Chapter 64. Nest (1)
Two people’s voices rang out in the spacious cavity.
“Phone d3.”
“Knight c5.”
As a soft voice is heard, a low voice follows as if waiting.
“Knight e5. I got the pawn.”
“Yes, I know. To knight e7.”
“Speak informally. Queen f3.”
“Can you look at it now? Use your phone f6.”
I was playing chess.
To be precise, it would be correct to say that we are waiting for Sispanian. I couldn’t spar with Plantz, who just removed a piece of glass from his arm the day before, in the vast cave, and I couldn’t teach magic to Plantz, who was not good at magic, in a place where all the walls were ruins. But it’s not like we’re just chatting or chatting.
Rather than just standing around, I should play a game.
“Then I…”
That’s how the chess game began.
After a few moves, Calian, who was contemplating the next step for a moment, opened his mouth.
“I’ll go with queen d1. I got the rook.”
“You’ll regret it.”
Immediately, one corner of Planz’s mouth twitches up.
“…… ah.”
Calian, who was carefully considering the chessboard once again, expressed confusion. Then, he smiled brightly and looked at Planz.
“I made a mistake while playing without a chessboard. Could you please step away?”
“no.”
“You’ve already won twice. Just one move.”
“no.”
It doesn’t work.
I knew that even if I showed off the most beautiful smile in the world, it wouldn’t work, but it really didn’t work. At times like this, I think that if I prick it, blue blood might come out.
For some reason, it was noticeably green.
“Rook d1. Queen captured. Check.”
Plants finally captured Calian’s queen.
“…Anyway, my brother is so heartless.”
“Stop barking. Next.”
Calian, who had been thinking for a moment while looking at the chessboard in his head after losing the queen, frowned. Then, realizing that there was no way to save King, he opened his mouth.
“I lost.”
Calian wasn’t bad at chess either.
Rather, it was better to leave it alone. When I played with Chase, I always won, and I never lost to Allen. Of course, I knew that Alan, who had no intention of defeating his son, sometimes pretended not to know and lost, and on other days, he backed off by a move or two, so I knew that the odds of winning were the result, but anyway, a win was a win.
anyway. The reason Kalian kept losing to Planz this time was not because Kalian couldn’t play chess, but because his opponent was Planz. really.
“You said you don’t enjoy chess, but I was completely deceived.”
“It’s true that I’ve never dealt with anyone other than a chess teacher.”
“Yes. I guess you did. You’re so smart that you won’t lose if you just keep learning.”
Planz did not enjoy playing chess and never played with others. I had talked to a chess teacher a few times and read some books, so I thought it would be easy, but it wasn’t. I played three times and lost all of them.
Calian, who realized once again that he had been wrong in thinking of playing chess against that pea in the first place, stopped grumbling and took out his pocket watch. Then, after checking the time, I asked.
“There are so few Sispanians coming. Do you want to play one more round or should I just go back?”
“go.”
“yes.”
what. It might not come.
I said I would come if the community called me, but I didn’t promise that I would definitely respond if Kalyan found me, so I might not come if I had my own circumstances. Because you will be busy without Serenti.
That’s what I thought.
“older brother.”
“why.”
“You lose every bet, so why don’t you try to lose games or sparring?”
“why.”
“It’s just that I don’t know whether I have greed in life or not.”
“why.”
“He acts as if he has nothing more to wish for in the world as long as he has two cats, and when I ask for his wish to be granted because he won the hunt by cutting off the Danu root, he also gently says he understands, but he never loses in something like this, so I can’t help but think that way.” “I don’t know what’s inside.”
To explain briefly, the first ‘why’ means why you are singing it, the second ‘why’ means why you are curious about it, and the third ‘why’ means why you think that way. Of course, this means that Calian understood it that way.
Plantz perfectly understood the three replies that came out without a single pause, and smiled after looking at Calian for a moment as he continued the conversation. And gave the answer.
“It just so happened.”
“…… yes.”
Calian, who had nothing more to say, just shook his head.
“Anyway, I’ll come alone tomorrow.”
“okay.”
“Don’t get discouraged and wonder if you didn’t come because of your brother.”
“… My brother was having fun calling me things that weren’t even funny. Now, I guess he sees me as a group of people instead of just one person.”
“Still, isn’t it better for me to see you as an animal rather than for you to see me as an animal?”
One fish or one leaf.
This guy or that guy.
After singing the Pea Pea song and saying something strange, Plantz couldn’t make it back and kept his mouth shut. Because it was correct to see it as one animal. Calian, who saw that, smiled brightly and said.
“Anyway, what I’m saying is that Sispanian won’t come because of you, so don’t worry about it.”
“I don’t care if it’s true.”
“I’m glad you’ve gotten rid of the habit of blaming yourself. You’re growing so well each day that I feel proud every time I see you.”
okay. Bark.
What is there that doesn’t bite?
He was almost in a state of giving up, but it wasn’t a bad thing to say that he was growing well, so Plants just let out a low sigh and walked out of the cave. Calian let out a small laugh and looked around the cavity for a moment. This was an action taken out of concern that Sispanian might come to visit after Plants left, but Sispanian did not come.
