Chapter 64. Nest (3)
I liked black.
So I took black. I did it simply because I liked black, for no other reason, and it became a habit, and from then on, I naturally took black. So, at first, I chose black even against Planz.
“Bishop g6. Checkmate.”
And I lost in just eight moves.
“……Hahahaha. This guy really.”
Of course, Calian accepted defeat with a nice smile.
Because Kalian is an adult who knows how to respect the results of victory and defeat.
The road to Siegfried’s land.
Although it uses a space movement magic circle, the movement magic circle was created more than a day away from Siegfried’s duchy according to the promise with Slayman. Moreover, even after entering the duchy, it took three more days to get to the nest and duke residence. No matter how urgent the trip was, it was impossible to bring Rachel, who was too busy with school, to save a day or two by finally visiting Sispanian, whom I had not heard from for several months.
As a result, I had no choice but to spend a lot of time on horseback.
When he first passed by this place, Kalian told Plantz what the various flowers and trees were, that a shower would come when a cloud of the opposite shape to the one floating now appeared, and that where and how to take shelter in case of sudden heavy rain. did it He passed by, pointing out things he could see and teaching him everything he knew, one by one. And the smart Planz remembered them all.
Therefore, there wasn’t much new to tell on the second time we encountered the same road.
“In the spring, the tips of the thorns turn red, as you can see now, and when your skin touches the red part, it stings and hurts a lot. It is poisonous.”
“okay.”
“Those little blueberry-like fruits over there taste quite good. When you make alcohol, the scent is really… No, that’s not true. Anyway, it’s okay to just eat it. Instead, there are often beehives near the fruit, so you have to look carefully when picking them. .”
“okay.”
How could a sane prince of the largest country on the continent go into a thorn bush alone and eat the fruit with his own hands? Plantz, who knew that this was being said in detail because he couldn’t bear the feeling of boredom mixed with anxiety about being half-Cispanian, learned everything calmly without replying.
However, it didn’t last that long. After telling Calian a few more things he knew, his political enemy came again.
So, as if he had never said something like that before, Planz glanced at Calian, who was fixating his gaze on Raven’s saddle and tapping his fingertips, and then opened his mouth.
“again.”
“What do you mean?”
“Back then. In the co. Chess.”
That’s how I started again.
What the two did in the cavity that Sispanian had created. This is an extraordinary thing that only Kalian and Planz, who play chess without a chessboard, can do.
Calian, who had been holding the sword out of habit and lowering it as if it were inevitable, pressed his lips and spoke.
“Just do it one more time.”
“It doesn’t matter. I think it would be better for you to take the bag.”
“I don’t like it.”
“… I’m going to lose. Keep going.”
Anyway, it’s Kalyan.
Plantz is smarter, not Kalian is stupid. So Calian stubbornly moved Black a few more times.
“King b4. Bishop caught.”
“Queen with b3. Check.”
“King A5.”
“Queen b5. Checkmate.”
So I lost just because of my stubbornness.
After that, I calmly grabbed the bag.
“I’ll put it on rook f7 next to my brother’s king. Check.”
“King g8.”
“Look g7. Check.”
“To king h8.”
“Look h7. Got the phone. Check.”
“I lost.”
“yes.”
Only after I accepted that reality did I win a few times.
If there was a chessboard in front of me, I thought I could win by catching black, but no matter how hard I tried, I wasn’t good enough to make the entire chessboard and various pieces on it float up with an aura on top of the running horse, so I decided to just grab white.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Kalyan didn’t try.
The person I decided to serve for the rest of my life pulled off the miracle of the century by simultaneously embodying two types of auras, red and black, and with the result of that great achievement, I wanted to relieve the boredom of the long journey. The crazy face of Takari explained the whole situation as he realized that he had drawn a small chessboard for me to put together and was trying to place cute chess pieces of various shapes on it, only to get beaten up.
“As expected, the prince has a unique spirit of challenge.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean Arsene didn’t like it.
Arsene, who was sleeping and waking up repeatedly, soaked from long overtime and overwork, and watching Calian’s performance, gave him his usual compliment, then fell on Roro’s back again and fainted.
Anyway, isn’t there a good reason why this guy wants to follow her?
“I don’t know how to make white, but I was wondering if I could put Fear’s energy into the aura to make black. That worked. I knew it was good. Now, if I make the chess pieces correctly, I can win even if I catch black, brother.”
