Chapter 84. I was so fooled (1)
crackle crackle.
Red sparks fly quietly.
A red tee that brightens up the dark surroundings for a moment but then fades away. One person who was looking at it remembered the rose petals that had fallen from the raindrops in the silent rain one late spring day. The other took off his black robe and placed it on Hina, then turned his gaze to the skinny prince who raised his head. Another person thought of the voice that told him to listen to the sound of trees cracking instead of looking at the sparks floating on the lake.
While those three were seeing one person in this insignificant spark.
– Jump and jump.
For some, the person who was shunned, for others, an unexpected protector, and for others, the very person who felt like a kaleidoscope walked to the campfire. With light purple eyes that were completely different from the red that permeated the black air, she left her long, straight hair that didn’t need to be trimmed as a habit.
Then he quietly opened his mouth. He made a voice like the wind that swept around the tattered flag of a ruined country and then disappeared.
“The meat will cook well. I like the fire.”
Kalyan says:
If the fire is good, the meat will cook well.
It was a belated realization, a miraculous first meeting, and a thrilling teaching. Whether or not the people present here were deeply emotional, Calian simply didn’t think much of it. I was hungry because I walked, I was hungry because I fought, I was hungry because I hunted, and after I finished cutting the meat, I was very hungry.
Kalian did everything from walking and fighting to hunting and even preparing meat.
Brother Randel must have been tired just from walking, Kirie had to watch over Randel after lighting the fire, and Lord Hertz must have been exhausted from swinging a sword he had never used before in his life. So what should we do? I, the most relaxed person here, have to do everything from hunting to grooming.
With this in mind, Calian not only did the hunting he had planned to have Kyrie do, but also took care of the meat, which he usually left to Arsene, and managed to kill it cleanly. Then, he handed the precious wild chicken to Kyrie.
“Bake this for me, Kirie.”
“Yes. Please wait a moment.”
“Yes.”
No matter what, Kalian was a royal throughout his life and death. It’s just that he didn’t have a picky appetite, but he did have a high level of taste, so he didn’t know that his cooking skills and Yan’s tea-making skills were very similar.
While Kirie, who took the meat handed to her, made a well-grilled chicken with the best skill among the four, Calian, who had been quietly sitting in his seat and looking at the bonfire, opened his mouth.
“I thought there wouldn’t be an attack on the way, but something unexpected happened. Weren’t you surprised?”
Of course, those words were directed at Randel. Kirie, who is good at fighting, and Arsene, who would have been good at attacking like this, would have no problem, but Randel would not.
“It is done.”
The answer has been delivered.
That’s not to say I wasn’t surprised. How could a person who knows or knows how to see the moonlight shattering over a waterfall not feel anything at all about the fight taking place right under their noses? So, although I was surprised, it was closer to telling me not to worry.
Calian, who was sitting across from Kyrie, between Randel and Plantz, turned his head. Randel, who was looking at that scene, added more words.
“I have already seen many things fall without withering.”
“Are people and roses the same?”
“It is said to have been done because it was not considered more valuable.”
Calian fell silent for a moment at these words.
Of course, Calian also did not intend to regard each of the warriors of the great desert belonging to Zeon as precious lives. Because he wasn’t a compassionate fool enough to treat those who were trying to take his life so highly. So, I wasn’t worried about Randel saying that he considered the thirty warriors who died and disappeared a while ago to be worse than roses.
Not because of that.
It was because of the ‘future in the past’ that came to mind without me even realizing it. I couldn’t give an answer easily because I remembered the pruning that took place in Tensil after Randel became the king of Tensil in the past. The people who disappeared from Tensil. What did Randel think about them disappearing out of necessity without any reason? It was because I didn’t know whether I should expect that there was no guilt or the opposite.
“Just because what I saw today was less precious than the flowers, doesn’t mean I’ll look at things the same way in the future. At least I’m smarter than you, so don’t worry.”