In the end, I trudged back the way I came and returned to Chermil Palace.
“Then rest.”
“okay.”
“Don’t even dream of swearing at His Highness.”
“…… okay.”
“Don’t even dream of fighting with Brother Randel.”
“You keep doing it.”
“Brother, little brother, stop barking and we’ll be gone.”
Calian, who gave an example, left Planz at the end of the stairs and went straight into my room. He had a playful face.
So, up until then, it was true that I was more curious about why Plantz, who was not particularly greedy and had no intention of benefiting from winning the bet, tried to never lose in a match, rather than why Cispanian did not come. Rather than the issue of Sispanian not coming, it was true that he was worried that Plantz would pay attention to it again. Rather than worrying about what might happen again, the foolish pea, who cared about Randel and Lemaine, was worried that she would even try to meet old Calian even in her dreams, so she remembered and put it in her mouth. It is true that he barked harder than usual because he was afraid that he would take charge.
It was like that until then.
“Prince Siegfried and his wife Siona Hill arrived in the capital last night.”
“…… okay.”
However, Sispanian did not appear even when Calian visited alone.
A week later, the ancient dragon did not show up until news arrived that Sleiman and Serie had arrived at Duke Siegfried’s residence.
A Sispanian who is said to be collecting fragments of the axis of time.
Even if it was will, there was no way that Sispanian, who had come to stop Alan and Adelia’s fight, would not have noticed the fragment that appeared in the middle of the sea, and there was no way he would have welcomed Arnaizel using it as he pleased. So Arnaizel took it with him. It was only then that I realized that it had already been strange to just let him play.
“Please check the schedule, Jan, to see if I can go to the duke’s residence today.”
“Is the prince going to go in person?”
“huh.”
“all right.”
Calian, realizing that the situation was unclear, lowered his eyes.
* * *
I guess it’s because it’s green.
“Eow! Eow!”
“Niaowong…!”
Fortunately, Hina follows along easily. However, Lucy and Anne, who regarded all two-legged people other than Plants and Hina, including Calian, as little more than snack bins, let out happy noises as they placed themselves under the small palm.
Riri, the owner of those small hands.
Even though I told him to come see the cat, Lirie didn’t come.
I wanted to ask Dmirea why she didn’t come together, but Dmirea always went back after meeting Calian, so there was no chance. However, I couldn’t ask Calian to ask that.
But that morning.
Kalian, who had still finished eating a huge meal, met with Slayman and Serie and told them that he had a favor to ask them to do, so they should train with Kirie today.
Isn’t Plantz not able to tell what favor he is trying to ask of Sleiman or what he is trying to say to Serie? So, he said that he would take care of Kalian’s affairs and that he would speak directly to Serie about his own affairs. In the end, they followed suit this time too. I even brought a cat to show Riri.
“Meong meong.”
“Meow. Meow.”
I’ve heard that it’s not a good idea to go out of the palace, but it’s only for a short time. After trying my best to explain to the two cats why we were going out today, we came out together.
anyway.
The cats that came out followed Lirie without any sign of unfamiliarity and began to show all kinds of cuteness. So I was thinking deeply.
Do cats like green?
If that’s the case, why do you like Hina?
“It’s been a while. Second Prince.”
“… Let’s count.”
“Has anything changed recently?”
“It’s changed.”
“Yes. It’s been a while, Crown Prince of Kairis.”
As I was watching Riri while worrying about such things, someone came to Plantz and said hello. Not the Serie that was waiting, but another person who returned here. It was Sword Master Siona.
– A rattle.
The familiar sound of bells.
The sound of bells that both Calian and Planz had heard many times rang from the tip of Siona’s sword.
As I was listening to the sound of the bell without realizing it, I heard Siona’s words.
“That bird is tall. Humans grow fast.”
“It just so happened.”
Siona smiled and nodded. Then he turned his head towards Riri, who was smiling happily while surrounded by two cats. I was thinking that it might be better to postpone the training a little bit. however.
“I think I knew what my mother’s family did to you.”
The voice of Plantz, who was sitting quietly looking at the tips of Lillie’s fingers. That low voice held Siona to her feet.
Siona, who had been staring for a long time at her feet that had stopped standing, the handle of the sword that was unable to pull out the bell that had been cherished for the rest of her life, and the hand that was unable to hold the sword, opened her mouth in a light tone.
“Pretending to know won’t change anything, right?”
“I want to say thank you for not pointing the knife at me. To Riri.”
And Plantz, who was looking directly at Siona, opened his mouth.
“…and to me too.”
The words continued after a pause as if taking a breath.
Siona’s ears moved slightly at those words. The silver piercings hanging from the tips of her ears sparkled in the sunlight.
Drops on his hands and the handle of his sword. Siona lowered her gaze towards it again and opened her mouth.
“Thank you.”
And then plodding.
I walked towards Lily.
* * *
Rumors circulated.
After Prince Planz became crown prince, Prince Calian became busy. Every day, he meets the Duke of Siegfried and goes in and out of the Duke’s residence. Called.
