videos.
'Is this the story that comes after?'
To the crown prince's right appeared children who looked a year or two older than the boy and girl from the previous vision.
"K-Kate...! I told you not to come like this!"
The boy fussed as he spotted the girl who'd snuck into his room.
"Aw, what's the big deal? As long as we don't get caught, right?"
The girl winked, utterly unconcerned about the feud between their families.
"Our Ian. How are you so cute?"
Her dainty hands grabbed the boy's cheeks and stretched them wide.
"Uwaaaah...."
"Pfft. You look like a frog. So cute."
"......A frog again."
Could he ever become a prince?
......Even if not, it didn't matter. Every minute, every second with her—even as her pet frog—filled him with happiness.
The boy and girl spent their time far from the adults' schemes, lost in their own little world.
"I went to Rai's recital yesterday?"
"Rai? A boy?"
The boy's eyebrows shot up.
"Yeah. Rai Verdolt. He's a boy our age."
"......Our age, and he's already doing recitals?"
"He's a musical prodigy. Plays the violin like a dream."
The boy felt a pang of jealousy.
"I can play violin too."
It was a secret hobby he'd picked up despite his parents' pressure, but he was confident he could outdo this Rai guy.
"......For real?"
"I'll show you."
A violin took shape in the boy's grasp as mana gathered in his hands.
"Whoa!"
Emboldened by the girl's wide-eyed wonder, the boy played his instrument. A simple yet beautiful melody resonated, infused with mana.
"This melody's so pretty."
"...Yeah?"
Buoyed by her praise, the boy repeated the tune several times, adding variations to show off his skill.
"Wow!"
Clap clap clap clap
The girl cheered and applauded. The boy scratched his head, embarrassed.
"......It's called an ostinato."
"Ostinato?"
"Repeating the same melody over and over."
"Whoa! I get it! Ostinato's so pretty!"
"...Yeah?"
"Yeah! Melodies you love usually fade away as the music goes on, but with ostinato, you can keep hearing the ones you don't want to miss."
"I... never thought of it like that...."
The girl beamed at his offhand remark. The boy ducked his head to hide his flushed cheeks.
"......Got a melody you wanna hear? I'll play it for you."
The vision the crown prince watched dissolved into smoke.
A new vision materialized to his left—this one with figures a bit older still.
"You really not coming to the academy?"
"Yeah. Sorry, Kate."
The boy forced a smile.
"...Bummer. Would be fun to go together."
The girl, sitting right beside him, leaned her head on his shoulder. Their bond had clearly deepened in the time between visions.
"We can just keep in touch."
The boy pointed to the mana communicator he'd made for her.
"That's true, but it's not the same as being together."
She reached out and pinched his cheeks again.
"Can't squish my frog's cheeks... So mean."
She pouted her lips.
Another vision dissolved, replaced by a new one.
"I told you. A Kaliuga heir like you shouldn't get close to that girl."
A pale-skinned middle-aged man snatched the boy's mana communicator and snapped it in two.
"How many times do I have to say it? Those fools who can't comprehend our great magitech prodigy—especially the god's lapdogs, the Bilgamesh family, leading the persecution!"
The Bilgamesh family—Kate's house. Devoted to faith for generations, they'd long despised magitech, deemed a sin by the gods, making them bitter enemies of the Kaliugas.
"With magitech's power, we'll overturn the continent. Forget that wicked Bilgamesh wench. I'll find you a proper engineer's daughter instead."
The man paused at the door.
"Oh, and that girl? She's running for saintess. Frontline of the faith persecuting magitech like us. She doesn't even have you on her radar."
Bam!
Left alone, the boy gathered the shattered pieces of his communicator.
"Perbenit Certum."
Mana flowed from him, the fragments reconnecting into their original form—a restoration spell possible only with perfect understanding of the internals, showcasing the boy's genius unaided.
He picked it up and connected to her.
"Huh? Ian? You messaged?"
Her voice came through as kindly as ever.
The boy opened his mouth to reply.
But no sound came out.
"Hello? Ian? Ian?"
Click.
He powered off the device.
If she truly sought to become a saintess—if she aimed to champion the god who suppressed magitech...!
Her ties to a Kaliuga child would be a massive stain.
Even if he was just her pet frog, not her lover....
Mana surged, incinerating the communicator.
The boy's happy dreams ended there.
A new vision arose.
This time, it showed the boy as a grown man.
"Congratulations on the great victory, Count Kaliuga!"
"Hey now! Count, really!"
"Ah! Forgive me! Your Majesty!"
"Hahaha. It's a good day—I'll let it slide."
"Your grace humbles me, sire."
Aboard thousands of magitech golems—products of technology far beyond human limits—Count Kaliuga and his aides laughed and joked.
Ian, the once-in-a-generation genius, had crafted golems that crushed even the kingdom's holy knights and army, turning the tide of war.
With control of the golems, Count Kaliuga repelled all foes and seized total dominion over the kingdom.
"Father."
"...A fine day, isn't it, Ian? Smile."
"I have a request."
"......Fine. You've earned it with your war merits. Speak."
"Give me Kate Bilgamesh."
"Bilgamesh... That saintess wench?"
The count pondered briefly.
"She should be executed as a war criminal... but very well. Go to her cell now. Propose marriage."
"......Pardon?"
"If she accepts, she'll live. No one would dare touch a war hero's wife, criminal or not. Refuse, and judgment falls."
"......Understood."
The young man—now Ian Kaliuga—raced to the dungeon depths.
In the darkest corner of the mud-slick lowest level sat her solitary cell.
"Kate."
The girl's vacant gaze met his as he called her name.
"......Ian."
War had dulled her allure, yet she remained beautiful.
'...If I hadn't made those golems, things wouldn't have come to this.'
He'd never imagined his casual invention would corner her like this.
If he could turn back time, he'd never touch such things again.
"Kate. I'll get you out."
"Ian. If you do, your position will be jeopardized."
"Doesn't matter. Father promised. Marry me, and you're free."
"......So that's how it is."
Kate let out a hollow laugh, finally understanding.
"Sorry, Ian. Don't let me go if that's the deal."
"......What?"
"I just want to die like this."
"......What are you saying, Kate?"
"I'm Saint Cartesia, devoted to the gods. Not some groveling traitor begging the enemy for life."
"Kate. Stay here, and you'll die."
"Even if I die...... There's something I must protect."
Hours of Ian's desperate pleas and threats failed to sway her.
When he lost reason and tried to rip open the cell door to save her, Count Kaliuga's hand clamped his arm.
"Sorry, but no."
The count smirked coldly.
"Seems the wench wants death. Guards!"
The guards dragged the frantic Ian away.
"Wait! Kate! Kaaaaate!"
Thud!
The dungeon door slammed shut. Ian never heard Kate's sobbing from within.
"Sorry, Ian... I'm so sorry......!"