Secrets and the Protagonist
"You live in a pathetic dump, just like yourself."
The Eighth Prince, Selos Abaran, scanned my office and clicked his tongue.
Granted, compared to where the First Prince lived, this place was indeed a bit worn and shabby. Still, compared to the old villa I used to live in back in my previous life, this was practically luxurious.
I pondered the relativity of wealth for a moment, then spoke as I looked at the Eighth Prince, who was fidgeting on his seat like a dog that desperately needed to relieve itself.
"If I want to see how my brother, who lives so 'princely,' is doing, I suppose I should visit you every day."
"What?! There's no need for that. Don't come. Don't you dare come, even if it kills you."
When I shrugged and spoke, he flinched and hastily tried to stop me.
"I've lived like a beggar my whole life, so I don't know what a proper princely life looks like. An uneducated older brother needs his younger brother to teach him, after all."
"Damn it! You're living perfectly fine here, not like a beggar at all, so just don't come!"
He glared at me, finally correcting his words.
Only then did I nod.
"Right. I'm sure you didn't come all this way just to admire your older brother living like a prince."
As I broached the subject, he hesitantly began to read my expression. I hadn't noticed it earlier when he was grabbing someone by the collar in front of my door, but now that he was sitting on the sofa, I could see how rough of a time he'd been having lately. There were dark circles under his eyes, his skin was rough, and he had lost weight, making his cheekbones protrude slightly.
Since he didn't say anything, I simply stared back at him.
"Are you going to spill everything today?"
After hesitating for a long moment, he squeezed his eyes shut once before asking me. I knew exactly what he was talking about. Today was the first imperial family ritual held since the hunting competition. Once again, all the siblings would gather around that long table. He must be worried sick about what might slip out of my mouth there.
The Eighth Prince making a move was well within my expectations. In fact, I was actually surprised he hadn't come to find me until today. I had expected him to rush over the very next day after the hunting competition. He had been so quiet that I'd even wondered if he was hiring assassins and sharpening his blades. To think he had just been agonizing over it all this time before finally showing up.
Chuckling at his uncharacteristic timidity, I replied.
"We'll see."
"What the—!"
Infuriated by my lukewarm attitude, Selos slammed his hand on the desk and was about to shout, but when I stared at him blankly, he lowered his voice again.
"What do you mean? Just give me a straight answer. Yes or no. You have to tell me clearly."
"It means whether I speak or not is entirely up to me."
"Damn it, if there's something you want..."
"...you'll give me anything? How, exactly?"
"..."
Selos didn't answer. Well, he could probably grant most ordinary requests. He could give me money, buy me people, or perhaps even replace this castle he so readily insulted as a dump. After all, he had someone akin to a genie from a lamp backing him up. Though it seemed he hadn't told that person about me yet. If he had, that person might have granted my wishes at first, but it wouldn't have been long before they tried to eliminate me without a trace.
"I can't promise I'll keep my mouth shut forever, but at least not today. Maybe not even this year."
Since backing him into a corner too much might trigger an unpredictable reaction, I offered him some reassurance. However, my goal wasn't quite achieved, as he only stared back at me with a suspicious and anxious gaze. He really was a teenager—so full of complaints and anxieties.
"What's wrong? Were you hoping for something else? If you want, the moment I step into the banquet hall today, I can climb onto the table and shout it out. That the Eighth Prince's Manis is barely enough to light a candle."
"You... just because I'm in this position, don't go thinking you've actually become someone. You'll always be a useless half-breed."
At my sarcasm, his eyes flashed with a sharp, venomous light. Well, look at that. He actually said something true for once. I nodded in agreement.
"You're absolutely right."
"What?"
Glaring at me fiercely, he blinked in disbelief, clearly not expecting me to agree with him.
"I'm saying you're right. It's a rare occasion where you actually spoke the truth. Savor it, since opportunities like this don't come often."
"Are you mocking me right now?!"
Even though I was agreeing with him, Selos's temper flared up again as he raised his voice. I quietly observed him—my reddish-blonde half-brother, who stood half a head taller than me. A boy who was nothing more than a child in a giant's body.
"Since you finally said something right after all this time, you should engrave it in your mind. Just because your opponent is a half-breed doesn't mean you'll suddenly become any better. Didn't you just say so yourself?"
"..."
"Keep that in mind."
He stared at me with a bewildered expression. Since I wasn't kind enough to explain everything to him, I told him to get lost if he was done.
The Eighth Prince looked thoroughly displeased, but perhaps fearing I might change my mind if he lingered any longer, he turned toward the door relatively submissively.
"Ah."
Just as his hand touched the doorknob, I remembered something I'd forgotten and called out to him.
"You said you'd grant me anything, right?"
"You said you didn't need anything."
"I never said that."
"..."
The Eighth Prince glared at me, looking thoroughly vexed.
"What is it you want?"
Cutting him off before he could add that he could give me as much money as I wanted, I casually tossed out my demand.
"Speak formally to me."
"What?!"
Selos stared at me with an expression as if he had just witnessed the Emperor tap-dancing with a broad grin on his face. Why was he so shocked?
"I'm your older brother, after all."
"Why the hell are you my brother?!"