I just exchanged swords with my fiancé, exchanged simple lifestyles with each other, got tested today to make sure we weren’t caught anywhere, got sugar cookies, bought him meat, and lived in peace, but before I knew it, my second brother regained his place before he left for Camilon. He had become the third prince who was struggling hard to come.
I was already worried that strange rumors would arise, so after coming to Kairis, I stopped going to the Wilhelm Pavilion and did not even meet Euria, the head of the Wizards Association, or even Melfir, the head of the Fallun Merchant Merchants. He even hesitated to meet with Alan separately. Calian, who had no reason to pay any attention to Reric as he even commented that he looked leisurely, laughed and said to himself.
“How many times do I have to tell you that my relationship with my brother is not bad for you to understand?”
Before leaving Kairis, I gave him a pretty and cute black cat brooch, and after returning from Secretia, I folded Gray’s waist and asked him why he didn’t say hello to my brother. After that, we appeared together at official events several times.
Even though they worked so hard to show that their relationship is quite good and that Plants has no complaints about winning the throne, doubts are creeping in again.
“It would be the Marquis of Briesen. Again.”
In the end, the only person who will benefit the most from keeping Calian and Plantz apart is Gray Brisen. Whether you plan to isolate Plantz or turn Calian into a black prince full of tricks. It will be of great benefit to Randel, who is currently staying close to him.
“I heard there is talk of a betrothal between Prince Randel and the daughter of Margrave Libret, who is said to be close friends with the Marquis of Briesen. Have you heard of that?”
“No. Your Majesty is still worried, and Brother Randel, no matter how much you think about it, I don’t think he will do anything like a betrothal in the current situation. There are rumors like that.”
Shurinz, a resort where all kinds of nobles gather, just like Astricia Street. As he lived there, it seemed that the rumors of the nobles reached Sleiman, who had no interest in the palace’s affairs.
“Besides, even if an arranged marriage were to take place, Your Highness and your older brother would not choose the family that has ties to Brisen.”
“Yes. However, I also thought it was very strange that the betrothal was a fait accompli. I also wondered if Your Highness was unaware of such rumors.”
Calian, who was thinking about what Lemain had experienced recently, shook his head and answered.
“Your Highness has ears to hear the news, so you are not unaware of it. However, I think the response may be delayed because you are unable to meet Brother Randel. In any case, it is not for you to make a decision without Brother Randel’s opinion, so I will also check on that matter. “I’ll give it a try.”
Slayman nodded and took a sip of red wine, putting it down on the table.
“Besides, when I heard it again, it seems like His Majesty the Crown Prince has found a great fiancé.”
Calian, who had been watching the scene in silence, opened his mouth again.
“I didn’t think the Duke would keep his ears open about the royal family’s affairs. But now you’ve reached the point where you’re showing curiosity.”
“After the Little Duke became betrothed to the prince, his ears naturally opened.”
“…… Is that so.”
– Talk.
Calian lightly touched the handle of the teacup and watched the ripples in the light green tea water for a moment. Then he raised his red eyes and gazed deeply at Slayman.
“I am still in the position of leaving my back in the duke’s shadow, so I cannot get involved until the duke’s eyes and ears turn to the palace. Even if it is just possible.”
“The Duke has already told me not to meddle in the princes’ affairs, so you don’t have to do it again. I’m just conveying the news I heard, so you don’t have to think about breaking off the engagement right away. It’s fun to watch the Duke do as he wants. “I don’t want to lose it.”
Just in case, the elephant’s huge eyes and ears don’t spread into its mouth and hands, which are sure to be even bigger. So that Slayman, who misunderstood Dmirea’s intention to help Kalian, does not hastily move towards Randel or Plantz.
Slayman, who stopped the couple from saying that they would immediately break off the engagement if the elephants showed signs of coming forward, drew a gentle smile on his lips. Seeing the prince doing something completely opposite to his old friend who had somehow thought of climbing on the elephants’ backs.
“I think I already said this. I always seem to be like this to the Duke. If I said anything that would hurt the Duke’s feelings, I apologize.”
“We just have a lot to share with each other, so is there anything to be offended about? It’s okay.”
He first refuses Kalian’s request for help and becomes suspicious of Slayman’s interest.
Isn’t this inevitable because there are so many things they have and so many things to protect, as much as they like each other? Therefore, after lightly accepting Calian’s warning and apology, Slayman looked outside the living room and opened his mouth.
“Anyway, I heard you said you would meet Serie. Why did you come to see me first?”
I was saying this because I had postponed my plan to meet Serie and ask her if she could help teach Plantz spearmanship, and I had postponed my plan to ask Shiona if she wanted to meet Kirie and Hina, and came to see Slayman, who was not interested.
Calian tapped the teacup again and opened his mouth.
“… The nest. The Sispanian nest, Lord Siegfried.”
“Yes. Please speak.”
“I think I should go there anyway. I’m feeling uneasy.”
The place is always closed except during the Rosellita period. There was no lineage of Kairis who visited there twice. This does not mean that he did not visit, but that even if he did visit, he was never allowed to visit.
Kalian’s words, who couldn’t have known that.
Slayman let out a small sigh at the words spoken by someone who would never say such a thing without thinking.