“… Just for that reason.”
“You have to use kind words. If you use harsh words, you won’t be a good adult.”
Smile.
Gently.
“Barking every day makes me wonder what you plan to do later.”
“Ah. Unlike my brother, I’m already an adult.”
“Barking. Again.”
Anyway, that’s how I sent it.
They stopped making the chessboard, Kalian calmly continued to hold white, and Planz held black, winning and losing. When the horses got tired, we stopped for a while, ate the bread prepared by the palace, and then set off again. Then, after the sun had set, they lit a bonfire, sat around, and after a good night’s sleep, Arsene shared the four brown and black wild chickens he had caught and said things like, ‘That’s a moon halo, and since a moon halo has formed, it will rain tomorrow.’ We fell asleep while talking.
After that, after entering Siegfried’s duchy, it really rained, so we spent one more day in the city of Citren and then set out again. And every evening, I went to the mayor’s house in Daum city and diligently explained the sensitive eating habits of one of the group members, and it took three more days for me to arrive.
The owner of elephants.
At the mansion of Slayman Horn Siegfried.
“I meet you, Crown Prince and the Third Prince. This is Ronansite, Siegfried’s chief knight.”
“Nice to meet you. I didn’t know you were here, but it’s nice to see a familiar face.”
“Oh, do you remember?”
“I’ve seen it so many times, there’s no way I wouldn’t know.”
“Thank you. I have been here in your stead since the Duke came to stay in the capital. Please come inside first.”
Ronansite, who always trained knights by Dmirea’s side, was there. Since people move faster than birds, Ronansite probably did not hear about the situation, but he was not overly embarrassed and welcomed the royal family nicely.
After checking Slayman’s letter, Ronansite looked out the window and said.
“As you can see since you have already been there, the road to the nest is very dark and rough. I think it would be a good idea to leave tomorrow morning.”
“that.”
Even though the road is dark and rough, it is not a big problem for Calian. Therefore, Calian, who opened his mouth like this, looked at Plantz. Plantz, who immediately realized the meaning, opened his mouth as if making a declaration.
“I’m going. Me too.”
“Yes. I will go tomorrow morning.”
Calian, who spoke the first word while looking at Planz and the next word while looking at Ronansite, smiled slightly.
Is it because he was desperately searching for memories, to help Calian, because he hates the palace, or because he wants to know the ins and outs of Sispanian? Plantz walked with Kalian without giving any particular reason. Calian, who was planning to leave with Arsene without Jan or Kirie just in case, did not stop Plantz, who followed him on the Estina as if it were natural.
Since you’ve been so busy since leaving the Wilhelm Pavilion, you must have your own thoughts and reasons for wanting to come along again. There is no need to ask.
* * *
The reason why I brought in Arsene, who shook his head with a look on his face as if he were about to die when asked if he was doing well these days.
“It’s not that I don’t trust Lord Siegfried. He has a very generous eye when it comes to looking after his territory. Let me ask you a favor on his behalf.”
“Yes, I know. The prince just needs to know that I want to go in there with him and see Sispanian, but I’m holding on tight and saying I’ll guard the entrance.”
“Why? Are you going to meet a Sispanian and ask him to retrieve your memories and break your spoon?”
“Ah. Have you noticed it already?”
I knew he was my idiot, but I didn’t know if it was me that was causing his symptoms to get worse or if the veil that made him look like a normal guy was just coming off, so Kalian burst out laughing.
While dating, he makes you work overtime so that you don’t have time to spend that much of your pocket money, and when you need it, he takes you around every time and makes you catch chickens. Not only is it not enough to stop him from erecting a statue, but he doesn’t even break that spoon, I think it’s a bit heartless. Because of this, Kalian, who was about to head towards the cavity, stopped for a moment and opened his mouth as if to benevolent.
“If you feel good after coming back, I’ll break it for you. That spoon you have.”
“I understand, prince. Please come back. I will guard the territory well to prevent anyone from entering.”
While Plantz quietly continued to worry about how to accept this reality, where the only person around me with a healthy body and mind seems to be my fiancé, Arsene, with a grin on his face with all the weariness of the world gone, took his seat. I stood. And Calian pretended not to notice the deep look of water on Plants’ face and walked toward the hollow in the distance.