Randel, who must have read the worry in Calian’s eyes, looked at Calian blankly and said. It’s not that they are insensitive to all the lives in the world, but that they are insensitive because the one who is going to die is dead.
Calian asked, brushing away his long hair that was swaying in the wind and wrapping around his arm.
“Have I been acting unsmart?”
“If I wanted to be smart, I would have counted backwards. From thirty to one.”
“It’s just a habit to count the number of people you kill rather than the number of people you kill. It’s not that you can’t tell the difference.”
“Isn’t it that you couldn’t consider yourself more valuable than the other person?”
“If that were the case, would I have picked up a sword?”
“It wasn’t that you were weighing the weight of the other person, but you thought something was heavier than the other, so it seemed like you developed the habit of forcing yourself to hold the sword.”
Calian’s eyes fell on the newly acquired pure white sword. Even though he didn’t take the time to clean his sword like Kyrie and Arsene did, there wasn’t even a speck of dust on the handle of the sword, which was engraved with an ornate pattern. The same would have happened to the sword body in the sheath.
okay. Randel may be right.
A pure white sword that leaves no trace of the life it cuts. Maybe I got into the habit of counting the dead instead of using a sword.
“Did you see it that way?”
“I saw it that way.”
“Are you displeased to see that?”
I feel like I’m getting scolded for trying to worry.
They say that Bern couldn’t believe that the people he had to kill were less important than Bern himself, and that he was forced to live like that for the one person he was supposed to protect.
“Is there any reason to be upset? I just thought it was a habit that could be passed on to me.”
Anyway, Randel is very good at observing people.
Calian turned his head for a moment. He looked at the two people, who were looking at the well-cooked meat and the burning pile of firewood, and then opened his mouth again to Randel.
“I thought you were just watching the fight, but I didn’t know you were watching me so closely.”
“You weren’t the one who told me to watch.”
“
When am I? ”
Calian, who was about to ask again, smiled a long smile.
And he shook his head as if what he said was correct.
“Yes. That’s right. I did.”
Randel is right.
Kalyan said so. Watch yourself.
The roses will bloom soon.
“I will gradually improve my counting habits. There are still so many things I need to improve.”
“Do what’s convenient for you.”
“yes.”
After a short answer, Calian let out a small laugh and turned his head to the other side. Then, the long blue-silver hair that had been left unattended swept the floor again.
Calian must have finally realized this as he searched inside the wizard’s pocket. Then, he carefully tied up his long blue-silver hair with a long leather strap he found and opened his mouth.
“Lord Hertz.”
“Yes, prince.”
Planz started to frown.
Throughout the fight, Planz kept reminding himself that his body had grown as much as Arsene’s, so he had to lower his head more than usual and twist his back more deeply. My head was busier than my body throughout the fight, calculating that as my arms got longer, the distance to reach my opponent got shorter.
The long robe clinging to his feet and the unwieldy blue hair that was tied up in a sloppy manner, like Arsene’s, were already making him irritated for one reason or another. Still, I knew that all of this was something I had brought on myself, so I was trying hard to cope with it.
But I feel irritated without realizing it.
“From what I saw earlier, it looked like he was using two swords.”
“Did I do that?”
“The Lord said so.”
“I was out of my mind so I don’t remember much.”
It’s because of Kalyan who stopped being silent.
Calian was now taller than the day we met in Gray Brisen’s mansion or the royal forest. His voice was lower and his eyes were colder. There were more scars. There was much more.
This means that he is not of a similar age to Plants, but is of an older age after awakening the Auror and returning to the palace. Despite this, Calian’s sword did not change one bit. Whether he grew taller or not, whether the Auror was tied up or not, and whether the sword changed or not, he still used the sword without hesitation.
So I was annoyed. The clear difference in skill between Calian and himself was noticeable and it bothered him, but on top of that, Calian had been constantly nudging him.
“By the way, Lord Hertz.”
“Yes, prince.”
“Where on earth did you learn swordsmanship? I’m so curious.”
“……I read the book.”
“book.”
“yes.”