"Because I'm the Seventh Prince and you're the Eighth?"
"That's..."
"And I'm two years older."
In reality, I was eleven years older, but there was no way he could know that.
"Well, if you don't want to, there's nothing I can do. I'll just proceed as promised..."
"Who said I didn't want to?! Fine, I got it!"
"..."
"I... understand."
Looking as if his pride had been utterly shattered, he slammed the door shut and stormed out. And here I was, just trying to tell him he could rest easy because I would keep his secret as promised.
***
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Water droplets falling from the cave ceiling struck his pale face and trickled down.
Drip.
The final droplet, which had been hanging precariously, hit his temple. At that slight impact, his tightly closed, deep-set eyes finally trembled.
Blink. Blink.
His vision was blurry, forcing him to blink several times.
Is this Teritum, where they say only the righteous can go? It feels far too damp for that. Then is it Hodie? I guess the doctrine that the imperial family are descendants of gods was true after all. Is my entire body aching like this because I'm in Hodie?
He had heard that in Hodie, there was a monster named Escam that repeatedly sliced people up alive and pieced them back together, but seeing no sign of such a creature, perhaps this wasn't Hodie either. Then again, considering how much his body ached, maybe he had already been sliced up and put back together a few times.
As the Duke sorted through the religious doctrines he had diligently studied throughout his life in a stream of consciousness, he suddenly snapped back to reality.
I'm not dead yet.
Straining his eyes, he looked around. Though the darkness obscured his surroundings, the sounds and the sensation against his back suggested he was in a cave. Did he survive by falling into the water? Thinking he might have been washed ashore into a cave near the cliff by the current, he slowly relaxed his muscles.
Lacking the strength to even sit up, the Duke focused his mind and assessed his physical condition. Head, arms, torso, legs... Ah, I've sprained my right leg. Checking himself from top to bottom, there seemed to be no major issues other than a throbbing ache in his right ankle. Although his entire body was sore, he was in remarkably good shape for someone who had fallen from such a dizzying height.
Did I not fall from the cliff?
He had definitely fallen while hearing the laughter of the First Prince. Tollin, who had stared at him while trembling violently, had witnessed his final moments, and the Emperor's face, wearing an almost comically bored expression, was also etched into his memory.
And then...
"You cannot die just yet."
And the black-haired prince who had whispered those words to him.
As the face of the Seventh Prince, with one corner of his mouth curled up in a smirk, flashed in his mind, the Duke felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Yes, the Seventh Prince. He had definitely muttered that he couldn't die yet. As if he already knew the Duke would survive.
Once his thoughts reached that point, he remembered the bag full of stones the prince had handed him during the hunting competition. This time, the Duke slowly pushed himself up and fumbled around his waist. He couldn't feel the bag. It must have been swept away by the water when he fell. Then again, falling from that height, it was a miracle he was even wearing clothes.
Sighing, the Duke looked around to figure out exactly where he was. Or rather, he tried to.
"Are you looking for this?"
If only he hadn't been startled out of his wits by the low voice coming from behind him. The Duke was grateful that his body lacked the strength to even make a sound. Otherwise, at the sudden voice, he might have forgotten his age and screamed like a little girl.
A person was sitting quietly in the darkness, completely devoid of any presence. Judging by the silhouette, the man appeared quite well-built, and his golden eyes stared silently at him. The Duke awkwardly reached out and took what appeared to be the bag being offered to him. Its heavy weight made it clear that it was indeed that cursed pile of stones.
"...Thank you."
"No need. I only took it off because keeping it on would have put too much strain on your body."
"Ah, so you are the one who saved this old man. I do not know how to express my gratitude..."
The Duke replied slowly, keeping his guard up. The man before him was skilled enough at concealing his presence to deceive even the Duke's highly honed senses. Even without that, the sheer aura radiating from the man was so extraordinary that letting his guard down was out of the question. His instincts, forged through leading battles for over thirty years, warned him that this opponent was by no means weak. Not knowing whether this man was his savior or a threat, he couldn't afford to relax just yet.
"No, there is no need for a reward," the man replied bluntly. "As long as you answer my questions honestly."
Since the man's demeanor was far from gentle, the Duke stared at him in silence. It was a cold gaze that made him feel as if the unspoken words, and then I won't kill you, were hanging in the air.
Duke Fidus contemplated his options. Based on his earlier search around his waist, he seemed to be completely disarmed. His weapons had either been swept away by the current, or this man had confiscated them along with the bag. While he hadn't neglected his training, it was true that his body was stiffer now than during his active days on the battlefield. Could I win in a physical struggle? If he is unarmed, perhaps...
Shring.
While the Duke was lost in thought, the man quietly drew a sword from his waist. He is fully armed. Furthermore, his stance was incredibly stable, prompting the Duke to sigh inwardly. The sleek, well-honed silver blade gleamed in the darkness.
Then, the man spoke.
"Are you associated with the imperial palace?"
"No, absolutely not. I am merely a foolish old man who took a wrong step while passing by. My name is Jing."
Fortunately, Agoni Fidus, having stepped down from his position as the head of the Fides Duchy, was currently at the absolute lowest point of his noble pride in his entire life, allowing him to answer without a shred of hesitation.