Unlike when I first came here, the entrance was tightly closed.
Calian stopped for a moment in front of it and looked up at the huge, tall rock. Plantz, who was looking up at the same place from the side, spoke first.
“It’s closed.”
“That’s right. If I hadn’t been here before, I wouldn’t have recognized this as the entrance.”
“How are you going to open it?”
“Well, I can’t knock… let’s call.”
It means they came without a solution.
Even though I knew that now that Rosellita was over, it would remain closed like this.
Calian, who was looking around with a carefree expression, took a step toward the rock blocking his path. And made a low sound.
“If you are there, please open it. I will come in.”
I really called.
I just called as if I were going to the room above and calling out the owner.
As expected, the rock in front of them did not budge. There was no sound of Sispanian’s voice, nor did the rock magically split to greet the visitor.
Plantz’s head slowly turned towards Calian.
just as expected. Calian’s face was as embarassed as whale scales, and his lips were drawn into a long line.
I know that look.
“If you don’t open it, I will come in and destroy it.”
okay.
This is the facial expression you make before saying this.
“…… you.”
A place that the Siegfried family has maintained for 500 years. A place where ancient dragons who took the place of gods stayed. My younger brother was threatening my ancestor about trespassing in that place, and I happened to be right next to him. That was when the rational Plantz started moving his smart brain at incredible speed to try to say something.
– Kugu Palace…
The huge rock began to move little by little.
ah.
thank god.
“Thank you for opening.”
In general, there was no time to worry about whether it was right to say that it had been opened. As soon as a gap was created for one person to fit in, a Kalyan, grateful for the hospitality, pushed himself into it.
Plantz looked at the blue hair of the crazy wizard standing in the distance and the less blue sky, then sighed softly. And then they followed Kalyan and entered the community.
– Jump and jump.
dark.
In a space where two people enter, only the sound of one person’s footsteps echoes.
“May I ask what you discussed when you first came?”
“It’s done.”
There was no voice from Calian following Plantz’s short answer. It was a place where I couldn’t see anything, but I knew that Calian, who didn’t understand the answer, would be looking in my direction with a questioning expression. So Plantz opened his mouth again.
“You didn’t say anything else. That’s enough. You just said that. Cispanian.”
“Didn’t you ask what that meant?”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Aren’t you curious?”
“I was curious.”
“yes.”
Calian, who recalled how different Plants was then and now, nodded and answered. Again, the sound of a person’s footsteps echoed in the cavity for a while, followed by a low voice.
“you.”
“I asked about the axis of time. Because you already know everything about me.”
A Sispanian came here with doubts about the fact that a person who couldn’t come here came here with a soul that shouldn’t be there. Calian, who remembered the Sispanian he met back then, answered.
“Anything else.”
“I only asked if they knew the axis of time and who moved it. I didn’t know what to ask, and at the time, I wasn’t curious about anything else.”
“so.”
“I didn’t get a single proper answer.”
“why.”
“Serenti covered Sispanian’s mouth. Sispanian told me what to say, but it didn’t reach me.”
A sound of wind leaking from Calian’s mouth as he responded obediently.
“A person who has so many questions.”
I felt it too when I went to the elf city.
When I came to this joint. And when I just spend my days on the 4th floor of Chermil Palace. How frustrating must it have been during those long days. Because I want to.
“…… not really.”
Calian nodded in response, as if it was obvious what he was thinking.
“yes.”
After that, the two continued to walk.
I walked even further after remembering that in the past, I had been called in front of Sispanian after coming this far.
So, the thought that I might have just opened the door but been denied face-to-face contact slowly began to creep into my head.
– You are still the same.
Finally, Sispanian’s voice was heard.
I’m sleeping.
Only then did I hear Calian’s footsteps again.
– Were you worried? you.
“That’s why I came. I.”
Calian answered.
Then a warm wind blew.
“Where are you?”
– Aren’t we together?
Calian had been walking forward without being able to distinguish his surroundings even with his bright eyesight in the dark, so he gave up trying to look around again and fixed his gaze on a random place.
“You look different than usual. You are a very thoughtful person.”
Should I say it’s a complaint about the fact that I came here like this, but instead of clearing the darkness, he didn’t even reveal himself? A wind like a spring evening blew again at the sound of laughter coming from Kalian’s mouth. The two who visited this place had the same thought, saying that it somehow felt like the laughter of an ancient dragon.