“I thought I could only learn horseback riding from books. Sir, I think he’s quite talented.”
like this. Cook, cook.
In informal language, as if showing off. continue. endlessly. continue.
Thanks to this, Calian, who had been looking at Planz for a long time in an uncomfortable manner, quietly turned his head. Then he opened his mouth again, accepting the chicken that was well-cooked and ready to eat.
“Aren’t you willing to learn properly? I have a familiar sword again and I trust your skills, so I can teach you well.”
“Not right now.”
“Are you available now?”
“Yes. Not yet.”
“When will it happen? That thought.”
The voice has changed.
Planz looked down at the plate in his hand for a while and answered the quiet question that had clearly become heavier.
“I’ll learn it before long.”
“How much longer do I have to wait?”
“… It won’t be too late.”
“Do you know I’m waiting for you?”
“Yes. I know.”
“Okay then.”
Calian nodded very slowly.
“I’ll wait. Forever.”
That’s what he said. I don’t think this trick without explanation will continue for too long, so I’ll keep fooling him.
As much as I believe.
Forever.
* * *
A bush located in the middle of Siegfried Territory.
If you take one more step into it, you have arrived. You will be able to meet the person you want, learn about things you were curious about, and talk about things you are dissatisfied with. After passing through that bush, you will reach the elf city.
I stopped in front of it.
I closed my eyes for a moment and sent a message.
– Yes, my prince.
If it had been normal, Alan’s voice would have been heard, but a very different voice was heard. It was Dmirea.
– Is there anything going on in Whitlin?
– Healer Sir Bern has come to Whitlin.
The answer comes back as if it was something I had been waiting for. Calian spoke with a somewhat calm expression.
– …… okay.
– I heard what the situation was. You don’t have to worry too much about Lord Verne.
– okay. I got it first. What about Jan and Aila?
– My brother moved to the prince’s villa with the other servants. Sir Brigid is with me in the Lords Castle.
– My villa is very messy.
– I heard it after everything was sorted out, but I’m still preventing them from walking towards the training center just in case.
– Is the villa safe?
– Some of the Balkan crew are at the villa, but I’ve also asked Lord Hill to escort them. I’m worried that there will be another attack. Still, I stayed in the lord’s castle for a while because I felt like I needed to find out exactly why the elf named Whitlin tried to mess with Siegfried.
I don’t know the details, but Whitlin seems to be quite busy as well.
Calian, who didn’t have the slightest curiosity as to why he sent the servants to the villa or how Dmirea knew about Whitlin, just nodded.
– okay. You’re going through a lot of trouble for no reason because of me, Demirea.
– This happened because I decided to stand on the prince’s side. I expected this much when I stepped into the palace battle.
– Then I don’t have to pay this back?
– yes. I’m going to calculate the price of the life of the prince I saved.
– Oh, I can’t even repay Serenti for that. My life is too expensive.
– Would the price that the prince or Serenti were asking be the same as what I thought? Don’t worry, we’ll calculate it for you.
Calian’s life may be expensive for Calian or Serenti, but it is not for him. Calian, who laughed at those words, which were obviously sincere, answered.
– I’m sad. They told me to be fiancé for life.
– I’m not telling you to do it for the rest of your life because you’re an expensive person.
– Well, I feel happy when I keep it next to me
. – No.
The answer was clear and decisive, like picking ripe cherries and harvesting them. In the end, laughter escaped me.
Raven, who had been waiting for the moment to walk forward, pricked up her ears. Calian, who gently patted Raven and told her that it was no big deal, spoke again.
– But don’t give my life too low a price. Please consider it expensive. You’re engaged.
– yes. I will take it into consideration.
– okay. Anyway, I’ll be there soon. Please help me a little bit.
-Where is the prince now?
– Entrance to the elven city. I called for a moment because I was afraid I might lose contact once I went in.
– Looks like you were in a hurry. It’s faster than I thought.
– huh. I came diligently. Anyway, take care, fiancée.
– The prince too. Be careful.
– I will.
They did not tell us that they were attacked by Zeon on their way here. This was because I thought that I should first ask Narzan or Danu, the elders of the elves, how they used the harpy’s power and why they attacked. The Whitlin territory didn’t seem to be that busy either.
Therefore, after just exchanging greetings, Kalian turned his head towards the companions.
“Let’s go in now.”
“Yes, prince.”
Kirie was the only one who gave the answer.
It wasn’t because the other two weren’t finished preparing that they didn’t answer. I was just nervous.
Of course, Kirie was no different. Isn’t this the first elf city you come to? Kirie didn’t show curiosity, even though she must have been at least a little curious.
Instead, he was pulling out a sword.
“Don’t be too nervous, Kirie.”
“I will be careful.”
Calian, who spoke as if comforting Kyrie, turned his head back. As if she had been waiting for that, Raven takes a step forward.
A place connected across a bush in the middle of a forest near Siegfried Ridge. A place where hot winds blow. I walked towards a place where the sea spread out at the end of the great desert.
– Diverse.
Enter the bush.
Go through the bush.
Raven paused and walked. Thanks to this, the distance between Arsene and Roro, who was following him, narrowed. Plantz, who probably knew that would happen, moved close behind Raven without saying anything. Randel and Kyrie followed behind them.
– Multi-faceted, multi-faceted!
I step into the place where Danu and his children live. The sound of brushing against the bushes and the sound of hooves hitting the dirt followed twice more.
The sound of those hooves will be a little different now. Instead of the sound of grass being brushed and dirt being stepped on, there will be the sound of small pebbles hitting hard feet. Behind it, the heavy salty smell of the deep, wide, dark sea will permeate the tip of your nose. And it won’t be long before you encounter elves welcoming new guests. That’s what I thought.
However, I did not expect any welcome. When I saw the wary looks of the elves who came out to greet an uninvited guest, or the elf warriors, who were said to be comparable to the warriors of the great desert, aiming their bows and spears, I thought about such disrespect.
If not.
Maybe if you were a little more upset about Calian’s visit.
– Wheeeee!
Just as you wanted.
Wouldn’t there be an immediate call?
“…… also.”
Her long blue-silver hair, tightly tied up, was flying around. It was too weak to say strong and too strong to say calm, so it was tossed around and sank repeatedly.
There is no sound of the horse’s ankles being brushed by grass or the hooves of the earth being stepped on. There is no sound of small pebbles being crushed. The fishy smell of the sea that threatens to wash away your heart doesn’t even reach your nose. There are no glances or bows or spears from the elf warriors.
– It wasn’t that he refused to comply with me.
Instead, a voice came.
The hair, which I had briefly expected to shine a little more blue in the strong sunlight of the beach, was submerged in darkness.
An unmistakable acrid scent pierces the tip of my nose. The unforgettable smell of blood seeps deep into the bones once again, and the burning flames and Secreta reduced to ashes unfold again. Calian, now standing in the form of ‘Bern’ in front of a scene that he could never see with good intentions, smiled.
“Then I should have told you not to listen to everything else and only listen to what you say. I listened intently when I was told not to conform.”
A soft, low but extremely gentle voice flowed from Calian’s mouth. With a face that seemed to be singing a low song, he tried to say something more to Danu, who couldn’t even be seen.
“Danu.”
But then I heard an unexpected voice.
Another low voice that should not be here reached Calian’s ears.
Calian’s light purple eyes were filled with embarrassment. I turned my head towards another voice that I hadn’t noticed because I was being dragged into Danu’s territory.
As soon as I entered the city of elves, the light spread and brightened up my eyes. I had already experienced what it was like to grab anything I could before my younger brother disappeared on his own. So, holding the end of my younger brother’s long hair tightly in my hand, I called Danu together.
Pea’s light green eyes appeared.
“……ah.”
Calian, who had been staring into those eyes for a long time, slowly opened his mouth.
“No way. Why are you here?”
wow.
I was so fooled.