– He did that because he hated light.
When you can’t even understand the meaning of words that seem unknown.
– Pearl… Luck!
A sound as if a huge sail had caught a typhoon fell on the spot where the wind like Cispanian’s laughter had left. At the same time, a light appeared.
Plants closed his eyes for a moment and opened his eyes, ready to open his eyes that had become accustomed to the darkness to the light again. The first thing I saw was Calian, who had already opened his eyes again a while ago and was looking somewhere. Plantz turned his head to follow Calian’s gaze and held his breath for a moment.
Calian did not make fun of or be amused by Plantz’s reaction.
– I did that because I was worried that I might be surprised.
Black scales that seem to contain all the light in the world.
Wings with a thin film that seems to contain black smoke from a volcano or black sea water without a ray of light. and.
Red eyes that seem to reflect the life that is just reviving or sinking. The black pupils divide the eyes vertically.
It was a statue created in the artificial lake of Chermil Palace, and had been engraved in countless places, and had been seen so many times that it was now boring. However, it looked like something I had never seen before. It was not enough to say that it was huge; rather, it had an appearance that would be more appropriate to say that it was sacred.
– Someone who is asleep. And you guys.
The main body of Sispanian was greeting the two people, holding a transparent egg as if protecting it.
“Extremely great….”
Extremely.
In an extremely great way.
“Meet Sispanian.”
Calian bowed his head on behalf of Planz, who was clearly unable to find what to say.
It was only then that I understood what Sispanian said about being together.
While coming from the common entrance to here, Calian and Plantz walked along the long tail of the Sispanian, who was lying curled up. I walked past a house-sized foot. I passed under the black wings that were spread wide like the sky, blocking the delicate light pouring from the ceiling. Sispanian stayed by my side while I walked that long walk. So, I have no choice but to answer that we were together.
The Sispanian, with his wings folded and hanging down, raised his head.
Calian also raised his head. And I looked at Sispanian. I saw a transparent egg in its arms. I saw a red bird sleeping, surrounded by sparkling lights of all colors.
Huge wings.
A long tail like flames pouring down toward the ground.
“…… no way.”
A look that Kalyan knows.
This is what Plants also saw.
I remember an image in a scripture that I read in passing once and then left aside. I remember the statue placed on the roof of the ornate temple. A painting of a red bird and a sculpture of a red bird. The being before my eyes, sleeping with exactly the same appearance as that.
sleeping god
“Is it Serenti?”
Serenti.
Calian’s red eyes narrowed as he faced the person he thought he would never face as long as he lived and breathed.
– It won’t be long. So I am watching.
Planz’s breathing stopped for a moment again.
Calian, who had already forgotten how to breathe, didn’t pay much attention to that either.
“Serenti… will wake up soon.”
The deep red eyes blinked once.
It was positive.
“Just because it’s not far away doesn’t mean it’s hundreds of years away.”
Calian, who did not forget that time calculations between humans and Cispanians may be different, asked with a face that feigned calm. It was said as a joke, but Sispanian gave a quiet answer to the stern voice without pitch.
– Before winter comes again.
His deep, deep red eyes were locked.
Calian closed his locked eyes for a moment.
I’d rather close it.
“……Kalian.”
Although he is not as smart as Plantz, Calian is not stupid either. Calian also remembered what Plantz was thinking of right now. This time, Calian realized it before Plantz did.
Calian did not respond to Plantz’s call, who immediately realized what Calian was thinking.
“Calian.”
Didn’t answer.
Instead of answering, another word came out.
“… fell asleep.”
A sleeping god who didn’t answer. Shin couldn’t answer because he was asleep. I believed that and tried not to hold grudges.
god.
“I was asleep… wasn’t I?”
The moment when Chase looked for Serenti so desperately.
The moment when Bern died and Plantz approached the axis of time.
The moment when I needed Serenti the most.
“It wasn’t.”
Serenti was not asleep.
I was just watching everything as if I was looking down at a chessboard.
In the king’s words. The end of the world. That tragedy.
Serenti.
“why.”
Calian opened his eyes.
Living as if waiting for the end.
A bloom that seems to bring about the end.
“Calian.”
“…Serenti.”
It swallows up the inside of the cavity.
